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Published: February 9th 2009
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Sonny
This is Sonny, she pretty much laughs at everything. Hi Everyone,
Over the course of this week we've seen some amazing things. Yesterday I saw a Moto with around 30-40 chickens strapped to it. I know that's probably not the first thing that came to your mind, but there you go. We've also heard rumors from several reliable sources that it's fairly common practice to move pigs around by strapping them to the back of your bike! I've been keeping a keen eye, but apparently it's more one of those things you hear before you see. Pretty horrible really, but what can you do? Carry them under your arms? They'd still scream, but just for much longer. Imagine the guilt! And you'd look ridiculous too.
"Why are you carrying pigs?"
How do you answer that question? You don't really...you just hang your head and accept that you simply got it wrong.
We've now named our Ghecko, Echo. He's become less of a pest and more of a friend. He lives behind the air-conditioning unit and I believe he may have several relatives hiding in the walls. Pretty sure he's aware of us too. We don't see him for awhile then suddenly he appears on the wall
Dogs
I managed to capture rare footage of a couple of Vampire Dogs awake during the afternoon. It seems that they had taken a moment from their slumber to gorge up a foul smelling bin. Poor choice. with a chorus of his self-assertive Ghecko fanfare. For a long, long time we referred to him as "The Ghecko Bastard", but that's all changed, so Echo, if you're reading this, I will now accept responsibility for leaving my neck beard hair in the sink. We know it wasn't you. Please begin eating the mosquito's again because I absolutely hate the damn things.
Also sorry to Rich, who suffered a face-wash that no man should have had to endure.
Working at the orphanage is incredible but very tiring at the same time. We're usually carrying our own weight, plus whichever kid has decided to climb us. Then we have to teach them, endure nipple-cripples, punches, kicks, headbutts. You know, usual stuff.
So, we've pretty much become climbing frames. The orphanage doesn't normally get that many guys helping out, so I think they like having us around. This morning we arrived to take the kids swimming at a local reservoir. Rich had obviously thought ahead and immediately took a seat with the other volunteers. In my innocence I foolishly hesitated. Within a minute I'd taken a running headbutt to the groin from one of a little guys called
Chickens
These chickens were given to Smi as a present, so he could cook them for his family. He couldn't bring himself to do it so now there's a chicken family at the orphanage. He's a generation or so from having his own chicken farm. A Choy (pronounced Ah-Choy). It wasn't intentional (his eyes tell you) he just sees the opportunity for a shoulder ride and can't contain himself. In my obvious pain and discomfort, we settled for a piggyback. This was swiftly over-ruled by the rider who proceeded to (somehow!?) maneuver himself fearlessly onto my shoulders.
Unfortunately (for me), this presented a perfect opportunity for a second child to go for a piggyback. Crocodile filled the position in moments. He's one of the older one's at the orphanage and is definitely one of the heaviest and clumsiest (Oh Crocadah...). Disheartened and suffering in the intense heat, I began staggering in multiple directions, much to the delight of the attachees.
20 seconds into my arrival and I had become a portable tree. Rich looked pretty comfy on his bench so I offloaded A Choy and tried to fight off the other kids who were playing a game I like to call "Bringing Down the Mammoth". The other mammoths, seeing that I had most of the kids attention, turned a convenient blind eye.
I'm currently sat in the lobby of our guesthouse typing on a keyboard that obviously sees "functionality"as an optional extra
Lizard
I found this guy on the wall of the open sewer outside the orphanage. I don't trust him, but then again I felt pretty bad about Echo at first. Perhaps he'll grow on me. to being a useless piece of crap. I believe that the disheveled monitor may have originally been a toaster and I'm convinced the hard-drive is being powered by one of the local Gecko population (Perhaps Echo's brother?). It's good though, I like the way things work around here.
Much of the technology used in Cambodia isn't so much "crafted"as it is "blended together"using whatever materials happen to be available at the time. For example, I'm pretty sure that one of the computer boxes we use may have once been used as some form of electrical hob (or a time-machine?). Rich regularly gets an electric shock when he tries to upload photo's. I was in doubt until I got a shock the other day the momentarily changed the color of my eyes.
Electricity is definitely something the rest of the world takes for granted!
Yesterday I was sat at the internet cafe just about to check my emails when all the computers died. I was then told that the entire city had lost it's power and there was no telling when it would be back. During my walk home I was at least contented to know that there
Frog
Our friend Joas found this little frog in the upstairs bathroom at the orphanage. It was about a millimeter away from being painted bright Peach. We have no idea how he got up there. wasn't the annoying whirring of a computer for miles around.
This was quickly replaced with the realization that I would now have to pass the gauntlet of "night dogs" that leads up to our accommodation. During the day, these creatures wander around sleepily and make very little noise or movement. When night falls, they get pretty territorial and I'm fairly convinced that their teeth get bigger too.
So we're basically dealing with Vampire dogs, but I'm fine with that. Going by our ghostly visage I doubt that they'd think we had any blood.
Our routine is now more regular than it was last week so I think we're hoping to keep things more up to date then we've so far been able to.
Please feel free to check our facebook pages to find loads of photo's, which we've been quite good at keeping up to date.
Leave us a message!
Hope you're well,
Chris
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Mr Mark Johnson
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enjoyable
i was laughing out loud at some parts of your text. were you, by perchance, a creative writer? it all sounds a hoot