March Time Capsule

Current fave toys and their whiteboard likeness. 7/3

Before last month moves too far into the past we’re making a collection of words and photos from March 2021.

A child-made scroll.

Hot season started, we paused our school work for our long summer break, the 38 roads project continued, walks and rides in the Angkor Park still happened but only in the early morning!

Srah Srang 6th March, 6:36am

Covid19 disrupted our lives with Cambodia’s worse outbreak to date continuing on from February 20, which gave me a vivid reminder that it was one year since it felt like the world turned upside down.

We still buy a lot of food, but not all of it. 7th March

“March 2021 is just like March 2020 only now we have toilet paper.” 

I saw this on Facebook and it felt true. Although we never had a toilet paper shortage here it did feel like we were doing March 2020 all over again. We hadn’t had to take much notice of restrictions for ages, then suddenly in March we had to cancel trips out of town and pay attention to how many new cases each day.

 

Wat Bo Road, 6th March, 10:15am

1^st March

A birthday party we went to on the last day of February 2020 popped up in my newsfeed memories. It was the last big gathering we went to before everything shut down for the new virus. We had just said goodbye to two families as they moved out of Cambodia. We didn't know a few more were about to leave. They didn't know either!

Bougainvillea- such colourful flowers in this season...and masks

4^th March

Hot season takes me by surprise every year!
The last few days the kids were tired and grumpy in the late afternoon and today one even fell asleep half an hour before dinnertime.
Time to think about some hot seasons habits.

Hot season habits might include:

Cornflakes for easy dinner

Naps during the day

Less or no school work

Less bike rides during middle of day

Less everything during the middle of the day

Ice cream

Drink more water

Eat mango

Angkor Wat, 12th March, 6:51am

6^th March

While feeling so tired from the 'feels like 38' humid day I questioned my son on  why is he  still so energetic even in hot season. He said without missing a beat, very loudly and while jumping around:

BECAUSE I GET MY ENERGY FROM THE SUN!
I'M SOLAR POWERED!
I AM A JAPANESE ROBOT!

Angkor Thom moat, 10th March, 6:54am

7^th March

It was on this day last year schools in Siem Reap town area were ordered to shut for at least 2 weeks.

I remember what I was doing when I found out, (I was in the middle of messaging a friend about kids and dental issues) .
It seemed like such a bizarre idea at the time. We didn't know that in a week’s time all the schools in the whole country would have to shut and for a lot longer than 2 weeks.

12th March, 6:44am

8^th March

This day last year was the first time to wash our hands at Khmer church. Soeun built a tap and sink for this purpose. We didn’t know at the time but it was also the last time for our children and I to go to Khmer church.

Wat Bo road again

9^th March

Countless diggers, dump trucks, detours.
Lots of destruction and dust.
Most of the main roads are construction sites these days, it is hard to describe how bizarre it seems. But also people just go about their daily business. “Reaper Roadworks” group on Facebook has a group collection of photos and videos of this transformation.

Part heat, part covid, we don't want to go out too much. Shop in bulk when we can.

Meanwhile the virus is creeping closer. Since Feb 20 cases have been rising. Mostly it was in the south of Cambodia, but last few days cases have appeared in provinces closer to us.   And today we heard just outside our town there was a case which meant schools there closed. Some community overlap with the high school near us, so our neighbours are impacted. Possibly geographically the closest we have been to people getting tested for C19. 

Fixing up the pond, although the kids pretended it was a World Wa trench

11^th March

Up until this date there had been no confirmed deaths from Covid19 in Cambodia, this was the day the government announced the first fatality.

Food by Aunty! She has been staying with us since June 2020. This is a corn dessert with coconut milk.

 

20th March

“Travel ban for our commune. No one in or out. Starts in 12 minutes”

Such a confusing shock to hear this, I didn’t know what it meant for us. A man had travelled from one of the infected provinces and sought medical treatment at the market near out house and about 3 other places in town. Our whole commune was banned from travelling for a week, and the pharmacy in question had police tape on it for two weeks.

I wanted to hurry in and see the sunrise, but some were more interested in how they are restoring the original bridge.

Sheepie and Koala

 

Always drawing

Summer holidays at home. 3pm is ice cream time!