Just be a little bit careful...........

Just be a little bit careful in the sun was what the chemist told me today. I wish she had told me to avoid it completely! It is Sunday afternoon and I am sitting on my bed with a very burnt and very sore back, neck, face and shoulders!

I went to bed last night not feeling 100% and with no improvement this morning and another sinus infection getting the better of me, took a walk into the pharmacy. In Cambodia you don't go to a GP, the pharmacy is the first stop. I am in possession of a box of antibiotics and instructions for no alcohol, no Icecream and just take it easy with the sun.

I wasn't going to swim due to the nose and ears etc but it got the better of me and I ploughed up and down as usual then when finished somebody ( who had not asked for permission to be in my pool) asked me about the markets. We got chatting and 30 minutes later I realized is was all too late hence the burning.

 

The week has been a relatively quiet one activity wise. The elections completed with the CPP of which Hun Sen is the leader, winning with an increased majority. This was actually similar to our local council elections as the people were voting for commune chiefs who of course are aligned to a political party.

This outcome is perplexing as not one person we speak with admits to voting that way. Anecdotally it would appear that the rigging here is very subtle. Stories of young adults who had applied for their ID cards over 12 months ago and still not received them. No ID card, no registration and therefore no voting. Young people who had returned to their homelands to vote to discover that their names had actually been removed from the register even though they have previously voted. There are stories of vote buying and bullying. It seems that the younger generation who would perhaps be able to change things with their votes have been excluded from the process.

Next year is the larger election but a lot of people don't hold out much hope.

 

The digging out of the river has stopped to a point as firstly the money has run out and secondly families can't be relocated in time before the wet sets in. The river side has just been left in a disgraceful way with trees, rubbish etc just sitting there. The locals, who don't waste a thing have been cutting up the timber for cooking, some have been digging up the dirt and shifting it in front of their homes and using it as a base for paving and some it would appear just have a mound sitting there waiting to be used as sand bags to keep back the water should it flood again.

The barricade at the crocodile farm has been removed and the water has been allowed to flow into the spill way once again so that at least has reduced the smell of the still water and allowed the river to flow once again. With the few rains we have had the river in town was getting very high.

 

The ride home in the evenings has been a bit of a race against the weather as the rain seems to come in during the afternoon and then again a bit after 4. So far I have been able to keep cycling to school but it won't be much fun if heavy rains come. I may have to succumb to a tuk tuk ride. I will miss that part of my morning routine should it happen.

 

Socially things are quieter which doesn't really bother me that much. I did get roped into going to a bar after work during the week to watch the rugby between Australia and Scotland and then to a trivia night on thursday which helps raise money for some of the projects here but I really don't enjoy them that much. In fact I think I was out every night but I have to get dinner somewhere! I actually enjoy just having a quiet dinner with Bridget, Alan and Annette and then trotting home at a civilized hour!

 

The weaving ladies have been working very hard to get the purses ready for us to sell on commission at Le Meridien Hotel. I selected the colors and linings for them and there was a little lost in translation as their idea of colour matching differs slightly from mine but all is well now and hopefully the product will be placed by next week.

The really good news is that we received a phone call asking us what out terms are for the place mat order and how should the Victoria Hotel place the order. That is very exciting as not only will we make a little bit of profit but this will keep the weaving ladies employed for a few weeks. I am very happy about the outcome.

 

The project has been moving along steadily but volunteer numbers are declining due to the season and from next week I will be the last man standing so to speak and nobody else until the day before I am due to leave! I will stay with the preschool classes as they need most help but will do what I can to assist the other teachers. I still assist teach in the young adult classes after school but may have to share myself around a bit, Bridget will direct me on that.

 

Last night, the hotel manager organized for me to go into the kitchen and have a little cooking lesson with the sous chef ( a very generous term as he is the cook) the chef who was off duty couldn't help himself and came back in as cooking lessons is something that he would like to offer in the quiet season. They showed me how to make fresh spring rolls and fried spring rolls which do differ from the Vietnamese style. We had a bit of fun and then they asked me how to make the pasta bundles when plating up so I showed them that and how to make a simple seafood marinara. They were surprised just how easy it was to do and that everything that I needed they had in their pantry. They are such nice people and rarely get to interact with the hotel guests and were very shy to start but overcame it. I am hoping that we will get to do it again before I leave. I should have taken some photos but wasn't that organized. I need to get the dipping sauce recipe written down so will visit again and get photos of them all including the staff!!

 

The time is passing very quickly here once again, 3 weeks down and only 2 and a bit to go.

So once again, good luck for you, good dreams for me