Meanwhile, Christmas comes to Kampong Thom....

Well, just to my house! I’ve decorated my living room with lights and other decorations and have lots of exciting presents waiting to be opened under a tree. I started my celebrations last weekend in Phnom Penh, where I could be spotted sipping cocktails in Raffles (where else?) with some VSO friends. I gave each of the CoDeC staff a small token gift at yesterday’s staff meeting, which they were all delighted with. Rachel, my VSO friend from Siem Reap, is staying with me for the week running up to Christmas. We’ve been enjoying some festive treats together, mainly in the form of food and drink, whilst justifying our indulgences by chanting our mantra “Well, it is Christmas week!” An Australian volunteer, Stuart, has also been in town for a few days. Christmas Day, though, will see me in the office; there are no seasonal national holidays here.