back into Khmer language- market, friends, church, TV

After 2 years in Aust what's happening with my khmer language...?

I started shopping at the market almost as soon as I got here, and thankfully, in terms of language its still pretty easy. I guess it was what I used the most, and with so much context easy to remember, mostly names of veggies, meat etc, and questions like "How much for 1kg/100g etc?". (the heat, chaos and noise makes it challenging tho!)

I've been meeting up with a Khmer friend to read the Bible and pray, and hopefully at some point put to use some Bible storytelling. We are reading a passage in both languages, her English is way better than my Khmer as she teaches English. I printed out different versions of the passage for her so she can read the same thing in different English words, and she read the passage in Khmer for me on to voice recorder so I can listen to it.

Yesterday she got me to read the passage out loud in Khmer, which I hadn't tried yet and didn't think I was ready for, but she insisted. I had hoped to do it during the week but just felt so hot and tired, and it seemed too hard. it wasn't actually too hard- slow going, and probs sounded funny, but after listening to it in Khmer lots, and reading it in English lots it wasn't too mysterious.

I used to go to Khmer church regularly, was great place to learn and practice Khmer language, I've been once since I got back, but we're not sure what we are going to do on Sundays. I don't really have a good way to travel here, and Soeun hasn't settled in a church yet so each Sunday is different at the moment. He is still teaching music and helping with music at our old church, but without a long term commitment its hard for me to make the effort required to get to know people at church (and make it thru the hot, bumpy traffic).

I've been trying to watch TV, the cooking show is easy to understand- food words with lots of context, familiar. The news and dramas are also good to watch, I can't understand everything though, the adverts are the easiest to pick up, its nice they keep repeating the same short ads over and over, great for language learning!

Over the last week all the channels were always showing stuff about the late King Father, as it was 100 days since he died. There were some docs on what he did in his life, Khmer history since 1950's, and I think they might have showed some of the movies he made.