Eating into a country

You get to know a country by eating its food. At least that's my conviction nowadays. When I try to remember today's events, the vastly greatest amount of time seems to have been 'çonsumed' by eating. starting with rice soup in the morning, via some fried vegetables with egg and chili at the so called 'russian market' (not that you could find any russians there), many many sweet little baked sweets and fruits and ending with some wonderful veetarian noodle dish in the evening in a green oasis of a restaurant. - I have to admit, that last one was rather some tourist/upperclass food, but also the food from the many little street vendors is great - Besides, buying edibles is also a great opportunity to employ what little khmer we have learned already (which can also earn you a not-so-tourist-discount).
In the 'freetime' (i.e. the time, I didn't spent eating), I walked a great lot around the city, gathering some wonderfully diverse impressions of life in the markets and streets. We (i.e. some other volunteers and me) also visited the so-called Olympia stadium, where in the afternoon the Khmer (the Cambodians) enjoy themselves doing Aerobics (in the early evening there are lots and lots of people to be found on the squares of town as well with the same hobby). Tomorrow we will likely return there to do some swimming.
At this point I would already like to apologies for not having sent (nor made) any pictures yet. I will probaly start doing so tomorrow or the day after (I don't give any promises). My main reason is, that I first want to get to know the place for myself without a lense in front of my eye and with the possibility to then take some really good, non-tourist pictures (although I doubt to succeed). I hope all you readers are having a great time, wherever you may be.

First impressions

There are many, many impressions coming down on me all day here in Phnom Penh.
It's the end of the second day of our preperatory seminar here. (the days start around 7 o'clock with the sun rising at 6 and going down before 19).
After a very tiresome, but smooth, day of travel, most of us were still very tired yesterday (the night was quite short, as it wasn't easy to fall asleep). The temperatures are around 28 degrees I suppose, but due to the moist air it feels like 35.
I love the city, but I will probably be quite happy to leave to smaller Battambang in a little while, where I will spent the rest of my year.
Among the many things to get used to (the non-existent traffic rules, especially interesting when taking a ride on a mototaxi, the climate, the fact of not knowing the language, the conflict between trying to be an actual 'volunteer' and being regarded as and behaving like a tourist, the contrasts of rich an poor you run across ever so often) the usage of internet cafes is just another. Because of this, and the flood of impressions, my first reports will likely be as short of length and detail as this one is.
However, you can look forward to more elaborate ones, once I start getting used to the climate and the environment.

First Statement

Not much to say at this point. I'm still in Bochum, Germany without having realized anything about the fact that I'm about to leave for Cambodia in a few hours.
I'm happy about your visit to my blog, but if you want some additional information, I'm afraid you'll have to wait a couple of days.