Cambodia - Part 8

Monday 28th May 2007

My moto, vulnerable children and community meetings

Wow! I can’t believe over two months have passed already. Time has just flown by. In three weeks I will be half way through my assignment and next week I turn 30! We are planning on having an Aussie styled BBQ for my birthday. We have pretty much everything sorted, excepted the BBQ, but I figure we could always dig a hole, throw some coals in and chuck a sheet of metal over it. I am sure it will work out.

Last week I bought a motor bike. It is a 95cc Honda Wave and it is way cool. I have been practicing all weekend and am now confident enough to ride down the main road of town. I took it for a little spin on some of the dusty cattle tracks outside of town. That was really fun. Don’t worry mum – it doesn’t go that fast and I wear a helmet. The hardest part is actually starting the thing and avoiding the dogs. The dogs just run out in front of you or sit there until you are nearly on top of them, even if you honk the horn. Little bastards. At least, the cows move slowly and get out of the way when you honk, although they do leave little mines along the road. Just another reason not to like dogs, I say. The traffic isn’t too bad either. All that cycling in Sydney has put me in good stead for negotiating vehicles bigger than me. Although it is more chaotic, other drivers are actually more courteous and travel considerably slower.

On my first attempt to ride the moto solo I fell over in front of the office. Basically, I over revved it in first, went flying and stacked it trying to stop. Luckily, I wasn’t going fast and wasn’t hurt and didn’t damage the bike. It was just my ego that took a battering. Half the office saw it. They flocked around me, carried me inside and made me sit down for half an hour. Naturally, it became the talk of the office; they have all been checking on me and making jokes about. They keep telling me that if I want to fly I should take a plane! My boss wouldn’t let me ride solo until the guys took me out for some more lessons. But all is good now. I have it under control. I just needed some more practice.

At work a few things have also been going on.

First of all, I went out with the ‘Happy Children’ program, a program that targets orphans and vulnerable children. They get the kids together and teach them about things like hygiene. After that the kids get to draw pictures and to play. The two staff – Arun and Mab are both former school teachers and were really good with the kids. I took the toys along that my cousins donated and taught some of the kids how to play frisbee.

It was really nice to play with the kids and see them happy. Some of them come from really bad situations. There are six I want to adopt: Two brothers whose parents died from HIV/AIDS and one blind girl (and her three siblings – I couldn’t break up the family) whose parents are infected.

The little blind girl breaks my heart the most. She clings onto her mothers clothes and follows her everywhere. I don’t want to imagine what her life will be like if her mother dies. The other kids, especially her sister, are also really sweet with her. They lead her around and get her to touch the toys. She particularly liked an orange toy that played a song. She just held it close to her ear and played the song over and over. She sang us a traditional Khmer song which was really sweet. She sings quite well and I was holding back the tears.

The two little brothers lost their parents to HIV/AIDS a few years back. They live in a little thatched hut, which MODE built for them, with their 85 year old grandmother. Their grandmother is also suffering from ill health, so they get a bit of special attention from us. Consequently, I have met them quite a few times. They like to pull on my pants and pinch my feet. The eldest tends is very serious and wants to be a doctor when he is older. I hope that he will be. I like to try and make him laugh by pulling faces. The youngest one is really cute - he was in hysterics when I picked him up and put him on my shoulders. He comes up to about my knee. I must seem so big to him.

I have also been going to the community forums facilitated by MODE on HIV/AIDS. They are held after work hours in the local villages, usually on a dusty old dirt volley ball court. The meeting format goes something like this:

Staff tell local villagers of the up coming meeting on their visits. On the morning of the meeting a staff member goes out and puts up the big blue banners with white writing advertising the meetings. A group of us go out to the village after work, at about 5pm, and blast Khmer music really really loudly though a massive stack of speakers. Inevitably a few kids turn up and start running around and don’t stop for several hours. After about 3 hours, of blaring music and kids running around, the villagers and the other speakers turn up and the meeting starts. By this time it is dark and we have fluro lights radiating light from a few strategically placed trees. None of the villages like the light, so they sit in the shadows out on the road or in clumps on the other side of the strategically placed trees. A representative from MODE gets up and talks about HIV/AIDS and MODEs program. A health official gets up and talks about the medical aspects of HIV/AIDS. A person living with HIV/AIDS gets up and talks about their experiences. There is a Q&A session and then some dancing. This is where I come in…

Allegedly, it makes the villagers very happy to see foreigners dance. So I am forced out onto the dusty dance floor by one of the staff and the two of us move three steps forward, three steps back, with hands contorted, around a desk (people won’t dance if there isn’t anything to dance around). I might point out that I am stone cold sober when this is happening. If I am lucky some kids will join me, followed by a few adults. At one I had a bit of a Congo-line happening, which was cool, but last Friday only three people joined in. There must have been at least five hundred people watching me from the shadows. This goes on for a few songs and every song goes for what seems an eternity. Although, it is not all bad. Many people have commented on my dancing skills and the other week I got handed a note from an 18 year old girl with a phone number on it and a message saying that she ‘really’ wanted to ‘get to know me’.

After the dancing, there is a competition. People have to answer questions on HIV/AIDS to get a prize. The prizes consist of Khmer scarfs, writing books and if they are good, and I mean real good, they get washing powder!! Sometimes I even get to present the prizes. Usually, at this time, some of villagers (mostly kids learning English) come up, say hello to me and have a chat. After the prizes are handed out, we wrap up, usually about 11pm. It makes for a long day, but it is interesting.

After one of the meetings, I was introduced to a man whose daughter was about to get married. The man spoke quite good English and invited me to the wedding. So, mostly out of curiosity, I went (with Mab from work). The wedding was held in a restaurant in town which had been decked out with lots of streamers and other decorations. The wedding party greeted us on arrival and we were ushered to our seats. The local karaoke stars were up on stage belting out the Khmer favourites, while we hoed into some great food and skulled copious amounts of beer (poured over ice of course).

During the ceremony I got up to watch them cut the cake and take a few pictures on my phone (my camera got stolen when I was at the market last week – my own fault, I should have been more careful). While I was standing there a girl turned around and said something to me. It took me a moment, partly due to the beer consumption and the loud music, but mostly because I just wasn’t expecting it, to realise: not only why she speaking in English fluently, but she was also speaking with an Australian accent. Anyhow, she was a Khmer Australian who has just moved to Kampong Thom from Perth. You can never get away from Aussies. They are everywhere. Even in Cambodian backwaters like Kampong Thom.

Later, somehow, I am not really sure how, I found myself sitting with the bridal party. Which was strange, but which I am sure I pulled off with grace and dignity. The father, the groom and a few others knocked back a couple of coldies with me, until I was well drunk. Shortly after, I decided to make a sensible exit and left. The father who invited me was very excited that I was able to make it and shook my hand vigorously on the way out. It seems, to me at least, that the Khmer people really love to see people participating (especially foreigners), smiling and enjoying life, so I tend to go down a treat at events. Well, that is what I am telling myself…

On a completely different topic, I have been thinking a lot about ghosts lately. Many Khmer people are very suspicious and believe in ghosts. People talk about them quite openly and they appear in Khmer TV shows all the time. One of the girls from work told me she is afraid to go out by herself at night for fear of running into ghosts. Being something of a sceptic, I don’t really believe in ghosts. But I must say if there was every going to be an event that might leave a few tortured souls behind; it would probably be an act of genocide.

And then late the other night something weird happened.

I was at home alone when something caught my eye outside. When I looked out the window there was what looked like a torch light moving across the neighbour’s wall. I couldn’t figure out the source of the light and when I moved closer again. A shadow, of what looked like a small boy, quickly scampered off over the other neighbour’s roof. It was all quite weird. And the shadow moved far too quickly to be a real boy. Anyhow, although I am sure there is a normal explanation for it, all this talk of ghosts has got me paranoid and I was a little freaked out.

Coincidently, I was also reading a book that mentions the concept of ghosts in a western context. That every world view clings to ghosts, including ours. Our ghosts, though, are thinkers, inventors and scientists, like Descartes, Edison or Aristotle, who are made immortal through their teachings, inventions and insights…so maybe there is something in this ghost thing. Or maybe I just have too much time to think.

One thing that is definitely not a spectre is my craving for food. Over the last week or so I have been getting some serious hankerings. It was triggered by a dinner party I went to the weekend before last at my friends, Tim & Ags, house in Phnom Penh. I was down in Phnom Penh for an AYAD meeting and stayed the weekend. Ags made these delicious veggie burgers and after eating some crap fried rice (Bai Chaa) the following Monday, I realised that I had hit a wall. Up until now fried rice has pretty much been my staple. It is easy to order and digest. But I realised on Monday I was over it and have been craving western food since. I spent much of last weekend cooking pastas and potato salad as a result.

Tonight I am going to meet the District Governor. My Khmer teacher lined it up – she is friends with him and told him that I worked in local government at home. So, he is interested to meet me and talk ideas (I suspect he really wants English lessons). But I am hoping to get a foot in and discuss some issues with him on behalf of my organisation. Will see how that goes.

So, as I mentioned, I had my camera stolen. The pics I have taken are from my phone, so the quality isn’t as good. But you probably won’t be able to tell on this page.

I hope all is well back home.

Take Care
Erin

Cambodia - Part 7

Wednesday 16^th of May 2007

Land Rights, the Long Weekend and Eating Crickets

It is the Wednesday after a long weekend and today I have been struggling for inspiration. On Friday I am going to an AYAD meeting in Phnom Penh and to see the doctor for a follow up visit. So effectively, I have a two day week.

Last week, I spent a good few days furiously searching for funding options and putting together a funding proposal on ‘land rights’. Land rights are a major issue here, especially for people who are poor and/or vulnerable (i.e. women headed households, people living with HIV/AIDs, people living with a disability, etc). Without housing and income security (through subsistence farming) people are pushed even further into a life of poverty.

The problem stems from the Khmer Rouge period, when all official documentation was destroyed and the population was displaced. Since then the land title system has not recovered. Only the very rich can afford to buy property and to pay the bribes necessary at each level to secure a title. As a result, most people have no proof that they own a property, even if it has been in their family for hundreds of years (most people started again after the Khmer Rouge though – so many families have lived on properties for about 20 years which is still quite a substantial amount of time). Basically, around Kampong Thom, wealthy farmers and companies, in cahoots with corrupt officials, are forcing families off their family plots, leaving them homeless and without a means of income. Most rural families are ill educated; they have now idea how to stop this from happening or what to do if someone tries to take their land. Even if they do know they can take it to court and defend their rights, then the wealthy farmers/companies will usually buy off the judiciary. So it is a pretty bad situation.

On the up side, organisations like the Legal Aid Cambodia are doing some good work and having moderate success in representing poor people. But, their resources are limited and there is a lot of dispossession happening around the country. It can be quite dangerous work; at worst some activists have ‘disappeared’, at best there have been more ‘inspections’ on organisations helping people defend their rights. Many NGOs are a little reluctant to deal with this issue, but my boss and I think it is worth while and my NGO has a good relationship with local officials, so I hope we go ahead with it (the staff are going to decide this week at a staff meeting). If it goes ahead we will be educating people on their rights, working with local officials, the judiciary and lining up legal support for victims.

So work has been going well and is really interesting. Although I am getting a little frustrated with the internet connection; it is very difficult to research programs and funding, when there is only one connection and it is slower than a train on the Bankstown Line. It seriously takes me an hour to reply to a couple of emails (I apologise to anyone who was hoping for replies and I haven’t – don’t think I don’t appreciate you and your thoughts). The other day I was over waiting, and decided to go to the internet café and work from there. The connection isn’t much faster, but at least I don’t have to wait for other people to finish. No one had a problem with it, so I might do that a bit more often.

As I have already mentioned, the last few days were public holidays. I had a date of sorts with Lainie, whom I have mentioned previously. Lainie is another Australian volunteer working in Poipet, on the border with Thailand. We met up in Siem Reap, where we stayed in the ‘Day Inn Angkor Resort’. It was a nice place – hot showers, air conditioning, a pool and a buffet breakfast. The most luxurious place I have stayed in Cambodia and still pretty cheap. We had a pretty laid back day, drinking, eating and relaxing. In the evening we went out to a French Bar that is tucked away behind a Silk Shop near the Psaar Chaa (new market). We stumbled across this place on a previous visit they have a bamboo loft section above the bar, serve great buckwheat crepes and mix a mean Mojitio. Our friend Bek was also in Siem Reap with a friend Belinda, who was friend’s with Lainie’s sister (small world), so they caught up with us there too. It was nice evening, talking and drinking.

The next day Lainie and I headed off to Sisophon, on our way to Poipet. It is a three hour drive between Siem Reap and Sisophon. Even though it is a highway and the main road leading to the Thai border, the road is not sealed and quite rough. The rumour doing the rounds is that Thai Airways gives large amounts of money to the Cambodian Government so that they take their time sealing it, as the airline makes a lot of money flying tourists to and from Siem Reap (for Angkor Wat) from Bangkok.

Anyhow, we spent the night visiting our friend Laura (another AYAD) in Sisophon. We had a bit of a dinner party at Laura’s and cooked up a western feast, using supplies we bought in Siem Reap, of pasta and vanilla slice. Sisophon itself, is quite a nice spot, nestled under hill that has a Temple (and mobile phone tower) perched on top. There aren’t many hills about, so you can see it from miles away. Laura’s house is massive – it is a little older with six bedrooms and she lives there alone. She has a nice verandah at the front framed by fairy lights.

The next day Lainie and I headed to Poipet. We took a share taxi and they piled eight people in; driver, two in the passenger seat and five in the back seat (including me and Lainie). Sometimes they try to squeeze even more people in, but not that day. Because of the limited room, Lainie sat on my lap, which I didn’t mind at all. The road is at its worst between Sisophon and Poipet; it was really really bumpy, but it only took about an hour and a half.

Poipet would have to be one of, if not the, ugliest parts of Cambodia. It has an industrial, barren, dirty, dusty feel to it. Lainie has it tough there, she is the only AYAD in town and one of the few foreigners, but she is a pretty cool/strong chick. She has to live in a hotel because her organisation won’t let her live alone. A lot of Cambodians come to Poipet from rural areas (like Kampong Thom) to try to find work and are usually disappointed to find there are few jobs and end up sneaking across the border in dodgy wooden hand pulled carts to work in Thailand. The authorities know this happens (it is pretty obvious) but just turn a blind eye as long as they stay out of sight and they are given a cut from the smuggler.

There are parts of town that sit in muddy bogs, houses made from plastic sheeting and rubbish just strewn in piles through the street. Old clothes sit like a carpet across the muddy banks of the back streets. There are few trees and heaps of mud. I felt there was a definite tension as we walked around the town. I realised just how laid back Kampong Thom is in comparison. While were walking about my new thongs got stuck in some mud and broke (cheap thongs) to the amusement of some nearby, orange be robed, monks. We jumped on a moto and went to the markets, where as usual, I had trouble finding something that would fit me and ended up with thongs that were a little too small.

Almost, overshadowing Poipet are several Casinos’ that sit in the ‘no mans land’ between the Cambodian and Thai borders. It is quite surreal, the stark contrast of the casino’s wealth and modernity against the town, but we went there for dinner anyhow. We had dinner in a proper Chinese restaurant and I tried my hand a little roulette. Ever the shrewd gambler, I doubled my small bet and we left. On the way out we found a night club (wonder of wonders) with a live band, so we had a few drinks and a bit of a boogie there. They played a few English pop songs (most likely for our benefit) which we found highly entertaining as the emphasised the wrong parts of the words. We were the only people dancing (well, except for the Thai girls that were being paid to dance) on the dance floor. Lainie claims she won the dance off, but I know better. It has been a while since I have been anywhere where western dancing was deemed acceptable and so it was quite fun.

The next day I had an 8 hour journey to look forward too, but I should have stayed in bed. For some reason the taxi drivers were being reluctant to take me back to Siem Reap or Sisophon. Lainie and I spent a good few hours trying to find me a ride. In Poipet, the police take a cut from the taxi drivers and if they see a foreigner get in the taxi they will expect a bigger cut, so sometimes they don’t want to take them. Eventually, after going from taxi rank to taxi rank I split a taxi with an American, who had just come over the border, and said goodbye to Lainie. After not being able to get in a share taxi, the private taxi companies literally had a fight over us. It was more expensive, but the driver took us all the way to Siem Reap and we had space to stretch out, so it was probably worth it. It had rained over night, so the road was really slippery and slow going, in parts we fish tailed through the mud.

By the time I got to Siem Reap I had missed the last bus to Kampong Thom and had to organise another taxi. Fortunately they know a thing or two about customer service in Siem Reap and I was bundled into a share taxi with 8 others in no time. Funny thing, while I was waiting in the front seat for the other passengers to arrive, one of the drivers friends kept jumping in the car, giving me a cheeky grin and moving it in front of the policemen (presumably so they could see he was carrying a westerner and would have to pay a higher bribe). The other drivers found this hilarious and were in stiches.

Despite the fact that things were quite cramped, the road was soooo smooth (being sealed) that I fell asleep for a good hour. I woke when our taxi swerved to miss a dog, then some buffalo and finally some cows.

I got home about 7pm, after having left Lainie’s hotel at about 9.30am. It was a long trip in a short amount of time, but worth it. Lainie and I had a lot of fun. It was good to get back to the peace and quiet of Kampong Thom though. I think I might be turning into a country boy – horror of horrors!

Today the staffs of MODE are having a workshop that is all in Khmer, so I was excused. But I have been watching them playing games, brain storm on butchers’ paper and singing songs. Everyone seems to be in good spirits.

My house is becoming a popular hang out for the boys from work since I got the volley ball net and the boys keep asking if they can come over and play. If they could, they would play ever day. Thankfully I have other things to do, like Khmer classes, otherwise I know they would be around every day.

My clothes were caked in mud from Sisophon and Poipet, so I was much relieved to see the cleaner this morning. I could get very use to having a cleaner. She bought us a whole bag of fried crickets the other day and left them in a bowl surrounded by water in the wok, so the ants wouldn’t get to them. Shin and I just looked at them. It was a nice gesture, but there was no way either of us were going to eat a whole bag. In the end, Shin took them to work to give to his colleagues.

The crickets are very popular though and I have tried them. One of the guys from work came in with some fried goods wrapped in newspaper. I thought – great they do fish and chips here! Yum! But then they unravelled the paper and it was full of glistening freshly fried black crickets. I have seen moments like this at the movies – but usually they are the nightmare scenes. So I had a go. They weren’t too bad – a bit like a crunchy chicken/dried fish taste. I ate about 5 so they guys from work didn’t think I was lame. But they still had a laugh at me because I ate the little legs. They don’t. Apparently it is gross to eat the feet (it is considered the dirtiest part on the human body – after the weekend I can see why). I was like, so you eat the bum and the brains, but the feet are too much?! I have also seen people putting them on steamed rice and mixing them into their lunch at the restaurant. Gross.

Also, some good news from home – Jane & Tom (my old house mates) had a baby boy! They haven’t settled on a name as far as I know, but they might name him Blake (after the poet, not me). But, you know, I might have to return the favour one day and call my first born Tutton. Tutton Blake – kinda has a nice ring to it. Some other friends, Loreto and Greg also had their baby a few weeks ago, and Paul and Kym got married. So that is two births and a wedding since I have been here. What is going on in Australia!! I haven’t been gone that long!!!

I hope all is well for everybody.

Take Care

Erin

Cambodia - Part 6

Sunday 6th May 2007

Home coming & Home leaving

Last weekend I went home to Sydney for my sisters wedding.

It was nice, but weird, being at home and seeing my whole family together. Even after my short time in Cambodia, Sydney seemed so sanitized, organised and developed. And it was a little difficult to adjust. In the car on the way from the airport, people were discussing Sydney’s tunnels, on talk back radio. Having just got off the plane from Cambodia, it just sounded like a bunch rich people whinging about nothing. It seemed like such a non issue compared to what people go through here. But, if I have learnt anything while I have been away it is that everything is relative to your own experiences. You deal with what you are given.

On the up side I got curl up under the covers in my comfy bed, wash my clothes properly and have a hot shower. It was good to feel the dust and sweat wash away and to put on clean crisp clothes. Although it was pretty cold and I immediately started to sniffle as I walked out of the airport.

The wedding was a lot of fun. It was good to see everyone together, all dressed up and happy. I am really happy for my sister, Meredith, and Don, they have been together for a long time, and I think it is a good thing for their relationship to take the final step. I can’t imagine what it would be like without Don around, it seems like he has been a part of our family for such a long time. They got married and St Patrick’s Catholic Church in the City and had the reception in the Sebel (on the old Pier One) which was pretty schmick. The food was great and I made the most of it. At the moment they are in Tahiti soaking up the sun on their honey moon…

So, I had a whirl-wind three days in Sydney, but still managed to catch up with some friends at the Courtie, by some more clothes and replace my reading glasses which I lost of the back of a moto, before I flew back.

It felt like a long time travelling, even though I managed to sleep a bit, and I was exhausted by the time I got to Phnom Penh. It was weird, I felt quite anxious and out of sorts until I got back to our house in Kampong Thom. I guess it is all part of this culture shock and reverse culture shock thing they told us about. Some part of me feels like this is home now (well for a while).

It is cooler today, the first cool day I have spent here, and there is a nice breeze blowing. At the moment I am sitting on our front veranda looking out over the muddy waters of the Stung Sen River. On the opposite bank, I can see cows grazing, some wooden boats, up turned and a row of wooden/thatch huts mounting the rise. A little golden dog is sniffing around the front of our gates trying to find a way in. Occasionally, a moto putters past, a cow moos, or my neighbours yell something to each other or clink a bowl, but aside from that, it is just the sound of the rustling leaves and the birds chirping. It is really quite peaceful in Kampong Thom on the weekend. It really is a rural town. I have really been enjoying the chance to relax and have spent most of the day lazing back in a hammock reading a book (Cloudstreet by Tim Winton).

While I was away there has been some rain about the province, so things are looking a bit greener. The difference was quite noticeable from the bus as we sped past the vast rice fields. It has also meant an explosion of bugs. I turned on a fluoro light the other night and, within seconds, there was a cloud of them whirling around. This has meant the implementation of a new lighting strategy around the house. Instead of turning the inside lights on, we turn the outside lights on and the inside ones off, and the bugs tend not to bother us as much. Out in the fields and along the road side the locals have erected big plastic sheet with water troughs at the bottom. At night they turn on purple fluorescent lights to attract the bugs and they catch them in the water trap. You can buy bags of fried crickets everywhere around town. I will have a go, but I have to prepare myself for it first. One of my colleagues offered me one the other day, but I feeing a bit queasy as it was and just couldn’t do it. Just watching her was enough.

I did have a go at some of the beetle nut that they old ladies chew on instead of tobacco. I can’t say I liked it; it was quite bitter and peppery, I spat it out after a little, but my mouth still went numb. Strange. It is not cool for women to smoke here, so they eat the beetle nut instead.

The other day I went out on a field trip with my boss and some of the guys from work. It was quite a revelation to me to find that there is a second, better and bigger, market in Kampong Thom. It seems that I managed to miss a whole part of the town, on the left as you cross the river. It really doesn’t look like anything is down there, but it appears there is heaps of houses and that they go on for quite a way along the river. Kampong Thom is much bigger than I first thought (it’s more of a two horse town, not just a one horse). I guess it is the provincial capital. Still, there isn’t that much to see or do. Most of the action happens on the main street.

Although I haven’t been around much in the last few weeks work is also picking up. I am conducting a review of their current local governance project and looking around for funding to support it in the future. My boss is also looking at getting involved in a land rights campaign, which I think is particularly cool, but might be a bit dangerous as it could put the organisation at odds with some powerful people. So I am in two minds about it.

Outside of work life in Kampong Thom is coming along as well.

On Friday, I bought a volley ball net and ball. We have set up a bit of a court in our front yard. The boys from the office came around and we promptly popped the ball on the barbed wire lining the top of our neighbour’s fence. So we went and got some beer and pig innards and drank the night away instead. We made quite a mess and in the morning the sight of pig innards warming in the sun did nothing for my hang over. Thankfully, our cleaner came to the rescue and cleaned it all up while I slept off my hangover. She’s a gem! Don’t know how I got by without her!

Yesterday we fixed the ball and half the neighbourhood turned up for a game. It was fun, but hot, and I was drenched in sweat and buggered by the end. It turns out my friend Mab is quite the star about town he played volley ball for the Cambodian National team, although they could never afford to travel out of Cambodia to play in tournaments so they only played the occasional game against a visiting neighbour. I tell you what, for a little guy he sure can jump for the spikes.

I am also getting known around town, some people know I speak a little Khmer and stop me to have a little chat. Most of the time I just smile, nod and agree. Usually, I have no idea what they are saying to me except for the odd phrase like ‘are you married?’ or ‘where are you going?’ - I have moments of brilliance in Khmer, but most of the time I struggle still. My Khmer teacher wants me to take more lessons, so I get better quicker. Actually, to go off on a tangent, I told my Khmer teacher that my parents were ‘retired’ and she thought that I was saying that they had passed away. It was a bit of an awkward conversation correcting her, as some time had passed before I realised; she clearly felt sorry for me and was lining me up with orphan friends. Ahh, cultural misunderstandings…

That is one of the other cool things I have come to like about the Khmer culture. When people go through stuff, they never do it alone. They really pull together and look after everyone in the community. For example, one of the younger girls at work, who has lost her mother, has a very close relationship with one of the older women. They call each other sister, hang out after work and do stuff that sisters do.

On the flip side though I have been having a hard time getting across the point that I chose live on my own at home. They simply don’t understand that if I am not married, why I wouldn’t live with my parents. I could think of two good reasons (sorry mum & dad – you know you wouldn’t want me there anyhow).

My health is also improving. After taking antibiotics and using some cream, my spots seem to be going away at last. I am almost back to full health, but I do have to make the trip back to Phnom Penh to see the doctor for a follow up at some point. When I go to stay in Phnom Penh, I usually stay with my friends, also from the AYAD program, Kate, Bec and Sophie. They have a spare bed in a top floor unit. They have a great upstairs part from which you look out over the southern part of Phnom Penh. They sit up there and sip on G&T’s most afternoons, something I am quite partial to. I watched the sun rise from up there just before leaving for Sydney and had a little moment to myself. I was spending so much time at the girls place just before I left for Sydney that I started to feel like I was the fourth housemate…the tuk tuk driver on the corner outside their place knows my name!

Next weekend is another long weekend. We have a two day public holiday for King Norodom’s birthday. Given that I missed a public holiday while I was in Sydney that will make it six public holidays since I have been in Cambodia. It is pretty cool if you ask me. I think I might go west and catch up with my friend Lainie, maybe spend some time in Battambang or something.

Also, big thanks to my cousins, who donated and collected some toys for the kids over here. MODE runs a ‘Happy Happy Children’ program for orphans and vulnerable children, so the toys will go towards that. I will take some pictures for you.

Take Care
Erin