Today was another pretty lazy day.   A visit to the Russian Market for some tat and spent the rest of the morning by the pool until it was time to go and get Thida for the party.  And what a vision awaited us!  Crimped, made-up and a sea of pink froth, she looked well…………..pretty grown up.   The first thing we discovered was that the new bike already had a puncture which is not a huge surprise given the state of the roads on the outskirts of PP – I think they are laid with a mixture of sand, bitumen and glass shards.  A quick trip to the garage fixed that and we were ready to go to PSE for the party.  Said party turned out to be a huge fundraiser.  It’s Khmer new year at the end of the week so it was a good excuse for a very large party to raise much-needed funds.  We arrived about 5.30pm and it hadn’t really got going.  After an hour or so things hotted up and we went round the various stalls (dart-throwing, hoopla etc…………you get the picture).  Then we watched what can only be described as Cambodia’s Got Talent.  Several groups of testosterone-fuelled Cambodian boys, complete with quiffs, hairgel, tight shirts and jeans and groovy sunglasses had a ”streetdance-off” presumably for a prize but we never actually got to find out who won.  How to describe a large-scale Cambodian party – ummm…………lots and lots of noise.  Huge speakers throwing out screeching voices and either Khmer pop (aaaaaaaagh) or the worst of western pop.  Unidentifiable pieces of meat on skewers where up for grabs but we passed on that.  Then it was time to watch two Cambodian comedians do a double-act that resembled the Chuckle Brothers on speed.  Lastly, an apparently very famous Cambodian Beyonce-lookalike who sang more Khmer pop which sounded, although beautifully sung, like cats fighting.  Bob and I were on the point of holding our lighters up and swaying.  Anyway, I spent the evening stalking Thida and her friend as they seemed to attract the attention of a few of the previously-mentioned quiffed lotharios.  Flora thought me a proper spoil-sport!  Mercifully, our taxi-driver (Spanky – I kid you not although I doubt very much if I have the spelling correct) soon came to rescue us.  Anyway, last day tomorrow and the last chance to see Thida on the way to the airport.  As I said previously, I wasn’t intending to publicize our private business and would hate to be seen as a loudhailing do-gooder but the fact is this.  Three days before coming out here, I had dinner with a couple of friends.  I told them what we were coming for and they insisted that it was a virtual duty to use this blog to spread the word.  Social sculpture apparently!  I remained unconvinced but when my paintings didn’t work out, it seemed like a sign!!  So here’s the link again (I hope) and if one person opens it and sends some money to this worthy cause then, as the saying goes, my work here is done:) – I promise I’ll shut up now.

We waited for a couple of hours at the orphanage yesterday evening for Thida to come home from school.  It’s really frustrating as nobody there speaks English and I don’t know any Khmer.  One of the carers got on his motorbike to go and look for her walking home but couldn’t find her.  Eventually we gave up and decided to come back this morning.  Eureka!  We found her.  She’d been given the day off school to see us so it was lovely to find her……………big hugs all round.  She looks great, all grown up yet still tiny.  The first thing we did was go to a bicycle shop and find her a bike to make her journey home from school faster!  She chose the brightest, pinkest one in the shop.  Our taxi driver did a sterling job on the bartering front.  Then we went back to NBIC to see the director, whilst Thida gave “backsteps” to her friends around the orphanage grounds.  We found someone who spoke both Khmer and English (a visitor who we hijacked) to interpret for us.  We got lots of info we had been desperate for e.g. that she is well and that her HIV medicine will be available to her for the rest of her life and that she is secure in her hairdressing and beauty course.  We brought her out some hairdressing stuff from UK such as scissors, brushes etc.  There was much hilarity amongst the girls over this!  Next we took her and her friend Sreyka to a shop to buy party dresses for the school party on Friday.  More pinkness, many frills plus some rather pungent cheap perfume which seemed to be a hit and a pair of hair crimpers – can’t wait to see the finished product! 

Flora’s art teacher had kindly donated some boxes of watercolours and we gave them to the volunteers who are working with the disabled children at NBIC.  They are occupational therapists and they said they would be really useful.  We got them out immediately and they seemed a big hit.  We had intended doing some art with the children but the physically able ones are at school all day so we left them with the OT specialists after trying to help out in the most inept manner.  This little girl was beaming when she was painting and the boy at the back is really talented even though they are both seriously handicapped by cerebal paulsy.  There are some seriously disabled children at the orphanage and its a sad sight but we watched them splashing in a large paddling pool which seems to be their favourite activity.  Mrs.P, the director, gets some money from the government but it’s never enough and she relies on donations.  She is busy trying to set up a bank account for donations as she realises that people can be reluctant to hand over cash.  A fellow blogger tells me that my link yesterday didnt work which is hardly surprising as I am a self-confessed techno-neanderthal.  Worth googling.  Pour une sourir d’enfant (PSE) and National Borey of Infants and Children, Cambodia (dreadful website – any talented webdesigners in search of a challenge??).