Friday 20th April 2007
New Years & Health Scare
Sok Sabi Chnum Khmai (Happy Khmer New Year)
I have had a mega busy week.
Firstly, on Khmer New Years Eve, we had a big morning of handing out rice (and other foodstuffs, including cooking oil from Australia) to orphans and people living with HIV/AIDs. The day went quite well, heaps of MODEs clients turned up (they were qued up outside when I arrived – I felt guilty that I was carrying my breakfast and had to sneak around the back) and we gave away somewhere in the vicinity 1000kg of rice. They came in big 50kg bags which we had to split into 30kg bags for people to take away. I ended up lugging around most of the bags - They were really heavy and really hot, but I wanted to show that I was really keen to help, so I pretended like it was nothing. All the guys in the office started calling me ‘bourng klang’ (strong man) which sufficiently placated my ego. It was a long/hard mornings work, but well worth it. The guys on the office kept jumping on the scales to see who was the heaviest. They kept trying to get me to go on, but I knew that a) the scales did not go up to my weight and b) I had about 40 kg on the nearest competitor, so I strategically avoided it.
While were handing out the rice, one of the grandmothers came up to me and emphatically thanked me for giving them rice. It was quite sweet at her, but I felt quite embarrassed about it (yes, it does happed). It would have still happened if I had been there or not. It is not like I organised it. I felt a bit humbled I guess.
After we handed out all the rice we packed up the office and headed out to the lakeside for an office picnic. There was a lot of eating, drinking and playing cards which was a lot of fun. I ate raw snails, and little clam things. Did I mention the pig innards I had the other week? They go great with beer…
Just as everything was winding up for New Years, we had a rushed meeting/visit from some of the donors. So instead of kicking back for a few days before new years I was busy redrafting a funding proposal and going around with the sponsors. It was good though. I feel like I am finally getting involved in the organisation and the work.
MODE has been working on a project that aims to replicate successful micro-businesses which will help people get out of poverty. If you earn under $20 here you are considered to be in poverty. People living with HIV, people living with disabilities and women-headed houses holds in rural areas are particularly vulnerable to poverty and marginalised by the local communities, many do not have the basic skills or access to programs that could help them develop the skills in order to generate an income. The aim of MODEs is to help these people. By providing them with skills, micro-financing, health services and empowering them through self-help groups.
On our field trip, we took the donors out to see some successful micro-businesses that had been established by people living with disabilities and their families. We visited a cake maker, a rice wine maker (my favourite), a pot maker and basket weavers. They set up their businesses on the side of the road or take their produce to the local village market.
Our meeting and field trip went late, but I still managed to get down to Phnom Penh (there were some seriously bad accidents along the road and it took two extra hours on the bus) for a Saturday departure with some of the other AYAD guys. We hired a mini van with a driver for the weekend and he took us in his ‘Mercedes’ van down to Kampot. We spent the afternoon/night at a place on the river where we went swimming, ate heaps and drank the first day of new years away. It was also one of the girl’s birthdays (Kim) so we made sure she got extra smashed. It was quite a nice spot and was nice to catch up with the guys. On the way home eleven of us squeezed into a tuk tuk. A few of us took turns pushing it up the hills.
The next day the group split up between the ‘mountain goats’ and the ‘beachcombers’. Some of the guys went hiking, while the rest of us (Ags, Tim, Susan, Allison and me) went to Kep which is on the beach. Kep was great – beautiful and tropical and packed with Khmer people on holidays.
Somehow we managed to find a bungalow in this beautiful hotel set among the trees looking over the water. Stunning. It was one of the nicest places I have ever stayed at and all for about $12 a night. From Kep we tried to go Island hoping, but were thwarted by a dodgy boat engine and only got to Rabbit Island, which was beautiful, but not as secluded as we wanted. The Islands off Kep are really close to the border with Vietnam and we were told that if you went the wrong way that the Vietnamese border patrol would just open fire at the boat. So we all had a moment when the boat engine died and we started drifting towards Vietnam. Thankfully our trusty boat driver jumped in and jimmied up the engine so we could get back to Rabbit Island.
While we were on the boat a flying fish jumped out of the water and hit me in the head. Why do all the weird things happen to me? I hadn’t even seen a flying fish before.
At Rabbit Island we splashed about in the water, kicking back in a few inner tubes, lazed about under the palm trees and sunk some beers (to celebrate new years of course). It was so nice to go swimming in a cool ocean. I could literally feel the dust washing away.
The food in Kep was also amazing – fresh fish, prawns, crab and octopus – and soooo cheap. It was great. We ate like kings. On our last night we went to Karaoke bar where the locals all came up to talk to us (there weren’t many tourists about) and get us to dance. But after two bottles of vodka and a couple of goes at dismal Karaoke performances I think they were happy to see us leave.
It was a long trip back to Kampong Thom (over 7 hours in total) and I was feeling pretty crap (see afore mentioned vodka reference). When we got back though, things didn’t improve. I started getting weird aches and pains in my chest and shoulders, on top of which my rash had gotten worse. I was quite worried about this all (being at least 3 hours from reliable medical help), so I decided to call SOS who told me to go to Phnom Penh and get checked out. I spent the night moaning to myself and woke up feeling better, but decided to bum a ride with my boss to Phnom Penh and get checked out anyhow. At least I could get something effective for my rash.
When I got to the SOS clinic they decided that they better do a blood check for malaria and told me to come back the next day. At this point, I really started to get worried. I stayed the night, slightly panicked, at a friends place and went back to the clinic this morning. To my great relief, I do not have malaria (I have been very good taking my anti-malarial medicine), I just had a bit of a bug, no doubt from the seafood or something and the rash it turns out, is most likely due to the anti-malaria medicine (although the doctor kept asking if I took body building drugs - I will take that as a complement. I am like ‘do I look like I am on roids?’). So I am now on anti-biotics and have some kick-ass cream. Phew. If that doesn’t fix it I will have to change my anti-malaria regime.
And I get to spend the weekend in Phnom Penh.
Too add to the good news – I checked my bank balance and have managed to save while I have been here. Cool. Time to go shopping! Maybe I can buy something that won’t fall apart in 4 seconds.
Next week I will be back in Aus for a few days for my sisters wedding, so will see some of you then.
Also, Liz, my cousin, is doing a bit of a collection for toys and clothes and stuff. So, if you have anything that some kids in Cambodia would like let me or Liz know.
Liea Ta (See you)
Erin
New Years & Health Scare
Sok Sabi Chnum Khmai (Happy Khmer New Year)
I have had a mega busy week.
Firstly, on Khmer New Years Eve, we had a big morning of handing out rice (and other foodstuffs, including cooking oil from Australia) to orphans and people living with HIV/AIDs. The day went quite well, heaps of MODEs clients turned up (they were qued up outside when I arrived – I felt guilty that I was carrying my breakfast and had to sneak around the back) and we gave away somewhere in the vicinity 1000kg of rice. They came in big 50kg bags which we had to split into 30kg bags for people to take away. I ended up lugging around most of the bags - They were really heavy and really hot, but I wanted to show that I was really keen to help, so I pretended like it was nothing. All the guys in the office started calling me ‘bourng klang’ (strong man) which sufficiently placated my ego. It was a long/hard mornings work, but well worth it. The guys on the office kept jumping on the scales to see who was the heaviest. They kept trying to get me to go on, but I knew that a) the scales did not go up to my weight and b) I had about 40 kg on the nearest competitor, so I strategically avoided it.While were handing out the rice, one of the grandmothers came up to me and emphatically thanked me for giving them rice. It was quite sweet at her, but I felt quite embarrassed about it (yes, it does happed). It would have still happened if I had been there or not. It is not like I organised it. I felt a bit humbled I guess.
After we handed out all the rice we packed up the office and headed out to the lakeside for an office picnic. There was a lot of eating, drinking and playing cards which was a lot of fun. I ate raw snails, and little clam things. Did I mention the pig innards I had the other week? They go great with beer…
Just as everything was winding up for New Years, we had a rushed meeting/visit from some of the donors. So instead of kicking back for a few days before new years I was busy redrafting a funding proposal and going around with the sponsors. It was good though. I feel like I am finally getting involved in the organisation and the work.
MODE has been working on a project that aims to replicate successful micro-businesses which will help people get out of poverty. If you earn under $20 here you are considered to be in poverty. People living with HIV, people living with disabilities and women-headed houses holds in rural areas are particularly vulnerable to poverty and marginalised by the local communities, many do not have the basic skills or access to programs that could help them develop the skills in order to generate an income. The aim of MODEs is to help these people. By providing them with skills, micro-financing, health services and empowering them through self-help groups.
On our field trip, we took the donors out to see some successful micro-businesses that had been established by people living with disabilities and their families. We visited a cake maker, a rice wine maker (my favourite), a pot maker and basket weavers. They set up their businesses on the side of the road or take their produce to the local village market.
Our meeting and field trip went late, but I still managed to get down to Phnom Penh (there were some seriously bad accidents along the road and it took two extra hours on the bus) for a Saturday departure with some of the other AYAD guys. We hired a mini van with a driver for the weekend and he took us in his ‘Mercedes’ van down to Kampot. We spent the afternoon/night at a place on the river where we went swimming, ate heaps and drank the first day of new years away. It was also one of the girl’s birthdays (Kim) so we made sure she got extra smashed. It was quite a nice spot and was nice to catch up with the guys. On the way home eleven of us squeezed into a tuk tuk. A few of us took turns pushing it up the hills.
The next day the group split up between the ‘mountain goats’ and the ‘beachcombers’. Some of the guys went hiking, while the rest of us (Ags, Tim, Susan, Allison and me) went to Kep which is on the beach. Kep was great – beautiful and tropical and packed with Khmer people on holidays.
Somehow we managed to find a bungalow in this beautiful hotel set among the trees looking over the water. Stunning. It was one of the nicest places I have ever stayed at and all for about $12 a night. From Kep we tried to go Island hoping, but were thwarted by a dodgy boat engine and only got to Rabbit Island, which was beautiful, but not as secluded as we wanted. The Islands off Kep are really close to the border with Vietnam and we were told that if you went the wrong way that the Vietnamese border patrol would just open fire at the boat. So we all had a moment when the boat engine died and we started drifting towards Vietnam. Thankfully our trusty boat driver jumped in and jimmied up the engine so we could get back to Rabbit Island.
While we were on the boat a flying fish jumped out of the water and hit me in the head. Why do all the weird things happen to me? I hadn’t even seen a flying fish before.
At Rabbit Island we splashed about in the water, kicking back in a few inner tubes, lazed about under the palm trees and sunk some beers (to celebrate new years of course). It was so nice to go swimming in a cool ocean. I could literally feel the dust washing away.
The food in Kep was also amazing – fresh fish, prawns, crab and octopus – and soooo cheap. It was great. We ate like kings. On our last night we went to Karaoke bar where the locals all came up to talk to us (there weren’t many tourists about) and get us to dance. But after two bottles of vodka and a couple of goes at dismal Karaoke performances I think they were happy to see us leave.
It was a long trip back to Kampong Thom (over 7 hours in total) and I was feeling pretty crap (see afore mentioned vodka reference). When we got back though, things didn’t improve. I started getting weird aches and pains in my chest and shoulders, on top of which my rash had gotten worse. I was quite worried about this all (being at least 3 hours from reliable medical help), so I decided to call SOS who told me to go to Phnom Penh and get checked out. I spent the night moaning to myself and woke up feeling better, but decided to bum a ride with my boss to Phnom Penh and get checked out anyhow. At least I could get something effective for my rash.
When I got to the SOS clinic they decided that they better do a blood check for malaria and told me to come back the next day. At this point, I really started to get worried. I stayed the night, slightly panicked, at a friends place and went back to the clinic this morning. To my great relief, I do not have malaria (I have been very good taking my anti-malarial medicine), I just had a bit of a bug, no doubt from the seafood or something and the rash it turns out, is most likely due to the anti-malaria medicine (although the doctor kept asking if I took body building drugs - I will take that as a complement. I am like ‘do I look like I am on roids?’). So I am now on anti-biotics and have some kick-ass cream. Phew. If that doesn’t fix it I will have to change my anti-malaria regime.
And I get to spend the weekend in Phnom Penh.
Too add to the good news – I checked my bank balance and have managed to save while I have been here. Cool. Time to go shopping! Maybe I can buy something that won’t fall apart in 4 seconds.
Next week I will be back in Aus for a few days for my sisters wedding, so will see some of you then.
Also, Liz, my cousin, is doing a bit of a collection for toys and clothes and stuff. So, if you have anything that some kids in Cambodia would like let me or Liz know.
Liea Ta (See you)
Erin
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