Last night the power went out again. Sigh… One of the joys of international living. I’m in Battambang, Cambodia as I have been for almost a year now. I had to leave Vietnam because I managed to overstay my visa – twice.
The first time was when I was working for Praim English on Điện Biên Phủ. I was focused on the teaching and classes. The school owner said she would handle the paperwork. I left it all to her until I needed to open a bank account. Ooops!
The second time was when I was working for iFLY in Đắk Lắk. Same thing. Ouch!
So now I’m back in the area that I visited then. the LBS School សាលាភាសាអន្តរជាតិ ឡៃហ្វ៍ ប្រ៊ីជហ្គ៍ outside the town. When I was here that first time, Salath Chhin (not a typo) the headmaster, welcomed me and invited me to stay.
I should have.
That’s when I had the distinct intuition to accept his offer. I was only in Cambodia as a courtesy to Vietnam while they reviewed my appeal to renew my visa. And accepting his offer would mean that I would lose that job in Đắk Lắk. it paid well, the teachers were friendly, the kids were great, and the house was super. So I ignored my intuition.
Here’s what happened. I got the ‘all clear’ and went back to my job.
Almost immediately, things turned sour. Fall was over and the weather was getting cold. I started closing up the house and insulating it. The more I closed the drafts, the odder I felt. My breathing felt strange.
Then one of the friendly kids (‘Flora’ the Vietnamese kids often take western names at school) at school came and sat next to me in front of class. I put my hand down to touch her shoulder and the teacher screamed (rare!) at the student and shamed her.
Then other things started unraveling. The full pay for summer dropped to less than half-time pay for the rest of the school year. This meant getting up early, leaving for the middle of the day, and then going back late into the evening for less pay.
Then the house got worse. I later came to realized that these wooden houses are treated with insecticides to withstand the insects in the tropical rain forest. The more I closed the doors and windows, and blocked the drafts, the more I was damaging my health. First I was tired, then I had trouble breathing, and it got bad.
I got pneumonia (that should have gotten my attention), but it didn’t. I went to the doctor and took medicine. Then I got sick again. This time it was bronchitis. Same routine. Then I got sick again. This time it was bronchiectasis. Permanent, smokers cough and lung damage for the rest of my life.
I left.
I spent a few weeks in Đà Nẵng. I consulted several doctors at my favorite hospital, Hoàn Mỹ (Perfect) on Nguyễn Văn Linh. I have had great health care in Vietnam. But prevention if just not on their radar. None of the doctors could offer any help at this stage.
So, the moral of the story is,, follow your intuition. I’m reminded of what Mohandas (he didn’t like the name Mahatma) Gandhi said. “I cannot tell you why I cannot do this as I promised, but my intuition has never been wrong.”