What I really need to blog about is the three hospital visits I made this week and show you all some photos because my words wont do it justice, but what I feel compelled to tell you about is what I did last night. this is mainly because it is so far the most un-Cambodian experience I've had and involved cheese.
EM works for the German NGO - GIZ (I know but I don't think the German's get it!) at the Hospital and yesterday morning she invited me to a dinner party at the Emergency Hospital's house. As I had a fellow VSO-er staying at my house I initially said no as I had to be the hostess with the most-est but fortunately EM talked me out of such fool-hardiness. So leaving my guest to fend for himself I accepted an invite and now things will never be the same again.
The emergency hospital is an NGO that provides health care for trauma victims of war and as Battambang Province has more than it's fair share of land mines it is a well placed facility. The international staff are Italian and Swiss and when I arrived at their staff house the skies had opening and lightening was flashing simultaneously with it's accompanying claps of thunder, the high walled gated property looked all very gothic.
Inside I was given an emergency hospital T-shirt as after only 1 minute in the tropical "shower" I was completely saturated and looked like a stray dog. There then followed a procession of elegant beautiful continental types who apparently repel water.
We proceeded to have an italian meal - so 2 hours of conversation and pre-dinner snacks (popcorn, bread and REAL CHEESE) and then pasta and salad and fish amok and REAL red wine. By this time the fact that Adrian had borrowed my keys and couldn't get into my house was a minor concern as I had eaten REAL cheese and was drinking REAL red wine.
Then the puddings arrived - I THOUGHT I HAD DIED AND GONE TO HEAVEN. Pudding just isn't a concept I entertain anymore, an ice-cream when in Siem Reap from the Blue Pumpkin will be as pudding-like as I get. But last night there was fruit salad, creme caramel, panna cotta, CHOCOLATE MOUSE, ginger cookies, creme brulee and REAL expresso.
We all sat around a huge table passing food along like a corny pasta sauce advert, the conversation was in italian, german, french and english, the wine was REAL. (Sarah Andersson if you are reading this it evoked strong memories of your wedding). Seriously I could have cried with happiness.
And it isn't the expat experience so common to asia which normally involves bars and sex-pats or such seediness that it makes you ashamed to be european or be in the company of other Barangs. It was a little piece of Europe that felt like a favourite pair of shoes - easy to slip into and VERY comfortable.
So with my spirits re-charged I can continue in my world of south east asia with all its challenges and tribulations and equally great food (although Le Villa's chocolate mouse is truly awesome) and know that I have to return the emergency T-shirt and this is my 'get out of jail free' card for another evening when I haven't eaten REAL cheese for a while......
EM works for the German NGO - GIZ (I know but I don't think the German's get it!) at the Hospital and yesterday morning she invited me to a dinner party at the Emergency Hospital's house. As I had a fellow VSO-er staying at my house I initially said no as I had to be the hostess with the most-est but fortunately EM talked me out of such fool-hardiness. So leaving my guest to fend for himself I accepted an invite and now things will never be the same again.
The emergency hospital is an NGO that provides health care for trauma victims of war and as Battambang Province has more than it's fair share of land mines it is a well placed facility. The international staff are Italian and Swiss and when I arrived at their staff house the skies had opening and lightening was flashing simultaneously with it's accompanying claps of thunder, the high walled gated property looked all very gothic.
Inside I was given an emergency hospital T-shirt as after only 1 minute in the tropical "shower" I was completely saturated and looked like a stray dog. There then followed a procession of elegant beautiful continental types who apparently repel water.
We proceeded to have an italian meal - so 2 hours of conversation and pre-dinner snacks (popcorn, bread and REAL CHEESE) and then pasta and salad and fish amok and REAL red wine. By this time the fact that Adrian had borrowed my keys and couldn't get into my house was a minor concern as I had eaten REAL cheese and was drinking REAL red wine.
Then the puddings arrived - I THOUGHT I HAD DIED AND GONE TO HEAVEN. Pudding just isn't a concept I entertain anymore, an ice-cream when in Siem Reap from the Blue Pumpkin will be as pudding-like as I get. But last night there was fruit salad, creme caramel, panna cotta, CHOCOLATE MOUSE, ginger cookies, creme brulee and REAL expresso.
We all sat around a huge table passing food along like a corny pasta sauce advert, the conversation was in italian, german, french and english, the wine was REAL. (Sarah Andersson if you are reading this it evoked strong memories of your wedding). Seriously I could have cried with happiness.
And it isn't the expat experience so common to asia which normally involves bars and sex-pats or such seediness that it makes you ashamed to be european or be in the company of other Barangs. It was a little piece of Europe that felt like a favourite pair of shoes - easy to slip into and VERY comfortable.
So with my spirits re-charged I can continue in my world of south east asia with all its challenges and tribulations and equally great food (although Le Villa's chocolate mouse is truly awesome) and know that I have to return the emergency T-shirt and this is my 'get out of jail free' card for another evening when I haven't eaten REAL cheese for a while......
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