Hello everyone.

I am writing the blog this time perhaps to give a different perspective on life in Samraong. Since I have no NGO or public service department as employer and no colleagues to get along with ,I am in charge of my own destiny. I have taken my time before deciding whom to teach, when I could have filled a timetable from day one. Carol`s staff wanted English teaching from her but she was pleased to accept my offer to replace her. Then I got together a small group that I teach at home, all of whom are far from beginners. Tomorrow I`m meeting a group from Malteser, one of the prominent NGOs, with a view to taking an advanced class for some of their staff.



As you know I have recently been back to England. This was not at all unsettling. The weather was wonderful, friends and family were well and I had a great time in Newcastle and Manchester. However I had no difficulty in coming home to Cambodia. For after five months I do feel at home here. Our house is really nice and I haven`t seen one I`d rather live in. To make things even better we now have the Internet installed in our lounge. I made enquiries on Tuesday and it was installed on Thusday morning for 35 dollars.



Another example of Cambodian service; our gas container ran out at 6.45 on Wednesday night and after a quick call to the company was replaced at 7.00. We are so used to a very efficient service industry here. Yet we still have unfinished business with npower after five months away.



Next week I`m staying in Samraong on my own while Carol goes off with her Health Promotion team to Anglong Venh, former Khmer Rouge stronghold. She will be away for three nights working in remote villages.



Now that we are back home we can enjoy the simple life for a while. We had a bbq with the other VSOs at the weekend and we are hosting a curry night next Saturday with food coming up from an Indian restaurant in SiemReap by taxi. I`m hoping to play badminton on Monday dodgy knee permitting.

I know this is a shorter post than usual, but Carol will more than make up for it next time with news from Anglong Venh.

Regards to all of you,

Geoff