Chambauk, Cambodia
Monks are chanting in the near distance, the sun is already shining hot, the children are in school, and we volunteers have some free time on weekends. This morning the loud Khmer wedding music began again before 4AM, but I have learned to sleep through much of it. While the others went to breakfast, I stayed and accomplished quite a lot already: I have swept and cleaned my room and part of the porch, washed my laundry (by hand) and hung it up to dry, I have comforted and fed a small creature (the resident kitty, Momo, who does not like being alone and keeps getting attacked and bitten by larger, local, aggressive cats), and saved a small frog (from our resident kitty). While I was sweeping my room a little green frog jumped in, immediately followed by a blaze of orange cat. At first I let them be, but either Momo was playing or is an incompetent killer, and the frog's best defense (perhaps it was already injured?), after bouncing here and there, was to play dead. Momo just poked at it, and since I have seen other dead frogs left uneaten, I quickly swept this little one into the plastic pink dustpan and dumped him over the porch railing. He jumped away. So easy to save a life!
It is hot, and not even 9AM. The children go swimming in most of the muddy ponds, but even though I love to swim, it doesn't appeal to me. They'll either wear their clothes or nothing at all. This year there is a big blue container in the pond right outside the volunteer dorm; the kids pull it to the banks and climb in, using long sticks as poles. It looks like Alice's teacup, this one full of happy, shouting, seafaring children. Of course they manage to turn their boat over so they all get dumped into the water. As they tend to play here right after lunch, it is hard for volunteers to catch a quick nap before teaching afternoon English, 1:1, there is so much (usually) joyful noise.
Saturday
Saturday, February 08, 2014
Chambauk, Cambodia
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Comments
2025-05-22
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Shirley Ferguson
2014-02-09
Hi Laura,
I love your very descriptive blogs! I can just see you doing your laundry and saving small creatures! And I know you are enjoying the heat! Keep these entries coming!
Eve
2014-02-09
Sounds like fun! Eve
Laila
2014-02-09
Hi laura! I like your blogs they are very interesting keeping it up:)
vatsala sperling
2014-02-09
Laura,
Lovely story of kids having so much fun in the hot and muddy pond. Enjoy.
Eva Putnam
2014-02-09
I'm glad that all continues to be well with you. I can see your look of satisfaction in saving first the cat and then the frog. Take care of yourself.
Eva
shelly blecher (san fran friend)
2014-02-09
Extremely interesting description of your day. Can't wait to hear more. Shelly
Ken
2014-02-10
Hi Laura,
Wht a great thing to be doing for the kids and yourself. Wow, I'm simply blown away. I do agree... Probably not a good idea to swim in the muddy pool, but ever so tempting with the heat. Would it be worh it if you could rinse off right after? However do you keep from bringing them all home with you???
Vicki Heigel
2014-02-10
So fun to wake up to your blog. I fell like I am right there.
Sounds like my Jenn in her Shabby Chic holiday house south of Perth. She had a possum in the house and two skinks in the sink.
Love your descriptions of your time there. I am sure they love you.
We are settled into probably 12+ inches of snow and still cold. That 's winter in northern Ohio.
Will see Julia this week as off to Greenville, SC to help with grandkids and then to FL for one week.
Stay well.....love, Vicki
Frank and Pat Gengo
2014-02-11
We are loving the beautiful descriptions of your travel experiences...the environment, foods, people, all living creatures, etc. It is wonderful to live vicariously through your eyes and ears and the written words as you travel the globe. Take care. Be safe and stay healthy.
gretchen quinn
2014-02-13
Loved your descriptions of your life in Cambodia. Felt like I was there. Glad you don't swim in the muddy water. Sounds like Cambodian children have lots of developmentally appropriate play. Gretchen
Sylvia D. Garcia
2014-02-15
Laura, you are so blessed as well as the people in Cambodia for having you there.
Yes, I would love to come visit you soon. Right now I am packing to go to Singapore and Burma *Myrramar (its new name_ for 2 weeks.
will write regularly, keep safe my friend
sylvia garcia