In which I finally find some Internet

So, Cambodia. So much to tell everyone, so little time. Where to start? 

Here is my older brother and sister, tiri and nayim.  My family spoils me, feeding me hot chocolate for breakfast, and constantly helping me with my Khmer. 

This is my little sister Dany, she is also very nice, and likes to laugh at my Khmer attempts.  Here she is working on the loom to make a sampot skirt to sell in Phnom Penh.  

Cambodia is beautiful, my house is beautiful, the farm is beautiful.  I live near the primary school, where we have our language lessons in the morning.  In the afternoons we bike over to the high school for our technical training, which ranges from the history of Cambodia to peer teaching. We eat rice for nearly every meal, with various meats and vegetables that I usually have a hard time identifying, but are nevertheless delicious. The best part of biking to school is passing by villages and having all the little children drop what they're doing to shout "hello!" (In English) to the foreigners biking by with their big backpack, wearing their helmets. I also really enjoy just spending time with my family, Khmer dictionary in hand.  My family doesn't speak any English, but at this point we have all become very practiced at charades. There are many small kids that live near me that have started coming over in the evening to help me with my Khmer, while I teach them some English in return. They're all very good at counting to 10, but the interesting thing is that they can't identify individual numbers without counting.  This shows me some of the techniques that the Cambodian teachers use.  

Here is my mosquito net, which has become something like a safe haven for all volunteers.  Normally you tuck it under the mattress pad during the night, and then tie it up during the day to prevent any crawlers from getting stuck. 

This is the view from my bedroom. 

My sisters tiri and Dany with some neighboring kids.

The neighbor grandma and her grandbaby.  She always makes sure I eat enough of my rice, to make me nice and strong for bike riding. (At least I'm pretty sure that's what she's saying to me)

Rice fields 

Ding, the family dog, whom I have never petted nor talked to as was instructed to me, yet now he has started sleeping on my feet during dinner. 

And finally, the primary school near my house. During the summer, many of the students take private lessons, which are much less controlled by the curriculum and usually a lot more fun for the students, and more flexible and thus effective for the teachers. 

I shall try to update this every week when we visit Takeo.  My home is in Samrong, and I have yet to find Internet. I miss you all (especially my puppy) and hope everyone is doing well!