today we saw the moving in ceremony for our house. With some local help we managed to get it finished in time for our last day. The ceremony started with the village holy man blessing the house, after which a random couple moved in. Apparently it is bad luck for a widow to move straight in to a new house, so it goes that she then buys the house off the couple for about 50 cents.
Monks turned up a few prayers were said before the party carried on. I handed over the gifts i bought with the donantions from Mum, Dad, Mona, Bob, Ruish, Derby, Swamp and Pete.
These consisted of new hammocks a shit load of: t shirts, new shoes for all, a couple of nice dresses for the grandmother, a bike, a spade, hoe and watering cans, steel kettle, solar powered torch, towels, volleyball, sweets for the kids, a big vat of washing up liquid, a broom, a pump for the bike, and a photo album containing pictures of the last six weeks dipcting the building of her house.......I think thats it. The family were really greatful I still have about $60 left. With which I am trying to buy a clckwork lantern. If not I was going to give it to one of the people here to go and buy a load of pig feed (wullie the scot bought 2 pigs today for the family).
I'm leaving tomorrow for Phnom Penh. I could easily stay for longer.
