Living in the Bamboo House

Now that we have reached the half way point of our tenancy in this Bamboo House, it seems worthwhile to reflect upon our living situation. 

I vividly recall the stages of adjustment, when living abroad that I used to talk to ISEC students about, when I was teaching in Adelaide and I had not really considered, until now how they might apply to us at this point in time: 1) the honeymoon period, 2) homesickness / loathing, 3) adjustment and 4) acceptance.

Our honeymoon period was characterised by taking thousand of photos of the house itself, the interior and sunrises, sunsets, environs and bird life in the surrounding paddy fields. Things we continue to enjoy and feel grateful for. We marvelled at the ability to stay cool and comfortable without any aircon, by simply availing of the breezes and airflow through the doors and windows. We delighted in the low impact living that comes with this abode, thoroughly enjoying a simple, quiet life without motorised transport and with a minimum of possessions and appliances. Our bikes were and still are a source of great joy. They simultaneously provide mobility and exercise, as well as the feeling that we have remained committed to the environment and the satisfaction of reconnecting with our bike riding days in Adelaide.

I don't think we have felt the slightest bit homesick or any real sense of loathing but the next phase might accurately be described as facing the challenges and adjustment. So somehow- perhaps because we have now resettled so many times in different countries, we seem to have skipped a step and quickly moved on.

The wet season began with a bang. The first major storms with howling winds and torrential rain had us wondering if the roof would blow off or the house simply become inundated. This is not an exaggeration. Some houses did lose their rooves that night. While lying in bed a mist gently sprayed over us. Since the top quarter of the walls is constructed of wooden slats covered with fly wire, certain wind directions cause the rain to come through them despite the overhang of the eaves. For the next few days we felt we were being held hostage by the never-ending rain. However it soon evolved into a few days of rain then a few days of sunshine and it was possible to some extent to predict it or at least manage daily tasks around it. With our rain capes, sunblock, hats and kramers (Cambodian scarves) about our persons at all times, we continue to ride about and have only once been soaked to the skin. Even that was a source of amusement as it is still hot and we were going to the pool and dressed in our bathers anyway.

The menagerie of wildlife in the house is an ongoing challenge - no battle. The mouse, who was in residence when we arrived has survived and outsmarted Ian’s numerous creative attempts at humane entrapment. All out warfare has now been declared and just today we fear we have also discovered a rat in the “loft” area. To our dismay the three snakes we initially observed in the garden and lurking in the shade under the house cannot be positively identified and we can only hope that they are not venomous. As yet we have not been able to photograph them to positively identify their species. At least two species are in residence however and Ian’s removal of the fourth one spotted indoors with a gecko in its mouth at the time, was nothing short of heroic in my opinion. The following day another species of snake was spotted on the verandah and we remain ever vigilant, carefully inspecting indoors and out. The renewed rain has kept them at bay for the past couple of days but we are mindful and cautious. By now the daily occurrence of frog removal, either by sweeping them out or capturing them between the broom and banister brush is positively passé. As for geckos, the only strategy seems to be peaceful cohabitation. Indoor-outdoor living has certainly taken on a whole new meaning.

While we continue to see this as an adventure and not torture, the added complication of three or four leaks in the roof that require buckets if the rain persists creates another reason to remain ever alert. So far, neither the bed nor the bookcase that contains electronics have been in the firing line and we have settled for a permanent arrangement of furniture that avoids the wet patches when the inevitable occurs.

Inconveniences, challenges and adjustments aside, we are still not convinced that we wouldn't simply continue on here if the opportunity to extend our tenancy became available. Perhaps we are hopeless romantics, eternal optimists and ageing idealists after all. In the meantime we keep an ear to the ground about the availability of alternative housing and revel in the good life in Kep.

Cooking in general and recreating many of the summer Eurasian style dishes and other favourites we have mastered over the years continues to bring delight and provide healthy, nutritious meals. Sharing our creations with neighbours and friends is also a regular occurrence. We have now established a thrice-weekly swimming routine as well as  cycling about 15 kilometres a day. We only walk short distances in the late evening or early morning. Mindfulness and mediation have become a daily routine for me and I ponder the irony of have time for such pursuits now when I am less stressed than I was as a fulltime worker. I am reading like I have never been able to read before and sometimes stop myself and marvel that there is no sense of guilt about reading for pleasure, as there is no onerous marking hanging over my head. Though I do still stop and want to correct erroneous errors I find in the ebooks I currently read.

On that note after several attempts we have made contact with a small charity based primary school here and organised a visit for next week with the hope that we may be able to contribute in some small capacity as volunteers. I note that a dear friend Jenny pointed out that after Druk (dragon) we have set our sights on Sala Monkey. Perhaps playful animals are in our subconscious.

Things are moving forward. We are happy and the Bamboo House has proved to be a true learning experience in addition to being an aesthetic haven. Perhaps this is the beginning of acceptance phase.