Sunday 7 February 2010

Photo-shoot pictures!

Jeltje with her cool hair (sorry, best pic I promise hun!)

Me. This dress is hideous.

Kirsty actually looked really nice. Bit like a bride though!


Jen, also looking amazing! Not fair!




Sarah looking gorgeous and blinging!




Accidents, Khmer, Photo-shoot and broken toe! 080210

Sorry for not updating for a while, I have been in Phnom Penh for just over 3 weeks and very busy!

I initially went down with Jeltje during her medevac as a result of a nasty motorbike accident. She is currently in Bangkok getting surgery on her hand and it was a very tense 6 hours in the taxi down to Phnom Penh! Jeltje also had a pretty serious concussion (she was wearing a helmet though) and as a result can’t remember anything about the day of the accident from having breakfast in the morning to the hospital in Phnom Penh. For this I am quite grateful as the treatment she received at the hospital here in Mondulkiri was a little on the traumatic side...
I stayed in Phnom Penh as the following week I was starting my second round of language training and it seemed silly to back and forth within a week!

The language training this time around was super intense but I am starting to feel a little more confident with my capacity to speak Khmer and having more success in being understood now that my vocabulary is improving! So we had a couple of weeks as a group in Phnom Penh, which gave us a chance to really explore the city and enjoy having the luxuries of chocolate and cocktails!

Also included in this was Jen’s birthday party, where we all went to a photo-studio and had some brilliant photographs taken of us in proper Khmer fashion. This involves having a thick layer of make-up applied, hair made into a beehive and put into a super tacky evening dress. You then have to pose with an array of props ranging from flowers and leaves to mirrors and chairs in a very cheesey poses! It was really funny and I can’t wait to see the final products when we receive them (super air-brushed of course). In the mean time I have included some of the pictures we took on the day ourselves. There aren’t any of the group shots, obviously, but they were by far the best pictures (once we stopped laughing!).


So I have had a week back in Mondulkiri before my parents arrive on 10th which I can’t wait for! I have moved into my new place, which is a vast improvement on the rat infested house I was living in. I have also made an action plan for the next two months which my line manager has approved which means I can really get going. However, I won’t be going anywhere myself in the next couple of days though, as I broke a toe on my left foot yesterday on a piece of metal sticking out of some concrete on the main road. It hurts. Alot. I have been told there is nothing I can do buy strap it and take painkillers, however, sitting on the bike (even pillion) is agony and I will only be doing short, necessary trips.

I will update again after Mum and Brian leave with some pictures of our trip. We are staying in Phnom Penh for a few days then heading down to the beautiful coastal towns of Kep and Kampot. Can’t wait!

C x