Spent Friday morning at the Market trying to buy gardening tools for the school - not too easy as the Market seller spoke no English so we had to mime what we were looking for! Took a tuk tuk out to the school at 12. Was really really hot day. Khong was doing sports with the boys so Lewie joined him while Tess and I set about raking the flower beds and trying to get the earth in a decent enough state for some new seeds to be planted. Typically, as soon as we had two beds all weeded and raked and looking really good the rain started and they were transformed into big muddy pools. The rain was really heavy and lasted much longer than the usual afternoon rain. The kids ended up inside with some of the school kids and teachers having a real carry on, screaching and laughing all afternoon. When the rain slackened off a bit I went out to start cutting down a huge overgrown vine type plant which the red ants live on. With every cut a red ant or two would land on me and if you're not quick enough in getting them off they give you a horrible nip so I ended up jumping around at each cut trying to shake the things out of my t shirt, hair, trousers which sone of the younger kids found very amusing! No idea why I thought gardening would be a good idea! Enjoying it though and hopefully next week Khong will have a better idea as to what exactly we will be planting etc so by the time I leave they will have a working veg garden - Sandra, don't get any ideas, I'm not helping Tam out when we get back!!!
Decided to have a night out on Friday night as we have weekends off from SHCC. Kids went for a sleep when we got home at 6 then we went out with Joni and Naseem at 9. Had dinner at Market as usual then went downto pub street. There was a really good band playing outside one of the bars so we say opposite there. The music was great, a real mix of stuff - ACDC, amy winehouse, snow patrol, lady gaga, rage against the machine of all things. Brilliant band. We were up dancing in the middle of pub street with lots of other people, Tess was having a great time we managed to do the gay gordons and a highland fling to everyones amusement! Really good fan. When the band announced it was the last song we got lots more people up to dance and had tourists, locals, street selling kids and tuk tuk drivers dancing all dancing and having a great time. Kids were having a ball and were wide awake even though it was 2 am so we headed to X bar which is open later. Naseem took Lewie off to play pool and Joni and I stood at the bar chatting to some folk. I was talking to a bloke from Stirling who had gone to Glasgow uni and lived in various flats around Glasgow. Was really weird speaking to a Scottish person after having to slow down and speak clearly all the time. I'm sure no one in siem reap would have understood a word we were saying if they heard us! Left X about 4 and Naseems wine had hit her - joni and i had drank black Russians so we were ok but Naseem is teeny and hadn't eaten much. Joni took one arm and Lewie the other and we got a tuk tuk back but the guy was trying to rip us off so we told him to stop and let us out. We found we were in a little side street and had to sit Naseem down for a bit. Immediately we were surrounded by teenage bits dressed up for the night and out on their motos. Anywhere else we would have felt scared and threatened but not in Siem Reap. The boys were just bemused by this group of 'banangs' on the side of a street at 4am! Walked back down to Jasmine and took Naseem to Jasmine 2, same hostel but the extra rooms across the street and down an alley. Jess' room is acrois from Naseems and she had got back a bit before us and heard us coming in so opened her door and we stood and chatted for a while - forgetting that the poor guys were waiting for us to leave so they could lock up again! Amazingly kids were still wide awake so the three of us and Joni decided to go to local place next to the hostel for noodles.
Finally got back to Jasmine at 6am. Lewie, being crazy as he is, decided to stay up while we all went to bed. Slept for a wee while then went upstairs. Spent the whole day lying about on sofas with Joni and various other people coming and going. We were all tired and not feeling in tip top condition but was actually quite nice just lying around watching films and talking. Went out at 7 to a Mexican restaurant, sat down and within minutes spotted a few other people who had been dancing on pub st with us. Just had dinner then went back to vegging out at the Jasmine.
Sunday today and me, the kids, Naseem and Jess have came along to a big resort hotel along the road from jasmine to spend the day lounging around by the pool. Kids are having a great time jumping around and swimming and we girls, after moaning this morning that it was cloudy, are now lying back in sun loungers in the hot sun - fantastic way to spend a day off!