tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33993220140755140782024-02-19T22:25:29.911+07:00Chris and Jon in CambodiaA blog of our time in Cambodia -
Chris and Jon de GrootChris and Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11257625119754392619noreply@blogger.comBlogger21125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3399322014075514078.post-70492106628475445022009-05-23T14:00:00.008+07:002009-05-23T14:58:13.516+07:00Hello from Cambodia 19Unless something goes dramatically wrong this will be the last blog that we will send from Cambodia. Yesterday we booked a flight from St Petersburg arriving at Gatwick on July 18th, the final stage of our journey home via China and Russia. The project we are working on is due to finish in August anyway and its funding has already run out. Plus all the schools in our district close, unofficially, from the end of June until the beginning of October (farming is a much more important activity for both staff and students). So rather than sit around twiddling our thumbs we decided to finish our placement 4 months early and take a leisurely journey home.<br /><br />Meanwhile life goes on. Chris went to a 5 day National Conference on Child Friendly Education in Sihanoukville. This was variable in its level of interest and usefulness. As VSO, along with UNICEF, was a sponsor of the project we were asked to send a representative to sit on the stage during the opening ceremony. Chris drew the short straw mainly because the other volunteers present flatly refused to do it. Desperate to be near a fan she nabbed a chair at the end of the row next to a line of monks who were being brought in to bless the proceedings. Consequently she was, unwittingly, broadcast on national telly. This just shows how riveting Cambodian prime time viewing is. Lets hope the footage didn't display too many of her yawns.<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5338914726383077922" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9XziaLCzBDZiWdpM65kDg655onCmZBW5RwgWOCiGzfhBBHuImwVZOCtLawi7t7u9PrWvd1LydE4l4_Ezwlx4d3j5ZfFDHvv837G-7T_xM8RxPmtZv6T3alJ2tR_mpxMjzyhNidUnseN8/s320/DSC03770.JPG" border="0" /> The closing ceremony was even worse. The minister of education decided on a prolonged lunch and took his seat 2 hours late. Meanwhile the rest of the delegates were treated to the musings of some minor functionary who filled in with a verbal stream of consciousness. When the minister eventually turned up he berated his audience, who were all either head teachers or Provincial or District education directors, on their poor handwriting. This rudeness and thoughtless disregard by authority figures and meek tolerant acceptance by their subordinates is typical of Cambodia and explains why the most appalling corruption and mis-governance happens without any objections being raised.<br /><br />Sihanoukville, on the Gulf of Thailand, has the potential to be as beautiful a holiday destination as some of the Thai islands. White sands, blue sea and palm trees, but somehow they just don't get it right. The beaches are strewn with rubbish and the town has no centre but sprawls along a dual carriageway. However Chris, Onno and Corrine had a very pleasant evening on the beach eating excellent BBQ seafood, watching fire jugglers and being blasted by Oasis through the Tanoy.<br /><br />However for Khmer New Year we went back, for the last time, to our beloved Koh Chang. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5338914727962866962" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-dmBPkBugVEK8fzRBl0BWYgPjRUoxcpyHvKJGFdJ3fbPDPyBHti7EoQA5OmHdNidD5pVZksflRqFdslH9hZNGR-Moxe1-fB1uTFFlR9ZTGhOXpY3iVE4QLGvOB-vxlmJP-OKWleRttRs/s320/DSC03718.JPG" border="0" /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5338912872572599826" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNtQBfqVWpYJTgP1vh-RvkUQ22QtaT70pqWuoekRVIqzKJ1XwppZX-yGoZTngCStrVoVn9TngHH0AaJ2mqnFk4YDXvtjLhYIp9HdVcP3Oejs1cCfmg2I6Hbm_r5o85zhtHB4WXvcwZ-bo/s320/DSC03710.JPG" border="0" /> At last, despite many, many invitations, we were able to attend a Khmer wedding. This was the marriage of an ex-VSO translator and our local bank cashier. It was a very grand affair held in a Battambang restaurant. Over 1000 guests sat down to an eight course meal of excellent food, although we were in and out in 2 hours and had to pay the $10 per head "wedding present" for the privilege. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5338914738712269698" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIsEqgpIitDR6g_1ZSVQQlZI20NaPZ-udveq2R4Muwi7wbfIgxcw733TjpTUvm64qJbPv4r37T4vXc6BNopS8BvcaBY1Z7FpkJaxGTxriCFsaKT5wYyYEs_EDEFf586Nzd3rOmrR08c2Q/s320/DSC03852.JPG" border="0" /> <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5338916588172143842" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBuwLubrT1ertyRiin0pTuo8jm_1ZT6yYPNX-8X9zaxqY5MyerOwrVPiP1ShND4If1v152Dz2We-a-KsWD6dkbTVaLpRTGn7EnYeZDAlJRM1FqtRX3YH-FbAQIctVCPHXXdWz3s3g_qw4/s320/DSC03864.JPG" border="0" />We returned to Phnom Preuk where another wedding was taking place next door but one. As is "traditional" they had set up loudspeakers on poles which, as luck would have it, were pointed directly at our house. We were woken at 4.30 am by the monks' blessings and it then continued nonstop as the master of ceremonies gave a blow by blow account of the proceedings. Then the music started at full blast, beginning with a traditional band amplified for the benefit of those who could not hear 5 miles away. We moved on to karaoke ballads and finished up with the "duff, duff, duff" of Khmer techno. It was excruciating. The house shook, the windows rattled, our stomachs knotted with the vibrations. We literally couldn't hear ourselves speak and resorted to barricading ourselves in the bedroom with toilet paper in our ears and pillows over our heads. By 8 pm Jon was having to be restrained from going out with wire cutters. Eventually at 11 pm ( after 18½ hours of aural torture ) they went quiet – ONLY TO START UP AGAIN AT 5 THE NEXT MORNING – we ran away to the office. The odd, but hardly surprising, thing was that whenever we went past there seemed to be nobody at the wedding - perhaps they were all sitting under the table rocking with fermented fish in their ears?<br /><br />Speaking of Khmer culinary delights, we were treated to some seriously nasty food at the Khmer New Year office party. The menu included stewed eel, boiled cows intestines and chicken head and feet soup. Being guests of honour we had to make a show of trying everything – and enjoying it. We have come to the conclusion that we do not like Khmer food, especially country food. They will eat anything – if it moves it is a potential snack. Spiders, cockroaches, ants, frogs and dogs are all considered delicacies. Likewise every type of root, water plant and tree leaf is gathered and eaten; usually with copious amounts of garlic and chili. We believe this is a throw back to the famines of the Pol Pot era when so many people were reliant on a starvation diet. The only saving grace is the MANGO which is in season now. They are wonderfully sweet and juicy; and everywhere. Tesco will have to go some to compete with 6p a fruit. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5338916590976317250" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYsoZedNlf4Cr3ms16O-34IC2bZc6pZvYjyA-RNGps4TfgbTK9hCaeZdk5OtcOUfVH8xR15JncRW-59b7h2a1QROvqVIhIukiKxWsPJqiOudhUJ4kAw0mstANmUBKDCdQQf0r7_1nOwyo/s320/DSC03891.JPG" border="0" /> Work wise, Jon has been asked to run a workshop for secondary schools on experimental science. Consequently he has been constructing science equipment without spending any money, only using bits and pieces you would find lying around the average Khmer home - not much really. Eg Newton meter made of bamboo, beam balance from chopsticks, electrolysis cell from nail varnish bottles, toilet cleaner and a moto battery. The water rocket never quite got off the ground but it gave everyone a laugh when shot it half a litre of water all over him. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5338914732786925874" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqqfOgq7C3pg98F63N5MLUuKnJTR4cqyTsyybFP969wDRsZNZ56JaKgXVS3O4LWRODFxG6bu9V7I8Ldekl7VxNloTqN7FGe4JsWriNSpQKboxyrcoi3aI48lFwXEs2m5apdjSXHX0LwAw/s320/DSC03799.JPG" border="0" /> <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5338922517967628946" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvybpZ9aE1yW64q58ix7uNXhbtQWgn4cwSW5lxpLGlcs8YvL58xkmebv-m6c8bUCzMzvKRRwUgoUi8JQQyQHq1Yh4D5UIwegXU8LynEUc03Wg3ErkYyz3Dm17FiXvDG4tqhPZEwV0xGbI/s320/DSC04173.JPG" border="0" />At last we have stopped scaring the children and in fact some of them actively seek us out with shouts of "Hello barrang, bye-bye". Here is a selection of some of our favorites. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5338916596870687650" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBWw2OSYTL1qAsbu-LNMB7K9rJq6GsQ7LVfBEsQKAbGpDFw9jMVWpIeeU3DEeQEoIep2KWrRoW9twF3WVXXLKMWj4QHeyrAOYlI_GI0njZkSASjUx8TrLVaH8uBSNZZcaQXlUQkjEqreQ/s320/DSC03938.JPG" border="0" /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5338912867784484658" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-4mpCS5c2PPfaneVtdwcJTao6H2TADg_DA64GEHNSuPXdwQoC5LSimCXekLIoQwRLFxpGRxMmJXkH_lAKR7Ji2tu8rpIQ3gVSLkOX4gpP5mbHDMxDqp2UMhdlPxvCUKTqWBgrr0vwlC4/s320/DSC03591.JPG" border="0" /> <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5338914737652167698" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzn2_azclthLgpwLWhw3WTqY2WXQ3TTbQoTE2UdpFTjl1e3d6HfLRlT9dw4uR0Q3McX5Ozxf8yWnYiNgsYH9RNbVCLa_TI9-JWFBOqZQPXeNlBI4Q8pJZcODvc1sBBWXcjy27kje-lNdQ/s320/DSC03803.JPG" border="0" /> <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5338922527210846722" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 214px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrKbJsXNgS6vFOgrM2enI0MW6R5_6Gt_f97k0jB3luqK_HVMMTjC8lr5NPtPbkDc0nYp1GHB0nJp2wh6ogWAmUSz9z41043rJTLk6iOmkirmi9umIJr8uHrGNteAqiY_3_2hkqs2uw80o/s320/The+pictures+from+the+big+camera+059.JPG" border="0" />We had always meant to go to Laos before we left, having been told that it was the most chilled out place on earth. In fact our hand was forced because as there is no Mongolian embassy in Cambodia we would have to go to Vientiane to get a Mongolian transit visa for the Trans Siberian Railway. We decided to go via Thailand but with gross stupidity we omitted to book the night sleeper from Bangkok to the border. Consequently we had an 11 hour journey squeezed on to very hard seats in 3rd class. We were lucky; several people were sleeping on the floor.<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5338916596184108850" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJF1Jpbn1E8noQF2g5Xjf7IDacrPBoMhxBMLe9NPeqMhx0CXjk13JwsnuRv6UsQ2e_awQ8gEQNQn5gBQaOulu7OS9ZmW2GqWr0XDDpBw8ihUN_zbeBOIJn6tgwLC14sI37eTmQVGhBkZQ/s320/DSC03945.JPG" border="0" /> After the initial culture shock the journey became almost bearable. As there was no air-con. all the windows and doors were wide open, a little bit of a health and safety issue perhaps. We had made ourselves some spam and chili sandwiches (yummy) but at every station the train was boarded by vendors selling cold drinks and snacks. Jon was eating a full meal of minced pork, omelette and rice at 12.30 am washed down with a bottle of Coke topped up with a liberal helping of Mekong Whiskey. Chris eventually fell asleep around 4 am to be abruptly woken at 4.30 by the crowing of a cockerel – in a box under the next seat!<br /><br />Leaving Bangkok half an hour late we appeared to be on the Thai equivalent of the Euston to Watford slow train stopping every 10 minutes at a Thai Harrow and Wealdstone station. It took an hour and a half to leave the environs of Bangkok which is some indication of the vastness of the city. Note: There are more people in Bangkok than the whole population of Laos.<br /><br />Eventually we picked up speed, and pretending to be Paul Theroux, were flashing through the Thai countryside with bamboo and palm trees illuminated by a full moon. Unlike Cambodia where everything shuts down at 8 pm, we could see car headlights moving along distant roads which were lit by sodium street lights. Is a rural night life an indication of national prosperity? In fact, as we passed through neat little stations decorated with potted plants and white fences, we felt we could have been speeding through the Surrey countryside – except for the bamboo and palm trees.<br /><br />Crossing the border at the Friendship Bridge across the Mekong, we arrived in Vientiane, the capitol of Laos. It is so sleepy and laid back it makes Phnom Penh look like New York. From there we took a 10 hour bus journey to Luang Prabang. The Chinese built road wound its way through the spectacular scenery of wooded mountains, creeping along narrow ridges which had heart stopping drops on both sides but it was worth it. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5338920702400037810" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcutxK6jOc8gnE7WZw96XdH5FBXdiyZ13dXClCVPWWz5vO3OL_SQu6nQ0t6pFEJxinpgsnjCVWH-4jTczIj_OXTbyIZgxq0tjqpIRGfmOq1vK2d3CR1zIP-ThnJ2wy_0qDNRNiA9peGoo/s320/DSC04148.JPG" border="0" /> Luang Prabang is the ancient capitol of Laos. The presence of the Royal palace, many elegant wats and well preserved French Colonial houses have earned it the status of a World Heritage Site.<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5338918452966561746" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCCx5EfpGAECviudb0YThB2bCPKwMi7gXo9wGClzKGDjiBo55UwPO5KqpTavsBLUMryMJ_JzQ5OoDD9SU1X06MVa6f5XnIRbC6_f_PnIoYoeo9sieTG-GRsNDbiCxxyvMORjKV2kcrlPE/s320/DSC04028.JPG" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5338922517091154034" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVZOuRSmXVpRxLqFn5-D9sLTLZO_5sQarzW7X6zOpE2twLrEEfvBQg0SJcIq8I0wEb9Zpogp1oMnzvRv75sxiYnK0nydcb4RGQZ_CQ7uRA-qWU1-LCdryGRaqTMgZmNnGAjKhibfedQqA/s320/DSC04156.JPG" border="0" /> Although it is now dedicated to tourism it seemed a restful place to stop and draw breath for a few days. We had intended to carry on further north to the more remote regions, which had been described by some as the closest thing to heaven on earth, but travel fatigue got the better of us and we were content to pootle about locally, taking a boat trip up the Mekong to visit Buddha filled caves and splash about in picturesque waterfalls. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5338920695504021250" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLVb0YEe-2mvTRtMc1pn1O-nWUl7BaD7a8W2yTzGXqRznkIWbSKA6lHHRoCLNknfpdV2_oA0tr76CxH6E1thMg2hZbFN6ZkuDTBcjHF_wqbH5-HyR9L03cP2hUQtb42kV6Y1y9XeVRwFg/s320/DSC04082.JPG" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5338918452573175458" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRUeb-LerI79ieBuFExKjQJRWgPtduWwQ4DO8y9STYqsrXaMWwTSnChuR7bfcpl2znFqfsZsvXVYER8wte8ShZwXpNkM8ru5lnzCWvOvQK2Kr_pfJQlJGYTAgFIbmcEazSR5u1U9AHWRI/s320/DSC04058.JPG" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5338918447190377186" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIbm5z_iIk0Fi7WtYpSsFwzz2GHC5ah3CMh7sEOjPqQuIoQ7Xn0ANLF-xO0xmTHjb0li4u767ujAFhUvLLvfaTTsBTGiIjnA5OArddeKZgW8_7havOMZO8Ks-KUW2VFmNoZdJTMzUON0E/s320/DSC03997.JPG" border="0" />We also visited local villages that specialised in weaving and making whiskey.<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5338918459275221698" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxFbXg2zzZXBZKQXHvffOOcn6Ee1thzU-D7YchCH_aNnrMvl8UQh_YXTXqWwZwrBxOYH3DVRLtI_tpG4ePQpGPleq0sMTf2Jgj8Xr0sBj1lE5ONLhteRUmMbkNDaH0f8LXtj98aJaQA7c/s320/DSC04065.JPG" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5338918458446297074" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVKRbc8mxeMXYs9JGtHvW1Ukj82HJyodhQwK3xGE8fcIQn8yX-ci1ab3jYVIKN5jsztN-7JX0v4lKS4XtzWPkdG16gCiEyCsEVkw-7zQKurmI9kBk26PoM6YvZtlQqkVsd40hq5TVhuiI/s320/DSC04066.JPG" border="0" />Besides the Beer Lao was cheap and the street food delicious. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5338916601091716354" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIE0euKBXUlmf1CAwjI04ynM3jZGcmbGBBBhmVP-jkHMG-HqzJ59pJUwolGG3fwJDq7sq5Nvou1Ehd8Us7CWFwGloQKYrvNK85PurboVKaR23Tmll3qOmR3kwWwrmm4jaqq-NeMtHdeFQ/s320/DSC03965.JPG" border="0" /> <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5338920702197237938" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNBxNXnAOtmAUVDGurqznzexoGCfkzWpXp99MXl3oZxRpqA5iTS7OykOq-ED4hw3uMsYXv615JMfrskcYZf1Gi0B9Ojb-6uKcIwBjRASL-KF26b9ZY3VXZGROUGLTgI2F4YPPNDj6ueFc/s320/DSC04122.JPG" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5338920698567407298" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEA408B6YAv_xDgXeAVVLty5iuGgOmy0bPkM7Tu748LtLXOJJ3b46fk8KUQn_tn69EuqZuNfjYYrqEEWnXfhgx63jOFC5Y4LokDhaae1CGE57rWn35BnbyC41xFYjqg4vMCec1OfJgLFc/s320/DSC04101.JPG" border="0" /> The differences between Laos and Cambodia are striking. Here are a few:<br />There was no litter and the ubiquitous discarded plastic bag was totally missing. In the towns small private cars drove along pavement lined tarmac roads. There were no feral dogs and chickens, people didn't shout and spit and there were old people. Basically Laos seemed to have got its act together.<br /><br />Why is this? Superficially the two countries are similar; mainly rural economies, dragged into the Vietnam War (Laos is the most bombed country, per capita, in history ) and subsequently underwent a communist revolutions. Why then does Laos exude such national self confidence where as Cambodia comes over as self deprecating and desperate? In our opinion some of the answers lie in the legacy of shame and trauma left by the Pol Pot Regime and the terrible self-harming from which Cambodia has not yet recovered. Secondly, in our opinion, while the country is under the controlling, corrupt influence of Hun Seng and his cronies it will never be given the chance to flourish and develop. Finally, and maybe controversially, the huge amount of international development aid that is poured into Cambodia has created a dependency culture which prevents them from standing on their own feet and from having the confidence to make something of their beautiful country.<br /><br />Maybe as we are preparing to go home this final blog seems rather bitter and disillusioned. At times we have certainly felt frustrated by the corruption, apathy and lack of initiative we have had to contend with but on the other hand we do feel we have achieved something and the schools and children of Phnom Preuk District have benefitted from our being here. Also we have taken the Cambodian people to our hearts, despite the daily hardships, the depravations and the lack of prospects there is always the Khmer smile.<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5338912864126924866" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisNjQg7FJXwg2efwB7XYHvggRTLItNFPXtmJIG5d7P8MixgeArdRkxEDIRLqJ77cObXvoL2qWhkYde8OvEsg-nRoN894FAQNMmr8QGGynlkjpxH-IzPF0oY3wvIIX-w0om_oueTlt70FQ/s320/DSC02593.JPG" border="0" /> We will miss the village and its people who have been so welcoming, we will miss the beautiful countryside, the morning light on the mountains and the spectacular sunsets.<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5338922524345625330" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 214px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK61tLFxloyPHJnjikCGw4HMKUj5kCkrDYcMYZwqbdWTgbI2GRICgDYTMF2imGhUWv_z-PbVXR3tOs-nUuEfV2SeVg4AgFGoS_AF8ck_oVXZSh7B4halvqHTod6goJFJRSjSGyPsRuU8o/s320/slr+046.jpg" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5338922522324165986" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 214px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo1tgh6r-lupUF_1AonmMmSlCmwT18DkgOTJchyVQ59lE5MwmCqpFNfzQyOtbd1Dgd4AZv5UBKbstfMDK-whdhlJ3sUbK9SRkOPRnK0iebhFZKixd3Zo-CJdggQqUqBSvKxzdQw3Ej7EE/s320/The+pictures+from+the+big+camera+023.JPG" border="0" /> We will miss the monks, the cows, the motos. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5338912873274666594" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU8pCqcQ_PREVElp2sgtk4WtJ4DVp7s2qb3cydoz5FjKK_lIUfw83JGu60t8yxvP1iC6BTCa2W_TRiyCDRJi1OZ4K8tagT9vg0zusX_mFRj7j2e3hJUiBqa6EPFQqmDDOEQdSGNcdhr7w/s320/DSC03629.JPG" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5338912864100782818" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 214px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJCwMfHhmRAdeFdE4YWacwjUy3CZ9HvSJLkW5rc2XfzkIu45MdIexVOL7BV_Kr1adjxnxeN3nxJ6rrPiorVQ2uIxrE_q7kJVo3JgXgdwISdPLdKjtDE90dQlWT2xfFNx1dzm049AbVSR4/s320/2007+231.jpg" border="0" />We will miss Cambodia. Maybe, one day, we will come back.<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5338920696617321666" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXbTEqYwVEft_BDEgVqKSsTJkrrMkiskU8f_DFWeiH8y9NPx4lgERa73mzQQ7Xfb4WbMLzqZcGL451FcOPDkBhPo5fcn5LBvUtz0n42x6_qxN-EmPxfUVCDUHh04YMy0pGeeY1SsMsnyI/s320/DSC04093.JPG" border="0" />Chris and Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11257625119754392619noreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3399322014075514078.post-81734532822726002712009-03-24T17:41:00.006+07:002009-03-24T18:19:23.867+07:00Hello from Cambodia 18While England was experiencing its worst “snow event” for 20 years Cambodia was having its own severe weather problem –MORE DUST. During the rainy season the roads in Phnom Preuk had been washed away and serious maintenance was needed. Big bulldozers scraped off the deeply rutted surface and replaced it with loose soil which was then patted down. Unfortunately at this time of year convoys of huge juggernauts laden with rice trundle their way to the Thai border and within a week the road surface had completely broken up again and the result was dust. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316703655507883186" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 214px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVlkp87_f3b4_lQSXLXmNH4k0xE4LAAlb-yZQlxdjkmTjpAItV_OoDjFTzXv-HLBh2Wsd0LDOs0PgtvcZJI1tBlBk8J0ZG1m05UQoMl1GhzQKUjdHS1WCukJgLczclrMrtDByEvNGygYk/s320/1.+At+home+in+Phnom+Preuk+3+Sept+08+045.jpg" border="0" /><br />As fast as the lovely Touch swept it up, it sneaked back in under the door and settled on every surface. People took on an orange “Tangoed” look and a clean shirt lasted less than an hour. Wearing sunglasses while on the moto left you with “panda eyes” and the state of nostrils and ears does not bear thinking about. When the swirling dust caught the sun it gave the effect of a mild snow blizzard. Children happily played in the drifts of the stuff although we did not see them building a “dustman” or throwing “dust balls”.<br /><br />In these conditions driving becomes hazardous. Driving a moto through drifts a foot deep is far more difficult than negotiating mud as the wheels have nothing to grip and as all noise is muffled there is no warning of oncoming traffic. Fortunately we have escaped with no more than a low speed tumble and a few scrapes and grazes. Thankfully now the “mango rains” have arrived to dampen things down and turn the countryside green again. <div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316704876675757986" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtHETPSwTR1RUpJtcE0u1VMGxIYoUSOjDux9WkTD2VZ1Mqva9gp94Mfm8eILCMiXxqLUmNvHJyX8EfdaUPijlvQqVG8b3sEyL4gM4dJkXrXcpzb1ikZmVk-r4zTGdmyXplAoR3whtIwRA/s320/DSC03278+Road+to+Ankam+Paem+Feb+09+(4).JPG" border="0" /><br />The wedding season is with us once more but annoyingly, despite several invitations, due to prior engagements, we have been unable to attend one yet. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316706301839921090" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGqck9AQsceQpoP4y32yq0gm09Nd7gCJ4j5VxVnRjeo7cqaHID3BMtl2a57LHs2mIBBheJEontpSYo1egJdDdZ0ZsT0lE5j1tdw4m5QMx8sT-ufChQ8okFVcBcnQC-jucRG4tksGQ9cjw/s320/DSC03496.JPG" border="0" />We were however invited to the Deputy Governor’s mother’s 5 year funeral. Traditionally the previously buried body is exhumed, the bones are cleaned up a bit and burnt, the remains are interred in a Stupor and everyone has a bit of a party to celebrate. </div><div> </div><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316704866095242754" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHMCO3oTxdmePzGR406tqIFYD7QPJ5UvqdE6qS-scd7TaWvjZ1eKOJRtQ7XWPBGwGGinRJXgMnjutYZJQM0Iv0O3pmW40mXOKyT6VhXQ7huTTmGxOww7dxM8gqV2j18_QCnhxhhi10a-8/s320/DSC03223.JPG" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316704862478490306" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGgHoI77oqLS5ME1OuW8Ci7AZGQg7Mq_KSNnFGYmSY9r_-phmmtGZnlRSgfYqmkRTB6YfIUaCg9rOs8OzicX4-TzBymMr9U_MgpejTxJb1WKzGg9_B1JuTJ1SS34NbtVXnk5fItqWRza8/s320/DSC03218.JPG" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316704870176600610" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXER27W3bx1c2rNVQUiQZ1-MKTXPW0Ea4drgwAGjBX6aEsXfwysCcTiCqA3gy3DG6fEYH-88K4anKG_cn-BALq0MWgLPI0K3NDz5zQJpxDUDIy3lMVBAE0wazYonPh2oAQ-ppW2hFekq4/s320/DSC03225.JPG" border="0" />Also a local headmaster asked us to his son’s “baby warming”; it’s a bit like a christening but with no baby. All these ceremonies seem to involve the same ritual. Turn up 2 hours late, hand over $10, sit at a table with 8 people you don’t know, endure extremely loud music being blasted from a stack of speakers just by your ear, eat and drink as much as you can, then leave. </div><div><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316706297571536626" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKuBFUzkiPL4uP09ugmzZdNowKqCGyph0j8bMPAg7hfG8H7lEpJPPJ1yJ440wTIIyAPOP7uL65f3QafUEz75sHAvhdKMFPg7wlxIIFEYMq3cSGasTkJ45cQRv59U4WNO9bCisig2Nghz0/s320/DSC03481.JPG" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316706287279148770" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmh8ZEnnOQRYXUCNn8VoKRzP87ksRjYxDRIzjsVfpepirOoPpIhALPZXWdzfeKS1jXW5_-FGJ6pJ5julRrD0nZhKCKSNfFzxa5QDNlNW_0vFKweVh-AgxpJLU9RFTWQgDnWHDtVzatrtg/s320/DSC03463.JPG" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316706299169542146" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoqYE-X2h5bLQ9viJGRfiwz76TsYlTRd7dWAKRG3SZS24Cp4-wY1z3B6TDWD8iSPP1-fF0d9VmOrxaqxSp7GXcFo-B8d-pu2we-yYQwk5TaXF-UC0Z-Rx5jHCXm_UgsDzRnsmgOFUl9nA/s320/DSC03484.JPG" border="0" /><br />At one of these do’s we were told about what the district was like over 15 years ago before it was settled by the returning refugees from the camps over the Thai border. Apparently you couldn’t see the sky for the leaf canopy and the trees were too wide to hug. One specimen was so huge that when they cut it down they “put it in a tree museum” in Thailand. (Did they “change the people a dollar and a half just to see ‘em?” -- Joni Mitchell). Hearing this, then looking at the acres of deforestation that surrounds us, can be very depressing.<br /><br />We have however discovered that there is an abundance of quite dramatic wildlife living quite near us. We were taken to visit the local crocodile farm. About 30 large ponds are home to thousands of these reptiles which range in size from tiny newly hatched croclets to 8 foot monsters. Rather worryingly we were told that when there is very heavy rain the ponds overflow and a few crocs nip into the nearby stream. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316707568983110498" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtkJblEkeNdNBGmTutY7BSb-Z3hLiWvqIQ0KZREQOE3WIzSN3TuRrH4WvKWsZn8GTnZRqnLwzUJAI8gohZmOy8XM0KB18gVCIrkVEuKAI34psiywHd0isHC2M49j6xvFYbieb8fTW-IV4/s320/DSC03539.JPG" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316707571572414866" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMfZdNZJrbzkKWbqoffP6vHgGfc0hG8i-6123YVRGQnbzersCICNKaaHuYZxrfAGW_cpjPJgEfTcDcMYL1FSs4-6Yy6I1m5QO5FCotmMmspA4JKcMkt0PrdZnMSdGpjxs9w95vQDd4SRY/s320/DSC03550.JPG" border="0" />This is another reason, apart from unexploded mines, not to go for a Sunday afternoon stroll through the countryside. The farmer invited us into his kitchen to see his pets. Three very large tigers and a rather miserable black bear were sauntering around behind some very insubstantial bars. Hummmm.<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316707574944092242" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil-AHgrd0Cws1QEmBD5Ft8h8ARkDKe0OZZiYqcdqQV9Cmed_VtVm9tYQdX2-7Jq9WLlYqhLPBgiTGDE2p4HRgS6Uhyphenhyphen5f3Bn4azuDZwx44eeupCdwKyKcJ8t0YkGQlXvjraJQmh3T-7MFM/s320/DSC03545.JPG" border="0" /><br />Work is chugging along, although we do feel there is more enthusiasm and confidence amongst the teachers we have been working with and the lessons we observe show more evidence of child centered teaching and less learning by rote. We are still however sometimes shocked by what we see. A headmaster offered to show us a new school that had been built by a village in “the forest”. He roared off on his moto down a muddy track, his 4 year old daughter casually sitting in front of him. We followed trying to keep up with Chris riding pillion, hanging on for dear life, her eyes tightly shut. After 40 minutes off-roading, including descending a mountain down a very steep stream gully, we reached the village. They were very proud of their home made school even though it only had 1 wall and a tin roof but the level of commitment we observed by the untrained teacher was really inspiring. (Sorry the camera battery went flat so no pics).<br /><br />The VSO volunteer who works with the teacher training college in Battambang brought some of her teacher trainers out to Phnom Preuk to show them what it was like for newly qualified teachers out in the sticks. They were appalled not only by the state of some of the schools, one class room still had a cow in it, but also by the conditions in which some of the new teachers lived. One poor pregnant lady teacher has to make do with little more than a wooden box by the side of the road. The teacher trainers returned to Battambang full of horror stories but we doubt it will result in much change. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316707579367044338" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9yA4qe57VqQlse1ZjPJYyf7g4orf5Ior4VwYXSPqqOQPrcaTqDyotRy2wO4LdGl4eH5bCQOlGkNEBnCTo2L71Y7LqWsx3_-FGJ4b-QdLzVtSAhYRdDyMd2-B5itzZXPqZrf1GCVNfccY/s320/DSC05573.JPG" border="0" /> <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316708811834377890" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyGVNRz9yALReLjMgZ9DmK3_rKToHKp2dLYt4ggOh7hUc_uyEdwSlv0Sgwo5hlHszdJSO_Onio4_MD94IR6XnvlaFylWIPv2wr7GSH4Zh2jG-P4-KZ5Vh4PkE98uxwcUEdlS1D9gYr3po/s320/Image029.jpg" border="0" /><br />The annual VSO Education conference took place in Phnom Penh which was a good excuse to visit the big city. This year the theme was developing creativity in teaching, something that is sadly lacking in the Cambodian education system. The highlight was the “creative free expression” afternoon. The sight of Onno dressed as a Cambodian fairy tale princess, the Khmer assistants discovering poster paints and everyone dancing to the theme from Austin Powers will be remembered forever.<br /><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316708806717113650" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmuIayzKX5VsPlvaBYIv_H05F52la-Pjj-9CQtbWvLaK7RS4KPAnyYPxWDjH1F6prKQkAoN8CNKdPA-tbvINqEQx2tD4SjmcBD7PxEfbASdpr_K4Zm4MQ3QNle0u9ii6iFePl073njwaE/s320/EST+2009+031.jpg" border="0" /><br /><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316704874345653186" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhss5O543f5Q1azb3m-IPIcDvRbAVi-nWEDt7ZsGX4p_I9kQeP3EqtzinR8DEawJlQdnzNJH-HzB6xH-4GeB7nbw1cF_F-Iu6e9gPYj5KzTRnNxG7ojp5z_ExhI2-0ckxyXfX7yhz9Ss18/s320/DSC03430.JPG" border="0" /><br /> Cambodia hasabout 29 public holidays and they were deeply shocked to dicover that we have only 8, perhaps not everything is better in England. They are still happy to take advantage of everyone else's celebrations. Valentine's day is a big deal here as is Chinese New Year. This is a really jolly and colourful festival when families get together to eat, dress up and burn money (only the Pretend stuff.) <div> <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316703679454260322" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOFIqwuy59gT6boROiZucU6u6BPpveQED0uxXgXtWL5BGQH_EKv0psb9P-J8E_p3TrZBA7lHoLoX6FJT5Sazus9HZa0qkjqB5VYwhyphenhyphenL7YyU1YjavMOWF2_Qa5YEgrI5WIjNWP-T0yLCUo/s320/DSC03209.JPG" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316703675511610882" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDDC4sJpyh2GX-3L71vjNOVf0Yvj58Z5nSuZRd-Zw4OAgQrQp2DnvWOTh6iEI2n3JVRfqT8T0wNGiCOTx60097qKKU4a1t7aLLftAEtKjTf8tCrarvOnQs4Jaj9zolRuj5mFk2TU99JBg/s320/DSC03207.JPG" border="0" /><br />Of course we have made our inevitab le return to Koh Chang for a spot of R and R. Onno had persuaded Jon that he would “really love” diving and it was certainly an experience not to have missed. The coral reefs are like beautiful underwater gardens inhabited by electric blue sea anemones and shoals of rainbow coloured fish. Jon, however, decided that once was probably enough and in future he would look for his thrills on dry land, viz a ski slope.<br /></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316703659034937730" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtTeDsGcb2ubp8NUrhXPqIMf2P19zFrZ4yjTSGjv07f4dJFt9LqheYiwozE9Dv3tJRUgRJ4YcuqRZ6ByddAXkocCRWNpyDn7Y57QaoncS_hiioaONqlUBOyXNnFkuL4koa_G0DuN093QM/s320/DSC00260.JPG" border="0" /><br />The advent of the home made oven has resulted in more culinary experimentation. Steak and kidney pie, Cornish pasties and Yorkshire puddings have all proved to be amazingly successful as was the banana and peanut cake. The only problem is that, although this is a welcome change from stir fried veg and rice; we are piling on the pounds. </div><div> </div><div>A traditional Khmer delicacy is Prahok, otherwise known as Cambodian cheese. It is a grey sludge made of fermented fish. We visited a prahok "factory" just out side Battambang and as you can imagine the smell was indescribable. Jon will vouch for the fact that, when cooked in the traditional Khmer way, it is delicious.<br /></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316703667809784466" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-izac5PEMiMl-QA6fRdWv8qlElxJ_eLiECfZEcrwqnfjghQG1bZUpYOMwzfD4j0Q4FsE64_EaSlFpby08S4LyX3o4mdRq93bw4zsNdL2Y06O-Ud99KDLqc6yQ-C2vViCgR6hDQ2GMgY0/s320/DSC03205.JPG" border="0" /><br />We were delighted to receive more Parmiterian visitors in the shape of Dave Rapson, Tom Pegram, Matt Pollard and James Ovens with his Canadian cousin Ed. They had deviated from their world tour to pop in and see us on their way to Thailand and we had a very jolly evening reminiscing about Parmiter’s (Strange how after a few beers and several thousand miles it seems a much better place now we have all left). Bizarrely, to date, nine ex-students from the same school in a small town in SE England have all visited this even smaller town in remote, rural NW Cambodia. Should Phnom Preuk twin with Garston? <div><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316706304982043170" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyfjhIoOaZNGOjakN-ULQCLm3O6a3HYyvSTF-eviwjzrzT9SNg8ksXw_wwIfzjW6-Kc5Llv2q393mncC7cUReNboy0kqaGxgjhoH1vF2GPGPFdktJdv3CahY3tKguIfBEw2Csjr31QPUg/s320/DSC03511.JPG" border="0" /> <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316707557781437330" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVkL4xWME-BkkxCamZTBK3skdVQWDF7s28JMk0nXCOumxZeMYdvfjU6ZgQddKsmuDEmqcBNKYkve503SqOQL5Q9yBL2LtH9PBnaPPrdcJW8r3-hVWDdOmOQndgRkyJd_dDYLLfM3thMxo/s320/DSC03514.JPG" border="0" /><br />Jon had a very pleasant evening when he went to meet Marilyn and John Gerry who were visiting the temples of Ankor Wat. The only down side to this was that on his return from Siem Reap he had to share a 5 seater Toyota Camry taxi with 12 other people. Cosy!<br /><br />As the Khmer New Year approaches and the temperature rises we are thinking that it is time to take another little trip – but where? Thailand, Laos, Malaysia, Vietnam…… so much choice – poor old us!</div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Chris and Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11257625119754392619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3399322014075514078.post-24510471768224031062009-01-18T15:31:00.012+07:002009-01-18T16:52:12.866+07:00Hello from Cambodia 17It's cold!!!!!! No kidding the last few weeks have been bloody freezing. There is a continuous strong breeze so there is the "wind chill" to be taken into account and last week there was a severe weather warning. Ok, it's all relative compared with the Arctic weather you have been having in Europe, it's currently 26°C ( or 78°F in old money ) but at night we have taken to putting a blanket on the bed and snuggling up for warmth. Jon is even wearing socks! Actually what this shows is just how much we have acclimatized to Cambodia and not just to the temperature.<br />Work has settled down and we do have some sense of achievement. In December we at last held the workshop on Effective Teaching and Learning (ETL) which had been cancelled on three previous occasions due to factors ranging from; "Thailand might invade" to "the teachers are all harvesting corn".<br /><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><br /><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5292565750951978978" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqN5KgSqxNUgpKaVprDYL9mMeFpy8qUiazlRCYd2Up0mxYuXDUhe84TtWBse4nH7lvPo5CzFcf4E490O7XHaDQIEU0AByBk1y7y-3A6oEHz_uhd93bwp-0NPDWhfcD8-DYCOl3YWXu8I8/s320/DSC02747.JPG" border="0" /><br /><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><p align="center"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5292552586009408850" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqgPuYEaBrSfHKQK6yQjzktFYSfonMdSIRlNw0Ev5Y56jXY9FbhXW86ogyFIeT20QCMkchlIXcAVCejN4WVLlHkxWG8WaD45ipGJdhJ8SPeRQWvRMB2XjbhpraZhQG1HNWuFWA_5hq50c/s320/DSC02753.JPG" border="0" /><br /></p><br /><p align="left">We also applied for and got a small grant from VSO which allowed us to put bars on the windows of three schools in the district. This is important because without bars the schools are not secure and teachers are reluctant to decorate their classrooms with examples of kids' work and educational posters because they are often vandalized by the local youth. (Sound familiar? but we use CCTV and electronic alarms in the UK) Can you imagine a primary school classroom with no pictures on the wall, not even the alphabet? The three headmasters were so thrilled when we told them we had got the grant, one actually clapped his hands with glee.<br /></p><br /><p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaIBKhqyPCrSK5mwlUdoQ3UROSq7g_wHWEtRTTlGUoW0itwi_wSujilK0j4D8VfAMsAgt8YuWIF6wCH2AH2lkFFnboOOvvdUCmg7moyktWpn5F9EffSkOMb3tv2o6GJR3e8brooTScMMQ/s1600-h/DSC02673.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5292552580480139778" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaIBKhqyPCrSK5mwlUdoQ3UROSq7g_wHWEtRTTlGUoW0itwi_wSujilK0j4D8VfAMsAgt8YuWIF6wCH2AH2lkFFnboOOvvdUCmg7moyktWpn5F9EffSkOMb3tv2o6GJR3e8brooTScMMQ/s320/DSC02673.JPG" border="0" /></a></p><div align="left">A knock on effect of this was that we were able to support the setting up of libraries in schools as now books can be permanently displayed without being nicked. The problem of absence of books was overcome by Olivia and the pupils and staff of Queen's School, Bushey who raised over £200 for a library by some creative fund raising. Many, many thanks to them, they can not imagine how much their gift was appreciated by the children of Phnom Touch Primary School and the opportunities it has given them to widen their education. </div><br /><p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbyx9tQB3x2pkK-q_5SOL_jF1AQXzjvLXL6mDtUWWSq6BffBzmmtxAFPnKN-jX5ES1fTHs9nC3iusLa4Y45dldElzdHFF-TsWwBLkh-3SiCEpt-ENxXR7j2-CdHzsiM7bCISaISHw2WVs/s1600-h/DSC02835.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5292554361183025234" style="WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbyx9tQB3x2pkK-q_5SOL_jF1AQXzjvLXL6mDtUWWSq6BffBzmmtxAFPnKN-jX5ES1fTHs9nC3iusLa4Y45dldElzdHFF-TsWwBLkh-3SiCEpt-ENxXR7j2-CdHzsiM7bCISaISHw2WVs/s320/DSC02835.JPG" border="0" /></a></p><br /><p align="center"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5292554360622169010" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLclOuJISMaEtzaFVuBn7zISFthjFz8ySfsgYWNOKap-bcrJZHmUtLzyOs6s-dzUKwI24pRL9FUZ7ds_SLW8eacPVAjIKL-6_e3iMnjShDU7oMviG2NUHr4v4V9X_BC0Laqsf9qBgQJ4w/s320/DSC02817.JPG" border="0" /></p><p align="left">There are several EU sponsored building projects going on in the district at the moment. A new school is being built to accommodate the children of families who have just moved into a new village that has grown up on the site of a cleared, mine field. This not before time as the lady teacher, who only qualified this year, currently has to teach a class of over 60 kids in the local café, yet is doing so with the enthusiasm and humour which would put many established teachers in the UK to shame.</p><p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcAnzo8dsrIzwDZUCs3_vLuokPjrXsD4MDpW9iysGT2MsQ1Hqjj_hcjEqohkp5gmhpcvXwxwQG5gS08uAHAl1F5Pr52hTgRowGT7IonBkJgP8MD4W3ICKpeylZT6W3VumTxQQTdqPCz0M/s1600-h/DSC02770.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5292552585621583810" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcAnzo8dsrIzwDZUCs3_vLuokPjrXsD4MDpW9iysGT2MsQ1Hqjj_hcjEqohkp5gmhpcvXwxwQG5gS08uAHAl1F5Pr52hTgRowGT7IonBkJgP8MD4W3ICKpeylZT6W3VumTxQQTdqPCz0M/s320/DSC02770.JPG" border="0" /></a></p><div align="left">Also O Pichenda, our local primary school, is being expanded by four new classrooms. It was so chronically overcrowded that lessons were being taught in thatched shacks which were unusable in the rainy season. </div><br /><p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw5o6gstlEo2uqhcrFSMDlIfjt6AHyKLaAJ7JkL-Ic34oBFxTRuZf2Bb35Y7B0nw8c6KQfrRj-I3oAD3I0KuQwof85kn0Y4htB5m8OJ6DWE60TZycpdq1h9i_eRq26oEA5NpnXib-1SPw/s1600-h/DSC02511.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5292550826305984962" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw5o6gstlEo2uqhcrFSMDlIfjt6AHyKLaAJ7JkL-Ic34oBFxTRuZf2Bb35Y7B0nw8c6KQfrRj-I3oAD3I0KuQwof85kn0Y4htB5m8OJ6DWE60TZycpdq1h9i_eRq26oEA5NpnXib-1SPw/s320/DSC02511.JPG" border="0" /></a></p><div align="left">They also teach three shifts a day as opposed to the norm for Cambodia which is two. Yes you're right this means that most kids in Cambodia only get four hours teaching a day.<br />Opposite our office the new "Women's Affairs" building is under construction. This is a source of great interest to Jon who is continually amazed by the building techniques being used. eg. No real foundations to the walls and everything built out of very stiff concrete. Note: ground flattening using a tree stump on a pole. </div><br /><div align="left"></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5292560438466802770" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF1_D8FuyQJCqa8jbM7Tqq4OuaoGb9Qf_vmzyMY7Huk0f3_3k_Qkgozn8L4Mw2kTNpgXBnylMzbvhRaTRcgqoZL6cPGkKYXzmMc3WUqcSzVNk6UAnkpHmOJDXh9i980VA7Az1VPv6LDp0/s320/DSC03093.JPG" border="0" /><br />The monks continue building the Wat extension and greet as she cycles past every morning with a cheery “Hello, how are you” from their perches on the scaffolding (lashed together bamboo poles).<br /><p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcp43mC2bUTvbAcE4ReMmQeqJs0Ic0glswMeI9FC0kkIHvjGyavd44gIco7TqUrsj3zTkHi9D6FgkV_1ENbIGQGytgzsDQlUxx6x7ob756biRcI8r6I1PlT9UBR-n47uKQYP0fQPluABU/s1600-h/DSC02785.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5292554360424685730" style="WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcp43mC2bUTvbAcE4ReMmQeqJs0Ic0glswMeI9FC0kkIHvjGyavd44gIco7TqUrsj3zTkHi9D6FgkV_1ENbIGQGytgzsDQlUxx6x7ob756biRcI8r6I1PlT9UBR-n47uKQYP0fQPluABU/s320/DSC02785.JPG" border="0" /></a></p><div>With the dry season comes the dust. Touche, our cleaner, went to Phnom Penh to meet her family who were visiting from Canada and so there was no one to dust and mop efficiently (our attempts were pathetic). By the time she returned a week later there were small sand dunes piling up in the sitting room and we were loosing ourselves in a sand storm as we tried to cross the kitchen. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5292562789954173234" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 220px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj2YTNt3m_CyRLbPtMB802d-tJY6rUh7N8zijA7Qqu2RhbJtziUBXbsJ9gFlfgaCBcfsKT_xZBr1oyHxSq_tVIkAyKhTlk-fzNJxvR39pOBQnHDxygEy04OrYmaWXi9QczbHSIL9xnyDU/s320/slr+019.jpg" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5292562781766109314" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjljYEsST68gteHqX2yPcTDRN4OQH2H7gboizWnRh5pFJ0o5bSPF_EjhvtW3e_uolT3iKLTxTJgxXYelyEJWPyNNepOIDiNziCfNwMox3LAbQKlFBGBVcQic3wGkLIg06A_Cwnc-DQwZis/s320/DSC03104.JPG" border="0" />Also since the tapioca harvest has now been collected the fields are brown and dry (see photo).<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5292562777291834610" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMaj3afcbHtJ__zr27R1rg-0FDuLPXAgJ2a9k7A1krofltn2QPJfXjV17ti0fy9Nj-fHTzCyeqdYnBaEkn7_-BtgYeWwIZdPsfPQxZ8k1BvQACIsjU5AWjlh07Ak_ZGv0eGRzduItFlfo/s320/DSC03100.JPG" border="0" /><br />The dust is actually dangerous as the clouds on the roads created by the huge Thai trucks, which carry produce across the border, mean that car and moto drivers are often driving blind. There have been several fatalities as drivers, overtaking a truck at speed, run head on into a taxi coming the other way.<br />November brings the Water Festival which marks the end of the wet season. In Phnom Penh this is celebrated by the Dragon Boat Races. Boat teams from all over the country come to compete and for the last three years VSO have entered the only Barrang team. In a series of heats two boats race each other over a 1000m down the Tonle Sap River past the king. The hardest part is paddling upstream to the start point. The VSO boat did well coming 5th in a two boat race (ie they were passed by two other races). It was, however, a spectacular event to have taken part in – even though the Tee shirts were a bit pink.</div><div></div><br /><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5292562782645633362" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 214px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnhzScB5FQcUsqEKD13qsda9VAvpjy1ci7suVawZe_qrY5kPAr_50Uv0_4kxEqvIRKjaX9CVQRH1m9XYW2Vh1iO5GbgKLTkTgyCMledTY639DhZu2KWoEuk-a4zJ0IysLvk4oZd8FUxJQ/s320/dsc_4128.jpg" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5292562783600637154" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 214px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1PWGxL87_jVtXBvQqjDUmLPHY3Jv4I-RX2XGRelU_yeTO3p39uacnB9lCzW8CEKjvGybcd0a4u9TTIoQMZAcKuiBtynQ9PP_1wHQ6k9b4I5AN8mt0efQlDlxUKZKQxLswHITnXuRPSJo/s320/dsc_4146.jpg" border="0" /><br />Taking advantage of the National holiday we went back to Koh Chang for a few days R&R. The Thais have a similar festival and celebrate by making little boats of banana tree bark decorated with flowers and candles and launched into the sea sailing away the worries of the previous year.</div><br /><p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMlNYvDJKQZvifHpMJEMbLnRvo_iqVoSn7GNd6n6ZYGrVENtNMruDZEtyxo0-F1_v_TDiVq237XiOdkiKB5iDcHDJG4DuA4p4r-BfEOz2h6jwS8Fgjy2lLQtMd4MCHJ5uuJEYefE4a1mQ/s1600-h/DSC02455.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5292550825706470706" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMlNYvDJKQZvifHpMJEMbLnRvo_iqVoSn7GNd6n6ZYGrVENtNMruDZEtyxo0-F1_v_TDiVq237XiOdkiKB5iDcHDJG4DuA4p4r-BfEOz2h6jwS8Fgjy2lLQtMd4MCHJ5uuJEYefE4a1mQ/s320/DSC02455.JPG" border="0" /></a></p><div>On a similar mystical note in December we looked up into the night sky to find a smiley face beaming down at us. Apparently the crescent moon (which is kind of horizontal at this latitude), Jupiter and Venus were in an unusual alignment to cause this phenomenon. The superstitious Khmers immediately took this to be a portentous sign of everything from victory in the war with Thailand to Liverpool winning the European Cup. It just made us smile. (Everyone tried to take the photo, few, including us, were very successful)<br /></div><br /><p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmYmkfT0HSHjOplZ4r_zzq4qczfESsmLE2X0jqeXWy5Gkf8EoLxagKSiUByaNBBjDlPgcXePMIUt7PJaTBhtqxsY5wofPs_0OeKXRY5lIeTqTC1fC-I-xp7YRQSvqhr9YNqH18rz2cuT0/s1600-h/DSC02648.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5292550832324030674" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmYmkfT0HSHjOplZ4r_zzq4qczfESsmLE2X0jqeXWy5Gkf8EoLxagKSiUByaNBBjDlPgcXePMIUt7PJaTBhtqxsY5wofPs_0OeKXRY5lIeTqTC1fC-I-xp7YRQSvqhr9YNqH18rz2cuT0/s320/DSC02648.JPG" border="0" /></a></p><br /><div>Christmas was more traditional this year. For a start we were with family as Alice and boyfriend Will’s tour of SE Asia had brought them back to Phnom Preuk.</div><br /><p align="center"></p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5292556333168604354" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh80Z74jzIZiThzEGNx_nJXPLwCnpe3AiFhL2Ns_7u56NTDEMoIrWHgBrygmyqJNn9xEoA3m6MdyPTr7n-j6GWgnbaW3Tvt_nzw_VFUBF2RLp3eaKD6A0l1CiBmtOhlNJ-F_hWyWdMaiE/s320/DSC02906.JPG" border="0" /> Consequently we really went over the top decorating the house with Christmas trees, fancy lights, tinsel, paper chains and Origami stars. To the amusement of our neighbours we dragged in boughs of greenery to deck the halls (banana leaf rather than holly and ivy). It was wonderful to have them with us as we opened our presents on Christmas morning while drinking Bucks Fizz accompanied by Carols from King’s.<br /><p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2yFpAyMaeWA0lQUKdWhThI9NuUA4k8l8sYuXuXN4ldm123p0IDtztBlOwLDgDsd7Oex1hEB_c2rDHMhKRNiZbOCxwA1hWcFgMygZsXL04LaI_IDCevoREnnDst8EqstirvvmVJr9yfsk/s1600-h/DSC02879.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5292554364337038914" style="WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2yFpAyMaeWA0lQUKdWhThI9NuUA4k8l8sYuXuXN4ldm123p0IDtztBlOwLDgDsd7Oex1hEB_c2rDHMhKRNiZbOCxwA1hWcFgMygZsXL04LaI_IDCevoREnnDst8EqstirvvmVJr9yfsk/s320/DSC02879.JPG" border="0" /></a></p><br /><p align="left">We had invited Onno and Corine (Dutch VSO), Renny (American Peace Corps) and Anna (Wandsworth) for a traditional English Christmas dinner and this took some planning, mainly due to the absence of a cooker. After much thought, inspiration and experimentation Jon constructed a very effective two tier oven out of an inverted stew pot and some wire. With the help of the very generous seasonal Red Cross parcels sent by Frances and Olivia and Alice and Will’s culinary expertise we were able to produce a meal of truly festive fayre. This included roast chicken, cranberry and chestnut stuffing, Christmas pud and brandy, cream, Christmas cake (baked in new oven), dates stuffed with Stilton and crackers (a complete novelty for non-Brits). We ate and drank for almost 9 hours interrupted only by some gentle games. The only thing that was missing was Wallace and Gromitt on the telly. </p><br /><p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4Davu97v6tQqmFOAtyfHuN5oMBCjeIFUSV-Iv75rq5Q4YwtpNswwhNJkwhM0gFp7L_8xOLoh9h5Bg0CFLmfwxmtrPYTcEH2FcDHbGMg3g5TqGOqb6zOCx4Xf6g9aJSdxKOn80ejwXUbY/s1600-h/DSC02873.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5292554366973127522" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4Davu97v6tQqmFOAtyfHuN5oMBCjeIFUSV-Iv75rq5Q4YwtpNswwhNJkwhM0gFp7L_8xOLoh9h5Bg0CFLmfwxmtrPYTcEH2FcDHbGMg3g5TqGOqb6zOCx4Xf6g9aJSdxKOn80ejwXUbY/s320/DSC02873.JPG" border="0" /></a></p><br /><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5292556327015632162" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGXFYu8jLWh9Xp-E7RMu52wmY5TvNZdTDIDz-hFyZA_QCC9WfMWZ8HXrv5OCpFVjncSFYV3lLNS0L1oNVaXq1A9jRo8aaP8fr7qKJor6L8VJUrVQkZv6u7l2t9npcTOiuZWgph4cld_8o/s320/DSC02884.JPG" border="0" /><br />[Since the advent of the oven we have become even more adventurous in our cooking with the aid of the BBC Good Food website. Not only are we baking our own bread but yesterday Jon cooked Banana and Pecan cakes and tomorrow is attempting a Sunday Lunch of roast beef and Yorkshire pudding. ]<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5292560441156332242" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSmBjjCJSJTDBnagX4Bon6c4EppcThUhbK7odvOPFZaYTe3EwZ9sgujO1VHSKROO2mF9udgLoRK9dWdNjd4JkTKMGYWetgFPQJf_1mPUUfEcU_PplERrKnE1xRV6Wm__rUHNyof2fH00k/s320/DSC03098.JPG" border="0" /><br />The family reunions continued after Christmas with the arrival of Chris’ mum, sister, brother-in-law and niece. It was so good to meet up with them at Siem Reap. We had rather a bizarre New Year’s eve when at 11.15 the staff of the bar at their hotel said they were off to a party. Not being able to face the prospect of being totally dry at midnight we jumped on a tuk tuk and shot back into town just in time to see in the New Year with 1000’s of others at a very jolly street party in Pub Street. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5292556335608123330" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ-qkCfDJC-DsCryxGbgpQHKNhkW0JYxbu1qHv7kviN2w67iJLciogRSOeEjZM66DI9BAbyyM-FVaO-4XEiqYsZB9wLFPnNLCHr0jsu9CJE0gx28WQmfkaX8oQUnac90tfndjURJN8HM0/s320/DSC02932.JPG" border="0" /> The following day we joined the family tour and went on a boat to visit the Vietnamese floating villages on the Tonle Sap. We had been five years before when we were the only tourists there and we had been greeted with welcoming smiles and waves from the villagers. Now this is a much more organised operation with more than 20 tour boats within sight on the lake and a visitors centre complete with crocs and python. The villagers, however, studiously ignored all of us aware that their hard lives have become a tourist attraction.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5292558853596476530" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2kK6voFdn-ke1sowCbzvNDXIczWGFyMV_3qP7UHd5_B_ShbCWm6WrMG-OlWy_O2s-vffAk_FmzfkFlRZF6Y3VIGvdsxqqsBFm6XwhXfdj0pI9WgH-wQdlhT9Q9Fb2CCkMebX8EzAMVUM/s320/DSC02996.JPG" border="0" /><br /></div><div></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5292556340371045570" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2SlU9oAQj5u32QJHoJk5yzkN4fhju7CfKBNcUflqWGpe_VEMd83PTUYdF3TNLQ_Yx2joq0ES8Fv1-1PTOfkG5ZRZ3kaWcaWdY5ttulWXyZc9NWcp-p9AyN6Dlfu3363mgBh6gXRyHeLg/s320/DSC02956.JPG" border="0" /> <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5292558850979087970" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj27qsgRhPm6embfpSk2uip0pgVrDhqgqBh_5qUJeEP_IRtrY4AjG8xGUR2tm3xsUqb7hyc4s7MvRuRioLeSRdW6gtQZihuxtEM71rMDphO15pc4rEHvKdcD4_bwHXDTh_2KanMSL-NiLw/s320/DSC02980.JPG" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5292558847352446274" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxLwONMlhF1eU4BtTspCgVYdm92cQ3Pfvtlp-buN8e8fP2MlxAHodkvIUJoW_afG-fm6CFs0wqjavl4Q-3ahXFMqIgFDv3_TI0Xdza1j-TVINnaNU-gWKG08D3tC7AdpNcujePEcXwhx8/s320/DSC02971.JPG" border="0" /><br />Being over 80 Chris’ mum was the source of great inspiration; skipping over Ankorian ruins, leaping on and off bobbing boats and hauling herself on to rickety tuk tuks far more effectively than her less sprightly daughter – see you’re never too old.<br /><br /><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5292558849328853522" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQeAFrMp-HatKruFtsymKhmsybpw9FdpTpoggnHIDuxkRUdT_rymCCmC68hB_yGppoE1hQ1xUIyq2PmUmspl93E7w688eCYkxngM0O1625AmPZ5Aidx0ls2h8l1vm27BZLPJKpe_rGCjs/s320/DSC02968.JPG" border="0" /> While we were in Phnom Penh we tried a variety of cuisines; Khmer, Italian, Indian, Bavarian (though Robbie stuck to Green Curry through out) much of which Caroline photographed. Ottie took advantage of PP’s bounteous supply of CDs, DVDs and iPod down loads, I hope they all work back home! <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5292568461218515058" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHrGA1njlYE4l5q-eqRr1uDJMEmheFRuiTN7Jne6GuFtE-ZG7QzaqYR1ZD1_VUwAGSwEIbpa6Rcdg72zlEJnzusbOqTdHrl7GnA3IuygCT48eAFLR032mFBlpr1pYXIEWU_hwVkvDD1No/s320/DSC03009.JPG" border="0" /><br />We returned once more to visit the Sunrise Village Orphanage where once again we were impressed with how it is continuing to develop with new facilities such as a theatre and dance studio. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5292558859692614642" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitSe-RTF4sjEyzmTXKdEi0_8-md1IU-32OlAiPlNRd4l8baHiImTk76P4DN_O2zgteHAIqudjiwBwA4Co5Ap98SPUyfcJyLscnN4gNDvTt7NBhW5u9eZ98f373HD7NzEPWP-JsysOR8sQ/s320/DSC03066.JPG" border="0" /> </div><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5292560432775160818" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9mGhyphenhyphenpeXKPlU0Al5lHd5RlTHJCtlra0tPOOZzlDh5DMmGEKAXSvwvPRK2r__uGG2Ag8olZJCgAwimY3hdU5elwtYgnl4gIi-a_3aqjKgmtprQC1YJAp28h3jAe8MjePGVSVQ4h9ocqSE/s320/DSC03068.JPG" border="0" /> It was a very sad day when they all left us to continue their Asian journeys; Alice and Will to Laos and the rest to Vietnam. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5292560439350303394" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg09fM_LdXVgqml8j9DIBJsvw73z3cTAbHDfHXspTH8EOsET9Z6YTwacaE5OpLRunDx5AX7cW-W_wEE3GNvu6CHXpIeLFWFL4QqcOTUfiPgjVFTuNFlQ4IQQ_-gcXqQ7X9c96iADtXdyQ/s320/DSC03085.JPG" border="0" /> And so here we are in 2009 wondering what is to come? No matter what the world will throw at us nothing will be as rich and stimulating as our lives in 2008.<br />Happy New Year to all our readers.<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5292556331816755218" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxyry4f8RRI0KgrFCq0BhSWcU_JhT5UUjtJwNo92ntUo9wfleF55iqPyW_lWegwS43Hj2kyRv56f0DkQosXwft_2M2qREQNtfbyQmGVEn4V9qec53qcpg9HjAs7w1T_j2AhS2Ihx-SnS8/s320/DSC02912.JPG" border="0" /></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5292560433083959330" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitwPUPuimSvzmPN_YNfPelvp0I1fapmqEJBL0nw2BSCRIj2aiXhDYZGpzBU_M9oFodTeTzHG_k492i0B0VdVhoTcHetd8BUMZvDugV0NlwIGr6CYc-YYaxD1r60GDPGrM6XHhYu_9Ir3A/s320/DSC03084.JPG" border="0" /></div></div></div></div></div></div>Chris and Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11257625119754392619noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3399322014075514078.post-34296845579559196552008-11-05T17:24:00.011+07:002008-11-05T18:13:23.722+07:00Hello from Cambodia 16November 1st 2008. We have been living in Phnom Preuk for exactly 1 year now, so maybe in true VSO style we should engage in a little review and evaluation. Overall the Cambodian experience has been a good one. We have been welcomed with kindness and generosity and, after the initial shock wore off, we were readily accepted into the community. Although Jon is still a source of huge interest and amusement to the ladies in the market, the kids no longer run away screaming when they see him. In fact a few of the neighbours' kids have taken to wandering into the house to try out their English: "Hello, how are you? One, two, three, eight" etc. They were especially delighted when they discovered the games consol on the DVD player. In return for a few games of Super Mario (its real 70's stuff) they happily clear away our dirty dishes and lug heavy shopping about; exploitation of the youth of Cambodia – you bet.<br /><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5265118430914589314" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 167px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 250px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJuwffECj5a8iEjhCgTMe76ay-cbXxKkvRw1FabVQw_3ewiz3YWxG3KOBOMPSpygt3M-eniDlnu3BOoWa2ATuP0tAolFsds9EXMhvXkyaP1VMN9Y8k5MUhbwXb7wpFj_otSw9SjK-Q1s4/s320/boys.JPG" border="0" />The flow of visitors seems to have dried up temporarily although we did have a flying visit from ex-pupil Oli Jepsen and his travelling companion Pandy (see pic) who roared up on a 250cc dirt bike on their way from Nepal to Perth(!) The fact that he just popped in, for a pleasant 24 hours, made us feel less isolated. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5265122952449474402" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 260px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 195px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOFEDYq_IvkM_ihxynBan_dzoX-udq7xVUSCYPMqv9tputubUtkDtyE6EgduIDk9mMC1WWHe1PSF6Yc1O197Mthzbx4Uvv4S_RRO5gyeucOpy0yrax523HZo-nEoOQOZ1CPnmpBrZL3aM/s320/oli.JPG" border="0" /> We always intended to take advantage of being in Cambodia for 2 years to explore the region and so, with Jean, we decided to do a two centre city break to Singapore and Kuala Lumpur. (Flight to Singapore - $9 on JetStar which is the Asian Ryan Air. However what with taxes and the fact that it costs $25 just to leave Phnom Penh airport meant that it wasn't quite as cheap as it looked)<br />Arrived in Singapore – Wow what a culture shock!!!! It's so clean and shiney.<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5265119946576940018" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 260px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 195px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAKKchkS0SIedtyv7_A128cKgcLo3JKfa-FQ-a67JJpZNtRMOvant50xMaUmkN8kncoIJAAEnNZeZdSmZ4JEt2RrMZnbJ-e4s-xTtnhFOWogvCqZTaLi5Z3AlJJDBo5rxXr_qDLueQfac/s320/concert+hall.JPG" border="0" /> It is also very, very, very expensive. Trying to travel on a VSO allowance is very challenging especially when a glass of beer costs $10, we could see why Nick Leeson had to break Barings Bank in order to live here. Despite the patient ministrations of the ladies at the accommodation desk at the airport all we could afford was the three of us sharing a room in a hotel in the red light district, near Changi! Albeit a little cosy, it was clean and a very efficient transport system whisked us into the city centre.<br />Singapore is almost like a colonial theme park; "Empire Land". The older areas, which have been rescued from the developers, were charming, giving a much sanitized impression of what the port would have been like when it was part of "the empire on which the sun never set" and Noel Coward was still musing on Mad Dogs and Englishmen. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5265124476835038418" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 260px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 195px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQuVYduwWdJXrb7N9lGHdIDW04ecdUJE_boL4NJh2nVxmXiGL-5aw7Ljt6MEd6MROoEsSrk8Q3n_G9culnqbI5j-cS3zYIUe4Ft8P3sk03ak2roDMN4ZgWL1fDJhkPwDAO-W0ZOJzf630/s320/singa.JPG" border="0" /> Of course we had to visit Raffles Hotel but got pissed off by the snotiness of it (but what did we expect?) and the fact that a Singapore Sling costs $23. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5265124474459788786" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 260px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 195px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1L1kihiaVj-uCPPci5V7RfYCjS9kP3RoS5qWiZHD6_m8TeIePeiLgAp_vsrOZXYpGOryXIGXV7LrkJ8ndTCwb5A8quE4ouypgIPDCjyT06Me4lTTrVKUyeBIaoiUtvTVDhCtdXU24ZCo/s320/raffles.JPG" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5265126120844988130" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 195px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 260px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsVgrrJGvk8R2fi4y3tffu_PDH1YyEyoFMHeuAcQ46Mh2MI_8UFiP0v4yL_IO9MsEvwOfoBVtIgJvfLwmCGE1UoqLdTY6yVEc7L_Gpe7X43gkjO-aRBW09royxrZFDuJiqbv2pW-bGq1w/s320/snooker.JPG" border="0" />So we went next door for tea instead and pretended that we were Celia Johnson and Trevor Howard. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5265118437610267202" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 260px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 195px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTd8xOnGBBjq4cHGprhrgRymnXYB7PI4MA-kNLFXgU0asEEtG1AalR3yISVkgtEb_8V0HWyioLR0RV6QrT2Fc8pW6v3vaSNE6t0mMDuRlRLYDcJAkdN2i068Gs_8pams_hIXLqxBnIjtw/s320/breif+enconter.JPG" border="0" /> China Town was well worth a visit for the retail therapy as was Little India where Jon tried some curry ice cream. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5265121610808108146" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 260px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 195px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHeBXLynqmb7x-dOfkVjpe74Y9aV6adq86_cO-0tq7Pehf1ZvrWey-MyHUrY9p8CQIgwt-DeRCdSxA_Q0C_RRQQq3BbT4gIKVCnWnHCeSPkxpxw9QHIlfNV2C_ZFCuRisGDxF6lLFOuO8/s320/little+india.JPG" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5265119948607476930" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 195px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 260px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN-Aja6mr6wZ83o2O8w2xIriSrLUJyWCo_pE2lRM9RZ1ori3psQLOdZEMHCjJF67fi5vt8Cgo8ijMQ6Kr1xQLyAhDt-4R1BRsqBA0GonZ2oVnQiQENt0NYn8-PHefBe6ZtSnOSaKLkCVE/s320/curry.JPG" border="0" />But again we felt that it somehow wasn't real; we missed the dirt and smell of Cambodian markets. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5265118433056306738" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 195px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 260px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd5Tv-tJr7Gmfebeg6BHuwQ6jH0KCSdHYozi9p2BEkFHdVOJwgdUuNH-jRKDq7zXcWJQOjkZck2bsm48Xc3U-5R5i6oH_gqtrDU9k0GlEJuWPpb_GqQ0bryJ_AJFi228k2kVwkZVXHlw4/s320/bazar.JPG" border="0" />We visited an impressive Buddhist pagoda which exuded wealth and opulence, compared with Khmer standards,<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5265122960632697250" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 260px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 195px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy3cOVc68qcArSJgG4wd_BWvKlCOqNA9Y0V7ZDnBXue7AVW-yfp3M6IEctvUGDw6elmJcCDRbDBH6sPhWJ-3zEph9eoe0Uxx3DPGCFEQAjsK9iVFDLRqBQvycTboUzFJcNmkDKpmLUr3A/s320/pagoda.JPG" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5265118437720914498" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 195px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 260px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcvwruV_3acxUQC9yooG9zaHEHRJfopKJ3xeCJKnsprdwSBWN02A1gAEgXSiVGnIy2n8mkWgOe2tqLpHJuj_Gm70b3sQ_dcvifYvSXta4X2ScZkOeDOm1GpjRKZogW0aVe9WMwfIQZgpQ/s320/buhda.JPG" border="0" /> and a fascinating Hindu temple<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5265121610432843810" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 195px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 260px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTNRzk4XTEq4k9u6O41Ogsmfn6SFlpZFfT3U0ANCAHenstLj6_tIr1fZVkBTRyvBc2KptO25_0fAPtLKDNEDsh-af5BSWLiKk7qVpE350As42w32nlgeBlWn-bAkWEv_CxPf4CMznCwkM/s320/india+tem.JPG" border="0" /> as well as the beautiful, colonial St Andrew's Cathedral. It would seem that this multicultural city is able to thrive with no apparent racial tensions. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5265126120532915730" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 260px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 195px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicUMztsQLet8DLyU3rzr8W_uRjG00H444gF97sfBIIqoDXbYZgBwSGGd7urEe_DgyZ3p9flyBXXDkqONwxSbabVmENI3cMK6pxjccljpXprTS6mRCv70fbM2F9e0mNh4bT-PIQ_Ze0eCM/s320/st+andys.JPG" border="0" /> Everyone we met, from the city brokers to the street cleaners, was charming, polite and helpful although the late night cab driver told us how it really was – "the government is nasty" but that's cab drivers for you all over the world.<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5265119954329094482" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 260px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 195px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4fPyTqrWRaOwaAOHpNzhL49krGu56zfLQZgb5qSlV2XpmD8qDGo1yQl0Z6wa3mRXwfanP_t_3aaWHySUzGgGVhR46UUFO87gdRrfE5JM6ikHa5EcxNKxfU7pyureF3KO9pKufYg0_ToU/s320/durian.JPG" border="0" /> One thing that struck us about Singapore was that there were old people. We hadn't realized, before then, that you rarely see anyone over the age of 60 in Cambodia. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5265118436072395602" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 260px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 195px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7aO3Ka151HOl5Z4B2k5YyRl1sh984xJfn9pVrQPaToZYDT01YoAtm_Ap5uvyYAYSCd1onn1YLBKJ8_xyza5G2TzlNxjOVUkdRZsE5sq3jYMuIw_RcC_GFhAGBq8pqXk-kY8TMuuRjxWQ/s320/checkers2.JPG" border="0" /> The city was preparing for the first ever night time Grand Prix so many of the roads, around the harbour, were closed while they installed the flood lighting, seating and barriers. The cab driver had much to say about that too! Hasn't the boy done well? <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5265121605514520226" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 195px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 260px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAxuZFrIqQk7WbM6PhkBS21FcHXplrh30FvmRut5MoxZPpAunCH7M9hKNP27hyphenhyphenpwI8Ig8GjsmvMWErdChsxha3hcVighRygbTva4OkoZjG3ja-BNab4AR3YOBFDIvRDINF2DtLMcyxVSs/s320/hamilton.JPG" border="0" /> <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5265124474621634898" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 260px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 195px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4YejQejPa_d-sqa3q7EoS9UEQyKs9exOE6C8VVipzG9bXCcd_1UHsM7ab4w6FwS7-HY1VSQ-dIj9mFAM0v5Ds0uivOeqxGfgx9B0FdByeX28UtOzADnk9iopz9aWiINNEhwim0Wu6Wwo/s320/race+track.JPG" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5265124468966560930" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 260px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 195px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzEosiDkNf__qJ2SehEmkOMKDdK_DImjPQVW-YWGzTtayw7axLmxg1wKjpm8DyIspmBipGMJhE-N5-_I9xBjb4Tivl2-h4fIRZO8JbHcc9BLymOcF7o21A1X_O86MIg9HfCVTDvR4VSDQ/s320/race+car.JPG" border="0" /> We saved the price a night's accommodation by taking a sleeper on the night train to Kuala Lumpur.<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5265126114044819682" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 260px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 195px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW5kl05shorJ90ssBOglwm7EaeIo1nZZpRktdaj4sE_mPkYPj4KM0Y7n06Wtm6hdWgKxld3HXnEdUNnVz-8QTTBglXf-sPZO4ETVVaGyzEt1_OUiFMGjQobcuRmiEaiZ1iZjmBOWgEsPc/s320/sleeper.JPG" border="0" /> Singapore station was a little gem, a real step back into the imperialist past. Beautiful art deco tiled panels depicted scenes of the colony's economic history and food sellers provided dishes for every ethnic taste. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5265126119032879538" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 195px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 260px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRBHZ7gGSiFVGoWYWMCiqnJFSuGsJ_igMxW10ga9TYBiAXs_pRXBvaeIOSPlGj_LXbP8kdkPTyoA6FFqy7TV0kb2YkiYyDAEFcHLc4hQHX1O4_rW1mzIzT-W-BrkVujmu_Y8rqnLpZynI/s320/station.JPG" border="0" /> Kuala Lumpur was like any other big South East Asian city. Excessive traipsing around resulted in us seeking relief for our throbbing feet by having them nibbled by fish in the central market.<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5265121607262038290" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 260px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 195px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSydg1dOy_iQ-bTfLsrmbhZRTCRIjr16xKzNl1oYsuI6puS_a9a_gQ_AakSfG-um5ZYvLlcsf7XRtXfI4lxZS77Wu2N3gKeZvx5udInqmLelQx9vmHfutPd_8zcWJ9AZrAL72Hhu2_EaQ/s320/fish.JPG" border="0" />A highlight was a visit to the Orchid Gardens which was stunning (and free!).<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5265122954406420450" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 260px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 195px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeXEb0Cf90zbVVL3a05JfXTCg3FiafJFN8eQGIY9G3MH9sEe_afP8QoUh6aWXw0_sDg08fEsGiCBesxo1ldeQTE4rNow0maXL8bx_M2vickEDPyQiWfzcFWRy7ei8dWUxmcAJzCtbcHno/s320/orchid.JPG" border="0" /> A down side was an attempt to travel on the Sky Train in the rush hour, Jean and Chris baulked at the crush to become sardines, the London Underground is roomy by comparison. </div><div>Sorry, couldn't resist this it made us laugh.<br /></div><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5265119942962962178" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 260px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 195px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtt5D0lDebCGYezLXhqZZK0LPLlTdJSlYm4nRI5_Q4aLhNa2t3Uso8za2BNz66nrZbvF0C9RS4BWnqfTB4H8Z0jXqNPpRgDesqA8cd8cp00N_IYTKKcu-VOtSYZ9nSttPEyCj0_jXEZF4/s320/coffin+shop.JPG" border="0" /> Of course we had to go up the Petronas Towers which were as all tall building are; tall.<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5265126116583157698" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 195px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 260px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX0fmgT_DNCFU0t4p9YQ3uSyauO6BkzMZ-WjgfAWlNhxyFL-4SygRZiYb5iXOEeyKpRnhc5M83qZ2yBSYqXyORDKykSqjTgWNaLvQ9_ujTNcOUx0yTgFzcHOz-X4gePmO2Wm6cGKCVIgQ/s320/petronas.JPG" border="0" /> Jean was more attracted by the shopping arcade underneath. Having been consumer deprived for over a year, the presence of so many posh shops, full of beautiful things, was overwhelming. Unfortunately we had to eschew Prada, Dior and Gucci in favour of Marks and Spencer in the basement. We had to stock up on those little essentials that are impossible to get in Cambodia eg. bras. Without going into detail, Khmer women appear to be an entirely different shape to European ladies. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5265122950616434274" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 195px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 260px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiikrS1Oc26J6VNd0jeWWlFnS1LFi90T5BSx45zhr10hjS_DUaLM9Il0qwKsIavPNOaQ8pRJcouKjL7Q6cjUc8euCqz5QPMaDaLpoEMUUsYVj7V2zX6VJiX-pxh9wdGZ6s6ZSvAWHzClmE/s320/m&s.JPG" border="0" /><br />A culinary delight in Kuala Lumpur was the lamb kebab we had in a Lebanese restaurant. There are no sheep in Cambodia and all barrangs crave lamb chops. Having said that we were recently amazed to see a flock of sheep being driven down the road in front of our house, even the Khmers were out on their doorsteps to watch this unprecedented sight. Where they came from and where they were going nobody knows and we still can't get lamb in the market.<br />More excitement last month when the border dispute flared up again and for two hours Thailand and Cambodia were at war. Although there was no action within 200 miles, in Phnom Preuk there was panic, many people grabbed their possessions and fled. We were in Phnom Penh at the time and VSO warned that we should not return home but go to Battambang and await developments. For three days we were refugees, though being put up in the Royal Hotel is no hardship. It soon became obvious that this was more posturing and saber rattling, both sides climbed down and pretended to negotiate – until the next time.</div><div><br />We happily traipsed back to Phnom Preuk keen to get back to work only to discover that there were no staff in the office and very few children in the schools. It was at least another week before everyone who had run away drifted back to the district and everything settled back to "normal". The experiences of the last thirty years have left local people, many of whom spent years in Thai refugee camps, very nervous. They expect the worst and their natural reaction is to flee.</div><div><br />In theory the schools began the new year on October 1st and we attended a few opening ceremonies but then the border dispute seriously disrupted things. A big workshop, that we had been planning to facilitate, was cancelled for the third time due to "the situation". Also there have been a couple more national holidays to celebrate the king's hamster's birthday or something which results in everyone taking a week off. On top of this Chris has been laid up with two nasty bouts of "poorly tummy" (Giardia for the informed; Carol) which has kept her off work for a couple of weeks. Now we have the Water Festival coming up which is another five day holiday but, hopefully, after that we actually start to get things moving again. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5265122955141322066" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 260px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 195px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8k45wpwIEcsBBUvApwDLRfUmj-2KeJoRhDmdQRztzX0AGj1p5Nvo9x2wMLu1HIp31Yk7fFEdkripmdgGKDrQg9X_n1JNwarXBJ4-qCiHMyJHkx0RWTO6N-DYFFoYF3xjR9GydrbLtXwQ/s320/openday.JPG" border="0" /><br />During this quiet time we have been working on a project to develop the libraries in the local schools. The main obstacle to setting up libraries in Cambodia is ….. no books, and no money to buy them. So we have been writing and illustrating our own; see Three Little Pigs in Khmer.<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5265124471814539186" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 260px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 195px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQp2ZcJ8Q54mVUf90EJhgfjVe1kuLxl-x3yCGRDw1mi7fGjt8ht1Zq35H1hIMZC8Z3t-sUQq4zggDOOtjJuWkhpr_3cBWxziu4tizBxA5cn1VuwWKtru1x2sDwSu3Si7AcWcY0nL5nEfI/s320/pigs.JPG" border="0" />Although the rainy season officially ends in November the last few weeks have been very wet. Our lovely little fish were washed away down the drain pipe when their bowl on the balcony overflowed. In one very spectacular thunderstorm we received a direct lightening strike which fried the telly, the DVD player and the 2 ceiling fans. We now unplug everything at the slightest darkening of the skies. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5265127508978565634" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 213px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisq7oAwYCB8qfjsf5HpiTwL_WHLHKGRtNApg8IlSg0zAVDPemcc-IlYvF94sqQ9e5IaG4Sxheg7D6UrAZAGn4vCByKlFAnhKA0qPSw5oOVStTiq2w1RvqUfrSr-kaXGAcPn9kRP8Dc1_o/s320/storm.JPG" border="0" />The roads are beginning to deteriorate again so when we bravely moto'ed to Battambang two weekends ago it took four hours of weaving our way between ruts and potholes and arrived covered in mud from head to toe. (In fact Jon drove and Chris clung on the back squeaking a lot). Sophea and his wife, who got married last November, have just had a daughter called Darany. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5265119952081076338" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 205px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 154px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAQygkoCkA4h-OkGP0t_7SpFGtNCV220o7kdNT3k0l4Px7oO_Y3AcKgfzPisCwfh2DP60zqGsXGIO1KoC0Ukp1Iik_NVT90UY-w2GYh79lCazLtt-QduCOAyBwjiwYI8QrJOdZBXx8qMM/s320/Darany.JPG" border="0" />Mum and baby are doing well despite the bizarre practice of heating up the mother for a week after childbirth by wrapping her up in blankets, gloves and wooly hats and lighting fires under the bed. It is claimed to be a medical necessity though sometimes it results in disaster when the bed catches fire. </div><div><br />We have now witnessed the passing of all the seasons and once again they are harvesting the soya bean crop. Watching our neighbours as they thresh and winnow using the same implements that have been employed for centuries and seeing, at sunset, the field workers wending their weary ways home carrying their sickles and wearing their broad-brimmed hats presents a romantic Hardyesque pastoral. Except we have to remember that it's bloody hard, back-breaking work which is dangerous and appallingly paid. Education is their only way out, we hope. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5265121602346746546" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 214px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDY05iML9MDxU9eLuc1Fap4pRkf89iMVj2NLAWY_yCOp3FAOmVtuvdtiI-THakOAbms9WJA7cE_pw-9wvTgxJF8KnPcvOM0MkDfTqUwIOAkfag0Fusfjhj1n5lo9bJ58iehBjeM5zhApg/s320/Farm+work.JPG" border="0" /> So to complete the annual review and evaluation, it's been OK.</div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Chris and Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11257625119754392619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3399322014075514078.post-24908027288417058762008-09-15T17:41:00.011+07:002008-09-15T18:42:01.081+07:00Hello from Cambodia 15It is exactly 1 year since we arrived in Cambodia. Wow that was quick!<br /><br />This blog will mainly be “what we did in our summer holidays”. Most of the schools in the area closed by the end of June even though the official end of term was 31st July and the District Office of Education staff have proved even more elusive than usual. So we have been struggling to find anything constructive to do. Fortunately we have had a steady stream of visitors to play with.<br /><br />Olivia arrived in Phnom Penh on 3rd August and we gave her to the full Cambodian VSO experience of cocktails on the riverfront, sun bathing by the pool at the exclusive Pavilion Hotel and the Bavarian menu at The Edelweiss Café. We did also visit The Sunrise Orphanage where we were treated to a display of traditional dancing by the kids, some of whom we recognized from our visit there four years ago.<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5246203556392890034" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHH1Q3ohPnUM8VRlNIAilQ7sO_qGkBIX8qBIRqgFzqCu_7yTvudkY5iUsHI3wDzudyrpaTSEAg0nLWhYbsYgM6_seBa-q6EMi7AYxa_-FEHiOf7UB1r0ZcwuRXSxXWZSxGezGPASPyT3w/s320/DSC01737a.JPG" border="0" /> The place has improved alot since then with many new buildings, including a theatre, and far more qualified staff. It is pleasing to think that some of this was made possible by money raised by Parmiter’s School.<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5246203555822149378" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja0exUnIm6tTOLO6k73KbOjUocB_YZ9vdzmC2pk36acQw45wYmGWsVZB9PwVcB6m3ot5ry31CAvZuFglMJATDmYlLysPUsACkSgdlfAcfqGLWgLRD57w6n_K8vt_-sbi8cXJbjx3f0zic/s320/DSC01760a.JPG" border="0" /> <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5246204520221956802" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi87RP2lgM1MdiNhCM6IQ8G2OVCLyFw2poZ6nZawxNKhIAZW-Xu1T0lan8KruxOkbDzEorz6KuFohcfvUEKfXPHlL5YO_toerpv4O1-QHZuyiO9tsiXSewYbCtzovYXuGx0v8tveqw4E9M/s320/DSC01768a.JPG" border="0" /><br />Jumping on the tourist trail we took the bus to Siem Reap and did the tour of the temples. It was interesting to see how the site has altered in the last four years gearing itself to the demands of steadily increasing numbers of tourists. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5246204527986954114" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz7pexaV2Hc3aI0HAPYqO4KMZhJp8K9SNsUuk4c5t0FxuEHriJCiukcaro8SQ91cz_t0zLXhUpEjQqdXAhzCB7uqydsTu189cS2P64gGryvnMkZRCh-t1-ftWZjPxnSeFOsqnhgV3pkxY/s320/DSC01853a.JPG" border="0" />The ancient stone doorways are now protected from the ravages of tramping feet and you can no longer climb the terrifying near vertical eroding steps to the top level of Ankor Wat. The stone faces of Wat Bayon were almost impossible to see due to the faces of hoards of camera wielding Koreans. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5246204526386420050" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_Q2MZmAA_4dycTB2qA0_nBn0m9nn-WtVfWD5hMN3StWGP6QaK32z-vC8xWZ7SjCVZZQC4KtCVC2VIvP-6JyeRgdDxaPb5HrFQY090z1P_jho4M8IuOOcfZXJE9Fs_XyhSQtAkgcgskhI/s320/DSC01876a.JPG" border="0" />We feel lucky that when we last visited we had some of the temples to ourselves.<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5246204526126497170" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrmCIN01EgRBq0dhR-8WFH9PUc4v41QRcZnQiQYlDqUuSrU7ApddhWdBx9b_oArg_83EH8QOq79vMdH7YfZuorHJo5ruf0h53kaBvdtJsegE_Orjehzo1wWWDr-JkO7EggBMQZJEdfT7A/s320/DSC01858a.JPG" border="0" /> <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5246204529269418514" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq4wBsKWIVqqJkMUC6OaYnaiMpUDxf4CaU5EFpCT5m03KEjLs91BTyzGNCkHOpGNZZcUdx8QPdD76eYAvMlagQxN6b9s9YiR4aPvr0pjmadoVOu09HYi108f4CFNghYEZXGF3xblFsM90/s320/DSC01897a.JPG" border="0" /><br />In true de Groot style we could not resist the local pub quiz. Taking on the might of the Siem Reap ex-pat community …… we caned ‘em. Unfortunately the prize was a full roast Sunday lunch but as we would not be there on Sunday we were offered a bottle of wine and a large jug of beer instead which maybe unwisely we felt compelled to stay and drink. Considering we were outsiders we were treated with a great deal of generosity and good will.<br /><br />In order to avoid the road from hell we decided to travel on to Battambang by boat across the Tonle Sap Lake. (Interesting fact #1. During the wet season the size of the lake increases by about 5 times due to the extra pressure from the very full Mekong which causes the Tonle Sap River to flow backwards and fill the lake) Unfortunately the captain of the boat didn’t seem to know his way through the flooded forest and this resulted in a great deal of debate between the passengers and crew as to which way to go through the trees. Eventually we made it to open water and crossed the lake to enter the Sang Kae River. Here we passed through floating villages where entire communities move about on the river according to the level of the flood. We saw floating schools, floating churches and a floating crocodile farm. Unfortunately at this point the camera battery ran out and we were unable to record some of the most fascinating images that we have seen since coming to Cambodia. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5246205555832856418" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpAqtxXh82zhSKyIi5drbO9u1msIFXuZdKNIYIuZPgN-H_G0jI6ZOlZ8DUxCOGe8v-Dss7gmtPFckQya7fp0Swws_-BM2-zdGpi_2uj-fji9RVWCo-oyzXMKpW7iqo0dCuMjV1HNhZYgg/s320/DSC01915a.JPG" border="0" />The captain did not know this side of the lake either and for some unfathomable (!) reason he decided to steer the boat out of the main stream of the river and into a channel. This became more and more narrow and shallow until we appeared to be chugging up a muddy path (more ploughing than sailing). After about two hours of crashing our way through the undergrowth and disentangling weed from the propeller we finally rejoined the main waterway again. A trip that should have taken five hours had taken nearly nine; Katherine Hepburn and Humphrey Boggart never had these problems on the African Queen.<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5246205559728671394" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjECNSZrh2N_k5CCynJ6gDS2Oc-XS3xO1cID3a6fc1XE4mIfYQBlS6y1OaRIoy_vQMiSNnh2xHOJ_Ira9Lf5gXzc1VX9XAudCvg44WdaJk27D1q1N91SllXweB7zyMZ1Yy9MMbXn9gXvo/s320/DSC01919a.JPG" border="0" /><br />While in Battambang Liv was introduced to the VSO gang and even took part in a team building exercise. This involved her dashing across the town on the back of Salee’s brakeless pushbike collecting clues for a treasure hunt which she did with true VSO intrepidness.<br /><br />After a few days doing moto tours of the back lanes of Phnom Preuk we crossed the border into Thailand and met up, on Koh Chang, with Linda, Dave, Frances, Georgia and James who had just completed their own SE Asia tours. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5246206696898329410" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjjcwy_9GH69AyBdwRz_kRaDYqS4bwkygaNq8NhnI_Kaxlyum4Wx-gsLP7quxGQv4Q4O97BVESrU4dvG4siS8pqrE0Q8bc6IqPCABE52QD3QudcIfR9IOYcZpjyYLfKKdNbmJHnRq-leY/s320/DSC02022a.JPG" border="0" />Later in the week Alice and boyfriend Will took time out of their six month trip to join us. We did a lot of eating, drinking and lying down reminiscent of family holidays we had shared in Spain except that Tony the Tokai took over from Colin the Cockroach (sorry, in joke).<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5246205560405398130" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ_Rsp2f-5_XspiJHUhLeJ1VNeIw82MBupq0fHooA59K3QR5LIl-VQHNd5F3mqq_gjMU8VXBLmH3NxneyEVUAW6WbWCBawOzfFut_N9t7I5Dt_PtlaQR2RcNe0N2Y8OsKk6NWj9UcWPDQ/s320/DSC01991a.JPG" border="0" /> <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5246206691990158402" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUk13VNgYA2Au_znJIYYmyo6iB_elZTb85OGmaV_iitIf9qef44eeaZV0n9zytMhA4bRwi62-DQs_8RbjMVXVH2527J8ufGVEawNebP_fCuQJb2AEloDRBdlTLgtTrUsOgqh21V_aBQpM/s320/DSC01997a.JPG" border="0" /><br />The time spent with these good friends and family seemed a million miles away from our life in Cambodia and we really appreciated that they had traveled across the world to see us.<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5246206691732675074" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 256px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 203px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" height="174" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ1wAHhbOgEnW_Llp8Sv9S9XBu_SX1tBSQZp_lLTI_OQraxGDG__rO1mLYj1gNpfk0UxWvx26H15XecZNm0WGZopjp53DdC7iVI1-CRTdOVou-Bnr5EAsAYZdhaRHitgsxfuhNsPaBe-Y/s320/DSC02014a.JPG" width="216" border="0" /> <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5246206689195260242" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif1dwHNT3bJJNYrxQVLCWxdhwf8Kx8ZH3s_CufADLr7gs3qrZPVEaYqOu7VtpAP6tjSDK1vvkt9SLr-MBzywbntkA2AXfD3CnuwDLJRTa5xU7yBWbt68oBoAnL-E5WduTbyHFKNACrgyo/s320/DSC02013a.JPG" border="0" />We soon fell into gossiping about home and talked about Parmiter’s like we’d never left the staffroom. The week was full of treats; red wine, Cornettos and the wonderful genuine French cheese board courtesy of Olivia.<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5246205560450567330" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHFCRB0RMITUe1xoRt8aKT4oz7e91cnuvnXr-RvP3JFAsgV-8-pjGXanXMm2JeS173OYAjh2ENU8DzzzHhrAMspHvdu6us31HNgH4WISTm9R2K2m8cnTOTJl1IBRU1Ky6_V9cgWW9CP4M/s320/DSC01994a.JPG" border="0" /> <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5246206696754178930" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvdmWbjLj1nKq6NwhPTAixzJmjvjwhMWrvZPfWyFMgGgFqVHQCTMxLy-ljpN7wgoYmuJCE_9hE6YRaJ9FE1p8RbFE-BcqXw0Cha8bEywGc4ltWuf7At8X1kKeL6byc21wNv1FAiKbgUtE/s320/DSC02018a.JPG" border="0" /><br />Saying goodbye to Liv on the Friday was very hard for Jon but he had some great memories to sustain him through the coming months. The Prices and Reynolds left on Sunday and once more we waved farewell to our old life. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5246205565702112194" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidI_qkdD_uJxMwj-xgmfzsjp7WHKiv63Uuv7ClwdpEjymPvdhB9mekRfFI01tXaFNEXSCSO0SL9pDEBdLoxEixaMpecq0dtFDudRgmCfzDqCkO_GCDzYukZ6E0VebowlvRFWf9N_CSvnQ/s320/DSC01996a.JPG" border="0" /><br /><br />The compensation was that Ali and Will returned with us to Phnom Preuk for a couple of days; their first taste of rural Cambodia. We discovered that Will is an excellent cook when they treated us to a Thai banquet which had involved them courageously buying all the ingredients from the local market. The banana fritters were to die for.<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5246208024329470930" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPkznJMhbnfg5ZWcwgI5RDcYVadqjhqn6movCB5wrlc6Yfa8_W9uG0e-908GaJl2MHWvwPSxL6cJLASIOI9EpfQgQ4z8oCGWU36MBWuTLRSNg_HFdkWgM7VKGYtVGrIjmGSoNnQ2FpqA0/s320/DSC02099a.JPG" border="0" /><br />We returned to Battambang to show them the sights which included a trip on the Bamboo train. (Interesting fact #2. There are few railway lines in Cambodia and due to extreme lack of maintenance the trains travel very slowly. The journey from Phnom Penh to Battambang taking between 15 and 20 hours compared to 6 hours by bus.)<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5246207838586180898" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaxmEpLDhZm4NLtH_OJxPwPuC8fNO7GwUgr609gxb1YydqBb4LadSQVMw8tqEoGNyj4e3WE6DvDChAx43B8BkkY5zVdPUdK830t0wglUakxqf6LacrWsqLGKW-1ASMwo1LX3zKYWW1a4I/s320/DSC02068a.JPG" border="0" /> The enterprising locals have utilized this lack of traffic by constructing simple flat bed railway trucks powered by “lawn mower” engines which trundle through the beautiful countryside scattering cows, chickens and monks (!) before them. The track is single line so when they want to turn round or meet another truck coming in the opposite direction they stop, dismantle the train and then reassemble it to continue their journey.<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5246207836336938530" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid7fscfzYiqs_wrnIvDJvxrZsVBsNZBRxe7wpcBurOo7-x1X0BmOvgfyHX8gOStHibj4EQx42zjsKfifSI5UeJq9v5oKgnYtZFzR2KNJattR7UzJnHDvV-g_2HulZkeT8w7575icehWag/s320/DSC02033a.JPG" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5246207840213544546" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5LZxou4G3vmtalVFWAMA8RqVKTFuwMtSeYeECtfUtwIeYVKu1TV2pnT-HOwsAeMcXdB4Y9WRavlQmPur-oNu_9Qo3OyTWNxbYaZp76lJrNxPU1_PUEVLRGCgTL6lCsgoAhWGHwHe7ajQ/s320/DSC02069a.JPG" border="0" /><br />Alice and Will have now continued their travels, bravely taking the boat to Siem Reap (we did warn them), so now we have to adjust to being all alone again. The visits from friends and family this summer have been a joy, thank you all once again. However it won’t be long before we have more visitors. Alice and Will are back with us for Christmas and Chris’s mum, sister and her family are touring Cambodia in the New Year. This is not to mention the ex-Parmiterians who are threatening to drop in on their travels; you are all welcome any time.<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5246207843106929554" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpdfGvpPDvTK8E1FyxxvjNzmJeCTltohojxM0KmXtdY4UBQEELcKhxabtGdFVCdgLcN_YZ3x_P1pOOZPnGqO4pld1gTpiZd_yFHshCneFgc7sEEdSM09QFmgieynsxGUDqJPXE46acm7M/s320/DSC02096a.JPG" border="0" /><br />Before our holiday the Director of the DOE asked Jon to explore the “interior” of Phnom Preuk district to try and establish how many children living in remote communities don’t have access schools. Consequently Jon, Sophen and Sophea penetrated the heart of darkest Phnom Preuk. They set off on their expedition like Stanley going in search of Livingstone with feelings of excitement mixed with trepidation. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5246202695933744210" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8mJviIDJwSzss1X0sI5UrIj6HdlABedTD8mVn27PQwTCgIjYJ1dpenU0WssdZBL_L1FsZZ8a1CQ8laVTISzryQOeL5CpTE12IxK6nAgSm4EYu2ox6TbbpSzziFdH_mV4_1eD24vv11Ws/s320/DSC01668a.JPG" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5246203548900745586" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvq3dkxK2Pgj9skxpwsFC6rRKMoiUSQYdSdx4EfYFsCMvFRc-HE6n77azU-P1L6UY1Qw5GUy4NKVS4iCwTj18fT8jsNYMIX3Mxk6avqcXg6_72bncL4vy_YrOfOszGE1grUrhjYxAkj8Y/s320/DSC01671a.JPG" border="0" />Motoing through acres of head-high corn they looked like three Meercats jumping up and down trying to establish where they were. (The old joke about the Wherethefuckarewe tribe springs to mind) They discovered several remote villages which equates to over three hundred children without schooling and who will have no chance of an education unless the communities build the schools and provide the teachers themselves. This is only a tiny part of the problems of educating Cambodia’s children.<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5246202179515869762" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi12UyVU72WSwv5F2WeXMAcDzLcHo3BfDYbOqmQ9pDuSOODhnQCDoi7aWexd07_wOBTf1ljwkPhS2mHm0Hys1Gol6a1NOJ5e8MG65dpw2rN5xENe_y4td4cgaRU2gYYH9HmjfqfVfWzyOo/s320/DSC01656a.JPG" border="0" /> <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5246202694334421154" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSPiiUmkFLaugqcnSYj0yQ1CxYcPUnkhzFqVV-H68jlQglwanIGYVRX0Y3A4kTTji-Xp3nghha8RjIZcBQTp7H_r-rVYDgNNmi2ffI6K0zJbDLe-OFGeffkLRFqZMPzKCXEd76XpD5ddA/s320/DSC01664a.JPG" border="0" /><br />Jon recently returned from Poipet, which is known as the armpit of Cambodia, where he was facilitating a workshop on disability in education. As the main border crossing into Thailand it attracts many unsavory characters and the roads are abysmal. Gambling is illegal in both countries the no-mans land supports several huge casinos with associated hotels. The up-side of this is that you can get the best pizza in Cambodia here.<br /><br /><br />One bit of excitement in our lives was the result of the tensions which exist between Cambodia and Thailand over the ownership of the Preah Vihear temple. This has been rumbling on for years but came to a head in July when Thai troops crossed the border and occupied the temple. The Cambodians reciprocated producing a stand-off. We assumed that this was a purely local problem in the north until Sophea, who lives in a village on the border near us, said that there were Thai troops all along our bit of the border about a kilometre away and that the locals were all packed up and ready to evacuate. He suggested that we keep the moto full of petrol just in case. Glibly we shrugged this off as pre-election posturing until Sophea phoned us at 8 pm one evening to say that both sides had brought up their heavy guns and things were about to kick off. The idea of evacuating by moto in the middle of the night was not appealing so we tried to contact VSO for advice only to find that the internet was down, our phones had lost server and our passports were in Phnom Penh. After a rather tense night the situation was defused by talks the next day. The impasse has still not been resolved and with the on-going threat of a coup in Thailand anything could happen. Watch this space!<br /><br />So one year in, with many ups and downs, we’re still here and enjoying it.Chris and Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11257625119754392619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3399322014075514078.post-49517929912860645272008-07-10T17:04:00.007+07:002008-12-12T02:34:17.177+07:00Hello from Cambodia 14<div>It’s been rather a long time since our last blog and we can’t use the excuse that we are rushed off our feet. It’s more that we have settled into a rather mundane existence here and we no longer get the “wow factor” which we desperately need to share with you all. Still here is the continuing story of “2 years in Phnom Preuk”……..<br /><br />The highlight of the last few months is that Will and Russ came to visit . You cannot believe how wonderful it was to have friends and family from home here and someone else to share the “long summer evenings” (actually they are the same length as the “long winter evenings” cos we’re so close to the equator - Jon) with, playing Canasta while battling swarms of small black beetles out of our hair. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5221332714167156706" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGPC_8h2fIXjZeL5w4G1yzj8i-JD4JjzldNbmn16MUYCJbVX51TtEfNL0OmEiaCBh8EGQZmil9jgG9v3vGhUecMw_ODZLPBPOLNuaWlb_Li0OYfNb4hHQxBOIYQiNE5P85_LGU4Crsbj4/s320/will2.JPG" border="0" /><br />We met the boys at Phnom Penh and spent a few days showing them the city’s sights and introducing them to our VSO friends. Many of them were in town for the Queen’s Birthday embassy “do” which was being held at a very posh hotel. The reception was quite a show with ice sculptures of Tower Bridge and a London bus. The canapés were miniature versions of traditional British cuisine, including roast beef and horseradish sauce on tiny biscuits, mini Cornish pasties and little Scotch eggs. The chamber orchestra and buckets of free Pimms did a lot to add to the convivial ambience. Big screens around the room showed videos of Britain’s Green and Pleasant Land and the promotional video for London’s Olympic bid with celeb’s such as David Beckham, Steve Redgrave and Martine McCuchan (!?) posing by London’s landmarks. By the end of the evening even the most staunch republicans were toasting the dear old Queen with a patriotic tear in their eye. Although that might have been more to do with the free Pimms! <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5221329037514476162" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8YkBgFVLsfBw0r8un-bRmvJOLzRbGy4BxnQjgwUFWgEBK73M_t5niGRFEZRdMbJvlgGJS_h_qK-OYpozYBmDEao9cg9PEFP7roiAOSB2tbCbJmQshZBhP_jURQvSKCTGiVx6ACaXvq8A/s320/tower+b.JPG" border="0" />The boys wanted to visit the Killing Fields and Toul Sleng (S21) Prison. This was a return visit for us as we had been there 4 years ago when it had made a huge impact, bring home the brutality of the Pol Pot regime. This time however it was not so affecting, maybe because we are no longer so intrigued by Cambodia’s tragic past but more interested in the present and hopes for their future.<br /><br />Will and Russ made a big hit in Phnom Preuk. They learned how to ride a moto and were soon zipping around. They even managed, in true Khmer style, to transport a small tree in a large pot from the “garden centre” to home. The young teachers, who come to conversation classes with us on Sunday evenings, were particularly taken with them, inviting them to breakfast and then escorting them on a trip round market where they bought the ingredients for the evening meal, this included the slaughter of a live chicken. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5221330600655919698" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSGpALFMB-g4Z3r_OHh3FoDcEx2uvGj4ZIbtJFDA7ZCQKhLrjggefGmnK9zs9xpfaXeEZMHeIBXQZrodLVYuO295ublP9cwYD8DVgI2KSCravNSIGKhd3nm44EmiEXQ-qptAL3poMIKdw/s320/WR+bike.JPG" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5221330622835507634" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6Kmz7gfFUKrwgOgN_KJxUA9jEdHl3p1msLeJlHIEQ-fHhiAfWJzzHkZ0Lo5po6UUB-uxARErNx0zBmmX4UcQ9b7T9yu9g0ViZSpCvf6NGSYrR215byAr0k9aPkKOqFNIA-6uYqcB2ymw/s320/WRteachers.JPG" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5221330601492235058" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3SnvC8hFRF2wDEO8BxlEsECayDenI6ZjDN_UC2Yvm0OQCIL6OoRYr-s29AdCSgzRVywtlOvWzdS8Xb5XNVQo-ZzqltoZXJTHmCEv2M74E66UzheCm7NkcoV1vicRDY7xOSHSyeEi9Wak/s320/WRBIKE.JPG" border="0" /><br />The ladies in the market were fascinated by these two fit young barangs and were discussing loudly across the stalls which one they fancied the most. Word of their arrival soon whipped round the town so a visit to the bank was met with the question “how long will your son be staying?” As Will put it, he and Russ were very proud to be the first tourists to visit Phnom Preuk, but they didn’t think that it would be challenging Ankor Wat as the number one Cambodian tourist spot.<br /><br />Work wise things seem to have taken a more positive turn. Both the Education Office staff and the school headmasters and teachers seem more accepting and trusting of us and are more willing to sit and chat. Alarmingly we have discovered some of them speak quite good English and were not letting on about it. Part of the reason for this break-through is that we took all 7 of the office staff on a 2 day “capacity building” trip to visit another District Office of Education (DOE) based at Phnom Srok in Banteay Meanchey, the neighbouring province, where our friend Anna is a VSO volunteer. Not only did they get some good ideas about how to run an education department (something they rather lack) but they also saw that we volunteers could be fun. We were all taken on a tour of the local domestic silk weaving industry and then on to a picnic by a beautiful lake (which was in fact a reservoir built by slave labour during the Pol Pot regime), this proved to be quite an ice-breaker. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5221327445491316994" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx5w175udfo5DAgpwD5N1QWhnER3F__V1ZYYoQUt7VeuzmnZVLp3C6rDuCKgtnqq7xrRciFQmBboV3NwKxHBATYNsu0YgA9S1ZmNgwsrqXN9Nr8ApO-pQCnsUg8e5LVjXAM5g05Z7sN2w/s320/p+srok.JPG" border="0" /><br />Our work in the last month has been, to misquote the History Boys, “one f*****g observation after another”. However we have found that observing teachers’ lessons and then feeding-back positive criticism to both them and their headmaster is having a marked effect on the standards of teaching and learning. We are seeing a positive change in both the classrooms and lessons which is very heartening. Unfortunately now we are coming to the end of term and all the teachers are moving back to Battambang until October. We were invited to be the guests of honour at the local primary’s Prize Day. In fact the heat, the speeches and the interminable clapping made it not so different from the same event at Parmiters. Officially term ends on 31st July but many schools were closed by the end of June and all shut by 10th July. On top of this our DOE staff has disappeared off the face of the earth as they are all involved in organizing the election which is due on 27th July. So we spend our days sitting in an empty office chatting to Sophen and Sophea…..It’s going to be a long summer. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5221327445881485618" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihwsJ7qeI1Vy3zUD7aeXfIGjy7zFBmXlB0xt1nMCEhGwn-1YN43gtnzd3byMgw-DCxpt5ate8ZzwNtjG5GpIMMqdb_2eoNp_A1euqZC5rPcZhDQ0VjVS9F58yIQ5l2fsE7I5RUyz4ABA4/s320/opd.JPG" border="0" /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5221327438277908434" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFy4T0x3DdYeEPPLSHYQGYNhgw1nmWJ-d0-WfNsiw6XDocsgglSvOYV6sq6OVd2qcu1WDFovmaLjplxrX9QN5LqtuHxBILHPw3eh5tIAc11xtxspZXYznvzrmhPuNxfWwiQPSGsP7M9pc/s320/opd2.JPG" border="0" /><br />The election is a big deal and there is a lot of campaigning activity, especially by the ruling CPP (Cambodian Peoples Party). One morning we were greeted by about 20 huge trucks packed full of flag-waving CPP supporters, in matching T shirts and baseball caps, being transported to a local rally. As our office is next to the CPP HQ we are subjected to rousing party propaganda songs being blasted out at full volume all day long. Unfortunately when they go into competition with the Wat (on the other side) broadcasting uplifting religious tracts very, very loudly, lets just say it can be a little wearing (we love Cambodian culture honest). ………….Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhg. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5221325966645620866" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghw7hzwNHeJciDAYFnu94l6ODn0E_qB2-HZRhmhhfRB_dcDB6XLt3hh3sNh912D_Naffn7k1oYt-v5pqASmfKmvUjzcC9-5XpeFzD3UVU0LzB5TOBQkoDev_E5VO0OeRfMhbbkbYed2gM/s320/election.jpg" border="0" /><br />We now have some pets. Firstly Spot the Tok Kai moved in about a month ago and lives under the day bed. He emerges at exactly 7.30 each evening to hunt the many creepy crawlies that inhabit our sitting-room. Although rather nervous of him at first, we are now used to him suddenly scuttling up the wall in pursuit of an unfortunate beastie – though fear of treading on him means that we don’t move out of our chairs without first asking “Where’s Spot?” (a reference only understood by those who were under 5 in the 1980’s or their long suffering parents). <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5221329036855004594" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvMIdiedrCZPOiW3VC9zLwpd78g_2ZOTqP1VSsecTLOY8l2mBAuVO_hABRkZUiNjHIJ-fAR20vOfMk5tD3vRoIsTp5AynhZXVlUTj9FsvS_T2UPvO_MSPiXrcwq6D-SsqMzfZiAbbn26c/s320/spot2.JPG" border="0" /><br />We converted a very large plant pot into a fish pond. At first we had problems finding fish until Sophen turned up one evening with a blue watering can saying “I have Four Fresh Fish For you” which is quite an achievement as Khmers have real difficulty pronouncing the F sound. These 4 little fellows immediately swam into the shadows of the rocks at the bottom of the pond and were never seen again – which was rather boring. So when we were in Thailand we appropriated some beautiful neon tetras and brought them home in a water bottle. They were happily introduced to the pond but they now seem to be disappearing. We fear that the Cambodian monsters are surfacing like Jaws and dragging the pretties away to their lair in the depths.<br /><br />Here is the latest picture of Touche’s grandson. As you see they believe in starting them young on the moto here. It will be interesting to compare his development with Jessica Rose who was born on the same day. (Photos please M and N)<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5221325964075808978" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihz4uZByWFYo26J8VdIAaEzJ_mMvCadYHDyODH5hm7_Svl-c_YQSwLzB-tiks1yzL6zPIoJf9eoO1WqFrrnq8JNzKiqu8Ml2Z6ma7PYMkBCSai2lYdgtOvFFOsNc-yZSSgTWBJzWizRBQ/s320/baby.JPG" border="0" /><br />As an aside, the Monks are building an extension to the Wat. It is a most theatrical spectacle to seen them in their orange underwear posed on bamboo scaffolding silhouetted against the sun. One guy completes this tableau by wearing a yellow towel on his head, dark glasses and a fag hanging out his mouth. It is very surreal.<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5221325966996335538" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSjdq46E_AjidlC6mXClr-Xqq849134Qswu8jq9CGjDxRZYO2BOxoMKNTWNFJj0YIltZt6ysVUGus1ylfXFfJ-P0yx7SrwiLscTO-1Pzf-iBq5tZdLEnCDlSPZ7pzrNTA_bBVBKlX8tPg/s320/monks2.JPG" border="0" /><br />Will and Russ took off for Ankor Wat and, unable to keep up with the fast life of PPk, then crossed over to Koh Chang in Thailand where we met them for the weekend. Although the weather was a bit grey and the sea a bit choppy we had a perfect time just chillin’ out – and playing Canasta, again. It was very, very hard to leave them there for all sorts of reasons.<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5221329042966162594" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvkqmeBK5WhcJwHvPTJUL-7Qd8Yj74TuZck7bg7WfzSsVbdk6pgYkYN6jS525YD9xm7YWpxgM0WlZXL42d2hIbqDp7mMaLRle4Y-vWDv4DjZLED5b4nzXD0IrJYcqGKA3rrgaYYqCjcXE/s320/will.JPG" border="0" /> <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5221330603732340978" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXNyUqFaNIeKSZHRjtgd11iOU2XV_KT8SQa4zQaMKiirIeWHCp1jiH7wQU4gutQ_4tUPO_hFrO36m82QoJxFxtZVU7C9DAG76zinoY9tra8hpbaSCo9lTYISOtBWwa4Cka5wbB1KNbfmM/s320/wrc+beach.JPG" border="0" /><br />On a final note, last night we caught the thrilling Wimbledon Mens’ Final on the telly brought back memories of (real) long summer evenings, chilly BBQ’s, Pimms,<br />strawberries and cream, salmon and asparagus and Big Brother - enjoy. </div>Chris and Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11257625119754392619noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3399322014075514078.post-69171691839237453932008-05-19T10:38:00.008+07:002008-12-12T02:34:20.841+07:00Hello from Cambodia 13Its been a while since the last Blog mainly because we haven’t been at home much in the last 6 weeks. In fact this is being written at Jean’s kitchen table in Battambang. Our absence from Phnom Preuk is due to the fact that Cambodia seems to have been on holiday since March. In theory the schools shut down for 2 weeks over Khmer New Year period and offices and shops close for the 3 days of the New Year, April 14th to 16th, a bit like our Christmas. In practice the schools began to close down at the end of March and were not up and running again properly until May.5th This was followed by 3 days off on 13th to 15th May for the King’s Birthday and the following week Monday and Friday are also holidays for the Royal Ploughing Ceremony and the birth or death of Buddha, still haven’t worked out which. Consequently it has been difficult for us to work in the schools as the teachers are not there. We did make an appointment to meet with one headmaster but after a 40 minute journey into the wilds we arrived to find the school locked up and not a soul about. Sophen’s wife, who teaches at a local school with 18 other teachers, went to work on the Monday after the holidays to find she was the only member of staff to have turned up. As you can see teachers’ motivation is a major problem in Cambodia. It doesn’t help that now is the season for planting tapioca and corn in our district so many teachers are too busy working on their farms to come to school and many of the children are too busy helping their parents harvest the bean crop to have time to come to lessons anyway.<br /><br />The prospect of being in Phnom Preuk for over a month with even less to do than normal was so daunting that we decided to get the hell out of there for a few days and took our selves off back to Koh Chang (which means Elephant Island – see photo) in Thailand. Five days of lying on a palm fringed beach by a sparkling blue sea or sipping gin and tonics while watching the sun sink through a crimson sky …… this volunteering lark is hell. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5201930593258784338" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI9gfepIZ22QYcrn0CsiYmwsul-CT6ND_Hmmdt8xAu6PByUJaGsuYnw5uWMT-xCf7A8P3sFVG-JtOZI8sHSN93FrXTFQtWWPDyh6ixF24Xq1-0fR78JffUMQAYDNpnhftWSyT4nNt1p_w/s320/eleph.JPG" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5201933728584910562" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQCVsWHmSNaFsedMqWsGq_kSWlVlQOWzAqgrsqeF-aKGSyJJsZjz3pFIVOGU-hiXdoXO9MSsx926IYaNK8vHXO1ju7eGgs8SojB3w18IxO2cs8OzKi17K31m3EC-dtPZ4WPWlMJzXi8V4/s320/sunset.JPG" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5201931752899954274" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhusq5h34jtJQsHyIwZz_KIC-Gkb3-VZ_-oeOjUOtOIo6j8XbiNMyu_FZa47HP6zWdeUh2gOWzMrJ6FFKHJ2r3YLTwJANZ5GIJi5tAZyVD0f7hHuxN5DNlMYjP6K3_Ycx3ZY1c8Vyh9UkA/s320/hamock.JPG" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5201932757922301586" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3GPayJQtzTLPBaBu8mKKTE9rHxgH_Hwx7EQFvWcFHTrB_A6QOP06KM1ViYRP9M_OER2Haw_OVZBDHl9gaL3QmO6lEl5k7yndV78ocbMNbIt1EhyphenhyphenxVbF9S7R7U8TI15CqTrQyZU08X2rY/s320/kite.JPG" border="0" />Unsurprisingly Jon made a stunt kite out of plastic bags and bamboo – it flew!<br /><br />In Cambodia, Laos and Thailand the New Year is a big deal. It is both a religious and secular celebration, so the Wats go into overdrive with ceremonial chanting, drums and gamelans, (oh goody) while everyone else parties all night with Karaoke music being played at full blast over mega sound systems (hooray). There is a tradition that at New Year you should be cleansed by water, and our first experience of this was when 2 elderly ladies in the Pagoda we were visiting gently poured a trickle of scented water over our heads and marked our faces with a stripe of talcum powder, charming we thought ……then we went outside. The roads of Koh Chang were lined with young people armed with any receptacle they could find, soaking any transport which dared to run the gauntlet. We were touring the island on a moto and were continually soaked by high power hoses and bazooka size super soaker water pistols.<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5201935472341632754" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8Hkc8T01-cKWCWEiNd4vEULLBF3T7vk2_dUvP9t5zK6ToICdf6N_aL_SZ5RHSnkcZkzT975-8LvlRzcAT2Aq_7AcRIli6I2sLA1DhETm9-Ws434s2qJheiOl4hGYfJ9fiF2HbPd3Cg14/s320/water+kc.JPG" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5201935476636600082" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEYV4d8l5C2xCRNPR1WnCYXLmBCLHYT6vwYvwor4DNIXqLOCZFiOOJGCVrs_A13-kx5asp3smH1bmT0JSWALkQMFtzLam2BUsI7L_l4P_tWZ-RcXO8BNQNchRsjDKcwAurMvgL5PSh_9k/s320/waterpisol.JPG" border="0" /> It was all extremely good humoured albeit very dangerous. Thinking that New Year celebrations would be over we returned to Phnom Preuk to discover that as usual the Khmers had extend the holiday and the jollity was still in full swing. There is a water throwing tradition in Cambodia as well but typically they fling plastic bags of water at passers by, so every roadside is now lined with thousands and thousands of little plastic bags which no one will ever pick up. Rather stupidly we went on a cycle ride and were accosted by the local youff who soaked us from head to toe and rubbed talc onto our faces, but in a very good natured way. Pleased to say we got our revenge when later they passed our house and we turned the garden hose on them. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5201931757194921602" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOsa12zC5gKbsIsrWTXXa5A3aqo6zzA1g9gCQNHQG1z5IV3DNJmgp2siyS6dtlsUwQLfrGxdh5PHAa2Yq5SKmZm5YJ4TZNgC5xgFU-RRvvPxDB4Yo0csIwATzfujhLbdhC-xTluALqkoQ/s320/jonwet.JPG" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5201929339128333842" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyESxIQARu0b7ApeS1NfPjqMTyLCuBjfwNJcoRsnY_rE6F01dci7TXgm-xshKQr0O851BFV5ESDFX_gRHYXqvhT-lXU4hPN9zZsl2rbxAy1hyY5G3I5Lfk6eKo8zlrCzFHOm2d34CUBhI/s320/chris+wet.JPG" border="0" /><br /><br />Our work in the District was further disrupted when someone in the VSO education office decided that the end of April would be a good time to have a 2 day conference and to hold it in Koh Kong, the Province in the south west which is the furthest away from everyone else in Cambodia. We decided the quickest and cheapest way to get there was to travel via Thailand rather than the 3 days it would take if we had to go via Phnom Penh. So on the way there we popped back to Koh Chang for a couple days for a bit more beach therapy. In fact the conference was fun if not actually useful and it was great to meet up with all the other Volunteers. Koh Kong proved to be very beautiful. One of the few areas of Cambodia that is close to the sea and consequently cooler and more geared for tourists. We took a small speed boat through the river delta to visit some waterfalls, passing mangrove swamps and monkeys on the way. While climbing over the rocks by the waterfall Onno slipped and fell the river taking the Khmer guide with him. Fortunately no one was hurt but a digital camera and 2 mobile phones had an early bath which didn’t do them much good. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5201935476636600066" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5q_uwtkfCsjNnaM-5sXWi7I1RSbr8J_S-_NYxxQqeX1vSFt0JsivbeeQr09dvARJ6itQOp4Si6Stjk1sJVBdtFyRV94yxRsIVwdX6rcEEl_qPakigk1pCVrhsWt5aK4Xhc2uHwvYEkSM/s320/waterfall.JPG" border="0" />While in Koh Kong we visited a little school which is situated on an island about 40 minutes boat ride away from the main town. The combination of an inspirational head, committed staff and supportive community had produced a model school where the kids were obviously motivated and eager to learn.<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5201931757194921586" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNlxYYIvuqrfITtYlq-R9Ixl6jfjgEoKeEB9TS6ceDeXMGVoUQ6v7tukR2DaawWUcGtAIhcqRNgGeGuRe7Tn1IEcIAofLj3wtY-yvAaN-2Jn2uOdzL2DIx6iQV8F5EeIkIHDXw9lBBLpI/s320/jon.JPG" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5201930584668849730" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUoivdpIvejVfeHMzBH2gxE1b1WNGavHjXbZo4EXX65KcsurZn178eqymvYNmpSLek2AUh8YaWd52Nr7iIgQD0KcBFZLpkxX5dqMMrE1pBBZk1qe0Apt-Q-nwTUJg0LAHTuGyrN7Kcezc/s320/dancers.JPG" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5201929356308203042" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYoIF_TulpYdQ2MbKA7ahYN3eEOO1XOqKVVLzffDNGs2EmDmYl_ax76V58Kv3jtUEL9eUDD6r62w0ssc5y0pRSnIwC0aSido_fzts2Z0-TxL6yMMk3ueV1zAGHnhcofu2iN1t7tJshZ1Y/s320/chris=dancers.JPG" border="0" /> The rest of us education volunteers are deeply jealous of Nicky who is based in Koh Kong. Not only does she have the seaside, proper roads, a civilized climate, and beautiful scenery she also has schools who actually want to teach children, its not fair!!!!<br /><br />We decided to return to Phnom Preuk the long way round as the road takes you through the Cardamom Mountains which is one few remaining areas of unspoilt forest. The scenery was spectacular although very unusually they were showing an English language film on the video on the bus, this proved rather distracting because as Jon pointed out we were here to see Koh Kong not to watch King Kong! Phnom Penh gave us the opportunity to chill out with friends and stock up on necessities, although distressingly Marmite cannot be found, even for ready money. We were introduced to a charming French colonial hotel where you could lounge by the pool all day for the price of a glass of iced coffee. Well everyone needs a little R and R sometimes <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5201932757922301618" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe4Xuo_lCWWTJxrO4RUV8nl-fVpJyXKKTkP7wWYflCQ4ftGyIZxzjxnsXZcciKn-FZccy4A6Q7kWmxS6ZDZkdzL_d2WQLK1LNKmEkCmB_Dm9O7FTfA43ynsC9aq_iDMHl_7MLSkCDMfgA/s320/pavilloin.JPG" border="0" /><br /><br />Back in Phnom Preuk we arranged to have a planning meeting with all of the District Education staff to clarify exactly what it was they wanted to achieve in the area and what would be our role. As a relationship building exercise we offered to hold the meeting in our house rather than the office and provide a meal afterwards. We asked our cleaner if she would cook the food as we were not convinced the Khmers would be thrilled with spaghetti bolognaise. Our excitement about the event was severely doused when a hour before kick off we were informed that as 3 of the staff, including the director, had been called off for another meeting they would have to cancel. This was a bit of a blow especially as there were 3 freshly slaughtered chickens bleeding gently into our fridge. But that’s Cambodia for you. In fact we were able to re schedule for a couple of days later and it went reasonably successfully although 2 of the staff only managed to arrive just in time for the dinner.<br /><br />Many Volunteers have taken advantage of the fact that because of the national holidays, if you take 2 days leave you can have 10 days off and have gone travelling to Viet Nam, Laos, or Bangkok. We decided to conserve our money and leave so we can use them when all our visitors arrive over the next few months (Will and Russell are coming in 5 weeks time – wheeeeee). Very kindly Jean has offered to let us house sit her lovely flat in Battambang and we intended to spend a few days exploring the local area. This proved to be a very wise decision as our lap top has been infested with swarm of viruses which has made the poor thing very very sick. Jon has spent the last 2 days desperately trying to salvage all our music and photos, which it would break our hearts to loose but it is a very slow progress. The moral of the story being, “back up as you go”. In fact aside from the hours sweating over a hot disc drive we have had had a very pleasant time cycling to the out lying villages, visiting pre Ankorian ruins and a giant modern Buddha. On the way we stopped to see the local cottage industry of spring roll wrapper making.<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5201929334833366530" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx2QN3Itu_Zul1U5KGAT-OItnz1cmJHRrxLrEk4un4IJR25ENxwHVQUuLaqC14YD63bcrg-eJ8ertF2LgtX1oJ3PqXtXJYDhleoATnJ5jHGvrTt-FnQ0ZoU46bgIn5P02C6ioNjpq-QGk/s320/buddah.JPG" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5201932757922301602" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhaOTosFs4SXYapVzz-eHZIMTk7TW4it2h1OQmxpY90g19Os-RWGCgGqWTLFAtvPQwv3ei7i1te8kLey73kObui2uXlr7evMF03mhO-NEKJ3AL_sm5TSKwJSrD-s3DQ2R1iBXD3yUDFqw/s320/pancake.JPG" border="0" /><br /><br />The temperature has dropped and the rainy season is just beginning. The last 3 days have seen spectacular thunder storms and diluvium rains although it does mean that it is even less possible to get things done. The usual response to any request being ”I’ll have to wait until the rain stops”. The Khmers seem quite surprised to learn that in Europe people go to work in the rain.<br /><br />The natural history of Cambodia has now reached Mammals. Cambodia used to have a rich diversity of wildlife. Monkeys, elephants, tigers and rhinos all abounded in the forests which covered the country but in the last half centaury due to war, landmines, logging and deforestation there are very few animals left. Any poor little creature that wanders into an inhabited area is promptly killed and eaten. The only mammals which we have seen in Phnom Preuk are domesticated (with the exception of the rats which we really don’t want to talk about). Cows and pigs are the main source of meat. There is no concept of dairy and it is impossible to get indigenous milk or cheese (which probably accounts for our weight loss, although the absence of red wine might be more of a reason). In the wetter rice growing areas water buffalo are used for ploughing and these huge docile animals are really picturesque wading through the rice paddy with a small boy on their backs. On the Tai border the land is too high and dry for rice so here they use huge white oxen as the beast of burden although round our way it is more likely to see a tractor pulling a plough. There are cows every where, many families seem to have at least one that often lives under the stilted house. They are allowed to graze by the side of the road where they are tethered through the nose on quite long ropes. When passing a cow on your moto you have to careful that it has not wandered across the road trailing its rope behind, because a sudden movement could tighten the line and decapitate you. Considering the amount of pork that is eaten we rarely see pigs, except on the backs of motos. Apparently most families do keep a pig or 2 “out the back” and transport 2 or 3 of them at a time to the slaughter houses in baskets attached to the seat of the moto. A real shock the first time you see it. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5201930580373882418" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 319px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 212px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" height="212" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIldyQ5neUUd55AiAnWIYZLkoYv6qQgpYvvq6jPngjs1CHHq0DgSxC-hoYiL1jQlTG1S7cUwF7Tq3KBbkIcSYpiesDdNUy-mO77hsNArFHCo3KjcXmXt_9qbONwSlyEnA9yGGX2bp9HNw/s320/cow.jpg" width="304" border="0" /><br /><br />Dogs. They infest the place and spend most of their time mating with each other. Sometimes no matter how much you avert your eyes you will see copulating canines. Consequently they appear in very weird shapes and sizes but none of a breed that is recognisable. The bitches are either pregnant or feeding and usually look exhausted. In fact most of the dogs look sick, undernourished and full of mange; many have lost all their hair, not a pretty sight. The puppies, like all baby animals look cute for a month or so then they mysteriously disappear. Never eat meat in the market that is advertised as “special”. We are especially fond of the dogs at 4 am when for no apparent reason every mutt in the district joins in the “twilight barking” .which can last up to half an hour!. The above aside we have never felt threaten by a dog and have been told there is no Rabies in the district. The neighbour’s dog Pom is a lovely lady although she does have a sneaky side. If there is food around she will drop on to her tummy and wriggle closer and closer to the table convinced she has made herself invisible. When you tell her off she looks about her with amazement as if to say, “Gosh how did I get here.” <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5201933724289943234" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLS2gDZrh7KCdP6IXsrQmHoGUKxqiDkxjD6TJ8TS_8CGAdOF8jPVaGuk9srTNf18QCUV_euUJ2AjpsSpvOAFwGyEyjQVF2VBrINPCkU_xPbnW8wOBwcAEVFeHt2GfztDkDx2nuVlihHHI/s320/pom.JPG" border="0" /><br /><br />So we are back to Phnom Preuk on Friday and hope to get down to a continuous period of hard work until our good intentions are interrupted by the forth coming elections, disintegrating roads, floods, planting crops, harvesting crops, weddings, funerals, political rallies, religious ceremonies and all the other stuff that makes Cambodia such a wonderful but infuriating place.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5201933728584910546" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 2px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 4px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" height="72" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHb9y8b1OxWd-ocxCV_ZKAwx0MqX8CGKI4bdC78ZRc1JGB6CvYt-zLWNN7yQAkb6PNXc3nvSZNcM6XWR63Oz_X-hru_Q3Vmvj4dIVm7F-7Cw3vi1lCuU6EdXEnZeEEE5-CfU7p0tFTtGw/s320/pom.JPG" width="55" border="0" />Chris and Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11257625119754392619noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3399322014075514078.post-49938536338213255442008-04-05T15:50:00.011+07:002008-12-12T02:34:24.369+07:00Hello from Cambodia 12<div>At last we have started to do some proper work. We ran a workshop for 30 people on Effective Teaching and Learning and it went off without a hitch, well almost. The 2 trainers who came out from Battambang were very inspiring and could have taught some of the nerds we’ve seen doing INSET in English schools a thing or two about presentation techniques.<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5185694666892316866" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" height="207" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTn8-hdYOYY0ajp4PDQ0Oupqpc_bZ7gC0bmt9rsW4JtqRQOFvXiqVzd-lYl1y6cHX0tWw7yFwrDfxumuYOriWvx3Bnc2QqYHbdWK0w_LrUhgWABXUBQ8Jy8nCOeUTPonrfONLEWEtTahI/s320/061a.jpg" width="287" border="0" /> Every so often they would break into group singing, which everyone had to take part in, including us. We were amazed when they started to sing, “ My Grandfather has a farm, ei ei o “ to the tune of “Old MacDonald”.<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5185696591037665538" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 296px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 203px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" height="209" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpCpd7j6t_ab0s5uSMEZc81D5bOURWgghx2S7VS1jlVaz0w8IPgQ7NOBjMAAnxVyJOgrYVq33TITr1kq9Rt1w1ZLvvx9he5CBEZGAzKfQExsNVk3PUhIaZhCjbdpsgWJkgnQ1x5gmmLCk/s320/088a.jpg" width="300" border="0" /> Of course we had to sing our English version, which caused some consternation because Cambodian ducks do not go Quack Quack, they speak Khmer. The photo shows a participant over come by the brilliance of the workshop. No actually, one of the teachers had to bring his daughter along and, love her, she slept all the way through it on a table.<br /><br /><div><br /><div><br /><div><br /><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5185689165039210578" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" height="199" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0MdXKI1oiymQIOzOWASnISaBZ1OoxXqSL_2frXnPqITjS0esdmjqgPzBSxm8P6Kb2_4A33PE9EFKVEigbj_eXngkIx4jfAUkCgpuk95zitgN1ZsB8dvUj86cDKt_YIax53mwEii8_oOw/s320/009a.jpg" width="283" border="0" /> Yesterday we drove to a school about an hour away, which is set against the spectacular backdrop of a mountain, to observe the teachers who had attended our workshop cascading the ideas on to their colleagues, who seemed equally enthusiastic.<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5185691634645405842" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" height="210" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuNmQOq_KIhyNu7I-zqh1-iRYz5n_pjlDaukVzg3u1nhGrgcpTPBDZ73FS3_CcAL-K2qmZIgLsI1a9NlU3eEWUiFK81gDuCdefyMFjT_I_fDYG5ks6WKOU9eAtc8JPBjJd8BosDZf6Bbs/s320/028+(2)a.jpg" width="292" border="0" /> It was quite heartening, Of course we have been to enough INSET ourselves to know that the initial inspiration soon wears off when faced with the actual chalk face and you slip back into the easy old bad habits. It must be even harder to initiate new teaching methods when faced with 50 kids with ages ranging from 6 to 14 and you have been up since 5am tending your fields, but it’s a start.<br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><div>On the way Jon had to fill up his moto at the local equivalent of BP. The price of petrol has gone up from 3800 Riels (just under $1) a litre to 4600 Riels since we got here, now that is inflation!<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5185691634645405858" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" height="208" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeVdnTSA2Q3r4_biNFjB58vzavH-jF-A-vJ_6ZNr0gTn3-28GacH_P0HfQ-Oj-F-9DDmfe6Dmpy3lcQc3a1GApAIp-Sgu7CbGKzg2waY1kdkQ4hUH21Dk6JKWE6og7T4VVKTw91CZ7aOs/s320/043a.jpg" width="301" border="0" /><br />Part of our lack of progress so far is due to the fact that we are supposed to be working in partnership with the local District Education Office. Unfortunately this has not really taken off mainly because they are rarely in the office and when they are they claim to be too busy to work with us. This is probably not because we have pissed them off; we get on quite well with them when we see them, but more due to their lack of confidence in their own ability and a fear of showing themselves up. The picture shows us in our office showing the Director of the DOE some pictures we had taken of schools we had visited. </div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5185685737655308322" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" height="217" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivgfMBSbifY6ShBzyEekDTlIXq59CcEPMhoXJ4AYTFaQBRxweAnCVltr_PO5xPUPMspepYTl_2h0a6Ij7L_cdAhu4REOQ7Vmv1VNncq940_3rewCtxGiPOdg3G_1PHQ_lWfPWtxAK_F2k/s320/005a.jpg" width="302" border="0" />His mode of attire is not unusual for him and the gold you can see is but a small example of that which he has, including in his mouth. The head of Education from the VSO HQ in Phnom Pehn came for a visit earlier in the week and has done a bit of bridge building so hopefully we will get more cooperation from now on. Overall he seemed quite pleased with what we have achieved so far though we got the feeling that he had not realised the full extent of the problems we have to face out here physically, culturally and socially. He has promised us more support, which is encouraging, but we’ll believe it when we see it.<br /><br />We are still on good terms with the monks who are in the process of building themselves an extension to their pagoda. As we drive past them on our way to work everyday we get muffled shouts of “hello, how are you” from holes in the ground.<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5185694671187284178" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" height="282" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcv4cofIKQVYqSACAZC7k9Srl8htfHD8St8GyCB8SMIyE79QQGKGZMzinPruTyLbthvsmmnqMIL0h2em5jbh2LpTksgwhFTHfvU4xUz3h8DX9HCwmkoaT0fHq8BQudrsUfQyrhy1Scpbc/s320/068a.jpg" width="217" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5185689169334177906" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" height="202" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim8L7SkJJUm69MkYYeAqqyeZdhghXYYY-KQGx633znsAXShilHtK3uO_sg4iVjuluGL82zg2kAvWp0rqkffrwHUrjjFZNnTldH9uMVorPZaK75ghlL1h_h9bLYvYq7BQHY3FxZCQl-nJU/s320/017+(2)a.jpg" width="288" border="0" /> <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5185696586742698210" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" height="246" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq1er1xTcDubCaqlJYjKiyDpHWzn7JpkNfrzMhHnOy6C2gCEYIkhCveQB3hHZ5jMTgf5Ql-P5P1XJrwCAz7ifBe9EgTkTbZQXhpbgrn_yyD4qFanwXXeWbI3nvP1QK5tKQovHtMqZz8tU/s320/070a.jpg" width="283" border="0" />The pictures are of Onno, one of the Dutch volunteers, at the top of the hill which our Wat is on, the Wat in Kampong Cham and some of our monks, yes some of them are that young! Monks are not always our favourite people though. Last weekend we were staying at Jean’s house in Battambang, which backs onto the main Wat and was consecrating a new temple. This kicks off at 4am with worthy words interspersed with gamalan music broadcast at full volume from the loud speaker situated on the Pagoda roof. As the morning progresses this evolves into chanting and drumming with, what sounds like, a bad stand up comedian thrown in for good measure. In the afternoon the fun fair starts up with dodgems and roundabouts accompanied by the usual Khmer karaoke tunes, although we swear at one point we heard the Carpenter’s “its yesterday once more “. Believe us there is nothing mystical about these monks. After 16 hours of this bloody awful row we all had splitting headaches and were screaming blasphemies, which I’m sure, even the Buddha would have countenanced. To top it all at 8pm the local night club joined in with its “duf, duf, duf”, and we had to resort to Gin and Tonics to deaden the pain. If that’s living in the big city give me the peace quiet and boredom of Phnom Preuk any time.<br /><br />And now the weather report. HOT HOT HOT. At times the thermometer on our balcony was reading 100 degrees, and it’s in the shade. It is almost impossible to go outside during the main part of the day and we have to keep the fans going all night. To put it politely, we are continually damp and have taken to wearing Khmer dress about the house. For Jon this is a kroma, a short cotton wrap around skirt, and Chris has made 2 loose kaftan style frocks out of kampots. Very fetching but cool in every sense of the word. In the last week there have been thunderstorms rolling around in the mountains that bring the occasional showers of rain, which are cooling but nothing like the deluge we can expect when the rainy season hits with full force next month.<br /><br />The highlight of the last few weeks is Sophen building his own house. We have been visiting it regularly to inspect the work in progress. He had to get the wood from an old barn that was being pulled down, take out all the nails, plane it and then re use it. It has been quite a saga, and he was really worried that his money would run out.<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5185696586742698226" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" height="210" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIT3LmujpOjWj5ZPoCBgmUyoU7OtXKhM2OOY1NZFskVHaZuwBGdaezycYNDROJgVOOn8yqH51YAu_vu6dERlTNlUzmtveMJNlpoDp57XbtsZ6IKts6rjJFCXSddfHFvjDYyWEJb_LCn7o/s320/079+(2)a.jpg" width="294" border="0" /> Over all it has cost him about 700 dollars, but he is so proud. Now he and his wife Sophala can start a family. Note that the shed in the background is where he and Sophala are living now, with several other teachers, and he is a deputy head of a high school!<br /><br />Cambodia is now gearing itself up for the New Year, which in theory lasts 3 days but in practice goes on till May. The schools have already closed and everyone is going back to their home villages for family gatherings. Consequently the Education office is even more empty than usual (ie just us) and as the market will also be shut next week there will be bugger all for us to do out here. We considered taking a city break to Kula Lumpur but guessed it will be even more humid and horrible than here so we are probably going back to Thailand for a couple of days where we can lie in the sea and cool down. Another reason for evacuating Cambodia is that along with the tinsel and shiny decorations that have started appearing in the market stalls, think Woolworth’s before Christmas, there are also a huge number of water pistols going on sale. Apparently it is a New Years tradition to squirt water and throw flour at unsuspecting passers by, so in order to avoid resembling doughboys we think discretion is the better part of valour, and are going to run away.<br /><br />Its time for the wild life section; Birds. There are surprisingly few wild birds around here but considering that they have cut down most of the trees it’s understandable. There are a few sparrows and swallows about and some blackbirdy type things but nothing exotic. What there are however is chickens, everywhere. The splendid cockerels strut about majestically and are treated as family pets. They are trained for fighting, by showing them their reflection in a mirror, although we have been told they do not fight to the death here.<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5185687163584450610" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" height="207" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-YuUTQ_RHdKrjdAVFHeX4ccNSmLl2u977Bvptg4D9ozBEQ9ncuBNfiOhA8rZQqPTMOI-fcUm2EQztGROMv_hcq4B_3HS5FUjUB-Ez4j43XSfzSca31VZyGnCUzCAfkXOU6SS1qUAL5rk/s320/007+(4)a.jpg" width="278" border="0" /> They do not crow “Cock a doodle doo”, but an abbreviated “Cock a doodle d…” which is deeply irritating at 4am. Some of the females have very beautiful plumage and would win a prize in an English country show, but the majority of the poultry are scraggy, featherless little bags of bones. They scurry about pecking and scratching, usually accompanied by a clutch of chicks that are no more than balls of fluff. We have long passed the “oh how sweet stage “ as when you are on the moto you have to continually swerve to miss the little buggers. They also go in for caged birds. One neighbour has a myna bird that follows him around, trotting along beside him chatting away like an irritating child. Next door they had a beautiful collared dove in a tiny cage that didn’t have room for it to spread its wings. Recently the cage has been empty, we are not sure if this is a good or a bad thing. </div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5185696591037665554" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" height="178" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrIPFxU9FqQMc7yB3Mr8fz8RgD2DXqrKLXtn5giiOiGhplgBEXnTwMZ_QsKaDuM0MoZu4lIqRBqggaSb5puDu3Rw6Twk4QxkoYNJcfh_AHBrvlyKEHLK5JT3PLGSE8vZ8hQjEMWZl3bk8/s320/334a.jpg" width="293" border="0" /><br /><br /><div>A little R&R at a swimming pool in a hotel in Battambang. It's regularly topping 100F here and the water was a god send even if a little expensive at $5 for the day.<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5185691630350438530" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" height="206" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2coWNuWcsuSC8jJV81D1qAgdc9yUxW1AQCJEJZ89bBuzPrB4SC-QsKIZ23VLopDrfFnk6gBRQzU6tXbgkiMqM4eEBWT5o4O3kEQl6_3kpZGqGKm-G66BP8tXBM79_qxl7dmAjyYTCxn8/s320/020a.jpg" width="298" border="0" /><br />Finally, bicycles. Although Chris is stupidly pleased with the way she is mastering off-roading on her moto, she has decided to ride her bike more. The main reason for this is exercise.<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5185689165039210594" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" height="288" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvV0YboGSPFSt0B1YZrfdVZlCxHHaRFwFn2AwAuXOd3tsPhfT8r_sqvAoz9AzKIM04YNeeSk5JuCDyg-iTDnyOufYVJa2PWGajzeDqaAANQzbiRsRo6zstYdjnMKnY-m75O0cP0jZrqaE/s320/015a.jpg" width="214" border="0" /> Due to the state of the roads, the heat and the minefields, no one walks any where in this country and, as we have a lovely lady to do our cleaning and washing, the only exercise we get is climbing the stairs. So a short bike ride to work or to the market means that we don’t loose total use of our legs. The photo shows Chris in the traditional sampot, which she had to wear to the training workshop and the obligatory hat to stop your brain being fried. It’s the best one she could find - honest. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9uiynM6UrkYPmxVFqbxHs7K2cW9uNfMzCFrDFcMj0VGc1_bRn2UJdalVaOg5NpglzbR31zuxxyM87XcFXs_JTg0L-RoLILPQlaoJmA9ikFM7IQoFaKbiXUb0U3zlRp_nfTYfaFmaefqk/s1600-h/079a.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5185698867370332450" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" height="283" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9uiynM6UrkYPmxVFqbxHs7K2cW9uNfMzCFrDFcMj0VGc1_bRn2UJdalVaOg5NpglzbR31zuxxyM87XcFXs_JTg0L-RoLILPQlaoJmA9ikFM7IQoFaKbiXUb0U3zlRp_nfTYfaFmaefqk/s320/079a.jpg" width="221" border="0" /></a></div></div></div></div></div><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5185694666892316850" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" height="209" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy-agpC3dN6-Jtnf-NPMUkbOKarr90v0m8OxXwktakPP0VMicymq0pLzgCezls1j5X_PvMrYLoMooRDAcKuxh5xqO9wzu4M8avNH495EDiU_IFl0j_q8HFqtpq8bxQ7KUJDDw8D8JOD5w/s320/047a.jpg" width="279" border="0" />Chris and Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11257625119754392619noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3399322014075514078.post-10126071757049471572008-03-02T14:54:00.004+07:002008-12-12T02:34:27.517+07:00Hello from Cambodia 11So here we are 6 months in and really beginning to feel like ex pats. We returned from Kampong Chang and the language course with Jon’s Khmer much improved and Chris’s not. We have come to terms with the budget cuts and have started with determination on our mission to make the schools of Phnom Preuk District in to models of excellence for the whole of Cambodia!<br /><br />The first workshop went quite well. We were supposed to be doing a small session for 3 or 4 <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZHlYE0Kxu0xPzi2S21R3HpDjTs7LWctEQ3hZPk0SKlu8phDy4cdi8P90o-XnPa9EIPVsI_xP5p9kaOncnQ7Hdg2PtFIXEe6g7qoaQug3aP9gmxckeUA681xB6KF3h7r9BECcXsM_5dTo/s1600-h/004.JPGWORKSHOP"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5173050764467118098" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" height="165" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZHlYE0Kxu0xPzi2S21R3HpDjTs7LWctEQ3hZPk0SKlu8phDy4cdi8P90o-XnPa9EIPVsI_xP5p9kaOncnQ7Hdg2PtFIXEe6g7qoaQug3aP9gmxckeUA681xB6KF3h7r9BECcXsM_5dTo/s320/004.JPGWORKSHOP" width="223" border="0" /></a>volunteer teachers but the principal got a little excited and we ended up doing the workshop 3 times for 5 each. Well that was the theory but only 2 turned up for the last one. Yesterday we were expecting 16 teachers to a workshop on Group teaching and got 9, excluding the baby who was breast fed half way through the session. One teacher wandered in 20 minutes late having gone to the wrong venue, then after a phone call (their phones are going off continually and they think nothing of having long conversations while you are speaking) he wandered off to deal with some private business. The Khmer sense of lack of urgency and punctuality takes a lot of getting used to. However at least we feel that we have got started and are achieving something but it’s going to take a long time!<br /><br />Our dynamic plans, however, have now fallen foul of the 10 yearly census. The government are using teachers as recording officers and most of the schools in the country will be closed for 2 weeks. We never really know what’s going on. We got into the office one day to find it empty and were told that all the education officers would be spending the week at a workshop to train them for the census so we went home as there was nothing for us to do. Quite often we are the only people in the office especially when there is a crop to harvest and their farming commitments take priority over the education system. This also applies to the students. An unexpected heavy shower of rain means that the next tapioca crop can be planted and 75% of the children do not come to school, as they are busy planting it.<br /><br />Last week Jon was invited to a Chemistry workshop run by a Japanese woman volunteer who works at the Teachers Training College in Battambang. This is teaching with no resources and it really tests your imagination. How do you produce hydrogen if you don’t have acid in the bottle on the bench (or even a bench) or a Hoffmans Voltameter? Well you improvise; a bit of aluminium cooking foil in a plastic bag with toilet cleaner (21% HCl) added, plastic tubing from the local garage, a washing up bowl full of water and a plastic water bottle to collect the gas in. The scientist amongst you can figure out the details.<br /><br />Electrolysis, no sweat, stick a couple of bits of wire through the bottom of a plastic storage container and seal with super glue. A splash of battery acid and some water and connect up to a moped battery. Jon and Sophea (who used to be a mechanic before he became a head master) improved on this piece of kit by using a couple of syringes that were lying around(!!) Quite a good pop was obtained! Jon really loved being back in the lab again but as our project concentrates on primary education he isn’t officially allowed to be messing about with secondary science, but he’s not going to let that stop him.<br /><br />Many thanks to every one who has sent us emergency supplies, especially the clothes. The dust here is getting so bad that we have to change our clothes twice a day. Thankfully our cleaning lady also does our washing, by hand in a 25 litre paint tub, at the communal pump, but the severe scrubbing the clothes get dosen’t help their durability. Also she seems to add toilet cleaner to the wash to get that Percil white look, and this has had a few disastrous consequences. Its times like this that a grasp of the language would be useful. Eg “ will you use Comfort fabric softener in my wash please.”<br /><br />The cosmetics have also been very welcome. It is very difficult to remain chic and elegant here when you are a perpetual sweaty mess. Therefore it is a real treat to pamper yourself sometimes with creams and lotions, put on a dress, make up and high heels and pretend you’re off for a posh night out at the Grange. (and that’s just Jon). In fact what we actually do is cook ourselves a bowl of vegetables and rice, open a can of local beer and settle down to watch an episode of 24 Series 2. Actually its not that bad, we are beginning to learn how to relax and after years of stress and over-work at Parmiter’s having nothing to do comes as a welcome change.<br /><br />Our translators are continuing to be, not only invaluable in steering us around the minefield that is Cambodian etiquette, but also good friends. However sometimes things “get lost in <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZutT4zUEfGwAlN3B2SbrHg0h9jhcLyaQTW77YLlYBK8lPHBdRIO2QY_GtuX0OdLoVzRzD1GQ9RZgl_U-VSzvVpDV_IcVx7QGJ3EVgRq32Mo3XzRd0gTvRHoZjt6x5zT5vb5BYlC9LSGQ/s1600-h/BAT2.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5173050768762085426" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 224px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 168px" height="174" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZutT4zUEfGwAlN3B2SbrHg0h9jhcLyaQTW77YLlYBK8lPHBdRIO2QY_GtuX0OdLoVzRzD1GQ9RZgl_U-VSzvVpDV_IcVx7QGJ3EVgRq32Mo3XzRd0gTvRHoZjt6x5zT5vb5BYlC9LSGQ/s320/BAT2.JPG" width="232" border="0" /></a>translation”. Sophen claimed that the bats (see later) were as big as kitchens (chickens) and that the participants at the workshop would need snakes (snacks). The most surreal moment was when we texted Sophen to ask him why the children were going to school on a Sunday. The reply came through “They are going for the understanding of mince”. Was this like the “Diet of Worms”? Now we know that Buddhists are a bit mystical; but mince? What he meant was “mines”. Seems there is a big push by C-Mac, the Cambodian de-mining group to get the kids to understand about not picking up unexploded ordinance etc. We have a big problem here as Battambang is the most mined province in <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbUohnB6azS0DLiSG8FxXUhi3U-mO9Hy-WcDOYBZhtDIXDI0oHjmsPiXP3XWj7wUEWO8OcdnezsSYMi6Y46ITvbwy8PbzCCIk-k03tvjfQhw_sIHNJ4_ShRzBwbsuN3wUL9yb3qcQeIvg/s1600-h/BAT.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5173050773057052738" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" height="177" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbUohnB6azS0DLiSG8FxXUhi3U-mO9Hy-WcDOYBZhtDIXDI0oHjmsPiXP3XWj7wUEWO8OcdnezsSYMi6Y46ITvbwy8PbzCCIk-k03tvjfQhw_sIHNJ4_ShRzBwbsuN3wUL9yb3qcQeIvg/s320/BAT.JPG" width="223" border="0" /></a>Cambodia and the kids need all the education they can get. Some times S and S provide us with just a little too much information. When we asked if there was a bakery in the village where we could get fresh bread, they replied that it was next door to brothel. They seemed surprised that we didn’t know where the brothel was and insisted on giving us a guided tour to both of these 2 village landmarks.<br /><br />Our highlight this month was a trip to Phnom Sampov, a mountain about 15km south of Battambang city. This is renowned firstly for the amazing caves from whence millions of <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeitvIVt41tZ9tLhsusD1dKGODIhc1PnZa2aanU0QbdKufZrOvnLH-NKTHcSE-kPcg9YNat0GNsYZy9IZ7KjXR9BCwtk8jz9fCq-QkrN7acHn3Q2sQbPSGKZcXXpYI-iVvMdlagB2JSrQ/s1600-h/CIRCUS1.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5173052452389265538" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 224px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 176px" height="172" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeitvIVt41tZ9tLhsusD1dKGODIhc1PnZa2aanU0QbdKufZrOvnLH-NKTHcSE-kPcg9YNat0GNsYZy9IZ7KjXR9BCwtk8jz9fCq-QkrN7acHn3Q2sQbPSGKZcXXpYI-iVvMdlagB2JSrQ/s320/CIRCUS1.JPG" width="209" border="0" /></a>bats emerge every evening at dusk. For hours and hours they steam across the sky making a strange smoke-like trail as they weave their way into the distance. The mountain is more notorious as the site of the “killing caves” where the Pol Pot regime murdered the educated people. It is very chilling to note that no one in Cambodia can match Jon’s claim that he has been teaching for 31 years because anyone who was a teacher in 1977 would not have survived.<br /><br />That evening we went a wonderful circus performance in Battambang. The Ponlun Salapak was originally set up 20 <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHwPS_TPslhj4FHrS9Mx8BASKM21ndMN4bsVyyObutPFadDOJyEiC3F_k3hiIFXIFJqfnwAedqGpXmpoGKb0exSFzJMRPkpaQ4jK3syr0YC8vUSeco5J8cu41u3wdgb1J6DvHHT6DN98U/s1600-h/CIRCUS2.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5173052456684232850" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 156px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 210px" height="224" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHwPS_TPslhj4FHrS9Mx8BASKM21ndMN4bsVyyObutPFadDOJyEiC3F_k3hiIFXIFJqfnwAedqGpXmpoGKb0exSFzJMRPkpaQ4jK3syr0YC8vUSeco5J8cu41u3wdgb1J6DvHHT6DN98U/s320/CIRCUS2.JPG" width="165" border="0" /></a>years ago in the Cambodian refugee camps in Thailand to give disadvantaged kids a chance to study art. Some of these kids later set up a school for orphans and street children in Battambang and with help from a French NGO it has expanded its range to encompass a circus school as well. The children were hugely talented and very inspiring.<br /><br /><br />It’s the dry season here at the moment so getting around is not so bad. It now takes us 3 to 4 hours to get to Battambang by taxi as opposed to the 6 and half it took us when we first came and it was a bit wet. Come the rainy season and we will just have to say put. Chris has come on leaps and bounds in the moto stakes and last weekend drove the 25km to the next town down the border. She was dead chuffed and rightly so, the <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuV5Ve5yKAhv7xlfYgEma3ak2crezLNzyKznT7DM1f7AKKtuIb-7owS6WH7rHQ5FvWPMKxuZ11wQZybJoex-kd1LjM4MkkzLcqDiPk-hiZm-Ny4zFMZtVg70WjhjM5vQJAehHnaQzs2jc/s1600-h/C+BIKE.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5173052448094298210" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 217px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 162px" height="179" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuV5Ve5yKAhv7xlfYgEma3ak2crezLNzyKznT7DM1f7AKKtuIb-7owS6WH7rHQ5FvWPMKxuZ11wQZybJoex-kd1LjM4MkkzLcqDiPk-hiZm-Ny4zFMZtVg70WjhjM5vQJAehHnaQzs2jc/s320/C+BIKE.JPG" width="236" border="0" /></a>road, in the broadest sense of the word, was still full of ruts and rocks and she did get up to 40 kph at one point.<br /><br />The motos are great and dead easy to drive, no clutch and very light. Jon is certainly going to buy a motorbike when he gets back. He’s even done some repair work when he cracked part of the engine casing by riding in to a ditch. Sophea said take it to the local moto repair shop but you know Jon he’s got to have a go himself. He didn’t do a bad job but the repair shop would have done the whole thing for 5000 riels (about 65p). They <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy5NE2FwlXiPWuEfrJe9PyuJbr29TfdijYalXG9aIsYbmI-ueQb1Y7xqGbUZ07mjQw7HlcOBLz3v7sLoI9rQVWCMZ7WtT3gw7MPc0cGgh2EOZfG8VB7ueMVasdtaQTE86glV59gXbasAc/s1600-h/TYRE.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5173054810326311106" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 216px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 156px" height="197" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy5NE2FwlXiPWuEfrJe9PyuJbr29TfdijYalXG9aIsYbmI-ueQb1Y7xqGbUZ07mjQw7HlcOBLz3v7sLoI9rQVWCMZ7WtT3gw7MPc0cGgh2EOZfG8VB7ueMVasdtaQTE86glV59gXbasAc/s320/TYRE.JPG" width="254" border="0" /></a>don’t charge for labour here the mechanics earn about a dollar a day (4000 riels). He has also fixed a puncture. The big mistake was letting S&S help to fix the next one he got a week later. All was going fine until they put the tyre back on and pinched the inner tube to produce yet another puncture. They gave up at that point and we took it to the local repair shop where the boy fixed it for 1500 riels (do the maths).<br /><div><div><div> </div><div> </div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGT6VpZeSQ7d2ErsJBN_v0tF53_ekIJA0nJVMgIXnwaPnrGs7LQrqHF9Q4wj5Jm6bNLI57r9vUN3obYe_T07msw1bKejSmeKo-x1MrKY3eslML4prB3Q3P7-PboQlNybveiWw3yzrDUlA/s1600-h/001+(8).JPG+geko"></a> </div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGT6VpZeSQ7d2ErsJBN_v0tF53_ekIJA0nJVMgIXnwaPnrGs7LQrqHF9Q4wj5Jm6bNLI57r9vUN3obYe_T07msw1bKejSmeKo-x1MrKY3eslML4prB3Q3P7-PboQlNybveiWw3yzrDUlA/s1600-h/001+(8).JPG+geko"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5173050760172150786" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" height="122" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGT6VpZeSQ7d2ErsJBN_v0tF53_ekIJA0nJVMgIXnwaPnrGs7LQrqHF9Q4wj5Jm6bNLI57r9vUN3obYe_T07msw1bKejSmeKo-x1MrKY3eslML4prB3Q3P7-PboQlNybveiWw3yzrDUlA/s320/001+(8).JPG+geko" width="166" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGT6VpZeSQ7d2ErsJBN_v0tF53_ekIJA0nJVMgIXnwaPnrGs7LQrqHF9Q4wj5Jm6bNLI57r9vUN3obYe_T07msw1bKejSmeKo-x1MrKY3eslML4prB3Q3P7-PboQlNybveiWw3yzrDUlA/s1600-h/001+(8).JPG+geko"></a></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGT6VpZeSQ7d2ErsJBN_v0tF53_ekIJA0nJVMgIXnwaPnrGs7LQrqHF9Q4wj5Jm6bNLI57r9vUN3obYe_T07msw1bKejSmeKo-x1MrKY3eslML4prB3Q3P7-PboQlNybveiWw3yzrDUlA/s1600-h/001+(8).JPG+geko"></a> </div><div><br />Continuing the series “The Flora and Fauna of Cambodia” we come to <br />Reptiles and Amphibians. Our house geckos, Hugh, Carol and Richard, continue to flourish though they do tend to squabble a lot. More dramatic is the Tokai, a 15 inch lizard that lives in the ceiling of our office. We rarely see him but he makes an incredible racket with his “croak” from whence he gets his name (tok-ai). Well the other day he <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidqSjThTfPPp1-Wk2D4l3TxQzZYjYsBo8IWkOigdcdDSiT2Rd98MiEmTSVbbFuTggS2ppCjDwRwK0xTpvDLbinyw3dhn9olC7Drc6beInk1tMXzJaWSHPS3bTzw7RRGzBML58X7rmBSsU/s1600-h/TOKAI.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5173054806031343794" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 147px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 198px" height="214" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidqSjThTfPPp1-Wk2D4l3TxQzZYjYsBo8IWkOigdcdDSiT2Rd98MiEmTSVbbFuTggS2ppCjDwRwK0xTpvDLbinyw3dhn9olC7Drc6beInk1tMXzJaWSHPS3bTzw7RRGzBML58X7rmBSsU/s320/TOKAI.JPG" width="145" border="0" /></a>came out on to the wall in pursuit of Mrs Tokai and the two of them scuttled about above our heads. Sophen and Sophea were really worried by this as apparently if a Tokai bites you it takes the combined efforts of 7 widows to get him to let go! The unexpected rain the other evening brought out the frogs, keeping us awake at night with their noise and invading the chicken, whoops sorry that’s kitchen. The other day Chris came across a lizard who had had a close encounter with a moto. His amputated tail was still wriggling about on one side of the track while he watched it from the other side (weird). We also have a beautiful multi-coloured lizard that sits and suns himself on a tree stump outside our office and makes no noise at all. As a post script we have included a photo of the giant flying beetles that bombarded us in swarms last night on the <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbiiTen5XxhmouEViYaw-n-s623sHgevJ3KqeSKuyE-32VvzGHmOwIlUw_0kRj3lVgWaOXf7ngcxxcGtq0iFxuEzBLiaJ22MrH7nEUXW4jbfa6zEg0hoUnTY_ywBwLmcmzkBcFNkINPTc/s1600-h/LIZARD.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5173054801736376482" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 145px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 174px" height="226" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbiiTen5XxhmouEViYaw-n-s623sHgevJ3KqeSKuyE-32VvzGHmOwIlUw_0kRj3lVgWaOXf7ngcxxcGtq0iFxuEzBLiaJ22MrH7nEUXW4jbfa6zEg0hoUnTY_ywBwLmcmzkBcFNkINPTc/s320/LIZARD.JPG" width="190" border="0" /></a>balcony. They dive bombed our heads like a scene from the birds and one crawled up under Chris’s skirt but she did not discover it until she undressed for bed, the screams were heard in Bangkok. </div><div> </div><div> </div><div><br />Another surreal moment yesterday was when Jon emerged from the shower wrapped only in a towel to find 2 monks, resplendent in their saffron robes and shaved heads, half way up our stairs. They had popped in for a visit and a chat and to practice their English. This included showing off they new super duper mobile phone and proudly playing a down load of <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6IJQ1-H_Ki0gXjSQRbtyKhw3EbkK9QSJ_yL5iEiaDuP4HLDLuroUHul_jAlB3k_GkxFe6PSPTnnNdzZ6Iw1b0EGqTlHrfMLShyphenhyphenL7Kaxy-JSkZFbrX3Ar-K7tueJZKP64M6l-FMvmbLiM/s1600-h/BUG2.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5173052439504363602" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 153px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 112px" height="139" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6IJQ1-H_Ki0gXjSQRbtyKhw3EbkK9QSJ_yL5iEiaDuP4HLDLuroUHul_jAlB3k_GkxFe6PSPTnnNdzZ6Iw1b0EGqTlHrfMLShyphenhyphenL7Kaxy-JSkZFbrX3Ar-K7tueJZKP64M6l-FMvmbLiM/s320/BUG2.JPG" width="186" border="0" /></a>Ronan Keeting and Westlife singing Father and Son. So much for Buddhist mysticism.<br /></div><div> </div><div><br />We are thinking of you all as spring approaches, we miss the daffs. Keep sending all your news. Happy St David’s Day. J and C <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOPCXEvlhq4qJy0KQiecBxnide9qR87zMQBL5rjUHqtnQwaOPuJw5CoueR6iVIa6im_Qbtjfmf09PpSgTThHYc1eS3W2hyphenhyphenlZfQBNBogHlaUysVv0bCOsWtoVH7dMraj-l5O-A5BdNELBM/s1600-h/BABY.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5173050768762085410" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 151px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 193px" height="213" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOPCXEvlhq4qJy0KQiecBxnide9qR87zMQBL5rjUHqtnQwaOPuJw5CoueR6iVIa6im_Qbtjfmf09PpSgTThHYc1eS3W2hyphenhyphenlZfQBNBogHlaUysVv0bCOsWtoVH7dMraj-l5O-A5BdNELBM/s320/BABY.JPG" width="171" border="0" /></a><br /><br />(Just a note, our email addresses are: <a href="mailto:chrisgreen56@hotmail.com">chrisgreen56@hotmail.com</a> and <a href="mailto:jondeg1@hotmail.com">jondeg1@hotmail.com</a>) </div><div> </div><div>PS. The baby that Jon is holding is Touch, our cleaner's grandson.<br /><br /><br /> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKiakpB5VCv3SdD9fChpKH9YAeEtTUPdXxlgGJe3sNpfCE-CiHCocyENWmXYaIlmVEcG4uMZt_xWjlvY-PeLjY4G8BzSpeAYapIPK0H6YecztyNGLmibiQ3AeVz7ZfFioW7Vghobgi9Yc/s1600-h/CIRCUS1.JPG"></a> </div><div> </div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKiakpB5VCv3SdD9fChpKH9YAeEtTUPdXxlgGJe3sNpfCE-CiHCocyENWmXYaIlmVEcG4uMZt_xWjlvY-PeLjY4G8BzSpeAYapIPK0H6YecztyNGLmibiQ3AeVz7ZfFioW7Vghobgi9Yc/s1600-h/CIRCUS1.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5173052448094298226" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 2px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 6px" height="123" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKiakpB5VCv3SdD9fChpKH9YAeEtTUPdXxlgGJe3sNpfCE-CiHCocyENWmXYaIlmVEcG4uMZt_xWjlvY-PeLjY4G8BzSpeAYapIPK0H6YecztyNGLmibiQ3AeVz7ZfFioW7Vghobgi9Yc/s320/CIRCUS1.JPG" width="145" border="0" /></a></div><div> </div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyvIXRo2Fh2aj0RQmHn6xmTZR3b5dDbFE-11KGBwYVmSs0NjTSvhZOsQg9f7dnzZGrJ24DWL68gMPFsBHnt5lyi2fwPH79WyKO_bMKWBlEIEDEASFU9CTbWdOkJRfBTIgkNtLjepMkOTo/s1600-h/WSHOP.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5173054814621278418" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 7px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 10px" height="62" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyvIXRo2Fh2aj0RQmHn6xmTZR3b5dDbFE-11KGBwYVmSs0NjTSvhZOsQg9f7dnzZGrJ24DWL68gMPFsBHnt5lyi2fwPH79WyKO_bMKWBlEIEDEASFU9CTbWdOkJRfBTIgkNtLjepMkOTo/s320/WSHOP.JPG" width="132" border="0" /></a></div></div></div>Chris and Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11257625119754392619noreply@blogger.com29tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3399322014075514078.post-52532634536894663922008-02-03T18:26:00.000+07:002008-12-12T02:34:31.103+07:00Hello from Cambodia 10<div><br /><div><div>Happy New Year.<br /><br />This blog is being written in our room in the Mekong Hotel in Kampong Cham. We are back here for 2 weeks for the second part of our language training. Getting all 17 of us (David has<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUWWV9iLaSwRgPhTCBBONMp6anfK47DyCdEGiMBvDZOIXMZ9qvVwm9UEny_UtY-3cUdXErub-I2jxxP9l50ryDc7yeDu5l0plRx4JW2IU49EvkHM88b7avmACwUWNBj9y7GxgUdz8k3FY/s1600-h/bas+and+m.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5162714273788124578" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" height="205" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUWWV9iLaSwRgPhTCBBONMp6anfK47DyCdEGiMBvDZOIXMZ9qvVwm9UEny_UtY-3cUdXErub-I2jxxP9l50ryDc7yeDu5l0plRx4JW2IU49EvkHM88b7avmACwUWNBj9y7GxgUdz8k3FY/s320/bas+and+m.JPG" width="166" border="0" /></a> dropped out) back together again at this time has probably been a very good idea. We are all realising that the honeymoon period is over. The initial excitement of being in our placement has faded and optimism has become rather jaded as we are coming to terms with the enormousness of the problems we have to face and a realisation is dawning that we are not going to be able to revolutionise the Cambodian education system by Christmas. There has been a lot of group hugs, metaphorical and real and mutual affirmation that there is some point to our being here. (See photo of Baz and Mairead (the long and the short of it) Also by discussing our problems with each other we realise we are all encountering the same frustrations and try to devise some strategies to make something happen in this infuriating country.<br /><br />We remind each other that at the VSO training in England and since we have arrived here we have continuously been told not to expect anything constructive to happen in the first nine months and we should just observe and build confidences and “drink tea”. As most of us were <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVXqqXpzLbB0i3j4ttIcOjJ8h5Sc3vKe-LfRtxBBE0xT2fFndMXU20RD5ypfOHgKk3t3wyZRE6E8fswwf_1kRrLLp9NbTDbIyQLDHNf88OFnzXgAZlgarOowIFnxnnh2f0ahfDAnGnh44/s1600-h/vols.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5162716176458636914" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" height="162" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVXqqXpzLbB0i3j4ttIcOjJ8h5Sc3vKe-LfRtxBBE0xT2fFndMXU20RD5ypfOHgKk3t3wyZRE6E8fswwf_1kRrLLp9NbTDbIyQLDHNf88OFnzXgAZlgarOowIFnxnnh2f0ahfDAnGnh44/s320/vols.JPG" width="243" border="0" /></a>quite dynamic, hard working professionals in our previous lives where we are used to making things happen fast, it becomes very frustrating when through apathy, misunderstanding and mistrust your best laid plans keep smashing into brick walls. It hasn’t helped that due to cut backs by VSO London, our budget has been greatly reduced so many of the projects we had planned have had to abandoned or severely pruned.<br /><br />Moaning aside, we have had a lot of fun. We are taking advantage of the fact that gin and tonic is <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-vHMd4GzSf-z4LRKWmVaDjiIUBoVohwZG67QR00RuhOcDBNB9xKrgCVjLb1cFrPQjYdRH1Xa_jZqzXyMzXUyF6XD3DCA__a5xvRhG95dTxWpXTzLJVdfX8eqYkpnOqwfGPVFAVKujNNI/s1600-h/fishing.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5162714295262961122" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" height="154" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-vHMd4GzSf-z4LRKWmVaDjiIUBoVohwZG67QR00RuhOcDBNB9xKrgCVjLb1cFrPQjYdRH1Xa_jZqzXyMzXUyF6XD3DCA__a5xvRhG95dTxWpXTzLJVdfX8eqYkpnOqwfGPVFAVKujNNI/s320/fishing.JPG" width="214" border="0" /></a>very cheaply available in KPC as are Snickers bars and digestive biscuits. The evenings have been spent playing Helen’s Game and Werewolf, which is a Dutch form of Mafioso. We are also taking the opportunity to give each other mutual support when taking our first course of de-worming tablets. We have included a few photos of the sights of KPC. When we arrived we were surprised to see how much the water level in the Mekong had dropped since we were last here exposing the base of the huge bridge that the Japanese built opening up eastern Cambodia. Every morning and evening the river was swarming with little <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiB7eDuXa06E6-DhQTGBUsRNlNdCi2pX4WoXfWUZmS5sKRgVPjIAeaOTk7CVM1tAEZFnZb4EiclZIPPxMnSrLoNegtUuAc8WrerrVse7Cn9mAc2ipzwvaW_AkqE5mnd-ERh_pxscDGqvM/s1600-h/bridge2.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5162714286673026498" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 141px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 178px" height="208" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiB7eDuXa06E6-DhQTGBUsRNlNdCi2pX4WoXfWUZmS5sKRgVPjIAeaOTk7CVM1tAEZFnZb4EiclZIPPxMnSrLoNegtUuAc8WrerrVse7Cn9mAc2ipzwvaW_AkqE5mnd-ERh_pxscDGqvM/s320/bridge2.JPG" width="153" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiceTVjReTOHLFOsvrcB6XQqpU5yKpGkdJ0k1D-Ds68AC1FTuvMqb1g9tiGL0dgFyyPwe5A2TC0i7uol23I2aEy3e9wFWORv8lGQLXfse1xxNbJN2IfhbL7TrKr1n_jgWIaLNxGujQGmSs/s1600-h/bridge.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5162714282378059186" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" height="137" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiceTVjReTOHLFOsvrcB6XQqpU5yKpGkdJ0k1D-Ds68AC1FTuvMqb1g9tiGL0dgFyyPwe5A2TC0i7uol23I2aEy3e9wFWORv8lGQLXfse1xxNbJN2IfhbL7TrKr1n_jgWIaLNxGujQGmSs/s320/bridge.JPG" width="221" border="0" /></a>boats illegally drift netting tiny fish. Also the drop in the water level means they have been able to build the bamboo bridge that runs between the town and an island in the river. Every year this is swept away in the floods and replaced in the dry season. It appears very fragile and wobbly but is strong enough to support a car.<br /><br />We came here via PP where we had a 2 day education Inset, which was just about as exciting and useful as Inset in the English education system, with the added disadvantage that half of it is <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXH7uuF6xGZGodJrA_9QLFIx6AxNzK454X6X4XZTE6V1UGQfURD0Rw6fwymMa2i7iQQ5wkGUrFKE7zUe2rjwPl7fJZjMjfMEaS3RwhPWAVfWjUMal5KAV4G9da0xmUkkQp6d91P2Y33Wc/s1600-h/spiders.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5162716172163669602" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" height="179" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXH7uuF6xGZGodJrA_9QLFIx6AxNzK454X6X4XZTE6V1UGQfURD0Rw6fwymMa2i7iQQ5wkGUrFKE7zUe2rjwPl7fJZjMjfMEaS3RwhPWAVfWjUMal5KAV4G9da0xmUkkQp6d91P2Y33Wc/s320/spiders.JPG" width="234" border="0" /></a>delivered in a language you don’t understand – or perhaps that isn’t such a difference. As we travelled on to KPC through the paddy fields of the Mekong flood plane it struck us that Cambodia was lush, green and very beautiful, something we had forgotten in the brown bean fields of Phnom Preuk. Much as we love our little adopted town, returning to the clouds of dust generated by the unmade roads which coat everything with a thick brown film is going to be very difficult after the pink and purple bougainvillaea of KPC.<br /></div><div>(Photo:What you can but to eat on the road to Kampong Cham)</div><div><br />The language training has <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipw0rm2jgxlGZR8OYgHbbTf84nDXrxy-dHP3NguX7Xen8-ZCtSZtKmSX2Mo9re7gbN2gQa4wHENhsXzXUH93yZBqhnSlRNkPpsOEzq6DizS_S0yYLCu_8wqvf6teclB5Phc-ureKgsYIc/s1600-h/class.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5162714290967993810" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" height="161" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipw0rm2jgxlGZR8OYgHbbTf84nDXrxy-dHP3NguX7Xen8-ZCtSZtKmSX2Mo9re7gbN2gQa4wHENhsXzXUH93yZBqhnSlRNkPpsOEzq6DizS_S0yYLCu_8wqvf6teclB5Phc-ureKgsYIc/s320/class.JPG" width="226" border="0" /></a>been constructive specially since Chris changed to a more differentiated, child friendly group (see photo). We are now aware of the, potentially disastrous, mistakes that you can make by slight mispronunciation. Eg. Can I help you? = Khnom chong chuey te? Whereas Khnom chong chouey te? Means can I f..k you? Also hot and penis are only the slip of a vowel away from social suicide.<br /><br />Even though we have been here for nearly 5 months we don’t feel we are any closer to knowing Kampuchea. On the surface, the preponderance of motos, western clothes, TVs, mobile phones and Coca Cola suggests a confidently emerging developing nation but just scratch below the surface and you find extreme poverty, high illiteracy, endemic corruption and a national fatalism that makes you despair that anything will ever change. People who have lived here a few years say that massive progress is happening, but when you see entire families living in a dirty one roomed shack with little or no life chances it is difficult to feel optimistic about this place. We hope that our work in the education system is a tiny step towards improving the prospects of the next generations, but realistically until there is a change in the political system and the corruption that is emasculating the country at every level it is unlikely that Cambodia will ever be able to pull itself out of its third world status.<br /><br />For those of you who are still wondering what the hell we are act<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwYJw4z6IcnhDClYt6OMEWBbmJTZHJEE58eTXYlTKTm2X1o5V1L3Sp9nFmhKOX2ncA14p5XoHN0nphq2ohPVbO4creG3eGC83XyefFJuh_gCLR80WXReW4TUDzf8BsQc1jc80Jnvm68M8/s1600-h/school.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5162716172163669586" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 207px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 153px" height="160" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwYJw4z6IcnhDClYt6OMEWBbmJTZHJEE58eTXYlTKTm2X1o5V1L3Sp9nFmhKOX2ncA14p5XoHN0nphq2ohPVbO4creG3eGC83XyefFJuh_gCLR80WXReW4TUDzf8BsQc1jc80Jnvm68M8/s320/school.JPG" width="214" border="0" /></a>ually doing out here, which <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWerQKZRNOU_07l6BGiryKGh8Y1J6r6QR4rKix0Eg_NbLRq43WWZ5roZ2oX8kIyMiWlQsTvD-29DHN-ptps8r7EXHc05TlOSTk_aagmGtRa6QEQmzVQ4LwU3vkNtvRQ3I5G0gLiSkEIPU/s1600-h/kids.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5162715184321191426" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" height="152" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWerQKZRNOU_07l6BGiryKGh8Y1J6r6QR4rKix0Eg_NbLRq43WWZ5roZ2oX8kIyMiWlQsTvD-29DHN-ptps8r7EXHc05TlOSTk_aagmGtRa6QEQmzVQ4LwU3vkNtvRQ3I5G0gLiSkEIPU/s320/kids.JPG" width="218" border="0" /></a>probably includes us, here is a potted explanation. We are working with the district education office in Phnom Preuk helping them to implement a programme that will result in all Cambodian children receiving an education. Practically this means we work with individual schools on schemes which will increase the numbers of children actually being enrolled and reducing the numbers who drop out before they reach Year 9. We are also helping teachers to use a more child centred methodology in a more child friendly environment. Well that’s the idea anyway. How <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtMz8tTwwkd7p9JFryhhRs8nfKYNvIdxrbtSlzvJFL5dgAN3EavMM2uZqGl0qTS-juLZHWG9wir7EKjkHNK3xnpJBlkRaWbOi9ibggFFB5tg4_Ce344KTgLKK8vi6FXM09YdnOlQpYhEQ/s1600-h/ppk+class.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5162715192911126066" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" height="154" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtMz8tTwwkd7p9JFryhhRs8nfKYNvIdxrbtSlzvJFL5dgAN3EavMM2uZqGl0qTS-juLZHWG9wir7EKjkHNK3xnpJBlkRaWbOi9ibggFFB5tg4_Ce344KTgLKK8vi6FXM09YdnOlQpYhEQ/s320/ppk+class.JPG" width="232" border="0" /></a>this is achieved with a highly de motivated work force tr<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihWndL29bpEr190AFCKJjEWPgZrSqKw0wH1sA8YWpm5y44QYWUJV0I7qASJWdSTV8DbC1CQJ1pQ2zR-Z0PXoMMJkyDPJup04oBPT3QYW2HO18LyA3UR98FWbQJktgY8P8jWT6RtvR2ckw/s1600-h/model.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5162715192911126050" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" height="154" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihWndL29bpEr190AFCKJjEWPgZrSqKw0wH1sA8YWpm5y44QYWUJV0I7qASJWdSTV8DbC1CQJ1pQ2zR-Z0PXoMMJkyDPJup04oBPT3QYW2HO18LyA3UR98FWbQJktgY8P8jWT6RtvR2ckw/s320/model.JPG" width="221" border="0" /></a>ying to battle against minimal funding is another matter. We will let you know how we get on. While we were in KPC we visited a “model school” which was very inspirational but also very daunting. Here are photos of a “model” classroom and one in a school in PPk, spot the difference.<br /><br />On a brighter note, here is a David Attenborough, an introductory round up of the wildlife in Cambodia. Mainly it is very, very small, you only know about them when they bite you. We are all continually slapping ourselves exclaiming, “Shit, I’ve just been bitten!” Fortunately this <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBHa5Gc1eoOv9sJP-IHAkdTbrU8Gr0HlQ-4gvsImqWitDOI1YFmxIM0qz5L1_n7eqLjhAA2OxCOwViC8rhvIgD87vYrH9nTP6hT5_UfdmraHR3xvxXrQAG6J7fkZ_5jfOP5gXCqziuu4A/s1600-h/mantis.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5162715188616158738" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" height="163" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBHa5Gc1eoOv9sJP-IHAkdTbrU8Gr0HlQ-4gvsImqWitDOI1YFmxIM0qz5L1_n7eqLjhAA2OxCOwViC8rhvIgD87vYrH9nTP6hT5_UfdmraHR3xvxXrQAG6J7fkZ_5jfOP5gXCqziuu4A/s320/mantis.JPG" width="233" border="0" /></a>usually results in itchy red lumps and no one yet has succumbed to Malaria (except Bas who had to be flown from his placement in the jungles on the Vietnamese border to hospital in PP. He made a miraculously recovery after 4 days) or the dreaded Dengue fever. The larger livestock tends to come in swarms. Depending on the season or weather, clouds of insects of all shapes and sizes smash themselves into any light source or failing that, your head. The most dramatic of these was the plague of flying beetles, the size of golf balls that crash onto our balcony then rocked around on their backs, like weebles, unable to turn themselves over.<br />Currently a recent freak rainstorm has brought out the flying ants that emerge in a blizzard that <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuTUetDuKcWhDgJSigzwyCThmkp2VfpfpFMKhHXwLdJbk0QhkZmOVNPUmVCuX62c_tHskEgl9hh_UMiC09DTbvN_Udvqls-ZRNQ1mdP7X0CbwZKBBD7_tZEgQ9beoOTmUncSOc5XQmA4U/s1600-h/s&s.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5162716167868702274" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 220px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 146px" height="169" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuTUetDuKcWhDgJSigzwyCThmkp2VfpfpFMKhHXwLdJbk0QhkZmOVNPUmVCuX62c_tHskEgl9hh_UMiC09DTbvN_Udvqls-ZRNQ1mdP7X0CbwZKBBD7_tZEgQ9beoOTmUncSOc5XQmA4U/s320/s&s.JPG" width="234" border="0" /></a>at night turns KPC into a snowscape resembling the Russia steppes in January. However on a more positive side the huge painted butterflies, the giant praying mantis (see photo) and the columns of tiny ants that march around our house have been a source of great pleasure and fascination to us. The lecture on the Fauna of Cambodia will continue in another blog.<br /><br />By the way the photo of the 2 lads at the computer is of Sophen and Sophea, our lovely translators without whom our job here would be impossible. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJBOBwWxlqJ77VYm6UTKg07FL3L2KL9yljZKdMWH7V3rNR8-SUAYKaCuW-yhT_bhjIEAqCESf92N2anXMCGR1uPVXyjVaPHdfRinJicC015nOKl1J6V2T90bPJM3dTeqpe6_bhrJfiDIo/s1600-h/jon.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5162715184321191410" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" height="142" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJBOBwWxlqJ77VYm6UTKg07FL3L2KL9yljZKdMWH7V3rNR8-SUAYKaCuW-yhT_bhjIEAqCESf92N2anXMCGR1uPVXyjVaPHdfRinJicC015nOKl1J6V2T90bPJM3dTeqpe6_bhrJfiDIo/s320/jon.JPG" width="219" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Hope we haven’t been too negative in this blog, but as we said earlier, the honeymoon is over. We still love being here and we believe we do have a positive role to play but maybe it’s going to be a bit harder than we thought. We will see. </div></div></div>Chris and Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11257625119754392619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3399322014075514078.post-66228311822741837282007-12-29T13:29:00.000+07:002008-12-12T02:34:34.911+07:00Hello from Cambodia 9The draft of this latest blog is being composed on Christmas Day while sitting beside the blue sparkling waters of the Gulf of Thailand – never thought in my wildest dreams that I would ever write that last sentence. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2omk-zGWXw-_pczdxI1Y0lwLUGs5Ol5BLtagrV0AX_ab2mS7eKecbfK0wPfylGi4UVWMf88s1Y_oyl6vnmZiCj0umtb6e3znupflJvYmlvFVpb8pJhDvixISROo-qUWm-0zsGYjepV0M/s1600-h/beach1.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5149284262400880386" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" height="167" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2omk-zGWXw-_pczdxI1Y0lwLUGs5Ol5BLtagrV0AX_ab2mS7eKecbfK0wPfylGi4UVWMf88s1Y_oyl6vnmZiCj0umtb6e3znupflJvYmlvFVpb8pJhDvixISROo-qUWm-0zsGYjepV0M/s320/beach1.JPG" width="237" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Five of us decided that being alone in our placements at Christmas without friends and family around would be just too difficult so instead we indulged our selves in that island paradise that is Koh Chang. Getting there from Phnom Preuk proved to be more pricy then we had had anticipated as we had to “encourage “ the Thai authorities to let us cross the border and then finding that there was no way to continue our journey except by hiring a very expensive taxi. Fortunately a bit of research and local knowledge meant that the return journey was far more sooth, cheaper and incident free, except for the collapsed bridge, flat tyre and road being de mined! <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj42S68ln2XFXsks6PG_zZJG1V5p5Q8x5pdwA5pJaPj5Vpryqk2jJGg9Aake9ZltPVM30852c5iGf6q0ZDaMwC0LfEIBflJUKV6nYZVSPcyKdMYXamTSEZQxI5S0h7eR1cjk1KSG4v0QNQ/s1600-h/beach.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5149284859401334546" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" height="195" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj42S68ln2XFXsks6PG_zZJG1V5p5Q8x5pdwA5pJaPj5Vpryqk2jJGg9Aake9ZltPVM30852c5iGf6q0ZDaMwC0LfEIBflJUKV6nYZVSPcyKdMYXamTSEZQxI5S0h7eR1cjk1KSG4v0QNQ/s320/beach.JPG" width="149" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Arriving over the border was a real shock. Firstly, Thailand has proper roads, with tarmac and white lines in the middle and traffic lights and sign posts. Everyone drives on the same side of the road and chickens/dogs/cows/children don’t run in front of the car and you travel at more than 30 mph. Also the taxi, what bliss, only 2 passengers rather than the usual 7 (4 in the back and 3 in the front excluding the driver of a Toyota Camry), and it had seat belts!<br /><br />On entering Thailand one realises just how devastated Cambodia has been. The change of colour in just a few yards is dramatic; Thailand is green and Cambodia is brown. The difference is the dust in Cambodia <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5R-0vRZNHhOX6r6lbezf2DAOZSxTVSivzq3Zwh1Z4PVxPMIKo9XXXeeyS4uMlQr4WVH9Vk-V2Lc9LgfRVyffu3oYPCWTLgKPVAwPmcdvDSkIo-_5tfCs9b7DfMzxSE2UJ4GLdfTBpWPg/s1600-h/girls.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5149284863696301874" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" height="178" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5R-0vRZNHhOX6r6lbezf2DAOZSxTVSivzq3Zwh1Z4PVxPMIKo9XXXeeyS4uMlQr4WVH9Vk-V2Lc9LgfRVyffu3oYPCWTLgKPVAwPmcdvDSkIo-_5tfCs9b7DfMzxSE2UJ4GLdfTBpWPg/s320/girls.JPG" width="234" border="0" /></a>which settles on everything within 500 yards of the road. Also Thailand still has its forests, in Cambodia most have been cut down by the Thais or the Khmer Rouge or the Cambodian army or anyone else who can make a few dollars out of raping this poor country.<br /><br />The other big difference in Thailand, apart from the lack of plastic bags and rubbish everywhere, is that it is so quiet. No barking dogs, crowing cockerels, blaring karaoke, chanting monks, crying children just the sound of the sea lapping on the shore. In fact sitting here writing this blog in Jean’s kitchen back in Battambang the amplified chanting from the local Wat has now been going for 6 hours,( it 10 am, do the maths). <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjYeIDMn4zjeP9bV64QjKX9egrkfR6XzBFjNbQc9a1RLncStTxgBx5N5EQX8QFCpigZmGLCr2ST1fioXpo42jIlzvzlPy9PY35TgDKYPGWtqBmHjv8MlArg3pzGfDOEdLD-1K4KlEjCnw/s1600-h/sunset.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5149284867991269202" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 173px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 223px" height="224" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjYeIDMn4zjeP9bV64QjKX9egrkfR6XzBFjNbQc9a1RLncStTxgBx5N5EQX8QFCpigZmGLCr2ST1fioXpo42jIlzvzlPy9PY35TgDKYPGWtqBmHjv8MlArg3pzGfDOEdLD-1K4KlEjCnw/s320/sunset.JPG" width="170" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Next door to our little group of thatched beach huts there was a flash hotel complex with swimming pool and liveried staff. We crashed their<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFyVJKfvxs9OxrWsOuQZ94aGiwKywnsnt36QndccSU-tE7GzXBcz9P_DlfovhkJ_FDauIHPg9m1DsJejuW_k8aqzKAmPvQh_iSMqnNvic9i7NOkSO-Wo9LihcOG3rhZU1XTpKGhyphenhyphenWy45M/s1600-h/pud.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5149284867991269186" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" height="158" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFyVJKfvxs9OxrWsOuQZ94aGiwKywnsnt36QndccSU-tE7GzXBcz9P_DlfovhkJ_FDauIHPg9m1DsJejuW_k8aqzKAmPvQh_iSMqnNvic9i7NOkSO-Wo9LihcOG3rhZU1XTpKGhyphenhyphenWy45M/s320/pud.JPG" width="193" border="0" /></a> Christmas Eve party so we could see the arrival of Santa on an elephant. However we swiftly left when the karaoke carols started, grateful to return to our own stable-like accommodation and a tinsel-decorated palm tree and sing along to Carols from Kings on the iPod (much more tasteful).<br /><br />Christmas Day started with the opening of presents which included the traditional shirt and not so traditional J-Cloths. Christmas dinner of fried rice and prawns was made complete by the mini Christmas pud (thank you Liv). The <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwX5z0DDtXUm4W_MRGbaPK0u9DaXzoHQAhyphenhyphenYJ8QbPsApxZE_H6XKV37Gg0zgPpONOSG6AM0E5DX3mIBc6NFDKjdXbdeVbx4a-AcOx7-VQ0BHnxEcQkYV1FtMN0pucgso6QwUJVgTHstdE/s1600-h/cj.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5149284863696301858" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" height="163" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwX5z0DDtXUm4W_MRGbaPK0u9DaXzoHQAhyphenhyphenYJ8QbPsApxZE_H6XKV37Gg0zgPpONOSG6AM0E5DX3mIBc6NFDKjdXbdeVbx4a-AcOx7-VQ0BHnxEcQkYV1FtMN0pucgso6QwUJVgTHstdE/s320/cj.JPG" width="227" border="0" /></a>rest of the day was spent swimming, sun bathing and eating from a beach BBQ in a truly festive way. We’d all been dreading Christmas away from the family and were all a little subdued until phone calls started to arrive from UK. As the messages winged their way across the world all of us would have exchanged our island paradise for cold grey damp old England and the ones we love.<br /><br />Happy New Year to you all.Chris and Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11257625119754392619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3399322014075514078.post-71004410509543832312007-12-16T16:07:00.000+07:002008-12-12T02:34:35.152+07:00<div align="center"><em><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:180%;color:#ff0000;">Happy Christmas</span></em></div><br /><div align="center"><em><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:180%;color:#ff0000;">from Cambodia</span></em></div><br /><div><em><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:180%;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5144495515956666082" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit72ZCNRGxNbbqa87AsvZJG92Ybh2nxis7Y6Pb5-PDbuR9BP44t3z4HKLongSxu8anuPpuYYcSqf6ZS7JcongUaegqFVmxW0_OWQClyPksCpk0Bq4g7AORKN0vyCtHB3gLsiSpitk-sho/s320/xmas+card1.bmp" border="0" /></span></em></div><br /><p align="center"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:180%;color:#ff0000;"><em>Love from</em></span></p><p align="center"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:180%;color:#ff0000;"><em>Chris and Jon xxxx</em></span></p>Chris and Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11257625119754392619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3399322014075514078.post-68676307651235134712007-12-07T14:33:00.000+07:002008-12-12T02:34:36.581+07:00Hello from Cambodia 8<div><div><div>Tales from the Wild West.<br /><br />We have been living here a month now and are beginning to feel less like visitors from the planet Ogg. Our <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMGEszemiZ2EKKtASK76niRiePobVj_AcA68JVjvmWyHRBjy6yOMSJqjLZFPbsgy92_1Hw_FpxyTHKEFEeOdPqEpjCQWTCLqVr8t7kYBMFxiri1IsS5642ZPejm3nLzsMaP8BsHt2kpKs/s1600-h/014.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5141134921480271058" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 216px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 142px" height="150" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMGEszemiZ2EKKtASK76niRiePobVj_AcA68JVjvmWyHRBjy6yOMSJqjLZFPbsgy92_1Hw_FpxyTHKEFEeOdPqEpjCQWTCLqVr8t7kYBMFxiri1IsS5642ZPejm3nLzsMaP8BsHt2kpKs/s320/014.JPG" width="224" border="0" /></a>trips to the market are now greeted with “oh here come the Barangs “ as opposed to “What the hell are they!” Most people are friendly and welcoming and go out of their way to be helpful. When our attempts to buy produce are met with blank incomprehension by a stall holder, there is usually a bystander who is able to pipe up with “They want half a kilo of onions and a bunch of bananas”. If fact a surprising number of people speak very good English but are too shy to let on, but it is worth us remembering this when we are tempted to make tactless comments to each other within ear shot of a Khmer. Also as everyone here is related to everyone else it is important to keep our views to ourselves as we could <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVlihrJd1qGuvT_sxvlsfMND64I16wJJiPrekBDhixlzhxyCnbfhbe7zj4aj-dgfnFFRPlhCvesOqIugQOgollj_JdazK298uQyPVnA5gLGDgRrhnn5zwkZoeWvESbP2cSYvU_crG6bXc/s1600-h/018.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5141136072531506418" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" height="143" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVlihrJd1qGuvT_sxvlsfMND64I16wJJiPrekBDhixlzhxyCnbfhbe7zj4aj-dgfnFFRPlhCvesOqIugQOgollj_JdazK298uQyPVnA5gLGDgRrhnn5zwkZoeWvESbP2cSYvU_crG6bXc/s320/018.JPG" width="215" border="0" /></a>alienate the entire village by one throw away wise crack. (ie Chris keep your mouth shut!). The surveillance network here would put the KGB to shame. On Monday morning Sophen was able to report to us exactly when and what we had been doing around the village over the weekend, i.e Saturday 10.35am visited the Wat, 11.40am narrowly missed running over a dog outside the bank, 12.10 pm bought half a kilo of onions and a bunch of bananas in the market etc….. The moral of the story being if you want to keep the respect of the village, behave yourself in public! (oh dear, it could be very hard to change the habits of a life time - Chris).<br /><br />As you will begin to realise there is not a huge amount to do in Phnom Preuk, a bit like a Cambodian Bricket <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOC3Lw6v1tiSY9QsHIqjiugrN08-SqblZ-7o72Dmzc44nA4VSnE12FYKoFgFWyouT2yL_9D0ZKFNnkwbVhU5toG6rPyKX2i_HTPD2xPqTxX8AVWTkbYkW_VxWCAQKIiJDRMG8nvnHr6-E/s1600-h/017.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5141136068236539106" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 214px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 141px" height="136" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOC3Lw6v1tiSY9QsHIqjiugrN08-SqblZ-7o72Dmzc44nA4VSnE12FYKoFgFWyouT2yL_9D0ZKFNnkwbVhU5toG6rPyKX2i_HTPD2xPqTxX8AVWTkbYkW_VxWCAQKIiJDRMG8nvnHr6-E/s320/017.JPG" width="207" border="0" /></a>Wood, we have seen all the films on at the multiplex and the clubs are rubbish, we are putting together a team for the pub quiz and Chris has joined the local gym. (that is called irony). Actually so far we don’t seem to find we have time on our hands, we are at work by 8pm, lunch break from 11am to 2pm which usually involves a trip to the market and a little sleep, back to work until 5pm then home to cook tea, play a game of cards or watch the telly and in bed by 9pm. In fact it is very like living in Bricket Wood. But the difference is that this is Cambodia and that is very very different!<br /><br />The weather here is perfect. It seems to have stopped raining at last and turned cooler. We have had to buy a blanket because the cold was keeping us awake. The day time temperature is about 25 degrees which means it is possible to sit out on the balcony in the late afternoon and soak up the rays without being burnt to a frazzle or dissolved into a sticky puddle. It is weird to think of you all preparing for Christmas in grey old England, although we try not to think of the whole Christmas thing much at all. It is too hard to contemplate everyone and everything we are missing, that way leads madness. So a group of us are thinking of going to the beach in Thailand for Christmas to distract us from our sorrows. Maybe the next blog will be sent from an island paradise or perhaps not. ( A few days later ….. We have just trimmed up the Christmas tree while listening to Carols from Kings College, pity we are out of Advocat snowballs. We have been invited to the British Embassy in PP on Sunday for a carol concert and mince pies, us ex-pat, nah.)<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDF5FOHcHh8v5g_N0kCWtNvB5v3RqyicWT7wI34UtwuXXXKJBRB5QV3UNhEXdXwM3ys0OeYSFF54E3yNDT2pplfJATa04mCZovc573T2flcrWuxVfwt30xE6ixch8z_YFWHB3k-PL2Lso/s1600-h/048.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5141136076826473746" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 217px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 131px" height="117" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDF5FOHcHh8v5g_N0kCWtNvB5v3RqyicWT7wI34UtwuXXXKJBRB5QV3UNhEXdXwM3ys0OeYSFF54E3yNDT2pplfJATa04mCZovc573T2flcrWuxVfwt30xE6ixch8z_YFWHB3k-PL2Lso/s320/048.JPG" width="209" border="0" /></a><br />Yesterday, Saturday, we went to the garden centre (!) to buy palms for the balcony. On our return the landlady donated us enough potted plants to fill the hothouse at Kew. Chris now has her garden, as you all knew she would. NB. The nasturtiums are growing at a terrifying speed, but haven’t risked planting the giant sunflowers yet, the story of Jack and the Beanstalk springs to mind.<br /><br />A weird episode. Next door to us is a very big wooden house inhabited by a very large extended family. It was there when we went to work but when we got home it had gone! They had dismantled it and are now all living in a shoe box in the garden while they await the builders to come and build them a new home. Apparently the roof was leaking, but that does seem rather a drastic solution.<br /><br />The highlight of the day is cooking the evening meal. We are gradually getting more adventurous with our shopping as we start to identify what is for sale in the market. There is a huge supply of fresh, organic fruit and veg as well as fish and shellfish imported from Thailand. The Thai cookery books are proving invaluable and we have produced some culinary masterpieces. Tonight we are planning swordfish steaks cooked in ginger and lemon grass, with aubergine in a light chilli sauce as a side dish. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNl6PCuZztqgI-Gk7DlUMPwti85EfzUsBd3fsMVqI5YHxZz0EPDzr-xO8mR5CgKbBKeZhNbOI5q6rh_y4SLXlcwp0ChZwRh1_CZqOQG_DOSsU6fBLF8KsoLsMymNcQ_UHIaLzyctazwVA/s1600-h/007+(3).JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5141133667349820610" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 216px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 134px" height="134" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNl6PCuZztqgI-Gk7DlUMPwti85EfzUsBd3fsMVqI5YHxZz0EPDzr-xO8mR5CgKbBKeZhNbOI5q6rh_y4SLXlcwp0ChZwRh1_CZqOQG_DOSsU6fBLF8KsoLsMymNcQ_UHIaLzyctazwVA/s320/007+(3).JPG" width="233" border="0" /></a><br />The meat situation is a little less straight forward, as it not always possible to identify the animal you are being offered, let alone what cut it is. We have not yet braved buying chicken as this involves selecting a live bird and having it killed, plucked and disembowelled in front of you. This healthy eating has resulted in us both loosing weight although some might say it is due to the reduction of our daily alcohol consumption, but whatever it is we are feeling better for it.<br /><br />Being as it has been nearly six months since she had a haircut Chris decided that a trip to the hairdressers could no longer be put off. So we asked Sophen’s wife Sophala to recommend a good local salon. Consequently this morning found her sitting nervously in the chair surrounded by a crowd of intrigued onlookers while the stylist tackled her hair with a razor. The result was surprisingly good, although now most of the colour has been cut out she resembles her Mum more than ever. The whole restyle cost about 45p is about 100 times cheaper than Tony and Guy. (Rosemary- please don’t tell Padraig).<br /><br />The landlord has now installed cable TV, but unfortunately most of the channels are in Khmer, so we called in the TV man. It transpires that the set top box is in the cable company’s office in the village and the <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV8EbEOR6_mM0Pxy6gQQE666if5-UeVKu46EBjzZCDG1hZOLIdTpYhxJJx9lcLA100g_2ZIRip5AfAOqbTIVg75jPihCu65CxKFQC4HMoceeZnPyC4fqZ4XdJR-mn8CC961DkbhUZM8Xc/s1600-h/022.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5141136072531506434" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" height="135" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV8EbEOR6_mM0Pxy6gQQE666if5-UeVKu46EBjzZCDG1hZOLIdTpYhxJJx9lcLA100g_2ZIRip5AfAOqbTIVg75jPihCu65CxKFQC4HMoceeZnPyC4fqZ4XdJR-mn8CC961DkbhUZM8Xc/s320/022.JPG" width="211" border="0" /></a>programmes that are transmitted are at the whim of the bloke on duty. So on Sunday we get wall to wall sport, Jon is currently watching Aston Villa v Arsenal, most of the rest of the week we get large Australian babes doing aerobics in the mornings and CNN in the evenings, we also get Star Movies which occasionally shows an oldie but goodie, (Star Wars was on last Sunday) but usually churns out low budget teen movies. The bizarre thing was that the TV man says if we don’t like what is on we should phone him up and he will change what each channel is showing. This is OK for us but it could really piss off the rest of the village when they are all happily watching the grand final of Cambodian X Factor and it suddenly gets changed to an old Jerry Lewis movie on HBO.<br /><br />The one (?) downside of installing cable to our house is that the landlord has now got a TV as well, this means that from 5.30 each morning we get Karaoke music being broadcast at full volume. The voice of John Humphries on the Today programme is a far gentler way to be woken up. Cambodia is not a quiet country. The days kicks off with the monks chanting prayers via loudspeakers from the wat over the road, then the cockerels join in accompanied by the continuous barking of dogs, the wailing of children and the chugging of trucks on the road outside. Plus Khmers do not speak to each other, they shout, all the time. The family next door sound like they have stepped out a particularly gruelling episode of Eastenders when all they are doing is discussing what they want for tea. But gradually we are getting used to it and manage a good 8 hours sleep, (unheard of in England- Chris.)<br /><br />It might seem from the above that are on some strange reality TV “I’m a volunteer get me out of here” holiday. We are also working quite hard. We go to the office every day although because sometimes no one else has turned up to unlock the doors we have to go home again. We have been concentrating on networking the local area, and “pressing the flesh” with the local big wigs such as the Commune chief and the District Governor, because without their OK we will get nothing constructive done here. Our short-term intention is to focus on the 5 nearest primary schools and following a needs analysis and baseline study we will review and implement our plans accordingly (you can tell we have been on inset courses can’t you). We had a meeting with the 5 headmasters involved and they seemed thrilled to bits, all nodding and smiles, but this means nothing here as the Khmers hate to cause upset or offence and will agree to anything even though they have absolutely no intention of carrying it out. We shall see. We have a big meeting with the provincial education bosses in Battambang on Friday and they might veto our whole plan anyway. ( NB the meeting got cancelled at the last minute, but that’s Cambodia for you.) <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisELqPOythJcXhmnvOKHKgIuQeXXjcDkNFOcr1jKE5a9Gxkkfcn8GUO7Sik9jyf3pazrJ5lUOmqefnhVXbsMKJRZ2OA-EuuaTdHbT2fS5F_6DQJwdjy1tVzzPQWX6WHU1is3AQ6XZ7AK4/s1600-h/Road+to+Samg+Ki+2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5141136076826473762" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 165px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 108px" height="132" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisELqPOythJcXhmnvOKHKgIuQeXXjcDkNFOcr1jKE5a9Gxkkfcn8GUO7Sik9jyf3pazrJ5lUOmqefnhVXbsMKJRZ2OA-EuuaTdHbT2fS5F_6DQJwdjy1tVzzPQWX6WHU1is3AQ6XZ7AK4/s320/Road+to+Samg+Ki+2.jpg" width="182" border="0" /></a></div><div> </div><div>This is a picture that Jon took on his way to visit Samer Ki Primary School on Wednesday (mobile phone camera - sorry about the quality). Yes this is the road! and yes he did make it to the school.</div><div><br />So this is a snap shot of our life so far here in the Wild West. As you can tell we are currently very content but that might all change. How many times can Jon beat Chris at Canasta before she takes the machete to him? But before that happens we are wallowing in the pleasure of learning how to relax, enjoying the sensation of reading a book, sitting in the sun or just looking at the view of the sunset without the guilt of knowing there is a pile of marking to be done. We will enjoy it while it lasts.</div><div> </div><div>If we don''t get a chance to write another episode before we'd like to wish you all a very Happy Christmas and a safe and healthy New Year. We hope you will all raise a glass (we certainly will) and think of use at some time.</div></div></div>Chris and Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11257625119754392619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3399322014075514078.post-37180671788213655852007-11-24T10:19:00.000+07:002008-12-12T02:34:37.824+07:00<div><div><div><div><br />This blog is going to be brief because it has already been written once in draft form and that disappeared when Chris’s bag was snatched from her grasp by a youff on a moto while she was in a tuk tuk in PP. The bag not only contained her phone, camera, I-pod and one hundred dollars but more frustratingly her family photos, address book and reading glasses. We had been back in PP for a 3 day conference of all the VSO education volunteers which was to culminate with the Water Festival holiday. This is a huge annual celebration of the end of the rainy season when the Tonle Sap river changes direction and starts to flow back towards the Meekong. It is marked by Dragon boat races in which all the champion boats from throughout the country compete. It is quite a spectacle however as over 3million people flock to the riverside to watch the city becomes even more frenetic than usual. The prospect of having to deal with these crowds together with the trauma of the theft meant we decided to give the festivities a miss this year and instead return to the safety of our little house in the country and spend the holiday watching a good film on the telly, (are we getting old). Also CNN weather was predicting that we would be in the shadow of a cyclone that is supposed to be hitting Vietnam this weekend and we want to get home before it rains.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoBbG8ZaW8Hz62syWh9A7UDHpUpgRS9rP-eV_u2EbZYqQ1AcWpycvJnvXUBu3gb8VNCrrfANXFslfzWD7eZU75Rks9CN7L2bvbRpttC6SoZzr743NJgUTYsOaCt2mK0UILjHfLZ9dMFcA/s1600-h/barn.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5136247478180182802" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 197px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 133px" height="163" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoBbG8ZaW8Hz62syWh9A7UDHpUpgRS9rP-eV_u2EbZYqQ1AcWpycvJnvXUBu3gb8VNCrrfANXFslfzWD7eZU75Rks9CN7L2bvbRpttC6SoZzr743NJgUTYsOaCt2mK0UILjHfLZ9dMFcA/s320/barn.jpg" width="225" border="0" /></a><br />Rain is really a big deal here and it can control your life. While we are in Phnom Preuk we have been visiting schools with are lovely assistants Sophea and Sophen who are both in their mid to late twenties and are respectively a head and a deputy head of local schools. We have seen schools that vary from clean well maintained institutions where the pupils are bright and well taught by highly motivated staff to those which are literally no more than <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrJ6HJ8hhJeqzmd6uhSebLxqA_B0osaW7zphfAl0aOglMfqP0V8Y2DWAocd_0Dl11Mun1AxkIgZGRUXqMLM5A8DNYrpTEQVweHmeVqX5Zr9EYWWlxmZBhoRyeQA-IEKrQ8bU7tOM2j0Jc/s1600-h/049.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5136243982076803842" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 197px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 129px" height="151" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrJ6HJ8hhJeqzmd6uhSebLxqA_B0osaW7zphfAl0aOglMfqP0V8Y2DWAocd_0Dl11Mun1AxkIgZGRUXqMLM5A8DNYrpTEQVweHmeVqX5Zr9EYWWlxmZBhoRyeQA-IEKrQ8bU7tOM2j0Jc/s320/049.JPG" width="214" border="0" /></a>cow sheds where often the staff do not turn up leaving classes of 50 6 year olds unsupervised and un taught all day. We travel about the district on motos, this has proved interesting. Sophea had been complaining that in the wet season he could only get to his school by walking the last 2 kms because the road was too bad. We thought he was exaggerating until we went there. The road had been churned up by tractors so we had to negotiate ruts over a metre deep (see photo). <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjlEk86HPaOz6OXDcXqq0jZ49Da3MhAaXFTX-Pb3bc4FGD-ho19ZQvV0xQcmCcrgIxxD03GezUOPH2HVCBckb3jA6tGLr7UFeodSg95j03Q2aYY6pObbjzmJ5nPGs4BUr6GT6dUhkkx0I/s1600-h/road.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5136248341468609362" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 196px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 124px" height="97" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjlEk86HPaOz6OXDcXqq0jZ49Da3MhAaXFTX-Pb3bc4FGD-ho19ZQvV0xQcmCcrgIxxD03GezUOPH2HVCBckb3jA6tGLr7UFeodSg95j03Q2aYY6pObbjzmJ5nPGs4BUr6GT6dUhkkx0I/s320/road.jpg" width="175" border="0" /></a><br />The following day we visited our neighbouring district about 40km away. The trip should have taken about an hour but then it rained. The road turned into a slippery morass which could only be passed at a walking pace, picking your way around water filled pot holes. The journey took 2 and a half hours and Jon says its like coming down a black mogul run at Chomossier. (a skiing reference). Chris, true to form refused point blank to ride her moto and instead went pillion behind Sophen, hanging on like grim death. We arrived for <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJtSmT832taUGivD2J5L1VERtGEfNCn4ODJbBFeLdfNXKTkfRbNT-NRITJgL-d3OjR71nswOTMF5FEHqlSKf6r4frLizgq8kcoFbaJOg_x6qoz8lGNy7gI03AT5aKCI1oT7dlaCcab6T0/s1600-h/group.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5136248332878674738" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" height="145" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJtSmT832taUGivD2J5L1VERtGEfNCn4ODJbBFeLdfNXKTkfRbNT-NRITJgL-d3OjR71nswOTMF5FEHqlSKf6r4frLizgq8kcoFbaJOg_x6qoz8lGNy7gI03AT5aKCI1oT7dlaCcab6T0/s320/group.jpg" width="198" border="0" /></a>the appointment with the district director of education covered in mud and had to sluice ourselves down with water from the village cistern before we were in any state to meet him. Apparently the correct dress form for travelling around here is to roll your trousers up to your knees and wear flip flops.<br />Photo: Sophen is on Chris' far right and Sophea is between them.</div><div><br />It is wedding season. This is because everyone has more money as they have sold the harvest and it has stopped raining (!).Weddings <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJO1dtZuJvofyaXtwXbAajdtrGmLUIw46TIKp1dgQ_-WiSJW6FN_BpNFXaCPjhquaf0rFmCIvyqHA2mF0dxB1mwIs3ILzJPNkQkHlHJlBPAIKM0XQfh13c11l1RXl_0bVcx_42B7LYJqY/s1600-h/jon.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5136248337173642050" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" height="172" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJO1dtZuJvofyaXtwXbAajdtrGmLUIw46TIKp1dgQ_-WiSJW6FN_BpNFXaCPjhquaf0rFmCIvyqHA2mF0dxB1mwIs3ILzJPNkQkHlHJlBPAIKM0XQfh13c11l1RXl_0bVcx_42B7LYJqY/s320/jon.jpg" width="141" border="0" /></a>are huge 2 day affairs, families hire big brightly coloured marquees and set them up in the road outside the house if they have no land. They also set up sound systems with banks of speakers, that wouldn’t look out of place in Wembley Arena, through which they blast Cambodian pop music for 2 days starting at 5am until about 11pm. Everyone dresses up to the nines with the bride having at least 10 different dresses. The young women look like Barbie princesses immaculately made up and coiffured wearing tightly fitted florescent pink or lime green long dresses which are decorated in lace, sequins and frills. (unfortunately the photos are in the stolen camera). We were deeply honoured to be invited to 2 weddings last week. Sophea is marrying his childhood sweetheart and the landlords daughter is also <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJyqbjCcfu7C-SqqokGS6Pq0yBPPQrK6u2nvW0-dKlWJ5H5C8MqGKaSkM3dk1PeXhyphenhyphenjMIBIVE0nHr3sqKCTGdyegXjBpXklbVQUSNpqoVAFQ1L9XY5ppm3p2fjgVLfyJHa5MVpcw26rvc/s1600-h/family.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5136248328583707426" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" height="123" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJyqbjCcfu7C-SqqokGS6Pq0yBPPQrK6u2nvW0-dKlWJ5H5C8MqGKaSkM3dk1PeXhyphenhyphenjMIBIVE0nHr3sqKCTGdyegXjBpXklbVQUSNpqoVAFQ1L9XY5ppm3p2fjgVLfyJHa5MVpcw26rvc/s320/family.jpg" width="191" border="0" /></a>getting married. They were both going to be huge affairs with over 600 guests but much to our disappointment we had to go the meeting in PP instead. Although on second thoughts the non-stop music from next door could have got a bit wearing after a while. <br />Photo: The family; r-l Touch, Mum, Oeurn and Granny.</div><div><br />We are getting on very well with our neighbours and have taken to sitting on the bench outside the house of an evening watching the <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIECGSq5mQpaFZDG8fJeCtzSuiyelkeL3szqu3aS7En3ssm6RKAxyWjJJPmaX7zhUhmuZFSk8I9nWruSyvMc7kcySxRdA8FiGpGoQHb8K-wAeyIVI1GuRvhOH9h64NY8V_ajcyJRQXr74/s1600-h/touch.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5136249217641937778" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" height="155" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIECGSq5mQpaFZDG8fJeCtzSuiyelkeL3szqu3aS7En3ssm6RKAxyWjJJPmaX7zhUhmuZFSk8I9nWruSyvMc7kcySxRdA8FiGpGoQHb8K-wAeyIVI1GuRvhOH9h64NY8V_ajcyJRQXr74/s320/touch.jpg" width="114" border="0" /></a>world go by in companionable silence. Our cleaner / concierge Touche became a grandmother for the first time on the same day that Chris became an Auntie to Jessica Rose. We shared the excitement of the birth of our new family members and unable to spoil the baby in Brighton we bought a hat, mitts and booties for the little Cambodian boy as proxy. Just a thought, as they grow up, how will the lives of these 2 new citizens of the world differ? <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpuFBaUcWMIsNb6IISUIWnDZyLzeDGtNzCWeeiV5uN8rMIR6tSgIpezGIAH-PsraMhRGTH5UDDyOllAA4nUxZxO89-J1HffBSFq8WLUpaKh6qO6oYjlxSPn2FTWWj5YVlVJwshOYTvQHM/s1600-h/sunset.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5136248341468609378" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" height="131" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpuFBaUcWMIsNb6IISUIWnDZyLzeDGtNzCWeeiV5uN8rMIR6tSgIpezGIAH-PsraMhRGTH5UDDyOllAA4nUxZxO89-J1HffBSFq8WLUpaKh6qO6oYjlxSPn2FTWWj5YVlVJwshOYTvQHM/s320/sunset.jpg" width="181" border="0" /></a></div><div> </div><div>Photo: Touch and Chris.</div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpuFBaUcWMIsNb6IISUIWnDZyLzeDGtNzCWeeiV5uN8rMIR6tSgIpezGIAH-PsraMhRGTH5UDDyOllAA4nUxZxO89-J1HffBSFq8WLUpaKh6qO6oYjlxSPn2FTWWj5YVlVJwshOYTvQHM/s1600-h/sunset.jpg"></a> </div><div>Photo: Goodnight from Cambodia.</div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpuFBaUcWMIsNb6IISUIWnDZyLzeDGtNzCWeeiV5uN8rMIR6tSgIpezGIAH-PsraMhRGTH5UDDyOllAA4nUxZxO89-J1HffBSFq8WLUpaKh6qO6oYjlxSPn2FTWWj5YVlVJwshOYTvQHM/s1600-h/sunset.jpg"></a> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div></div></div></div>Chris and Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11257625119754392619noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3399322014075514078.post-49108699816243401482007-11-09T15:44:00.000+07:002008-12-12T02:34:39.108+07:00Hello from Cambodia 6So here we are in a new house, in a new job, in a new town, in a new country, in a new continent all of which are very, very, very different. The journey from Phnom Penh (PP) to Phnom Preuk (PPk) with an overnight stop at Battambang (BB) took two days. We travelled on from BB in a battered right hand drive truck which was very scary when overtaking a massive lorry on a bend! All our worldly possessions including 2 motorbikes, 2 bicycles, 2 comfy chairs and 2 <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigfcdDbEjSS0Nfv6DsE__JpinHVCp20AYvRLclMsYuv-4FAWhdn6Dl7RtZoGz8sf9GJ1VGdr-VZAiN7P_7CWmLpiXtL4vlxr25rYfqygusGPO4Rwp1-LM57J2QUwrfcIacJUxnKa9F7UI/s1600-h/064a.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5130767842868265954" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigfcdDbEjSS0Nfv6DsE__JpinHVCp20AYvRLclMsYuv-4FAWhdn6Dl7RtZoGz8sf9GJ1VGdr-VZAiN7P_7CWmLpiXtL4vlxr25rYfqygusGPO4Rwp1-LM57J2QUwrfcIacJUxnKa9F7UI/s320/064a.JPG" border="0" /></a>bookcases were all tied to the back and a young lad perched on the top of the pile, in fact for most of the way he sat on the saddle of one of the motos. The trip took 6 hours non-stop on appalling roads but the truck only broke down once and unusually we were only stopped once by the police so they could claim a “fine”. When we arrived we were delighted with the house as the landlord had almost completed all the promised renovations eg installing a staircase and electric ceiling fans. However Jon despairs of the finishing eg plaster splashed all over the walls and ineffectual grouting (most of which is on the tiles rather than between them). Unfortunately not all of the works have proved successful eg the plumbing in the upstairs shower room was suspect resulting in water pouring through the kitchen ceiling. They decided to dig up the tiled floor to investigate (this is after Jon spent 4 hours on his hands and knees with wire wool tidying up the grouting). Work is still ongoing as we write 3 days later.<br /><br />Also our water is supposed to be pumped from a well in the garden into a tank on the roof but this keeps on running dry, probably cos the water’s running through the kitchen ceiling. This proved a little inconvenient when three fellow volunteers came to stay last weekend and we had no shower or toilet facilities, but we’re sure these little hiccups will soon be sorted out.<br /><br />The dry season officially starts on November 1st and sure enough its not rained since. Also the temperature has dropped so it is quite pleasantly fresh and we are not constantly bathed in a pool of sweat. We now have to cover ourselves with a sheet at night and the cold shower in the morning has now become a feat of endurance rather than a welcome release. The Cambodians, however, are traumatised by the temperature change and the early morning finds them huddled in puffa jackets, gloves and woolly hats, its about 20ºC! The lack of rain means that the dust is building up. We didn’t realise when we viewed our new house that what we thought was a little used back lane is in fact the main road to Thailand and consequently heavy tru<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguED-9X1E-_C6zE5cM9e3GdlQcdJ2gvnqjDYyUJygCVUuNY-vNfmhMAybkoAKCWT7Sj8rMRI_DPeibWLeBE1wJWX4QHeBX0ImcBD3O1weY9vggFzuyyJdznw2HFp59Eiinp15411CBFx0/s1600-h/008a.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5130766730471736242" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguED-9X1E-_C6zE5cM9e3GdlQcdJ2gvnqjDYyUJygCVUuNY-vNfmhMAybkoAKCWT7Sj8rMRI_DPeibWLeBE1wJWX4QHeBX0ImcBD3O1weY9vggFzuyyJdznw2HFp59Eiinp15411CBFx0/s320/008a.JPG" border="0" /></a>cks laden with agricultural produce trundle passed the door throughout the day. The situation is exacerbated by the fact that opposite us is the main repository for the Cambodian soya bean harvest and day and night trucks are loading and unloading giant sacks containing every bean in the country. The ensuing dust cloud settles on every surface against which the lovely Touch, our , armed with her twig brush wages a constant battle. She also hand washes our clothes which turn a sandy brown after every moto excursion, life would be very uncomfortable without her.<br /><br />The landlord and his family live next door and are very friendly and welcoming, perhaps a little too friendly and welcoming because if we leave the door unlocked they are constantly popping in for a chat. The first few days there was a continuous flow of cheerful neighbours doing a grand tour of our house regardless of whether they had been invited or not. This s<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3G05EoEmj4KfYIVlhwY6sIWDSreyHJRBnjdDTqZmdgJODQgXx6O9WUB-Dqq6OLMVe2zXzZid7CXBM-vDkyj07duONpA6kXEkOc9cjO2PdE5xxxv0EZ9JOZN7Uaby1UYd1KfO8kEdo3zw/s1600-h/080a.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5130767847163233282" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" height="180" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3G05EoEmj4KfYIVlhwY6sIWDSreyHJRBnjdDTqZmdgJODQgXx6O9WUB-Dqq6OLMVe2zXzZid7CXBM-vDkyj07duONpA6kXEkOc9cjO2PdE5xxxv0EZ9JOZN7Uaby1UYd1KfO8kEdo3zw/s320/080a.JPG" width="232" border="0" /></a>eems to have calmed down now that the novelty has worn off but it is still not unusual to be relaxing with a beer on the balcony in the evening and be startled by the appearance of a friendly Khmer who has let them selves in and up the stairs without knocking. Privacy appears to be an alien concept here. We’re not sure how many people, dogs and chickens of all size and ages live next door but they all greet us with a cheery smile. The only unwelcome visitor so far is the spider who lives under the fridge (see photo). It made a visit to the kitchen at night terrifying until Jon very bravely evicted her (I hope she doesn’t come back with her even bigger mates).<br /><br />We have decided to cook for ourselves as we need something to pass the time on these “long winter nights” and it also gives the excuse for the daily trip to the market. As most people here have never seen a Barrang before our first visit was met with huge interest. We were followed about to the sound of oohs, ahhs and giggles, they seem to find Jon hugely amusing. We are now getting the hang of what’s for sale basically fresh veg, eggs, pork, chicken, various unidentified types of fish and bizarrely tins of Princes pilchards in tomato sauce. After a week the culinary imagination has just about dried up so its tomato omelette for lunch and vegetable and rice for<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2Q9MDc3GNtDIsQIPcf5SQ2lo_iJZdpg60XrnT9sCSgS3w0_Euh0WfGME2rTmr7PMVJWOSUREssdItq9OlBuKhyphenhyphen5LCyeEasjxJqQv6t22FzQ5J4cpklYBzrvkG9aHDNVJgoPCMsBYJyxY/s1600-h/007a.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5130766223665595298" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 241px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" height="141" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2Q9MDc3GNtDIsQIPcf5SQ2lo_iJZdpg60XrnT9sCSgS3w0_Euh0WfGME2rTmr7PMVJWOSUREssdItq9OlBuKhyphenhyphen5LCyeEasjxJqQv6t22FzQ5J4cpklYBzrvkG9aHDNVJgoPCMsBYJyxY/s320/007a.JPG" width="202" border="0" /></a> dinner again! Actually its not that bad and we did produce a very successful dinner party for five last weekend using only two gas rings and a wok.<br /> The District Office.<br />We’re beginning to settle into a routine at work now. We have been given a room in the district education office which, despite the lack of glass, the piles of chicken pooh and clouds of mosquitoes we are making quite homely. On Monday we held interviews for our assistants (translators). <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq6PdmdeP21lB3FkZdwi_S6eC1732qCiyfzK98JOHL0ce0mH2bAP6tcxQHKJKn28RPBjWzAWiFEm_Vov0ZjnA6XSNcwHufnXdyd4fwjA5ZvIHcGETIhTeRbg_KOsxN87a7e00kOFUNPsU/s1600-h/001.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5130761851388887922" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 244px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 161px" height="144" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq6PdmdeP21lB3FkZdwi_S6eC1732qCiyfzK98JOHL0ce0mH2bAP6tcxQHKJKn28RPBjWzAWiFEm_Vov0ZjnA6XSNcwHufnXdyd4fwjA5ZvIHcGETIhTeRbg_KOsxN87a7e00kOFUNPsU/s320/001.JPG" width="232" border="0" /></a>There were ten applicants and the interviews took place at our house because it’s bigger than the district education office (DOE)! At times the proceeding descended into farce especially when half way through the plumber decided to dig up the bathroom floor with an electric drill. The range of ability of the candidates varied from the young man who’s stammered reply to the first question was “I can not speak English” to the two amazing lads who we have appointed. Sophea and Sophen are both teachers and speak excellent English, you will hear a lot more about this dynamic duo in <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTO_ownivjbIHyznf5ECYo4sRV1Z4ZMWk9q_v-_gqHyth4t7u4Ia-KkAZje8MKiQvJL4Ro7dE0vX6ESOZL39tZdMMw7zz6pYwXiFjbcqDUGqYrS_7OMCOWKEjvYaNhCSylJxD3HAeJZuc/s1600-h/069a.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5130767847163233266" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" height="177" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTO_ownivjbIHyznf5ECYo4sRV1Z4ZMWk9q_v-_gqHyth4t7u4Ia-KkAZje8MKiQvJL4Ro7dE0vX6ESOZL39tZdMMw7zz6pYwXiFjbcqDUGqYrS_7OMCOWKEjvYaNhCSylJxD3HAeJZuc/s320/069a.JPG" width="239" border="0" /></a>the future.<br /><br />We have spent our mornings visiting the local schools, which usually involves a death defying moto ride. The schools vary from two roomed huts that flood in the rainy season to quite efficient, clean and tidy well run institutions (there is in fact one school in the district which has no building at all but we haven’t been able to visit that, for obvious reasons). There is so much to say about the Cambodian education system but we will leave that for later blogs, but here are a couple of observations so far: <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGgIPdxdeXpt_y-fSrmIlwTnQWtvfD9l_2MKBVjj61dh8KczxpJmSNOF0HglKVw_UmjFLvo28ig5Bpg9Fa7t5ZQS8J0hEeT22jrr1N4goyJRUaXGn9aPtH_62L0kHd7Ik0tJqY4AQ3g5M/s1600-h/011a.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5130767391896699842" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" height="173" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGgIPdxdeXpt_y-fSrmIlwTnQWtvfD9l_2MKBVjj61dh8KczxpJmSNOF0HglKVw_UmjFLvo28ig5Bpg9Fa7t5ZQS8J0hEeT22jrr1N4goyJRUaXGn9aPtH_62L0kHd7Ik0tJqY4AQ3g5M/s320/011a.JPG" width="245" border="0" /></a><br />Children as young as six are unable to walk the five kilometres to school because they have no shoes ie flip flops.<br />In the hot season some schools can not afford to buy clean water so the kids are forced to drink polluted well water, they get sick so their parents do not let them come to school again.<br />How on earth can we begin to do anything constructive to improve the standard of Cambodian education when faced with basic problems like these?<br /><br />However we have not given up hope yet, we’ve seen some excellent teaching, often against all the odds, and we’ve only been in the job a week. <div><div><div><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2A_32uTNkX-q9o-lniW4iko3y0uaoFHLn2avx4wE1UnyQlxtjxp4to2ObKoTmTyoRSP-eQzk-A5T1F8rwbNepSON1BCxuPi4A1FxQDAVefjnx6oING8CgwauGLF-Vcjvve4k1yfP2rRQ/s1600-h/015a.JPG"></a> </div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2A_32uTNkX-q9o-lniW4iko3y0uaoFHLn2avx4wE1UnyQlxtjxp4to2ObKoTmTyoRSP-eQzk-A5T1F8rwbNepSON1BCxuPi4A1FxQDAVefjnx6oING8CgwauGLF-Vcjvve4k1yfP2rRQ/s1600-h/015a.JPG"></a> </div><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbiiLCzDySHaV3Y-6yp5KJ-5w9HxdSNhZ6OZqqKvvbx3WDtK06XMNdHHoOft2fN10SUucmG1HR5ilA4L86IA0bBPZsnFhHl6aPBNfmWWYUHZ78NqlpbdAaaSrnKMgWJpOhy_1MP9Ktkbs/s1600-h/081a.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5130767851458200594" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 230px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 171px" height="163" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbiiLCzDySHaV3Y-6yp5KJ-5w9HxdSNhZ6OZqqKvvbx3WDtK06XMNdHHoOft2fN10SUucmG1HR5ilA4L86IA0bBPZsnFhHl6aPBNfmWWYUHZ78NqlpbdAaaSrnKMgWJpOhy_1MP9Ktkbs/s320/081a.JPG" width="226" border="0" /></a> <div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2A_32uTNkX-q9o-lniW4iko3y0uaoFHLn2avx4wE1UnyQlxtjxp4to2ObKoTmTyoRSP-eQzk-A5T1F8rwbNepSON1BCxuPi4A1FxQDAVefjnx6oING8CgwauGLF-Vcjvve4k1yfP2rRQ/s1600-h/015a.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5130767842868265938" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 212px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 172px" height="182" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2A_32uTNkX-q9o-lniW4iko3y0uaoFHLn2avx4wE1UnyQlxtjxp4to2ObKoTmTyoRSP-eQzk-A5T1F8rwbNepSON1BCxuPi4A1FxQDAVefjnx6oING8CgwauGLF-Vcjvve4k1yfP2rRQ/s320/015a.JPG" width="239" border="0" /></a>Sam Rong (left) and O Ta Sok Primary Schools. O Ta Sok has 2 classrooms divided by a wooden wall, when one class is doing spoken work the other has to be silent. There are often 40 kids in each room and when it rains the tin roof means nobody hears anything.</div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Chris and Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11257625119754392619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3399322014075514078.post-11477323671616539692007-10-19T13:56:00.001+07:002008-12-12T02:34:39.961+07:00<div><div><div><div><br /><div>So we are still on the In Country Training in Kampong Cham and wishing it would end so we can get on with actually doing something constructive. The Khmer lessons continue every morning although the level of proficiency does not seem to be increasing accordingly. We now know useful things like that the word for pink “por pka chhook” is the same as that for lotus flower and shower head. The word for tri-mester is the same as gold fish! The potential for making some very big blunders with the language is huge but as yet we have not got further than “2 bottles of beer and a plate of chips please.”<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsNElJDfa232GzqJKs8eM0YsMm78d5z3P_hGZyzBw5arHTt1car_hEl90jA1sEyF2uhGdzvhSo4OlrVcjMyv0JedtuXGqXVcaAG0qp67PCp9wpONzGu6j4aWv2QEr1P5fSoZIWs2kEHZw/s1600-h/monks.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5122941803797394466" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" height="182" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsNElJDfa232GzqJKs8eM0YsMm78d5z3P_hGZyzBw5arHTt1car_hEl90jA1sEyF2uhGdzvhSo4OlrVcjMyv0JedtuXGqXVcaAG0qp67PCp9wpONzGu6j4aWv2QEr1P5fSoZIWs2kEHZw/s320/monks.JPG" width="282" border="0" /></a><br />Last week was one of the many, many religious holidays. This one was in honour of the ancestors, an extended “day of the dead” when everyone returns to their family village – a bit like Christmas without the Queen on the tele. The tradition is to visit the pagoda (wat) and make offerings of food or money to the monks. About 95% of the population is Buddhist and the golden roofs of the Wats dominate the landscape. Many of them are quite spectacular considering that most were damaged or destroyed during the Pol Pot era. The shaven headed, saffron robed monks are deeply respected although its difficult to show deep reverence to a very attractive young man hammering along on the back of a moto, smoking a ciggie and chatting on his mobile phone.<br /><br />A surreal Cambodian moment occurred during a visit to a local Wat. A very frail and elderly monk is lying sleeping on the floor while a large monkey was gently and lovingly grooming him. When Maraid stepped forward to take their photo the monkey went ape(?) lunging at her and screaming with bared teeth. Perhaps the reaction to this insensitive intrusion into an intimate ritual was justified but it also rather disturbingly resembled a moment from “The Omen”.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrB1V_DiPf4HB7qWf5_5UqYt_a7on1iGqq5KjYmtH_H-gP9oklhc9wVYy7hqPoMDQZgZ8TB6G3XsdoKevbSEdlkYuUdvnI72OdVydV0LU_M5Nw_gFA_UUdBDG2CAvDNJ_58FnMBnbxJm4/s1600-h/dolphins.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5122941799502427154" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrB1V_DiPf4HB7qWf5_5UqYt_a7on1iGqq5KjYmtH_H-gP9oklhc9wVYy7hqPoMDQZgZ8TB6G3XsdoKevbSEdlkYuUdvnI72OdVydV0LU_M5Nw_gFA_UUdBDG2CAvDNJ_58FnMBnbxJm4/s320/dolphins.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />Taking advantage of the holiday we went on a little trip to Krattie to see the famous, freshwater, Irrawaddy dolphins. We took a long tailed boat out on to the river and the dolphins obliged us by putting on a show. We tracked them for an hour or so until the magic was complete when they broke the surface against the backdrop of a beautiful Mekong sunset.<br /></div><br /><br /><div><br />There was a little bit of drama on Sunday when some of us went out for a bicycle trip into <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5122941576164127746" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" height="258" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiieEd-vwbFbLbYyKa6kwvH9IKcUDksqdDfst0eiTi8yDYp5lsSF-xzlhlNIBU_gb2InzH9ZLE1UiGJfx9FuhNvLMqdZf97zVk_i8YU8WQEIB9l6EKqyfL3MkwLEr_tZh7ttIFCxmpwf3Y/s320/cycling.JPG" width="156" border="0" />the</div><div>country to visit The Man Mountain and The Woman Mountain. As Jean is a cycle phobic Jon took her as a pillion passenger on one of the motos. As we pootled down a country lane three lads on a moto cruised past and lifted 800 quids worth of camera out of his front basket. Outraged, Jon chucked Jean off the back and set off in hot pursuit of the little buggers. The rest of us puffed and pedalled along behind occasionally coming across huddles of excited villagers who pointed and said “they went that’a’way”. In high dudgeon Jon chased them down the muddy lanes for about 20 minutes yelling Anglo-Saxon abuse and threatening castration when he caught them (whether they understood all of this clearly is in question). Eventually, having the advantage of one against three on the bikes, he started to gain on them. Faced by the prospect of a big, bearded, roaring red-faced Barrang (Khmer for foreigner) they ditched the camera. As he victoriously drove back through the villages triumphantly waving the camera he was greeted by clapping and cheers. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBSrGTenXJgmy9RzIDAe-Ne2R80YxrMCr3V94YG86-bDM6ival3o2a-Mw9wmhtrheiFVYbs-QGXi0BonSvlfW6DibFVOaIHxF9FOTPGw4lvjGT4-4G0N67P4s8KYyQkEHZMaRddPcjkCU/s1600-h/green.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5122943281266144322" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 241px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 187px" height="210" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBSrGTenXJgmy9RzIDAe-Ne2R80YxrMCr3V94YG86-bDM6ival3o2a-Mw9wmhtrheiFVYbs-QGXi0BonSvlfW6DibFVOaIHxF9FOTPGw4lvjGT4-4G0N67P4s8KYyQkEHZMaRddPcjkCU/s320/green.JPG" width="273" border="0" /></a>This heroic exploit has gone down in the annals of VSO legend but it is also universally denounced as a very, very, very stupid thing to do. However Jon is now quite confident of his ability to ride across the muddy wasteland that is the Cambodian road system.<br /></div><div>Travelling through Cambodia you become aware that it is a place of huge inconsistencies and contrasts. The countryside is so beautiful, verdant and fertile producing wonderful images like a huge black water buffalo wandering through the paddy fields with a tiny child sitting cross-legged on its <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYqK4yctBwtmz2qkikrlgEoZG75sDsxeLasj9iX4w3Tz_RpwYUkXdksnicmeYnYWVc2hPMT84MfT4oYmPxuSMVjzZpzYwEBIkFCxFs4B8V8ex-ntga6Hq6omJ_8S-bFDJCaykptepIXdM/s1600-h/big+house.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5122939497399956450" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 242px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 165px" height="172" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYqK4yctBwtmz2qkikrlgEoZG75sDsxeLasj9iX4w3Tz_RpwYUkXdksnicmeYnYWVc2hPMT84MfT4oYmPxuSMVjzZpzYwEBIkFCxFs4B8V8ex-ntga6Hq6omJ_8S-bFDJCaykptepIXdM/s320/big+house.JPG" width="273" border="0" /></a>back. The towns’ streets, however, are lined with mud and rubbish. Some families live in little more than grass shacks, which they share with their livestock while their more privileged neighbours have acquired massive gated and guarded palaces. Despite the wealth suggested by the huge Landcruisers and majestic housing the poverty of some was brought home to us one evening in Battambang. Having eaten our fill in a pavement restaurant we were humbled when a small boy asked us to fill his plastic bag with our leftover rice so he could feed his family. We are under no illusions that we can solve the problems created by <div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXVoT8KwAUwn8RDCeb5PFW5k_yQyMfnA-toF8-YQVAZUdC-iLnW0rA5q5uCg50oqROTVPzipg3wBk1skCPMxcX5joWrCVWdkgWU8d86D0hrtsV_ZMN8BJ3WKH8MtZN8KMieml7_EqmekI/s1600-h/shack.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5122941803797394482" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 242px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 158px" height="171" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXVoT8KwAUwn8RDCeb5PFW5k_yQyMfnA-toF8-YQVAZUdC-iLnW0rA5q5uCg50oqROTVPzipg3wBk1skCPMxcX5joWrCVWdkgWU8d86D0hrtsV_ZMN8BJ3WKH8MtZN8KMieml7_EqmekI/s320/shack.JPG" width="266" border="0" /></a></div>over 30 years of genocide, war and corruption but increasingly we see the need for us to do our tiny bit.</div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXVoT8KwAUwn8RDCeb5PFW5k_yQyMfnA-toF8-YQVAZUdC-iLnW0rA5q5uCg50oqROTVPzipg3wBk1skCPMxcX5joWrCVWdkgWU8d86D0hrtsV_ZMN8BJ3WKH8MtZN8KMieml7_EqmekI/s1600-h/shack.JPG"></a></div></div></div></div></div>Chris and Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11257625119754392619noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3399322014075514078.post-53074429661546768002007-10-06T10:54:00.000+07:002008-12-12T02:34:41.041+07:00Hello from Cambodia 4<div><div>So we have been in Cambodia for a month now and we are no closer to understanding this country and its people .In fact the longer we stay here the more confusing it becomes.<br /><br />On the culinary front It seems that if it moves or grows you can eat it .We have now sampled curried frog, stewed eel and Jon has eaten a spiders leg, although he drew the line at munching into it<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj50qkKwSiSAtBDlTosoDtqJhOoRSkg_PPbKnLxer5t_pmrL6JH1_wrY2PNQHbk_v2B8T7Ph76JSmis58JEw6aererE5WsjapIBhX3R0vgRm3nf-Bq68V6DfU3GM8EkHiueF15g7MFTrYw/s1600-h/spider.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5118068062111305650" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj50qkKwSiSAtBDlTosoDtqJhOoRSkg_PPbKnLxer5t_pmrL6JH1_wrY2PNQHbk_v2B8T7Ph76JSmis58JEw6aererE5WsjapIBhX3R0vgRm3nf-Bq68V6DfU3GM8EkHiueF15g7MFTrYw/s320/spider.JPG" border="0" /></a>s body.Generally we are eating very well although the dominance of rice to the diet is reflected in the language, e.g. a restaurant is hang bai meaning a rice shop, A dinning room is bantop gnam bai, the room where you eat rice, and breakfast is gnam bai preuk, to eat rice in the morning. As you travel about the country , which we have being doing a lot recently, the vivid green of the rice paddy fields dominates the landscape. We were invited to lunch with the British ambassador at the residency which was extremely pleasant especially as the menu did not include rice, (or Ferrero Roche).<br /><br />Our In Country Training has continued in PP.This has mainly involved the admin part of the job. The VSO project we are working on is funded by the World Bank and the EU but because corruption is rife here at all levels every dollar/ euro has to be accounted for.This requires a huge amount of form filling and report writing. I thought we had left the education system to get away from all that.<br /><br />Last Sunday we at last left PP to visit our placements. The intrepid little family who are going to be based in Battambang Province are Jean (Mummy), Ally (baby), Onno (Dutch Uncle) and us 2 , the embarrassing country cousins. Onno, who is based in a district about 100 km away will be our nearest neighbour. It takes about 6 hours by bus to get from PP to Battambang town, which will become our haven for R and R and peanut butter. From there we travelled with Vantha, the boss of VSO Education, on to our placement in a 4x4 truck with no suspension in the back seats .As the most direct route is impassable at the moment the first part of the journey was on the main highway which links Siem Riep to the Thai border at Poipet. Considering this is the main tourist route into the country the road was truly appalling. As we were shaken from Pothole to pot hole the inertia in the seat belts ratcheted back until we pinned unable to move or breathe against the back seats. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzT7VcItllTZOQ-b41Jesmiw1J6myIEIzjjy0sfg8XIxT93Kp-upBtGFn6X1ywtayRJmxsyY5ZtQn4qCMomFpxgu2PZUok-S4by6uctX-Tc0lgacID7_uH4xA6safwK0dSF1unDRTvbnY/s1600-h/Morning+Mt..JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5118068062111305666" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzT7VcItllTZOQ-b41Jesmiw1J6myIEIzjjy0sfg8XIxT93Kp-upBtGFn6X1ywtayRJmxsyY5ZtQn4qCMomFpxgu2PZUok-S4by6uctX-Tc0lgacID7_uH4xA6safwK0dSF1unDRTvbnY/s320/Morning+Mt..JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br />And then we turned onto the dirt roads........... and in fact they were not too bad by comparison, if you avoid the wandering cows , dogs, chickens and children all of whom seem to have suicidal tendencies. Overall it took about 5 and a half hours from BB town, but it should be faster in the dry season.<br /><br />So what about Phnom Preuk, our home for the next 2 years?<br />The area is very unlike any other we have seen in Cambodia so far, it has mountains. It reminds us a bit of the Puys of the Massif Central in France - well a little bit- or the valleys of the Alps. I found myself thinking "" I wonder what it is like here when it snows? Duh!!! It is however very beautiful scenery.<br /><br />The town itself is like something out of a Western movie. A frontier town with a main street which is either dust or mud depending on the season. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiarCgIHrpBZGVTxLa9qa1xIW3RypTO6jMfxRYov9gWEV0PY2BWhQeLkig3282h_VAnTmdeO6Juq8IGsJucIcEWN3MpCYOOB4JoIql2j0ZRfzB2Ne54FOT3VJcN1HsEVWDz_1XbqzRkkMA/s1600-h/High+St+P+Preuk.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5118068070701240306" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiarCgIHrpBZGVTxLa9qa1xIW3RypTO6jMfxRYov9gWEV0PY2BWhQeLkig3282h_VAnTmdeO6Juq8IGsJucIcEWN3MpCYOOB4JoIql2j0ZRfzB2Ne54FOT3VJcN1HsEVWDz_1XbqzRkkMA/s320/High+St+P+Preuk.JPG" border="0" /></a>"The theme tune to "the Good , the Bad and the Ugly kept running through my head. Also it appears to be far more Western than other areas with less people wearing the traditional costumes and more tractors. The influence of Thailand.<br /><br />Vantha was on a mission to find us a nice house. He was working on the principle that being as we were based in the back of beyond unless we were happy where we lived we wouldn't last 2 days let alone 2 years. We traipsed from site to site which varied from the top floor of a palace owned by the local army chief to a delapidated beach hut that overlooked the local rubbish tip. Running out of options, Vantha resorted to knocking on the doors of likely looking houses and asking the owners if they would move out so we could move in. This tactic proved successful as we found our dream home. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaBHHc5yDg6YB0W3huM1ot1o-PqkYiGrKNgYB_ofAE4m6Zo7_2dq8NCcmK8cJ7DdaZNZT2Oj_n23bAGKMdGE8pUmFLC1j3j2Fy8VmvbW3lahjEdj9uiNES2ScwodWLRqZzM2YRyj9rTYM/s1600-h/House.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5118068066406272978" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaBHHc5yDg6YB0W3huM1ot1o-PqkYiGrKNgYB_ofAE4m6Zo7_2dq8NCcmK8cJ7DdaZNZT2Oj_n23bAGKMdGE8pUmFLC1j3j2Fy8VmvbW3lahjEdj9uiNES2ScwodWLRqZzM2YRyj9rTYM/s320/House.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br />It is a concrete house rather than the traditional wood built on sticks, based on the outskirts of town with beautiful views of the mountains and the Wat (pagoda). 2 bed., 2 bath / shower, 2 reception, study, kitchen , balcony and roof terrace for $250 per month. Vantha negotiated an amazing deal which included beautiful carved wooden furniture, a fridge, cable TV and a cleaner. This voluntary life is tough you know! The landlord and his family live next door and they have a teenage daughter who is learning English. They are our new best friends.<br /><br />We also visited the local Education Office to meet our new boss and work mates. The office is open plan, in so far as it doesn't have a front wall, and it closely resembles a barn. While we were there a group of bedraggled NQT teachers arrived for a training session. They all looked about 14 and one had been travelling for 3 days to get there! They were staying overnight sleeping in a wooden shack behind the <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE3GJXOWVcmUkPWGJbaIpiCW6t6rUbgR0xpajorlvxSQ06lmOMwdTzNqIF1ltbGj2A4P-S4xcN9eNyoh6xHBYZpNx9mhSS5YwQwdfGcBrzTtKd1rVN-T_ehl3yw6snlgyyVncfLporbBI/s1600-h/DOE+office.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5118068066406272994" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE3GJXOWVcmUkPWGJbaIpiCW6t6rUbgR0xpajorlvxSQ06lmOMwdTzNqIF1ltbGj2A4P-S4xcN9eNyoh6xHBYZpNx9mhSS5YwQwdfGcBrzTtKd1rVN-T_ehl3yw6snlgyyVncfLporbBI/s320/DOE+office.JPG" border="0" /></a>office. NQTs don't you ever, ever, ever complain again about how hard it is becoming a teacher.<br /><br />While we were there we heard several very loud explosions in the near distance which no one else seemed to react to. Turns out the de-mining units were detonating their daily find!<br /><br />So we are reserving our judgement on the placement, Every time we mentioned to the Khmer staff in the BB education office that we were going to Phnom Preuk there were little squeaks of amused surprise and a jolly "Good Luck"" as we left. What do they know??? <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga6C-iMt7iIfOV1S6jG8URzzL6-4Wb8eUjlS8_ri-tqIVPfld2uWw0ZhJKarZ1pziui8Vp8vz3O0rj_7WLwZUTLo43RD70q5vLphrTdKWfbFMEFhaJA0aEeDb_Zs5rSjsGmXd-8NMKtBw/s1600-h/NQTs.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5118069333421625346" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga6C-iMt7iIfOV1S6jG8URzzL6-4Wb8eUjlS8_ri-tqIVPfld2uWw0ZhJKarZ1pziui8Vp8vz3O0rj_7WLwZUTLo43RD70q5vLphrTdKWfbFMEFhaJA0aEeDb_Zs5rSjsGmXd-8NMKtBw/s320/NQTs.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />So its back to Kampon Chan for another 3 weeks of language training, oh joy ,oh bliss, then off to start our new lives in the Wild West. SCAREY> </div></div>Chris and Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11257625119754392619noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3399322014075514078.post-38489571472361795522007-09-22T15:40:00.000+07:002008-12-12T02:34:41.700+07:00Hello from Cambodia 3<div><div><div><br /><div>We have been here 2 weeks, it seems like so much longer. Already so much which we originally found strange we take for granted. Pigs on motor bikes, torrential rain, lizards on the bed room wall, flooded streets…. All these things now seem normal and not worthy of comment. We are almost becoming used to the heat and humidity, almost.<br /><br />We have fallen into a gentle daily routine. Up at 6.30 am, cycle to the market, buy bread, fruit and Laughing Cow (the only form of cheese that is edible) then cycle across the town to the VSO house, braving the terrors of the round about on the way. I will not describe the mayhem that occurs when Cambodians in every form of transport imaginable (and some that are not imaginable) meet at a 5 road <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5Nvgs6dlMYfmM2iJivu7qnlt-KqRay9dsCxI0u9HNrhcYJKiysSrJejCJiBodS5Az5zZUhvOEtPIsJE2WtsuxtsAZclM9WxeS_e3KNQJRCpPSPSka9ScMZPYLECIopV4MRjfrWNCZmVA/s1600-h/jon.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5112949186063393026" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 181px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 243px" height="247" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5Nvgs6dlMYfmM2iJivu7qnlt-KqRay9dsCxI0u9HNrhcYJKiysSrJejCJiBodS5Az5zZUhvOEtPIsJE2WtsuxtsAZclM9WxeS_e3KNQJRCpPSPSka9ScMZPYLECIopV4MRjfrWNCZmVA/s320/jon.JPG" width="181" border="0" /></a>intersection. It’s a case of close your eyes and pray. After eating breakfast we cycle to the “university” for our Khmer lesson until noon. More comments on that later. After lunch, more bread, salad and Laughing Cow (it is a staple food with VSOs here) we do our home work on the terrace or more usually fall asleep in the comfy chairs. Then depending on what time the afternoon deluge arrives we either spend an hour or so in the Internet shop battling with computers which compete with Parmiter’s school for being the slowest in the world, or exploring the local area by bike before going back to sleep. At 6pm we eat in a local restaurant very, very cheaply, about 75p each for a beef and veggie dish with rice and then retire to one of the 2 bars which are run by ex pats for a beer or 2. Unfortunately, the beer is relatively expensive, about 2 dollars a bottle, which makes a hefty dent in our VSO allowance, so we have been forced cut our alcohol consumption (pause for gasps of amazement). By 9pm we are dropping asleep again so we are usually in bed by 10pm. </div><br /><div></div>A view of the Mekong<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5112951050079199522" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 251px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 192px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" height="192" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNWIg6CV9v5jmiQFzZrZ73Llfs3HM_w6TmUOifmc7C8l7HhEt_x9fQYOCCqYaOpkBJOqGtel8EgNJ02omyhPhPUGb2mWt2BPEYO9NLeSALL3RVMoMRW2MDbgSDDSms-6cESzvdhSzgMhY/s320/boat.JPG" width="406" border="0" /><br /><br />This delightful life style is about to change next Tuesday when we are all going to visit or placements for a week. The more we hear about Phnom Preuk (which means Morning Mountain) the more excited / intrigued / terrified we get. When the serving VSOs learn where we are going there is a lot of sniggering, eye rolling and “that will be interesting” going on. But we will reserve our judgement until we have been there to see for ourselves. </div><br /><div></div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrzg3wsIKBzQ8eBY7zgSrbMYEZMZBR9QSWF6ZiVgl_qqo7uT-vTcBdnH7fO42fM0exEZuBXlJ7hkE_lUhzC-Pd-6hlZaxrwHpRdN3N17sR20IagrZACFNsS2xbkMloNjtD8AER6YmP8Do/s1600-h/chris.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5112951428036321586" style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrzg3wsIKBzQ8eBY7zgSrbMYEZMZBR9QSWF6ZiVgl_qqo7uT-vTcBdnH7fO42fM0exEZuBXlJ7hkE_lUhzC-Pd-6hlZaxrwHpRdN3N17sR20IagrZACFNsS2xbkMloNjtD8AER6YmP8Do/s320/chris.JPG" border="0" /></a> Chris after she fell into the Mekong!<br /><br />Learning Khmer is proving an interesting experience. It is the first time in over 30 years that we have had to study in a class room situation, and it isn’t much fun the other side of the desk. If we ever go back into teaching in England we will have far more sympathy for our pupils. Being the only kid in the class who has absolutely no idea what the hell is going on is a very frustrating experience. (Chris) We are struggling to master the structure of the sentences without much luck and end up speaking like Yoda, “the language of Khmer learning we have been”. The worst thing about it is that after 7 days of slogging away for 4 hours a day plus homework, no Cambodian understands what we say. They just giggle.<br /><br />We had to go to back to Phnom Phen yesterday to get our second Rabies jab. Up at 6am to catch the 7pm bus, 3 hours drive to PP, 5 minutes injections, then back on the bus for the 3<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnqE2HBm0uLoCwGH_ih7yAsuvLPq3JmHiqU5GlpyQxCYpxawrhrVmDaFfuvZ-bV7ZHRTuSaZcwkcfcH_Y-d3QYTtSii69Fm5b5QLxGoa9I2mnNhcivZf3RWDmUh1tHpqq78GGu5aOFGKo/s1600-h/cow.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5112950461668679954" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnqE2HBm0uLoCwGH_ih7yAsuvLPq3JmHiqU5GlpyQxCYpxawrhrVmDaFfuvZ-bV7ZHRTuSaZcwkcfcH_Y-d3QYTtSii69Fm5b5QLxGoa9I2mnNhcivZf3RWDmUh1tHpqq78GGu5aOFGKo/s320/cow.JPG" border="0" /></a> hour return journey, home at 5 pm. It takes along time to get anything done in this country!!!! While we were in PP we got spectacularly lost and a friendly chap offered to show us the way. He greeted us in English, “hello Grandfather, hello Grandmother, can I help you”, this has made Chris think its about time she got her hair re dyed!<br /><br />A few more impressions of Cambodia.<br />Smiling children shouting “hello, how are you” as you cycle pass them, ladies wearing pyjamas as day wear, printed with bunnies and kittens, big white cows wondering along in the middle of the road, big black Lexus 4 by 4s with tinted windows speeding down the middle of the road oblivious to any other road user, amazing thunder storms and wet feet.<br /><br />We are still happy here. Miss you all.</div></div></div>Chris and Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11257625119754392619noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3399322014075514078.post-45919744283046766062007-09-15T17:25:00.000+07:002007-09-15T17:29:05.774+07:00Hello from Cambodia 2Saturday 15th September.<br />Suarsadei<br /><br />Here we are in the real Cambodia. We have left Phnom Phen and travelled 3 hours by bus to the town of Kompong Cham. On the journey we passed through some beautiful scenery of rice paddy fields, palm trees and banana groves. It is a very rural country with stuff being grown on every inch. The one thing there appears no shortage of is food. The markets are full of every type of exotic, fruit, fowl, fish and things we cant work out yet. When the bus stopped mid journey, we were besieged by hoards of little girls selling giant roasted spiders on trays. Thankfully we have yet to meet their living sisters.<br /><br />Kompong Cham is apparently Cambodia’s third town but is smaller than St Albans. It used to be a major port during the days of French imperialism and some of the architecture still reflects its former glory. Nowadays however it is rather jaded, its main point of interest is a huge bridge which the Japanese have built over the Mekong. The river itself is very wide and grey with surprisingly little traffic on it although rather beautiful at sunset. We have also been told that the sunrise is spectacular but seeing as this takes place at 5.30 am we have yet to confirm this.<br /><br />The VSO have a big villa here where volunteers are put up while they are doing their in country training. Unfortunately there is not enough room for all of us so we, and the American couple have been put up in the Hotel Mekong. This is a huge place overlooking the river which, although initially impressive, has seen better days. There are huge marble lined corridors, which are slightly scary if you have ever seen The Shining, but the rooms are a little shabby. We have our own miniature zoo including hot and cold running geckos who sing to each other at night. The main asset is the cable telly which has BBC world, CNN and HBO films. So we are able to follow England’s sports successes, and watch truly awful films.<br /><br />We spend from 8 till 12 every morning learning Khmer form the lovely Mr Khamdey in the local FE college. Jon is finding this less of a challenge than Chris although when we try out our new found vocabulary in the local restaurants and markets we find that they don’t understand a word and burst out laughing at us. Hopefully our language skills will improve before we go to our placement or we’re going to have a very non communicative two years.<br /><br />The word for bottle is Dob and the word for 10 is Dob can’t wait to learn the word for green!<br /><br />Our first impressions of Cambodia:<br /><br />Everyone and everything is very young and very small. No one seems over 20 and there are tiny children playing and laughing everywhere. Even the ants are tiny, we have a column of them marching up our bathroom wall.<br /><br />No one walks anywhere, mainly because the pavements are flooded, inhabited or nonexistent. Everyone travels by either motorbike or pushbike, usually multi occupied. We are now used to seeing entire families of mum, dad and four children on one bike. However it’s a little unnerving to realise that it’s the 3 year old up front who’s driving. We have been issued with VSO pushbikes the riding of which has proved a very interesting experience; some of them even have brakes. The golden rules while driving in Cambodia are a) never look back, like skiing assume the people behind will avoid you and b) never stop for anyone or anything.<br /><br />One word to sum up Cambodia so far is DAMP! The high temperatures and humidity mean that we are continually melting. We have to shower at least twice a day and a shirt will only last a few hours before it has to be changed. This gives clothes a very short life and is going to prove rather labour intensive when we don’t have the benefit of the VSO washing machine. Also it rains very heavily every afternoon which means that exploring the local environs has become an even wetter experience. Thank goodness for English Simon and the Lazy Mekong Daze bar by the riverside.<br /><br />Tomorrow is Sunday and we have the day off. As it is Anna’s birthday we are all going on a boat trip up the river to a wooden pagoda and silk weavers’ village. We’ll be listening out for strains of the Ride of the Valkyries and looking out for Hueys on the horizon (Francis Ford Copolla joke). <br /><br />We have not yet taken many photos and we’re not sure the local computer technology is up to loading them in less than 5 hours so wait till we get back to PP for illustrations of the above. We are about to brave the deluge to send this out, hope it gets to you.<br /><br />Love and miss you all very much but still no regrets, how is 9EH by the way?<br />Hee hee.<br /><br />Chris and Jon.Chris and Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11257625119754392619noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3399322014075514078.post-76522497388506908372007-09-15T17:20:00.000+07:002007-09-15T17:24:36.018+07:00Hello from Cambodia 1Hello from Cambodia. Sunday Sept 9th <br /><br />All settled in and beginning to acclimatise to the jet lag, heat and culture shock. The journey out was fine albeit sleepless, and the temperature (high 30s) and humidity (high 80s) means that we have not yet caught up on the zzzzzzzs.<br /><br />There are 18 new VSOs here doing the In Country training ( all teachers) and we are all living in the accommodation above the VSO office in central Phnom Penh. There are 8 of us in the over 50s age range, made up of 2 couples and 3 ladies by themselves and an older American man. The others are under 30 and include 4 Dutch, an American couple, and a Spanish girl. As you can imagine it’s a bit like the Big Brother House although everyone is really nice and nothing has kicked off - yet. On Wednesday we are all making our own way out to the VSO training house in the sticks about 90 km away. I wonder how many of us will disappear into the jungle never to be seen again. <br /><br />We have had a very gentle introduction to Phnom Penh, with a cyclo tour round the sites on Saturday and a free day today. This was spent shopping in the Russia market which is an experience that smacks every sense full in the face. With some vigorous bartering we came away with a wardrobe of loose cotton clothes for tuppence. After that we went for an hour long massage which was amazing. It makes you feel all floppy and mellow. Will be doing that again!!!!<br /><br />Cambodian bars are cheap and pleasant .We went to Elsewhere which is an ex-pats hangout with reclining cushions set among banana trees and a swimming pool in the middle. It felt like being on an 18-30 holiday in Ibiza. Some of the younger of members of the House went to The Heart of Darkness which is a club that even the Rough Guide is wary of. Too scary for us<br /><br />This afternoon we experienced a rainstorm that would have washed Gloustershire away. It reduced the roads to foot deep raging torrents, however no one seemed worried and all the water had disappeared within half an hour, no idea where it goes!<br /><br />We have seen some interesting sites - two full sized mattresses being transported by motorbike, a bag of live pigs in a tuk tuk, and a bike on a bike, to name but a few. We have also been out to dinner twice, been invited to a house party and done lunch at the Foreign Correspondents Club, which is an amazing restaurant /bar that overlooks the Mekong. It’s like stepping back into a Graham Green novel.<br /><br />To be quite honest it feels like we are on an Easy Jet city break. However the hard work starts tomorrow with the In Country training beginning at 8am.<br /><br />Post can be sent to us at the VSO Programme Office, PO Box 912, Phnom Penh although we will only be able to pick it up when we are in the city or if they send it on to the Battembang Office which probably won’t happen too often. We were given our pigeon holes today and some people already had post. We felt all sad and neglected, so start writing to us now. <br /><br />We will probably have access to the internet until the end of October when we are sent to our placement. We were looking for Phnom Preuk on a map in the VSO office, eventually we found it with the help of one of the Cambodian staff who said, “ here it is….. but how do you get there, there are no roads?” A little worrying! Still we will have our phones for emergencies and when we feel really lonely, but it is expensive to send and receive calls so we won’t be using them too often. Our mobile numbers are Chris 0085592149785 and Jon 0085592149790.<br /><br />Ok so we will now try to send this to you, but does the internet café have the technology? If you receive this obviously it does.<br /><br />Will write the next instalment from Kampong Cham, if we ever get there.<br /><br />Much love to all<br /><br />Jon and ChrisChris and Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11257625119754392619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3399322014075514078.post-88148294781362469792007-08-22T17:57:00.001+07:002007-08-22T17:57:38.076+07:00Jetting off!Chris and Jon travel to Cambodia on the 5th September! Follow their travels here!Chris and Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11257625119754392619noreply@blogger.com2