Hey everyone,

Mum and sister Lizzy are in Cambodia with me!!! Yay! Mum cried at the airport when she saw me again - its nice to know you are missed and loved!!! Have been doing so much in the last few days!! Completed my interviews for my research, they went really well. the participants were very talkative and welcoming, and i think i have some good stuff to write about.

mum and liz leaped straight into life in cambodia, we have been staying in phnom penh at a friends house, and they have been so welcominga nd hospitable. first morning we went to the market - pictuer freo markets 100 times busier and dirtier - butchers chopping up chickens on the table and fish being gutted everywhere and so many differnt varieties pf vergies and fruit. i love it and have breakfast there every morning.. i have been six times now with teav - the lady i am staying with and the market sellers talk to me each day, i try out my limited khmer on them. after teav and i have breakfast we buy the fresh ingredients for lunch, and a block of ice and then hop on a cyclo for the ride home. a cyclo is a big pushbike, like a taxi where you sit back and get driven along by the guy on the bike behind you. great fun but i feel lazy doing it!

first day mum and liz arrived we went to the royal palace, and to a restaurant for dinner and had yummy chinese. we all went on motorbikes - two motobikes for six of us... mum included! she jumped straight on, i never thought i would see the day of my mum on a moto!!

we went to a buddhist temple, and saw lots of monkeys there - they were very cute. lizzy has been very brave, trying new stuff ... but when our host put a chicken's foot on her plate as a special treat for teh guest.. liz was a bit overwhelmed and had to say no! they ahve both very spoilt, cos we are staying in a hairdressers and massage shop - they had a foot and face massage while i laughed at them.

we jumped on a bus today and went to the costal town of sihanoukville. its absolutely gorgeuous. i am not feeling well though - liz brought a present from the australian winter to me - a flu!!! i ahve been battling on though - went to the market this afternoon, liz and i tried to buy some undies but there was none big enough for us!!! we brought live prawns and crabs, and then paid a dollar to get them cooked at the market for us, and ate them on the beach after a swim, it was so beautful and so nice.

anyways we are off to a waterfall and mountain tomorrow

love u all

xoxox trish