The language mystery deepens

Back to childhood - we use a kids primer as the alphabet intro. The vowels are on the left page, and are written either above, below or alongside the consonant. Easy ...

Today Susie and I entered a deeper level of the marvel of learning Khmer - the Khmer alphabet. Up to now our learning has been in conversation. However, one of our (very many!) frustrations has been in the pronounciation department. We are constantly revisiting words that we thought that we had down pat - only to discover that the 'ch' is a 'j' or the 't' is a 'd' (there's a bunch of words anglicised as 'dt' or 'bp' - and they can cause pain!

Anyway, we are now on a mission to learn the 23 vowels and 33 consonants as represented by mysterious wiggles and squiggles. There's one sound that we just cannot get - the 'ng' that I reckon I'm saying just like Nimol, and she reckons is another barang who gets real trouble with this one. Nimol makes us feel better by telling us stories about the Korean folk who just cannot get 'rro' - it comes out as 'lo' every time! We'll figure this 'ng' thing - all in getting the tongue flat at the bottom of your mouth as you say 'n' (figure that out!)

The consonants - 'small' (in red) and 'big' (in blue). When a vowel follows a 'small' consonant, the vowel has a different sound to when it follows a 'big' consonant. Do the maths - it makes for a lot of sounds!

Another interesting thing we now learn is that what is written (for example, in a dictionary) very often is not what is pronounced, as the Khmer love dropping off the last sound. So, when the dictionary says 'mork' the pronounciation is 'mor'. That goes a way to explaining why what we have been learning does not always line up with the pocket dictionary!

Always take the weather

April is reknown for being the height of the hot season in Cambodia. It is a bit of a survival mission - or alternatively, the time when many ex-pats choose to exit the country for a break. The heat is really draining, with the temperature sitting around 36-38 degrees. Normally, the wet season (monsoon rains) come in late May/early June, helping to pull the temperatures down a bit and bringing a welcome relief to the high humidity.

Happily, it appears that we are entering the wet season early. The usual chain of events has clouds gathering, then a sudden wind blowing, quickly followed by a good downpour for half an hour or so. We've been experiencing that the last few days, with rains in the late afternoon, then more rains with thunder and lightning at night. The temperatures are still pretty high but at least the humidity level is coming down.

Sunday night - a good electrical storm with a lot of rain, at last

ANZAC Day in Phnom Penh

ANZAC Day is commemorated here too. The Australian Embassy hosts a dawn service followed by a breakfast. Susie and I attended this morning - and also met up with many of our friends.

Phnom Penh is a very different city at 4.30am. No hustle and bustle - just a very pleasent cruise from our house in the south of the city, through to the Ambassador's residence over the road from Wat Phnom (the hill overlooking the city, and historically the founding centre of this city). Sue took a liking to her place - complete with lovely garden and a serious lap pool.

The service was very well attended - perhaps 250 people who registered and came.

ANZAC dawn service - Phnom Penh

Lok's left

We took Lok out to his little village last week and met some of the locals. The village lies off the main road about 10 km north of Wat Phnom. Prior to being hospitalised, Lok had been couch-surfing among the folk there - minus the couch. The Vietnamese villagers are extremely poor. A Hagar worker tells us that their main income is from selling their daughters.

We had Pastor Mara from church come to our place before Lok went to share the gospel clearly with him. Lok should be back among his family in Vietnam now. This was his greatest wish - to return to his people. We are grateful that he can return in much better health and carrying the truth of the love of God.

Thrice bitten ...

Incredible but true ... these miniature ants have taken a distinct liking for Sue's lips! The cunning little blighters can get into plastic containers even. The good news is that Sue appears to be getting a lippy tolerance for them - third time around there was no Donald Duck manifestation - just a bit of swelling!

Lok and Lurrlng

Lok was released from hospital yesterday, but had to go back today for a bit to sort some stuff out. He lives like 15km or so away, so rather than return to his slum, we took him home for the night.

This morning we had arranged for an interpreter from Hagar to meet us at the hospital and also for his daughter to be brought in to see him. This was beyond special - Lurrlng, his 16-year-old girl, coming to see her dad. She's incredibly sweet and hugged Sue like a long-lost mum.

From the discussion with the interpreter, we understand that, more than anything, Lok wants to return to his parents and family in Vietnam. We are working on this now - getting him back to say 'goodbye' to the folk where he has been living tomorrow, and then getting a bus sorted for Saturday.

So tonight, dad and daughter get to spend together on the second floor of our house. Hagar have allowed Lurrlng to stay the night here with him which again is beyond special. Sitting over the table and watching Lurrlng bow her head as we said grace, I could not wonder if it was not the prayers of this little lady that had resulted in us getting involved in Lok's life.

One of the indicators that Lok is doing well is that his appetite is like a teenagers'. He announced that he was hungry early in the evening, and took over in the kitchen. He's pretty accomplished there too - and was sooo happy that I had bought a couple of fish to cook for dinner.

Lok and his daughter Lurrlng (yep, that is not easy to prononunce!) getting dinner sorted.

Twice bitten ...

Susie, as you know, has a wee weakness for lollies. She spied a new variety in the supermarket the other day. Unhappily, she left them in a cupboard after opening them - so upon her return to the little packet, she discovered too late that the anties had also been visiting.

For the second time since we are back here, I have a wife who looks to be a relative of Donald Duck. Second time round also means that she makes her debut on the blog as botox woman ...