Your never really prepared.....Are you?

Tim writing: Its about 9 in the evening here. The story about this picture is in the body of the text below. Sorry that it is sideways.... Cynthia just told me to always load the pictures first not last! Who Knew?

About 7 in the evening here. Very humid due to the monsoon we had had earlier. We were at school for about 1/2 the day today (Saturday), preparing classrooms last minute, copying like crazy on the one copier we had available for the 6 or so teachers that showed up to work. Over here in Phnom Penh Saturday and Sunday are just another day in the week. There really is no Weekend as we in the states know it. It was interesting realizing that many of teachers come to school on Saturday to prep and get ready for the next week. The main reason is that there are no resources at home like printers and access to network drives via remote log-ins. When you are at home you basically are on your own. Whatever you managed to download at school onto your laptop is what you are working with that evening. It takes an adjustment of expectations and then life is completely normal again...at least normal for here.

I caught myself today in an attitude adjustment that was positive. With all these teachers all sharing the same copier I had a moment where I thought "I am never going to get all my Syllabi and handouts done for the first day" a moment of indignation sparked and just as quickly God whispered.. "Hey, ya dork! at least you have a copier!"...(Yes, I believe the Holy Spirit has a sense of humor and a bit of satire). I thought about some of the teachers in the villages around the provinces here who have literally nothing for resources and I was so convicted. But, the nice thing about conviction is the acknowledgement that comes in your heart, and once that allignment is done with God's heart, I always sense an assurance of His pleasure with me as I re-align my attitude with God's perspective.

Well, enough on the serious stuff....On to newsy stuff and my "Ubiquitous Factoids"

I have taken an interest in efficiency in the Kitchen. Mainly because Cynthia and I would never eat due to the heat and the busy schedule. You just really aren't very hungry. I have posted some pics that show our preparation for the week.Everything you see on the counter is going to last us the entire week. We have a small cereal bowl of the rice, meat (pork in this case), and some zucchini. Some "Raman" type noodles stir fried in rice oil provides some crispy texture to the mix. We then just sprinkle those on top, along with some sweet chili sauce and some hot tai sauce and viola'. A culinary delight... for the whole week. I think this is one of the main reasons we are losing weight quickly... there are probably more calories in a couple of Subway sandwiches than in this whole weeks supply of dinners. But they are sure yummy!

Word has gotten around to the rat population that the Jones' are hungry... Very Hungry! We have not seen a rat in over two days.... It makes me wonder if they are yelling (in high pitched rat language that humans cannot hear, of course) to their compatriots "These People are ruthless. Remember the tarpits that did in the big nasty dinasaurs?.. these people are setting tarpits for us all.. Run Away.. Run Away All!.. Doom to all who enter here!" - as we cart them downstairs to the garbage pile. Hmmmmm....the things one thinks about when one has a few spare minutes to blog?

O.K. for some "Ubiquitous Factoids"

• About every six months you start to realize that no matter how much you eat you won't gain any weight.... yes! you have WORMS. Everyone gets them and it's just kind of a thing here...kinda like athletes foot, only on the inside, and it eats all your food on you! Shame on the little buggars.. they need to become a little more independent and get their own darn food.


• I have figured out how to navigate traffic here... Think of a school of fish, all swimming toward you. Not you swim on a slightly angles path toward them. They slowly all move out of the way as you inch your way accross the great morass of fish, until you are finally on the other side.... then, and only then, do attempt to now merge with the huge school of fish that are now comming in the opposite direction.


• You never really ever dry out here! However, your skin is always soft and supple (great for the ladies)


• I don't know anyone who owns a pair of sneakers (tennis shoes) accept for athletes. Its all flip-flops here.


• Rice- Definately a staple food. You can live on Rice or about 15 dollars a month.. anything to spice it up, you are looking at tripling your food budget.


• Cambodian businesses, shirt makers, sign makers should really invest in a native English speaker before they publish, design or put words to anything. I still have to post a pick of a restaurant that says "BM Restaraunt. Smoothest in Town! with a beer sign near the "smoothest in town" part. No-one here even gets the connotation.


• Most things you can get in the states are more espensive here. For instance, a small tote for a carry-on starts at about $75 dollars. You can get the same thing at Wal-mart for about $20 bucks.


• There is no "UL" listing on any electronics like cords and power strips. You take your chances on stuff functioning with everything you plug in. hou also try out everything in the markets before you give them any money, to make sure it all works correctly. this even includes stuff like flourecent light bulbs.

One last story from this morning.

We went to bed at about 11 pm last night, which is extremely late here in PP. Usually in bed by 9. Anyway... we were going to sleep in this morning a little, until about 9. At 7:00 am I here somebody yelling Really Loud! and it sounds like someone is taking a sledge hammer to the building we live in. I thought, "Not this morning, of all mornings... what is flipping wrong with these people?" I got up, checked around and didn't see anything, so I went back to bed. about 10 minutes later the same thing happens again! I know what you are all asking in you minds, "Tim, did you say "here I am Lord".. in a very Samuel like way." Nope, I was too tired to acknowledge anything so lofty and spiritual as that. Besides God CANNOT be THAT NOISY! Well, I got up again and saw the neighbor boy at the door. I opened it up and he points to a steel bar contraption that fits inside a window...On the inside of one of the bedrooms in our house. I ask him what's going on? at that point in walk two welders with all their equipment, the landlord, his son and their little dog. They then start hammering, welding and prying things every which way. I am standing there in my gym horts with what I know was a really resigned expression on my face. I mean, really! there is absolutely no sleeping in this city. I don't care what you would have done... Earplugs, Mattress wrapped around your head, etc... there is no way you could have slept through that. The way I knew that I am adapting is because I wasn't angry. I was just adjusting to another cultural learning curve. If it needs to be fixed... open the door and we'll fix it NOW! because you don't know when the welders will be able to come by again. Since no one knows when anyone will show up it is impossible for anyone to really schedule anything, so you get it done whenever someone shows up. Talk about learning flexibility!

Well all for now! Thanks to all of you who comment and all who are following our blog. It helps us stay connected knowing you are all connected and interested in our adventure, as it unfolds.

Stay positive and thankful to God for each day of Life!