I visited my permanent site last week!! I will be living in Kampong Chhnang province (translates to Port of Pots....lots of clay pots made here) , in a district call Boribo (translates to ''perfect'') which is the water buffalo district....haha there are so many water buffalo in my town! It's right off of the Tonle Sap which is exciting because many families go visit the Tonle Sap to go swimming and have picnics...there is also a floating village and a water fall close by. Interesting fact-Phnom Pehn is the intersection point of the Tonle Sap and the Mekong- the two larget rivers in Cambodia. During the end of the rainy season the Mekong river floods so much that it feeds into the Tonle Sap which results in having the river flow backwards. The Tonle sap then becomes full of fish and everyone goes fishing and celebrates the abundance of food. So I'll be looking forward to that.
In other news, the last few days have been busy. last week we had a speaker on landmine removal which was really interesting. yesterday we went to a vocational school. it's a building funded by the government and other donors that offers classes in sewing, hair dressing, veterinary skills, and wedding outfitting for widows and orphans . then we visited handicap international- an NGO that is funded mostly from the UN that offers prosthetic legs to landmine/traffic accident victims and health services to children with cerebral palsy. it was really really interesting and quite impressive, the staff seemed to really know what they were doing. then we went to the local orphanage where. in the orphanage there are 110 kids- and only one "mom" that oversees all the childrens activities and one director. it was really crazy! the orphans performed traditional dances for us. although it was very sad to think about how so many of these children has no family, the orphanage seemed very well run and the children were very talented.
I'm going to try to upload the video i took from there but we'll see if this internet is fast enough.
Mouse update- arrrrrrrrrrg. i went to do my laundry on sunday and when i emptied out the box where i keep my dirty laundry what falls out? mouse poop. the mouse had eaten through two of my shirts (a large percentage of my total shirts in this country) and 4 of my underpants. the other day the mouse stole my bracelet and left his poop in the place of the stolen goods. this mouse is seriously playing mind games with me. i told my host family that "the mouse is smarter than me" and they got a big kick out of it.
Hope everyone is doing well back home! I'm jealous that you guys are moving into fall....i miss my boots and scarves. =) to those headed back to school soon- good luck!
Sounds like the mouse is the devil version of Minnie (definitely a female because of the bracelet stealing, but on the other hand could be a a robin hood mouse). Your site sounds interesting and you will definitely eat allot of fish!! I would love that-but I do hate the bones prefer a filet of fish. The orphanages are sad-so sad when kids don't have parents. I look forward to your next blog.
ReplyDeleteyou are not going to believe this but when I posted my previous comment the letter verification was 'mousedd'
ReplyDeleteThat is a great new term..you were 'mousedd'!!
Crazy that your biggest obstacle right now is a mouse! Guess you have to build some sort of trap.
ReplyDeleteA skip across the pond, life here is going well.
I'm super busy with school, being one of my most academicly important (though simple) semesters, as well as taking on the presidency of the MIS club. I also started working at this really nice restaurant called The Black Cypress. Mediterranian feel, with simple clean local ingredients. 70 dif bottles of wine in stock too.
Well, I may be studying abroad in China in the spring so I wont be too far.
Good luck with the rodent problem
Hi Keiko its Aunt Pam! I'm glad to hear that you are having a great time and everything is well. Grandma Joan wants to know what types of relgions they have there?
ReplyDeleteWe enjoy hearing about all of your adventures..be safe...i hope when you move to your next location micky is not going to be stowed away in your luggage!
Keiks...you need a Max to scare off the mouse. keep the blog coming...it is so interesting.
ReplyDeleteI just go rear ended at a stop light at lunch today and then she left but I got her license...going to see what I can do about that.
Look forwaqrd to the next mouse or mice installment.