what i’ve learned in peace corps cambodia [pt. 10]

How to be a terrible pen pal.

Just this morning I read an article about how the United States Postal Service has been finding itself in a pretty big hole as of a year or two ago. And I’m the problem. And you probably are, too. More and more people these days are using email for both business and personal use that the USPS is having a hard time keeping their trucks full and their employees busy.

Don’t get me wrong — getting letters in the mail is NICE. It’s a great feeling. But it’s getting outdated fast. I tried to reply to those who so graciously sent me updates and well-wishes and holiday greetings over the years. But so often I would write a response, only to find the addressed letter, sealed and ready to go, on my bookshelf two months later. Or, I would actually remember to bring it to phnom penh (my nearest post office is 2 hours away), only to find that the post office closed early for the day. Or it never even opened that day. And so… yes, these are excuses… but they also just go to show how impractical snail mail has become (not to mention international snail mail). Because our world has become so much more connected now. It took me a year in Cambodia until I was able to acquire reliable, daily internet, but once I had it, it was amazing to think that I went a year without it. And, of all things, it’s on my cellphone. This is a luxury that I never knew in the United States, but now it’s sweeping Cambodia. Almost every wireless carrier in the country offers a 3G plan, and as the networks grow, they’re getting faster and more dependable. On more than one occasion, when somebody in town asks me where my house is, they pull out their phone, open Google Maps, and have me zoom into my house. Cellphones are still a very new aspect of Cambodian culture, but the people who can afford to definitely keep up with technology here. Many of my students (how they afford them, I don’t know) have nicer phones than their teachers. And it’s not uncommon to see a well-dressed Cambodian with an iPhone 4. (which were about $900 in Cambodia when Apple first released them.) I’m sure it’ll only be a matter of time before the iPad hits Cambodia and the rich kids will be playing Angry Birds in the back of class instead of just not paying attention to the English lesson like they used to.

So, long story short, I have the internet in my pocket. Because of that, responding to emails has been the easiest and most instantaneous way for me to keep in touch throughout the past year. Hopefully you won’t hold a grudge because I never got around to getting that reply letter out to you. I still appreciate all the mail, I really do.