"A typical week" could be the title of this post, if we had a routine. Its not and we don't but this will give you some idea.
Our days mostly consist of setting up/settling in type jobs, as well as trying to stay healthy and working out how the household is going to work. (And all the while battling the ant bites and blocked toilets!)
Yesterday I told my Bible study group that they are the only regular thing in my week so far, and that I was feeling frustrated that each day my energy was getting used up just settling in. Having been out of routine for quite a few months now, feeling like we are in limbo, mostly living out of a bag we're really eager to settle down. One member said if she felt settled after only a few weeks she'd feel like she'd had a baby snatching experience.
So I guess its normal that we are still settling in, esp since our progress has been slowed down by the fact that the house is for sale so we made need to move, and also had some minor sicknesses.
Some examples of these days:
On Monday I went to the doctor in the morning, and to buy some secondhand kitchen stuff from an expat who is leaving. With Phnom Penh traffic that took up the whole day! And I remembered how uncomfortable motos and tuk tuks are. Wondered what all the bumps and jolts were doing to my back and unborn baby.
Yesterday, Bible study in the morning, trip to renew my visa in the afternoon. A much nicer day than Monday, my Bible study group is close so its an easy short bike ride. The visa extension was also pretty ok bike ride, although the office is on a busy road it doesn't involve going through the city and the main part of the journey the road is smooth and sealed. Also, mostly people stay on the correct side of the road which makes it a smoother ride, feel less like I'm going to get knocked off.
This morning I went to the market, got meat, veg etc - also and easy short bike ride. Still trying to work out how often I will need to go. I don't think I need to go daily as we have a fridge, but I can only carry so much on my bike, and veggies don't seem to keep for very long so it probably needs to be more than once a week.
Now doing some research re prep for birth- eg what we need to do about visas (will we need a doctors letter to extend if we give birth in thai? are visas for khmer and aussie the same?), what airlines will let me flight in late pregnancy and what the doctors letter needs to say, can the non-Aussie parents be the one to go to the Aust embassy in Thai to do the various pieces of paperwork? etc etc
Tomorrow we hope to go to our first birth prep class, and on Friday Soeun's music class from church is coming over for the day. Its a special public holiday as the King Father died 100 days ago.
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
Saturday, January 26, 2013
contrasts
Some things I buy in a supermarket/ shopping centre, others at the market.
In a big shop the floor is shiny, clean and smooth and things are pretty quiet and cool.
In the market I'm often tripping over, or feel like I'm about to, esp when fish jump out and land near my feet. Although the market I'm using now has much smoother ground than the market I was using before its still harder to walk around than a supermarket.
In the big shops its seems there are heaps of shop assistant, always there watching and ready to help. Sometimes standing a little too close!
In the market it seems all the sellers like calling out as you walk past their stall "hey child what do you want to buy? buy these veggies!" To my Aussie ear it can sound a bit rude, like they are yelling at me, and actually has the opposite effect, I 'd rather buy carrots from someone who doesn't yell at me.
And in the market lots of sun and flies! So different to the air con supermarket with food in packets and fridges!
In a big shop the floor is shiny, clean and smooth and things are pretty quiet and cool.
In the market I'm often tripping over, or feel like I'm about to, esp when fish jump out and land near my feet. Although the market I'm using now has much smoother ground than the market I was using before its still harder to walk around than a supermarket.
In the big shops its seems there are heaps of shop assistant, always there watching and ready to help. Sometimes standing a little too close!
In the market it seems all the sellers like calling out as you walk past their stall "hey child what do you want to buy? buy these veggies!" To my Aussie ear it can sound a bit rude, like they are yelling at me, and actually has the opposite effect, I 'd rather buy carrots from someone who doesn't yell at me.
And in the market lots of sun and flies! So different to the air con supermarket with food in packets and fridges!
Friday, January 25, 2013
stages of settling in
My first week here I was so looking fwd to finally unpacking and settling in, but we got some news which kind of "froze" us for awhile, made unpacking feel like a waste of time which was quite stressful!
The 2nd week we both had colds, which really slows down things in life generally , so that was frustrating. (and i had a really bad cold in Dec so i was worried i was going to get that sick again, but it didn't happen, yay!)
But after the initial shock of the first week news wore off, and the worst of our colds were over, we found we started to feel much better. We started to think about doing the things we had been planning to do, like planting herbs and buying a coffee plunger and a 2nd saucepan. We now have bedside lamps and a grater! We've been able to start forming a weekly timetable. There are still lots of things we haven't started yet, and lots of things we need to work out, and SO many more things we wish we had, but feels like the process of settling in is actually happening now.
The 2nd week we both had colds, which really slows down things in life generally , so that was frustrating. (and i had a really bad cold in Dec so i was worried i was going to get that sick again, but it didn't happen, yay!)
But after the initial shock of the first week news wore off, and the worst of our colds were over, we found we started to feel much better. We started to think about doing the things we had been planning to do, like planting herbs and buying a coffee plunger and a 2nd saucepan. We now have bedside lamps and a grater! We've been able to start forming a weekly timetable. There are still lots of things we haven't started yet, and lots of things we need to work out, and SO many more things we wish we had, but feels like the process of settling in is actually happening now.
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
The first weeks include...
So after 2 years away from Cambodia, what is it like to be back?
Well, I've spent a lot of time feeling tired and hot and having lots of cool showers to try to get cool. Unlike our last house we have hot water in the showers apparently. I thought I would be excited about this, but we haven't even bothered to turn on the hot water thingy.
(and this is cool season!!! what is it going to be like in hot season when I further a long in pregnancy?!)
I've caught up with a khmer friend who lives nearby, and her family. I haven't seen her husband yet but she brought around her 2 kids (one was born while I was away) and her sister in law who lives with her.
Today I re-joined the expat Bible study group I was part of before. It was nice to see everyone!
I've also spent a lot of time buying things
- yesterday I bought a kettle from a big fancy looking shop (although many of their products on display seem to be the only one they have, I asked about 3 different kettles and there was only the display copy),
-the day before a 2nd hand desk from a german family
-ktichen stuff, like food storage containers, seasonings/sauces for cooking
Annoyingly we had all these things and more just 2 years ago, but no where to store them all, and not sure what sort of housing we would be in when we came back anyway. I still remember emptying our house of all the furniture etc 2 years ago, and then recently getting rid of the stuff we needed to live while we were in Aust. Now having to get more stuff for this stage of life, it hard doing this over and over again, esp as we may have to move again soon so we don't want to get too much stuff.
Well, I've spent a lot of time feeling tired and hot and having lots of cool showers to try to get cool. Unlike our last house we have hot water in the showers apparently. I thought I would be excited about this, but we haven't even bothered to turn on the hot water thingy.
(and this is cool season!!! what is it going to be like in hot season when I further a long in pregnancy?!)
I've caught up with a khmer friend who lives nearby, and her family. I haven't seen her husband yet but she brought around her 2 kids (one was born while I was away) and her sister in law who lives with her.
Today I re-joined the expat Bible study group I was part of before. It was nice to see everyone!
I've also spent a lot of time buying things
- yesterday I bought a kettle from a big fancy looking shop (although many of their products on display seem to be the only one they have, I asked about 3 different kettles and there was only the display copy),
-the day before a 2nd hand desk from a german family
-ktichen stuff, like food storage containers, seasonings/sauces for cooking
Annoyingly we had all these things and more just 2 years ago, but no where to store them all, and not sure what sort of housing we would be in when we came back anyway. I still remember emptying our house of all the furniture etc 2 years ago, and then recently getting rid of the stuff we needed to live while we were in Aust. Now having to get more stuff for this stage of life, it hard doing this over and over again, esp as we may have to move again soon so we don't want to get too much stuff.
Friday, January 11, 2013
Bike in the borey and post in Phnom Penh
Yesterday I rode my bike to the near by market. It was great to be able to ride, as I thought being pregnant I would feel it was too dangerous to ride here in Cambodia. I seem to be getting bigger and clumsier each day, and I didn't mind getting knocked around by the motos and pot holes before but now it effects someone else's health too.
I used to ride to the other side of town in peak hour traffic, and back again in the noon day heat- I can't see myself doing that now! But the market is quite close, and most of the way there is inside the "borey" we live in. I guess its like a gated community, the roads are new and smooth and not much traffic. Yesterday I was excited to find that our market has a bike park. There is a roped off area with a guard who gives out tickets for free! The market I used to shop at didn't have this, people took their motos and bikes into the narrow paths between stalls. I usually walked there, it was easier, even with the heat and dust and people telling me it was too far too walk.
In the afternoon I went to the post office to apply for a PO Box so we can get mail. There is no postal system here like in Australia, no postman to deliver letters! It seems only expats and big companies and PO Boxes. I went all the way to the post office (through the dangerous hot traffic) and found counter 26, as we'd been told on the phone. The lady told me there were no boxes available. I told her my husband had just rung up and been told that there were boxes, and how much they were. As soon as I said that she gave me the form to fill in and I left the office 13usd poorer and with a receipt, a box number and the promise of a key on Monday.
I used to ride to the other side of town in peak hour traffic, and back again in the noon day heat- I can't see myself doing that now! But the market is quite close, and most of the way there is inside the "borey" we live in. I guess its like a gated community, the roads are new and smooth and not much traffic. Yesterday I was excited to find that our market has a bike park. There is a roped off area with a guard who gives out tickets for free! The market I used to shop at didn't have this, people took their motos and bikes into the narrow paths between stalls. I usually walked there, it was easier, even with the heat and dust and people telling me it was too far too walk.
In the afternoon I went to the post office to apply for a PO Box so we can get mail. There is no postal system here like in Australia, no postman to deliver letters! It seems only expats and big companies and PO Boxes. I went all the way to the post office (through the dangerous hot traffic) and found counter 26, as we'd been told on the phone. The lady told me there were no boxes available. I told her my husband had just rung up and been told that there were boxes, and how much they were. As soon as I said that she gave me the form to fill in and I left the office 13usd poorer and with a receipt, a box number and the promise of a key on Monday.
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