It’s hard to believe we’ve already been here a month – in a way, it feels like we only just arrived. I still haven’t really taken any photos, at least, not any of great interest. I keep on telling myself I have to take the camera with me next time, but I’m still too busy very selfishly trying to take it all in myself. It’s so very different from anything I’ve ever known until now (besides, I have to remember to buy batteries for the camera, cause the battery recharger ended up going with the movers…).

I feel like I should write something intelligent, but for now, my days are filled only with practical considerations, like finding my way about, getting to the different markets, figuring out what they sell at each one, and how much things cost; how much they really cost, not how much they want to charge the barang (khmer for foreigner). In addition to that, I’ve been using every waking moment to house hunt, which has proven to be no easy task. It seems like Cambodian landlords haven’t heard of the financial crisis. Decent housing here is incredibly expensive and hard to come by. In BKK1 (Boeng Keng Kang Mooi), the main expat neighborhood, which is where the international school is located, as well as most of the good shops and restaurants and cafes, we soon discovered that it’s difficult, if not impossible, to find a house in good condition that’s big enough for a family of five for $2000. Most landlords are asking $2500 - $3000 or more. Gardens are a luxury, and if you want a house with one, you have to find out about it before it’s even advertised for rent. Nevertheless, we finally found a house with a respectable garden, and signed the lease agreement yesterday!! We will be paying more than we can afford (UN rental subsidy is not as generous as that of other organizations), but we decided it’s important for the kids to be comfortable. The room layout is somewhat odd, but we’ll get used to it, I suppose. It won’t be available until July, so we have to stay in our temporary accommodation until then, but the serviced apartment complex we’re staying in is very pleasant, and there’s a swimming pool, which is practical since these are the hottest months of the year. We all enjoy hanging out there, especially Caroline, who has learned how to swim already!!

I did it!

I did it. I managed to create a blog!! Now I have no more excuses. So many of you asked me to write and relate our experiences in Cambodia, that I decided to take my sister's advice and create a blog so that family, friends and others can follow us in our latest adventure. As I have never done anything like this in the past, I'm sure it may seem a little clumsy in the beginning, but I feel confident that once I get the hang of it, I will have great stories to tell, and, in time, great pictures to go with them. Now that I've managed to create the blog, I need to sit back with a nice long drink, and think about what my first contribution will be about...