Total sadness that I had to say farewell to some of my ladies this weekend. Stephanie(s), Katie, Katisse, Gillian and Alexa finished their volunteering and headed separate ways. Nuno, Kimmie and Nikki are all that remain of my group. It's not so bad because the people that have been here longer are great and the new group seems enthusiastic and nice.
I had a fabulous roommate for two weeks, so saying goodbye to Alexa was rough. I was nervous about my new roomie until I met her 2 hours ago. Her name is Louise and she is from England. Haven't quite talked to her much but I think we'll get along fine. She'll be working at Maria Theresa with me. So we should have plenty to gossip about at night. I just hope she doesn't get freaked out by the thunderous noises coming from my tummy. Fish Amok for lunch was a bad choice...
Other than my new friends leaving me, this weekend was a smash. We went for drinks on Friday night to celebrate Nikki's birthday. Alexa and I shared a jug of some vodka drink and I consiquently had a throbbing headache the next morning. But it was nothing a day at the pool and sunbathing couldn't fix. When I got home, I deep cleaned my room and bathroom, showered and started a book. Later that night, I played cards with Nuno. I lost and accused him of cheating. With the absence of my roommate, I was able to sleep with fan directly on me. It was the best sleep I've had since being Cambodia.
Today (Sunday) I took a cooking class in the city. We went to the market and saw fresh fruits, veggies and flowers. The meat section of the market is always hard to stomach. The chickens in cages or hanging from their feet, still moving make my eyes water. Most of the fish are still alive but are in no water. So they are slowly suffocating to death in front of you. The Cambodian women chopped the fish heads off and somehow their gills still gasped for air. The slaughterhouse was thankfully cleaned after the 3am killings. What was left were lifeless pig bodies, cow tonges and ribs. After holding my breath and swatting away hundreds of flies, we made it out of the market. Oh boy was I ready to eat...
During class I made taro root spring rolls, fish amok, banana flower salad and sticky mango rice. It was all very yummy but now my tummy is yelling at me.
Our instructor was hilarious. He had the strangest English accent which he supposedly got while studying in Singapore. His brother-in-law was his assistant and he was a freakin hottie. After flirting and saying as many Khmer words I knew, I found out he was in high school. Woops. It was still loads of fun and I learned a lot. However, it was a lot of work and I'm happy to be in bed now.
Friday is my birthday and I'm obviously having mixed emotions. When the other girls talk about their fathers, my heart sinks a little. But, I'll be fine. If working with abandoned children has taught me anything, it's that blood doesn't make family. My family consists of those who stand by my side through thick or thin. My family is anyone who touches my soul and makes me a better person. I'm very grateful for what I have. It wouldn't matter what day my dad killed himself on. It would be hard no matter what. So, instead of dwelling, I'll keep going. Cry a little, smile a little and laugh a lot.
But right now, I don't have time to cry. I have to try and get this cockroach out of my room. He was kind of cute at first but now he's creeping me out. I swear he's staring at me!
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