Where's the summer???

There I am, back in Hannover since last Saturday. It's lovely to see everyone again but I'm also struggling with what people call 'reverse culture shock' I think. It hasn't quite sunk in that I'm not going back to Cambodia (for now) and I haven't even unpacked all of my luggage, yet. 'Normal' things like wearing proper shoes, drinking water from the tap, driving a car, using a dishwasher, throwing paper into the toilet, etc., feel still a little strange and I miss this crazy little country in SE Asia a lot. Of course not all of it but some things, so here's my personal list:

What I miss:

• cruizing around on my little moto!
• beer on ice (I think its probably illegal in Germany)
• the 'normal' sights of daily life: fully grown pigs drugged with marihuana and strapped to the back of a moto, truck with no driver cabin but the drivers wearing helmets instead, 3 adults with 2 children and a dog on 1 moto, etc...
• rice!
• cheap Khmer massages
• endless landscapes of green rice paddies and sugar palms
• trying to communicate in broken Khmer to the great amusement and amazement of the locals
• joining Cambodian ladies for aerobics by the river
• Friday G&Ts in the balcony bar
• great green curry for a dollar
• the great people I've met, lived with, worked with, partied with!
• perfect Cambodian sunsets

What I don't miss:

• the increadible and several days long noise of weddings, funerals, baby showers, etc. in the neighbourhood
• Cambodians throwing up on buses
• mosquitos
• flooded roads in the rainy season
• dogs on the lose everywhere
• people answering their mobiles in any situation: in meetings, on the moto, while giving massages, etc.
• swimming fully clothed in public
• deep fried intestines...

Here a few pics to illustrate some of these points:

Ducks on the way to the market

Rice field

Leaving party 1

Leaving party 2 on the roof

Sunset on Rabbit Island

At a wedding with some of our colleagues

Swimming Cambodian style (fully dressed) in Ratanakiri

Chicken feet for lunch, mhhh...

So what's next? Not quite sure, yet, but looks like I'll be in Hannover til end of August at least and then might head of to some other country again, hopefully on a proper job this time. The main thoughts at the moment are South Africa or possibly Cambodia again. But let's see. Hope it'll all become clearer over the next weeks. In the meantime, I'll try to get in touch with everyone again - if anyone's planning to come to northern Germany, please get in touch. Would love to see you!

Britta