Another Holiday!?! International Women's Day

Today is not just another holiday in Cambodia. . . This was the first holiday we celebrated when we had been in the country for just one week. Maybe observing holidays the second time around will give us more insight and greater understanding of each celebration.

One drawback to having so many holidays is that it messes up our sense of what day it it. Today didn't feel like a Tuesday, but it didn't feel like Saturday either. Tomorrow will seem like our second Monday this week.

This morning we celebrated the holiday by sleeping in an extra half hour. Instead of getting up at 5:30, the alarm sounded at 6:00 a.m. That little bit later start meant traffic was a little heavier, but still not so much as during rush hour. As we walked toward the monument the sunrise was quite beautiful, giving a lovely pink glow to the sky. It made a wonderful backdrop for the skyline of the city.

Since Saturdays, which should be our P-Day, tend to be too rushed to take care of many of our preparation needs, we took advantage of a day when the office was closed and we could do a few errands and wash more than one batch of clothes. The washing machine in our new apartment is smaller than in our old apartment, so we are having to figure out a new laundry routine. The extra time was helpful. We also did a little shopping (Saturday only gives time for one store, which doesn't always have everything we need.) We were pleased to find the mango cart in front of Thai Huot Market. This vendor remembered us, and we were able to get 7 mangoes for $2. We are ready for Mango season!

The slower pace this afternoon was quite welcome. We slowed enough down enough that Elder Oveson needed to close his eyes for a short nap. (Not sure when the last time that happened.) We just hope that doesn't mess with sleep tonight.