Crocodile For Dinner?

Need I say more?



Yes....we ate it.....                                                           Not sure why I look so plump...the way I'm 
                                                                                        sitting?  Oh, It must be the crocodile I ate....

Dinner with the Government Ministry of Cults and Religions. 
 A good-bye for President and Sister Moon.

Saturday Market Shopping

Dad and I needed to get some food today.  There is a market just a couple of blocks away from us.  This is where the western foods are.  Some call it the International Market.  You see the foreigners there.  We just walk down.  It is so nice not to have to drive.  We passed this cute little girl and her mom on the way.

Here is the cereal row.  Amazing !!!  Dad took the picture from outside.  I was a little uneasy about it.  It seemed like he was a spy or something.  So any way, in the store when they saw him take pictures, they told him 'no pictures.'

Look at this chip isle.  Like most things in the store, it just depends on the day you are there what items they have.  These small bags of chips are like $3.50  and they have a lot of air in them.











They are big with the Smuckers jam. 
 Blueberry is usually there.

Produce in this market here is made to look western.  Wrapped on trays with plastic.  So you pay more here, and I think they just buy it from the street vendors.  But I am buying it.  You can see the meat row second to the bottom.  They usually have minced chicken , minced pork, minced beef, (we have never bought the beef, we have been told to avoid it).  Also chicken breasts.  I think there was a couple of beef steaks there today.

Looks good, doesn't it?

This is some kind of meat in the freezer part.  Dad took these pictures, and I didn't look at the freezer meat, so I don't know what this is.

More freezer stuff.  Notice the corn and peas on the left.  They are like $8-10.  But they have it.  Some things are in Khmer so you don't really know what it is.

So walking home with the groceries. I know..., I have on my homely shoes I bought for the mission.  But really they are the best for walking around these streets.












 Two sacks...$50  Dad says I need to make it last at least two meals...no two weeks.

The white high-rise is the new apartment next to ours.  Same owner.  He took us up to the top to see the penthouse suite the other day.  It was amazing.  He was excited to rent it out for $6000 a month.  The CEO of a cell phone company signed a two year lease.  Dad told him he could have gotten much more.  Really it was amazing.  Windows from floor to ceiling and like a 360 view.  You can see our apartment building just to the left of it.

Here is a better view of our apartment building. You can also see the new to the right. 
















Here is a restaurant right next to us.  We have eaten there a couple of times.  












And here I am going into our parking.  There is an elevator in side.  We do try to walk up 6 stories each day.   (we are on the 6th floor) When we exercise in the morning on the 12th floor, we use the stairs.  Also when we walk we use the stairs.

Oh That Dad!

So we went to the silk farm Saturday.  Oh wait, you already know about our adventure... Dad got his pictures on already, how does he always beat me?   I love his pictures....  I will add just a few of mine

I loved the boat ride out.  It was a really hot day, but we had a breeze as the boat went along.   Before we left, I asked the driver , no I guess he is the captain /  owner or whatever, if he had life jackets for us.  I really didn't want my death to be in the Mekong River.  He didn't speak much English, so after I acted out drowning... he smiled and nodded yes.  So I didn't think any more about it.  I need to remember we are in Cambodia.  As we were pulling out, I noticed the life jackets.  Hmmm..." I might die in the Mekong"  were my thoughts....need I say more? 

It was so interesting learning the cycle of the silk.  I will say that I am glad we were there during the egg cycle.  (you know what I mean) ...(it kind of freaked me out even hearing the guide say 'worms' in his Cambodian accent)






Amazing process.  I can't imagine who figured it all out centuries or I guess thousands of years ago.  It must have been pure intelligence flowing from heaven.  Really.                

It is hard to see the eggs in this picture.  They are really small, spread out on the basket.

I love the beauty of Cambodia.

  I love the Cambodians.  They are just the sweetest.  After we were done with the tour, the young man, whose family owns and runs the farm,  invited us to go sit down under a thatched roof,  He had snacks for us.  There was cut watermelon, an unidentified fruit with a knife by it, mango jelly and bottled water, ( he had already given me a water earlier,)  He said,"You are too hot", I think Cambodians genuinely think Americans will die of heat) Anyway, how do you turn it down?  Dad did, so I had to eat it.  Dad kept saying, you'll get sick...I was worried but, oh well.  I just drank a lot of water after, hoping to dilute any germs and wash them out.




As we were looking at the silk scarves, a tour guide from a group coming in came up and said, Hi Elder and Sister.  He is a member, and told us to come with his tour and have dinner with them.          " Free for missionaries " he said.  We told him we couldn't, but maybe next time. So he went to his boat to get his card.  









We went back to our boat to go and it was stuck in the sandy shore.  Our driver had us kind of rock back and forth..nothing was happening.  Then we noticed the boat by us, the only other boat around, was our member friend. (remember he had gone to his boat to get his
card),  He waved and saw we needed help.  He quickly pulled his boat up by ours, tied a rope and pulled us out.  We are being watched over for sure.

Adding to Dad's CCF Post

So Dad just posted pictures of the CCF, (Cambodian Children's Fund) facilities. I just had a couple to add.

This organization is truly amazing.  None of these children would be going to school if it weren't for this.  There is so much involved.  CCF also believes in families, so they do what they can to help the families, not just the children.  They try to employ family members to work there.  They have strict standards on their housing requirements; no child abuse or spouse abuse, no drinking.  Some of these children go home at night to their families.  Many are from the provinces and go home only twice a year.  They find if they go back home too often they fall into to their old sanitation habits.  The program is strong on cleanliness.  They have clean water stations where the children wash before each meal.  Also the ones that come for the day come in pajamas or whatever.  They get a shower when they arrive and clean clothes to wear for the day.  They put back on their own clothes when they go home.

And about the dentist chair...I seriously considered asking that dentist to check my retainer.  I'm so paranoid about it breaking...

 
 Also beside feeding these children during the day, CCF provides dinner for anyone wanting to eat...every night.  Usually about 150 children, plus adults are welcome too, average 300 per night.  

 This is lunch being prepared.












A couple of homes between the schools.

 Clean drinking water is provided all day
 

Amazing what can be accomplished when one man has a vision of hope, and can put aside his success and passion and truly make a difference in so many lives, and in generations to come.