Wednesday 18th July 2007
Midnight ramblings
It late on a Tuesday night. Or to be more precise Wednesday morning. I can’t sleep. Again. Despite the fact that I am exhausted and there is nothing more I want in the world right now. It has been happening quite regularly of late. My mind just starts racing with thoughts and I can’t relax. It starts off like and drip and then it’s like a flood of thoughts. Crazy and often disjointed thoughts - Thoughts about my friends and family, about my relationships, about people I haven’t seen in years. Thoughts about things I have done in the past, about the people I have met here and the things I have seen, about things that I have said and the things I am going to say, thoughts about my future, my childhood and my dreams. Thoughts and creations; weird day dreams, delusions and thoughts analysing my thoughts. Thoughts, thoughts, thoughts, so many thoughts. Why am I thinking so much? Can’t I stop thinking?
I know I am not the only one – Shin and Lainie have both complained about this too. Occasionally this sort of thing happens at home, but no where near as frequent as it has been happening here. I think it is a side effect of both being isolated and being in a place where I have limited interactions with people and where there is no escape from myself.
I have come to the realisation recently that the hardest part about this whole Cambodia gig is not living in different culture, eating exotic foods, not having hot water, or occasionally electricity, or learning another language. It is not dealing with endemic corruption or even dealing with severe poverty and all the associated problems with that. It is not trying to establish relationships with people who have a completely different outlook to you. It is dealing with your self; dealing with your own thoughts and preoccupations. Where ever you go - there you are.
Outside your comfort zone, away from all the usual distractions and routines, there is one thing left – you. And that becomes very apparent over time.
It isn’t that far to Phnom Penh, 3 hours on a bus, but sometimes even that feels like a lifetime away. Still, even though it has lots of cool western style restaurants with familiar food, friends who speak English as a first language and the hustle of a city – home it is not.
When I have travelled before I have revelled in my ability to rely on myself. To get by in a foreign place where I don’t speak the language and don’t fully understand the customs. It makes you feel independent and gives you faith in you’re ability. It is a great empowering feeling. Especially when you conquer your fears in doing it. I can do anything.
But this feeling is different. After you stop being consumed by the exotic and quirky aspects of a different country or the excitement of living somewhere totally new and different, something else starts to happen.
I have so much time by myself, with myself, in my own head. During the course of a day I am often find myself sitting in meetings not understanding what is going on, or sitting in a crowded restaurant not understanding a word that is being said around me. Sometimes, when Shin is not around, I go days without a normal conversation in English. And my mind starts to drift.
I am away from the comfort of my routine, of my culture, of my friends and family. I am away from the things I use to distract myself – TV, alcohol, music, eating. I am away from the people I talk to about things when I think I think too much. Away from all those things that I have in my life that stop me from facing those big and difficult questions about myself and away from the mechanisms I have incorporated in my life to deal with difficult problems. So I can’t help but wonder. Who am I? What am I about? What do I really value? What do I really believe? What is life all about? And I dissect and re-evaluate. Perhaps a little too much.
Now I often thought it was a bit self indulgent when people go places to try and ‘find themselves’. But I am coming to realise a bit more what people really mean by statements like that. I have moved outside the framework of my normal life in a way and can now look back in on it. I can see things from a new angle, a new perspective. It is all something rather strange and in many ways unexpected. I didn’t expect it to be this intense.
I have my moments where I feel like I am over Asia and I yearn for the simple things of home – pizza on the couch and a DVD or a few beers down the pub with my mates. For a while I thought it was Cambodia. But now I realise that it is more about me. I value the ease and comfort of being able to get takeaway and chill out on the couch watching movies. I value that for many reasons, but perhaps mostly because it is much easier than facing myself; facing my own demons and emotions. Facing those things I keep hidden from view – out the sight of others and out of sight from myself.
It strikes me that people in western culture put a lot of effort into distracting themselves, of avoiding all these tough questions and thoughts. Some people throw themselves into exercise or work – try to exhaust themselves so they don’t have to face them. Some people try to find meaning in religion, history or politics. Some people overindulge or seek pleasure in alcohol or drugs or TV or food or whatever just to avoid it. Some people try to deal with it or distract themselves through a medium like painting or writing. And some people flee from it all and travel. Or, perhaps more likely, everyone does a combination of all the above for a plethora of reasons. But mostly it comes back to the same thing. We find facing ourselves difficult.
But why is it so hard?
I guess that we are all scared. Scared that there might be no meaning, scared that there might be nothing else, scared that we are alone, scared of not being loved, scared of not being understood or accepted, scared that we can’t let ourselves be understood or accepted, scared that we might have got it all wrong, that life is not how we thought it was. Or perhaps this is just my fears.
Either way, without wanting to sound like some new age philosopher, I think it all comes down to love and respect. I think that everyone desires this. Simple. You give it and you receive it.
This is not a new revelation for me. It has been sitting in my mind for a long time. I have always had a strong faith in people and their ability to help each other. I still dream of a fairer more peaceful world where everyone can just get along. I hope I can contribute to this, even in some small way. I hope what I am doing now is a good thing and I hope that it really has some meaning, some impact. But I doubt it. It is but a drop in the ocean. The problems are so big and some convoluted it will take years and years to change. I must accept that I am only one person, and one person can make a difference…
Peace and Love
Erin
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Cambodia - Part 11
Wednesday 12th of July 2007
Hallelujah for hot water!!!
It’s official – I have hot water in my house!!! It only produces a little trickle and the lights dim when you switch the system on, but it is hot and it is glorious (after over 3 months of cold splashes in the bucket). The system is this little box that sits on the wall of the ‘bontoup tuk’ (water room) and basically acts like a really quick urn. The land lord fix it after we paid another 3 months rent in advance. And just in time. It has been getting cold. In the mornings it is dropping down to about 20 and I am really feeling it. Seriously – I find that cold these days. The water must be about 15. Freezing!!!
Despite the fact the wet season has started, it still gets up to the mid 30’s most days. We just have the 3 o’clock storm to cool things down now. And the mud. Mud everywhere. The landscape has completely changed since I first arrived. Gone are the wide dust bowls with limp trees and emaciated cows; replaced with lush green trees, vast sprouting rice paddies, pools of brown muddy water and fat cows…’water, water everywhere and not a drop to drink…’
Speaking of cows I had to shoo one out the gate the other day. It came in and grazed around for a bit while I was having my lunchtime nap. I was hoping she would eat up the lawn so we wouldn’t have to mow it with a whipper snipper again (it’s my turn – Shin did it last time). But then I had to go back to work and had to get her out before I locked the gate. Thankfully she was an agreeable little heifer and followed my lead (unlike some other little heifers I know). Don’t know what I would have done if she was stubborn. But, you know, I still have that BBQ…
I am also loving my motor bike. I thought it would be boring after a while. But no, it is still fun, especially on the dirt tracks or in the mud, although my feet get wet in the puddles. I am half thinking about doing a little trek to Thailand at the end of my assignment, maybe fanging it around Angkor Watt on my way there. Could be way fun.
As for work things are coming along well. I am finding myself busy these days. There is a lot to do in the way of proposals and working out new programs. I found out the other day that my first funding application was successful, so am pretty happy at the moment. That is a 100% success rate. It won’t last, so I am lapping it up at the moment. We are currently working out the logistics of the successful application (it is to assist HIV/AIDS affected people establish micro-businesses and earn enough of an income to support themselves and their families).
At the moment I am working on a new funding proposal to secure funds for an education and awareness campaign. The campaign will improve the understanding of people’s rights in relation to local governance, domestic violence and land rights. It will hopefully compliment and build on some other projects that we have going and have proposed.
On Thursday we will be doing the food security program again. I will be lending my muscle to move the hefty bags of rice. Should be a good work out and we get the satisfaction of feeding the poor. I feel like such a sloth these days – I haven’t exercised in weeks. But hey, I have still lost weight. Thankyou dengue.
Funny thing; my boss bought a Lexus 4WD a few weeks ago. It is white has ‘Lexus’ written down the side in big grey letters. It’s a fake. I know this mostly because my boss told me (I am no car expert). But there also some other give aways – like the Toyota badges…this place is so odd sometimes…
As you probably all know last Saturday was the 7/7/07. This date has particular relevance for the Cambodians. It is the 10 year anniversary since Hun Sen and some of the Cambodian Peoples Party (CPP) held a coup and took government from the ruling Funcinpec Party (who they were in a coalition with at the time), effectively ending the democratic system that the UN tried to implement in 1993 and yet, ironically, bringing some stability to a politically tumultuous situation. A loss of democracy for stability – seems to happen a lot to new democracies.
On the 7/7/97 there was fighting in the streets of Phnom Penh as troops loyal to the CPP fought troops loyal to Funcinpec. Motars were fired, there were skirmishes in the streets and about 70 people were killed. Two days later it was all over - Hun Sen was in power and the leader of Funcinpec was in exile and has been pretty much ever since. In the weeks that followed the coup there were a number of extra-judicial murders and a number of other people were killed. Hun Sen claims that he was protecting Cambodia from a coup from Funcinpec who had made some agreement with the Khmer Rouge. While there is some truth in this (the agreement), one has to wonder why a ruling party would hold a coup. What is left now is pretty much a single ruling party with a leader that intends to hold onto to power as long as possible, endemic corruption and superficial democracy. It is not likely this situation will change anytime soon…
The other day a land rights activist was killed with an AK47 in the west of the country. The murderer was caught a few days later in the south of the country. The Police chief said that they were lucky because the activist yelled out the name of his murderer in his dying moments. The activists wife, who was there, said he didn’t say anything like that. Then representatives from the company who he was fighting against turned up at the autopsy out of ‘curiosity’. Hmm….
Anyhow, I have also done some more travelling. I went to Siem Reap last weekend where I met up with Lainie. We headed out of town and onto Tonle Sap Lake to visit the ‘village on stilts’ (nothing like the ‘poo on sticks’ artwork in Kings Cross) and the flooded forest. It took an hour and half to get there but it was quite cool. It hadn’t rained enough for the village on stilts to flood, so you can still walk down the muddy main road. Underfoot it was littered with little shells and the houses that lined the street, well, they are on stilts. They are mostly traditional wooden houses that sit about 5 metres off ground level and many are decorated with plants from the forest. Quite nice. But the most striking thing was the lack of vehicles. To the point they have volley ball nets pulled tight across the road and you can walk the street with no worries of being hit by a moto. We had lunch on the balcony of one of the locals houses and looked out across the village and then headed of to the forest.
The forest was also nice, but would be better in the middle of the wet season when the boats can weave between the branches of the trees. As it was, the water was fairly low and we went along the side. It was strange to see so many trees clumped so thickly together. Over the years Cambodia has lost much of its forests. Most of it went over the border to Thailand where they built those lovely wooden resorts and souvenirs…
While we were in Siem Reap, by chance, we bumped into our other friends Tim and Ags. One Saturday we caught up with them at the laundry bar in Siem Reap – a funky little bar off the main tourist strip. Because it is low season for tourists, most of the bars are empty and the tuk tuk drivers are particularly keen for business. It also means there is a lot of building happening. The place changes so quickly. But I digress. Over a few shandies, Tim and I devised a dastardly mullet growing competition. Where else are we going to get away with it than in Cambodia?? We have three months to grow a mullet that will impress our friends and families. Despite warnings from the doctor that I might loose it, I still have a full and fertile head of hair post dengue. In fact, I could use a hair cut. Game on.
Ciao.
Erin
Hallelujah for hot water!!!
It’s official – I have hot water in my house!!! It only produces a little trickle and the lights dim when you switch the system on, but it is hot and it is glorious (after over 3 months of cold splashes in the bucket). The system is this little box that sits on the wall of the ‘bontoup tuk’ (water room) and basically acts like a really quick urn. The land lord fix it after we paid another 3 months rent in advance. And just in time. It has been getting cold. In the mornings it is dropping down to about 20 and I am really feeling it. Seriously – I find that cold these days. The water must be about 15. Freezing!!!
Despite the fact the wet season has started, it still gets up to the mid 30’s most days. We just have the 3 o’clock storm to cool things down now. And the mud. Mud everywhere. The landscape has completely changed since I first arrived. Gone are the wide dust bowls with limp trees and emaciated cows; replaced with lush green trees, vast sprouting rice paddies, pools of brown muddy water and fat cows…’water, water everywhere and not a drop to drink…’
Speaking of cows I had to shoo one out the gate the other day. It came in and grazed around for a bit while I was having my lunchtime nap. I was hoping she would eat up the lawn so we wouldn’t have to mow it with a whipper snipper again (it’s my turn – Shin did it last time). But then I had to go back to work and had to get her out before I locked the gate. Thankfully she was an agreeable little heifer and followed my lead (unlike some other little heifers I know). Don’t know what I would have done if she was stubborn. But, you know, I still have that BBQ…
I am also loving my motor bike. I thought it would be boring after a while. But no, it is still fun, especially on the dirt tracks or in the mud, although my feet get wet in the puddles. I am half thinking about doing a little trek to Thailand at the end of my assignment, maybe fanging it around Angkor Watt on my way there. Could be way fun.
As for work things are coming along well. I am finding myself busy these days. There is a lot to do in the way of proposals and working out new programs. I found out the other day that my first funding application was successful, so am pretty happy at the moment. That is a 100% success rate. It won’t last, so I am lapping it up at the moment. We are currently working out the logistics of the successful application (it is to assist HIV/AIDS affected people establish micro-businesses and earn enough of an income to support themselves and their families).
At the moment I am working on a new funding proposal to secure funds for an education and awareness campaign. The campaign will improve the understanding of people’s rights in relation to local governance, domestic violence and land rights. It will hopefully compliment and build on some other projects that we have going and have proposed.
On Thursday we will be doing the food security program again. I will be lending my muscle to move the hefty bags of rice. Should be a good work out and we get the satisfaction of feeding the poor. I feel like such a sloth these days – I haven’t exercised in weeks. But hey, I have still lost weight. Thankyou dengue.
Funny thing; my boss bought a Lexus 4WD a few weeks ago. It is white has ‘Lexus’ written down the side in big grey letters. It’s a fake. I know this mostly because my boss told me (I am no car expert). But there also some other give aways – like the Toyota badges…this place is so odd sometimes…
As you probably all know last Saturday was the 7/7/07. This date has particular relevance for the Cambodians. It is the 10 year anniversary since Hun Sen and some of the Cambodian Peoples Party (CPP) held a coup and took government from the ruling Funcinpec Party (who they were in a coalition with at the time), effectively ending the democratic system that the UN tried to implement in 1993 and yet, ironically, bringing some stability to a politically tumultuous situation. A loss of democracy for stability – seems to happen a lot to new democracies.
On the 7/7/97 there was fighting in the streets of Phnom Penh as troops loyal to the CPP fought troops loyal to Funcinpec. Motars were fired, there were skirmishes in the streets and about 70 people were killed. Two days later it was all over - Hun Sen was in power and the leader of Funcinpec was in exile and has been pretty much ever since. In the weeks that followed the coup there were a number of extra-judicial murders and a number of other people were killed. Hun Sen claims that he was protecting Cambodia from a coup from Funcinpec who had made some agreement with the Khmer Rouge. While there is some truth in this (the agreement), one has to wonder why a ruling party would hold a coup. What is left now is pretty much a single ruling party with a leader that intends to hold onto to power as long as possible, endemic corruption and superficial democracy. It is not likely this situation will change anytime soon…
The other day a land rights activist was killed with an AK47 in the west of the country. The murderer was caught a few days later in the south of the country. The Police chief said that they were lucky because the activist yelled out the name of his murderer in his dying moments. The activists wife, who was there, said he didn’t say anything like that. Then representatives from the company who he was fighting against turned up at the autopsy out of ‘curiosity’. Hmm….
Anyhow, I have also done some more travelling. I went to Siem Reap last weekend where I met up with Lainie. We headed out of town and onto Tonle Sap Lake to visit the ‘village on stilts’ (nothing like the ‘poo on sticks’ artwork in Kings Cross) and the flooded forest. It took an hour and half to get there but it was quite cool. It hadn’t rained enough for the village on stilts to flood, so you can still walk down the muddy main road. Underfoot it was littered with little shells and the houses that lined the street, well, they are on stilts. They are mostly traditional wooden houses that sit about 5 metres off ground level and many are decorated with plants from the forest. Quite nice. But the most striking thing was the lack of vehicles. To the point they have volley ball nets pulled tight across the road and you can walk the street with no worries of being hit by a moto. We had lunch on the balcony of one of the locals houses and looked out across the village and then headed of to the forest.
The forest was also nice, but would be better in the middle of the wet season when the boats can weave between the branches of the trees. As it was, the water was fairly low and we went along the side. It was strange to see so many trees clumped so thickly together. Over the years Cambodia has lost much of its forests. Most of it went over the border to Thailand where they built those lovely wooden resorts and souvenirs…
While we were in Siem Reap, by chance, we bumped into our other friends Tim and Ags. One Saturday we caught up with them at the laundry bar in Siem Reap – a funky little bar off the main tourist strip. Because it is low season for tourists, most of the bars are empty and the tuk tuk drivers are particularly keen for business. It also means there is a lot of building happening. The place changes so quickly. But I digress. Over a few shandies, Tim and I devised a dastardly mullet growing competition. Where else are we going to get away with it than in Cambodia?? We have three months to grow a mullet that will impress our friends and families. Despite warnings from the doctor that I might loose it, I still have a full and fertile head of hair post dengue. In fact, I could use a hair cut. Game on.
Ciao.
Erin
Sunday, July 1, 2007
Cambodia - Part 10
Sunday 1st July 2007
Study Tours and Dengue Fever
Dengue fever sucks. No two ways about it. It just bites. It is like having the flu really really badly – your body aches, cracking headaches, you burn up, get the shivers, you can’t eat, you eyes constantly burn, a metallic taste fills your mouth, an ugly rash appears and you feel nauseous. And then, just when you start to think you are getting better, you become overwhelmed by dizziness and exhaustion every time you stand up. You just have to lie around and get through it. But then comes the boredom. Apparently, I have hair loss to look forward to as well…
So, dengue - yeah, I’ve had it. I reckon that makes me hardcore now. It is also makes me the first amongst my intake to get dengue. We had a bet going to see who would get dengue or malaria first. I took line honours by two days when two of the other girls from Battambong showed up at the emergency clinic in Phnom Penh with distinctly similar symptoms. It turns out there is something of an epidemic in dengue through out Cambodia at the moment. Worst in 20 years. People are dropping like flies. Well, dropping like the little white and black day time mosquitos they carry the fever. Heaps of westerners came into the clinic while I was there. Everyone looked like crap.
When I first came down with it, I was in Sihanoukville. I had spent the night burning up, feeling awful, tossing and turning in a hotel bed. I had to go home via Phnom Penh anyhow, so decided to leave early and go see a doctor. I got to Phnom Penh after a four hour bus ride feeling worse – I had started turning blue and had the shivers really bad (due in part to the arctic air conditioning on the bus), despite the fact my temperature was almost 40. At the clinic they put me straight to bed and I had to spend 24 hours on a drip. Some of my mates in PP heard that I was sick and came down to visit. So, it wasn’t so bad in the clinic – I had my own nurse and they got me food from one of the nicest hotels in PP (not that I could eat it).
Eventually, my temperature came down and they released me from the clinic on the proviso that I didn’t ride any moto’s, I had someone to check up on me and I could come back every few days for a check up/blood test. The first few days I spent with Lainie in a hotel room – she bore the brunt of my moaning and generally whiney state, but was a complete angel about it. The next few days I spent at my friends Kate, Bek and Sophie’s house, in their spare room. By the end of the week I had watched so much crap TV (including all six episodes of star wars) and was sooo bored I was almost bouncing off the walls, but my white blood cells and platelet count had improved and I could go home.
So here I am - back at home in Kampong Thom, feeling good for the first time in a week and a half. Allegedly, I got off lightly. I was only knocked out for a little over a week. Dengue can be far worse and in some cases even fatal (mostly in children). But I got into the doctor pretty early and my body started making anti-bodies fairly quickly. On the up side I am l unlikely to get it again in Cambodia – there are several strands, but I have had the common one found in Cambodia. We will see. If I catch one of the other strands, it will be worse. Far worse.
While I was in the clinic I signed a waiver, so I could be flown to Bangkok hospital for medical treatment if necessary. Alas, it wasn’t necessary. Shame – I could have gone shopping…and I could have flown someone in to ‘look after me’.
So, it is nice to be back in Kampong Thom. I haven’t been here for over two weeks. It so peaceful here compared to the ‘big’ city of Phnom Penh.
Speaking of which I have a bit of bone to pick on the pronunciation of ‘Phnom Penh’. There are no silent ‘p’ in Khmer language. You pronounce the ‘p’ at the start of Phnom Penh. Somewhere, someone started saying ‘Nom Penh’ and now every traveller says it. It is infuriating. And it is wrong. Speak to some Khmer people – they pronounce the ‘p’ at the start. If anything they draw out the ‘e’ in penh more so it sounds more like p-eh-n. ‘Phnom’ it means mountain. If you want to anglicise surely you should say ‘fnom’ and be a real wanker. Sorry. It’s been bothering me.
And another thing – while I am dispelling myths about Cambodia – there are heaps of old people here. Admittedly a lot died during Pol Pot’s reign, but there are still heaps of them. I think that visitors might get the wrong impression, firstly, because Khmer people all look so young and, secondly, because the tourist areas attract young workers who have learnt to speak English. But there are heaps of older Khmers. Many of whom can speak French and attempt to speak it with people like me. Thankfully, I know how to say ‘I don’t speak French’ in both French and Khmer and English.
But I digress - back to my adventures.
As I mentioned, I was in Sihanoukville when I got sick. Sihanoukville is right down in the south of Cambodia on the Gulf of Thailand. There are beaches and hotels and bars and karaoke places and a massive problem with sex tourism (and the associated problems with that). Now to dispel another myth – the problem is both with Khmer people and foreigners. Although there are quite a few sleazy looking foreigners milling about, there are far more sleazy Khmer guys. They go down to the karaoke bars get drunk with the boys, singing and dancing, and then all the boys rock down the local brothel or hotel and sleep with their ‘girlfriends’ (girlfriend is often used as a euphemism for a sex worker). Inevitably, their girlfriends have contracted HIV and pass it onto their boyfriends who then pass it on to their wives and the rest of their family. A side effect of this is that there are increased numbers of orphans and vulnerable children, who then with a lack of support from their parents, are more open to being exploited by employees and child sex tourists. And the cycle goes on…
This is not to say Sihanoukville is ugly. Quite the contrary, it is the nicest part of Cambodia that I have been to. The long drive there winds through thick green tropical mountains. Absolutely beautiful. And the beach – well it’s a beach, with surf, islands, bungalows, bars and boats. Unfortunately we were there on a study tour rather than a holiday, so I got to see the ugly side as well.
It was great to go swimming though. I even tried to teach some of the guys from the office how to swim. But they refused to put their heads under the water properly, so I gave up. The first time we went swimming the guys from the office saw my hairy chest for the first time and I heard the words ‘oh my god, you are hairy like a monkey’. I told them that in Australia you are not considered a man unless you could grow hair on your chest. That shut them up. Well, for a little bit.
While we were on the beach we saw quite a few western women getting around in bikini’s. The Khmer girls go in pretty much fully clothed, so it really stands out when someone is wearing a bikini and they are white. It looked to me like they were practically naked. A point not missed by the guys from the office, who got very excited when a near naked women walked passed. One, to my dismay, even broke out some binoculars. I am not sure who was more in the wrong though – the guys for drooling so much over a little bit of flesh or the girls for not being culturally sensitive.
Study tour - another euphemism. When it was first mentioned that we were going on a ‘study tour’ I thought ‘cool, a couple of us will go down there, see what’s going on by day and chill out with a few beers in the evening’. I wasn’t entirely wrong. What I didn’t expect was that the whole office was going and that half of the office was also bringing their friends and family (including the kids). It was a bit more like a big family holiday than a study tour.
About 30 of us crammed into a little mini bus for the 7 hour drive to Sihanoukville (another 20 or so were crammed into the bosses four wheel drive). Thankfully the guys at work realised I was a little bigger and needed ‘two’ seats in the bus. ‘Two’ seats by Khmer standards is actually what I would consider to be ‘one’ seat. And a small seat at that – on the front seat next to the driver. I had the gear stick under one leg and the other pinned against the tape player (every time we hit a bump, my knee changed the direction of the tape). But still, it was better than being stuck in the back five to a bench seat.
We got to Sihanoukville, after about 200 snack and pee breaks. Anytime anyone was hungry, we all stopped, which meant it was really slow going. But we got there.
I think it seemed particularly long to me, because I had spent 7 hours getting back from Poipet the day before. I had gone to Poipet to visit Lainie for the long weekend. Lainie gets a bit more adventurous with me around and we took a long moto ride out amongst the surrounding villages which was quite nice, but almost ended in tragedy when we had to negotiate a small river to get back on the main road.
In Sihanoukville, most of us (there were too many of us to stay in one place) stayed in a little hotel opposite the beach. I said I didn’t mind sharing and ended up with four other guys in a twin bed room. I was actually sharing a bed. But it was with one of the other guys from the office (the beds were doubles) and everyone left their clothes on so it wasn’t too bad. I contemplated freaking them out and going nude, but decided against it.
Now, there are times where I really like aspects of Khmer culture and other times when it is completely frustrating. I like that they want to be inclusive and get everyone to go to do things together, but it is also annoying. Particularly when there is 50 of you and you spend hours waiting in the car park for one person to have a shower or something. I have been cramped in a van for hours. I can see the beach. I have my swimmers on. It’s hot. I am sweating. I want to go swimming. So why am I waiting in the car park!!! And so the pace for the week was set. There was a lot of waiting about, particularly in car parks, but I compensated by being slower at
getting dressed.
The study tour itself was interesting though. We visited an organisation that was working on projects dealing mostly with sex tourism and HIV/AIDs projects. We went out to some of the villages (shanty towns in the shadows of massive hotels) where HIV was rife and visited a support group for ‘Men who have sex with other men’ (MSM).
The MSM group was basically a group of cross dressers and gay men - they meet once a month in a little hairdressing salon to swap stories and beauty ideas. Most of the MSM work in with sex tourists. I wasn’t really sure what to expect from my colleagues or the gay men themselves. But in a strange way, it seems to be quite acceptable to be gay in Cambodia. They have their own TV show. Not bad considering their low numbers. The guys from the office didn’t really seem to have much of a problem with it and asked lots of questions (in typical Khmer style – they are very curious people and not afraid to ask). We watched a ‘lady boy’ competition on video. It was really sad. I had to try and not to laugh. I could make a better woman than some of them and I certainly could dance better than the majority of them. Basically the ‘show’ consisted of them getting dressed and made up like a traditional Khmer princesses and walked slowly back and forth across a stage. I wanted to get copy and send it to my gay friends back home. They need some help - A bit of queer eye for the queer guys intervention is definitely in order. But you know, at least they are trying.
So after a day and a half of ‘study tour’ we had another day and a half ‘free time’ (while my boss went to meetings). We spent one afternoon driving around and seeing the sights of Sihanoukville. There is a beautiful old art deco hotel (the king’s former summer residence – a legacy of French colonialism) that is perched atop a cliff with lovely private beaches. There are some other really nice resorts too. After that some of the guys took one of the cars and headed to Kampot, but I have been to Kampot, so I decided to stay on in Sihanoukville and enjoy the beach.
After four days of constant contact with the guys from work (eating, drinking, swimming, playing soccer, study touring and sleeping), I decided it was in my interests of my mental health to do a runner and go for a walk on my own. So I snuck off to the more ‘western’ part of the beach to eat a hamburger. Alas, it was also then that I started feeling ill. It was possibly karma, but I doubt it. And so started my bout with dengue.
Tonight it is much cooler. It is raining and I can here the rain tapping against the metal awnings. I can be so peaceful here. I am going to sleep well tonight. Although, I am not looking forward to splashing myself with cold water tomorrow morning. I really must fix the hot water system.
I hope all is well at home.
Take Care,
Erin
Study Tours and Dengue Fever
Dengue fever sucks. No two ways about it. It just bites. It is like having the flu really really badly – your body aches, cracking headaches, you burn up, get the shivers, you can’t eat, you eyes constantly burn, a metallic taste fills your mouth, an ugly rash appears and you feel nauseous. And then, just when you start to think you are getting better, you become overwhelmed by dizziness and exhaustion every time you stand up. You just have to lie around and get through it. But then comes the boredom. Apparently, I have hair loss to look forward to as well…
So, dengue - yeah, I’ve had it. I reckon that makes me hardcore now. It is also makes me the first amongst my intake to get dengue. We had a bet going to see who would get dengue or malaria first. I took line honours by two days when two of the other girls from Battambong showed up at the emergency clinic in Phnom Penh with distinctly similar symptoms. It turns out there is something of an epidemic in dengue through out Cambodia at the moment. Worst in 20 years. People are dropping like flies. Well, dropping like the little white and black day time mosquitos they carry the fever. Heaps of westerners came into the clinic while I was there. Everyone looked like crap.
When I first came down with it, I was in Sihanoukville. I had spent the night burning up, feeling awful, tossing and turning in a hotel bed. I had to go home via Phnom Penh anyhow, so decided to leave early and go see a doctor. I got to Phnom Penh after a four hour bus ride feeling worse – I had started turning blue and had the shivers really bad (due in part to the arctic air conditioning on the bus), despite the fact my temperature was almost 40. At the clinic they put me straight to bed and I had to spend 24 hours on a drip. Some of my mates in PP heard that I was sick and came down to visit. So, it wasn’t so bad in the clinic – I had my own nurse and they got me food from one of the nicest hotels in PP (not that I could eat it).
Eventually, my temperature came down and they released me from the clinic on the proviso that I didn’t ride any moto’s, I had someone to check up on me and I could come back every few days for a check up/blood test. The first few days I spent with Lainie in a hotel room – she bore the brunt of my moaning and generally whiney state, but was a complete angel about it. The next few days I spent at my friends Kate, Bek and Sophie’s house, in their spare room. By the end of the week I had watched so much crap TV (including all six episodes of star wars) and was sooo bored I was almost bouncing off the walls, but my white blood cells and platelet count had improved and I could go home.
So here I am - back at home in Kampong Thom, feeling good for the first time in a week and a half. Allegedly, I got off lightly. I was only knocked out for a little over a week. Dengue can be far worse and in some cases even fatal (mostly in children). But I got into the doctor pretty early and my body started making anti-bodies fairly quickly. On the up side I am l unlikely to get it again in Cambodia – there are several strands, but I have had the common one found in Cambodia. We will see. If I catch one of the other strands, it will be worse. Far worse.
While I was in the clinic I signed a waiver, so I could be flown to Bangkok hospital for medical treatment if necessary. Alas, it wasn’t necessary. Shame – I could have gone shopping…and I could have flown someone in to ‘look after me’.
So, it is nice to be back in Kampong Thom. I haven’t been here for over two weeks. It so peaceful here compared to the ‘big’ city of Phnom Penh.
Speaking of which I have a bit of bone to pick on the pronunciation of ‘Phnom Penh’. There are no silent ‘p’ in Khmer language. You pronounce the ‘p’ at the start of Phnom Penh. Somewhere, someone started saying ‘Nom Penh’ and now every traveller says it. It is infuriating. And it is wrong. Speak to some Khmer people – they pronounce the ‘p’ at the start. If anything they draw out the ‘e’ in penh more so it sounds more like p-eh-n. ‘Phnom’ it means mountain. If you want to anglicise surely you should say ‘fnom’ and be a real wanker. Sorry. It’s been bothering me.
And another thing – while I am dispelling myths about Cambodia – there are heaps of old people here. Admittedly a lot died during Pol Pot’s reign, but there are still heaps of them. I think that visitors might get the wrong impression, firstly, because Khmer people all look so young and, secondly, because the tourist areas attract young workers who have learnt to speak English. But there are heaps of older Khmers. Many of whom can speak French and attempt to speak it with people like me. Thankfully, I know how to say ‘I don’t speak French’ in both French and Khmer and English.
But I digress - back to my adventures.
As I mentioned, I was in Sihanoukville when I got sick. Sihanoukville is right down in the south of Cambodia on the Gulf of Thailand. There are beaches and hotels and bars and karaoke places and a massive problem with sex tourism (and the associated problems with that). Now to dispel another myth – the problem is both with Khmer people and foreigners. Although there are quite a few sleazy looking foreigners milling about, there are far more sleazy Khmer guys. They go down to the karaoke bars get drunk with the boys, singing and dancing, and then all the boys rock down the local brothel or hotel and sleep with their ‘girlfriends’ (girlfriend is often used as a euphemism for a sex worker). Inevitably, their girlfriends have contracted HIV and pass it onto their boyfriends who then pass it on to their wives and the rest of their family. A side effect of this is that there are increased numbers of orphans and vulnerable children, who then with a lack of support from their parents, are more open to being exploited by employees and child sex tourists. And the cycle goes on…
This is not to say Sihanoukville is ugly. Quite the contrary, it is the nicest part of Cambodia that I have been to. The long drive there winds through thick green tropical mountains. Absolutely beautiful. And the beach – well it’s a beach, with surf, islands, bungalows, bars and boats. Unfortunately we were there on a study tour rather than a holiday, so I got to see the ugly side as well.
It was great to go swimming though. I even tried to teach some of the guys from the office how to swim. But they refused to put their heads under the water properly, so I gave up. The first time we went swimming the guys from the office saw my hairy chest for the first time and I heard the words ‘oh my god, you are hairy like a monkey’. I told them that in Australia you are not considered a man unless you could grow hair on your chest. That shut them up. Well, for a little bit.While we were on the beach we saw quite a few western women getting around in bikini’s. The Khmer girls go in pretty much fully clothed, so it really stands out when someone is wearing a bikini and they are white. It looked to me like they were practically naked. A point not missed by the guys from the office, who got very excited when a near naked women walked passed. One, to my dismay, even broke out some binoculars. I am not sure who was more in the wrong though – the guys for drooling so much over a little bit of flesh or the girls for not being culturally sensitive.
Study tour - another euphemism. When it was first mentioned that we were going on a ‘study tour’ I thought ‘cool, a couple of us will go down there, see what’s going on by day and chill out with a few beers in the evening’. I wasn’t entirely wrong. What I didn’t expect was that the whole office was going and that half of the office was also bringing their friends and family (including the kids). It was a bit more like a big family holiday than a study tour.About 30 of us crammed into a little mini bus for the 7 hour drive to Sihanoukville (another 20 or so were crammed into the bosses four wheel drive). Thankfully the guys at work realised I was a little bigger and needed ‘two’ seats in the bus. ‘Two’ seats by Khmer standards is actually what I would consider to be ‘one’ seat. And a small seat at that – on the front seat next to the driver. I had the gear stick under one leg and the other pinned against the tape player (every time we hit a bump, my knee changed the direction of the tape). But still, it was better than being stuck in the back five to a bench seat.
We got to Sihanoukville, after about 200 snack and pee breaks. Anytime anyone was hungry, we all stopped, which meant it was really slow going. But we got there.
I think it seemed particularly long to me, because I had spent 7 hours getting back from Poipet the day before. I had gone to Poipet to visit Lainie for the long weekend. Lainie gets a bit more adventurous with me around and we took a long moto ride out amongst the surrounding villages which was quite nice, but almost ended in tragedy when we had to negotiate a small river to get back on the main road.
In Sihanoukville, most of us (there were too many of us to stay in one place) stayed in a little hotel opposite the beach. I said I didn’t mind sharing and ended up with four other guys in a twin bed room. I was actually sharing a bed. But it was with one of the other guys from the office (the beds were doubles) and everyone left their clothes on so it wasn’t too bad. I contemplated freaking them out and going nude, but decided against it.
Now, there are times where I really like aspects of Khmer culture and other times when it is completely frustrating. I like that they want to be inclusive and get everyone to go to do things together, but it is also annoying. Particularly when there is 50 of you and you spend hours waiting in the car park for one person to have a shower or something. I have been cramped in a van for hours. I can see the beach. I have my swimmers on. It’s hot. I am sweating. I want to go swimming. So why am I waiting in the car park!!! And so the pace for the week was set. There was a lot of waiting about, particularly in car parks, but I compensated by being slower at
getting dressed.The study tour itself was interesting though. We visited an organisation that was working on projects dealing mostly with sex tourism and HIV/AIDs projects. We went out to some of the villages (shanty towns in the shadows of massive hotels) where HIV was rife and visited a support group for ‘Men who have sex with other men’ (MSM).
The MSM group was basically a group of cross dressers and gay men - they meet once a month in a little hairdressing salon to swap stories and beauty ideas. Most of the MSM work in with sex tourists. I wasn’t really sure what to expect from my colleagues or the gay men themselves. But in a strange way, it seems to be quite acceptable to be gay in Cambodia. They have their own TV show. Not bad considering their low numbers. The guys from the office didn’t really seem to have much of a problem with it and asked lots of questions (in typical Khmer style – they are very curious people and not afraid to ask). We watched a ‘lady boy’ competition on video. It was really sad. I had to try and not to laugh. I could make a better woman than some of them and I certainly could dance better than the majority of them. Basically the ‘show’ consisted of them getting dressed and made up like a traditional Khmer princesses and walked slowly back and forth across a stage. I wanted to get copy and send it to my gay friends back home. They need some help - A bit of queer eye for the queer guys intervention is definitely in order. But you know, at least they are trying.
So after a day and a half of ‘study tour’ we had another day and a half ‘free time’ (while my boss went to meetings). We spent one afternoon driving around and seeing the sights of Sihanoukville. There is a beautiful old art deco hotel (the king’s former summer residence – a legacy of French colonialism) that is perched atop a cliff with lovely private beaches. There are some other really nice resorts too. After that some of the guys took one of the cars and headed to Kampot, but I have been to Kampot, so I decided to stay on in Sihanoukville and enjoy the beach.
After four days of constant contact with the guys from work (eating, drinking, swimming, playing soccer, study touring and sleeping), I decided it was in my interests of my mental health to do a runner and go for a walk on my own. So I snuck off to the more ‘western’ part of the beach to eat a hamburger. Alas, it was also then that I started feeling ill. It was possibly karma, but I doubt it. And so started my bout with dengue.
Tonight it is much cooler. It is raining and I can here the rain tapping against the metal awnings. I can be so peaceful here. I am going to sleep well tonight. Although, I am not looking forward to splashing myself with cold water tomorrow morning. I really must fix the hot water system.
I hope all is well at home.
Take Care,
Erin
Friday, June 15, 2007
Cambodia - Part 9
Saturday 16th June 2007
I am sorry about the delay in posting, but Kampong Thom has been without electricity for most of the week. The romour floating around town is that the head of the electiricty company wants a pay increase (i.e. better kick back) and is effectively holding the town to ransom and will increase the price next week (we already pay twice as much as people living in Phnom Penh). The other story is that the machine broke and that it will take them a week to get the spare parts. Both st0ories are quite pluasible, so it is hard to tell. What it has meant is that i have had no fans (it is still very hot - even at night - the first night of the blackout I dehydrated during my sleep and spent the whole next day drinking rehydration drinks till I stopped feeling dizzy) and have had to do most things in the evening by candle light. It has also meant very little work getting done at work when the computers are down. The joys of living in a developing country....
Monday 11th June 2007
The big 3-ohhh and other misadventures
I don’t know what is going on today. But I turned up to work this afternoon and only three staff are here. Only one of whom actually appears to be working. I must have missed the memo. I have finished all my work, so I figure I might as well write another blog instalment…
It has been a hectic few weeks and I am absolutely exhausted.
Last week we decided, along with two other local NGOs, to pursue a women’s rights and domestic violence program (we dropped the land rights one in the end) through the European Commission. Unfortunately, the proposals were due yesterday, which gave us a week to create, discuss, budget and write a detailed proposal. One week is not a long time to do this, particularly when it involves coordinating three Khmer NGOs and making it fit in with an International NGOs program. Fortunately, all three NGOs had international volunteers working for them who had sufficiently English skills to churn something out quickly. One of the other NGOs working on the program was CoDeC which is the NGO that Shin (my housemate) is working for. So Shin and I spent nearly every night last week, with a beer in our hands, tapping away at our key boards until all hours (We got a break one night when the power went down). Both our Khmer teacher and our cleaner took pity on us and bought us food which was very nice of them. Yesterday we had to throw Shin in a taxi to Phnom Penh to hand the proposal in on time – he got there late, after the moto driver got lost, but thankfully, they accepted it anyhow.
Domestic violence is a pretty big issue in Cambodia; it is still seen by many as a private or family issue, one that should be resolved within the confines of the household. One statistic, from a national survey, found that almost 60% of people believe that it is ok for a husband to shoot or throw acid on his wife if she disrespects him. In more extreme examples; some men would tie their wives feet together, hang them from the roof and systematically torture them. I found these stories and statistics quite surprising, given how respectful/gentle people appear to be in public and the fact that the country is predominantly Buddhist. It seems that despite the peaceful teachings of Buddha, the recent extremely violent history still lingers in many people’s minds and there is no clear boundary on what is acceptable behaviour.
Our program is aimed at complimenting a program by GTZ (a German Technological Development organisation). GTZ is targeting Kampong Thom – working with the judiciary, government agencies and the police to create a better understanding of domestic violence and to spread awareness of the new anti-domestic violence laws. Our program will compliment this, by working with the community and local officials to create a better understanding of domestic violence, encourage open discussion, coordinate support for victims and to empower communities to deal with domestic violence in a better way. As part of the ‘awareness raising’ I suggested that we get some local actors to act out the issue of domestic violence in a little dramatic production. Everyone thought it was a great idea, so it got put in the proposal. I was pretty happy with that.
So from working really hard, I also turned 30 last week. Shin and I decided to have a BBQ at our place to celebrate. A few of our friends came up from Phnom Penh and Lainie came down from Poipet. Most of the staff from both MODE and CoDeC also came along, as did our cleaner, some neighbours, Khmer teacher and some of the other expats living in Kampong Thom. In all we had about 50 people, a good mix of Khmers and expats. We had it in the back yard and decorated the trees with fairy lights, lanterns and candles (bought from the market), and laid out some big khmer matts on the ground for people to sit. As the sun set, it was quite picturesque…
It was touch and go for a bit on the BBQ front, but my friends Tim & Ags came through at the last moment with both a BBQ and a pile of meat. Legends. It took me and Tim several beers and a good hour to put the little red BBQ together, which ended up lopsided (ahh, quality Asian products), and the paint started falling off when we put the hot coals in, but it held together. There was a lot of interest from the Khmers in the BBQed food (some hadn’t seen a BBQ before) and after I demonstrated how to make a sausage sandwich (with a sufficiently charcoaled sausage of course), they went at it with much gusto. When I first told them I wanted to have a BBQ, it took me quite a while to explain the concept. Thankfully my boss had done a bit of travelling and was able to explain it for me. The potato salad was also rather popular – so much so, that I missed out on getting any. I am on a winner there.
So the party went quite late, with the music blaring through the massive speakers I borrowed off my boss. There was a lull for about 10 minutes when the power went out – but the neighbours came to the rescue a generator and the party kicked on, while the rest of Kampong Thom descended into darkness. At one point we put on the Khmer music and got everyone to
dance around the table, that was quite fun. The Khmers loved that all my AYAD friends got up and danced too.
It was about 2 am in the morning when the party wrapped up. All the Khmer, even Mab, had gone home and there was about eight of us sprawled out on the mats sinking Mekong Whiskey (not as bad as it sounds), by candle light, when the dogs turned up scavenging for left overs (they didn’t even bring anything to contribute to the party - scabs). We decided to take this as an omen and hit the hay.
The next morning I woke up sweating profusely from the heat and my hangover. I had that moment where you wish that someone else would clean up, but you know that you have to get up and clean. I could already smell the stale beer, cigarettes and all these little bits of food going rancid in the sun. I scraped myself out of bed and went to the back window to survey the damage, only to find, to my surprise, that the backyard was absolutely spotless. The cleaner had turned up early and cleaned everything up for us. She had even done the washing up. Shin and I were well chuffed. We have decided to buy her a present.
The weekend before last, I went to another 30th in Battambong. Another volunteer, Amy, was born a few days before me and she was having a party. Battambong is on the other side of the Tonle Sap lake, so it took me 8 hours to get there. Admittedly, I went the long way via Phnom Penh, because it was also Tim’s birthday that week, and he was going disco bowling. But it was a good way to break up the trek.
Battambong is the second biggest city in Cambodia, which isn’t saying much. The name means ‘big stick’ and there is a big statue of a guy holding a big stick at the entrance to the city. By Khmer standards it is quite a nice city – there is clearly a French influence in the architecture and there is a big river that cuts through the town with little moto/footbridges that cut across it - but there are far pretty cities in south East Asia. There are four AYADs based there, all girls, and they all live in a massive three story house with a huge balcony – where the party was held. We sat out on the balcony drinking beers, giving each other haircuts and dancing. It was fun. I was particularly happy because I also got to catch up with Lainie for the first time in three weeks.
The day before I went to Battambong was International Children’s Day and as part MODEs ‘happy children’ program I was invited down to my Khmer teachers school (she is the school principal) to help out. When I got there I was shuffled into a seat in the front row with all the local dignitaries for what turned out to be a bit of an awards ceremony. MODE had provided the school with ‘prizes’ for the best students in each class and each of the dignitaries took turns presenting the awards to the kids. It was quite odd – I was sitting next to the District Governor, the Village Chief and the local Police Commander handing out awards – clearly I am moving up in social circles in Cambodia…
I hope all is well back home.
Erin
I am sorry about the delay in posting, but Kampong Thom has been without electricity for most of the week. The romour floating around town is that the head of the electiricty company wants a pay increase (i.e. better kick back) and is effectively holding the town to ransom and will increase the price next week (we already pay twice as much as people living in Phnom Penh). The other story is that the machine broke and that it will take them a week to get the spare parts. Both st0ories are quite pluasible, so it is hard to tell. What it has meant is that i have had no fans (it is still very hot - even at night - the first night of the blackout I dehydrated during my sleep and spent the whole next day drinking rehydration drinks till I stopped feeling dizzy) and have had to do most things in the evening by candle light. It has also meant very little work getting done at work when the computers are down. The joys of living in a developing country....
Monday 11th June 2007
The big 3-ohhh and other misadventures
I don’t know what is going on today. But I turned up to work this afternoon and only three staff are here. Only one of whom actually appears to be working. I must have missed the memo. I have finished all my work, so I figure I might as well write another blog instalment…
It has been a hectic few weeks and I am absolutely exhausted.
Last week we decided, along with two other local NGOs, to pursue a women’s rights and domestic violence program (we dropped the land rights one in the end) through the European Commission. Unfortunately, the proposals were due yesterday, which gave us a week to create, discuss, budget and write a detailed proposal. One week is not a long time to do this, particularly when it involves coordinating three Khmer NGOs and making it fit in with an International NGOs program. Fortunately, all three NGOs had international volunteers working for them who had sufficiently English skills to churn something out quickly. One of the other NGOs working on the program was CoDeC which is the NGO that Shin (my housemate) is working for. So Shin and I spent nearly every night last week, with a beer in our hands, tapping away at our key boards until all hours (We got a break one night when the power went down). Both our Khmer teacher and our cleaner took pity on us and bought us food which was very nice of them. Yesterday we had to throw Shin in a taxi to Phnom Penh to hand the proposal in on time – he got there late, after the moto driver got lost, but thankfully, they accepted it anyhow.
Domestic violence is a pretty big issue in Cambodia; it is still seen by many as a private or family issue, one that should be resolved within the confines of the household. One statistic, from a national survey, found that almost 60% of people believe that it is ok for a husband to shoot or throw acid on his wife if she disrespects him. In more extreme examples; some men would tie their wives feet together, hang them from the roof and systematically torture them. I found these stories and statistics quite surprising, given how respectful/gentle people appear to be in public and the fact that the country is predominantly Buddhist. It seems that despite the peaceful teachings of Buddha, the recent extremely violent history still lingers in many people’s minds and there is no clear boundary on what is acceptable behaviour.
Our program is aimed at complimenting a program by GTZ (a German Technological Development organisation). GTZ is targeting Kampong Thom – working with the judiciary, government agencies and the police to create a better understanding of domestic violence and to spread awareness of the new anti-domestic violence laws. Our program will compliment this, by working with the community and local officials to create a better understanding of domestic violence, encourage open discussion, coordinate support for victims and to empower communities to deal with domestic violence in a better way. As part of the ‘awareness raising’ I suggested that we get some local actors to act out the issue of domestic violence in a little dramatic production. Everyone thought it was a great idea, so it got put in the proposal. I was pretty happy with that.
So from working really hard, I also turned 30 last week. Shin and I decided to have a BBQ at our place to celebrate. A few of our friends came up from Phnom Penh and Lainie came down from Poipet. Most of the staff from both MODE and CoDeC also came along, as did our cleaner, some neighbours, Khmer teacher and some of the other expats living in Kampong Thom. In all we had about 50 people, a good mix of Khmers and expats. We had it in the back yard and decorated the trees with fairy lights, lanterns and candles (bought from the market), and laid out some big khmer matts on the ground for people to sit. As the sun set, it was quite picturesque…
It was touch and go for a bit on the BBQ front, but my friends Tim & Ags came through at the last moment with both a BBQ and a pile of meat. Legends. It took me and Tim several beers and a good hour to put the little red BBQ together, which ended up lopsided (ahh, quality Asian products), and the paint started falling off when we put the hot coals in, but it held together. There was a lot of interest from the Khmers in the BBQed food (some hadn’t seen a BBQ before) and after I demonstrated how to make a sausage sandwich (with a sufficiently charcoaled sausage of course), they went at it with much gusto. When I first told them I wanted to have a BBQ, it took me quite a while to explain the concept. Thankfully my boss had done a bit of travelling and was able to explain it for me. The potato salad was also rather popular – so much so, that I missed out on getting any. I am on a winner there.So the party went quite late, with the music blaring through the massive speakers I borrowed off my boss. There was a lull for about 10 minutes when the power went out – but the neighbours came to the rescue a generator and the party kicked on, while the rest of Kampong Thom descended into darkness. At one point we put on the Khmer music and got everyone to
dance around the table, that was quite fun. The Khmers loved that all my AYAD friends got up and danced too.It was about 2 am in the morning when the party wrapped up. All the Khmer, even Mab, had gone home and there was about eight of us sprawled out on the mats sinking Mekong Whiskey (not as bad as it sounds), by candle light, when the dogs turned up scavenging for left overs (they didn’t even bring anything to contribute to the party - scabs). We decided to take this as an omen and hit the hay.
The next morning I woke up sweating profusely from the heat and my hangover. I had that moment where you wish that someone else would clean up, but you know that you have to get up and clean. I could already smell the stale beer, cigarettes and all these little bits of food going rancid in the sun. I scraped myself out of bed and went to the back window to survey the damage, only to find, to my surprise, that the backyard was absolutely spotless. The cleaner had turned up early and cleaned everything up for us. She had even done the washing up. Shin and I were well chuffed. We have decided to buy her a present.
The weekend before last, I went to another 30th in Battambong. Another volunteer, Amy, was born a few days before me and she was having a party. Battambong is on the other side of the Tonle Sap lake, so it took me 8 hours to get there. Admittedly, I went the long way via Phnom Penh, because it was also Tim’s birthday that week, and he was going disco bowling. But it was a good way to break up the trek.
Battambong is the second biggest city in Cambodia, which isn’t saying much. The name means ‘big stick’ and there is a big statue of a guy holding a big stick at the entrance to the city. By Khmer standards it is quite a nice city – there is clearly a French influence in the architecture and there is a big river that cuts through the town with little moto/footbridges that cut across it - but there are far pretty cities in south East Asia. There are four AYADs based there, all girls, and they all live in a massive three story house with a huge balcony – where the party was held. We sat out on the balcony drinking beers, giving each other haircuts and dancing. It was fun. I was particularly happy because I also got to catch up with Lainie for the first time in three weeks.
The day before I went to Battambong was International Children’s Day and as part MODEs ‘happy children’ program I was invited down to my Khmer teachers school (she is the school principal) to help out. When I got there I was shuffled into a seat in the front row with all the local dignitaries for what turned out to be a bit of an awards ceremony. MODE had provided the school with ‘prizes’ for the best students in each class and each of the dignitaries took turns presenting the awards to the kids. It was quite odd – I was sitting next to the District Governor, the Village Chief and the local Police Commander handing out awards – clearly I am moving up in social circles in Cambodia…I hope all is well back home.
Erin
Monday, May 28, 2007
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.
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
Thursday, May 17, 2007
Cambodia - Part 7
Wednesday 16th 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
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
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
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
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 hope all is well for everybody.
Take Care
Sunday, May 6, 2007
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
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
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