Thanksgiving was a more different day. On Wednesday night, Kristie and I spent awhile making lots and lots of donuts for all of our students. That is all of highschool and ESL. We figured around 140 students and we made at least two donuts for each kid and we had enough for two per each teacher as well, and then had left overs to spare. We do not have a working oven, so we are limited in the deserts that we can make. Donuts were are best option to give to the students. We were going to make rice pudding but that would have taken a lot of milk, and we do not have that kind of money.

Thursday we went to school like anyother day, but handed out donuts. For breakfast though Sharon had us over and we had belgium waffles with raspberries and strawberries! Now that is a very, very, very, very special treat. After the day I taught adult ESL which went okay. There was a whole scandle with that. Tricky issue. I already am booked with things to do and then the pastor told me to choose a day to teach adult ESL after school. I though he ment only one day so I agreed, told him a day, and then it turned out to be everyweek. I felt bad since I already agreed so I was kinda just grudgingly going along. Sharon found out, and it is school policy that teachers can only teach at CAS and if I wanted to teach ESL she is looking for a ESL teacher for a after school class for CAS students. I told her I wanted out, cause I do not have the time. She talked to the pastor and explained. THen I talked to the pastor to explain how I do not have the time, and he thinks it is all Sharon's fault. Everyone allways blames Sharon cause she is the only one who has the guts to speak, so I feel bad that this is one more thing, where the Khmer people blame Sharon. I tried to tell the pastor that it was me without the time, and I am just agreeing with the policy, but that didn't stop his perception. Any ways I told him I would teach one week since it was such last minute that I said that I could not. (the next day I got talk to by a teacher friend of mine explaining how I have to make time, and I guess I am only thinking about myself instead of others.... ohh that made me upset. Says the one who does nothing for his class while I do his job. anyways.... sore subject.)

That night we then had thanksgiving dinner which Sharon hosted and all the expats in Cambodia were invited. (expats are non-khmers) Only the phnom Penh residents came though. And it was funny how a majority of them were not American. haha it was an international thanksgiving. It is the first thanksgiving I have had Chappatties next to my mashed potatoes. I would have it no other way though. Whitaker was sick so he did not enjoy the food that much. So sad... it was yummmy!

Picts of Thanksgiving

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=124111&id=735963980&l=6156abc26b

Then today was a wedding day. We were invited although I do not know the couple that was getting married. Foreigners are good luck. I was excited to go to see what it is like. The wedding starts bright and early around 8'o'clock and the guests march in the streets. Then breakfast is served, then there is the "Western" style wedding ceremony, then lunch. We skipped all but the ceremony and lunch. Early in the morning I went with two dorm students to get flip flops, since mine were stolen a few weeks ago when I went camping. Then we planned to meet Reachany to see how she was going to do her hair and makeup and to see if we wanted to do the same. We went to the market to meet her, waited for a long time, never found her, and so we went to our own place, cause we figured if we were going to go to a wedding and pay $10 to eat, we were going to go all out. So we went to a salon and to our suprise Pastor Pen Chenda and his wife, were there getting ready for the wedding. So we took it as a sign and stayed. We got our hair and makeup done. My hair turned out a little funny. I have never had so much hair spray in it in my life. You could actually see the hair spray and there was so much that the curls stayed all day, even after changing twice. That is miraculous with my hair. The makeup scared me. My face was covered with foundation, altough surprisingly it looked natural. The eyeshadow was a little iffy the eye liner scary as it was put only on my lower lids, and I made them take off the fake eyelashes as after they put them on I noticiably could see the fake lashes and below it my real lashes. Then they decided to fill in my eyebrows. Now my eyebrows are really light and thin. So adding dark brown color to them, made me look like a Auntie Bertha who has no eyelashes so she draws them in. Funny looking!

Kristie was just as unique with moons of blue colored on her eyes. On the way home we laughed the whole way at how ridiculus we looked and the worst part was to get up to our place we had to walk through the wedding. We definatly ran past our students and pretended not to see them. Once we got home, we toned down the hair and makeup and went to the wedding. We made it for the last part of the Western part. The bride never smiled. We think it cause they are not allowed to eat till all guests are gone and it was a hot day in a heavy dress.

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=124114&id=735963980&l=68c97997e1

Since loud music was playing at the end of the wedding we decided we would be more productive at school. Yeah right. I love the kids too much and they distract me. I got nothing done except got some pictures of them. I had some good coversations with students I have never talked to before cause I do not have them in class. A lot of times it is hard for students to accept Christ cause no one in their family believes. It is a reality that is hard to remember. I am very fortunate to have a family who believes as I do.


http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=124119&id=735963980&l=911fdc58cd