Happy New Year!!!!

My Guard Gecko

Yes, Sok Sabay Ch'nam T'mai everyone.  A beginning of the new year has passed and I never even thought to make a New Year's Resolution...again!  I did get doused with water and powdered as is the tradition here.  For 3 days, there is loud music in the streets as kids from 2 to 20+ stand armed with bags filled with water to throw at all the passers-by, especially if you are on a motorcycle or bicycle.  Everyone seems to be drenched as they ride around.  The really awesome thing is that if people signal they don't want it, their wish is respected.  I was indoctrinated and everyone thought it was so funny to see a "barang" laughing as she got hit and splashed.  It is all in good fun and people sit on their patios to watch all the shenanigans.  It is now year 2556 of the Buddhist Era in Cambodia.  Harvest is now over and the fields are getting ready for planting rice...which means RAIN!!! from June until October.  At this point I will be grateful for anything besides the relentless heat.  The temperature in the sun was 46 degrees one afternoon!!!!!! and humid!!!!

The actual New Year is officially 3 days but the parties go on for almost 2 weeks.  This was the last day of the Khmer New Year and there was dancing all day into the wee hours of the evening.  I no sooner got off the motorcycle and I had people running over to me to get me dancing. That is the thing here.  They had never seen me before and had no idea who I was but it didn't matter. So, around and around we went, the steps changed as the music changed, although I really had difficulty hearing much difference.  There were definitely "old favourites" from the sounds of the dancers.  Believe me, they just don't let you sit down for a minute.  I'd beg to sit but by the time the circle was half way around, there would be a new person grabbing my hand, pulling into the circle.

Yours truly dancing up a storm

Dancing in a circle around a tree. 

You should see the kids dance...they are so good. 

I did finally get a break when my assistant suggested we head to his house for some dinner before he drove me home.  Phew!  So, I arrived at his house and his wife brought out a mat and a pillow so I could have a nap before dinner.  Hmmmm!  Okay!

The entrance to Vomith's yard

Vomith's back yard with chickens and ducks. 

Dinner with Vomith and his lovely wife

I did manage to take a day trip to Siem Reap for a break from Sisophon.  Actually it was to really to shop for some western type food.  Yes, I found healthy peanut butter!!! pop corn!!! and Classico spaghetti sauce!!! but no coconut oil :-(  With all the coconuts around, I can't believe there is no coconut oil to be had!  Okay, back to my story...the taxi ride!  I thought I would go cheap and take the $5 back seat on the way there.  Well, the driver picks me up and into the back I go.  There were 4 squished in the back and 4 squished in the front...with the driver of the right-had drive sitting somewhere in the middle.  Yikes, I didn't know it would be a right-hand drive or that the driver fits a passenger beside him by the door! Having a monk share the back seat must mean some good karma don't you think?  When we arrived in Siem Reap, the driver didn't want to take me to where I wanted to go and told me to take a moto! Hope I don't get that taxi driver again!  Wait a minute...

 That was nothing.  On the way back, I decided to pay for 2 seats and sit in the front.  What good luck!  There were 9 on the way back, with one of the 6 in the back seat throwing up all the way.  Lovely smell and in this heat! I was happy to have my seat belt fastened and sitting up front...even if the driver did sit in the middle at least it was a left-hand drive vehicle.  No monk this time!

This is just your normal taxi ride.

6 comfortably fit in the back. 

 



























Angry Birds made it to Cambodia!

It is quite hilarious that everywhere here there is "Angry Bird" stuff...hats, bags, T-shirts, you name it. The really funny thing is no one knows what Angry Birds is all about.  I decided to enlighten my assistant.

Vomith playing Angry Birds on my iPod

I think he's addicted!  

Yikes,
I had better go.  I just saw a cockroach run past the kitchen door into the shower where I discovered another S-P-I-D-E-R!  I just closed them both in there but now I must go and deal with it so I can have a shower before heading off to bed!!  I'll leave you with a picture of my lovely chirping inside gecko.  I think it takes great pleasure in startling me when in runs out from under my cups or from between my water filters. It is very cute though, unlike the other creatures that share my house with me.

my inside gecko 

Oh ya!  Great joy today as my garbage was picked up!  Apparently it is the first time in 6 months!  Hopefully it is a good year for garbage pick up.

Off to deal with critters then to bed.  I hope this finds you all healthy and happy.  Lots of love and thoughts from Sisophon.