That’s my host mother as she folds more than 1,000 wedding invitations.  My host sister, Somaly, is getting married at our house Tuesday, January 17 (not to be confused with my neighbor’s wedding which is January 3.  I’m the Best Man in that wedding).  Everyday, preparations are underway.

Things are difficult because my host family has not been able to find new live-in help since our last maid left.  Lately, my host family is stressed, very busy, and irritable. My host mother spent days on the invitations.

Wedding invitations are an exhausting task here.  We don’t have an official mail system in most of Siem Reap Province.  So, these 1,000+ invitations will be delivered by hand across the province, and a few in Phnom Penh.  Everyone in my host family will be involved in delivering a share of the invitations.

Everyday at school or in the market at least one person asks me where I live.  These days when I tell them the answer, the response I get is, “Oh, the house that’s having the big wedding next month.“  I don’t think I really know what I’m in for yet.