Feeling sorry for myself

Like a typical bloke, I'm a bit under the weather and feeling sorry for myself. I even went to bed early last night which is unusual for me, but the heat is pretty unbearable in Phnom Penh at the moment and I've been afflicted with an eye infection, a cough and head cold, a horrible coldsore and aches and pains. Occasionally I might get one or the other, but never all at once. We're approaching Khmer New Year which will be upon us next week. Everyone asks me what I'll be doing and to be honest I've made no plans at all, unlike in previous years. I have five days away from the office, probably stuck at home catching up with all the blog posts I should've been posting in the last few months. I've got such a backlog, as well as a pile of books to read that I could conceivably spend five days not speaking to another soul, particularly as Phnom Penh will be like a ghost-town anyway, with all the residents heading out to their home villages. To brighten up my day, here's a picture of one of my friends, the ever-smiling Alin, a native of Kompong Thom province who has lived in the city for about five years now and like most, will be heading for the village of Baray for much of next week to visit her parents.

Alin never stops smiling - she's like a breath of fresh air