A Postcard from Phnom Penh

Joom reap sou (Hello)!  I’ve arrived in Cambodia and my journey has begun!  I walked out of Phnom Penh airport on Saturday morning wondering if the tuk tuk driver who was to escort me back to my guest house would show up.  Imagine my relief when I saw this chap holding a sign with my name as I walked out of customs.  Here I was in Cambodia, coming over from Sydney after organising to work in a program that had been planned in the UK….and no one had got their wires crossed.  In fact, the tuk tuk turned out to be a landcruiser..so I was more than pleasantly surprised. 
Sunday was orientation day, and I visited my project with Liz, the other newbie who has just arrived from the UK.  We are really happy that we will be working out of PP, in a more rural setting.  The project is situated about an hours drive away and involves teaching English to young children, mostly orphans and then helping out with the farm animals in the afternoon. 
   They are quite sustainable out at the farm, growing their own fruits & vegies, harvesting and pumping groundwater, tapping solar energy and having lots of farm animas such as chooks, cows and ducks!

The area is flood prone so I have posted some pictures of the raised houses for my colleagues back in Sydney!  Don’t miss the evacuation plan – canoe parked in front garden!!

I’ve visited the night marked with Liz to buy some local clothing and get ready for Monday!  I’ve only just arrived but I start work on Monday..so till my next post ‘lee hai’ (good bye)!