Settling in

This is the broom we used to sweep cobwebs off the ceiling.

I've been introducing Em to the few ins-and-outs of Battambang that I know, and re-acquainting myself in the process.It doesn't feel like home yet, but I feel like we're steadily settling in: cleaning things, doing laundry, fixing-up little bits and pieces around the apartment, learning how to best secure a mosquito net, and cooking meals (we have a deal with the three other residents of the building - each of us takes a day of the week to cook dinner, so we get to eat every night, but don't have to cook every night).

Cleaning here's a bit different of course - the slightest trace of food brings ants (which I have to to sweep off our bed a few times now, bigger traces of food bring rats (which ate one of our bananas); plaster regularly crumbles off of sections of the wall (makes me think of dandruff, which then makes me want to give the poor wall/ceiling some kind of shampoo to help it along); Spider webs are invisible for a week or two, and then collect all the dust in the air and turn brown (leaving us with large brown strings everywhere on the ceiling); clothes only dry in the morning, before the rain, and on and on. We're re-learning bit by bit how to maintain a good standard of cleanliness, and what things just can't be cleaned (poor crumbly wall/ceiling).

What's better than fried bananas?
Friend bananas in maple syrup.

Who's sweating more, eggplants or emdawgs?

Em prepping the potatoes.

We've also learnt(/I'm starting to recall) some of the finer points of shopping in a wet-market. We got DESTROYED by this one lady who sold us potatoes that all looked good, but two giant ones were completely rotten on the inside. They were so expensive. We've pretty much decided not to shop with that lady anymore. Still, a  good lesson in attending in great detail to the produce we buy. There's no quality control here - just people bringing goods form their homes/farms to sell everyday. We managed to get almost everything we need for our two dinners (we have thursday and friday nights).

These guys play every afternoon kiddie-corner to us.
I may have to get back into SEA chess.

While walking around, we saw a large group of people huddled over a table. There was great shouting, and the waving of arms, and excited jumping and such. Of course, we had to investigate. Turns out this young guy was testing his mettle against the resident champ in a game of chess! It's south-east asian style, and I learnt the rules last time I was here, but I couldn't recall exactly what all the pieces did. I love how everyone gets excited about chess out here. It's like the Khmer equivalent of a break-dance battle. So sweet.

Em and I have been making a few new friends around our area of town as well. Many Cambodians run a small business at or from their homes. This means that there's a general store every few meters. We've befriended one of these intrepid businesswomen who lives in an alley beside our building. We've taken to walking through the alley because it's surprisingly clean! It looks as if everyone in that alley had banded together to create at least one space that is well-kept and tidy in the middle of the ghetto.

We also still find time to frequent a cafe or two.

Gecko Cafe continues to deliver

Much love,

Ash