Froggy days

Having moved into my new house last week, I haven't had Internet access except at work. Thus, my blogging has gone by the wayside. So a little recap of what I've been up to the last week or so. I had another stomach bug and finally broke down and went to the French clinic for some antibiotics. I'm now happily back to eating whole foods and venturing further than 30 feet from the bathroom. All in all, things are looking up. I started physical therapy for my ankle last week and have been doing exercises while standing in a bucket of ice for 25 minutes a day. Not exactly enjoyable but if it speeds this recovery process along, I am all for it.

I've also enjoyed a number of tasty meals. There are a couple of great French restaurants in town that I've been to now. Quite a bit of good wine as well. I had some great California Zin last night which only managed to make me a little homesick. The beer lao flows like water and I often have to turn down a lunchtime beer for fear that I will be comatose on my computer by 2pm.

Myself, Ponsivet, Kerryn and Donna at lunch. The plate in the middle is frog curry.

A couple days ago we celebrated the 20th birthday of a patient here. His name is Ponsivet or Peter Kim. On his seventeenth birthday he picked up a UXO (unexploded ordinance) and ended up loosing his eyesite and both hands. He was brought to COPE for treatment shortly after the accident and has lived at the National Rehabilitation Centre ever since. He spends most of his days hanging around the visitor's centre, chatting with visitors in English and making friends. He's an incredible person and a great reminder of how amazing the huma spirit is.

The frog "hands" were pretty creepy looking.

Someone was playing with their food.

For his birthday, a bunch of the COPE expats took him out to lunch at a neighborhood restaurant. We teased him about having lunch with four beautiful older women. We also ordered all his favorite dishes, which included frog curry. We all tried the frog at Ponsivet's request but he finished off most of it.

We then had birthday cake in the visitor's centre as well. All in all, I think Ponsivet had a wonderful birthday.