a happy holiday for my husband

i'm reading this book

the monkey and fish story on page 27 is interesting! its about a monkey serving a fish and feeling happy he is a servant.. but the fish has a very different perspective

"Missionaries could more effectively minster if they did not think they were so superior to us."

Moroccan Cafe

 It was the because of the Campos coffee sign that I went to this cafe, it turned out to be more interesting that I thought. Ben's Alibi

Some South Bank holiday photos

New year, new view: natural light!! airflow!! yay!

Our view 2012

Our view 2011

 Soeun and I have just moved to a different room on campus, and we are feeling much more positive about this year than last. Our health seems to be much better here so far, Soeun's dizziness seems much better. He is able to go in cars, and go to church and be in places where there are lots of people moving about. And I feel so much happier being able to see trees and sky and sunshine and rain out the window. In our last place we didn't even know if it was raining.

You can see from the photos that our new/current room has more natural light and airflow than our 2011 place. 

Ironic that in our last place we didn't have a bathroom window but ppl could see in, and in this place we do have a window in bathroom but ppl can't see in. Now we have privacy and air and light!!!

Its quite clever how they make the most of the space, building lots of student accommodation in a small space. 

You can see from we had frosted glass and wooden slates  out our window. This meant we and the college family near by had some privacy. Even with these 2 things we could see in their backyard and back door- which means they could see us in the bathroom and the room we got dressed in!

Our 2011 view with the frosted glass up so we can see out

Despite the fact that we now live on a busy road, about 5 m from our window there are cars whizzing past, I feel like its quieter here. In our old place the sounds from other rooms in the building seemed really echoey and loud. Four others lived with us and the sound from light switches and doors etc, as well as foot steps and water.  

After growing up in a house full of babies and toddlers on a national highway (trucks go past at every hour of day and night), 

and living with about 60 others in an inner city suburb (car alarms),

and in Cambodia with its weddings and funerals with music so loud the tiled floors vibrate, 

I would have thought that living back from the road in a quite suburb with only 5 other adults in the house  wouldn't have been such a big deal. But I actually found the type of noise more irritating than anywhere else I've lived.

That combined with the fact that Soeun seemed to get sick when he was living there and better when he was away, means that I'm feeling really happy to be in our new place.

new year

So the cool thing about being in Aust is the calendar new year is in synch with the academic new year, so everything is new at the same time. In Khmer land we have international calendar  new year, then Chinese new year, then Khmer new year (April), then later on academic new year, which is significant if you live on a school campus and are married to a teacher.

This new year is a new work year for me, new study year for Soeun, we'll live in a new place and have a whole lot of new neighbours.