Busy Days

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Hi Again,
I know its been a couple of days since the last post. Apart from my work taking up a lot of time, the internet's been up and down so getting on the net is problematic.
As per our previous post we did go into Phnom Penh on Wednesday night and had Margaritas at the Foreign Correspondents club by the Mekong. It was great. We saw the most enormous gecko as long as my arm!! Our new Friends, Isabelle (from France) and Rob (Aussie) were great value and really interesting. They both are Volunteers with Engineers Without Borders. Rob has been working with RDI for almost a year on research into the water filters that are produced here. He works for Aecom (small world) back home. He has given us some great info to help us through the next 5 months.
Isabelle is taking his place and will be doing a research project of her own.
The FCC is very nice but there are so many really lovely places to eat, drink and stay in Phnom Penh. being out in the sticks can be a little insular but we are planning to spend at least three nights a week in PP as well as weekly shopping trips. There are also monthly expat drinkies at the embassy. We will be planning weekends away at the beach at Kampot sometime soon if the budget will allow.
Despite the religious overtones, the atmosphere is pretty good here, very collegiate. I'm looking forward to October when a team of scientists from Stanford University arrives for work on their own Arsenic research. It will be good to network with them.
Today we went to a potential field site on the Bassac about 40km to the south of our village. It took only an hour to get there which is good for Cambodia. We took Sua with us to interpret and he was excellent. With his help we have secured access for two transects and permission to install 2 groundwater wells and drill 5 boreholes along those transects. The geomorphic features are quite varied in this area and hopefully will provide a good indication of the geomorphic processes involved in As dissolution. Sua ia also pricing a driller for me.
We have also started Khmer lessons. Our teacher Bunleang is very strict. We'll be having three lessons per week. Our house should be ready to move into on Monday. I can't wait. The lack of space is driving me nuts. Kristin, who is an American girl (volunteer) is going back to the States on Sunday and she is giving us her stove and her cat. So we will have a pet for 5 months! As there is a constant stream of o/s visitors, we think that the cat will always have someone to look after her. And besides, we couldn't leave her to fend for herself (Khmers eat cats).
Anyway I've got get back to doing some real work!
See Ya,
Kirsten

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Photos

Service Station for Tuks & Motos
No it's not coke

groundwater well for household use
Probably high in arsenic

Comments

[Lucille]

Thanks for the update.
Hi Kirsten and John, Many thanks for this update. It all looks wonderful! You are so lucky to be in a hot climate. I envy you. Sarah arrived last night so we are catching up. Ross picked her up from the airport and came in and had dinner with us all. He loved my Israeli CDs and wants Sarah to copy them all for him. I phoned Lachlan on Friday and he was waiting for the bus to take him home. Sarah and I will take the boys out next weekend. LOL Mim XX

[julie lawson]

Thanks guys, I'm really enjoying these blogs, keep them coming. J