The best way i can describe cambodian society is that they're at the level of functionality and sustenance. What i mean is they have appliances, lights, electricity, etc. but nothing is specialized or effecient. All everyone cares about is that the stuff works. for example, the lights on our balconey are just these huge flourescent lights; they provide light, but they suck b/c they attract bugs and b/c the light they emit is terrible- you go outside to get away from flouresscent lights and their constant buzzing. Here in cambodia they're just happy to have lights.
the food here is the same way. the only reason they have food is to provide sustenance. Eating here isn't necessarily an enjoyable experience. And actually a lot of cambodians look down right upset when they eat. Khmer food tastes good, although it generally doesn't have strong flavors and its the same everywhere - rice and a small portion of some type of minced meat. Eating is a necessity not an experience, which i find a little disappointing.

My housemates and I threw a party on friday night, about 60 people showed up, everyone got drunk, played a little beirut and generally had a good time. Since half my house is australian and half american, we were divided about what type of party to throw. Apparently australians like parites where everyone just sort of sits around (on the floor) and talks. On the other hand, Eric and i believe that a good party involves very little sitting, lots of drinking games and good loud music. After lots of discussion, we compromised - good loud music would be played, people could sit around (on the floor) on the 2nd floor and on the balconey and downstairs was reserved for beirut and other drinking games (side note: i had no idea, but nobody outside of america has ever heard of beer pong, let alone beirut. I had to explaing to everyone what the game entaled. I just don't understand how foriegners have fun without drinking games). finding ping-ping balls here was not a problem, however solo cups was a different story. Luke got assigned to buy cups- so he called me and asked what kind of cups were needed for beirut. "solo cups" i replied. "huh? solo what? what are they?" how do you explain what solo cups are? and why don't aussies know of solo cups, i thought australia was just a poor man's america. i told him to find plastic cups that had a wide mouth. He ended up getting plasitc cups with a wide mouths, but they were really small. not that i could complain b/c after all it is cambodia and even if Luke knew what solo cups were, i doubt they have them here. we made do though. A lot of the foriegners were very intrigued by the whole spectacle. One danish guy watched like 4 games, but refused to play - weirdo. people even started playing for money at the end of the night- good times. The worst about the party was that we ran out of beer at like 1:30, lucky for me i had a secret stash of beer lao. In cambodia you can tell how popular a place is by the number of motos and tuk-tuks that sit outside an establishment waiting to pounce on foreigners like sex-pat pounces on a 14 year-old lady boy. At various points through out the night we had 5-6 tuk-tuks and numerous motos. I think they were having their own party. At about 2am 3 pairs of girls decided it was high time to expres their true feelings towards each other. once the crying started, we kicked them out of the house and i went to bed.

I haven't left Phnom penh yet, and i'm getting a little antsy. I was suppsoed to go to the beach this weekend, but i had to work instead. its funny how i purposefully chose to not work at a law firm b/c i value my nights and weekends and yet this week, i've worked late almost every night and till 10:00 pm once. and I worked all day yesterday (Saturday) and have to go to my boss's house tonight (Sunday) at 6 for more work. I am planning on getting out of town next weekend - I think i'm going to a small village a few hours away, so i'll have more stories to share once i leave this bubble that is Phnom Penh.

Living here is very easy because there is very little to worry about. there aren't really any laws or rules and even if there were, the cops here don't do anything. the weather's the same everyday; its hot and then it rains for about an hour or two. I haven't yet checked the weather report - no need. The only thing you really have to worry about is accidently angering a rich cambodian teenager with a bodyguard. rich teenagers are above the law here, because money buys you eveyrthing here, and their bodyguards usually carry guns and are not afraid to use them. luckily rich khmer teenagers only hang out at this one really shitty club, which isn't a lot of fun unless you like watching 60 year old white guys dancing with and buying drinks for 18 year-old-ish prostiutes.

My housemates and I have a cleaning lady. she comes 3 times a week, cleans our entire house and does all of our laundry. having my laundry done is the best thiung about living here. It's so convenient - i leave for work in the morning, dirty clothes littering my room and when I come home all my laundry is done, my bed is made, and the cleaning lady even re-folds and re-organizes all the clothes in my wardrobe. amazing. and what does she charge? $20 per month, which equals $5 for me. I don't know how i'm going to handle having to do my own laundry again. can i bring a cleaning lady back to america?

i find it remarkable that here in cambodia i can go to a restaurant and order a bacon egg and cheese, and yet in cleveland i can't.