It's been a long time since I posted - we are still doing good here, but have been very busy. Planning for the two English Zone classes has been taking me 8 - 10 hours per week (Yes, I am a bit OCD - that is what makes a good SLP), teaching them another 6 hours, supervising the English Zone skype conversations between the USA and Cambodian students - 4 to 5 hours. Another of my responsibilities at the Leadership Academy has been trying to get procedures into writing - which became more of a priority when the Cambodian staff who has held the Leadership Academy Director position took another job. The transition has been fairly smooth - most of the things he was doing can be done by the older students until a new person is hired - but a lot of work between here and the SSI office in Fort Collins getting it organized. Thank goodness for skype.
Other than that - just been taking care of the boys (& myself). We were able to visit with Brian's two birth-brothers last month (we met them 3 years ago), as well meet his birth-mom, his brother's new wife and baby girl and a half-brother. The trip was 3 hours outside of town in the countryside and Mr. Ken took us. He was my driver when Carol and I came to Cambodia in 2002 to pick up Brian. It was good to catch up with him again as we have corresponded for over 10 years. At Brian's request, I will not be posting any pictures or discuss the visit in detail, but I can say we had a very nice visit and hope to see them all again before we leave.
We also had a great trip to Siem Reap - and I've posted WAY too many photos on Google Drive
https://drive.google.com
The ancient temples of the Khmer kings are located there - Here's a little internet blurb
Angkor translates to mean 'Capital City' or 'Holy City'. The ruins of this holy city are the remnants of the Angkorian capitals and represent the pinnacle of the ancient Khmer architecture, art and civilization.
The Angkor Wat temples were built between 800AD to 1300AD. During this time over 27 kings ruled this large territory, about 400 Square kilometers (250 square miles) in north western Cambodia. The temples are thought to have been abandoned around the 15th century. They were built by the Khmer Empire which was one of the greatest powers in South-East Asia. The 'Khmer' refers to the dominant ethnic group in modern and ancient Cambodia. It is estimated that at its height of rule the population contained more than one million people. The temples are not only impressive because of the beauty. It is also amazing to marvel at the vast waterworks and military defenses that were put in place. They were quite advanced for their time.
http://www.angkor-temple-guides.com/angkor.aspx
We initially planned on going by ourselves, but were invited to join another family from the boy's school, the Workman's - Karen, Phillip and their daughters, Laura and Teresa. Susan Sain also joined us. I met Karen and Susan through Logos where the boys are at school - both are special education teachers - and wonderful people to travel with. I learned how to bargain better with the tuk tuk drivers and market vendors by watching them! We did three half days at the temples and spent the rest of the time swimming, resting, shopping, and eating. The first evening, we rode elephants up a hill to watch the sunset over Angkor Wat. The next morning, we toured Ta Prohm, which is the least "restored" of the temples (where Angelina Jolie was filmed for screens in Tomb Raider) and the Angkor Thom complex (Bayon, elephant terrace, plus more). That afternoon was spent swimming and the evening we went to traditional aspara dancing. We got up and left at 5 am to watch the sunrise over Angkor Wat. It was beautiful and worth the early start. After resting/swim, we went to the Cambodian Culture Village and saw more traditional dances, a wax museum and miniatures of Cambodia's famous buildings. That evening we enjoyed an Indian dinner. A great vacation for sure.
For the most part, all of us have been healthy. The boy's have managed to avoid the traveler's tummy problems - but not me - luckily it was the day we came home from Siem Reap and I was able to sleep for 5 hours once we got home. I also discovered it is very easy to get dehydrated here and Gatorade is expensive. I finally learned about Royal D, which is a powder that comes in a variety of flavors and is intended for rehydration. I've felt much better since I started drinking one or two glasses a day. As it is getting warmer and warmer, I start sweating (or "sparkling") as soon as I get up (and during my sleep most nights). When I'm teaching, the students just look at me sometimes and go get the floor fan and turn it on me without me asking. Must be sparkling for them also.
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