Power outage

After the power went out on both Thursday and Friday, this week can be approached with renewed energy. Monday is rather calm, but today it's again full house. Our pulse rises as we drive onto the grounds of the Pagoda, because it looks like there is a wedding taking place here! A large pavilion is set up with round tables covered in white tablecloths. The chairs are also covered in shiny (plastic) silk covers, the scent of food fills the air, music is playing, children run around laughing, and the guests are dressed in their finest clothes. We enthusiastically tell Sina and Rii how excited we are to finally be able to attend a Cambodian wedding live - the two of them look at us like cars saying "no, no wedding. It's a funeral". Well then.

Today we are taking care of children living with HIV again. One patient is in urgent need of a teeth cleaning. After taking a first look into his mouth, we decide to start from scratch with this boy: we ask him to demonstrate how he brushes his teeth. The 11-year-old seems very unsure and it is written all over his face that he probably holds a toothbrush in his hands for the first time. We grab the model (see photos) and try to demonstrate how he should brush his teeth. Luckily, Rii is there and translates for us, now we can only hope that the little boy will give his (still) healthy teeth a little more love and attention in the future.

After finishing our work, we stroll through the Orussey Market. The market hall is bursting at the seams and filled with the usual stands. It is, as always, a olfactory roller coaster ride with fish and meat dried or freshly slaughtered, edible honeycombs with remaining inhabitants - last men standing -, clothing, household goods, internet and telephone stands, jewelry as if the dragon's hoard had been found, and everything else your heart desires. Dazed by the impressions, we stumble out of the hall into the traffic turmoil.

Now we need a break, off to Aroha Spa and Massage. For 90 minutes, we are massaged and stretched. Deeply relaxed, we let ourselves be carried through the streets of Phnom Penh. For refreshment, there's a mango smoothie. Unexpectedly, the preparation turns out to be quite complicated. After 20 minutes, a leaked mixer, and a desperate, laughing saleswoman, five people stand in front of the mixer, discussing how to handle it. In the meantime, chairs are offered to us, now it's really cozy. The product is definitely worth the wait!