Day 240: Lunch and Wandering in Central Siem Reap

We had nothing scheduled for today.

I took a jog this morning and started listening to the 4th season of Malcolm Gladwell’s Revisionist History podcast. I’m a fan. 

The first two episodes dive into the question of why the LSAT is designed to make people work at an uncomfortably fast pace when the legal profession often doesn’t value that capability — yet the test score is by far the most influential factor in law school admissions. 

It also touches on the fact that data is now showing that one’s law school is a completely ineffective predictor of whether someone will actually be an effective lawyer — yet that’s the #1 factor that law firms use for hiring. 

Compelling take on an obviously flawed system. 

It also really resonated with me because I was a super slow test taker and can’t remember ever once finishing a timed test in school. I would have been eviscerated by the LSAT. 

Here’s a link to the first episode:

http://revisionisthistory.com/episodes/31-puzzle-rush

We had a leisurely breakfast then knocked out a couple hours of school. 

Often I play catch with James to give him a little break (recess!) in the middle of our homeschooling. I took a video today so we can remember his progress. 

He absolutely loves it and would do this for 10,000 throws in a row if given the chance. 

After school we WhatsApped our tuk tuk driver from yesterday’s Putt Putt adventure and headed into Central Siem Reap. (We’ve been making up tongue twisters that include “taking a tuk tuk to play putt putt…”)

First stop was lunch at Mamma Shop — an Italian restaurant with homemade pastas and wood fired pizza. We sat outside. It was actually pretty good. Luckily we were already finished eating when I saw the ass-end of a rat scurry from near our table underneath the restaurant building. Check please!

We wandered down Hap Guan St., poking around several little artsy boutiques. Margaret bought a credit card / ID older from DSK, a leather goods store and world shop. They monogrammed it for free. There is a coffee shop on that street called The Little Red Fox (h/t to Matt Carr’s place near The Bensfield’s on Connecticut Ave).

In a search for ice cream we passed by Colors of Cambodia Art School and Gallery. There were kids painting upstairs and the shop manager invited Willa and James up to do paintings of their own. Great way to kill an hour on a rainy day. 

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We had to celebrate Labor Day with some ice cream so we eventually made our way to Gelato Lab — a tiny hipster coffee / gelato / sorbet spot down an alley off of Pub Street. We all had local flavors in homemade cones. My coconut was amazing. 

Back at the hotel Margaret and I cashed in on our comped 30-min back and neck massages. We were offered these when we checked in and I assumed it was just one of those seated routines you see in the airport. I was pleasantly surprised: full spa treatment but just an abbreviated back and neck focus from an expert masseuse. 

We had considered walking down the street for dinner but opted to say out of the rain and ordered room service once again. We have this little dining table setup in our room that makes it so easy. 

Most importantly, the kids are in bed minutes after dinner is done. 

We called my mom and caught up with the crew in Annapolis, savoring the final hours of summer. 

MISC: More James-isms

James has this habit of finishing a rhetorical question in a nonchalant / sorta being a smart ass way with, “,,,or somethin’?” Like, “What are you gonna just sit and type on your computer or somethin’?” We now all laugh outbound when he does it. 

James has a good sense of humor and is starting to see that he can make us all laugh. Today Margaret hit her funny bone and then James, tapping his elbow, quickly said, “that’s where I get all my jokes.”