So Ive kinda already been blathering away about my trip already so I dont want to repeat myself too much. Arriving in Phnom Penh was really easy, Got a taxi from the airport to the guesthouse, everyone was so friendly and smily, theyre always smiling! I was expecting it to be like the crazyness of India but it couldnt have been more relaxed. I met the CEO of my company a couple of hours after I arrived and he took me to a Paddys day party which was full of Irish expats who worked for the consulate, the head of the Irish embassy in Vietnam,UN staff and many other people with intimidating jobs. At the party I met a girl who took me out later that night to a fashion show and some of the main clubs (I know this isnt placement stuff, it just was a great first day) Shes been showing me around ever since, introducing me to loads of expats and helped me with my apartment.

Anyway so as I mentioned on facebook, Pete the CEO seems to have a tendancy to stick his foot in things...within the space of 5 minutes he had said my placement was "another of howards crazy ideas" and that "doing development as an undergraduate course was a waste of time" before he then asked me what I was studying :-) But feck it what does he know right?

I went on my first field trip with three of the board members on Tuesday. Howard and the other board members were amazing, explaining everything, I was a little in awe because I feel that Im so at the bottom of my (potential) career and these guys couldnt be more at the top. Anway I loved the field trip,we went to observe the first day of a mobile banking system that AMK are just introducing to Cambodia. It was actually really great to actually see three years of theory become a reality. We (they) interviewed a microfinance borrower, her reasons for using it and the impact on her life....ok I could actually just go on about it but its so nice to actually see people instead of just statistical data.

So today was my first day in the office, I did one hour of data entry work and then read and googled random things about microfinance for the other 7 hours. The office doesnt have airconditioning so is ridiculously hot that all you want to do is sleep and throw up. The department is very busy though so I think Ill get a lot of work to do in the next few weeks and lots of opportunity for more field trips.

So thats it, a very boring blog Im afraid, I have mentioned it on facebook and Im gonna say it again because Im seriously proud but I have mastered sitting side-saddle on a scooter...its the little things :)