Old friends

Peter & Veasna (left), myself and Vy

It was great to see two old friends tonight, a blast from the past, with them having just returned to live in Cambodia after a couple of years working in Sri Lanka. Peter and Veasna Leth have been pals since 2000 and did some invaluable work with the Cambodian Arts & Scholarship Foundation (CASF) in the good old days. In fact they helped set up and kick-start the organisation and you can read more about Veasna's part in it here. She's a great role-model for young Cambodian women today in my view. And you couldn't wish to meet two nicer people - especially as Peter paid for my meal at the Green Mango, just around the corner from my apartment! Peter is back in Phnom Penh working with UNICEF as a monitoring and evaluations specialist - whatever that is - whilst Veasna is working for the British Government's
Department for International Development (DFID). We were joined by Vy, who was in town for one night attending a conference, from her home in Sihanoukville but the time passed all too quickly and we only scratched at the surface of what's been happening in the last few years, so another meal and chat will be required soon enough.
My thanks to publishers HaperCollins for sending me a hardback copy of the historical and scientific thriller The Judas Strain by James Rollins, which arrived by DHL courier this afternoon. I have a stack of books to read but this intriguing novel looks like it has moved to the top of my reading list.