Svay Rieng - Xmas Parties

Over the next couple of days were whirlwind filled with catching up with people, getting my hair done, although when all of a sudden the room filled with smoke because the plug had burnt out it was a little distressing!

And then there were the Xmas parties which I attended, certainly not like the ones back home. Living with Daph and grettle two christian missionaries, meant that first the kids xmas party, and then the village xmas party, arrived on the back of the truck crammed to the gunnels with sound equipment, presents, food etc. And this was the scene...

A massive pot of curry cooking, ladies furiously chopping veges, bread and all other sorts of food, kids practicing their xmas items and dramas and songs, and the men sitting around being very unhelpful!

After all the curry and food was prepared we had a church service, and then got the kids prepared for their performances, with close to 180 kids and easily 100 adults, it was a crazy time, I managed to snap a few cheeky shots!

This little girl is adorable, wearing her best clothes for church service! We are about 25kms out into the rural life, so the people here are significantly poorer than in the towns, and they loved the food and presents that we brought them, kids got snacks, a pen and book, as well as a toothbrush, comb and toothpaste, 150 bags were made the night before, unfortunately we ran out! So the rest had to make to with nice hairbrushes and mirrors!

Once I let the girls have my camera they couldnt get enough of it and went snap happy trying to get me in every shot!

This is Grettle, and her new friend, the pigs roam around free range and love a good tummy and back scratch!

After the songs and stories from the kids, it was our turn to eat, these guys are some of the youth leaders from church who organise the whole xmas bash.

And just as quickly as it had started, half the village piled in Cambo style trucks and rolled on back to the neighbouring villages, I would say around 30 people cram into those trucks!

Next Xmas party I got ready for was in Svay Rieng itself, at Daph and Grettle and my house, the front yard got decked out with giant speakers, balloons decoration xmas trees and the like, it was awesome, again heaps more people turned up than expected, so after the service and snacks, out came the table with the mandatory tree and everyone began dancing, a combo of khmer and english styles.

Daph, Grettle and I taught the Makerena, and in return the khmer people taught us a kind of foot Makarena dance, very complex - lots of laughs!

At this party, a gift exchange took place, similar to secret santa but you don't know who you are buying for, all presents go in one big pool, and you hand them out according to whose name you pull from a hat, was cool to watch.

One little kid got down and broke out the breakdancing! He was awesome considering how young he was and had only ever really seen it on tv!

So other than all this partying I have just been keeping myself busy with endlessly searching the market for flour, baking bread, fixing the broken toilet, bathing the dog, and other multi talented things I posess :)