Third and final new year of 2019

So I'm  a little late with this. Two years late in fact. 

The year 2019 started with the international new year, as I mentioned here NEW!, then we had the Chinese New Year as I described here FIRSTS, then in April the Khmer New Year. 

I did mention a bit here HOT but I still had these other things I wanted to remember. And that two years has passed I still want to record them here along with the perspective from now.

At the time I didn't get around to posting the photos and writing about it but I remember that I wanted to  remember that we said goodbye to the N family, that we had our last play at Rosy before it closed and that the children were creating things faster than I could take photos of them.

A soccer party, a snake and some sickness after KNY, as well as hot weather and grumpiness and a lady burning her protection belt were among the notable events I listed in my notes. And we got to know the neighbours more during that holiday time. Well, Soeun and his mum did I guess. But I'll stick with the main three things here.

Goodbye poolside party March 2019

Playgroup morphing 

Since our children finished at preschool we had been meeting a couple other families for playdates. I already knew of two mums, or "moms" who had children the same age as our second child. As soon as we said goodbye to part time preschool, I contacted them and we started meeting weekly at each others houses or a playroom in town.  A few other families joined our trio. But in March 2019 one of these families left Cambodia.  Perhaps the first big goodbye for our children.

And then March 2020 the other left! Our youngest said now she had no friends, those 2 had been her weekly age mates since she finished preschool. COVID shut down happened just after that, so there was no chance for her to get to know others. An ever changing remnant of the group exists, but between children starting school, COVID, and others leaving the days of the regular originals are over. Almost all the places we used to meet are closed as well.

Goodbye Rosy

Pregnant and with energetic toddler, moving to SR was exhausting. Rosy restaurant and guesthouse had food my child and then children liked plus a playroom. And a nice riverside view. WIth the chance of running into friends. So it was sad to visit for the last time in March 2019, before they closed down forever! I think they had been around for maybe 14 years, so it was a big deal for many.

A year later the whole town shut down! March 2020 in a tourist town, terrifying. Some businesses are still limping along despite that there is not tourist visa at the moment. And despite massive roadworks.  Getting anywhere is an adventure.

Making things

Costumes, chicken house, puppets. That is what I wrote in the notes for this post. I can't remember the details but I remember being amazed at all the children's creations and felt like I wanted to record them.

I think the chicken house was outside made of old bricks, and the puppets might have been toilet rolls. From Sept 2019 to now I have been taking photos of their creations and posting them in monthly FB albums.

Two years on, sooo many more creations and drawing. I gave up recording each one as there are just too many. Like yesterday, a stretcher for the war wounded toilet roll was constructed out of an old mask.

I had more photos ready, and I would have written things differently at the time so its not the post I planned. But happy to record these events here, I'm sure another two years we will will have forgotton some details.