Mozzeenet

I was gradually recovering from the flu this week. It has taken ages to get over. I still have a bit of a cough but today, I have a little more energy which is a relief.

After a week in isolation last week, I decided to join Sonia and Ana on a trip to Oudong last Saturday. It was the old capital and is just north of Phnom Penh.

I found it really interesting and especially the scenery on the way – lots of rice fields filled with water which I hadn’t seen before, very green and people working in the fields, oxen and villages.

We had a great lunch of chicken and rice at a stall near the temples.

There was a lot of climbing at the temples but it is worth it for a great view of the countryside. However, I was feeling pretty listless and coughed the day away. Still enjoyed it though.

We spoke to two monks at one of the temples and got caught in the rain (great for my flu, I’m sure).

That pretty much did me in for the rest of the weekend so Sunday, I just stayed at home. I did go for a massage in the afternoon which was really nice. I had lots ofaches and pains with the flu and the massage relieved it.

Work has been a mixture of busy and boring this week. I started writing the material for the next lot of training in 2 weeks on Email. I wasn’t feeling very motivated at the beginning of the week, probably due to still feeling under par.

The election results will be announced today. I don’t think I have spoken about the election yet.

It was held on July 27 with a big build-up. The country had thousands of observers to ensure a free and fair election. There were still some political killings beforehand and lots of disputes with claims that there was cheating and bribe-taking.

We had to stock up on food and water in case of trouble – candles, batteries etc It was very quiet on the election day with most people staying at home. There was no major trouble on the day or the following days except two small grenades going off, one in front of the palace and one opposite the office of one of the political parties, Funcinpec. No one was hurt and apparently they were quite amateur contraptions.

There is some speculation about whether there will be any problems after the results are announced this afternoon.

Sometimes there are demonstrations so we have to be careful this afternoon and tonight. There is some talk of a coalition government or that elections may be held again in some areas due to cheating.

Tomorrow is going to be a shopping day. I am going to go and order a pair of shoes to be made which is fairly cheap here and also look at sports shoes at the market. I may also get some material to get some clothes made by the tailer.

Ruth e xx
Miss Phnomer in Cambodia