HEAVEN

I am in heaven right now. I unintentionally made the most amazing tortilla chips!! To think I was just trying to make my tortillas less stale...and not to mention tortilla chips are a rare find here in Phnom Penh and just happen to be my favorite snack food. Seriously heaven..I am not kidding. Heaven for me would have these chips and homemade ice cream.

BRUSCHETTA AND BLOGS

I cooked today! ...although it is so much harder to cook in Cambodia. I thought I was clueless at home...add ingredients with labels not in English and you are setting me up for disaster. This one was tasty even though they didn't have garlic where I shopped.

Also, my friend found this blog and now I want to plan parties like this!! ...and the tiny two party is insane!!

TOM AND JERRY

So as of today, I need to add to the collection of wild animals in my house...a mouse and a stray cat. I think we should start closing the front door...

POP IT LIKE ITS HOT

A couple of my fingers now pop in and out of joint as I move them. This is definitely not normal, but fascinating. I have no idea what I did to my hand when I fell. I just hope I can write with it again some day...well, without pain. Sigh...that sounds so nice. You don't realize how much you use something until you can't anymore. I am grateful for my right hand though...without which I wouldn't be able to do much of anything!

THE INVITE

I got invited to my first Cambodian wedding!! The groom couldn't tell me what day it is going to be...so typical. Some things are universal...

LIFE TOGETHER

I love this quote too much not to quote it. I just started reading Life Together by Bonhoeffer today...I am now going through it with my "community" here. Already, I have a much deeper appreciation for the relationships I have been blessed with. This quote is not so much about that, but it stood out because it convicted me..all within the first page. Always a sign of a good read..(oh so this is me quoting Bonhoeffer quoting Luther hah...no plagiarizing here)

"'The Kingdom is to be in the midst of your enemies. And he who will not suffer this does not want to be of the Kingdom of Christ; he wants to be among friends, to sit among roses and lilies, not with bad people but the devout people...'"

9:00 AM

It's only 9 in the morning, but I am so confident nothing can top the news that I just got. After my grandfather passed away a week ago, I just found out this morning that he left me money! Well, left all the grandkids money. It definitely doesn't replace his presence by any stretch, but is completely exciting to the broke, jobless person that I am at present. Seriously could not be more excited!!!!!!!

WOULD YOU, PRETTY PLEASE?

Enough is enough. Things have got to change. I have gotten my way using my naivety long enough. It just doesn't cut it anymore. I am not seven. No more nice, sweet, innocent Jennifer. No. Maybe I'll still reserve that tendency for my dad, but in the working world, it has gotta stop. The best part of my day today was walking into the shop and telling those guys what to do...with authority...well sort of. I am at least getting better. I may have thrown in a sweet look or two to Harold hoping to win some sympathy, but my demeanor is going to change...or else this shop will never open. Gr. I am FIERCE!

NUTELLA AND PACKAGES

So I would consider myself spoiled today. First of all, I got to meet my roommate...which is super exciting! And then she also brought a package with her from the 'rents. It was full of things I love..which I loved. AND my roommate just happened to bring a copy of People magazine with her. I was so excited it was the Oscar edition..full of beautiful dresses. AND this is where I consider myself spoiled, where I should have been content with all the goodies I got today. But tonight on our way back from dinner, while my roommates bought water...I bought nutella. Apparently living in a different country has changed me...well, changed my cravings. Instead of craving salty things, I now crave chocolate and sweets. Since bananas are plentiful..honey and nutella are my two favorite additions I will now alternate. Mmmmm! Someone is going to have to drag me back home...

HIGHLIGHTS

So I feel like I should just start sharing the highlight of my day. That seems to be what this blog has morphed into anyways. So here's today...

For the first time since I have been in Cambodia, I had a moto driver that not only spoke English but also pulled out a map. Not just any map..a laminated one. If only you could have seen the shocked look on my face. He chatted to me on the way to work, and on the way back took me a different way. He explained that the street he chose was cooler because we rode in the shadows of the buildings and there was not a lot of traffic. Seriously?! This must be the moto driver from heaven. It was exactly the kindness I needed since I am sick and injured!!

DR. DOLITTLE

So I love that fact that there are birds and lizards in my house! I could do without the ants though...although it is helping me work on my housekeeping skills...not a crumb in sight.

TEN

If you know me well at all, you know that I have this thing with the number ten. It's a childhood quirk that never left...and has been reinforced due to my friend Katie who shares the same obsession with the number.

So today as I was sitting waiting for an hour to meet someone at the printing shop, I was bored and was playing with my phone. I have a very basic one here in Cambodia (although it does have a flashlight which is REALLY handy) Anyways, I was looking at the calendar because it doesn't have a lot of features. I had to make due with my inbox and calendar. Getting to the point...sorry its hard to think straight in heat...

I noticed it was the 10th of March which is the 10th week of 2010. Something I never would have noticed except for my boredom waiting. So in honor of being more optimistic and thankful..and for the fact that I had the best day today that I have had in a while....

Here are 10 great things about today:

1. I rode my bike for the first time to the market this morning which beats walking 6 blocks in the heat. Oh, and I didn't get killed riding it...another positive!

2. I was semi-successful in haggling at the market for a frying pan. This is progress from my lame efforts before.

3. I got another thing checked off my list...a copy of the key for the lock at the gate. Now I don't have to feel bad coming in late (and by late I mean past 8:30) and wake the Khmer family downstairs

4. I have help opening the shop. And the BEST people ever..and project manager and a shop teacher who can do any construction things I need.

5. I had the most amazing pumpkin curry soup this afternoon. I think it is sort of surprising, but pumpkin is pretty common around here.

6. We actually made really good headway in the shop today...FINALLY!! Now I can breathe...

7. I HAVE INTERNET!! (which is why I am blogging..and partly because everyone I know is sleeping)

8. I am going to get pizza tonight!

9. I am getting tan! ..well at least today was the first day someone commented on it. I always feel white compared to everyone else here

10. AND I have the most exciting travel plans this weekend to Kep with some friends here!!