June 2012

I find photographs very hard to upload as the Internet here is so slow, so this week I have persevered to give you a few from the last month or so.

Everything possible and impossible is transported by motorbike and taken to all the outlying villages for sale. here as you can see is "Basket Man".

Last week my good friend  left BanLung to return to her homeland Holland. Here we are having a last day out together on our motos and a picnic organised by Narin - we had beer and jackfruit jellies! Note the rubbish behind us was not ours.

Well, Narin and Maroesjka travelled by Moto, I decided to take the safer vehicle. Here we have yet another plantation of young rubber trees in the background. So much land has been taken over the past year and put to rubber, very little of it legally I imagine.

In May we went to the beach at Sihanoukville for 4 nights courtesy of public holidays due to the Kings Birthday. It was cloudy but very warm. we really like just being by the sea. Here we are sampling the delights of draught beer at 50 cents each and waiting for our food. BBQ is served on the beach every evening for $3 and its really good. 

 We are of course having a real adventure but also working hard too. Dave has been very busy this month running sports days. In the heat and with the children having to come to the location by motorbike (3 on a bike) as the mini buses cannot get to remote villages. Its has been a logistical nightmare, breakfast and lunch also has to be provided as well as snacks and water.

My work has been severely hampered by the national Commune Council elections which has meant the schools have been shut for 2 weeks. Not sure why except that many teachers were hired to help run the elections. Today, I have completed a school inspection. The school was at least fairly clean but the grade 1 teaching was abysmal. Rote learning and no resources. No wonder only 26 of the 65 students on roll were present. I have had to cancel many of my planned activities this month and hope to catch up in July. But I expect that many schools will not get back to full capacity before the holidays begin at the end of July.  At present I find it hard to grumble too much about their lack of motivation as I am told teachers have not been paid for 3 months!

We leave for the UK to visit the Lake District to be at my nephews wedding, we can't wait to catch up with many of the family again. Richard and Hayley definitely deserve a great day with those family and friends who will be present.