A journey to the Village

On Saturday a few of the children from the Centre and I attempted to visit their home village in Kandal province. It usually takes about 90 minutes to reach the village - about 20 minutes off the main road to Kampot.

I say "attempted" because we didn't actually make it. We set off at 8.30am. A 9.30am on the highway the front left wheel (really) dropped off the mini van we were in and we were stranded. At least we were alive.


I was the responsible adult in this group (the driver was a newly qualified student at the centre.... about 17 years old.).... Ummmm not sure what to do about this one. I got out to consider the situation further. Basically the wheel bolt had come off and the wheel had then slid off the axle. Foolishly I picked the bolt up - Scalding HOT! OWWWWWWwwwww (I made good traditional Cambodian sound). Burnt three fingers and the skin went yellow - nice. Fearing that my fingerprints were burnt off forever I then used most of my drinking water to salvage them.
During this medical emergency time we arranged for a pick up to come from the centre with a jack for the van. We waited under a tree for 90 minutes. The jack and a (student) helper arrived.

A further 90 minutes passed with 2 of the older boys trying to fix the wheel. We were starting to get a little bored and very thirsty. Coconut man cycled down - Yippppeeeee. 8 coconuts provided a welcome distraction for 30 minutes or so.

The boys then decided we needed a pick up - I am still glad they took control at this point. The teacher will come with it - about 90 minutes later he arrives with about 15 other kids from the centre riding in the truck. He tries to fix it - for about 90 minutes.

By this time the kids are moody and so am I (but trying very hard). I have sun burn and have only had a coconut since 9.30am (but this stage it was 2pm). AGH! I am told that the minivan/bus will go on to the pick up. How? The pick up was essentially just a flat bad truck. It was no way of "picking up". The minivan was bigger than the pick up's flat bed! I am assured by this stage it will work. I cannot wait to see this.... are 15 kids going to pick up a tonne van?! How will it fit?! It only has three wheels after all?!

You see at this point I still have Cambodian faith - That is, even though it is totally impossible it can happen. Sometimes "impossible" things do happen here. The excitement of seeing a van "fly" keeps me going for 30 minutes. Then I realise the Cambodians have discovered it is impossible - It is not going to happen. Tonne vans cannot be lifted on to "pick up" trucks.

Disappointed by the failure of the van to fly I suddenly need water! The teacher announces he needs a spare part and I am determined to go and see civilisation again and more importantly buy water. Grabbing the most dehydrated student as a translator we were off in the back of another pick up truck (in the outside part naturally) off to find water.

Ahhhh sweet water. At this point I realise I resemble the red nosed reindeer. I also have very red arms. It is about 3pm.

The teacher then decides to get a mechanic - Seriously after 5 hours of looking and hitting the wheel with a spanner they then decide to get in the professional. Whodathought! Suddenly I wish I had taken control at 10am....

Unsurprisingly, the mechanic cannot fix it on the highway (we are in the middle of the road with only branches to stop vehicles from thundering into those in the middle of the road staring at the wheel problem) ... we have to head back leaving the mechanic to sort out taking the van to his workshop.

We get back to the children's centre after 4pm. Grabbing rice from the cook as quickly as we could we shoveled it in like we hadn't eaten for a week!

So "see you tomorrow at 8am" the kids said. "We try again". How could I say no? So off we went on Sunday to the village. Again....

Burnt and slightly crazy by the 6th hour....

Group work

When you were 14 years old did you want to answer questions in class? How about share your most secret feelings with all of your class mates... No? Try Khmer counseling. Well, otherwise translated to me as a lesson in "talking abut yourself".

I arrived at the Children's centre thinking I would be seeing some sewing. No chance. Feelings were top of the agenda. Opening yourself up to the whole class of about 30 or so others. When I arrived the children were about half way through the session so I slipped in to watch. Their task was to talk abut 10 things that were listed on huge pieces of paper. Such as their feelings on: their family, sleep patterns, food, body, fears, future.... Not much really!!!

Like all good Khmer presentations each child gave their answers via a sound system and microphone! A fewwere laughing probably because they were afraid of crying as they spoke. Some of them cried -some of them sobbed about the way that they felt. Particularly about the abandonment of them by their family. There were a lot of red eyes in the audience as well as the speakers. Although it was in Khmer some of it was translated for me. It reminded me that despite the hard but seemingly happy exterior that many of the children have they do have deep rooted issues which remain with them as they strive for a better life at the Centre. A bit of therapy Khmer style.

Khmer Princess

Here are my photos from the Cambodian Studio. On reflection it is probably not a look I will adpot everyday....

Disclaimer: I was positioned into thes poses - some are more Saturday Night Fever than Apsara.

Khmer photography...

Ahhh a picture says a thousand words - yes, the pink one is me... Yesterday I took Sina and her carer to have their photo taken khmer style..... Final photos (photoshop-ed complete with Khmer background) to follow...

Some random pics from my camera...

Looking hot - literally, baking.

I am relying on internet cafes so these are some random pictures from my camera! Yesterday was a particularly intense photo taking day the the children's centre - They all wanted about 10 pictures each. There are about 100 of them... Agggh!

Change!

On my first day back I visited old haunts. I've been surprised by some of the "progress" in my old surrounds. In my old street the corner shack "selling all kind if everything" has been demolished. A Korean restaurant has opened up next to my old house and Pricewaterhouse Coopers is now in the office building at the end of the street!! Surely not! The Gold Tower is not 42 storeys tall yet but is getting there and towering above the city. Mango, the clothes shop that is - not the fruit, is advertising a new store on Sihanouk near to Lucky Supermarket(really? or is it some one who has got hold of a few old billboards?).

Elsewhere is now elsewhere on Golden street and Java now does the frozen Margarita in a proper glass (I liked the tumblers - huge measures). Threads, my favourite tailors seems to have been re branded - at least - and has a new name (needs investigation!).

At least I've managed to locate 2 old tuk tuk drivers - they say the corner shack has just relocated. I hope this isn't a Cambodian way of telling me it was shut by some "higher"authority. Our old security guy is also based at Java cafe so certainly a few familiar Cambodian faces out and about in the city.

"Safe" journey

I'm on the move again towards Cambodia.... With over a month off between jobs I was off! The journey was great - the lack of alcohol due to Ramadan was tolerated by the fact I had 3 seats to myself all the way to Phnom Penh - on three different planes. Ahh they didn't sit me next to the "odd"person as usual! The Tune Hotel at Kuala Lumpur airport was surprisingly good and Tiger beer was fully available!

Having not got my e visa (earlier post) I got ready to brace the visa queue... I was first! Everyone else took an age to fill in the 3 forms (with the same information). My bag was the 3rd to come off the place - I wasn't ripped off my the visa people and did not need to bribe customs! I was off in my tuk tuk to town in less than 15 minutes. A personal best!

After checking into Goldie Hotel (good room with balcony) I decided that I needed a helmet for moto-ing about in safety. After a quick breakfast (The Shop on 240 - my favourite eggs.) I walked to the central market. After wandering aimlessly I managed to convey to a woman selling sun hats that yes, I did want a hat but of the hard variety for moto (motorbikes). Despite the Central market appearing to stock everything and all Cambodians now needing to have a helmet if they ride a moto she informed me that I would not get a moto helmet here but had to go to O Russei - The hard core/mother of all markets - further back into town.... I grabbed a cylco (after all no helmet = no moto - hope you are proud Mum) and headed to O Russei. Oh the heat... I started in the meat section of the market - entrails/heads and all of course, then made my way into shrimp world, cooking utensil land... tools... i fels I was getting closer - after all everything was starting to be made out of metal.... Agh! I ended up in plastic fruit mania - surrounded by plastic fruit (?!?) and glittery hairslides - things had gone badly wrong.

Electronics, dried fruit, spices, more rice than you thought existed in massive bags.... I gave up. I resisted going upstairs. If I went up the stairs I was assured it would take me 30 minutes to find the stairs to come down again. Time to ask. More miming - luckily I was rescued by a student who told me if I wanted a helmet I would need to go out of the market to the surrounding houses... Out into the baking sun... the cat call of the moto drivers. I entered into fungus land - massive mushrooms drying on the road - spices galore - I had never been to this side of the market square it seemed. Then like a mirage - motorbike street - all your moto needs in one handy location (if you know where it is that is).

Hot and sweaty I was in the first shop. I was in no mood for browsing. I found it - a silver helmet. At this point I needed to express my frustration in Khmer at these people. In extremely broken khmer I explained what i had been doing, where I had been walking and how good it was to find them. They seemed unmoved - Most likely they couldn't understand a) me or b) why I just hadn't gone to them straight away. It was motorbike street after all.

Helmet on, Moto taxi - I was off to lie down!....