Multi-tasking

Today was a busy day. It all started at the church in Khnar Tmei with attending service, figuring out classes and schedules, talking to the people, and generally get the next couple weeks organized. I snapped a picture of one of the local kids doing his laundry at the well. He was taking a break to check his cell phone. It’s incredible how much better the service is here than in the US. I guess it helps that the tower is across the street.

Next we headed over to the Lucky Mall. This is a surreal experience that can’t be missed. All of the shops are owned by the same company, so you have wonderful selections like “Lucky Department Store”, “LuckCafe”, and my favorite “Lucky Burger”. One of members of our group hadn’t been to it before, so we thought we should indoctrinate her. The real reason for going was the oppressive heat. The rains haven’t been coming in the afternoon like they usually do this time of year, so it’s still incredibly hot. We decided we needed air conditioning and ice cream, and Lucky Mall has both.

After eating way too much at Lucky Burger, I got the traditional water blessing from one of the nearby temples. They always look surprised to see a foreigner, and especially perplexed when I know pretty much what the process entails. I told my driver that I if we could find a Muslim Temple, I would round out the big three religions all in one day. He had a good laugh at that.

In my next post I’ll write about the 5-star gourmet meal I had at my guesthouse. I’m a bit too busy multitasking and preparing for bed early. I need to wake up around 1:30am local time to watch the world cup. After all, that’s what everyone else is doing around here!