A Broken Pedal and Frogger

I have to relate a funny story from something that happened on the way to work the other morning.

My bike pedal had been making a clicking sound, then went wonky on me.  I was on my way to work and I was sitting at a big intersection.  When the light changed, I gave a big push to make my way through and keep up with all the cars and motos.  Well, off came the pedal just as I started going.  Single pedaling didn't really work so I coasted/hobbled to the far corner.  I looked back and could see my pedal across the road.  I had to decide what to do.  My roommate left a minute after me and should be coming through the same intersection at any moment.  Maybe I could wait and holler at her to get it on her way over.

Then there she was, conveniently stopped at a red light.  I began shouting across the road and waving my pedal in the air.  That didn't work.  I looked at my bike and prayed to God to not let anyone steal it as I ran back across the intersection to retrieve the broken pedal feeling very much like a pale spectacle.  As I picked it up, I was able to relay to Meredith what had happened.  Not only to her but to everyone else in the pack of motos surrounding her.  I ran back across the street to my bike which was still there.  Thank you Jesus.  But the pedal would not screw back in.  I tried, Meredith tried.  Not happening.

So Meredith went on to work and I walked my bike back across the intersection (my fourth crossing of the morning), to the local repair shop.  I walk up with my bike and there are 2 fellows at the ready.  He tries to fix my old pedal, but to no avail.  He comes back with a couple of new pedals and starts installing one. Then he takes off the other fully functioning pedal and replaces it with a new one.  I thought, I didn't need that one and he's going to charge me a big price now for two pedals.  I began to mentally prepare for a negotiation. 

Me: "How much?
Bike man: "Bai dolla"
Me: "3 dollars?"
Bike man: nods
Me: "Ok. Thank you, oh kuhn"

Not a bad deal, eh?  And I still made it to work on time.  As Meredith said, there's never a dull moment in Cambodia.

This scenario may make you thankful that you drive a big, air conditioned SUV to work every day, and yes you should be thankful.  But for me, I find it amusing.  Sometimes on my way to work I have a big smile and may even chuckle a bit.  Why you ask?  Because whenever I bike to work it feels like I'm in a Frogger video game.  You know that one from way back in the 80's when the frog had to cross the river dodging hazards to make it to the other side.

Instead of a frog on a log, it's a teacher on a bike.  Instead of dodging crocodiles and water bugs, I dodge vehicles and potholes.  There's even a sandpit as you turn off the main road to get to our school.  No problem for an SUV, but treacherous for a one-speed bike.

Despite the funny stories a bike provides, I am considering investing in a moto.  It would definitely make it easier to get around town and would be a bit less treacherous.  I hope anyway. 

Language School

I am looking into language schools to 'officially' start learning Khmer.  I think a school setting with books and structure is going to be the way to go for me.  Spanish was relatively easy for me to learn in high school, but there are a lot of similarities between Spanish and English.  They share the same alphabetic letters and there are a ton of cognates that make some things easy to figure out.  Spanish has a few sounds that are different but relatively easy to pick up (except for that double r trilling thing.)

Khmer is a whole different story.  The Khmer language gives a whole new meaning to dipthongs.  The vowel sounds have such subtle nuances, that you can say two totally different words and not even notice the difference.  When trying to pronounce some of these words it feels like my mouth has to do contortions I've never asked it to do before. Then, once you've got it, you have to send those sounds up through your nasal cavity to make the proper sound.
I've been told the Khmer script is related to Sanskrit.

Well I'd like to share with you a few things I've learned so far.  Note that this is not how Khmer words are spelled, it's just my phonetic interpretation.  Enjoy trying to pronounce them.  

Useful words for a tuk tuk driver:

baht s'dam:  turn right
baht sh-weng: turn left
tow trong: go straight
chope: stop
ohr kuhn:  thank you

Greetings:

chum rup su-a: Hello, formal greeting
sok sa bai te?: informal greeting
Soo-a sa day: How are you?
aron soo-a sa day: Good morning
jah: yes (female speaking)
Knyom chomurrah Kim: My name is Kim 


Other words:

chngan: delicious

This one is tricky to say.  We have all these sounds in English, but the order makes it difficult.
/ch/ as in church
/ng/ like the end of ring
/a/ as in apple
/ny/ like the first n in onion

Ok lets put it together.  Front of the mouth /ch/, top back of the mouth /ng/, short vowel /a/, and finish at the front with the /ny/

Having fun yet?  I've got a great one for you.  Here are two of my students' names class.  They are twins actually. 

Oudompheakdey
Phearydeykalyan

Believe it or not, I can actually say their names.  Telling them apart is another story.