Rumor Has It They Eat...

...congealed blood in Asia. It's true. During a trip to our favorite market we stopped for lunch. As usual, we let them serve us whatever was communicated when we answered "yes" to their questions. As I looked down into my bowl I noticed some unidentifiable fragments. The exchange went something like, "Bekah, is this blood?" "Yeah." "Does is melt?" That's the new question. I couldn't tell if it was melting blood causing the reddish hue in my soup or some added seasoning. I don't know if I have the courage to find out. I have met my cuisine match.

The weekend was composed of a classical piano concert, learning to cook lok lak and spring rolls, and a birthday bash. All of those events included the company of Cambodian students or recent graduates that were befriended by Mindy in the past year and a half. What an encouragement to see how her relationships have grown to be so full of joy!

My work here has extended to co-managing the English library on campus. Bekah and I have the privilege of heading up renovations, hiring student staff, and planning programs to promote its use. It's a fantastic way to serve the university, which by the way is becoming more familiar to us every day. We've been manning a table to provide info on a new English-based major each afternoon for the last two weeks. Now we're able to smile and greet a few acquaintances as we walk through the halls. Ah, the signs of building community. So nice.

Enjoy the picture of the over-sized preying mantis. Later that day we only saw its legs lying there. Something had some good eatin'.

A Series of Update Blurbs

The loss of quick and easy access to the internet is the reason for the lapse in regular blogging. Since so much time has passed, I'll let some pictures over the last week and a half guide the long overdue update.

Our move-in date was determined by the date we had power hooked up to our brand spanking new building. What you see above is how the powerline is fixed between the pole and our home. I laughed out loud when I saw what was about to happen. Dad, I hope you salute their ingenuity because I thought of you as they were fixing it up. You'd fit right in here. It's a fine job. Fine job.

The celebration of my 28th birthday included pizza, coffee, and the traditional cake and icecream from the team. Turned out to be a very sweet day. Oh, and a killer storm blew in while we were at the mall. It came down in sheets. AND Bekah and I rode our bikes super fast all the way to the mall under a cloudy sky, keeping us from the scorching noonday sun. Yep. It was a very suh-weet day.

Food! And not just any food. Home-cooked food in our home! We're not boasting that it was amazing or anything. Actually, Bekah's words were something like, "I don't want you to think I know what I'm doing here"as I looked over her shoulder to watch her stir the fry. The important thing about this meal is that the ingredients were from the market. Buying vegetables, meat, and especially spices for some reason, was very tiring for us. I'd say it takes 10x the mental energy used in Publix or WinnDixie to pick up food in a market in another country.

Cambodia has beaches and we went! I confess that I did not take full advantage of the beach; I only walked it a couple of times. We traveled out there on a four hour bus ride that put Greyhound to a bit of shame. It was spacious, clean, and they served a snack. The trip was meant for team time as the year kicks off and before our schedules pack out. We got to know each other more, create some memories, and explore the meaning of community. This picture was taken on our last night on the way to dinner. Mindy and Lyle are on the moto behind us. Yea, that guy with the black helmet is Lyle.

Gettin' Around Town

These bikes are taking us everywhere! We met up with a new friend, Grace, on Monday to visit the river. The river is running north right now, but come October, as the rainy season comes to an end, it will run in the opposite direction and Phnom Penh will celebrate with a Water Festival. Grace says there will be many boat races. We'll probably get the day off from work so we'll get to watch.

Below is a picture of our bikes parked outside of the Russian Market. You can buy, uh, pretty much everything there. Many of my clothes have met their end since I left home, starting with my favorite pants ripping back in Colorado. I've already picked up a few shirts and a few pairs of shorts. Danielle mentioned that many of our students would be amazed at all the clothes we have in our closets; we usually have much more than we need. Something to remember as I begin to make impressions upon my students with the way I choose to live.

Got A Sweet New Ride

I'd like to apologize for not introducing you to the youngest and most adorable member of our team, Carson. Who, by the way, is expecting a new brother or sister come February. Carson loves to figure things out, has a great throwing arm, and lights up our days with a killer smile. Everyone, meet Carson.

Days start really early here and breakfast is a very social time. If I remember correctly, it's so you can get a good bit of work in before it gets too hot. A traditional Khmer breakfast includes bbq pork and rice or a noodle dish in broth. I'm not doing the food justice, so just trust me when I say it's delicious.

Big news on the street: We've got bikes! Jennifer is still holding out to make sure it's a mode of transportation that will be most useful to her, so just Bekah and I have them right now. Hers is Texas orange. It used to be Danielle's and Vandenn loves that school (understatement :) Mine is, as Joe calls it, a beautiful oxidized blue. They have baskets, bells, and a tire-powered generator for a light. I rode mine home from the store and took a video while on the street. Too much fun...

Bekah and I offered to ride to the supermarket to pick up dinner. Vandenn and Danielle graciously allowed us, but then waited nearly 2 hours for us to come back. Things started off well. We found the mall, paid to park our bikes, and explored the grocery aisles for ingredients. But then we missed our turn on the way home. We've concluded that the city looks very different in the dark. Some people tried to help us, but that blasted language barrier made it hard :) Things were figured out and we arrived safely.

We gave directions in Khmer to a tuktuk driver tonight after dinner. Hooray for language lessons!

Things are Moving Along Here

Whew.

Moving to a new country is a lot of work.

But things are moving along here and we're super excited! The apartments we found are becoming more familiar to us as we spend time cleaning them and stocking them with large appliances. Although still quite bare, they're taking form and we can see the promise they hold for hosting students and friends. May many, many wonderful relationships begin and grow in them!

Streets and landmarks are standing out to us. We even know which way north is :) In time we'll have our favorite street vendors and markets (or even shopping malls), but for now we gladly rely upon the recommendations of our teammates that have lived here for much longer than 3 days.

We had our first language lesson yesterday! We're beginning with learning to get around town by way of a tuk tuk. It's the motorbike-powered carriage I mentioned in my first newsletter. We're learning the names of key landmarks, how to give directions, and how to bargain the price. The lesson was arranged by a thoughtful teammate and two smiling students. We're looking to begin lessons with individual tutors very soon.