I said goodbye to my first visitor this morning. Kim has stayed with me for the past 10 days. We first met in 2011 and our volunteer time overlapped by a month when staying at Globalteer House. We worked at different projects but spent a bit of time cooking, shopping, drinking and eating together! She eventually ended up at Grace House and worked in the office for a couple of months. Cambodia has got under her skin and decided to return for another look before she makes her future plans.
I am now at work for Grace House, 2 weeks into the job, mornings being spent working in the office, trying to sort out the files and docs on the computer, sorting out new supplies that have been donated, responding to the forthcoming volunteers and helping wherever I can. This role will become busier as the season moves on. The afternoons are spent teaching, 2 lessons, 1 hour each. 3 of the 10 are English from the text book, sifting out the relevant material and what is appropriate for these students, there is art, music, sport, library, topic. A challenge and a lot of time spent on the preparation of a decent class where I feel in control!
There have been changes in the weather, some days a little cooler (today not being one of them)! When it rains it is heavy and stormy but doesn't hang around, just heavy enough for me to realize that the kitchen roof needs replacing as the newly painted walls are stained and the ceiling is smelling very musty, it is timber so stains not seen but I bet it looks awful close up. The rain came In time as we have been clearing and planting some garden beds, I am keen to have the front lush for the forthcoming project.
Nakk and I have continued to pressure hose down the moulds walls and clear away the debris, it is looking under control. The soil here is clay with a bit of sand mixed in, we have sourced a timber workshop that said we can take the sawdust, I am looking for a garden supplier for burnt rice husks and plan on doing a raid on the Sofitel Garden where they have just raked up the grass clippings into piles!!!! Trying to get some organic matter happening! This week am going to buy some bins and start chopping up the veggie waste rather than burning it as Nakk the arsonist loves doing! Maybe collect some of those ashes also!
After complaining about the Jack fruit, which I can't bear to smell now, I think that I MAY have had shingles as I have neighbors with chicken pox and have had and still have a rash going up from the base of my spine which is driving me nuts itchy plus some other viral symptoms. Rashes and heat do not go together well!!! Panic over, post doctors visit, not shingles but probably a viral rash that has become a prickly heat rash, but the diagnosis doesn't stop the itch! Hopefully cortisone will!!!
Kim and I have been out to eat a few times, nowhere exciting apart from Sugar Palm that is always a favorite but would prefer better service. Thursday was labour day, one of the 40 or so public holidays here ( may or May not be an exaggeration) and we set off with Vibol, the tuk tuk driver. Kim wanted to visit Banteay Srey, the lovely women's temple with the fine carvings and also walk up to the Kbal Spean waterfall carvings. She mentioned trek but I chose not to hear that. TREK!!!! Oh dear, it was also a 1500 meter climb up rocks, through tree roots, slippery slopes. Itchy back going crazy, water hot enough to make tea with. But the carvings in the river let and small waterfall ( which become big in the wet) were beautiful and a 1000 years old. The. The trek back down again. A few leg bruises and grazes from slips and trips! We then headed back to Banteay Srey which has changed enormously, this little quiet provincial outpost has become a major tourist hub with shops, coffee, souvenirs, coach parking etc! Lost a bit of its shine I think.
Regardless, it was a lovely but exhausting day, around 120 km in a tuk tuk is a feat in itself! Mind you last time I saw Banteay Srei was on a cycling tour and that trip was around 70 km return, tuk tuk probably easier!
I am on good terms with my neighbor who has invited me to his sisters wedding next week. They are building a new home behind an existing timber traditional Khmer house and have limited space so this new house has been built with everything going in by wheel barrow. They used to have access and more land on the side until the owner of my property some years ago apparently did a land grab and you don't argue with a rich 2 star general! Upshot is they asked permission to use my driveway to dump solid and gain access to the old gate. I don't have a problem with this except yesterday the truck hit my garden wall and took that out then today I notice the driveway, under all the weight, has subsided and there could well be a drain pit that we are all about to be swallowed up in! This morning I locked the gate. Bad enough the miserable owners won't pay for the roof repair, I don't think a driveway repair will sit well with them!
Well the builders came today en masse. Nett was concerned that the rains were coming and didn't want to leave a roof section uncovered. Half of the roof is now done, the kitchen should be leak proof and there is also a large laser light section so lots of lovely daylight coming in. Bit of a mess to clean up in the kitchen this evening but Nakk and I rolled up our sleeves and it's looking clean and tidy again.
I appreciate that I have a very good life here and for me things are easy, but I don't necessarily find it that way! The water in the taps can't be used to wash salad or veg, I have to get a bowl from the filter, wash and spin everything when I buy it or else I will be forever running up and down stairs. I need to remember to turn on the town water supply to the high tank every few days because we are never quite sure when the pressure will be enough to fill the tank. When it does overflow it is generally at 4 am or thereabouts and I have to race downstairs, unbolt the door and go around the back of the house with a torch and turn off the valve. This could have been overflowing for a couple of hours so I now set my alarm for every hour between 1 and 4 am so I can check the situation. I will eventually get a pump and stop valve on this!! If I forget to fill the tank, which is the situation tonight, I will have to turn on the well pump so the tank doesn't run dry, this gives a metallic smell to the water and stains any whites. I have to lock the gates every night and get up early enough if expecting anyone so that they can get in and I rarely hear them and suddenly a head will appear around the corner as they haven't been able to make themselves heard! Everything is cash so always have to have a supply to shop and pay the bills. The suppliers of power, water cable, water filter etc don't send bills, they bring them around then call and can't understand why I'm not at home all day waiting for them! Then I can't post payment, we have to go to that office and pay the cashier. It is all very time consuming! Plus usually only 7 days to pay everything or they cut you off!!!!!
There isn't a mail delivery, if it's a letter I have to go in to the post office and trawl through hundreds of un sorted piles of letters to see if anything has my name on it. If the letter is registered or has a tracking number then they will text me or ring as long as the phone number is on the envelope, then have to go in and collect it! All on my bicycle of course! These are now the sort of things that I get Nakk to I do for me.
The phones all run off phone cards and I have now learnt to be careful of my Internet usage as that gobbles up the money and now always keep a spare credit as it is easy to be left stranded with no communication! Always trying to be a step ahead
Australia is going to be a breeze when I get home!!!!
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