Description
My house is an older somewhat funky Cambodian house with lots of character. Unusually for Phnom Penh, it has a large shady garden, palm trees, mango trees, bougainvillea, jasmine ... There is a table with chairs in the garden, where I enjoy weekend breakfasts, as well as an open wooden "cottage" with a tiled roof, for lounging about. Electricity is connected and so this"cottage" can be used in the evenings too.
Inside there is a kitchen dining room and a double bedroom with attached bathroom on the ground floor. Upstairs there is a comfortable sitting area with television, DVD player and lots of DVDs, a stereo system, and lots of books. There is also a little balcony where I like to sit and read in the evenings, with the scent of jasmine wafting in ! The second double bedroom is also upstairs and has a bathroom off. This bedroom has air conditioning.
The house is furnished with Cambodian and French colonial antique furniture as well as modern cane. I have a landline phone and an internet connection.
The house is bright and light and airy and a wonderful refuge from the dust and clamour of the streets and markets nearby.
Neighborhood
I enjoy this area as, while being very Cambodian in character, it is also very close to the well known and much frequented (by ex-pats, locals and tourists) Russian Market - a real treasure trove of all sorts of things from vegetables and fruits, car and motorcycle parts, silks of all kinds, incredibly cheap clothes, DVDs and CDs, silver, jewellery .... etc etc !
It is very easy and to get to the more central part of town and takes only about 7 - 8 minutes by tuk-tuk or motorbike taxi. Personally I use my push bike and will leave it for the use of whoever stays in my house.
Phnom Penh is a wonderful city. There is much to enjoy in the way of markets and shopping. For a city that has only comparatively recently suffered a terrible genocide, it is a vibrant, positive, and economically growing community. There are many bars and restaurants representing an amazing example of cuisines from around the world. The area along the river front is a fun area for tourists - one particularly pleasant activity is to hire a boat ($8 per hour) on the river at sunset and to take along drinks and snacks to ebnjoy while soaking up the wonderful views. There is a thriving art scene here too with several galleries exhibiting both local and ex-pat art.
In addition, Siem Reap, with the amazing temples of Angkor is a cheap ($10) bus ride away, though it does take about 6 hours. Alternatively there are regular flights. The beaches at Sihanoukville and Kampot are easy to get to by a regular bus service, taking between 3 and 4 hours in a comfortable, air-conditioned bus.
About Us
I have lived in Cambodia for 13 years and love it for it's friendliness, whackiness, cheap and cool quality of life. I am 58 and teach French and English at the International School of Phnom Penh. I am divorced and have three daughters who are all living and working in England (one on Oxford and two in London) but would be out here in a flash if they could afford to - they love it in Phnom Penh.
I love travelling, although I seem to have stayed in Phnom Penh rather a long time ! I am also very interested in food and cooking (you'll find a huge library of well used cookery books !). I read a lot, enjoy walking (although not in the area around my house - too Asian city, broken pavements, noisy traffic, dust and dirt... to be enjoyable). I enjoy theatre, music and art - you will find a lot of pictures around the house, many by my artist daughter, Alice
I would like to do a house exchange because my house in Oxford is rented while I am away and I would like to have somewhere where I can unpack my suitcases and relax and enjoy being back in England for the summer and at Xmas. Sleeping on sofa beds in my daughters' tiny flats is just not that comfortable for several weeks (and at my age !).
So, that's why I would like to find a house In Oxford, preferably in Jericho or Central North Oxford, or possibly in London - Islington or Stoke Newington.
Destination
I am mostly interested in being in Oxford (specifically Jericho or Central North Oxford areas) or London (Islington or Stoke Newington).
However, I am also looking to travel in Europe for a week or two, hoping to have a relaxing holiday by the sea.
Being a teacher I have a long summer holiday when I would like to be back in England. However, I can be pretty flexible within the timeframe of 14th June and 1st August. Whoever might be interested in my house could take it for any period during that time, though the longer the better. Equally, I would prefer a longer stay wherever I might end up. However, I can always stay with friends or family for whatever time does not work
