Back to the Villages

Friday it was back to work. We headed back out to Kampong Chhnang, a province about 2.5 hours away from Phnom Penh where we're feeding three villages once a week. We spent the day surveying kids in two different villages before heading back to town. The truck must know when we're far away from home, because once again it broke down in Kampong Chhnang, but on the roadside after panic breaking to avoid a car randomly stopped in the dead middle of the road. The cows stared, the rice waved, and passing motorists honked helpfully at us as they flew by mere inches from our stopped vehicle. Thankfully, Savan and Bora weren't far behind in the Nutrition Truck. They pulled over and the guys conferred over the engine while Tabitha and I investigated the local flora and fauna. There's a type of ground-cover here colloquially known as "Shy Grass". If you touch it, or the rain hits it or a bug lands on it, the plant closes up its leaves and looks rather unappealing. It's fascinating. The rice is really growing as well and is a beautiful vibrant lime-green right now. Eventually we got back on the road and headed home. Tabitha and I spent the evening trying to relax while suffering through traditional Thai massages. I've never been so poked, prodded, and generally abused in a massage. It was either the best massage of my life, or the worst. I haven't quite decided.

For Sherry: The big fruit hanging off the tree is a Jackfruit. It has deep yellow fruit, is highly sticky, and smells and tastes like Juicy Fruit chewing gum. Durian, the much despised baby-vomit-reminiscent fruit, is often called Jackfruit, but you should never-ever confuse the two. You'll either miss out on something truly wonderful, or receive a nasty surprise.