25/11/08
Wow, doesn’t time fly when you’re having fun? And slows down when you’re flaming miserable?? That’s Sod’s Law in a bucket.
Have returned from most excellent 3 weeks holiday and now is back to the daily work life. 3 weeks went by, not at the rate of knots – but fairly quickly, whereas yesterday and today seems like several lifetimes… already someone has reported MORE problems with the new project. Friggin’ management!! Just make a god-damned decision! Aaaarrrgggh.
On the positive side it’s now only 12 days until the big 10km run (and only 17 weeks left here!!). On Friday Delia and I ran nearly 6km, this morning we did approximately 7.5km of continuous running! We have decided that the psychological aspect is the hardest barrier now, just knowing how much further we have to keep running. To try and combat this we have changed our route in the morning. It’s really amazing, but this makes such a huge difference. Our previous route I knew so well, and just knowing you still have all that way to run made me feel worse, then I’d give up and walk for a bit. This morning I didn’t know the distance quite so well, so in my mind the distance seemed less – so I ran more (I’m sure there’s a weird kind of logic in there somewhere!)
Have to crack on with the grindstone business now, but will write more about dead chickens, Khmer dimebars, Mr Hammock, full length coloured condoms, elephants, A-C-leeedaa and more exciting tales from the holiday soon…
To be continued….
25/10/08
1 hour to go before another big Stinky Trong cinema extravaganza. Oh yes folks, we know how to live the high life here in the Thong. ‘Tis another opportunity to practice my curry making skills at any rate! True curry dedication is when you’re up and in the market by 7.15am on your day off, just so you can be sure of getting fresh tofu! (I hope there isn’t a mandatory VSO psych test on repatriation….)
All our lovely VSOers in Stinkland will be descending on my place shortly for curry, films on the big screen (thanks to borrowing the projector from the RTC!) and snacks. Who needs TV? I rather like this business of watching flicks on a white sheet!
Though might be looking for a TV on Monday night. It’s round two of workshops at the RTC on Monday and Tuesday; to mark the occasion we are paying for a TV crew to come and take some shots to go on the news! The workshop, if I haven’t explained already, is the first activity of the new project starting at the RTC that supports the strengthening of student nurses and midwives education in the RTC and hospitals. Having it on the news should be good for the RTC as it will increase their visibility in Stung Treng (maybe having an impact on student intakes and teacher recruitment) and might make the Ministry of Health take note of what they are doing.
Me, I think I will be concentrating on staying out of the frame! But I have been told to look/dress beautiful!!
But by far the MOST exciting news is that, at the end of the week, I will be in Phnom Penh and will be on 3 weeks holiday!!! Yeay! Woohoo! And Yippee! 
I am going to be travelling round Cambodge with a friend from Ireland, hopefully going to Battambong, Kep, Siem Riep, Rattanakiri, Kratie and Stung Treng. There is so much to see here, that even 3 weeks seems so short.
