Riding in style

“Help!  The sun’s evil rays are attacking me!”  

That’s what we made a student exclaim for a whole day during senior trip, every time he stepped into the sunlight.  Then he had to do something to shield his skin, like pull his sleeves down or apply more sunscreen.  Everyone had a secret challenge for the day, and they were trying to figure out what the other students’ challenges were.  The great part is, no one suspected that was his challenge.  He already wanted to stay pale, and he was trying to prevent scarring on his scraped-up arms, so it fit him.  Plus, Cambodian sunlight is intense. 

The past two months, I’ve often been reminded of his line as I’m attacked by the evil rays of sunlight.  Usually I miss the brunt of it because I’m indoors at school, but during summer break, I’ve been traveling 30 minutes each way to my Khmer lessons every weekday morning.  If I were only in Cambodia for a few months, I wouldn’t care.  But having spent four years here, with no plans for departure yet, I’d like to be more cautious.  And a few hours on the streets can cause sunburn, even with quite a base tan. 

The 5 potential elements of my “riding gear”: sunscreen, dust mask, moto helmet, bike helmet, and cardigan.

Thus, lately I’ve been proactive about sun protection.  Good thing, too, because I’ve still ended up darker than almost ever.  (My clothes nearly always reach my knees and cover my shoulders, so I have quite the farmer’s tan.  Cute, I know.) 

My approach varies.  While most foreigners don’t branch out beyond sunscreen and shades, I’ve grown to appreciate the Khmer techniques and use them at times.  Khmer people often tell me, “It’s so hot today!  Do you have long sleeves?”  When I don’t, I have to reassure them that sunscreen is about as effective.  Cambodians don’t typically use sunscreen – it’s expensive and inconvenient for people spending hours outside every day.   But on days when I pull out my cardigan, they’re very proud of me.  And let’s face it – while dust masks aren’t a hit on the runway, sometimes I kinda enjoy looking like a local.

That being said, there ARE Cambodian customs that I haven’t been able or willing to adopt.  My dust mask and lightweight cardigan are an easy alternative to sunscreen and don't add too much heat or sweat, especially if I’m on a moto rather than a bike.  But with daily highs between 85 and 95 F, at this point you’ll never catch me wearing a turtleneck.  Same goes for socks with my flip-flops.  (Socks and tights with a split big toe for sandals are very common here.)  I don’t wear long pants or gloves.  And no way would I trade my helmet for a floppy hat or baseball cap - for some reason, I’d rather arrive sweaty and sunburnt than brain-damaged. 

A typical girl’s moto get-up: sweater, tights under the flip-flops, long pants, and gloves.  You can’t see her dust mask, but rest assured, it’s there.

I don’t know how Cambodians decide each day what they’ll wear on the road.  But these flow charts illustrate the complex web of factors that influence my own decision.  Of course, there are times when I’m lazy, in a hurry, or apathetic enough to take my chances with sun exposure, but usually these questions affect what I choose to wear.  In any given week this summer, you’ll find me wearing each of these options multiple times.  While they can be a pain at times, overall they set my mind at ease and help me avoid resentment toward Evil Mr. Sun during my ride. 

Outgrowing a dictionary

This summer, I have Khmer lessons every morning, and every afternoon I study the new words that came up in my lesson that day.  I’ve been making flashcards and doing my best to put the Khmer spelling on one side, but many of the words come up in conversation, not in the stories I’m reading.  So I’ve been looking up their spelling in the dictionary.  I knew that my dictionary was far from comprehensive (hence the large font), but I hadn’t realized just how many common words it was missing. 

Clearly Mr. Long Hair, the author, has a thing for obscure words.  How could his dictionary include “numskull,” “frosty,” and “pagination,” while leaving out “dirt,” “calm,” and “computer”?  I realize that many foreigners in Cambodia need job-specific vocabulary.  A doctor here might frequently use the word “harelip,” just as lawyers or embassy employees might need “diplomatic immunity.”  But some of these words don’t seem essential for any career here.  When’s the last time you used “gibbet,” “frogspawn,” or “obsequies”?  I’d wager a bet that no one has ever turned to this dictionary seeking the Khmer equivalents of “necromancy,” “rostrum,” “anvil,” or “patricide.”  It seems to me that more expats might need words like “corrupt,” “sunscreen,” “relationship,” “sink,” or “pronounce” – words mysteriously absent from its pages.

So I stopped by the bookstore and picked up Dictionary #2.  Like all the others at the store, it’s totally for Khmer people: no foreigner-friendly training wheels here!  The font is so tiny I can’t distinguish between a few of the letters.  It features phonetic Khmer spellings as well as IPA pronunciation for each English word, and even a section with English vocabulary exercises, but no help on pronouncing Khmer words.  So I’m still using my old dictionary to see how to pronounce words with tricky spellings.  But I can read the whole alphabet now, unlike a year ago, and so I’m increasingly able to decipher words on my own.  I like that my new one includes much more vocabulary, as well as a Khmer-English section.  Now I can look up Khmer words and find translations or explanations of words that I only somewhat understood when my tutor discussed them in Khmer.  The Khmer section is a real workout for my brain: with 100+ letters in various categories, alphabetical order is still pretty hazy in my mind.  But I like flipping through it, because some of the definitions crack me up.  Here’s my favorite. 

I’ve always found speaking Khmer to be fun and rewarding.  There are few grammar rules, and a small set of vocabulary can take you far.  Reading, however, drove me crazy for quite a while.  While I still only read like a first-grader, the squiggles are finally turning into words in my mind.  Dictionaries aren’t usually page-turners, but as a language nerd, it HAS been exciting to see my progress as I’ve grown into each one.  It’s nice to still have my “training wheels” when I need them, but despite a few wobbles, I’m finding my balance on the real thing.