So I have just arrived back from a week’s trip to the Malaysian capital, Kuala Lumpur (or KL to those of us in the know!) so I thought I’d share a little bit about my adventure there.
After having been in a developing country for over a year I had almost forgotten what it could be like. The airport felt massive and there were chain shops everywhere, I saw Body Shop and Mac Donald’s and Starbucks all within several feet of the airport exit and I immediately felt a little overwhelmed.
After a quick shuttle bus ride to the main train terminal in KL we hopped on the monorail system to get to our hotel. It felt very strange to be on a train again and I managed to get my first glimpse of the fame ‘Petronas Twin Towers’ which dominate the KL skyline. One of the first things that struck me about KL was how high everything was. In Cambodia there are very few high rise buildings, even in Phnom Penh there are only a couple, so it felt strange to be suddenly surrounded by these huge towering buildings.
Another aspect of KL which really caught my attention was just how multi-cultural it is. There are Indians, Chinese, Malay and a whole range of other ethnicities who have large populations in the city and seem to have created one unique identity rather than fragmented ones. The same goes for religion, the country is officially Islamic but there are huge communities of Hidus, Buddhists, Christians and Sikhs living side by side, and peacefully, which gives KL an amazing and diverse culture and identity.
The hotel we stayed in was located very centrally, only 5 minutes walk to the main shopping malls and 10 from the towers. More importantly it also had a bath which made me very happy indeed, I think I had one every day!
KL is not the place to start a diet that is for sure. The range and quality of food available is amazing. From street food (although this did seem quite similar to Cambodia!) all the way through to Michelin starred restaurants. I am definitely in love with Malaysian Satay, which are skewers of chicken or beef (no pork in a Muslim country remember) served with a thick peanut sauce. Brilliant. I also tried Japanese Tapan yaka, which is where they cook your dinner on a long hot plate which everyone sits around with the chef in the middle.
There is also ample opportunity to eat western food and I must admit to having a lovely Italian one night yum!
Alcohol, however, is very far from cheap and although might seem fairly reasonable for you Londoners I found the prices shocking. No heavy nights out for me! I did manage to have a few cocktails in the amazing Sky Bar in Traders hotel, which has a great view of the Petronas Towers, courtesy of ladies night and some lovely people with jobs!
During my stay I managed to make it out to the amazing Batu caves, around 30km out of town, which are an ancient Hindu shrine and involve a steep walk up 286 steps in 35 degree heat! I also made it up with towers for an amazing view of the city and out to the Forestry Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM) where I went on a jungle hike which involved an incredible view from the tops of the trees, 60m above ground, 2050ft above sea level and a great vista of KL city itself.
I certainly managed to do a lot in my short visit to the city and I’m glad I had the opportunity to see more of Asia before I head home.
Right now I am trying to wrap up all my work with VSO here in Mondulkiri along with packing up all my life as I am leaving in 10 days and flying home on 31st October. Time is really flying now and before I know it I’ll be back in the freezing cold of the UK, searching for a job...!
Tuesday, 19 October 2010
Tuesday, 31 August 2010
Karaoke, beer and sexual violence: how gender inequality is hindering efforts to achieve the MDGs
Below is an interesting article from KHANA (Khmer HIV/AIDS Alliance) highlighting the serious sexual gender inequalities present in Cambodia.
The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) consist of eight aspirations for a future free form extreme poverty. The goals tackle serious global issues such as hunger, education, child mortality, maternal health, HIV and gender equality.
Research shows that internationally women are subjected to bear a disproportionate burden of poverty due to the systematic discrimination they face in terms of education, health care, employment and control of assets. If inequality between men and women is hindering Cambodia’s efforts to achieve the MDGS, should we increase our focus on women to achieve the MDGs?
An ancient Khmer proverb says, “A man is gold, a woman is a white piece of cloth.” Gold can get dirty or be dropped in the mud, but it can be polished and become as shiny as new, if white cloth is dropped in the mud, it will be forever stained and soiled. This is a sad reflection of how Cambodian society traditionally views women’s sexuality. The massive double standards mean that women often lack their sexual rights and autonomy.
Extreme poverty is the main force driving women into commercial and transactional sex work in Cambodia. This takes place in a variety of settings from brothels and streets to karaoke bars and beer gardens. Entertainment workers (EW) report often report pressure from clients to have sex without condoms and in some cases, clients will offer to pay more for unprotected sex. To women living in poverty this can be hard to refuse. A report for Pharmaciens Sans Frontiers in 2007 showed that 20 % of EW were infected with STIs every month, indicating low condom use.
The majority of married women in Cambodia have to accept that their husbands will have extramarital sexual relationships with paid and unpaid partners. Men are more likely to use condoms with paid partners but many do not use condoms consistently with unpaid partners. The result is that married women account for 43% of new HIV infections (NCHADS 2008).
In a culture that promotes men’s rights to sexual pleasure and silences female sexuality, sexual violence is endemic. EWs are often viewed as ‘spoiled women’ and as such they frequently endure harassment, rape and violence from a variety of perpetrators.
Rape at the hands of clients is a common experience for most EW and according to USAID (2006), a shocking 54.8% of freelance female sex workers were gang-raped in the past year. Furthermore, a recent Human Rights Watch (2010) report highlighted the horrifying experiences that EW suffer, committed by authorities including police who are meant to protect all Cambodian citizens. The report documented widespread cases of rape, torture, violence and arbitrary detention.
Sexual violence is not limited to entertainment workers. There is a lack of reliable data on rape statistics, including rape of children but NGO and government sources say that it is on the increase. Domestic rape is against the law in Cambodia but it is common and is rarely reported to authorities.
According to Amnesty International (2010), rape in Cambodia goes largely unreported due to a number of reasons, EW who are raped do not trust the police, there is a general lack of confidence that the perpetrator will be convicted and furthermore there is often stigma around rape victims and a shame that cannot be shaken. Apart from the massive rights violations that are inflicted on all women during rape, there is also a risk of HIV transmission and unwanted pregnancies.
The Demographic and Health Survey (2005) asserts that 19% of births between 2000 and 2005 were unwanted. This indicates that women lack control over decisions over family planning. It also indicates that Cambodian women have a lack of access to contraception and safe abortion services. This is a serious problem as unsafe abortions account for 14% of maternal deaths in South East Asia.
The third MDG specifically calls on countries to “promote gender equality and empower women,” but as discussed above, gender inequality is hindering the progress of several goals including those on HIV, maternal health and child mortality amongst others.
Although gender inequality has a disproportionate effect on women, it is by no means a women’s problem. Gender includes men and women and as such, men need to take greater responsibility for their roles in gender inequality, maternal health and HIV prevention. They need to identify what actions they must take to redress the issues involved, both to re-instate human rights for women and for the future of the whole country.
The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) consist of eight aspirations for a future free form extreme poverty. The goals tackle serious global issues such as hunger, education, child mortality, maternal health, HIV and gender equality.
Research shows that internationally women are subjected to bear a disproportionate burden of poverty due to the systematic discrimination they face in terms of education, health care, employment and control of assets. If inequality between men and women is hindering Cambodia’s efforts to achieve the MDGS, should we increase our focus on women to achieve the MDGs?
An ancient Khmer proverb says, “A man is gold, a woman is a white piece of cloth.” Gold can get dirty or be dropped in the mud, but it can be polished and become as shiny as new, if white cloth is dropped in the mud, it will be forever stained and soiled. This is a sad reflection of how Cambodian society traditionally views women’s sexuality. The massive double standards mean that women often lack their sexual rights and autonomy.
Extreme poverty is the main force driving women into commercial and transactional sex work in Cambodia. This takes place in a variety of settings from brothels and streets to karaoke bars and beer gardens. Entertainment workers (EW) report often report pressure from clients to have sex without condoms and in some cases, clients will offer to pay more for unprotected sex. To women living in poverty this can be hard to refuse. A report for Pharmaciens Sans Frontiers in 2007 showed that 20 % of EW were infected with STIs every month, indicating low condom use.
The majority of married women in Cambodia have to accept that their husbands will have extramarital sexual relationships with paid and unpaid partners. Men are more likely to use condoms with paid partners but many do not use condoms consistently with unpaid partners. The result is that married women account for 43% of new HIV infections (NCHADS 2008).
In a culture that promotes men’s rights to sexual pleasure and silences female sexuality, sexual violence is endemic. EWs are often viewed as ‘spoiled women’ and as such they frequently endure harassment, rape and violence from a variety of perpetrators.
Rape at the hands of clients is a common experience for most EW and according to USAID (2006), a shocking 54.8% of freelance female sex workers were gang-raped in the past year. Furthermore, a recent Human Rights Watch (2010) report highlighted the horrifying experiences that EW suffer, committed by authorities including police who are meant to protect all Cambodian citizens. The report documented widespread cases of rape, torture, violence and arbitrary detention.
Sexual violence is not limited to entertainment workers. There is a lack of reliable data on rape statistics, including rape of children but NGO and government sources say that it is on the increase. Domestic rape is against the law in Cambodia but it is common and is rarely reported to authorities.
According to Amnesty International (2010), rape in Cambodia goes largely unreported due to a number of reasons, EW who are raped do not trust the police, there is a general lack of confidence that the perpetrator will be convicted and furthermore there is often stigma around rape victims and a shame that cannot be shaken. Apart from the massive rights violations that are inflicted on all women during rape, there is also a risk of HIV transmission and unwanted pregnancies.
The Demographic and Health Survey (2005) asserts that 19% of births between 2000 and 2005 were unwanted. This indicates that women lack control over decisions over family planning. It also indicates that Cambodian women have a lack of access to contraception and safe abortion services. This is a serious problem as unsafe abortions account for 14% of maternal deaths in South East Asia.
The third MDG specifically calls on countries to “promote gender equality and empower women,” but as discussed above, gender inequality is hindering the progress of several goals including those on HIV, maternal health and child mortality amongst others.
Although gender inequality has a disproportionate effect on women, it is by no means a women’s problem. Gender includes men and women and as such, men need to take greater responsibility for their roles in gender inequality, maternal health and HIV prevention. They need to identify what actions they must take to redress the issues involved, both to re-instate human rights for women and for the future of the whole country.
A Very Dry Rainy Season
This year Cambodia is experiencing a relative drought compared to the usual levels of rain during the Monsoon season. Before it started I was warned that it could rain all day, every day, for weeks on end in Mondulkiri, however, we’re lucky at the moment if it rains for an hour a day. Most days it is dry.
Although it feels pretty wet to me after months and months of complete dryness the lack of heavy rain is causing huge problems with crops, especially rice.
When I arrived in Cambodia last year, what I remember most is the severe flooding. This year aid agencies have already begun to help dealing with the drought and the likely ensuing food shortages. Food security is a big issue here in Cambodia, with many families unable to feed themselves adequately it becomes almost impossible to have an effective process of development. In order for education to take on a more important role it is necessary for people to have regular access to enough food. This in turn leads to better health and more time to focus on education.
In many of the villages I work in there is little to no food security. What the family eats that day is in direct response to how much they have managed to produce on the farm or work they have completed. This means that many children are pulled out of school in order to help the family on the farm or to care for younger siblings so their mother can work.
The school term starts on 1st October and the month of September is all about enrolment. I will be working with school directors and communities to ensure that every child of school age enrols in school. Keeping them there however is another kettle of fish entirely. Currently in Cambodia only 59% of children who enrol graduate from grade 6. It is in the rural, indigenous communities where it is hardest to keep the children in class and who can really blame them? When it is a choice between eating that day or sitting in a class where you don’t understand the language the teacher is speaking? I think the key to student retention in these schools is to make the education as relevant as possible to the children. However, teachers have to stick to the curriculum and there is limited support available for bilingual education.
With five years left until the Millennium Development Goals deadline, Cambodia has its work cut out to provide Education for All.
Although it feels pretty wet to me after months and months of complete dryness the lack of heavy rain is causing huge problems with crops, especially rice.
When I arrived in Cambodia last year, what I remember most is the severe flooding. This year aid agencies have already begun to help dealing with the drought and the likely ensuing food shortages. Food security is a big issue here in Cambodia, with many families unable to feed themselves adequately it becomes almost impossible to have an effective process of development. In order for education to take on a more important role it is necessary for people to have regular access to enough food. This in turn leads to better health and more time to focus on education.
In many of the villages I work in there is little to no food security. What the family eats that day is in direct response to how much they have managed to produce on the farm or work they have completed. This means that many children are pulled out of school in order to help the family on the farm or to care for younger siblings so their mother can work.
The school term starts on 1st October and the month of September is all about enrolment. I will be working with school directors and communities to ensure that every child of school age enrols in school. Keeping them there however is another kettle of fish entirely. Currently in Cambodia only 59% of children who enrol graduate from grade 6. It is in the rural, indigenous communities where it is hardest to keep the children in class and who can really blame them? When it is a choice between eating that day or sitting in a class where you don’t understand the language the teacher is speaking? I think the key to student retention in these schools is to make the education as relevant as possible to the children. However, teachers have to stick to the curriculum and there is limited support available for bilingual education.
With five years left until the Millennium Development Goals deadline, Cambodia has its work cut out to provide Education for All.
Thursday, 19 August 2010
Pu Trom Cha Community Well Project Complete!
On Saturday 14th August our little VSO team (Jeltje, Chak and I) set about helping the community of Pu Trom Cha to finish the school’s well. It was dug by members of the local community after a community meeting where the School Director identified the lack of water at the school as a major issue preventing the children from attending. Many children would walk home as they were thirsty and then not return to classes as it was too far. Now the school has a well and a water filter they no longer need to do this so can stay in class for longer and have a more conducive learning atmosphere. The well has also enabled the school to set about creating a garden for growing vegetables and medicinal plants. These will be used to help support the students either by giving them additional food or by using the proceeds from any sales to buy resources for the school.
When we arrived at the school the first thing I noticed was the new fence built around the well and an area soon to be a garden, the wood and labour for which were donated by the community and school director. This was great as the school and community had worked together, without my direct involvement, in order to achieve this after it was suggested in a previous meeting. This fence will keep the buffalo and cows out of the garden area, which is always good when you’re trying to grown plants!
The well was hand dug to a depth of 35 meters, a meter wide. Looking down to the reflective water at the bottom is a vertigo inducing experience and I can’t think of anything worse than being at the bottom!
So, what was now necessary was building a low circular wall around the well to prevent unsuspecting animals and children from falling down a 35m hole and contaminating the water. With the money raised from home I was able to purchase 300 bricks, concrete, sand and tools in order to build this structure. As there was to be a blessing ceremony I also provided food for the community members and the eponymous ‘jar wine’. This is fermented rice mixed with leaves and herbs and is the traditional celebration drink for the local indigenous Bunong people. It is also very, very strong.
Once we had completed the first foundation level and a ring of bricks a break was taken to eat the food and begin the ceremony. A chicken had been killed (somewhere in the village fortunately) and its cooked body was brought and it’s liver mixed with rice and given as an offering to the spirits of the well. They also gave fruit and some of the wine along with small pieces of charcoal wrapped in wool. The air was thick with incense sticks and chanting during the ceremony to wish luck on the well and the school, urging bad spirits to stay away. The religion of the Bunong is one of worshipping the spirits of the forest and is not Buddhism, although the incense, chanting and offerings make it seem similar.
After the ceremony we were asked to join in the rice wine drinking, which I tried and failed to get out of with the excuse of having to ride my motorbike back across the dodgy roads. Jeltje and I were plonked in front of the communal straws sticking out of the jars with the wine made from rain water. There was no way out other than to drink the required cup full, after which I stood up and immediately felt the alcohol go straight to my head!
So after some more wine drinking the work resumed on the wall building and we now had a ring of bricks started. At this point Jeltje and I decided to chip in and help with the brick laying and although it is definitely seen as ‘mans work’ we were allowed to join and after a while the men accepted us into the team and we all worked together to complete it. It was also at this point that the rain began, causing all us brick layers to get soaked to the skin while the rest of the community wisely retreated back into the school!
It took around 5 hours to complete the structure and cover it in concrete. When the concrete has dried out in a couple of weeks, the children and school director will paint the names of all those who contributed to the well building project onto the outside of the well.
This project has been a great success for this tiny school in rural Cambodia. The community have supported and worked with the school in order to improve the learning environment for their children, which will in turn enable them to access better education.
Now the Community and School Director are completely on board they are keen to get going on the next project here which is the community garden and hopefully a library too!
So thank you again to those who gave funds to this great cause, your help has really improved the lives of the children attending this school and given them an increased opportunity to stay in education.
When we arrived at the school the first thing I noticed was the new fence built around the well and an area soon to be a garden, the wood and labour for which were donated by the community and school director. This was great as the school and community had worked together, without my direct involvement, in order to achieve this after it was suggested in a previous meeting. This fence will keep the buffalo and cows out of the garden area, which is always good when you’re trying to grown plants!
The well was hand dug to a depth of 35 meters, a meter wide. Looking down to the reflective water at the bottom is a vertigo inducing experience and I can’t think of anything worse than being at the bottom!
So, what was now necessary was building a low circular wall around the well to prevent unsuspecting animals and children from falling down a 35m hole and contaminating the water. With the money raised from home I was able to purchase 300 bricks, concrete, sand and tools in order to build this structure. As there was to be a blessing ceremony I also provided food for the community members and the eponymous ‘jar wine’. This is fermented rice mixed with leaves and herbs and is the traditional celebration drink for the local indigenous Bunong people. It is also very, very strong.
Once we had completed the first foundation level and a ring of bricks a break was taken to eat the food and begin the ceremony. A chicken had been killed (somewhere in the village fortunately) and its cooked body was brought and it’s liver mixed with rice and given as an offering to the spirits of the well. They also gave fruit and some of the wine along with small pieces of charcoal wrapped in wool. The air was thick with incense sticks and chanting during the ceremony to wish luck on the well and the school, urging bad spirits to stay away. The religion of the Bunong is one of worshipping the spirits of the forest and is not Buddhism, although the incense, chanting and offerings make it seem similar.
After the ceremony we were asked to join in the rice wine drinking, which I tried and failed to get out of with the excuse of having to ride my motorbike back across the dodgy roads. Jeltje and I were plonked in front of the communal straws sticking out of the jars with the wine made from rain water. There was no way out other than to drink the required cup full, after which I stood up and immediately felt the alcohol go straight to my head!
So after some more wine drinking the work resumed on the wall building and we now had a ring of bricks started. At this point Jeltje and I decided to chip in and help with the brick laying and although it is definitely seen as ‘mans work’ we were allowed to join and after a while the men accepted us into the team and we all worked together to complete it. It was also at this point that the rain began, causing all us brick layers to get soaked to the skin while the rest of the community wisely retreated back into the school!
It took around 5 hours to complete the structure and cover it in concrete. When the concrete has dried out in a couple of weeks, the children and school director will paint the names of all those who contributed to the well building project onto the outside of the well.
This project has been a great success for this tiny school in rural Cambodia. The community have supported and worked with the school in order to improve the learning environment for their children, which will in turn enable them to access better education.
Now the Community and School Director are completely on board they are keen to get going on the next project here which is the community garden and hopefully a library too!
So thank you again to those who gave funds to this great cause, your help has really improved the lives of the children attending this school and given them an increased opportunity to stay in education.
Friday, 6 August 2010
And so It Begins...
The rainy season has now officially started making everything exceedingly green and more importantly, exceedingly muddy!
This change has been gratefully received by the people here as the rains have been very late arriving this year. Wells have been running dry and paddy fields unable to yield rice.
I have seen the awful flooding experienced in China and Pakistan and am hoping Cambodia is spared this tragedy. During the end of the rainy season last year Cambodia suffered greatly from severe flooding. This was especially prominent in North East Cambodia, in Rattanakiri Province. Here many villages were washed away entirely and then cut off by flooding caused by Vietnam opening its overwhelmed flood gates when Typhoon Ketsana hit. Vietnam paid for a significant amount of aid for the region, along with support from the UN and CARE, however, it will takes years for it to fully recover.
There are also many problems in Phnom Penh with flooding as many natural water reservoirs and reclaimed for development. During heavy downpours in the Capital the drainage system is quickly overwhelmed and it is not unusual to be wading through streets with water up to your knees, whilst trying not to think about how disgusting the water is and whether that was in fact a rat which just floated past.
Many residents are also experiencing increased problems with flooding in Phnom Penh. Especially in the areas surrounding the Boeung Kang Keng Lake in the North of the city, where most has been filled in order to build tower blocks. I remember last year, shortly after I arrived in Cambodia, reading about an entire family who were killed when electrical cables came into contact with the flood water in their house and they attempted to save each other from the live water.
So although the monsoon season brings joy for agriculture and a break from the blistering heat it also brings issues of its own which can have tragic results.
Things are very slow for me at the moment here in Mondulkiri as the schools are now closed and it is a busy agricultural period for the communities. The muddy and carved up state of the roads also seriously limits where I can go on the motorbike (I am not a motocross driver!).
The rain has also returned the jungle to its lush green state which is beautiful. I wish a photograph could do it justice and convey the beauty and scale but it simply cannot.
I was also recently involved in a meeting to discuss the planning of a community involvement and National Volunteering (NV) project in Cambodia. This was a very interesting exercise and gave us the opportunity to share our experiences and discuss strategies and objectives for the project.
For me it was a good opportunity to look back at the work I have done here so far. It has also helped me to write some very constructive notes for my replacement!
10 weeks to go....
This change has been gratefully received by the people here as the rains have been very late arriving this year. Wells have been running dry and paddy fields unable to yield rice.
I have seen the awful flooding experienced in China and Pakistan and am hoping Cambodia is spared this tragedy. During the end of the rainy season last year Cambodia suffered greatly from severe flooding. This was especially prominent in North East Cambodia, in Rattanakiri Province. Here many villages were washed away entirely and then cut off by flooding caused by Vietnam opening its overwhelmed flood gates when Typhoon Ketsana hit. Vietnam paid for a significant amount of aid for the region, along with support from the UN and CARE, however, it will takes years for it to fully recover.
There are also many problems in Phnom Penh with flooding as many natural water reservoirs and reclaimed for development. During heavy downpours in the Capital the drainage system is quickly overwhelmed and it is not unusual to be wading through streets with water up to your knees, whilst trying not to think about how disgusting the water is and whether that was in fact a rat which just floated past.
Many residents are also experiencing increased problems with flooding in Phnom Penh. Especially in the areas surrounding the Boeung Kang Keng Lake in the North of the city, where most has been filled in order to build tower blocks. I remember last year, shortly after I arrived in Cambodia, reading about an entire family who were killed when electrical cables came into contact with the flood water in their house and they attempted to save each other from the live water.
So although the monsoon season brings joy for agriculture and a break from the blistering heat it also brings issues of its own which can have tragic results.
Things are very slow for me at the moment here in Mondulkiri as the schools are now closed and it is a busy agricultural period for the communities. The muddy and carved up state of the roads also seriously limits where I can go on the motorbike (I am not a motocross driver!).
The rain has also returned the jungle to its lush green state which is beautiful. I wish a photograph could do it justice and convey the beauty and scale but it simply cannot.
I was also recently involved in a meeting to discuss the planning of a community involvement and National Volunteering (NV) project in Cambodia. This was a very interesting exercise and gave us the opportunity to share our experiences and discuss strategies and objectives for the project.
For me it was a good opportunity to look back at the work I have done here so far. It has also helped me to write some very constructive notes for my replacement!
10 weeks to go....
Thursday, 1 July 2010
Things you should know about working in Cambodia
· Rubber soled shoes should be worn at all times in the office to prevent electric shocks from unearthed, dodgy wiring. Seriously. It took several shocks and a numb arm to learn this lesson.
·Your Khmer colleagues will often mysteriously disappear from the office without a word. You later learn this was to go to an important meeting no one thought of inviting you to. Again.
· It is possible for someone’s job to appear to be cutting and gluing. The occasional bit of writing is sometimes involved, along with reorganising photographs.
·Rats break photocopy machines and then die inside them until someone starts to wonder what the smell is. This also shows how often the machine is used...
· Your boss will randomly enter the office, stating that no matter how much you like the current office set up he thinks it is most important that you have your own desk with your own drawer.
· You will only be informed of meetings you are supposed to attend either five minutes before, half way through or several days later when someone asks why you weren’t there.
·The above mentioned very important meetings will always be on days your translator is unavailable.
·Every meeting will involved several hours (not a joke) of speeches where officials repeat the same thing as each other, then read a speech from the PM saying the exact same.
·Pate (sandwiches involving an unidentifiable slab of processed meat) and bottled water are usually the only reason people turn up. When not provided general resentment ensues.
·One of the office computers will be so riddled with virus’s it can no longer save documents, the other one will not be able to type in Khmer any longer. One of these will always be in the computer repair shop (someone’s garage).
· Lack of the correct tools or materials will never stop a Khmer person. Where there is a will there is always a way.
·The statistics charts on the walls will be at least two years behind.
·No-one knows where anyone else is, what they’re doing or when they’ll be back. This counts for you too even though you write your weekly agenda on a board in the office and get in translated.
·Your Khmer colleagues will often mysteriously disappear from the office without a word. You later learn this was to go to an important meeting no one thought of inviting you to. Again.
· It is possible for someone’s job to appear to be cutting and gluing. The occasional bit of writing is sometimes involved, along with reorganising photographs.
·Rats break photocopy machines and then die inside them until someone starts to wonder what the smell is. This also shows how often the machine is used...
· Your boss will randomly enter the office, stating that no matter how much you like the current office set up he thinks it is most important that you have your own desk with your own drawer.
· You will only be informed of meetings you are supposed to attend either five minutes before, half way through or several days later when someone asks why you weren’t there.
·The above mentioned very important meetings will always be on days your translator is unavailable.
·Every meeting will involved several hours (not a joke) of speeches where officials repeat the same thing as each other, then read a speech from the PM saying the exact same.
·Pate (sandwiches involving an unidentifiable slab of processed meat) and bottled water are usually the only reason people turn up. When not provided general resentment ensues.
·One of the office computers will be so riddled with virus’s it can no longer save documents, the other one will not be able to type in Khmer any longer. One of these will always be in the computer repair shop (someone’s garage).
· Lack of the correct tools or materials will never stop a Khmer person. Where there is a will there is always a way.
·The statistics charts on the walls will be at least two years behind.
·No-one knows where anyone else is, what they’re doing or when they’ll be back. This counts for you too even though you write your weekly agenda on a board in the office and get in translated.
Thursday, 24 June 2010
The Temples of Angkor
After being in Cambodia for ten months I felt it was about time for me to visit the biggest tourist attraction here, the ancient Angkorian Temples in Siem Reap. Two of my friends, Sophie and Steph, decided to visit me so I knew this was the perfect opportunity for me to see them for myself.
I had heard many things about the area and seen lots of pictures; however, it did not stop me from being amazed by the scale, magnificence and scope of the Temples. Building started in around 900BC and the site was still occupied until the 14th Century, with the religious focus changing gradually from Hinduism brought from India to Buddhism brought from China.
The Temple complex is on a scale difficult to describe, with the entire region covering miles and miles of rolling hills, flat plains, lakes and jungle. In most cases the Temples have in fact been reclaimed by the jungle, with many having trees growing over, on top or off the crumbling stone structures. This is famously shown in the ‘Tomb Raider’ movie with Angelina Jolie (incidentally, whilst filming in Cambodia she adopted her first child, a local Cambodian).
The architecture is amazing and the attention to detail is breathtaking, with every stone carved by hand with beautiful images. A visit to the Museum in Siem Reap is a must to try and understand the history of the place. Our brilliant tuk-tuk driver Ken took us all around and even to some temples off the beaten track which was great. What it is difficult to describe is the intense heat of place, I seriously don’t think I’ve ever been so hot! I have to admit, when it got too much a lot of ‘culture absorption’ stops were needed (this basically consists of us sitting in the shade in a temple, drinking water and trying to stop sweating profusely...nice!).
The town of Siem Reap is also a pleasant place, with lots going on for tourists and many restaurants and bars which were a nice change from the provincial Cambodia I am used to!
The Temples of Angkor are definitely worth a visit if you’re ever in SE Asia, I cannot recommend them highly enough. It is difficult to try and describe them and no matter how many pictures you see it does not capture the feeling of actually walking around these ancient wonders.
The next big holiday stop was one which was far less full of culture, but equally as enjoyable-the beach! The white sand, blue sea and cocktails were just what was needed after a week of Temple bagging. Other than the odd monsoon (helpfully at 12am...just as we were about to leave the bar which meant we got stuck there until 5:30am. Honest!) the weather was beautiful and we had a very enjoyable trip.
So now it is back to work and I have lots to be getting on with in my final months here in Cambodia. I am hopefully off to a Battambang at the end of July and I’m quite excited as I haven’t been there yet and have heard that it is lovely and has a Bamboo Train, which sounds like fun.
The rains are yet to really start, we are getting the odd shower but nothing on the scale I’ve been expecting here so I feel as though I am almost waiting for it to break. On the up side the weather has seriously cooled off now, with jumpers, jeans and socks needed during the day and blankets and quilts and night which feels great!
I had heard many things about the area and seen lots of pictures; however, it did not stop me from being amazed by the scale, magnificence and scope of the Temples. Building started in around 900BC and the site was still occupied until the 14th Century, with the religious focus changing gradually from Hinduism brought from India to Buddhism brought from China.
The Temple complex is on a scale difficult to describe, with the entire region covering miles and miles of rolling hills, flat plains, lakes and jungle. In most cases the Temples have in fact been reclaimed by the jungle, with many having trees growing over, on top or off the crumbling stone structures. This is famously shown in the ‘Tomb Raider’ movie with Angelina Jolie (incidentally, whilst filming in Cambodia she adopted her first child, a local Cambodian).
The architecture is amazing and the attention to detail is breathtaking, with every stone carved by hand with beautiful images. A visit to the Museum in Siem Reap is a must to try and understand the history of the place. Our brilliant tuk-tuk driver Ken took us all around and even to some temples off the beaten track which was great. What it is difficult to describe is the intense heat of place, I seriously don’t think I’ve ever been so hot! I have to admit, when it got too much a lot of ‘culture absorption’ stops were needed (this basically consists of us sitting in the shade in a temple, drinking water and trying to stop sweating profusely...nice!).
The town of Siem Reap is also a pleasant place, with lots going on for tourists and many restaurants and bars which were a nice change from the provincial Cambodia I am used to!
The Temples of Angkor are definitely worth a visit if you’re ever in SE Asia, I cannot recommend them highly enough. It is difficult to try and describe them and no matter how many pictures you see it does not capture the feeling of actually walking around these ancient wonders.
The next big holiday stop was one which was far less full of culture, but equally as enjoyable-the beach! The white sand, blue sea and cocktails were just what was needed after a week of Temple bagging. Other than the odd monsoon (helpfully at 12am...just as we were about to leave the bar which meant we got stuck there until 5:30am. Honest!) the weather was beautiful and we had a very enjoyable trip.
So now it is back to work and I have lots to be getting on with in my final months here in Cambodia. I am hopefully off to a Battambang at the end of July and I’m quite excited as I haven’t been there yet and have heard that it is lovely and has a Bamboo Train, which sounds like fun.
The rains are yet to really start, we are getting the odd shower but nothing on the scale I’ve been expecting here so I feel as though I am almost waiting for it to break. On the up side the weather has seriously cooled off now, with jumpers, jeans and socks needed during the day and blankets and quilts and night which feels great!
Thursday, 3 June 2010
Month 10
So I have just entered the tenth month I have been in Cambodia and eight month of working here and I have been looking back a little in order to look forward and plan my last four months.
When I first arrived in Cambodia I was faced with culture shock, home sickness and the dawning realisation of what I had let myself in for. On top of that there was the heat and humidity along with feeling massively out of my depths, having never travelled or been to Asia.
Now I can’t imagine not having lived here.
I have had the opportunity to work in such a different and interesting environment, with people who really want to make a difference and change Cambodia. What makes this great is that these people are Cambodians. There is a great sense of ownership here with many Cambodians working at the ground roots to improve the system. However, it cannot be overlooked that there are serious issues in Cambodia which are working against the process of development and those seeking change and improvement.
This issue of corruption in high government levels seeps all the way down to the grass roots and affects every person living and working in Cambodia. Until this is resolved, development in Cambodia is seriously limited by the integral system of corruption currently in operation. This system breeds dissention, discontent and causes a huge divide between the have and have-nots. Mostly, those with money and power are those most willing to use others wrongly, behave in a corrupt manner and take from those who need it more. It is a strange situation but one which is not uncommon in post conflict developing countries.
However, I have discussed the above issue before a few times in my blog and for all the bad things happening in Cambodia, there are also some good. A change of government does not look likely any time soon so therefore it is necessary to work with what is available and try to increase government awareness of the issues in Cambodia.
During my time here so far most of my job has been relationship building with local communities. I am the first VSO volunteer here who has been working in community involvement and have had to spend a considerable amount of time meeting the communities I’m working with and explaining how I am here to support them and how VSO works. A major barrier here is previous NGO involvement. Many Cambodians just see NGO’s as being able to provide funding but VSO is actively against this and instead we volunteers provide our skills and experience. So explaining this was my first major hurdle.
The second aspect of my work so far has been to consult with the communities to establish what it is that they actually need. This need analysis has been vital so as to effectively calculate where my efforts are best placed and so the community can get what is most needed.
So armed with these relationships and need assessments I have established that to increase community involvement with schools a relationship needs to be built and sustained. To do this I am planning on running a series of workshops throughout September with the community, schools and local NGO’s on the importance of continued involvement in the school, the role of the community and different aspects of this, such as student councils and school support committees. There will also be an opportunity for other NGO’s to come along and speak with the community on a range of important topics such as malaria, health care, nutrition, family planning and medicinal herb gardens.
I am really hoping these workshops are a success and I feel that this will have a lasting effect on the community. These sessions will be sustainable as they can be followed up by other local NGO’s and the school and community members.
So this is what I will be working on for the four months until my return home in October. Well, if the rains don’t prevent me that is!
When I first arrived in Cambodia I was faced with culture shock, home sickness and the dawning realisation of what I had let myself in for. On top of that there was the heat and humidity along with feeling massively out of my depths, having never travelled or been to Asia.
Now I can’t imagine not having lived here.
I have had the opportunity to work in such a different and interesting environment, with people who really want to make a difference and change Cambodia. What makes this great is that these people are Cambodians. There is a great sense of ownership here with many Cambodians working at the ground roots to improve the system. However, it cannot be overlooked that there are serious issues in Cambodia which are working against the process of development and those seeking change and improvement.
This issue of corruption in high government levels seeps all the way down to the grass roots and affects every person living and working in Cambodia. Until this is resolved, development in Cambodia is seriously limited by the integral system of corruption currently in operation. This system breeds dissention, discontent and causes a huge divide between the have and have-nots. Mostly, those with money and power are those most willing to use others wrongly, behave in a corrupt manner and take from those who need it more. It is a strange situation but one which is not uncommon in post conflict developing countries.
However, I have discussed the above issue before a few times in my blog and for all the bad things happening in Cambodia, there are also some good. A change of government does not look likely any time soon so therefore it is necessary to work with what is available and try to increase government awareness of the issues in Cambodia.
During my time here so far most of my job has been relationship building with local communities. I am the first VSO volunteer here who has been working in community involvement and have had to spend a considerable amount of time meeting the communities I’m working with and explaining how I am here to support them and how VSO works. A major barrier here is previous NGO involvement. Many Cambodians just see NGO’s as being able to provide funding but VSO is actively against this and instead we volunteers provide our skills and experience. So explaining this was my first major hurdle.
The second aspect of my work so far has been to consult with the communities to establish what it is that they actually need. This need analysis has been vital so as to effectively calculate where my efforts are best placed and so the community can get what is most needed.
So armed with these relationships and need assessments I have established that to increase community involvement with schools a relationship needs to be built and sustained. To do this I am planning on running a series of workshops throughout September with the community, schools and local NGO’s on the importance of continued involvement in the school, the role of the community and different aspects of this, such as student councils and school support committees. There will also be an opportunity for other NGO’s to come along and speak with the community on a range of important topics such as malaria, health care, nutrition, family planning and medicinal herb gardens.
I am really hoping these workshops are a success and I feel that this will have a lasting effect on the community. These sessions will be sustainable as they can be followed up by other local NGO’s and the school and community members.
So this is what I will be working on for the four months until my return home in October. Well, if the rains don’t prevent me that is!
Tuesday, 18 May 2010
The Kings Birthday
Another month, another public holiday... So this time it was for King Sihamoni’s birthday and we have had three days off in total around a weekend.
A group of us decided to head to Phnom Penh for the weekend as it is easy to get to and there was a lot going on to keep us occupied.
On Thursday night there was a free concert given by the American band Dengue Fever in the Vietnamese Friendship Park, sponsored by the US Embassy to celebrate 60 years of involvement in Cambodia (yes, I’m sure there is irony here). Dengue Fever are based in LA and formed after having several trips to Cambodia and discovering 60s and 70s Cambodian music, which I have to admit, is actually quite great! So they set about reviving it and managed to recruit an amazing Cambodian singer to the band and now enjoy worldwide success. In fact, one of the girls I was with had actually already seen them at a festival in the UK.
The one thing which was obvious at the concert was the clear cultural differences between Cambodians and us Barangs. The Cambodians didn’t move during the concert, in fact, most of them didn’t even smile. Yet here were us foreigners cheering, clapping, dancing and singing along. I do not envy any band playing to a Cambodian audience, talk about a tough crowd!
I do feel that I and the group I was with are probably famous on the Cambodian social networking site as it seemed that everyone was taking photos and videos of us. We weren’t the only ones either, once glance around and you could spot many pockets of dancing Barangs causing a stir in the otherwise mostly Cambodian crowd.
The band themselves were great, particularly the lead singer who had an amazing and original voice. I have included a video link here to youtube if you would like to check them out and if they ever come to a venue near you I would definitely recommend that you go!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQYOGkCk2DA
On Friday night we went to a modern dance performance which also included a section by Epic Arts, which is an organisation based in Kampot. They work with children with disabilities helping to support their social development and education, in a country which barely recognises disability. The four young men involved in the piece were amazing, two were in wheelchairs and the other two are deaf. Their performance was brilliant, one of the best modern dance pieces I have seen and it was easily as good as the professionals who followed them.
The main piece was by Belle Chumvan Sodhachivy who is a modern Cambodian choreographer who uses the traditional Khmer Apsara dancing in her modern dance pieces. It was very beautiful and the choreographer herself was an amazing dancer. The themes explored in the piece ranged from playfulness to quite dark group dances. Again, if she ever comes to a venue near you I would definitely recommend going.
http://khmerbird.com/entertainment/contemporary-dancer-belle-chumvan-sodhachivy.html
The weekend was very enjoyable and a definite break from the jungle. However, I was more than happy to head back to Mondulkiri as it is incredibly hot in Cambodia at the moment with high temperatures and humidity causing discomfort and sleep loss in the city! In the mountains the temperature is so much cooler, hitting 30c max during the day and dropping down to low 20c’s at night meaning it is a far nicer climate to live in. In Mondulkiri the rains have also started which make a welcome break to the intense sun.
I’m also looking forward to checking up on several projects I have been working on and am beginning to plan the holiday clubs I am planning on running during the rainy season holiday.
A group of us decided to head to Phnom Penh for the weekend as it is easy to get to and there was a lot going on to keep us occupied.
On Thursday night there was a free concert given by the American band Dengue Fever in the Vietnamese Friendship Park, sponsored by the US Embassy to celebrate 60 years of involvement in Cambodia (yes, I’m sure there is irony here). Dengue Fever are based in LA and formed after having several trips to Cambodia and discovering 60s and 70s Cambodian music, which I have to admit, is actually quite great! So they set about reviving it and managed to recruit an amazing Cambodian singer to the band and now enjoy worldwide success. In fact, one of the girls I was with had actually already seen them at a festival in the UK.
The one thing which was obvious at the concert was the clear cultural differences between Cambodians and us Barangs. The Cambodians didn’t move during the concert, in fact, most of them didn’t even smile. Yet here were us foreigners cheering, clapping, dancing and singing along. I do not envy any band playing to a Cambodian audience, talk about a tough crowd!
I do feel that I and the group I was with are probably famous on the Cambodian social networking site as it seemed that everyone was taking photos and videos of us. We weren’t the only ones either, once glance around and you could spot many pockets of dancing Barangs causing a stir in the otherwise mostly Cambodian crowd.
The band themselves were great, particularly the lead singer who had an amazing and original voice. I have included a video link here to youtube if you would like to check them out and if they ever come to a venue near you I would definitely recommend that you go!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQYOGkCk2DA
On Friday night we went to a modern dance performance which also included a section by Epic Arts, which is an organisation based in Kampot. They work with children with disabilities helping to support their social development and education, in a country which barely recognises disability. The four young men involved in the piece were amazing, two were in wheelchairs and the other two are deaf. Their performance was brilliant, one of the best modern dance pieces I have seen and it was easily as good as the professionals who followed them.
The main piece was by Belle Chumvan Sodhachivy who is a modern Cambodian choreographer who uses the traditional Khmer Apsara dancing in her modern dance pieces. It was very beautiful and the choreographer herself was an amazing dancer. The themes explored in the piece ranged from playfulness to quite dark group dances. Again, if she ever comes to a venue near you I would definitely recommend going.
http://khmerbird.com/entertainment/contemporary-dancer-belle-chumvan-sodhachivy.html
The weekend was very enjoyable and a definite break from the jungle. However, I was more than happy to head back to Mondulkiri as it is incredibly hot in Cambodia at the moment with high temperatures and humidity causing discomfort and sleep loss in the city! In the mountains the temperature is so much cooler, hitting 30c max during the day and dropping down to low 20c’s at night meaning it is a far nicer climate to live in. In Mondulkiri the rains have also started which make a welcome break to the intense sun.
I’m also looking forward to checking up on several projects I have been working on and am beginning to plan the holiday clubs I am planning on running during the rainy season holiday.
Wednesday, 5 May 2010
The Mango Rains
Last week saw the beginning of the ‘mango rains’ which means that it doesn’t rain everyday but when it does rain, it pours (and storms). They are so named as we are nearing the end of the mango season, which I will sorely miss. It has just come into avocado season too, which has been marvellous and I have had many VSO’s begging me to bring them a supply when I come to Phnom Penh.
However, this is now day two without any rain but as Chak just reliably informed me, the next time it rains that will be it. The beginning of the rainy season. This means constant rain for days, severely limiting travel and work and general madness caused by being continuously cold/wet and the noise of the rain pummelling the tin roofs.
As you can see from my above description, I am a little apprehensive about the start of the rains. The land here at the moment is parched beyond recognition, with river beds lying empty and waterfalls dry. I cannot wait to see again, Cambodia as it was when I first arrived, a lush green country with rice paddies as far as the eye could see and roaring waterfalls. However, practically, I am not looking forward to the boredom and frustration it is likely to cause (I have been reliably told by other people in Mondulkiri). In the rest of Cambodia during the rainy season it rains for perhaps a couple of hours a day maximum. In the mountainous region of Mondulkiri I have heard that it regularly rains non-stop for a week. I just can’t even begin to imagine what this will be like (apart from wet...) and I think it will certainly be an experience.
So in preparation I have changed my motorbike tyres to mud ones and will be purchasing a high quality poncho next time I’m in Phnom Penh. I may even get some wellies!
Perhaps Cambodia isn’t too far from England then, only, here it only rains for 5 months rather than 12!
However, this is now day two without any rain but as Chak just reliably informed me, the next time it rains that will be it. The beginning of the rainy season. This means constant rain for days, severely limiting travel and work and general madness caused by being continuously cold/wet and the noise of the rain pummelling the tin roofs.
As you can see from my above description, I am a little apprehensive about the start of the rains. The land here at the moment is parched beyond recognition, with river beds lying empty and waterfalls dry. I cannot wait to see again, Cambodia as it was when I first arrived, a lush green country with rice paddies as far as the eye could see and roaring waterfalls. However, practically, I am not looking forward to the boredom and frustration it is likely to cause (I have been reliably told by other people in Mondulkiri). In the rest of Cambodia during the rainy season it rains for perhaps a couple of hours a day maximum. In the mountainous region of Mondulkiri I have heard that it regularly rains non-stop for a week. I just can’t even begin to imagine what this will be like (apart from wet...) and I think it will certainly be an experience.
So in preparation I have changed my motorbike tyres to mud ones and will be purchasing a high quality poncho next time I’m in Phnom Penh. I may even get some wellies!
Perhaps Cambodia isn’t too far from England then, only, here it only rains for 5 months rather than 12!
Monday, 26 April 2010
Khmer New Year 2010
No dolphins in any of my pictures!
Collecting the blessed water
Giving buddha a spring clean
Posing on Don Dhet
From 14-16th April it was Khmer New Year, which is a Buddhist celebration of the new year of the Tiger.
Although there were only 3 days public holiday, most people in government offices and schools take from 6th April off as it is their main holiday of the year. So this meant a couple of fairly boring weeks for me, however, we had heard about this ahead of time so myself and the other youth volunteers decided to use this break to head off to Laos.
We decided to head to the area known as ‘4000 Islands’ which is really close to the Cambodian border and very beautiful this time of year as the water level has dropped in The Mekong causing lots of small islands to emerge from the river. This provides some beautiful swimming spots and beaches.
For the New Year ceremony itself we headed to the local temple on Don Dhet (the main island in the complex) to see for ourselves exactly what is involved. The ceremony began in one of the small temples with the men entering with a couple of monks and chanting. Meanwhile, outside, families were setting up camp, sat in small groups with bowls of what looked like tea and fruit. When the monks were finished all the men carried out all the statues and religious artefacts (including bits of wood and stones) and placed them on a bamboo table in the main area of the pagoda. After some more praying it was a mad rush to grab the biggest and fanciest looking statue and bring it back to your families’ camp. The whole family then proceeded to wash them with the tea, scrubbing them with the fruit and leaves and rinse it all down with what looked like yellow dyed water. After the cleaning process the statues are returned to the tables and water is thrown over them all (and everyone stood around!). It took me a moment to notice but the space underneath the table was crammed full of young children capturing the liquid being poured over the religious statues. This is seen as blessed water and afterwards someone poured some over my head declaring that I had been blessed by Buddha. Happy days.
After this ceremony the main party began with many water fights ensuing and people generally celebrating. It was a lovely experience and I was really glad that I got the opportunity to witness the New Year celebrations which were taking place in Thailand, Cambodia and Laos.
On my way back from Laos I took the opportunity to spend the weekend in a town called Kratie, famous for its fresh water irrawady dolphins. These dolphins are very endangered as something has happened to the species meaning all the calves keep dying. It is unknown what has caused this, although environment is thought t be the most likely. WWF have said that they will have completely died out within 10 years so I took this rare opportunity to view them. When we got to the pool where the dolphins are most frequently seen I was surprised to be quickly ushered onto a boat and proceed to see many of these rare creatures. Naturally they were practically impossible to get a photograph of and I have many shots of just random patches of river. If you want to see them you will have to visit Kratie!
So that is the end of holidays for the moment for me, however, in May there are lots more public holidays (there isn’t a month in Cambodia without at least one!) so I hope this will give me a chance to pop to Phnom Penh to have a bit of a reality check!
Friday, 23 April 2010
Well Update!
Me with the new VSO Volunteer Ben and some of the school children from the village.
So this week I made it up to Pu Trom Cha School, where the community well is currently being dug, to check up on the progress and success! The well has been dug to a depth of 22m and it has just over a meter and a half of water at the bottom and with rainy season about to start, that level is soon to rise.
All that is left to do now is to build some kind of small wall around it to stop children/animals falling down it. Jack, at the Elephant Project, has offered to donate the bricks and concrete so that I can use the remaining money to buy a good water filter to be kept at the school so the children have access to safe water.
I am hoping the well can be finished next week and I have asked a fellow NGO worker here who is an agricultural adviser here on community gardens to come to the school and speak with the community about setting up a small vegetable garden in the school. This would then be a push off point for creating ‘breakfast clubs’ to provide a morning meal for the children which would keep them in school and help their performance in the classroom.
Charlotte
Wednesday, 31 March 2010
Further Information
If you are at all interested in looking a little further into the current political situation in Cambodia please check out the following links. The first is to a film on youtube which shows the problem of land grabbing and the second is a report by Global Witness.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2G_4J94kGIs
http://www.globalwitness.org/media_library_detail.php/713/en/country_for_sale
So, I hope you find these both as interesting interesting as I did.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2G_4J94kGIs
http://www.globalwitness.org/media_library_detail.php/713/en/country_for_sale
So, I hope you find these both as interesting interesting as I did.
Tuesday, 30 March 2010
Another week another random sickness!
So last week I had to rush off to Phnom Penh as I was really, really sick. Yes. Again.
Anyway, it turns out it was acute salmonella poisoning which is fairly nasty and if left untreated can cause your insides to go septic...which I’m sure is something you wanted to know!
However, being in Phnom Penh gave me the opportunity to go shopping with a small budget VSO gave me. I have decided to create ‘resource boxes’ for the School Support Committees with materials to help them support the schools, whether by having learning resources making sessions or running arts activities with the children during school holidays.
I have as yet been unable to get up to Pu Trom Cha School to check on the well’s progress but I hope to do so this week.
VSO Mondulkiri is also welcoming a new volunteer this week! Ben will be working on Effective Teaching and Learning in Pechrada District and is here on a visit week to introduce himself to the office here, sort out a house and generally get himself a bit settled in the place where he is to spend the next two years. Ben is very nice and experienced as he has already completed a two year placement in Papua New Guinea so Jeltje and I look forward to working with him and increasing the size of our team here!
As I am now almost exactly at the half way point of my placement here in Cambodia I thought I’d share a little bit of how I’m feeling seven months down the line...
Anyway, it turns out it was acute salmonella poisoning which is fairly nasty and if left untreated can cause your insides to go septic...which I’m sure is something you wanted to know!
However, being in Phnom Penh gave me the opportunity to go shopping with a small budget VSO gave me. I have decided to create ‘resource boxes’ for the School Support Committees with materials to help them support the schools, whether by having learning resources making sessions or running arts activities with the children during school holidays.
I have as yet been unable to get up to Pu Trom Cha School to check on the well’s progress but I hope to do so this week.
VSO Mondulkiri is also welcoming a new volunteer this week! Ben will be working on Effective Teaching and Learning in Pechrada District and is here on a visit week to introduce himself to the office here, sort out a house and generally get himself a bit settled in the place where he is to spend the next two years. Ben is very nice and experienced as he has already completed a two year placement in Papua New Guinea so Jeltje and I look forward to working with him and increasing the size of our team here!
As I am now almost exactly at the half way point of my placement here in Cambodia I thought I’d share a little bit of how I’m feeling seven months down the line...
Things I have learnt about life in Cambodia:
‘No’ is not an answer (e.g. ‘Yes, I understand what you mean’ only to find out later ‘I didn’t know what you meant’ and ‘Yes we can fit two more people, a moto and a bunch of chickens into the full mini bus’).
Being clean all the time is not necessary and everyone is as dirty as each other so it really doesn’t matter (this is in reference to the dust and not poor personal hygiene!).
If you don’t have at least two mobile phones you are a NOBODY.Karaoke can grow on you.
Things will get done at some point. Just because no-one knows when that point will be doesn’t matter, it will get done.
Air conditioning always has to be on an absolutely freezing setting or you’re not getting value for money.
People are, in general, happy!
Going one day without eating rice (nyam bai) is a fate worse than death (this is genuinely the fate of bad people and there is one day a year when you leave out rice balls for your naughty ancestors).
When I first arrived in Cambodia I was completely overwhelmed. Everything seemed really intense; the climate, the traffic, the food and the people but seven months on I really feel like I’m starting to get the hang of things here!
When I return home I wonder if I will have to reacclimatise to the weather, food and traffic!!
Monday, 15 March 2010
The Khmer Riche 160310
As you have read in my previous blogs I am really struggling to balance the complete and abject poverty experienced by the majority here in Cambodia, forced on them and hindered by a small percentage of highly powerful 'Khmer Riche'. This small group run Cambodia, politically and economically, with corruption at such a high rate it is very difficult for the average Cambodian to get anywhere without becoming part of the process.
The selling off of land which belongs to indeginous people, who have been working it for years, in order to log it for the highly sought after (and illegal) tropical hardwood is just one of the many ways in which the rich are profiting from taking advantage of the poorest.It is not just a problem in Mondulkiri either, all over Cambodia huge swathes of land have been sold off in order to extract the natural resources, whether it is wood, gold, gems or oil. In the linked article from The Times it says that Cambodia should be making billions a year in oil revenues alone and yet it still receives more than this in foreign aid.
So why, I hear you ask, should we support a country which is so set on not helping itself? This is a difficult question and one I have asked myself many times, especially when I come across corruption perpetrated by Cambodians which directly damages those most in need.
Firstly, Cambodia needs help. The Khmer Rouge destroyed an entire generation of professionals like teachers and doctors, so advisors are needed to temporarily fill the stop-gap. However, the government regularly fails its key workers when they need support the most. For example, teachers are paid $30 a month on average. $30? Even here that is barely enough to support a family for a week. So they need to generate more income and this is done by corrupt practices such as charging students to come to school, making students pay for exam papers or even insisting that the children buy snacks from the teachers spouse. This in turn causes parents to resent teachers and means the poorest will never succeed at school. I have seen this happen regularly and teacher/parent relations are a huge aspect of my work here. However, how much sustainable success can I really have if the Government continues its low salary policy?
Secondly, if foreign aid pulled out from Cambodia it is the poorest who would suffer. The rich elite rely on NGOs to support the poor and I fear that if they did leave in protest at the system, the rich would not suddenly revert to social responsibility. The poor would suffer a huge drop in services and in the short term there would be a peak in mortality rates, not to mention the long term effects such a radical change would cause. The Department for International Development (DFID-British Government) have recently pulled out of Cambodia; I wonder who will be next?
So, although I regularly feel that Cambodia has been let down by those who are supposed to protect, conserve and love their country I do not think it wise to abandon Cambodia to its fate.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article7023700.ece?token=null&offset=0&page=1
The selling off of land which belongs to indeginous people, who have been working it for years, in order to log it for the highly sought after (and illegal) tropical hardwood is just one of the many ways in which the rich are profiting from taking advantage of the poorest.It is not just a problem in Mondulkiri either, all over Cambodia huge swathes of land have been sold off in order to extract the natural resources, whether it is wood, gold, gems or oil. In the linked article from The Times it says that Cambodia should be making billions a year in oil revenues alone and yet it still receives more than this in foreign aid.
So why, I hear you ask, should we support a country which is so set on not helping itself? This is a difficult question and one I have asked myself many times, especially when I come across corruption perpetrated by Cambodians which directly damages those most in need.
Firstly, Cambodia needs help. The Khmer Rouge destroyed an entire generation of professionals like teachers and doctors, so advisors are needed to temporarily fill the stop-gap. However, the government regularly fails its key workers when they need support the most. For example, teachers are paid $30 a month on average. $30? Even here that is barely enough to support a family for a week. So they need to generate more income and this is done by corrupt practices such as charging students to come to school, making students pay for exam papers or even insisting that the children buy snacks from the teachers spouse. This in turn causes parents to resent teachers and means the poorest will never succeed at school. I have seen this happen regularly and teacher/parent relations are a huge aspect of my work here. However, how much sustainable success can I really have if the Government continues its low salary policy?
Secondly, if foreign aid pulled out from Cambodia it is the poorest who would suffer. The rich elite rely on NGOs to support the poor and I fear that if they did leave in protest at the system, the rich would not suddenly revert to social responsibility. The poor would suffer a huge drop in services and in the short term there would be a peak in mortality rates, not to mention the long term effects such a radical change would cause. The Department for International Development (DFID-British Government) have recently pulled out of Cambodia; I wonder who will be next?
So, although I regularly feel that Cambodia has been let down by those who are supposed to protect, conserve and love their country I do not think it wise to abandon Cambodia to its fate.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article7023700.ece?token=null&offset=0&page=1
The Elephant Project 150310
http://www.elie-cambodia.org/
My friend Jack has been in Mondulkiri for 6 years setting up the Elephant Project here, which now consists of several bungalows as accommodation for tourists and volunteers working at the project. You can go for the day, week, month or several months!
The work there consists of working with the mahouts (elephant handlers) to ensure that they do not mistreat the elephants. Jack pays the mahouts a certain amount each month so that their sick/injured/infirm elephants do not have to work, causing them further suffering and long term health issues.
The plot of land out at the project is beautiful and I spent a lovely afternoon wandering through the jungle at elephants pace, stopping for the occasional mud bath!
So check out the website and if you ever fancy spending a week in the remote jungle, in lovely lodgings and spending the day walking around with elephants, this is the place to go!!!
xx
My friend Jack has been in Mondulkiri for 6 years setting up the Elephant Project here, which now consists of several bungalows as accommodation for tourists and volunteers working at the project. You can go for the day, week, month or several months!
The work there consists of working with the mahouts (elephant handlers) to ensure that they do not mistreat the elephants. Jack pays the mahouts a certain amount each month so that their sick/injured/infirm elephants do not have to work, causing them further suffering and long term health issues.
The plot of land out at the project is beautiful and I spent a lovely afternoon wandering through the jungle at elephants pace, stopping for the occasional mud bath!
So check out the website and if you ever fancy spending a week in the remote jungle, in lovely lodgings and spending the day walking around with elephants, this is the place to go!!!
xx
Speaking Gecko (Mum and Brian visit Cambodia) 23/02/10
Sorry-this is really late!
So Mum and Brian left yesterday for a two day stopover in Thailand (and I am informed-a luxury hotel!) before heading home from their trip to SE Asia.
I was a little nervous at first that Mum and Bri wouldn’t like Cambodia but I was wrong to doubt how quickly people fall in love with this Country, even with all its problems.
We started off in Phnom Penh with a great airport greeting then back to The Pavillion Hotel, which has been converted from the Queen’s (of Cambodia!) former residence into a lovely boutique hotel surrounded by lush tropical gardens and a beautiful pool. However, Mum and Bri’s room actually had their own pool which was ace. On the first night I decided that it was probably best to start with ‘Phnom Penh light’ so I took them to FCC (Foreign Correspondents Club) for dinner and drinks on the roof terrace overlooking the river and Royal Palace complex.
The next day we headed back into Phnom Penh (Brian looking particularly bleary eyed as he had stayed up till 4am watching Liverpool loose!) to check out the Royal Palace, Silver Pagoda and National Museum. Brian had surprised me with a new lens for my camera, so he quickly set about taking some photographs with it.
After an afternoon of chilling by the gorgeous pool we headed to a roof terrace on the river for (small) cocktails and the on to a French restaurant for dinner. I was taking the opportunity of taking Mum and Bri to places which I usually can’t afford!!
The next morning we headed out to The Killing Fields, the scenes of the genocide committed by the Khmer Rouge in the late 70’s. From experiencing the genocide prison complex in Phnom Penh (S21) I knew that this was not going to be a pleasant experience but none the less I am glad we went. A huge stupa has been erected which contains the bones of the victims which were dug up during the initial excavation of the site in the 80s. It was decided, after the scale of the graves was realised, that leaving the bodies where they are is for the best and many mass graves remain untouched at the site. It is strange, but I found it to be a very peaceful place, almost verging on beautiful. There is a natural lake in the centre and other than the odd sign it is difficult to tell that this was a scene of mass murder. I’m not going to go into detail, but suffice it to say that when the Khmer Rouge were perpetrating these killings they were not ones to waste bullets on executions, so the means of death are very grim indeed. If you ever go to Cambodia it needs to be done to help understand the country’s horrific past, but the people here do not dwell. In fact, many do not even want the trials that are currently happening here to continue. Most just want to move on, which I can understand, but these horrific crimes must be accounted for and many of the Khmer Rouge leaders are still alive.
Anyway, onto something much more cheerful! That evening I took Mum and Bri for cocktails at Raffles (the best martini in Phnom Penh) then onto a NGO restaurant which does some of the nicest (and most foreigner friendly) Cambodian food in Phnom Penh.
The next day we headed off to the French Colonial coastal town of Kep and our villa overlooking the beautiful Gulf of Thailand on one side at a jungle covered mountain on the other-stunning! Unfortunately, I had chosen this day to get really sick so the most I saw of the place was my bed and the bathroom (both of which were the nicest I had been in/to in Cambodia!). The next day however we took a walk down to the crab market which was buzzing as it was Chinese New Year and many people were on holiday. So we had great fun just wandering around the market stalls selling freshly caught seafood, which went from said sea to someone’s tummy in about 10 minutes.
The following day Brian decided that we were going to go for a walk, which I was reassured, would not be going through jungle or up hills (I still felt ropey). Naturally, the walk we ended up on was straight up the hill and through the jungle. It was worth it though as after talking (hmmm) to a very enthusiastic nun and a friend of the Queen’s who had set up said nunnery, we ended up at a beautiful lookout point where you could see the entire bay area. Another stunning example of how this country is so full of the unexpected.
The next morning we had arranged a tour with Rith, a rather enterprising young man who has set up his own tour/travel agency in town and he promptly (only 15mins late) arrived to take us around the sites of Kep in his retro Toyota camry. The first part of this tour was of the ‘ghost town’ which is comprised of the burnt out French villas from the ‘30s40s. It is actually pretty creepy going around there and it is strange to see these beautiful old villas in such a decrepit state and it makes you wonder what an amazing place it must’ve been back in the day. It is also quite bizarre that there are beautiful fences and gates surrounding completely empty plots of land. Rith informed us that this is because if there is not a fence around it the government will now sell that plot of land. This is a familiar problem across Cambodia, with the government selling off huge swathes of prime real estate in order to make a quick buck, with no thought that eventually the land is going to run out and Cambodia will be left with nothing. It is happening everywhere, with massive plots having been sold here, in Mondulkiri, which are now being logged, mined and planted with rubber trees with none of the income benefiting Cambodia. The workforce are imported, the materials immediately exported (on roads built by foreign businesses) out of Cambodia and into the foreign markets with absolutely no sustainability or positive outcome for Cambodian people. When there is nothing left, the foreign investors will no doubt try and sell the land back to Cambodia for far more than it is now worth.
Sorry, that turned into a bit of a rant and I’m afraid I may revert to it when I write about Bokor Mountain Hill Station!
Anyway, on the tour we also visited the amazing caves at Kampong Trach (where small children showed us around with torches) which were pretty breathtaking, but impossible to get a decent photo of! We also stopped off at a pepper plantation, where Mum took the opportunity to invest in a big bag of black and white Kampot pepper, which is famous around the world for its unique flavour. So whilst on the way back to town, Rith mentioned that the road up Bokor Mountain was open for Chinese New Year and tomorrow was the last day. I knew that this was quite a rare occurrence and that the other option was an 8hour trek each way, so we arranged for him to pick us up the following day and to take us up the mountain and then drop us at our new hotel in Kampot.
The Vietnamese company Sokha, is building a new road up the mountain as it is building a huge hotel complex at the top, which will be 5* all bells and whistles when finished. Currently, at the top there is the remains of the small town, built by the French, mostly consisting of a Hotel/Casino. This must have been beautiful it its day, with some of the best views I have ever seen of the jungle and coast. However, rather than refurbishing this beautiful, albeit run down, building Sokha is creating a hotel which would not be out of place in Dubai or Las Vegas. The word travesty does not even do this justice and it makes me very sad. They are going to flood an entire valley to create an artificial lake where they’ll be water sports. Seriously. I cannot even comprehend the damage this will do to the ‘national park’ and the wildlife which has all but departed. Saying that, we were fortunate enough to see a couple of eagles and great hornbills whilst on the road, which was pretty amazing. I feel very lucky that I have managed to see this beautiful place before it is ruined by ‘development’.
The next day we felt pretty exhausted from doing about 1hr of walking the previous day...so this called for a massage. We had a recommendation from a VSO in town and had appointments booked. Brian had opted for the ‘steam’ option and the result was one of the funniest things I have seen in my life. One has not lived until they have seen their father wearing a sarong and crouching down so that two tiny Khmer ladies can baste him in bright orange paste to then seat him on a commode covered in a plastic bag then lighting a fire under his bum.
Flights/hotels/trips: $2000
Steam/massage: $9
A photograph which will forever be used for blackmailing purposes: priceless
Ahhh anyway. Soon it was time for us to head on back to Phnom Penh, as Mum and Brian were leaving in a couple of days and we still needed to shop!! So this we did and Brian decided that a trip to the S21 torture and genocide museum was a more appealing prospect than going to the market with Mum and I!! So, I am sure all of you who are now the proud owners of silk scarves know that they were indeed bought in a Cambodian market!
There is so much more to tell but this blog is already way too long! So I guess you will all have to come to Cambodia to experience it for yourselves!
xx
So Mum and Brian left yesterday for a two day stopover in Thailand (and I am informed-a luxury hotel!) before heading home from their trip to SE Asia.
I was a little nervous at first that Mum and Bri wouldn’t like Cambodia but I was wrong to doubt how quickly people fall in love with this Country, even with all its problems.
We started off in Phnom Penh with a great airport greeting then back to The Pavillion Hotel, which has been converted from the Queen’s (of Cambodia!) former residence into a lovely boutique hotel surrounded by lush tropical gardens and a beautiful pool. However, Mum and Bri’s room actually had their own pool which was ace. On the first night I decided that it was probably best to start with ‘Phnom Penh light’ so I took them to FCC (Foreign Correspondents Club) for dinner and drinks on the roof terrace overlooking the river and Royal Palace complex.
The next day we headed back into Phnom Penh (Brian looking particularly bleary eyed as he had stayed up till 4am watching Liverpool loose!) to check out the Royal Palace, Silver Pagoda and National Museum. Brian had surprised me with a new lens for my camera, so he quickly set about taking some photographs with it.
After an afternoon of chilling by the gorgeous pool we headed to a roof terrace on the river for (small) cocktails and the on to a French restaurant for dinner. I was taking the opportunity of taking Mum and Bri to places which I usually can’t afford!!
The next morning we headed out to The Killing Fields, the scenes of the genocide committed by the Khmer Rouge in the late 70’s. From experiencing the genocide prison complex in Phnom Penh (S21) I knew that this was not going to be a pleasant experience but none the less I am glad we went. A huge stupa has been erected which contains the bones of the victims which were dug up during the initial excavation of the site in the 80s. It was decided, after the scale of the graves was realised, that leaving the bodies where they are is for the best and many mass graves remain untouched at the site. It is strange, but I found it to be a very peaceful place, almost verging on beautiful. There is a natural lake in the centre and other than the odd sign it is difficult to tell that this was a scene of mass murder. I’m not going to go into detail, but suffice it to say that when the Khmer Rouge were perpetrating these killings they were not ones to waste bullets on executions, so the means of death are very grim indeed. If you ever go to Cambodia it needs to be done to help understand the country’s horrific past, but the people here do not dwell. In fact, many do not even want the trials that are currently happening here to continue. Most just want to move on, which I can understand, but these horrific crimes must be accounted for and many of the Khmer Rouge leaders are still alive.
Anyway, onto something much more cheerful! That evening I took Mum and Bri for cocktails at Raffles (the best martini in Phnom Penh) then onto a NGO restaurant which does some of the nicest (and most foreigner friendly) Cambodian food in Phnom Penh.
The next day we headed off to the French Colonial coastal town of Kep and our villa overlooking the beautiful Gulf of Thailand on one side at a jungle covered mountain on the other-stunning! Unfortunately, I had chosen this day to get really sick so the most I saw of the place was my bed and the bathroom (both of which were the nicest I had been in/to in Cambodia!). The next day however we took a walk down to the crab market which was buzzing as it was Chinese New Year and many people were on holiday. So we had great fun just wandering around the market stalls selling freshly caught seafood, which went from said sea to someone’s tummy in about 10 minutes.
The following day Brian decided that we were going to go for a walk, which I was reassured, would not be going through jungle or up hills (I still felt ropey). Naturally, the walk we ended up on was straight up the hill and through the jungle. It was worth it though as after talking (hmmm) to a very enthusiastic nun and a friend of the Queen’s who had set up said nunnery, we ended up at a beautiful lookout point where you could see the entire bay area. Another stunning example of how this country is so full of the unexpected.
The next morning we had arranged a tour with Rith, a rather enterprising young man who has set up his own tour/travel agency in town and he promptly (only 15mins late) arrived to take us around the sites of Kep in his retro Toyota camry. The first part of this tour was of the ‘ghost town’ which is comprised of the burnt out French villas from the ‘30s40s. It is actually pretty creepy going around there and it is strange to see these beautiful old villas in such a decrepit state and it makes you wonder what an amazing place it must’ve been back in the day. It is also quite bizarre that there are beautiful fences and gates surrounding completely empty plots of land. Rith informed us that this is because if there is not a fence around it the government will now sell that plot of land. This is a familiar problem across Cambodia, with the government selling off huge swathes of prime real estate in order to make a quick buck, with no thought that eventually the land is going to run out and Cambodia will be left with nothing. It is happening everywhere, with massive plots having been sold here, in Mondulkiri, which are now being logged, mined and planted with rubber trees with none of the income benefiting Cambodia. The workforce are imported, the materials immediately exported (on roads built by foreign businesses) out of Cambodia and into the foreign markets with absolutely no sustainability or positive outcome for Cambodian people. When there is nothing left, the foreign investors will no doubt try and sell the land back to Cambodia for far more than it is now worth.
Sorry, that turned into a bit of a rant and I’m afraid I may revert to it when I write about Bokor Mountain Hill Station!
Anyway, on the tour we also visited the amazing caves at Kampong Trach (where small children showed us around with torches) which were pretty breathtaking, but impossible to get a decent photo of! We also stopped off at a pepper plantation, where Mum took the opportunity to invest in a big bag of black and white Kampot pepper, which is famous around the world for its unique flavour. So whilst on the way back to town, Rith mentioned that the road up Bokor Mountain was open for Chinese New Year and tomorrow was the last day. I knew that this was quite a rare occurrence and that the other option was an 8hour trek each way, so we arranged for him to pick us up the following day and to take us up the mountain and then drop us at our new hotel in Kampot.
The Vietnamese company Sokha, is building a new road up the mountain as it is building a huge hotel complex at the top, which will be 5* all bells and whistles when finished. Currently, at the top there is the remains of the small town, built by the French, mostly consisting of a Hotel/Casino. This must have been beautiful it its day, with some of the best views I have ever seen of the jungle and coast. However, rather than refurbishing this beautiful, albeit run down, building Sokha is creating a hotel which would not be out of place in Dubai or Las Vegas. The word travesty does not even do this justice and it makes me very sad. They are going to flood an entire valley to create an artificial lake where they’ll be water sports. Seriously. I cannot even comprehend the damage this will do to the ‘national park’ and the wildlife which has all but departed. Saying that, we were fortunate enough to see a couple of eagles and great hornbills whilst on the road, which was pretty amazing. I feel very lucky that I have managed to see this beautiful place before it is ruined by ‘development’.
The next day we felt pretty exhausted from doing about 1hr of walking the previous day...so this called for a massage. We had a recommendation from a VSO in town and had appointments booked. Brian had opted for the ‘steam’ option and the result was one of the funniest things I have seen in my life. One has not lived until they have seen their father wearing a sarong and crouching down so that two tiny Khmer ladies can baste him in bright orange paste to then seat him on a commode covered in a plastic bag then lighting a fire under his bum.
Flights/hotels/trips: $2000
Steam/massage: $9
A photograph which will forever be used for blackmailing purposes: priceless
Ahhh anyway. Soon it was time for us to head on back to Phnom Penh, as Mum and Brian were leaving in a couple of days and we still needed to shop!! So this we did and Brian decided that a trip to the S21 torture and genocide museum was a more appealing prospect than going to the market with Mum and I!! So, I am sure all of you who are now the proud owners of silk scarves know that they were indeed bought in a Cambodian market!
There is so much more to tell but this blog is already way too long! So I guess you will all have to come to Cambodia to experience it for yourselves!
xx
Sunday, 7 February 2010
Photo-shoot pictures!
Jeltje with her cool hair (sorry, best pic I promise hun!)
Me. This dress is hideous.
Kirsty actually looked really nice. Bit like a bride though!
Jen, also looking amazing! Not fair!
Sarah looking gorgeous and blinging!
Accidents, Khmer, Photo-shoot and broken toe! 080210
Sorry for not updating for a while, I have been in Phnom Penh for just over 3 weeks and very busy!
I initially went down with Jeltje during her medevac as a result of a nasty motorbike accident. She is currently in Bangkok getting surgery on her hand and it was a very tense 6 hours in the taxi down to Phnom Penh! Jeltje also had a pretty serious concussion (she was wearing a helmet though) and as a result can’t remember anything about the day of the accident from having breakfast in the morning to the hospital in Phnom Penh. For this I am quite grateful as the treatment she received at the hospital here in Mondulkiri was a little on the traumatic side...
I stayed in Phnom Penh as the following week I was starting my second round of language training and it seemed silly to back and forth within a week!
The language training this time around was super intense but I am starting to feel a little more confident with my capacity to speak Khmer and having more success in being understood now that my vocabulary is improving! So we had a couple of weeks as a group in Phnom Penh, which gave us a chance to really explore the city and enjoy having the luxuries of chocolate and cocktails!
Also included in this was Jen’s birthday party, where we all went to a photo-studio and had some brilliant photographs taken of us in proper Khmer fashion. This involves having a thick layer of make-up applied, hair made into a beehive and put into a super tacky evening dress. You then have to pose with an array of props ranging from flowers and leaves to mirrors and chairs in a very cheesey poses! It was really funny and I can’t wait to see the final products when we receive them (super air-brushed of course). In the mean time I have included some of the pictures we took on the day ourselves. There aren’t any of the group shots, obviously, but they were by far the best pictures (once we stopped laughing!).
So I have had a week back in Mondulkiri before my parents arrive on 10th which I can’t wait for! I have moved into my new place, which is a vast improvement on the rat infested house I was living in. I have also made an action plan for the next two months which my line manager has approved which means I can really get going. However, I won’t be going anywhere myself in the next couple of days though, as I broke a toe on my left foot yesterday on a piece of metal sticking out of some concrete on the main road. It hurts. Alot. I have been told there is nothing I can do buy strap it and take painkillers, however, sitting on the bike (even pillion) is agony and I will only be doing short, necessary trips.
I will update again after Mum and Brian leave with some pictures of our trip. We are staying in Phnom Penh for a few days then heading down to the beautiful coastal towns of Kep and Kampot. Can’t wait!
C x
I initially went down with Jeltje during her medevac as a result of a nasty motorbike accident. She is currently in Bangkok getting surgery on her hand and it was a very tense 6 hours in the taxi down to Phnom Penh! Jeltje also had a pretty serious concussion (she was wearing a helmet though) and as a result can’t remember anything about the day of the accident from having breakfast in the morning to the hospital in Phnom Penh. For this I am quite grateful as the treatment she received at the hospital here in Mondulkiri was a little on the traumatic side...
I stayed in Phnom Penh as the following week I was starting my second round of language training and it seemed silly to back and forth within a week!
The language training this time around was super intense but I am starting to feel a little more confident with my capacity to speak Khmer and having more success in being understood now that my vocabulary is improving! So we had a couple of weeks as a group in Phnom Penh, which gave us a chance to really explore the city and enjoy having the luxuries of chocolate and cocktails!
Also included in this was Jen’s birthday party, where we all went to a photo-studio and had some brilliant photographs taken of us in proper Khmer fashion. This involves having a thick layer of make-up applied, hair made into a beehive and put into a super tacky evening dress. You then have to pose with an array of props ranging from flowers and leaves to mirrors and chairs in a very cheesey poses! It was really funny and I can’t wait to see the final products when we receive them (super air-brushed of course). In the mean time I have included some of the pictures we took on the day ourselves. There aren’t any of the group shots, obviously, but they were by far the best pictures (once we stopped laughing!).
So I have had a week back in Mondulkiri before my parents arrive on 10th which I can’t wait for! I have moved into my new place, which is a vast improvement on the rat infested house I was living in. I have also made an action plan for the next two months which my line manager has approved which means I can really get going. However, I won’t be going anywhere myself in the next couple of days though, as I broke a toe on my left foot yesterday on a piece of metal sticking out of some concrete on the main road. It hurts. Alot. I have been told there is nothing I can do buy strap it and take painkillers, however, sitting on the bike (even pillion) is agony and I will only be doing short, necessary trips.
I will update again after Mum and Brian leave with some pictures of our trip. We are staying in Phnom Penh for a few days then heading down to the beautiful coastal towns of Kep and Kampot. Can’t wait!
C x
Saturday, 9 January 2010
Photos from Christmas and NY
On the beach in Sihanoukville!
Getting ready for NY Eve in our awful room eww
Ahh Rabbit Island
Christmas Lunch
Me and my stocking. Happy.
Christmas and New Year 2009! 080110
So this was my first Christmas a) away from my family b) in a foreign country and c) WARM! Now I know everyone at home was suffering with snow and freezing temperatures but on Christmas Day I awoke to a balmy 25c, climbing to about 30c, sorry!
Also, thanks to my amazing family and friends I had a lovely pile of presents to open, including a stocking, which were full of fabulous gifts. Everything was very much appreciated and it was great to have presents to open on Christmas morning, as well as receiving many very useful things (wooly bed socks for one!).
I had Christmas lunch with Gabby, Ros, Josh, Jeltje, Jan and Keith and we had a veritable feast in comparison to what we are used to! I seriously don’t think I’ve seen or eaten so much yummy food in over 4 months! The turkey was great and I am glad I haven’t had to go a year without it yet. So after a fab lunch we all wandered home to skype with family, nap and in Jeltje and I’s case to watch ‘Love Actually’ and have a Christmas cry! I haven’t seen that film in several years and had forgotten how sweetly cheesy it is!
So on Boxing Day Jeltje and I tried to head off to the coast but we couldn’t get in a taxi so had to wait until 27th to begin our epic holiday. By 28th Jeltje and I were on a bus to Kep, an old French town on the coast which is very beautiful and picturesque, with jungle covered hills sweeping down to golden beaches. Sadly, the beaches are mostly used by Khmer people who picnic there a lot and don’t clear away their rubbish. In fact, one section of the beach is actually a rubbish dump, which is such a shame as it could be as amazing as Sihanoukville.Still, the little place we stayed at was lovely as we had our own little bungalow, complete with hammock and thatched bamboo roof! After we arrived and settled in a bit we took a tuk-tuk to nearby Kampot to meet up with fellow VSO’s there and have a look at the town. So we had a great afternoon catching up with Kirsty and Sarah (who arrived in Cambodia with us) then headed to the river front to dailaing (a bit like promenading or something really) which naturally ended up with cocktails! We had a lovely meal at a place called Rusty Key Hole (owned by an English/Khmer couple with a very cute baby!) whilst watching the sun go down and mulling over life in Cambodia with lots of VSOs.
The following day we headed out to Rabbit Island, about 30mins boat ride from Kep, which is a beautiful tropical paradise! We spent the day swimming, sunbathing, walking and eating great food right on the beach! I also started chatting to one of the owners of a beach shack there who was really nice and very supportive of VSO!So after our hectic (ahem) day we headed back to the mainland and had dinner and an early night in preparation for our 6am leave to Sihanoukville.
The drive along the coast was beautiful and after a couple of hours we arrived at our (first) guesthouse in Sihanoukville. It was right on the beach which was where we spent the majority of our days!The coast is stunning and the beaches are all like something out of paradise! There is also a really good night life and some nice restaurants so all in all we had a brilliant time. Still think I am recovering from all the food, wine, dancing and lack of sleep though!
However, seeing in 2010 on a tropical beach with about 5,000 people while watching the entire sky being lit up with fireworks is something I will never forget.
After our amazing trip Jeltje and I have headed back to reality (work!) for 2 weeks before going back to Phnom Penh for a further 2 weeks of language training. I really can’t wait as I think that it will be a great chance to further my language. Then it is only 1 week until my parents arrive for a 10 days visit!
Anyway, back to my school visits. I am having varying rates of success, with sometimes having twenty community members turning up and sometimes zero! Still, I am really hoping that between now and March we can run our first Community Open Day, get the well project going and start setting up more effective school support committees.
So, happy 2010 everyone and here is to a highly productive year!
C x
Also, thanks to my amazing family and friends I had a lovely pile of presents to open, including a stocking, which were full of fabulous gifts. Everything was very much appreciated and it was great to have presents to open on Christmas morning, as well as receiving many very useful things (wooly bed socks for one!).
I had Christmas lunch with Gabby, Ros, Josh, Jeltje, Jan and Keith and we had a veritable feast in comparison to what we are used to! I seriously don’t think I’ve seen or eaten so much yummy food in over 4 months! The turkey was great and I am glad I haven’t had to go a year without it yet. So after a fab lunch we all wandered home to skype with family, nap and in Jeltje and I’s case to watch ‘Love Actually’ and have a Christmas cry! I haven’t seen that film in several years and had forgotten how sweetly cheesy it is!
So on Boxing Day Jeltje and I tried to head off to the coast but we couldn’t get in a taxi so had to wait until 27th to begin our epic holiday. By 28th Jeltje and I were on a bus to Kep, an old French town on the coast which is very beautiful and picturesque, with jungle covered hills sweeping down to golden beaches. Sadly, the beaches are mostly used by Khmer people who picnic there a lot and don’t clear away their rubbish. In fact, one section of the beach is actually a rubbish dump, which is such a shame as it could be as amazing as Sihanoukville.Still, the little place we stayed at was lovely as we had our own little bungalow, complete with hammock and thatched bamboo roof! After we arrived and settled in a bit we took a tuk-tuk to nearby Kampot to meet up with fellow VSO’s there and have a look at the town. So we had a great afternoon catching up with Kirsty and Sarah (who arrived in Cambodia with us) then headed to the river front to dailaing (a bit like promenading or something really) which naturally ended up with cocktails! We had a lovely meal at a place called Rusty Key Hole (owned by an English/Khmer couple with a very cute baby!) whilst watching the sun go down and mulling over life in Cambodia with lots of VSOs.
The following day we headed out to Rabbit Island, about 30mins boat ride from Kep, which is a beautiful tropical paradise! We spent the day swimming, sunbathing, walking and eating great food right on the beach! I also started chatting to one of the owners of a beach shack there who was really nice and very supportive of VSO!So after our hectic (ahem) day we headed back to the mainland and had dinner and an early night in preparation for our 6am leave to Sihanoukville.
The drive along the coast was beautiful and after a couple of hours we arrived at our (first) guesthouse in Sihanoukville. It was right on the beach which was where we spent the majority of our days!The coast is stunning and the beaches are all like something out of paradise! There is also a really good night life and some nice restaurants so all in all we had a brilliant time. Still think I am recovering from all the food, wine, dancing and lack of sleep though!
However, seeing in 2010 on a tropical beach with about 5,000 people while watching the entire sky being lit up with fireworks is something I will never forget.
After our amazing trip Jeltje and I have headed back to reality (work!) for 2 weeks before going back to Phnom Penh for a further 2 weeks of language training. I really can’t wait as I think that it will be a great chance to further my language. Then it is only 1 week until my parents arrive for a 10 days visit!
Anyway, back to my school visits. I am having varying rates of success, with sometimes having twenty community members turning up and sometimes zero! Still, I am really hoping that between now and March we can run our first Community Open Day, get the well project going and start setting up more effective school support committees.
So, happy 2010 everyone and here is to a highly productive year!
C x
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