Wow, this week has gone by fast!

In Phnom Penh,we had 5 days of training at the CKCC (Cambodian Korean Cooperation Center) at RUPP (Royal University of Phnom Pennh). These days were filled with learning new and old material, breaks in which we tried new food (delicious fruits in weird casings, coconut pastries buns filled with hot dogs) and desperately trying to stay in the air-con.

We also ventured to the night market on Sunday, tried out tuk-tuks (which are great and scary and involve a lot of haggling), tried out Cambodian interpretations of western food (I had a DQ ice cream and a delicious pepperoni pizza), and a one hour Khmer massage (fun fact: don't take off your underwear, they take offence to it).

The three volunteer groups (ours, Ratanakiri and Stung Treng) were all together for the training, and I shared a room with a UK volunteer called Hayley from Devon! It was great and reassuring to be partnered up with someone from my own culture, who wouldn't mind me hanging up my freshly washed knickers up on the window rails, or seeing my naked butt cheeks.

In Phnom Penh, it was muggy, and wet and dirty and moist and sweaty and foggy. We only had rain on one night and it was wonderful. The amount of rubbish in the streets was astonishing. How people are able to live among the dirt was slightly disturbing. Whilst in the tuk-tuk on our city tour, we saw kids playing in the road works (ie the dirt on the side of the road, with the cones, in holes, etc), and clearly didn't have the same concerns as a westerner would have.

This week has been very eye opening, disorienting, and wonderful.

I just arrived in Sen Monorom, the main town in Mondulkiri province, after a 7 hour bus journey through Cambodia. We will be living and working here for the next 10 weeks, and it's great to finally get settled.

Lots of love to everyone back home,
xx