Also an aside...

I hope my sister doesn't mind me doing this. If she does I will take it down. But a well informed source tells me that this is her new cat (does my family have a love of the strange and unusual or what?). Now she has two weird yet adorable looking cats (see this post). My informant also tells me that the names in the running for the kitty are Sandy and Olive, though my informant prefers the name 'Sharty' - I don't know...I think 'Sharty' is a bit too cruel and just tempts fate a bit too much. I think Olive is the perfect name! Who agrees?

Cambodia, day 13.

Ok. I will give you a few photos from Siem Reap. I will still draw some though. Today we went to the prison and did a massive de-worming mission. I thought that it was quite fun but very tiring. However I remedied this by going to the Camory Cookie Boutique (which I love, all thanks to our Leilana) afterwards. I ordered an ice coffee and bought some cinnamon cookies. I LOVE cinnamon, it is one of my favourite things ever. You can never have enough. I know you will all agree. Now, the interesting thing about this place is that Leilana told me that they like to practice their English with you and boy is that true. I met a lovely boy called Maus? He can no longer afford to study English at university as he had appendicitis and all his money had to go to the operation. Therefore now he loves to talk to customers so that he can learn. He wants to become an English teacher so that he can go back to his village (which is apparently very remote and near the forest) and teach all the children English. He hopes that this will allow them to one day go to university and this is also his wish for his own children. He also made the other girl working there, who was too shy, come and practice English with me too. She was also lovely.
So many people who I talk to here start university but then the university raises the fees so that they have to take a year off to make the money or give up. Apparently the medical degree keeps on changing the amount of time you have to do too, so that the students now do not know if they finish in 6 years or 8 (my guess is 8, then they will pay 2 more years of tuition).
After the cookie boutique (which I plan to go back to every Saturday) I went home to my guesthouse and had a delicious curry. I love eating at my guesthouse because it is like eating at home. One of the things I hate about traveling is that you constantly eat out and sometimes you just want a nice simple meal in a comfortable and familiar place.

Last night my room had ants and sadly (I AM SO SORRY) I had to kill them. I know, I know, I am a terrible person. I have not intentionally killed an insect for many years now and then in one night I kill about a hundred. Gasp! However they were transported into my room by a bag of crackers and began to disperse themselves throughout my bag and then room. They were even crawling beneath the keys of my computer. That was the final straw. So I went and asked for spray at the desk and one of the lovely boys who work here said "but they are your friends". This did nothing to comfort me that I was doing the right thing. However tonight I told him of my guilt and he told me that if they come back he will kill them for me. This did reassure me as now I can appreciate that he was probably joking (something I do not always pick up on, I am far too sensitive). Now redeeming myself in front of my guesthouse I feel like a winner! Hurrah! I hope that you have been a winner too and if you have also recently killed ants, do not feel bad. We are killers together and can resolve to change our wicked ways.

Ok photo time...














Sunrise














The sun has risen.





















Basil at what i think is the southern entrance of Angkor Thom.















Cute cute friends. Sigh. They loved a belly rub and I loved them.















The terrible shoes: we are no longer on speaking terms.















Chau say Tevoda temple.















I like trees.















A picture of me at Angkor Wat. I feel weird about putting up photos of the others without their permission so you will have to settle for my mug.















Sunset.

And where has Elizabeth got to?? Has she forgotten to post? I hope that she comes back soon.

Cambodia, day 11.

A group of us went to Siem Reap on Tuesday to go see the temples. Now I decided that although I could show you picture after picture of temples instead I will use them as inspiration to draw pictures. This is a drawing blog people! Today I have drawn the smiling Buddha situated in the Bayon temple of Angkor Thom. I thought that the temples were so beautiful. However, next time I come to Cambodia I think I will spend a week in Siem Reap, going to a couple of temples each day and going back to my hotel by the poolside and reading. I may even order a mango shake on occasion. I think it would also be nice to draw there (at the temples, not the pool!). So maybe I will do that as well. I think that you, kind reader, would also like Siem Reap (if you don't already). Yes, it is very touristy but everyone is so nice and there is much less traffic than in Phnom Penh.

My one piece of advice for you would be, though, to not buy shoes from the market the night before. The shoes may look like they are sturdy and cost a bit more than you're willing to pay. They may even be pink. This is all to deceive you. These shoes are actually stuck together using glue, cheap nasty glue. Glue that will allow the shoes to fall apart half way through the day of walking. Never fear if this does happen to you, all is not lost. It does enable you showcase some handy MacGyver moves as you wrap your shoelaces around the shoes for stability. Success (well a short term solution).

Now please enjoy this Smiling Buddha. Maybe one day we will stand across from it together. Now wouldn't that be nice?

Cambodia, day 8.

Here are some terrible quality photos of the Christmas party/talent show. Sorry :( I do not have a fancy camera and I am a terrible photographer. Oh well! Hopefully you still get a feeling of the AWESOMENESS.

















Here is a hallway of the orphanage all jazzed up for the party.

















Here are some lovely children waiting for the show to begin.

















Here is another particularly cute kiddie hanging out for the show. CUTE!






















Here are some other cuties hanging out by the windows with their santa hats on - as you can see I find all children cute and with good reason!

















Here is one of the acts for the show. Don't you also just love the silver curtains?? So shiny!

















Here is an array of the afternoon's performers. In the middle are tiny Mary and Joseph. TINY!

















There was also a prize draw and this young chap won a block of cadbury's. As you can see here, it got all melty goodness on him...mmm.....so melty...

So as you can see: it was wonderful. The only negative I could see is that my butt got all sore and my clothes were sticking from sitting too long. It was a small price to pay.

Carrots!

Oh and here is a picture of carrots. It is actually a carrot family. It is hard to tell which of the parents is the mum or dad. Who knows? Maybe they are both mummies or both daddies? I am not too sure, carrots are just so loving.

Cambodia, day 7.

Goodness, it's already day 7! And so much has happened since my last post.

This week my dad got in touch with a doctor who has just been in Cambodia who is so amazing. Probably one of the most lovely people you meet, also one of the most proactive. Last year when I met him and he just got a whiff of the fact I was interested in palliative care I was plunged into volunteering at the hospice. Which was such a great experience (see this past post). Now he has been busy again and has hooked me up with another lovely doctor who is currently in Cambodia. She is actually like a super hero and very very friendly. She does a LOT of humanitarian work.! The charity she works for has both a dental and medic team with a mobile clinic that travels to the poorer provinces, visiting orphanages and prisons. On Friday I went to the orphanage with her group and helped decorate for a christmas party they are having tomorrow. The orphanage is for children with HIV and there are some real sweeties there. Then we went to dinner and to the night market. Everyone is lovely.

Today we went to a prison. There is another medical student from New Zealand and so she came along too. At the prison we did loads of checkups. It was the most amount of medicine that I have done in a long time. I thought that I would be really out of my depth. However, the doctors (all two of them) helped us out constantly so I think we managed just fine. At the prison there are 3000 prisoners and I was shocked to find that a couple were from New Zealand. It is so sad as a lot of the prisoners really did seem to be at the wrong place at the wrong time (which I guess you would expect). I still can't believe how long some of their sentences are. Next Saturday we are going back to do some massive deworming and scabies treatment. Which I am secretly looking forward to. Nothing like a bit of the good ol' public health eh?

And then tomorrow we are going to the Christmas party. Apparently there is going to be a talent show which I am guessing will be a real cute fest. Will tell you about it in a later post.

Now to end on a festive note...Oh, it's coming closer to Christmas, which, of course, means SNOWMEN (well not in New Zealand, or Cambodia, or at any Christmas I have ever had, but to me they still seem a very integral part of Christmas...and of Calvin and Hobbes). Sorry for the really long post just nobody is on gchat at the moment. Yeah! So it's all your fault!...Ok, it's not, sorry.

Cambodia, day 5.

Ok so tonight I went to watch cataract surgeries and so when I arrived home it had been dark for sometime. I proceeded to the lovely garden courtyard of my guesthouse (as I normally do) and ordered some gnocchi - the guesthouse has the most delicious food, like really good curries but then also delicious eggplant creations and other Mediterranean fare, except their basil is some sort of asian basil so it makes all the dishes have a nice kick. Then as I was sitting waiting with my book I hear this "HELLO" in a small girl's voice. As I said it was already dark so I could not actually see a girl but I could make out some clothes hanging in the house beside the guesthouse that were suspiciously moving, as if there could be a small Cambodian child hiding in them. So of course I replied to the clothes hanging and then got a "WHAT'S YOUR NAME?" and I told the clothes my name and asked the clothes in return for their name. The clothes rack kindly obliged but then repeated the cycle of "HELLO" and "WHAT'S YOUR NAME", occassionally throwing in a "GOOD MORNING", several times.

Now this didn't do well for my crazy-o-meter as one of the guys that works here looked at me as if it isn't actually normal to shout into the darkness (which is quite understandable). But eh, I didn't really mind and decided to read my book. Then the clothes said to me "BYE" and all was quiet...for a while. After about 3 minutes I heard some yelling coming from the clothes, something about a book. So I looked up where the clothes are and what did I see? Two small hands protruding out of the clothes rack and holding a book! SO CUTE! And then for the next 5 minutes I am pretty certain that I became the proud recipitent of a loud story telling in Cambodian. It was so lovely. And as a special bonus the guy that looked so daunted at me before seemed somewhat relieved when he came over and could too see a clothes rack reading a book.

Cambodia, day 4.

Yes so I am going to call every post according to the amount of time spent in Cambodia. It's just easy. So on Monday I went to the hospital and am pleased to inform you that it is lovely. I am at the eye clinic for two weeks which is maybe too long for just eyes but I plan to make good use of my time. The doctor is lovely and she speaks some English, although not enough to always communicate, seeing today I waited for two hours for a surgery that was never happening. I did have a great time waiting. There was this old lady who sat with me and talked to me in Cambodian, tried to read my book with me, stroked my skin, got me to look after her bag as she went for a walk and then slept beside me. The only downside of the hospital is that i have to take a moto there so I think I will invest in a helmet sometime this week. The guy who drives me, however, is one of the more cautious drivers and thinks I'm wonderful for going to the hospital so I feel in safe hands.

Here are some pictures of my new smaller but very cosy room. It doesn't look as nice in the photos but I assure you that I am very comfortable.

































My guesthouse is really nice. There is always someone to talk to. And I have found some temporary friends to go to dinner and see some sights with. Today I went with a wonderful german doctor to see some Wats and have a stroll around town. Here are a couple of pictures from outside of a Wat (I feel funny about taking pictures of the actual temple, I don't know why). In one of the temples (the first one we went) I felt quite uncomfortable - as in I wasn't supposed to be there because everyone was praying and some of them stared at us when we walked in. However when we went to the next one, there was just one monk who was studying his english books and seemed so happy to see us. This made me feel quite relieved to be honest. I hate feeling like I am just a terrible tourist ticking things off my "to see" list without respecting any people involved.
































I wish that I also had some witty anectdotes to tell you but sadly no. Maybe I will acquire some soon? At the moment I am just excited because I have decided to go to Angkor Wat either this weekend or next weekend (though probably next weekend). Now all I can think about is having as an amazing time as Leilana said she had when she went there (see this blog post of hers). I think I will draw when i get there as well. OooooOOOooo so excited!

Cambodia, day 1

So I am in Cambodia now. It's quite intense for me to be honest. I think I will begin to love it once I become all street savvy and tell those tuk tuk drivers who's boss. I am currently at my guesthouse which has awesome wifi. It also has lovely food and a boy who I am going to force to be my guardian angel (I have a lot to learn about trusting people). Today a small boy has gotten angry at me for giving him m&ms when he said he was hungry instead of money and a man has offered his tuk tuk and moto services for free which I am now largely suspicious of and will decline the offer tomorrow. Tonight I have to stay in a more expensive room (which is quite nice really). It is huge. I took a couple of photos but to be honest there is no way to actually show the size of the room. It has an ensuite and a little enclosed patio which contains my very own Buddha. I can't wait until I get familiar with the city and make one friend. Then I think, Cambodia and I will form a lovely relationship.

Love forever, Kusama.

"A polka-dot has the form of the sun, which is a symbol of the energy of the whole world and our living life, and also the form of the moon, which is calm. Round, soft, colourful, senseless and unknowing. Polka-dots can't stay alone; like the communicative life of people, two or three polka-dots become movement... Polka-dots are a way to infinity."

- Yayoi Kusama.












































Today Alex and I went to the Wellington City Gallery for lunch to see the Yayoi Kusama exhibit. She is the artist who loves polka dots. I must admit I am also a fan of polka dots. She apparently has seen polka dots since she was child. She sees them everywhere, on people, trees and fields. Her life seems quite amazing. She was part of the avante garde movement in New York City and now, by choice, lives in a mental institute in Japan.

Here's a link to her website so you can see the exhibit too!

And here is a link to a game for children made in collaboration with Kusama and the Queensland Art Gallery. It's quite cool...Well I like it!

Roiworld...

Ok so here are some pictures from Roiworld (that I mentioned in the last post)...

Picture 1: You can dress up sexy ladies or sometimes if you're lucky very womanly men. This particular one is airline themed.

Picture 2: you can draw on a lady's hair and clothes as I kindly did here.

Picture 3: I also found by utter coincidence a game where the girl looked exactly like me!!! So freaky!!!!!!

Jet-setting!

I leave for Cambodia soon. On Friday Morning. How exciting! Well I am both excited and scared. I'm scared that I'll get a bit lonely but hopefully I will be able to find a friend. I just realised the other day also that I don't even know how to say hi in Khmer but now thanks to Sadsushi on youtube I know about 15 words!!! I am also going to take our golden half camera with me (which takes oh so lovely 70s-esque photos) so I should be able to take some exciting snaps!

I have also been on holiday for like 10 days now. It has been wonderful. I have been sleeping in every day and have become slightly obsessed with this online fashion and beauty game site on the internet called roiworld (this may sound stupid but I don't care. I find it fun and as a result my actual real life outfits have become fantastically coordinated). I have also been watching glee and music videos of Beyonce and Lady Gaga (I am so pop culture right now).

I would like to say that I have done more cultured and refined things but it wouldn't be true. However it is rather grand to indulge in guilty pleasures. Soon I will post about things like respected thought provoking novels that I have read and endangered animals that I have saved. Actually that would be so so cool if I did save some endangered species. I think we should all resolve to save some! Life goal everyone!

Elizabeth is also due back in this country any minute. I look forward to her numerous posts soon - filled with beautiful, beautiful drawings.

Dillon! You son of a bitch.

Remember on Predator and Arnie goes in for the handshake and it's total awesome. Well if you were here, we would be re-enacting that scene, right now! And it would be your lucky day because I would let you be Arnie (just look at your bulging bicep).

Yip.

And why are we all predator-y handshake-y today? Because

• I passed my horrible medicine exams which is quite lovely.
  
• Today is my friend Leigh's birthday. Leigh is the very best of the person variety and therefore deserves a predator handshake.
• Because we all love a bit of giant man muscle, especially from the Arnie hey day. Sometimes I look at old photos or videos of Arnie and I get traumatized by the amount of muscle that man had. SO MUCH BEEFCAKE!

Here's some quality acting from Arnold. QUALITY!

Hello sweetheart.

I am back and today I decided to draw you something big and beautiful so I gave you the moon. He's a wonderfully happy and peaceful moon, just taking in the happenings going on in the planet down below. Sometimes I would like to be the moon. I would like to nestle into my blanket of darkness and lazily open my eyes to address any asteroids or bits of space junk that float by. It must kind of feel like being in the womb. So quiet. Perhaps you could come be a moon with me. We could be like twins and circle our planet together. We would probably have to learn sign language or bring paper and a pen so that we could speak to one another every so often. That is, if you want to.

.

Hello my lovelies.
Today I drew a banana. I am not sure why but it looks pretty happy.
Soon, very soon, I will be sitting exams. In two weeks in fact. So I probably won't post again until after them.

Have a wonderful two weeks!

Last night

I decided that i was a bit bored of having a grown up life. I thought:

-well it's not like I want to be a teenager or a child again. That would be terrible. No, I'm very glad to have made it into my twenties. Maybe it would be better being another animal.

So i went to my bedroom, found a cardboard box, and fashioned a transmogrifier out of it ( in a tribute to Calvin and Hobbes). I put 3 different settings on it. Tonight I tried out the first setting and found it to be quite fun. So far I have lounged on the couch in front of the tv and lapped up milk from a bowl. I plan to end my evening by sitting up on the fence outside serenading the neighbours with miaos until heavy objects are hurtled my way. How fabulous!

Blobfish are cool

Lizzie

Yes! Present! For me!

The other day I got a package from Elizabeth and oh, what a package! The package was a box stitched inside a cotton outer. Inside were many treasures. Like some socks, both of the two pairs being for me (not for me and Albie to share). Two lovely pairs of earrings. A nice warm hat. A polka dot cloth/scarf/whatever you want it to be. A note from Elizabeth. It was so nice to get a present. I find that when you stop sending correspondence to others that you get none in return. I don't really deserve any present. I missed my mum's birthday and father's day - but will still get there one day soon. Thankfully life is not always fair and therefore I always get the good stuff...Cue evil laughter.

Oh thank you Elizabeth, you truly are marvelous.

Here are some photos courtesy of my web camera hence the bad quality.....

Fawny's school photo

Remember that time when you were little and went to school in your nicest wee dress on school photo day. Then you line up with your class and wait for your turn for 20 seconds of glamour time, the result being an awesome 90's photo with a totally radical smeary pastel background. If you were lucky you had brothers or sisters and got a second round with a charming family team shot. Well, that's what happens at Fawny's school except Deer school is way more classy - they have a backdrop of a neutral beige. I think mother doe is gonna be mighty pleased (and proud) of Fawny's portrait below. Them's some good genes.

Miao magic

So, so, this is the scoop: Alex and I are audio-book fiends, largely listening to children's books. Recently we have gotten into Harry Potter read by Stephen Fry (isn't Stephen Fry just so fantastic? Elizabeth wholeheartedly agrees, she's best friends with him. Ok, not quite but she has seen him in real life). The books are sooooooooo good! Like so good. Stephen Fry does all the voices and it is highly entertaining. Alex, who is pretty much a Harry Potter virgin, loves it (well, I think). Last night he helped me with microbiology study and started saying the bacteria like he was saying one of those stupid spells. For example "Treponema pallidum!" which is responsible for Syphilis. What a charmer eh?

Secretly I have gotten kind of, well, obsessed with Harry Potter too. I listen to the audio-books all the time. It's like a terrible disease. In fact, I am listening to a chapter now. Please don't judge me...

Yesterday was my mum's birthday. I haven't given her a present yet (worst daughter ever) but the wee picture below is of my mum and me if we were cats and witches (I told you that I was obsessed). Aren't we cute? Happy birthday mum! hooray!

Ye ol' freaky eyes

Yip, she sure does have freaky eyes.

<3

This is a drawing of a girl I saw yesterday. She was so cute and was wearing wee tan bootlets with tassels on them. What a star.

Today Alex and I watched Monsters, Inc. because Alex had never seen it before. I cried. I always do. I think I have problems.

Merkitty's picnic

Well, today I went for a wee walk in the rain through the forest AND you'll never guess who I saw (ok, you probably will as the name's in the title)! MERKITTY! Guess she was out and about because it was rainy and shit. She even had a cupcake. What I can't believe is that she didn't even invite me! :O Perhaps, though, it was because she only had one cupcake and didn't want to share. Now, listen closely children...sharing is good. Don't take a leaf out of Merkitty's book and be a scrooge, everybody enjoys a little cupcake.

In Gianna news: the academic year is nearing to an end. In the week that just passed I was quite busy trying to study and making Albie be a mock patient for me as I had tests yesterday. Next week I start my final run which is ortho... oooOOOOOOoooooOOOOOOooooo. I am also progressing on my elective. I am planning to do 3 weeks in Samoa after Cambodia and then do 2 weeks in the hospice here. It's all rather exciting.
Today I went to town and bought presents. I also bought some shampoo which may not seem like a big deal BUT I no longer have disgusting greasy hair! Hooray for hygiene!

In Albie news: he has been making all sorts of pedals and music electronics. He is also playing loud guitar music in our bedroom which is doubling as a laundry. Soon he will go watch rugby! Yip, that's right RUGBY! What a boy's boy. Blergh ...I'm not the biggest rugby fan. In fact I consider it as some sort of strange and unusual punishment. So that's why I'm staying here! Gonna watch me some movies...and maybe, just maybe, learn me some microbiology/antibiotics.

Hope your awesome lives are treating you well and that they are filled with excitement and cookies.

Mr Charles Cuddles goes to the beach

So I have had a week off school and have not really done much. I have done some study, played some waka waka on facebook and watched some movies. Yesterday I watched Twilight for the first time. It was quite like I expected although more enjoyable. It seemed to take itself way too seriously for a tween-pop movie but I did enjoy the vampire parts where they ran really fast and climbed trees, played super vampire baseball and stopped cars with their super human strength. Those bits were pretty funny/cringe yet somehow awesome.

So yeah that was my last holiday before exams, big scary medical exams -waaaaaaaah! But oh well, I had quite a good time doing nothing. Then the next time I have a holiday, granted that I pass, is going to be so so awesome what with 2 weeks off and then going to my elective in CAMBODIA. You should come too because it's going to be a wonderful time!

Now here is a picture of Mr Charles Cuddles going to the beach. I hope that the weather is beautiful for him and that he manages to get a chocolate dipped ice-cream from the ice-cream vendor's cart. I bet that while he lies down on his towel, probably to enjoy a good novel, many a lady cat will check him out. He's such a beau. Just remember to be sun smart Mr Cuddles!

Lies!

I've been very tricky lately and telling lots of lies. Who knew it could be so much fun? We all know that this is going to end badly, kind of like on an afternoon sitcom. Hopefully when it all goes pear shaped Uncle Jesse will give me an inspiration talk about how lies are not funny but actually can hurt people's feelings. I will agree and then we will hug and I will say my terribly adorable catch-phrase when he asks me not to lie again: "you've got it dude" (somehow this has turned into a scenario where I am Michelle off full house. Hmmm...I guess compulsive lying seems like something Michelle would do, I bet to get ahead in the class presidential elections. That naughty girl!).

Anyhow... today, after breakfast with Albie, I went fishing at Taieri mouth. I caught 12 big trout! 12! What a champ, aye? Albie caught one measly little one and we had to throw it back because it was so weeny and pathetic. I also caught up with Captain Seadog, a childhood friend, who took me out for a spin in his dinghy. I also asked for some of his treasure but he wouldn't give any to me. I think it was probably fair enough, he did give me an awesome boat ride.



















Let's just hope I don't get myself into a boy who cried wolf situation...

I'll keep you updated on how it all turns out. Prepare for tears.

Toast

Sometimes the simple things are so the best. Toast is such a good example. Toast with tea = NOM NOM NOM. You don't always realise how fantastic toast is until you go to get some bread out of the fridge to make breakfast and it's all gone. On such occassions (usually when you've run out of cereal as well) you compensate by having a nutella tortilla. A nutella tortilla may sound delicious but it is in reality very disappointing. So you sit at your table, sulking, as you dip your pathetically thin tortilla into you tea and dream of toast...























Despite all this talk of toast today I went out with the albie and had coffee and muesli. Muesli with greek yoghurt and baked tamarillos. Oh god, aren't tamarillos the best??? Albie did have eggs, tomatoes and toast which was also so delicious. Sometimes I am really naughty and I know I should be frugal with my money but arggggghhhhhhhh! I just love cafe coffee so much and in Wellington there's a few places that just have coffee that warms both your throat and your trampled spirit.

So if you ever see me perched over the gutter, holding a sign kind of like the ones in this link (for some reason I really like the Lindsay Lohan one, poor traumatised man) go get me a coffee and some toast stat! I will be eternally thankful.

Lunch time.

Ooooo nom, nom, nom. Look at the masterpieces that I created for our lunch. They have blobs of Tabbouleh for eyes. I truly am a genius (there is a just a small whiff of sarcasm in this statement).
I love oven baked chips at the moment. I put salt and pepper and squeeze lemon juice all over them and they taste like heaven. Maybe next time that you visit I will cook some up in the oven and you can have a smiley face plate too. If you need more chips than are pictured I will be willing to create a bearded smiley face plate. Bet you want to visit now!...Well I would...

A BEARD OF CHIPS! DELICIOUS!