Going home and away at the same time...

On Friday evening, I'm leaving Cambodia for three weeks of vacation in Sweden. It'll be fantastic to see Janne, Polly Jean and the cats again, can't wait! We'll spend the first two weeks in Stockholm, and the third week on the west coast in Bohuslan. We'll just take it easy, relax and the only thing we've planned is: not to plan anything.

The travel itself won't be very much of rest and relaxation, though. My dear khmer colleagues are taking the opportunity to send some fruit with me, to their friends in Sweden. 10 kilos of mango and pomelo... Well, I guess that I'll have to wait and see what the staff at the check-in counter at the Phnom Penh Airport has to say about 10 kilos too much on the luggage scale...

Anyway, I'm really looking forward to the vacation and some rest, as it has been quite a lot of new things to take in and adapt to since my arrival here. I think that it might have taken some more energy than I actually realize now, being in the middle of the whole relocation process. So; rest and relaxation is the theme for our summer holiday this year.

But no matter how much I'm looking forward to see my family and friends again, at the same time it feels a bit strange to leave Phnom Penh right now. Partly because it feels like I've just arrived - although it's actually three months ago, but time flies so fast, doesn't it?! And also because it's a bit confusing to leave my home here to go to... well, my other home. I do have two homes now, in two parts of the world. And travelling between these two homes will be a part of my life for the next years to come. It's an exciting feeling and I'm so happy for the opportunity to live like this. But the emotional process of travelling in between the two homes for the first time puzzles me a bit more than I had expected it to, actually. But I guess that the pieces will fall into place as soon as I, and hopefully the fruit too, have arrived at the Arlanda airport early Saturday morning. Because as I said; I just can't wait to be with my loved ones..! :-)

The way to get around in Phnom Penh...

So, I have finally faced my fear of the Phnom Penh traffic and am now getting around on my "moto" as they call it here; a steady Honda SuperCub 70cc. The first challenge was to learn how to drive the damn thing. The second was to get used to the heavy and unpredictable Phnom Penh traffic, where no rules - if there are any - are obeyed. So, I´ve found that the way to do it, is to throw everything overboard that I´ve ever learned about driving, because frankly the "western style" driving won´t help here, just get you into trouble. So forget about any ideas that you might have about that you should "plan" your driving, not drive on sidewalks, to give way to other people,to look carefully before you make a turn, not to drive in the opposite direction on a one-way lane, to stop at red lights, etc. Because that's not how it works here - rather you just do what you feel like. So; I´ve kind of started over, put all my previous driving skills aside and am now learning how to drive the Cambodian way instead. In both the heavy afternoon city traffic, and on bumpy muddy roads. And I'm having a great time! And yes - I´m driving carefully, slowly and I'm always wearing a helmet. (The photo below has been the only exception to that so far).

Me on my moto, in front of the office

My new apartement

Today, I got the keys to my new apartement! :-) As I´ve mentioned before, I won´t move in there for another week though, as I´m staying with Skruttis the cat until then. But today I went there for the first time to check everything, unpack some stuff that has been in suitcases since the my arrival here on the 1:st of May. And I also started to make a list over what things I have to buy... So here we go; Waste bins (4), pots, pans, coffe maker, electrical water kettle, cutleries, plates, glasses, toilet paper, kitchen towel, bath towels, bed linens, duvets, curtains, furniture for the balcony, mugs, hangers, laundry basket, washing powder, soaps (4) toaster... well, I´ll spare you the rest, as this is just a start. I guess I´ll spend quite some time on the markets in the weekends to come.

I´m really happy for this apartment and I really like it, so I don´t think it´ll take too long before I´ll feel at home there. I took a stroll in the neighbourhood when I had finished all the practicalities in the apartement. I haven´t really been there before, and I was really happy to find that it´s a very charming part of town and it seems very peaceful, too.

I´ve taken some photos for you to see the apartement as well; enjoy!


The living room


The view from the guest room


The balcony

That´s all for this time, I´ll publish some more photos when I´ve got everything in place.