Cost of Living...

Hi all. Lesley here. It's a quiet Tuesday night, all the kid's homework is done and Dean and I sit in our living room, computing, and waiting to go to bed, probably around 9pm.  No downpours today, but still fairly cool, nice breeze.  Temp sits roughly at 28 right now, but feels like 32.  We laugh at ourselves honestly, when we can join the locals in saying it feels "cool" today!  haha. When the sun comes out, that's when it really heats up.  Muggy and heavy all the time.

I thought it might be interesting for some of you to know some of the costs we've encountered here, for a relative comparison to your lives.  We are of course, renting one side of a large home for $500 a month, and we have just paid our first electricity bill, which was $110 for just over a month.  That was running one aircon pretty much everynight, and just lights.  There is no water heater, and the cooking stove is propane.  I don't think that's too bad.

We're paying our helper about $40 a week to feed us suppers  and to pick up miscellaneous household and/or some snack items we may need.  $40 seems to cover all that.  We usually get other food on the weekends, and pick up some small things during the week, and lunches are included at our school (I LOVE not having to make lunches everyday!)  Last month, our whole grocery bill was just well under $400.  We eat out about once a week.  

We bought bikes for about $40 each.  THey are tourist-type bikes, complete with baskets, and fenders.  They are used, from Japan which is supposedly better than buying never from Cambodia.

There are no copyright laws here in Cambodia, so we can get bootlegged movies for $2 or so.  They are usually terrible quality and not enjoyable.  Apparently there are better copies around, but we've had not alot of luck.  There are no theatres here to go see a movie.  I don't have time to watch movies--no matter what time we put them on, I'm asleep within the first 5 minutes. Getting old(er)!

We had to pay $15 for Julia's school supplies fee, and Steph needed a few things, which came to$38.  Most stationary here fairly cheap.  Our cel phones (one of which has either been lost (my opinion) or stolen (Dean's opinion--it was his) already) were $45 then you buy time.  $10 had lasted me weeks, until I accidentally called Canada direct, and within a few minutes, my last $5 was eaten up.  In comparison, you can go to an internet phone place, and pay just 4500 riels roughly for an hour!  (4000 riels =$1US)

Dean got Steph's moto helmet fixed (missing a screw) today for 500 riels (for you math guru's, that's only 12 or so cents.)  He's also had other repairs on his bike for those kinds of fees.  

The kids buy a decent sized bag of kettle popcorn from a vendor that stations himself wisely outside the school gate daily, for 500 riels each.  That's a sweet deal, so long as we don't get sick.  The popcorn is really yummy.  From school I can walk down to the local "show" mart (like a 7/11) that by cambodia standards is probably a very expensive little corner store, but I can get a cold can of coke for 40 cents, and sprite is $.35.  Other pop is more expensive--I won't always buy Dr. Pepper for the kids cuz it's $.85! haha

We have 4 house fans, each cost us about $11 each.  They are super cheap, but do the job.  We could stick our fingers between the metal to the blade, but that's besides the point!  

Coffee's at a nice little joint will run between $1-2, depending what you want.  You can pay $2-$3 for nice frapuccino type drinks.  But no mega sizes here like Starbucks VEnti--everything is more reasonable that way.  Lots of iced coffee's--that's actually easier to get and order than regular hot coffee.  Wonder why???

We can get a 12 pack of bottled water for $1 at our top of the street store.  But a 24 cans of coke, for that flat it's $6 plus dollars.  I think that's outrageous!  I'm on a quest to find one for $5.  We have a water cooler in our house, that the huge refill jugs cost just over 75 cents each, and they deliver/replace each saturday.  I have no idea how much they are in Canada--(Cindy, you would know) but that's a good deal for clean water out here.  

Eating out can be cheap, but can be pricy too, especially with a family of 5, or depending what you consider pricy.  A decently priced restaurant will have an entree for $4-$5.  We've seen menus that are close to $10 a dish, and some for $3 for a plate.  There is no distinction between lunch and supper menus, so it's no cheaper to eat out at any time of the day.  IF we get a dinner out, with beverages for our whole family for $30 or under, we think we've done pretty good.  In the $20's is prefered.  

TukTuk transportation is costing us a fair bit on weekends, when we go places together, run errands, church, that sort of thing.  We can pay up to $15 for various trips.  The pricing is so dependant on guesswork, but does involve how far you go, how long the driver waits for you, how many people in the tuk tuk (for some reason).  I'm pretty good at estimating what it wi.ll be.  A few hours of errands can run us $5, maybe $6. If we have a driver that we know, that we like (and we have a few) that we've been able to call and book, and they pick us up at the house, I like to pay them fairly.  If it's the joe's that are waiting outside a tourist spot, just trying to nab a fair, we negotiate right upfront, and I aim as low as possible.  You usually get what you pay for.  

We paid $15 for a medical visit at a clinic.  Then, I bought some acetaminophen for Maya (suspended) which came in a glass bottle, no childproof cap--just a 200 ml deal, and they charged me $2.  Suspended child stuff is apparently hard to find.  SHe's had her fair share of fevers since we got here, so it's good to have on hand.

I hope I'm not boring you.  The last price info I wanted to share, shamefully, are the costs of the "treats."  We found a nice massage place, clean, cool and good reputation, not far from our house.  A one hour khmer body massage OR a one hour foot massage is a whopping $6.  I've had a pedicure for $4 at a very nice place.  Kids were $3 there.  That's the same place I plan to go for a $3 haircut, and $3 head massage.  Our friends went for a $1 haircut close to school and were very pleased with the results.  Although, they did have to page through a magazine to choose the "style" they wanted, which was full of asian do's, so they finally simpley asked for a "trim."  Quite a funny story.  Kind, sweet Khmer girls at those massage places, and it's a pretty nice atmosphere to work in considering the other potential jobs, smells, and messes they might have to clean up in other occupations.  How much money could they actually be making???  IT's crazy.

Finally, I hope you enjoyed my play on words.  THe Cost of Living....

Mark 8:35  "For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it." Another version says, "If you insist on saving your life you will loose it.  Only those who throw away their lives for my sake and for the sake of the Good News will ever know what it means to really live."  (Thanks James & Cheryl!)

I had a pretty low bottoming out last week--both spritual, I could tell, and a naggingbut thankfully minor physical illness--just not at the top of my game.  Don't really want to go back that place any time soon, but it's a good reminder I'm not here on my own strength--I can't be.  Hey, None of us can do anything in our own strength. We just think we can. So, the Refiner is good and he's working overtime in Cambodia!  And we're really living!

Love to yous all!

L
:)

Sometimes its hard to believe I am here

Here I am, sitting in my house that I have yet to call home. The rain is fierce and currently pounding the home's very solid concrete structure. I am appreciating the current change in temperature during this erratic yet regular daily event. I am sitting under a fan trying to minimize the sweat, and I am thankful to be here in Cambodia.
Last night our family had a chance to go to our landlords' child's 11th birthday party. It was a big deal. The party was held on the roof of the house and there were about 40 people invited. A number of ladies prepared all day for this gala event. The birthday girl wore a beautiful white dress and even a bit of make-up. She was beaming.
Our landlord's are Buddhist in religion, however, the grandmother is the most serious of the family. She is a dear elderly lady who apparently gives most of her food to the local Temple at a cost to her own health. She is a very touchy-feely lady who seems tickled-pink to hold and rub my arm up and down. It was all very humorous. Oddly, the birthday girl is attending a local Christian church on Sunday mornings, the parents are OK with it.

The party music in the background consisted of a electronic synthesizer that has a collection of about 1000 midi style songs within it. The range of christmas music, to christian hymns to other random songs didn't seem to phase the group, it was just some nice music. These songs had no context to the local Cambodians. Les and I couldn't help but smile when we heard "I am dreaming of a White Christmas" on a warm September evening high above the local landscape.

We enjoyed the locally prepared food. Although one guest thought we were eating Dog meat, I didn't ask questions as I was chewing what I thought was a tasty fare. Later though, I found out it was beef. Whew!! The landlord's ordered in pizza for the children from a local pizza place. The girls liked the pizza.

The kids played games on the roof while the adults tried to communicate and enjoy the spirit of the evening. We really had a fun night. To top it all off, at the end of the party we didn't have to get a Tuk Tuk to come home, we just went to our side of the building. We have been blessed with good landlords.

I leave with you this verse from 2 Cor 9 12-15 that was a blessing to me today and thanks to so many of you for your prayers and support. Your blessings to us have allowed us to bless others here in a very real way.

"This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God's people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, men will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else. And in their prayers for you their hearts will go out to you, because of the surpassing grace God has given you. Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!" 2 Cor 9 12-15

Our road flooded on the way to school.

I was speaking at a chapel at school.

Lesley's grade 1 class.

JE SHOTS or HORSE VACCINE?

This past weekend we decided to start our JE shots. In Canada we got a price of $2000 for our family to be immunized with this particular vaccine so we decided to get them done in Cambodia in hopes that it was cheaper. Well it is cheaper (about $1500 cheaper), but honestly I am not sure if we actually got the vaccine or not.

Earlier in the August, at the school we were visited by an Australian doctor from a local clinic. She told us that her clinic was very good and relatively inexpensive to visit. She said that all her doctors are real and can speak English. Well that sounded good to us. We were also told that the other clinics were more expensive because they employed North American doctors. Even though she didn’t have doctors from North America at her clinic, she assured all the school staff that her clinic was worth a visit.

We asked “Doctor Gloria”, as she affectionately called herself, questions about the shots. She told us that when we visit her clinic we would be given great care. She requested we book an appointment so everything could be prepared in advance. She explained the drugs could be prepared and ready when we come in and also emergency procedures could be put in place, just in case someone had an allergic reaction. She said that we would need to stay for an hour so they could monitor us. She told us that they had a nice room to relax in where we could have coffee and relax for the hour. O.K. it sounds good, we booked it for this past Sunday.

Before church, on Sunday Morning, we set out on a Tuk Tuk to get our shots. When we arrived, the clinic was surprised we were here. Actually, I don’t think anyone could really understand what we were there for. As it turns out, Doctor Gloria was a “nurse” who was acting more in an administrative role at the clinic. She wasn’t around to help. So some ladies who wore some nurse style outfits, I think they were secretaries, tried to figure out why we 

were there. Finally, someone had enough English to set up the JE shots. After a good time delay, everyone marched in and took the shot without too much issue, until it was finally Maya’s turn. Maya was really happy to find out she was going to have another needle. Kidding!

Maya actually has had a bronchial type cough for a few days. Les tried to ask the doctor/nurse?? if Maya is healthy enough to take the vaccine or should she wait until another time. Holding an anxious needle full of clear fluid, the nurse across the desk kindly smiled and proceeded to talk Khmer to another nurse looking lady. Then without so much as an answer to Les’s question, the lady just plunged a needle into Maya and gave her the same size of doze that I got. Maya let out a large opposition cry. Inbetweeen sobs, Maya then blurted out that she doesn’t like needles. I told her she is brave and gave her a kiss.

We then were told to pay and we could leave. What? Excuse me? What about monitoring us in this “nice” coffee room? After Les raised some questions about making sure we had someone monitoring us and making sure we didn’t have a reaction, someone led us to a room with a bed. There were not enough seats for all of us in this room and as a lady left the room she gave us a “clicker” device on a counter and we figured that if we had any problems she wanted us to buzz for help. It’s not like she could talk English.

After 5 minutes we realized it was stupid to stay around. What were the people downstairs going to do? We weren’t even sure we got a JE shot in the first place! For all I know, we all got injected with an old horse vaccine from the 90’s. We paid our $151 as the first installment and decided we were safer on the streets on Phnom Penh. Nobody seemed to worry as we walked out the door. Lucky us, we have a total of 3 visits to complete the shots. I can’t help but think of the old saying, “You get what you pay for”. Well if a horse disease epidemic breaks out, at least we will be ready!  J

After that ordeal, we went to the church in the World Vision building. That was a good experience. It is great to see many nations, under one roof, praising our God and savior. I can’t help but think, “He uses us, despite us”. With all our shortcomings, God still can find a way to use us to build his kingdom.

After church we went to a restaurant had a terrible experience, it involved Julia pulling a large rubber band from her spring rolls, Les not getting her food for over an hour, oh, and some rats scurrying across the floor of the restaurant. The washroom was so bad, Steph held it all the way until we got home. She nearly burst. Enough said. But as the saying goes out here, “That’s Cambodia”.

Thanks to the many of you who have supported us in your thoughts and prayers. Please pray for Les and Maya, they still seem to have some respiratory issues. Also please pray for our house situation to be resolved soon. We thought it would all be taken care of by now. There is definitely some stress involved with that.

Each day we are here, our circle of understanding gets a bit larger. We are learning many new things and new ways of doing things. We also appreciate and miss you and the many blessings of Canada.

Deano