Cambodia: Day 53

Friday, July 1st, 2011

Om Loon's House in Phnom Penh

8:40 AM

I know you're thinking I'm going to go on a rant about what I did yesterday. Well, I'll have you know that I did nothing. I think I sat and stared at my computer screen for a good four hours, trying to get myself to do my homework.

Yes, I have to do homework. What, did you think I was just on vacation or something? Pff, boy were you wrong!

Naturally I didn't really start it. I attempted to read one of my assigned articles, but only got through the first sentence when I realized that it was WAY over my head. I think it's generally not a good sign when you have a twenty page article to read and the first sentence takes you half an hour to (somewhat) digest.

I headed home that evening for dinner, hoping that I'd get a chance to lock myself in my comfortable air conditioned room and finally get going on my homework. Jeni and Lauren came walking in ten minutes later, though, and I yet again fell victim to distraction.

Now fast forward to three in the morning. I was sleeping comfortably on my half of the bed, more than likely dreaming about riding a road bike through Phnom Penh while eating a bowl of cereal. Man, if only I could multitask like that. Think of how efficient I'd be! Suddenly I was stirred from my slumber to a feeling of something tickling the back of my left knee. I quickly probed the area with my right foot and found nothing. Maybe it was my blanket …

I attempted to go back to sleep, but I knew something was awry when I heard a loud buzzing noise coming from the direction of the wall. Is that my computer? No … The air conditioning? No, that's not it either …

By this time I was on my back, slightly more awake, trying to figure out the situation. Something dropped from the ceiling near the window on to the bed and disappeared.

Oh. Heck. No. I watched in utter horror as the outline of a cockroach the size of Texas began climbing up the windowsill. I dashed out of bed and grabbed my flashlight, trying my best to keep calm and not wake Lauren up. I searched the area for the cockroach until I found it resting on top of the drape. It made an attempt to fly, causing me to quietly yelp and run to the other side of the room. It quickly landed on my side of the bed and made its pursuit up the wall, following the same pattern as before.

After another attempt at taking flight, the cockroach landed on the bed and decided to change course. I cringed as I watched it scuttle towards Lauren and up her legs to her chest.

I whispered as loud as I could, trying my best to not wake Srei Poi outside. "Lauren! Lauren! Lauren!" She opened her eyes blinkingly and stared at me, confused at my insistent need to wake her up. "There's a giant bug on you!"

She stared back at me, a little more awake, but still confused; my words obviously hadn't sunk in yet.

"There's a giant bug on you!"

"Where?"

"On your chest!"

Her eyes became as round as dinner plates. She made a quick flicking movement with her hand, and two seconds later the cockroach was spinning in circles on the floor. She jumped out of bed. We stared at the struggling cockroach and considered the situation, trying to analyze what to do next.

Then, like a giant light bulb, I had the solution.

"Kill it! Kill it! KILL IT!"

"I need a shoe!"

"My tennis shoes are right there!" I said, pointing at my shelf.

Lauren grabbed my shoe. I pointed the light. And then, in one fluid motion, the deed was done.

We left the smashed cockroach on the ground, a flattened monument symbolizing the fact that we had claimed the victory in the battle. We climbed back into bed and I couldn't help but laugh out loud at what had just transpired.

I closed my eyes and turned my mind back into sleep mode. That attempt, however, was short lived as I heard a noise coming from Lauren's side of the bed.

"Are … are you hiccuping?"

"Yeah …"

"Generally you get scared to get rid of the hiccups, not to get the hiccups."

What an odd night.