Photo 1: While Lydia was still here, we decided to see what we would look like in traditional Khmer costumes. Here's the result...and yes, that is really me under all of those layers of sequins and makeup. It was also an excellent test of my Khmer skills, as I have not yet had reason to learn phrases such as "close your lips" or "remove your shirt." The staff at the photo studio were remarkably patient.
Photo 2: In Lvea Em, our latrine program was launched in a new village with a big health promotion. Here, 24 family representatives proudly show off their new swag. They were given the tools and training to construct the pit and base of their latrine, and are responsible for doing all of the construction and finding their own materials for the superstructure (bamboo, metal, wood, etc.). The project is a big success, and it has been a lot of fun to visit communities where villagers proudly show us their unique latrine designs.
Photo 3: my parents came to visit for a weekend, on their way between conferences in southeast Asia! We (Jeff, Andrea, and I) took them to the coast for a few days. It was rainy, but a lot of fun. Jeff was quite taken by their awesomeness, so you can read a more eloquent description of my parents and our trip on his blog. But here's proof that I saw them: a creepy stalker-style picture!
Photo 4: We've been visiting a lot of biosand filters, some of which are being faithfully used and some of which are not. After a disheartening day of visiting homes that are not using it properly (we targeted these homes so that we could try to solve the problems as soon as possible), it was so refreshing to come across a BSF being used and cleaned regularly, and with a gorgeous paint job and an ingenious mesh covering to keep out bugs and debris from the dirty water. Cute, eh?
Photo 5: Here's my bike, sadly pondering the condition of our street. I should probably stop posting about the weather, but it continues to amaze me. After only half an hour of rain, the house I'm staying in was an island. My bathroom was shin-deep in greenish-brown water. Biking to work after a flood is a very strange sensation because with both feet under water, it feels sort of like treading water in swimming lessons. As I pedal, I have taken to singing this little poem: "Hookworm, I do not like you; if you don't enter me, I won't enter you!" I think it may have worked so far, but only time will tell. Sometimes I regret taking microbiology in university.
Photo 6: We visited a national park last weekend. This is getting long, so I'll just say it involved a lot of confusion, a monkey on a chain, consuming a whole chicken, and Jeff half-naked. Weird.
Photo 7: I took a trip to the northern province of Stung Treng with AOC staff and a prayer team from Hong Kong. It was an amusing trip, with the goal of investigating an area we may work in next year. I got to ride on the worst road yet (that is saying a lot), passing a car that was literally buried in the road with no evident hope of extraction. It was a wonderful chance to get to know some of the staff better, and I thoroughly enjoyed the death-defying moto ride as well. Here are the commune leaders showing us their water resources.
To conclude...Photo 8: Look who I met in my bathroom yesterday! So cool. It's bigger than my fist.
Yay photos! Have fun in Canadia.
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