Collecting places and things

Renting a furnished apartment and having 3 households of furniture (a long story!) in Australia means that I don't need any more stuff.  This was until my will power melted (yes, it was hot) in Siem Riep, Cambodia.
This in the coolest and driest part of the year. I better not go there in the hottest time!
We arrive finding our hotel shuttle is nowhere in sight so hail a taxi and for the next 10 minutes find our way to our hotel. Trip advisor has again hit the nail on the head with our luxury find for $A80 per night.
The hotel apologises profusely for not fetching us and and says we are old and need to rest! There would be complementary high tea waiting for us at 5 pm. Initially I am irritated for being called old, but I decide to run with it. After all, the high tea proves promising. Maybe a more mature age is an advantage.

The next day, we are told to sit at reception (we are old) and a taxi appears. Many beautiful temples later, we are dropped off at our hotel with promises for our next day.
Languidly we lie at the pool, have our cocktails and plan our evening. The ramorg (tuk tuk) enthusiastically waves and off we set  in to old market town where I find $3 per meter cotton material and buy 11 different materials. I am planning to make another quilt.
We marvel at our cheap lobster and relish in the chicken and fish amok served in a banana leaf.
Interspersed in our trip are sad reminders of Cambodia's past and I remember in high school watching  the drama unfold of the killing fields. Our driver does not let us be sad for long while we travel quickly through narrow streets, worn buildings, packed small shops and noisy food vendors.

THE calendar

Well, I am never going to make it as an expat if I don't become friends with my calendar!  Weeks fly past and I have neglected any readers of my blog. I think they have given up on me but now that I have resurrected my forgotton password, hopefully that will change.
Christmas saw me in Australia on our large property (compared to our 3 bedroom codo) slaving away. Our holiday place (see Bavarian Hut blog) has now become our Australian home when we meet up as a family. Our tenant looks after the chosen loved ones (my dogs) and I think he is rather happy to see us knowing that we will be leaving soon.
Reality strikes on my return when I try to book a week ahead to go away for a long weekend. Cheeky people have got in before me and being a competitive person I vow to get ahead of them. I have an in built reluctance to refer to my calender but realise that I will have to change my ways.
Obsessively we book short breaks to half a dozen places. I become more knowledgeable with everything geographic although my pronouciation of Asian places is sometimes unrecognisable. Fortunately I meet a helpful long term expat who tries to decipher which countries and places we might enjoy.
We listen to her advice and book to go to Siem Riep in Cambodia. We are on a roll and further book trips to Langkawi island, Penang, Australia and then Perhentian island.
In between our trips,we adapt to the heat, dust and noise which is KL.