Sophoin's day

Myself and birthday girl Sophoin (in pink) with Nadia and Shekhar

I'm just home from a birthday party and I didn't realise until I got there that it was for my best friend Sophoin. She mentioned a party at her sister's house without telling me it was for her. Silly girl, it meant I didn't take her a present so a cash gift had to suffice. It was a typical house party, lots of food, lots of drinking, lots of karaoke singing, lots more drinking and so on. It finished at 10pm, which is quite late by Khmer standards and the ride home by tuk tuk, with a very tipsy driver was a bit hair-raising. Her birthday is actually tomorrow, I will act the gentleman and not reveal her age, but she goes to the provinces once a month to sell her medical products and she's leaving for Sihanoukville first thing tomorrow. I love to see her enjoying herself as she works so hard most of the time leaving precious moments for fun and frivolity, so tonight was a lovely occasion for her, surrounded by family and friends.

One of my favourites, Sophoin's niece Thary, whose English is getting better every time I see her

Sophoin, surrounded by friends and family