Happy birthday Ben

Ben, 8 years ago you became my first grandchild. You probably don't remember—on your first day in the world I held you in my arms and told you three stories.

We had lots of fun times together when you were my only grandchild. You will always be special to me.

Wherever you are, whatever you do, always remember your Grandpa loves you.

love Grandpa

New monks

This week I went to a ceremony for boys and young men who were becoming monks.

The boys and young men you can see with the lace over their shoulders are about to become monks. They already have their heads shaved. The one on the left is very young. Maybe as young as Ben. Now he is a monk. He doesn't live with his parents. He lives at the monastery with all the other monks.

Do you think you would like to be a monk?

love from Grandpa in Cambodia

Tricycle

How would you like a tricycle like this one? The front is a motorbike, the back is a truck and it has a car engine. In the town where I saw this one I also saw some like it that were buses.

Who says that tricycles are for little kids?

love from Grandad in Cambodia

Ox cart

In Cambodia many people do not have cars or trucks. This man carries things around in the back of his cart pulled by oxen. I think the one on the left didn't want to pull the cart. But soon after I took the photo it was behaving and they went off down the road. The man stood in the back of the cart.

Maybe the ox was scared of me.

Love from Grandad in Cambodia

Hot stuff

This monk needs to iron his robes. He does not have an electric iron. His iron has a lid. He opens the lid and puts burning charcoal inside. The charcoal heats the iron and he can make his robes neat.

Yes, of course he doesn't wear them while he irons them. He uses his bed as an ironing board. Beds in Cambodia are usually harder than the ones we have in Australia.

Love from Grandpa in Cambodia