ð An Improvised Kitchen & ðŧ Other News From Steung Kach ðïļ
The remodeling of the cabin is still going on, and we decied it was time for an improvised kitchen in the shack by the highway.
Quicksand Literacy âïļ
   The @kidsisters are on a short break from school due to teacher meetings, and she's doing her best to remember the Khmer letters she's learned so far. She's more literate than me already, so perhaps she can soon teach me to read and write Khmer.
@Sreypov Doing Her Insect Thing ðĪģ
   While I was taking photos of Monkey-B writing Khmer letters in the quicksand puddle, my wife was busy taking pictures of an insect which you'll likely see in one of her posts.
We Got Legs ðĶĩ
   The support castings for the extended porch are nearly finished, and now the concrete is curing. I am so excited to see how this idea will look when completed. It will surely be a hot commodity on Airbnb once we finish the stairs to the river, complete with private mini hammock hut.
   The above photo gives you a perspective of how steep the hill is. The view will be one of a kind, and I am already imagining the photos I will take to market this cabin in the clouds. Ideally we'd like to find a retiree that misses our former restaurant's food. With a long-term renter like this, we could also make additional income from cleaning, laundry, food, etc.
Our Pre-Teen Pressure Cooker âĻïļ
   Most of you who follow my blog know that Srey-Yuu doesn't like photos, but when I catch her with her hands occupied, it's hard to evade me. I managed to catch a natural smile while she was washing the rice, rarer than a white rhino.
ðĐâðģ Improvised Kitchen ðĨ
   Even though the walls are slowly coming off, we have been cooking and hanging out in the shack by the highway. I am not sure what the space will become, but I've been considering re-roofing it and keep the corner posts, but leaving the place without walls as sort of an open social space safe from the rains, perhaps a place to park cars too.
   Monkey-B will always post up wherever the good smells are coming from, in this case eagerly awaiting larb tofu, one of our favorite family dishes.
   After lunch the guys peeled the planks off the castings and revealed the new legs for the porch. I was a bit worried because there was a massive amount of during the pouring and curing process, and I was in fear the cement mix wouldn't get hot enough to cure. Luckily it looks like things turned out good enough to support a porch, so they've already begun moving forward.
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Wow I find this all so amazing. What a long way you have come in a short (ish) time. It might feel like a long time for you but not in the grand scheme of things.
Larb tofu - yum. I might make it for dinner tonight!!!! Haven't had it ina ges.
The older kids get, the harder it is to get a smiling photo haha.
It does feel like a long time coming, and it's funny that many Cambodians think we are lying when we say were stranded abroad for three years. I do like how our return to Cambodia was without strings attached, allowing us to choose a new and wild place to live. It's a good choice because I'm mostly done with humans and this is a good place to entertain oneself.
Wait til Hive goes up and we can all afford to visit ðĪŠ
The progress is looking good and hahaha I also like the smell of cooking but it depends on what's cooking. Whenever my mom used to cook with pepper or masalla/cury, I had to sneeze. It still happens when we're cooking with those ingredients ð .
When the fresh red chilies hit the hot oil, it's like the whole house gets pepper-sprayed by the police. I start coughing, eyes watering, but I also like a challenge and try to bear through it ð.
!LOL It sounds so familiar. @rarej lets me open up the shutters and makes me drink some water. At my mom's I stayed in my bedroom whenever that happened.
I don't know if you guys have ever used shrimp paste - we call it trassie here - but I just thought about it when I read your experience. In Suriname it's not that much of an issue because we have enough space, but an aunt in the Netherlands cooked with it in her apartment and the whole building smelled like dead fish she told us ðĪĢ.
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It is heartening to see that you have made good progress in your construction work. I agree that your property will be" hot" and be in demand once you have listed it with Airbnb. With the clear stream and beautiful scenery, it will be a great expereince.
I can't wait til it's photogenically ready for Airbnb pics. The last project will be to get some plants/grass growing so that there is no more mud to walk on. The progress is exciting to watch.
Wishing you all the best. May you be able to get more people to stay at your place.
Those new concrete pylons looks rigid AF. I think they'll do the job alright.
Srey-yuu smile is marvelous, extremely lovely.
Oh and Monkey-B pose a perfect Asian squat. So low that worrying butt touches the ground.
They are a bit overkill indeed, but I guess the porch could theoretically have many guests onboard, so better safe than sorry with such heights. Haha, Monkey-B is a perfect squatter, that's true. I can get Srey-Yuu to smile anytime just shouting "Hogwarts!" She loves Harry Potter, so this extremely embarrassing.
This place is everything I would ever want in a home. Good luck with all of the construction. It's really exciting to see.
Srey Yu would be lost in North America where selfies are a must or you're nobody. Nice catch though.ð
It's so exciting to see the progress. Selfies are are big in Asia, we even call the road up the mountain Mt. Selfie, because we almost hit Cambodians standing in the middle of the highway for pics every time we round a corner. I am thankful Srey-Yuu is not obsessed with this trend, but then again I've done everything I can do to keep her off traditional social media other than Hive.
Your family really ate so special. I love that you share them with us. And those concrete pylons look like they could hold up an impressive balcony. Can't wait to see your photos of the view.
I am eagerly awaiting the view too. As I write this comment the frame is being built from the pylons to the cabin. By the end of today we'll be able to stand on it and imagine.
Fantastic! Don't keep us in suspense, more photos please ð
That is cool idea, Airbnb, you can earn from traveller who stay in your log. You should also welcome local tourist to stay and enjoy the view of the mountai and the creek.
Airbnb is good because we can take customers without putting a sign on the street that would cause a lot of people to stop by. The problem with Cambodian tourists is that 95% of them throw their thrash everywhere despite me personally greeting every person and reminding them that this place is our home and not to treat it like a garbage dump. Everyone agrees, smiles, then throws their trash on the ground and leaves.
It makes me sad and I hope the Cambodian culture will change, but this river and ecosystem is too small to handle Cambodian tourism. I would prefer to have 2 or 3 longterm renters and try to keep this place as private and clean as possible to preserve the ecosystem for future generations that might care more.
you are captured so beautiful moments
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Thank you sister, hope you come swim here some day ð.
yes I will to swim with you .
Monkey B practises on sand which is a good way to reducing any paper.. good for the environment. SreyYuu smiles.. =) Not easy to capture. Hahaha. Great to see the progress of your porch.
I never thought about that, good point. Monkey-B should get a more purposeful stick for future sand writing. I will continue to sabotage Srey-Yuu, awaiting the day a perfect photo manifests.
Hhaaha.. so funny when I see SreyYuu in any photo thinking of how you took them without her knowing. Hi hi Justin.. hope that your having a great day. Maybe Monkey B would one day be a really good sand artist. But it's great to be able to bond with nature. =)