Bradley: "Hey Brandi, I know, let's go somewhere!"
Me: "Okay Bradley. That sounds swell!"
Bradley: "Alright honey, let's bar the place down... literally!"
Both of us: "Hahahahaha!"
Me: "Oh Bradley, you're so funny. Surely you don't mean that we have to literally bar the place down, do you?"
Bradley: "Why Brandi, yes I do. The Lord gave us brains, and our landlord gave us locks and bars."
Me: "Wow Bradley, that is so true. Welp, let's get to work."
First: The outer, metal doors...
We remove the door stop from one side...
and the bungee cord from the other - good thing we aced our 'how-to-ghetto-rig-anything class' huh?!
Now to close them in the proper order, as one has an outer lip. Vanna White ain't got nothin' on me.
We slide this bar into the door frame loop above, and twist it into the locked position. Then we repeat the same act with the bottom bar, before latching the two doors together.
Then comes the bar on the orange, inner door...
and ner' we forget the bottom bar that slides into the floor.
Then I have to unstick the door that Bradley has forcefully propped open...
and here we have an actual key and handle to lock the doors.
Then come the windows above the table. The lock on the window was broken when we moved into the place. We showed it to the Landlord. Her response: "oh, it's okay. Don't worry about it. You do not need to pay for it." Our response: "um, okay? Thanks?" Then we turned to metal wire... sorry, duct tape doesn't work for everything.
The kitchenette and hallway windows are last on our way out the door. Speaking of...
Because the wind slams the door shut if we don't have it... bungees are an American-Cambodian's best friend.
Another key and lock! Our door is actually orange, but the red color is pretty...
Good job Bradley! Now that you know how to properly lock down your home, you should go enjoy a nice, refreshing Coke. (You're welcome Coca-Cola company. I'm a Pepsi girl myself.) Don't forget to be cautious on that ridiculously uneven staircase. You never know where the accident monster is lurking, just waiting for its next victim.
Look what was waiting to greet us... a couple of our downstairs neighbors. Like most little Khmer boys, this cutie pie enjoys airing his innocence. Clothes are so over-rated when you're 2 years old.
Oh no! Bradley! What happened to your head?
Oh, phew! It's just a case of a tiny, cramped, built-for-only-little-people stairway. Originally, Bradley's parents were planning to visit us, and we were all looking forward to watching dad attempt getting through this space. I know, we're so bad. Love ya dad!
The final descent. We're almost out of the cage... yes, I said almost.
Our mudroom. No, seriously, this is usually where the mud collects when it rains. ;o)
The mudroom leads into our garage, and the final barred gate. It gets a little cramped at night, as our neighbors park their moto in here too. It could always be worse though.
Jingle, jingle go the keys. Here's our final lock, and look! It's on the outside of the gate. Oh joy! We have the fun of trying to unlock the door from the inside. No need to fear though, Bradley and his crazy unlocking powers are here.
We made it to the other side, and now it's time to ride...
Not too bad, huh? We like it, and we're thankful that God has given us a safe haven in the midst of this sometimes crazy-to-us place. The bars and many locks were slightly overwhelming at first, but now it's just a part of our life. It is amazing that with God on the throne of our hearts, home is wherever our hearts rest, and for the present, our hearts are resting here. So, anytime you're in Phnom Penh, just look us up. We'll be more than happy to welcome you into our Home Sweet Fort Knox.
