Tanks

We woke on Tuesday to a downpour which turned into a torrential downpour.  We headed to breakfast in hopes that the rain might let up - and after a VERY leisurely breakfast - it finally did!  Bible study is held outdoors under a mango tree, so you can imagine that attendance is a little slack on rainy days.

So, a few notes about Cambodian dining...  it is pretty much ALL open air.  Cats and dogs might wander amongst the tables - and no one gets too concerned.  If a little trash can isn't provided at your table, it is perfectly acceptable to throw your trash on the floor.  The napkins are very small and it is not uncommon to use 5-7 in a meal.  Quite interesting.  Oh - and when it rains - patio umbrellas (you know the kind you put up on a patio table) - are what are used to escort you to and from your car.  Good coverage.

We headed to Tanks - the village named for the military division that operates - you guessed it - tanks!  As we wandered back into the country - we passed the boy with his cows, the statue in the middle of the traffic circle (who says you can't bring culture to the country??), the tanks, and the house of the lady with seven demons who won't let her attend Bible study (per her own testimony).  We parked next to a church under construction and hiked the rest of the way to the mango tree.  Two ladies and a handful of children joined us.  Harley (Deedra's dog) might get credit for attracting the children.  Whatever.

After some discussion about logistics, I was able to share about my family and my relationship with the Lord.  One of the women had just lost a baby (miscarriage, we think), so I was also to share a bit about our losing my niece, Kathryn, back in December.  It's hard to know via translator, but it seemed like we had a good connection with the women.  We were also to give out some of the dresses my sweet neighbor, Carol, had sewn and given to me to take.  The girls were delighted, and modeling and a photo shoot commenced. 

The rain started up again and we took that as our cue to head home.  Home, as in Deedra's home in Battambang.  The heavy rains worked a number on the road, so it was a bit of a bumpy ride.  We passed "mechanical bulls" (not the rodeo variety - but motorized plows), lots of motos (I keep trying to catch a picture of a family of 4 or 5 on one moto - you'll have to settle for 2 - and if I can just digress a bit - it has already ceased to phase me that babies and children ride along - and only the  driver is required to wear a helmet.) Oh - and the picture that looks like litre bottles of soda  - that's fuel for the motos.  Roadside stands abound galore.

We made it to Battambang and stopped at a "Western" restaurant - The Sunrise Coffee House for lunch.  Imagine my surprise to see my Gamecocks memorialized on the wall! 

After lunch, we headed to Deedra's and got settled in for a few days.  Open air doesn't just apply to the restaurants around here - and much of the population live in huts or houses where at least part of the house is "open".  Turns out even the "closed" houses are a bit more open (courtesy of cracks and gaps) than we westerners usually prefer.  This allows for an ebb and flow of nature that is also a bit more than most of us prefer.  Deedra's kitchen is really more of an enclosed porch, so sometimes a gecko will join you, or a frog.  And ants, well, they are just a part of the decor.  This requires that all the food be tucked away in special cabinets or the refrigerator.  It doesn't eliminate the issue, but certainly deters them a bit. 

My room is lovely, and I have my own bathroom with a waterfall feature.  Deedra hasn't yet fully explained to me why this feature is only available during the rain.  I think it may have something to do with the aforementioned cracks and gaps.  :) 

Today has been more of a "normal" day.  Laundry done, household chores accomplished, language lessons (for Deedra - but I have picked up a few words!) - and lunch/internet at the Sunrise Coffee House.  Tonight we will join some fellow believers for a Khmer worship service (with English translation).