Tim's birthday
Today hasn't been the easiest - I slept pretty badly. Turns out you can get cold in this climate, and I was very cold between 11 pm and 6am last night. I'm a bit better prepared tonight.
My lack of sleep means that today has felt like a lot of effort, and it has been pretty hot, which hasn't helped. Highs of 35 degrees - currently at 8pm its 29 degrees. And again - no air con in community.
I've been finding the inability to understand Khmer quite frustrating within the host family, but I have to keep reminding myself that it's only my first full day here. And that I can ask Channa for help - that's why she's here.
We got to the office at 8am and spent the morning doing training, and then we went to a local place for lunch. It wasn't like any place I've eaten before, so I can't bring myself to call it a restaurant. I managed to speak to Mum at about 1.30 pm, while we decorated the office.
Zaynab had burned herself helping her host family cook, so they went to the clinic, and when they came back they brought a surprise birthday cake for Tim, along with a card we designed and Zaynab drew, and everyone wrote in. It was really nice. And it was nice to eat some cake! It's been a while since I ate something sweet that wasn't fruit.
After that we did some chatting about the sub teams and committees we will be organised into for our work while we're here, and then it was time to go home.
The grandma and the aunt joined us for food tonight and I got Channa to tell me more of what was going on, which made it much nicer. They kept telling me to eat more, but thankfully I know the words for I am full - Khnom ch-ait hoai!
Then Channa and I did the dishes...
... washed, and now we're safe under our mosquito nets.
My lack of sleep means that today has felt like a lot of effort, and it has been pretty hot, which hasn't helped. Highs of 35 degrees - currently at 8pm its 29 degrees. And again - no air con in community.
I've been finding the inability to understand Khmer quite frustrating within the host family, but I have to keep reminding myself that it's only my first full day here. And that I can ask Channa for help - that's why she's here.
We got to the office at 8am and spent the morning doing training, and then we went to a local place for lunch. It wasn't like any place I've eaten before, so I can't bring myself to call it a restaurant. I managed to speak to Mum at about 1.30 pm, while we decorated the office.
Zaynab had burned herself helping her host family cook, so they went to the clinic, and when they came back they brought a surprise birthday cake for Tim, along with a card we designed and Zaynab drew, and everyone wrote in. It was really nice. And it was nice to eat some cake! It's been a while since I ate something sweet that wasn't fruit.
After that we did some chatting about the sub teams and committees we will be organised into for our work while we're here, and then it was time to go home.
The grandma and the aunt joined us for food tonight and I got Channa to tell me more of what was going on, which made it much nicer. They kept telling me to eat more, but thankfully I know the words for I am full - Khnom ch-ait hoai!
Then Channa and I did the dishes...
... washed, and now we're safe under our mosquito nets.
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