Apartments, Schools, and Food

Life here in Phnom Penh is beginning to feel more normal. We know how much the tuk tuks are (the form of transportation--open air carts, pulled by a motorcycle), how to work the electric shower that is quite similar to a kitchen sink sprayer, and how to cope with feeling as if we're in a display case everywhere we go. Life is good.

As for apartments, we've looked at a few but haven't found the right one yet. More looking tomorrow with great hope of finding something perfect for us. We're pretty set on two bedrooms, so if anyone is dreaming of a Cambodian adventure, let us know. You'll have your own bedroom...for a cheap price! Just kidding. Good price. Once we find something, we'll post a video to show you our new digs.

Schools, too, are another challenge: do we send Sila to a fancy-pancy school or do we throw him in with the locals and hope he doesn't get cut on the rusty playground? Hehe. Again, kidding. But it is proving difficult to find a place that is just right for him and us. We'll keep you posted.

Work (not part of the title, but I just thought of it) is moving along nicely. We're both signed up to begin volunteering for Conversations with Foreigners--http://www.volunteerincambodia.org/programs/cwf/experience/--next week. It will entail teaching three or four English classes a day to tuk-tuk drivers and others who are looking to advance through the English-language-rainbow.

Lastly, food. Sila, by far, as been the most adventurous, primarily because various older women on the street like to feed him random food. He has had duck embryo spoon fed to him, various fruits (which are amazing), a spicy cabbage/sprouts/spice/lime/crab legs (with the shell on) mixture, as well as the multiple noodle and rice dishes we've had thus far. Conan and I are also experimenting, but we don't have the advantage of getting items spoon fed to us in the streets. Sigh; I guess that's the bitch about growing up.

He is also getting quite good with chopsticks: he has developed a squeeze and lift technique, which works well for him.

Sila has been a trooper, both with the food and the non stop attention. Seriously. He gets picked up, prodded, touched, patted, laughed at, and anything else you can imagine when you bring a white baby to a different culture. They love him and are fascinated by him all in the same glance.

I hope this post satisfies some of your desire to know what is going on here. We're loving it, and it is a beautiful country and culture. I'll leave you with one of my favorite pictures I've taken thus far. It's a bit blurry, but I know one day I will capture the monks in perfect clarity and beauty. They are truly beautiful and spiritual, which is great to see on a daily basis. Signing off and hoping you're all seeing something beautiful in your lives right now.