bangkok

At 5:30am today Amanda, Daniel, and Cedar moved to Bangkok, Thailand to await the arrival of baby #2. They will be there until the baby’s birth {September 18th?} and then, when the little one gets a passport, will return to Phnom Penh, Cambodia. In 19 days Jim and I will join them on this journey, staying for 6 weeks. Lucky, lucky us.

pastimes

his



hers

police

What do you suppose the benches in the back are for?

haircuts for $1

his



hers

tokyo

Three days before the devastating earthquake in Japan we were
in the Tokyo Narita International Airport on our way home.
Timing is everything.
How very lucky we are.

laundry

Cedar's nanny also does the laundry
and hangs it all around the balcony to dry.





The kids now have a washer on their little
back porch which makes it much easier.

Before that . . . . clothes were hand washed !

the blue pumpkin

That first cup of morning joe from
the blue pumpkin
is ever so important as we headed out for another adventure.

foot massage

Family foot massage
in Siem Reap at the Night Market.
$4 each for 1/2 hour





The only thing that could have made it better is if
Beyonce's Put A Ring On It and
Sean Kingston's Shorty Fire Burning on the Dance Floor
weren't playing loudly at the nearby bar.

bucket brigade

This is how they move the dirt
when repairing the moat
around the temple
at Angkor Wat . . .
bucket brigade







Angkor Wat: The Moat Explained [NatGeo TV]
Find out why the gigantic moat surrounding Angkor Wat
was so important in the construction of this ancient
megastructure, which is so big it is visible from space.

Apsara

Apsara Dance has been part of Khmer culture for centuries.



This fact is evident from thousands of bas-reliefs found on
the walls of ancient Angkorian and pre-Angkorian temples.



This artform suggests that Apsara dancers were not mere ritual
performers that entertained people during the Angkorian period.



They were also believed to have been the messengers to divinities.

headlights

It inspires a lot of confidence when you hand your
Bangkok cab driver directions to the Thong Ta Spa Hotel
and he has to stop the cab, get out and read them using his headlights.



In his defense, it was before sunrise.

ants

Since [tiny] ants are pretty in common Cambodia
Amanda and Daniel keep food in only two places

The refrigerator


and this cupboard
notice the legs are in little dishes of water
a perfect solution


Jim did have some in his underwear one morning
but I'll spare you that picture

stinky canal

When building apartments



along the stinky canal



you can try hiding the view with billboards of water photos

volleyball

three doors down from Amanda's apartment
a daily neighborhood activity

watching





playing

thirsty

Sugared drinks for the

young
coming home from school


and not so young
guarding motos

noisy tents

For weddings and funerals Cambodians set up a tent in the street.
They then begin the celebration at the
crack of dawn and it lasts well into the night.
They are very noisy events heard for miles around.

no stop signs

Two Minutes at a Phnom Penh Intersection

amazingly this "intersection weaving" works

what do they do in cambodia?

Amanda and Daniel live and work in Phnom Penh, the capital city of Cambodia. They work for the Mennonite Central Committee. Daniel works as an Advisor with the Returnee Integration Support Center (risccambodia.org), an organization that assists Cambodians who were admitted into the United States as refugees and then later deported back to Cambodia. He also works with Clear Cambodia, an organization that provides household water filters to rural Cambodians. Amanda serves as the Peace and Justice Advisor for MCC Cambodia. She works to network on peace and justice issues and also with Women Peacemakers, an organization that provides training in rural provinces about women's rights, domestic violence, and conflict mediation.

Mennonite Central Committee Office


Amanda and Daniel's Co-Workers



Mennonite Central Committee

Cambodia
MCC began work in Cambodia since 1979 shortly after the fall of the Khmer Rouge regime, during which an estimated 2 million people perished through starvation, forced labor and killings. While Cambodia has undergone dramatic changes in the decades since then, the country still faces significant challenges of debt and instability. Poverty and illiteracy remain obstacles for many Cambodians, especially in rural areas. MCC works through local partners, focusing on peace work, agriculture, income generation in rural areas and education.

Regent Hotel Bangkok

Seriously, you must be kidding.



Take a closer look.



So what should I do with the "tissue"?

water

This is how you filter your drinking water in Cambodia