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| Beside the sea on a windy day at Kep |
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| Deserted properties left from the KR days |
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| Kep crab market |
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| Most days we had the pool to ourselves |
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| Kep |
This month has just disappeared so fast. We eventually took a week off and travelled over 800k from the far north where we live to the south and the sea. First time we have seen the sea since last August Bank Holiday when our good friends Carol and Kenny took us out for the day as a farewell gift. It took us over 14 hours in 2 days with frantic mini bus drivers playing Khymer karoke music at full blast for hours on end. It was worth every hour of travel as Kep was cool and quiet and just what we needed to recharge the batteries. We also realised we should not have left it so long before taking a break. And the big bonus on the way home was that the new bridge is open which cuts 2 hours off our journey –but only for those drivers willing to pay the $5 corruption fee.
I thought I would just explain a day which is very typical. So this is yesterday Monday 27th June.
Woke at 4.30am with the monks chanting – think it was part of a 3 day ceremony for someone who has died! Had a restless night as the wind got up and I had to shut the bedroom windows which means struggling with the mosquito screen first. Then the rats in the ceiling space were especially noisy. Up at 5.45am for a cup of tea on the balcony (yes that’s me drinking tea). Then bread lady arrived shouting “nom pain” and Dave trundles to the gate to buy 2 sugary loaves for 8p each. Really nice with a cup of coffee for breakfast. Whilst having coffee I realised that something was going on over the road – the children were not getting ready for the 7am school start but were playing in the yard. I realised that Mum was inside having her 4th baby.
Off to work at 7.20am and a short 5 minute ride on my moto trying to avoid the mad dog that chases my bike and going up and over the ditch to avoid the huge puddle at the end of the road. Arrive at work at the same time as Narin my VA and we plan our day. First off to the bookshop to get some printing done for my school inspection on Weds. Back to the office to find only 1 of my 3 co –workers are working here today ,then a colleague from the inspection dept arrives to tell me the inspection is off as Unicef arrive tomorrow for a big 5day training session and all school directors will be there!! Why such short notice – it still really annoys me that anything I plan can be cancelled at short notice as there seems to be no communication or planning in advance. So spend the rest of the morning re-packing and sellotaping together the 28 boxes a of Literacy
reading scheme for ages 5-8 which is put on hold whilst we introduce the numeracy scheme first. Of which only 3 boxes arrive. These boxes have travelled in an open truck for 560k and arrive broken and wet. Spend the next hour making frantic e-mails to secure donor funding so we can put on some training for schools as we plan in July. Will we get the funding or will I be sitting and making 100 number cards or flashcards with Khymer numerals?
Home for lunch at 11.30 but first I have to do the daily clothes washing which consists of washing with my feet the clothes I have soaked overnight in a bucket. Then hanging them up outside one of the bedroom windows and hoping they dry at this time of the year.
Lunch consists of bread today, a cheese slice each (great luxury item here) and some chopped avocado with tomato and onion. Followed, by a beautiful, large, fresh, locally grown pineapple and some rambutans. After a 30 minute read of an old Guardian Weekly dated March 17th from another volunteer it was 2pm and back to work. Everybody here this afternoon for a big team meeting as we have to put on a 2-day workshop on gender equality and advocacy(for over 120 delegates) in 2 weeks’ time. Lots of heated discussion as you will expect from 4 different nationalities, ages and experience. Then just as we were about to go home at 5pm there was a huge thunderstorm and I expected my washing to have blown away. I just had to wait and sit it out. “Oh no”. I have left my plastic yellow, disposable raincoat under the motos seat so I get wet just putting it on.
Luckily all was ok apart from being extra wet again. The family downstairs tell me that the woman across the road had another baby boy at 6am. Two families with 5 children between them live in this one room shack. She had her baby with no ante natal care, no hospital to turn to, no pain relief and just a traditional birth attendant from the village present as well as the all the families and children who never moved out. Are you reading this Emily!! I will never again complain about the care we get in the UK
Finally, after a shandy on the balcony with Dave I begin to cook dinner. Stir –fry vegetables with rice. Make the stir-fry and begin to cook the rice –what are all those black bits? Weevils again! So throw it out and end up with stir fry veg and spaghetti from my limited supply of goodies. It is not a nice combination. But washed down with my extra strong de-worming pills and a glass of water it is time for bed and at last the plumber has mended our pump for the shower and I have my first shower for nearly two weeks. Bliss.
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