Banana trees

I have never understood the necessity of a banana tree  - surely just another piece of clutter for the dining room table and now I have one...............

 

An Emotional Weekend - written in mid October

Well we are well and truly into the wet season here:

Paul cycling to work with water half way up his wheels, over 'stinky river' - the overflowing open sewage outfall!! - mmmm where is the dettol?

and me hiding under my Angkor beer umbrella with mud flicked up my legs from my flipflops.

But it is refreshing, dare I say cooler and the wierd thing is your clothes dry instantly as you walk along and the sun soon shines again and the water dries up before your eyes

- a good wash down!!

We did our usual market fruit and veg shop on Saturday morning after an early morning bike ride and then went to a really nice salad bar for lunch!!

Torrential downpour so we got chatting to a well educated, I should think pretty wealthy 35 year old Cambodian gentleman who was telling us a little about his family history - he lost 75% of his family during the Pol Pot era -  generations of engineers - I was on the verge of tears.

 

On Sunday we went to Oudong Wat - about an hours drive outside PP - packed out as we are in the midst of Pchum Ben  - a national Cambodian holiday when everyone is meant to go back to their province to pay their respects at their family Wats and remember their ancestors. Families, rich and poor, in Lexus's and lorries bring all generations to share food and give money and remember - very moving.............

 



   The money counters....right in the middle of the Wat!!  I have to say this was an intersting angle on giving.....

Crunchy Crickets

 

So crunchy crickets do really exist!!

and........

 

I just wasn't brave enough to taste them.....

Cambodian Ingenuity

 I am at last opening up my Kindle to read my first ebook.

First on the list the newish Victoria Hislop - The Thread.

I forgot to buy a cover in the UK before we left,
so Siam Reap night market here we go! 

 We found a recycled cement bag stall - as you do - packed with bags of all shapes and sizes - I began to rummage, trying to think what size is my kindle.

'Madam wha' you want?'

'Bag about this size please' - I said, demonstrating the size of a kindle with my hands, 'with no extra pockets'. I bring out my Kindle, imagining he hasn't seen one before!!

'Oh Kindle bag' he said, he then rummaged through his stack of bags, 'wait 2 minutes' and with that, he dashed to his friends stall and found the perfect bag.

'My idea good? I also have ipad2 bags but no Samsung Galaxy bags as I am not sure of size yet!'

A case of mistaken identity

My favourite barbershop in PP David Beckham Man haircut shop,been there twice now as my hair grows like mad here.......must be the humid conditions!!! I sat down in the chair and asked the man to cut it like the picture outside, unfortunately for me a monk happened to be standing at the door chanting for a handout at the time and I ended up with a Hari Krishna special.Oh well for a dollar it's a bargain and should grow out in no time!!!

Restaurants that start with humble beginnings

Maybe the most basic restaurant
but you can site it anywhere!!
and we all have to start somewhere

Now here we can afford to buy a cool box
to keep the drinks cool!

This one is heavy but at least there is a fire pot
in the back basket for heating delicacies!

MORE TO FOLLOW!!

The changing face of Phnom Penh

 On Sunday mornings we usually cycle around Koh Pich or Diamond Island, a reclaimed sand island on the Mekong. The new development is incredible, tower blocks shooting up everywhere but at the moment nice clean wide traffic free roads!

 This development poster always makes us smile! I mean based on this information how can you refuse to move in!

We were told by one of the construction workers that this is going to be the tallest building in SE Asia at 550m. To my way of thinking there are three possibilities here. Either he's lying through his teeth, or there's a Cambodian plot to blow up the Petronas towers and at least three other towers in Asia or this 30 storey building is going to need some ridiculously high ceilings! Love the infinity pool spaning the roof and overlooking the river..

Full marks to the architect on this one 'Glass windows' no less That's what I call inspired!!!
All this built on squidgy sand watch this space!

Life is all about FOOD!!

The best lunch, a ritual every Saturday
in the Russian Market 

A delicious Khymer salad
and a glass of chilled white wine!!

 

What a way to start the day!
 

Just the very best vegetable Thali
- all delivered on a motodop to the door

The best Khymer food yet - A Vegetable Amok
- a banana leaf full of yummy vegetables in a delicious creamy coconut sauce,
sitting on the side of the road watching the world go by on The Riverfront

Toucans has arrived in Cambodia - tuna salad on sesame please
(our sandwich delivery business that we had in Exeter, many moons ago)

The sauce with this yellow thai vegetable curry was delectable
and yes we have almost gone vegetarian

Sorry to end with this, I know it looks rather dodgy
but I can assure you they are the best tasting chicken satay sticks

Wicker chair lady....no pain and her very cute baby

The chairs have arrived on the roof of a tuk tuk pink cushion for Amanda brown for me.

Just walked through a massive tropical downpour first rain for three weeks to meet Amanda from school and get a picture of the wicker chair lady and the world's cutest baby.....aaaahhh now you can see why we chose this shop!!

The Berries are mobile!

One more adventure in PP!! - every shopping trip has a story.



Paul began by buying himself a silver bicycle in 'second hand bicycle street' just next to Orussay Market. He haggled and managed to get a one dollar discount, they don't give alot away and are not like the Africans, who if you walk away, lower the price. If you walk away here they don't seem bothered!!
He jumped straight on and cycled around PP and managed to find 6z17 Mao Tse Toung-our street, without checking the map!! and without the aid of 'satnav' as he calls me!!
Only one problem, his knees were killing him - the bike was really too small.
I came home from school and Paul said 'I've bought you a present! a bicycle'. I was dead chuffed as it is perfect for me, just like my friend I left at home :(
So back we go to the proper bicycle shop 'grasshopper tours' to purchase a rather more expensive version that at least Paul can fit on. Yeah we have wheels!!

We got up at 5.30 this morning and went for our first cycle - 2 flat tyres!! - however even at 5.30 am the steetside bicycle repair man on our corner sorted us out - pumped Paul's tyres up and fixed my leaking valve!
In the cool morning breeze we cycled past delicious smells, massive new developments - apartment blocks with names like 'Elite Park' and gigantic new malls, theatres and government buildings and then along the River Front where Tai Ch'i is happening with elegant dance routines and clicking fans. Such contasts!!
One hour later, with only a few near misses, as the driving system is interesting!! we arrived back at the ABC bakery to pick up our daily, freshly cooked baguette.

PS The blue iCAN helmet is for Motodop riding, supplied by the school, not for cycling - I bought my UK cycle helmet with me.



A visit to the wicker chair shop

Well, we have finally settled into the new apartment on 6z17  Mao Tse Toung Blvd. Part of the attraction being the balcony at the front, we quickly decide it would be a good idea to buy a couple of colonial style wicker chairs for relaxing out there. Fortunately for us we are located just down the road from the wicker furniture district having moved from the stainless steel sink area.
 So off we stroll shop after shop selling much the same thing. Finally we find a pair of chairs we like but they are painted in a disgusting orangey varnish very popular among the locals and the conversation goes as follows
." You got chair no varnish" says I (You tend to find yourself going into local speak to make your life that little bit easier)
 "You no like my pain do mysel" says the woman.
 "No, me no like pain, me like bare"
 "You funny man" says she
Now were getting into another area altogether!
 "I get chair, no pain 4 day"
 "Where from", says I
 "Vietnam no problem"!!!
Intense negotiation  now begins on the price;
How much for two chair"?
"$40" says she," goo price"
"How much no pain, cheaper"?
"$40 no pain no differ"
"You save pain,must be cheaper" says I
"$40 no differ you no like pain you problem"

Slightly bemussed we shake hands big smiles all round the deal is done. We leave her with a $5 deposit and hopefully the chairs will come winging their way across the border via tuk tuk next week!!!

A tough morning in The Russian Market!!

Coffee to go

My first pedicure

Rice noodles and spring rolls

A funny thing happened at the bank,

Everyday something amusing happens to us, today being no exception. I decided to pop into the bank to change £10 notes into dollars. No problem there then. Handed over the notes to the cashier whereupon she scrutinized them very carefully with a confused look. She then took them over to her supervisor who looked equally unimpressed, they both came back to the counter and slid the notes back to me. "No good Sir" she said. "What's wrong, they're sterling pounds" says I. With this she turns the note over and points to the picture of Charles Darwin and the date 1809-1882 "Sir these notes are very old and must be out of circulation"!
This being the main branch of ANZ bank..... we're going to have some interesting times!

Fitflops

You can buy everything here, well a version of, anyway, and what you can't buy, they can make for you!!

So glad I stocked up on my £30 fitflops from Surfspot before we came - even though they were a half price bargain in the UK.

Some of the iCAN gang

'Susaday'

On our first induction day we ferried across the Mekong with some of the support staff from iCAN and then cycled around a rural island with the rapidly growing high-rises of Phnom Penh in the background. Welcome to the boat shop.

All of the team are such a welcoming bunch - so friendly and so helpful - they seem to have a sixth sense and know what you want before you know yourself!! as well as the most incredible, beaming smiles!!

'Lee hi'

Maison Berry

Well we have signed the lease on the flat and there's no going back! No.40 rue 386 just off Mao Tse Toung Blvd!

In PP businesses tend to cluster together to form a price fixing cartel, we are in the stainless steel sink, barbed wire fence, and anything made from steel district! Will post internal pics as soon as we get a key.

Markets and Apartments

Today started with Amanda and the other teachers TukTukking off to school and Joe her two youngsters and myself heading off for a morning in the central market to buy fruit and veg.
Central market consists of a huge soviet era concrete dome structure connected to five radial arms each selling different wares from food to knock off clothes cd's etc.We could have bought the latest Batman movie for $2 marked 60% quality!!
Prawns are the size of a small lobster and so many unidentifiable fruits and veg....brilliant.
Having the children meant we were the centre of attention and were offered free samples almost everywhere.
This afternoon we met up with some of the teachers again to look at more apartments and everyone found something to their taste..very satisfying. Ours is a first floor two bedroom apartment in an old building with built in kitchen, washing machine,new beds,air con, fans, free wifi, free water, free cable tv, all furniture  a long balcony at the front overlooking a very ethnic street and a girl to clean and do the laundry for two hours a week.....$450 pm! We will probably move in on Saturday photos to follow.

Teachers off to school on the 8:45 TukTuk!

Hitting the streets of Phnom Penh

Well it's time to do my bit for the blog and fill you in on my adventures so far. While Amanda is doing induction work at school I have been wandering around the area First visit not a hundred yards from here is the infamous Toul Sleng genocide museum once a high school complex but taken over in 1975 by the Khymer Rouge in order to detain, torture and murder those opposed to the regime.It's been estimated that 15 to 20,000 people of all ages were killed here over a 4 year period and buried in the killing fields just outside of town,sobering to say the least but something which you feel you need to do here to get some kind of understanding of what went on in the dark days.
On a less depressing note yesterday I took a 'Motodop'---a small moped taxi into town to open bank accounts buy sim cards($1) and check out the'Lucky Supermarket' to see what's available.No problems there really until it was time to come back to the guest house. You get picked up by a friendly smiling moto driver explain where you want to go and head off sometimes starting by riding towards 4 lanes of traffic in the wrong direction! When reaching a red light for a right turn  yesterday the driver just took to the sidewalk for about 50 yards scattering people everywhere dived through a garage forecourt and slipped up a side street.Further into the journey you realise he hasn't really got a clue where you want to go and he asks to see your map --which he can't read. he then proceeds to phone his wife,who only speaks french and passes the phone over to me, so now we are on a five lane road me with map flapping around in one hand and mobile in the other trying to converse in school boy french.Luckily the city was designed by the French, the streets laid out in a grid system---odd No.s north to south, evens east to west, the trouble started when the locals decided to mess with the numbers so now you can't be sure that any roads run in sequential order and they invariably don't!! After about another ten minutes of wandering I suddenly remembered we are staying near a bar called 'Martini's', Phnom Penh's oldest and most famous brothel! As soon as I mentioned Martini we were back on track the driver giving me that' knowing' smile and a thumbs up and all this entertainment for $1.
Today we start flat hunting with an estate agent having been taken around already to see the apartments of established teachers, some of whom have roof terraces access to roof pools and free gym membership--things are definately looking up,We just hope we can find a nice old colonial style one with a big balcony such as some have already got. Will keep you posted Paul.

Breakfast on the warm terrace

Arrived safe and sound on Sunday evening, fifteen minutes early, having travelled in Judy's taxi, two buses and on two flights. A georgeous, very smiley couple met us at the airport with a sign

 'Mrs Amanda Berry and husband'!

We are currently staying at 'The Terrace on 95', a lovely old colonial villa, with the most welcoming and helpful staff -who even transported us by 'moto' when we got lost and couldn't find a restaurant we were looking for - I sat side saddle in the middle and Paul had the last two inches at the back!

Five other new teachers have arrived too - Sam from Australia, Julie from the UK, Davnet from Dublin and Jo and Thabo and two young children from Guildford.

On Monday, our mystery tour was to be ferried across the Mekong and cycle around a rural island, away from city life, with all the Teaching Assistants from school. We felt quite at home, even Paul on a rather small cycle!!

Lee hi - bye bye

2 weeks to go

40 banana boxes packed so far....... for the container which is being filled to the brim!
Gas, electric, water, council tax, plusnet, sky, BT.............all being cancelled. BT came out tops as I spoke to a lovely Scottish lady who wanted to know our life story and come in our rucksack.......
and now beginning to say our final goodbyes............
We are getting there.............
13 days to go......:)