Woke up at 8am, which of course was horrible late since the entire household had been up since 5:30am. Really felt like the lazy foreigner who couldn’t get out of bed (an do remember that back in PP I am having trouble getting up at 8am, normally a roll out of bed about 8;30-8:45am, just in time to get to work on time). Since this was the day that we were to visit the Pagoda and do our ritual offerings, the family had already cooked food which should be offered to the monks. Apparently the food that is offered goes through the monks to the ancestors, or it gives them sustenance to pray harder to their ancestors or something. I didn’t really understand the whole food to the monks when it was for the ancestors. Anyway, ... read more

Next day, before work I got a message from Damay asking me to meet her for a drink at my friend's bar later that night. I got very happy, and readily agreed. Of course, here in PP things does not always goes after plans, so after making arrangement to also meet some other friends at my friend's bar, I received another text from her asking me to come to another pub. So, I finished my drink with my friends, and headed off. Which was a little bit of an adventure, seeing that I had no idea where it was. But, I found it at last, and half of the teachers from my school as well. Damay turned up, and decisions were made to go to Butterfly, since she has never been there. Butterfly is at the ... read more

Ok, just a brief note to all out there. I can no longer be reached on my tiscali.no email, because Telenor has taken over tiscali.no, and of course deleted everything. So, if you have sent me a message within the past weeks or so, please resend it to tink_kim@hotmail.com Besides that, I am having a good time, I have gotten myself a motorbike, so I am very mobile. Cool. More later.... read more

I have finally decided that there is no future for me in this town, and after some thoughtful nights, had come to the conclusion that Vietnam might offer a better life, both money-wise, work-wise, and not the least food-wise. So, I get around to all my friends here to say my goodbyes and to collect my share of e-mail addresses. Finally I get to Bamboo Light, which in the two months I have been here, have become my regular hangout joint. I talk to the owner, and tell him that I am leaving now, that there wasn’t enough work for me here, so I am off to Vietnam next week. The next thing I know, he has called up a friend in Phnom Penh, and I am told to prepare my CV and go to Phnom ... read more

So, almost two months in Cambodia so far. The 14th to the 17th of April Khmer New Year was celebrated throughout the country. And the Khmer know how to celebrate. On the last two days a water-fight broke lose. Everyone against everyone else. The road would be lined with, in the beginning, kids, and then as the war carried on, everyone else as well, throwing water-balloons on passers-by. Not much time went by before big buckets of water came out, as well as water-hoses. Not a soul was dry. Young boys and girls would load up on water-balloons, and then get on a motorbike, and drive around throwing water on everyone else. Even trucks were loaded up with screaming youths and water buckets. It was highly entertaining, although not so safe. The reports were that all ... read more