A few interesting things of note...

I went to the doctor Wednesday and carried out the entire appointment in Khmer...

this surprizing exchange happened:

This your first child?

My second

How old is your first?

8 months

Only 8 months! Is your husband Khmer or another nationality?

!! Go figure! What connection?!?
I was hoping to be fitted into the local system of caring for pregnant women, but either it doesn't exist or I don't know how to ask for it correctly. So, although the appointment was a success in receiving some advice and help for nausea and weakness (I've been losing too much weight from not being able to eat), I'm still on the hunt for an English-speaking Doctor to follow me through this pregnancy.

Yesterday we discovered that I put our cell phone through the wash...

The one time I don't check Michael's pants' pockets because he always empties them himself! As it was on when it went in, there isn't much chance it can be resurrected :o( But we are still trying - it wasn't a cheap phone, unfortunately. Thankfully we are finding it more amusing than devestating, though it is rather inconvenient to be without a phone at all!

I went swimming today at the nearby fitness club in the "mall."

One of those places they expect you to know how to do everything! I had to keep on asking each step of the way for a locker key, where to go next, where the showers were, etc. Managed to make it into the pool in the end and had a lovely swim in a nearly empty pool. Surprizingly for the price ($6 an entry), it is obviously more frequented by Khmers than foreigners and receives quite a number of users.

My language tutor landed a full-time job while we were in Mondolkiri.

So I'm on the hunt for a new tutor; not an easy quest as so many are busy with numerous jobs and/or students. if the university wasn't so far away, I might consider taking a course there. But with limited energy right now, I have to stick pretty close to home.

A few interesting things of note...

I went to the doctor Wednesday and carried out the entire appointment in Khmer...

this surprizing exchange happened:

This your first child?

My second

How old is your first?

8 months

Only 8 months! Is your husband Khmer or another nationality?

!! Go figure! What connection?!?
I was hoping to be fitted into the local system of caring for pregnant women, but either it doesn't exist or I don't know how to ask for it correctly. So, although the appointment was a success in receiving some advice and help for nausea and weakness (I've been losing too much weight from not being able to eat), I'm still on the hunt for an English-speaking Doctor to follow me through this pregnancy.

Yesterday we discovered that I put our cell phone through the wash...

The one time I don't check Michael's pants' pockets because he always empties them himself! As it was on when it went in, there isn't much chance it can be resurrected :o( But we are still trying - it wasn't a cheap phone, unfortunately. Thankfully we are finding it more amusing than devestating, though it is rather inconvenient to be without a phone at all!

I went swimming today at the nearby fitness club in the "mall."

One of those places they expect you to know how to do everything! I had to keep on asking each step of the way for a locker key, where to go next, where the showers were, etc. Managed to make it into the pool in the end and had a lovely swim in a nearly empty pool. Surprizingly for the price ($6 an entry), it is obviously more frequented by Khmers than foreigners and receives quite a number of users.

My language tutor landed a full-time job while we were in Mondolkiri.

So I'm on the hunt for a new tutor; not an easy quest as so many are busy with numerous jobs and/or students. if the university wasn't so far away, I might consider taking a course there. But with limited energy right now, I have to stick pretty close to home.

More Christmas Pictures

Of course, we musn't forget the walking toy YeYe and NiNi sent Grace!
Learning what this strange toy does...


Trying out standing...


not too sure I can do this...



maybe I can, yes, I can!

Christmas Pictures

Afternoon party for all those without family in our group. Out of 8, 3 came: not too many, not too few- just right. We all pitched in to cook as close a Christmas dinner as we could. Not bad results! No flops except maybe the cooked eggnog I tried... the gas burner cooked it too fast and it was more like custard. Those candles? They burned so fast they were gone before the food was! Beginning on the left we have: Christina from Canada, Rachel from the US, Kristen from Finland, then Grace and Michael.

We all enjoyed the food and company, especially this little outgoing one!
Doing the dishes was a group affair as well, and one that required a bit of imporvision as we had too many dishes for our one small sink... Grace decided she likes being outside the basin looking in than inside getting a bath!

After the dishes were done, we headed outside to try out the bagminton sets we had bought for the occasion. In short order the two shuttlecocks were lost over the fence, and I was sent to ask the neighbours for them back... after that we played on the street like everyone else does... providing entertainment for the neighbours all around - they came out to watch and laugh!


Did you know just how far reaching Grace's "fame" is? She got a present from Rachel's parents in the States!! These beautiful bibs... Michael had to challenge the "one size fits all" label!

She also received Michael's favorite storybook from when he was a kid: The Hungry Catepillar. A wonderful book for her as she can turn the pages because they are different sizes. And the holes to poke fingers in...More following....