It's Christmas Eve....

Well there's no sign of christmas here, saying that my neighbour Joy did come round last night with a tupperware dish full of biscuits which had some very distinct christmas flavours...think mulled wine !... I'm taking them round to another volunteers house this evening who is cooking supper to christmas tunes ! There really is no escape whether you're in a country that celebrates it or not !

I've put some photos of my home for the next 2 years, that was a stress I could have done without, what with first it was available for the agreed rent, then it wasn't, then it was, then it wasn't and finally it was...a few nights crying into my mozzie net but it all turned out alright in the end and it was well worth the tears !!

Water Festival

The water festival was an event that I knew I was attending before I left for Cambodia, I had no idea what to expect apart from knowing that I was 1 of 40 rowers in a dragon boat!
On the day in question (22 November) we were all hurdled into the back of a pick-up van (like lambs to the slaughter as it turned out to be!!) to get to the waterfront from the programme office, a real sense of joviality amongst us all as we waved to onlookers who cheered on this bunch of barangs in their green T-Shirts and hats on their way to an absolute thrashing at the festival (we, at that point did not know this but there was a lot of laughter from the onlookers which made me wonder if they were somehow aware of our fate ?!....)
The end result was that we came 4th out of a two boat race then ended up drifting down the Mekong as the group lacked strength and direction to get back !.....Of course it's all about participating...I'm sure we'll do much better next year !

Home Stay

Homestay was good fun, all part of our in country training

VSO wanted us to be with 'real' Khmer people, i.e. experience how 80% of the khmer people live, so we were shipped off to stay with a family in the countryside. Actually I was lucky, we stayed with the deputy village chief who had a very nice house, we didn't have the luxury of a mattress on the bed but at least we had a bed which was made of bamboo which was surprisingly soft (although I did think that having a hole for my bony hip to slot in when I was sleeping on my side would have helped with a much more restful nights sleep !!)
Having decided that I needed to go for a wee before I went to bed, torch on head, I venture off into the darkness towards the toilet, I come across 4 cows blocking the toilet (who looked particularly menacing in the dark I can tell you !) and not daring to disturb them and cause a stampede in the middle of the night I retreated back into the dark bedroom looking around for an appropriate urine recepticle, find it and then worry about my cup overfloweth.........
much to the amusement of the onlooking volunteer ! Bet there's not going to be an opportunity for me to say the toilet's blocked by 4 cows in Worthing !!

Better late than never I hear you all shout !

Well I suppose it's better late than never......

I need to start from today and work backwards , it's been so busy with 'stuff' as the teenagers in my life say I'm quite sure I will miss loads but look forward to both repeating myself and telling new stories when I get back to you all..so here goes..........
So yesterday, 20 December I attended my second wedding in as many weeks since being here in Stung Treng, they're rather glamorous affairs (especially the women, the men seem to wear what they wore to work when I saw them on Monday !) in a drag queen kind of way, pancake make-up and the most twinkly clothes you could possibly imagine ! Can't imagine what they think of me, I dress my usual casual/hippy self and have decided no matter how many weddings I get invited to ( and I believe there is potential to be many as it's seems to be routine in the wedding season to invite all as there's a guaranted $10 from each guest !) I will only dress like the queen mother if I attend a wedding where I actually know either the bride or groom !

I've got lots more to put on but am getting slightly confused with the photographs so I will post this and endeavour to put a little bit more on each day......if I can work it out !

AT LAST !!

Blimey I thought this was going to be it but I can't work out how to do the cut and paste malarky !!....Have to wait for my matey to come back from holiday.....