I'm another year closer to 40 now, and I celebrated it sleeping in, spring rolls, and watching Monkey-B make a new friend.
I Climbed Mt. Spring Roll ⛰️
My wife had previously promised to make one of my favorite dishes for my birthday, tofu larb, but our little patch of mint isn't ready to start harvesting yet. In lieu of this, she decided on safe second option, spring rolls, or naem as they are called here in Cambodia. We even had a special guest join us for lunch, and this young lady had no problem with eating a vegan meal.
Monkey-B's Got A Friend 👯
Ever since we moved to Steung Kach, there has been a little girl that I've wanted my youngest daughter to get acquainted with. Today was the day the two of them overcame their shyness, and once this little girl was comfortable at our place, she didn't want to leave.
Her "mom" is actually her "grandma" as we found out, and it's because her mom used to hit her and married a new husband that doesn't want stepchildren, so she was dumped here. Her grandmother isn't much better, and is chain-smoking, card-playing wealthy woman covered in gold necklaces and rings, but she won't even send her granddaughter to school.
We noticed she had marks bruises on her arms, and when we prodded a bit, she said her grandma hits her sometimes. I had to suppress the rage, and we let this sweetheart know she's welcome at our place anytime. She went swimming with us, played LEGOs with Monkey-B all day, and joined us for lunch, only to have her grandma wonder where she was after she'd been away from home for seven hours. Her grandma came by and shouted some obscenities, and playtime with Monkey-B was immediately cut short.
 |  | 🙏 GIVE THANKS 🙏 |  |  |
|---|