Dont ask me why it took so long!!!!!!

June 2014

I get up Monday morning and before I know it Sunday has come around again. Where does the time go?

I have routine in my life in as much as I go to work Monday to Friday 8.30 - 4 with Wednesday mornings free. Well not exactly free as that is the day that I put by for my weekly architect meetings for which they are invariably late and we rehash the same things that we discussed the week before and they forget to change in the plans. Extremely frustrating at times! I have to really keep my eye on the ball as there are many things that they overlook that I believe would be their job to see. The latest plans seen at this stage to be in order, I have selected my preferred contractor and now just negotiating with him as some costs seem exorbitantly high and their maths are not too great either!

Then the mad rush to get to work by 12.30 in time for teaching and check the emails.

I am enjoying the work at Grace House, the responsibilities are varied and at the moment growing but that will change from the end of this week as Bridget is returning from the UK.

Winter has been with me for over 4 weeks now and it has been good to have another body around to share my thoughts with and he has done a lot of the hard and heavy work in the villa yard/ garden that would have been really difficult for me on my own. Also nice to share life and eating out and lazing around the pool!

The major trauma for me last week was that the Victoria Hotel had closed its doors for a month of renovating. The staff told us July so a month out there! Disappointing as I loved relaxing there on a Sunday. Am going to have to find somewhere else to take a break from the heat apart from the supermarket!

Having Winter here has also prompted me Into doing a bit of cooking and attempting some of the local recipes. A great Khmer curry and several green mango salads and he has become a lover of noodle soup which he eats whenever he can. He has even been out with Nak on a few occasions and eaten at the local restaurants. Yesterday he spent the Princely sum of $1.50 on a plate of beef lok lak, rice and vegetables along with a large coconut water in the shell. He said it was really good! If only I was that brave!

He has also been to the project and helped sort out the computer room, taught some dance steps in my Monday afternoon dance, sports class and done a lesson planning seminar with the staff. They love him and he is so irreverent and makes them laugh and he has so much energy!

We have had our 2 days of temple visiting which were great. We went to Angkor Wat for sun set and stayed for a couple of hours followed by a 5 am start the next morning for sunrise at Angkor Wat which unfortunately was spoilt by cloud so not a great view. The rest of the morning took in Ta Prohmo, made famous by Lara Croft Tomb Raider, Bayon and another called Preak Kahn. A full day followed by lunch and a collapse in the afternoon. It is the carvings of the Apsara dancers that I love and the carved friezes of everyday life.

We invited all the Grace House staff around for a meal and drinks last night, it was a lot of fun and we cooked pasta, Cuban chicken and rice, black beans, mango salad, we introduced them to California rolls and followed up with fruit salad, ice cream and a very rich and delicious chocolate cake from Blue Pumpkin. This simple meal turned into a full blown Khmer party with dancing around the table and a lot of very loud music. He had a lot of fun! The 3 current volunteers also joined in so it was quite a mob of people!

Another 3 weeks have passed, more work in the front yard, regular visits from the architect and builder but still going over the same things with no resolution in sight. My patience is wearing thin. Things have slowly been progressing in the house though. The kitchen has had some fans installed along with extra power points. The painters have started the exterior wall painting, and the never ending battle with the dust and ants continues. I think I could plant potatoes with the amount of dust under the TV table and I have discovered that if a beautiful crunchy fresh baguette is left out on the table for longer than a few minutes one returns to see the baguette practically moving across the table and writhing with the wretched ants.

My new food stuff love is smoothies! I get so excited about them. Fresh fruit, ice and a touch of sugar as the absolute coldness removes some of the flavours. Banana and mango with mint. Watermelon with lime and mint, strawberry (only frozen at the moment but good enough) and mango. The left overs get frozen and eaten as an ice treat!!! Winter has discovered some of the fruits that he is familiar with from Cuba and even he doesn't know the names but he has been using them. He also likes to put some milk or yogurt in but I find a bit of banana adds the creaminess. Drooling at the thought of having one now! Makes a great brekkie!

We had been nurturing a wild melon plant that had been growing through the cracks in the concrete, no doubt some seed that I had spat out that had germinated! So we have this baby melon that we visited everyday and decided on Winters last day that we would eat it. Come home from work to discover that the electricians had got to it before us and the skin was discovered in the garbage! It doesn't matter here if something is on your property, it is not sacred to you, if somebody else comes in, they will take it! Same with discretion, if they have knowledge the whole village will soon know your business and it will be spoken about quite openly. Nothing is yours, nothing is private! The owner may lease the property but they still think they have a right to enter when they please and still have a right to the fruit on the trees. We have new padlocks here!!!!! We have new locks and keys on the doors!

I am back on my own now, Winter has returned to the USA after a 5 and a half week stay that went really well and it is very quiet around here without him. I have a volunteer Nancy coming to stay for 3 weeks arriving on Sunday followed by Mark, Sasha and Jessica who are sensibly staying at a hotel with a swimming pool. A busy few weeks coming up.

Well I will close by saying that by next week I am hoping to have definite dates and news on my project but until then, le hi!!

 

 

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Better late than never!!!!

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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Khmer New Year

It has been 2 weeks since my furniture arrived and so 2 weeks of a nice comfortable bed and 2 weeks since my shoulder has stopped hurting from the plank I was sleeping on, ah bliss!

The dust which is more like a layer of garden dirt , is relentless and impossible to keep a clean surface for longer than 24 hours. For me this is constant cleaning and I really do have to stop worrying about things that I can't fix at the moment. It will get better once the garden at the front is finished and the dust literally settles!

 

Most things are unpacked, a couple of extra shelf units purchased and the study starting to look like a work area. It is so nice to have all the mod cons at hand and not have to run down to the printers for the smallest job.

 

Khmer New Year has come and gone with Siem Reap being lit up like Blackpool. Lights everywhere from the authorities lighting up the temples to the streets having lighting erected and the local folk decorating their homes. parties everywhere, this is a big family reunion time and people travel from one end of Cambodia to the other by any means that they can to reunite. Last year was apparently the first time that the government has made a spectacle of the temples with the illuminations , the concerts, food stalls and family entertainment. Last year around 150,000 visitors. 200,000 expected this year. Nak invited me to go over one night for some photography and the traffic coming in and out of the area was incredible. Seeing the temples at night was another experience all together and amazing clambering around by artificial light. Bayon was extraordinary. It usually costs $20 a day for a temple pass, free entry for locals, but after 5.30 it is free entry for everyone and probably the best time to go! Between us, Nak and I took around 300 photos which had massive editing of course, but it was fun.

 

I did think that with so much closed and no work or volunteers around, that it would be a very long dull time but I was mistaken. I kept so busy in the garden, just doing what I can do with clearing, sweeping, getting rid of old bricks etc. I dug out a couple of shrubs that had such intertwined roots that the afternoon disappeared and I had a very sore back. Decided this was the right time to head off for a massage and give myself a new year treat! A scrub, a massage and a facial, fabulous! It was 7pm before I knew it and decided to have an Indian meal in town. This place is very good and it would have to be to entice me to be anywhere near Pub Street, particularly at this time of year. It really was incredible with the noise and the seizure inducing strobe lighting! I have never eaten so quickly and been so happy to get home!

 

Nakk the young man who works for me has returned to his homeland to see his mother for a few days. He fortunately got a ride on a motorbike otherwise the only was to have got there would be In a shared cab, 2 hour journey, $5 or $10 bucks and had the pleasure of sharing with 10 others in a Camry. Can you imagine that?

 

Friday night, just before the holiday I had the pleasure of dinner with Peter Norden. He was here as the tour leader of a group or responsible travelers from the Uniting Church. Anyone who knows Peter would see the irony of this! We had a very pleasant evening at Haven which matched his travels as it is a restaurant which trains young Khmers from difficult backgrounds. Met the responsible criteria!

 

Young Nakk returned from his homeland a couple of days early and being the good young fellow he is, decided to let me know that he would come and work with me Friday as he was going to a temple on the Thai border for some celebrations on the Saturday. We worked solidly (but with a siesta imposed by myself from 1-3) from 10 - 7 and I had to force him to leave! We dug, we swept, we cleared, we had a fire as all good Cambodians do. This was the point that he stopped becoming Nakk and became fireman Sam. Nakk is a bit of an arsonist, like most young men his age, the higher the flames are leaping the broader his smile! So we are pottering away when the security guard next door comes over and they are chattering away in Khmer. Nakk downs tools, strolls over to the river bank, strolls back, picks up his I rake and continues working. What was all that about I ask, Oh he thinks the tree is burning. Well is it I ask. Yes he says! No jumping up and down, no fear! So what are we going to do? we can't leave it! We need water. The hose doesn't reach. The ladder! We set that up and up he goes. The bucket is too heavy so I find a smaller bucket and a jug. I' m the only one who sees the crisis and am panicking as most people would, but they are Khmer and they have seen and experienced worse, this is nothing!

A spark had ignited leaves that were sitting in the hollow of a branch and the BIG branch was smoldering away on this very big and very dry old tree. All I could picture was coming out onto the balcony and seeing the whole of the Siem reap river bank burning!!! Anyway, a few buckets of water later, emergency over and Fireman Sam was born! back to work and fire doused! But needless to say when I return from work today, he has it burning again! I just want the ashes for the soil that I am mixing but that is another story!

 

So Sunday morning when I am feeling ever so slightly delicate after dinner out with Samuel which due to his terrible time keeping was more drinks than dinner, the phone rings, it is 8 am. Nak (with 1 k) Hi Lynn I am here to help!!! Oh my goodness, have I got the energy?

Nak, come up, I'm having breakfast, would you like a cup of tea? No I want that coffee you made me last time, I love it!!! Good coffee here is a premium, not the coffee so much but the way it's made! I have the Italian style stove top coffee maker, some great Puerto Rican coffee and fresh Thal milk! I made one for Nak last week and he is hooked. He says the best coffee he has ever had in Siem Reap and he means it and stands over me while I make it!

We head off to Route 6 as Nak knows of a good plant nursery. We locate it and there are 2 hectares of tropical plants, amazingly healthy and such a good price. We literally load the car up and head home stopping at the local pottery works which just happen to be right behind my property! Incredible to see what they make there, massive water pots and every shape and size of plant pots.

We spend the rest of the afternoon digging and planting and Nak scales a couple of trees to cut off the dead branches. What a difference!

Even though I have these 2 lovely young men assisting me I do have to say that my best friend is the high pressure cleaner and I have to wrestle it off Nakk if I want a turn! If has made life so much easier as the walls get badly covered by black mould and need regular cleaning.

My other activity for the week was a visit to the local curtain shop. Pleasantly surprised by the service, the price and the selection. I have found the black metal curtain rings I need and have ordered a 50 mm metal Venetian for the kitchen and a roller blind for the bedroom. They will make my drapes for me for $3 a meter with me supplying the fabric and tape etc. which is pretty good, just waiting for the rods to go up then I can measure.

 

So the "what I thought was going to be a quiet week " turned into a busy productive time and now work looms!

 

Holiday is over and the new term at Grace House commences. The ride there is so much simpler on my bike, less peddling and more distance covered by the bigger wheels, not to mention the gears for the hill leading up to the ring road bridge. The first 2 days of this week are pupil free, time for cleaning and organizing and for me to familiarize myself with the job and where everything is on the computer. 2 massive cases of books and stationary items have been donated by a school and brought over by a Canadian family, takes 3 of us 2 hours to put it all away. I have 3 bags of goodies here at my place that need to be delivered also, a gift from 3 Australian visitors that I showed around last week. Actually had a good morning with these girls as after we had visited the empty school, I took them to Wat Athwea which is close to Grace House, to discover the whole community there celebrating New Year and making offerings to the monks. A lot of the kids and families recognized me and came over to say hello, it was wonderful.

 

New Year celebrations over, work has begun and routine to be established. My life is going to be very full but I am sure very rewarding also.

 

My first visitor, Kim, arrives from Sydney on Friday and stays for a week, we first met in 2011 when we were volunteering with Globalteers. It will be lovely to have her company.

 

Sure there will be so much more to tell in the next blog.

 

 

P

 

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