Udong, photography course Feb 09

I had an interesting mix of a week this week, sadness, adventure, learning and experiencing new surroundings. Let us begin with the sadness so that things move upwards from there :o). I’ll attempt to put into words my emotions from Thursday night but suffice to say it was such a moving few hours where the reality of living in Phnom Penh, which is not my experienced reality, hit home. We cycled to “Meta House” which is an art studio with mini movie theatre and bar on the top floor. Lights were already out when we slipped into our seats and the sights and sounds of modern day Phnom Penh beam out at us. The theme of the short movie is “Red Earth Village - Dey Krahorm” one of the last real “village” communities left in Phnom Penh and scene of an unfair and unlawful eviction in January this year. It’s quite a sobering thought that while I was laying in my bed on the 24th January, families were experiencing the total and complete destruction of their homes, belongings and livelihood. The movie started its story well before the eviction by introducing us to some of the families, the circumstances that led them to find a home on this piece of ground, their initial struggle to establish their homes, their struggle to earn a living, their families growing up and the obvious happiness of their children and grandchildren at being able to attend school. The piece of land the developers wanted and ultimately took, was 3.6 hectares of prime real estate valued at $44million UsD. The land was originally given to this whole community through a Social Land Concession Grant by the Council of Ministers back in 2003. Some of the families buckled under the pressure and took the money, or alternatively the house the developers were offering. The money incidentally, is not enough to buy any form of housing within Phnom Penh so taking what was offered meant settling for living miles from where their family, friends and social services and businesses were. Significant to the people of Dey Krahorm is the total loss of any sort of community and support network if they took the offer. That sense of community is something that has been lost to us but which here it is so much a part of life. People come out of their houses and squat on the street chatting with their neighbours for hours. I’ve lived in places in Australia where I never even knew my neighbours let alone sat and chatted to them. Even borrowing a cup of sugar from your neighbours has all but disappeared. At 3am on the 23th January without any warning armed government forces, police and private contractors employed by the developer surrounded Dey Krahorm. At 6am they moved in using weapons, tear gas and bulldozers as residents screamed their shock and disbelieve. Scenes of children crying, old ladies wailing and people running as destructive machinery crunched through the rubble of what remained of their homes filled the screen. The families had no time to salvage belongings as in a matter of hours the village had been flattened and over 100 families displaced. Following the movie, three very brave students from the Dey Krahorm school who along with their families had lost their homes, got up to speak on their experiences and feelings as a result of the eviction. Very simply and with great composure they described how sad they were, sad at the loss of their school, sad for their families and upset for their friends. The displaced families, now homeless and emotionally distraught have been placed on land 14km out of the city with very few facilities. However this situation is only temporary and since the developer has withdrawn their offer of money or housing, it is unclear what will become of these families. For now they are reliant on the assistance of donations. There are many NGO’s providing legal advice and advocating fair treatment for these types of development/eviction situations. No one seeks to stop progress but they do seek to ensure families are not pressured into accepting minimal compensation. In this case and in many others there has been no fair compensation for people that legally own their land. Because this eviction was situated in the centre of Phnom Penh it received a lot of media attention but such evictions are continuing to happen around Cambodia. So that was the sad part of the week, for the rest, I spent my Saturday on a photography course which provided me with the learning part of my week. Adventure, came in the form of travelling in a Cambodia taxi out on the country roads and experiencing new surroundings through visiting the floating village and the ancient city of Udong. There were two other people on the course and believe it or not they were both from QLD! We spent the morning in the studio going over technology, techniques and also composition. At 12.30 the four of us hit the road in a taxi which truly was a “thrilling” adventure. You know the deal, overtaking on blind corners, overtaking so far onto the wrong side of the road that you almost run over a pedestrian walking along who justifiable hurls abuse at you. Worse was the return trip in the dark where you could already see 5 or 6 lights coming straight at you when the driver decids to overtake! As one of the others girls said, “best just to shut your eyes and hope for the best”. Today would have to be one of the hottest I’ve experienced yet and so it was nice to be propelled along the river in a boat which created some breeze. We got to experience and take 100’s of photos of what life consists of for these people. I wonder if they are sceptical about these people floating past, cameras in hand, taking photos of them doing what they normally do. I guess it would be like a busload of Japanese tourists being let through our homes and offices to take photos to show the folks back home. The children are a delight, yelling out hallo and waving and waving. We see people washing their hair in the river, men dropping off and weighing loads of fish, shops floating past selling their wares and all to the back drop of vibrant colours, all blues and yellows mixed in with the grey of faded wood. Our next stop was Udong which was the capital of Cambodia a few hundred years ago. Although some of the structures have been destroyed by the Khmer Rouge a lot remain intact and some of the others are being restored, like a massive gold Buddha that is pretty much back to new. We have a couple of kids accompany us on our journey around the buildings and monuments and up and down the many, many stairs. They are very entertaining as they laugh and fool about, singing and dancing and posing on some of the statues. We are here just as the sun is setting and it truly is glorious as in the fading light we capture images of the stunning structures while hearing the chanting of monks from the Wat we can see far below us in the distance. Hopefully my photos do these two places justice, I have saved them at the Picassa web page:

Udong and the floating village

Other than that, I went for my first run at day break on Friday morning at the Olympic stadium. There were 100’s of Khmers already there, doing Tai Chi, aerobics and running around the steps. The experience was great, the run not so much - lets see if I repeat the exercise.

Home Sweet Home and other photos

Kitchen with 2nd bathroom through door. Fridge and pantry

Bedroom (with ensuite through door)

Reception room / study (above and below)

(Below, lounge cum exercise room)

View from back balcony at FCC (Foreing Correspondent Club)

Precious cargo

Precious cargo of a differnt kind

Nature and Sea cafe

Tonle Sap River

Some anecdotes and the week that was

A couple of anecdotes to start this weeks blog:

On helping to correct the English on the minutes of a meeting for one of my workmates I couldn't’t help but have a chuckle to myself at this final sentence: “the meeting finished at 11.30am of the same date and year with productive meeting”

This must have been a short meeting, I don’t think I’d like to attend those that cross into a new date or god forbid, new year. Mr Khun Another sweet piece of Cambodia: Khun asked me what you call it when a bee touches you. I told him it was “sting”. He then shared with me a lovely Khmer saying. When you’ve been waiting for someone a long time you say “I’ve been waiting so long my eyes sting” From someone who is (hopefully) reformed from always keeping people waiting I thought this was a really cute saying.

My hips and lower back felt like I’d gone three rounds with Costa Zoo, who would have thought yoga would make you so sore? Definitely belong to the school of “if it hurts, it’s got to be good for you though and it wasn’t anything an hours massage couldn’t put right. That was Monday and Tuesday I was back at the gym. Rode over to Mara’s hotel to pick her up and we rode the 10mins to the gym – everything is so close now I’ve got my lovely bike. We followed up the workout with dinner at the Boddhi Tree which is a lovely wee sanctuary opposite the scene of one of Cambodia’s worst moments in history. The Toul Sleung museum and venue for the 1000’s of executions performed by the Khmer Rouge in the 70’s. Putting that aside, dinner was lovely in a setting of tables and chairs dotted amongst trees and climbing vines. Unfortunately the mosquitoes also thought it was a lovely spot and dinned on us while we ate quickly and left. Unfortunately, a nice dinner was followed the next day by another bout of the dodgy tummy. Managed to make it through the rest of the day at work but crashed on getting home and had to put off dinner with another friend. The dodgy tummy syndrome is so common and everyone is used to people not being able to meet up or having to head home early and quickly as those nasty bugs play havoc with our unaccustomed belly’s. I haven’t heard of anyone being really ill here yet, although one of the AYADs did develop malaria not long after arriving in Phnom Penh and post a trip out into the provinces. Not a nice thing to have but soon sorted with readily accessible drugs.

Thursday was made more interesting at work as Michelle came to visit. We talked about an organizational review document she’s pulling together for her NGO and then went and had lunch. There’s really nothing of any interest in Toul Kork, the suburb I work in but it just so happened a café had opened up last week near by so that’s where we headed. It is hilariously a Starbucks rip-off with the full Starbucks colour scheme and logo, only this one if called Terrace Cafe. The menu was all in Khmer and although they had pictures we still weren’t sure what we were ordering. Mine ended up being chicken with peanuts and about 3 stalks of thickly chopped lemon grass. Once I managed to remove all the debris it was actually tasty. Returning to work I had some work to do as I went with the office manager to measure up the venue they’ll be using for the AGM in March. I produced a seating plan and exhibition lay out which kept me amused for a few hours.

Thursday night I finally put my exercise ball to use and followed one of those cringe inducing American instructional DVD’s complete with fake tans, boobs and teeth all on prominent display. I used to pay $17 to do Bikram yoga in Brisbane which is held in a specially heated room to aid suppleness and encourage detoxification. Here, I only need to workout in my living room! Friday was spent being a participant in an interview panel for the Trainer/Coach position at my NGO. As well as normal interview questions, the participants had to read a English article from the Cambodian Daily and explain to us their understanding of the context of the article. They also had to do a written English test on a computer of at least 200 words in half an hour. I got away at 6pm excited about the long weekend ahead with one of the 25 annual (government recognized) public holidays set for Monday. Yuan took me straight to the Australian Embassy where I’d missed the BBQ but where embassy staff were ready and waiting for my order behind the bar. The crowd was low key and a mix of volunteers, UN staff and friends. In one of those “it’s a small world” moments I got introduced to a Cambodian girl called Nim which happened to be the name of the Khmer language tutor I had contacted during the week via the Expat Advisory Service website. And yes, it was the same girl.

Carel, me, Cara and Leila at the Australian embassy

Pajamas have become the latest trend amongst fashion conscious Khmer woman. No longer are these brightly coloured ensembles with cute little animals and cartoon characters to be kept hidden away at home for bed wear. Now they can be seen, shopping at the mall, riding on motorbikes or walking down the street. I’m really envious, how comfortable to be able to hang out in your Jim jams all day! And so when some of the Ayads got invited to a Pajama part on Friday night they had no trouble finding the perfect outfit. After the Embassy, we headed to an awesome pub across the road called “Elsewhere” which is rumored to be shutting down. (It’s a bit like those carpet shops at home from what I understand.) The venue is what looks like a colonial house with big front yard dotted with trees and palms and a centerpiece swimming pool.

Balinese type platforms with cushions to laze around on are dotted around the pool and as we were early we managed to find one free. About 10/11pm this place gets really busy and there’s just about standing room only – not too close to the pool though unless you want to get wet. Of course drunk boys are going to take off their shirts and start doing bombs – it’s only natural! I was hungry so decided to get my evening carbs in the form of a cocktail. Banana, coconut, lime and vodka! My gosh, it was sooo good. A traveling Canadian brother and sister duo joined our platform and it was interesting to hear their experiences and views on Cambodia from the day and a half that they’ve been here. Unfortunately the stand out for them is that all Tuk-Tuk drivers are crooks and the whole country is full of people trying to rip them off. Oops not good, hopefully that will turn around for them in the time they have left.

Saturday was spent shopping including checking out a supermarket I hadn’t been to before, lots of goodies from home like Bega cheese. I did get a bit carried away with my purchases and then had the challenge of trying to load all the stuff onto my bike (see photo) Caught up with Cara and Leila for lunch at a café called Nature & Sea. It’s up three flights which is effectively the roof of the building. There’s more platforms with cushions and a beautiful breeze. It’s times like this, when you’re chatting with friends in a different but amazing scene that you truly appreciate being away from home and all that is familiar to you.

Michelle and her Tuk-Tuk driver, Tinny, come and pick me up and we head out of town a ways to the Northbridge school and venue for an Expat touch rugby team. It’s a beautiful spot out here, so green and lush with little pollution and best of all no noise! It’s so peaceful I really want to curl up in a hammock and go to sleep. We watch for a hour or so then both decide we really need to get home for a nana nap before dinner tonight. I get an hour’s shut eye but no sleep and then “glam up” for the first time since being here. This equates to putting on make-up, wearing a maxi dress, doing something “up” with my hair and wearing my “bling” Haviannas. On coming out of my gate I am rewarded for my efforts by my neighbor saying “owww, beautiful”, “you go to party” I explained I was going to a birthday party and he said he also was going to a birthday party later – the governor of Phnom Penhs birthday party.

Dinner and the venue, Khmer Serin were really lovely with a big crowd having turned out to wish Cara a happy birthday. The crowd splits after dinner as some people head to a party and we head to “Pontoon” where it’s hip hop night. What a brilliant night, I haven’t danced so much in years. A hip hop crew performs some exhibition dancing and they are amazing. It truly is unbelievable how agile they are and how they just seem to completely disregard the laws of physics. They’re trying hard for that American look with baggy, baggy pants hand held clasped at the crutch and head gear in the form of baseball cap or grid iron net. $4 Mojitos are the order of the night and if you’re not dancing there’s always entertainment in the form of people watching as the crowd is a real interesting mix. “Pontoon” IS actually a pontoon on the river and we have to climb the gangway up to the street when we leave at 2.30am. The Vida recommended Tuk-Tuk driver has an uncanny knack for knowing when to turn up and at what venue and we all exclaim our relief and delight when we see “Mr Jim” waiting for us. Cara texts me the next morning saying they are laying around the pool and it takes me a further half an hour to get the gumption to actually get out of bed. I feel wrecked after my big night of dancing and have the luxury of being able to blame my age. Cara has discovered a great wee oasis of a hotel for her friend Leila’s visit and I join them for sun baking and dipping. The staff let you use the pool if you’re not staying at the hotel as long as you buy some drinks or food and I think this could become a refuge in the hot days to come.

The tailor at the Russian Market has forgotten that she said she’d have our clothes ready today and asks us to come back at 5pm. We shop and have a vegetarian lunch then shop some more. Finally 5 o'

clock comes and our new outfits are ready. It was actually worth the wait, as the tailor had done a really good job. By this stage I am completely exhausted and fall into the first Tuk-Tuk I see. I have one of my many cold showers a day and flop onto my couch. I think I’m out for a good couple of hours and awake to find text messages on the phone that was sitting right beside me and went completely unheard. Arrr, the sound sleep of the completely wrecked.

My saving grace is Monday is a public holiday and I wake up refreshed after an early night and head to the gym. I’m the only person there at 7.30am and I watch with shock CNN and the horrific news from home, the Victorian bush fires and all their devastating carnage. I try Skyping Mum when I get home but my Internet is down. Mike picks me up and we head out of town along the river to go to a factory that makes furniture out of water hyacinth, a similar look to Rattan. Ikea have discovered it apparently so you’ll probably see the products in a venue near you soon. I give into temptation and buy a chaise lounge and pouffe as well as a massive vase type ornament (it stands about 4ft) and a storage container all for $100. Now I just have to work out how I’m going to get it home to Australia. Their products are all made by hand and I ask to take a photo of the ladies who are working at making some containers. They chuckle and grin and are happy to have their photo taken. One elderly lady removes her hat especially and gives a beautiful wide grin. It’s 12 o’clock and they all down tools and punch their cards into the time keeping clock. The elderly lady turns to say good-bye as she leaves and reveals a mouth of absolutely no teeth. She is gorgeous this little old lady with her beautiful grin. (see photos)

Chanthy the Tuk-Tuk driver and a little bit of Western intervention Chanthy is a lovely middle aged Khmer man with a wife and two children. His survival and the survival of his family is protected through the money he earns driving a Tuk-Tuk1. It is customers such as Westerners or Asian holidaymakers eg, Koreans, Singaporeans etc that generate most of his income. It’s a tough way to eek out a living as competition for fares is high amongst the 100’s of Tuk-Tuks in Phnom Penh. Plus they have further competition in the form of Motodops (motorbike taxis, which are nimbler and quicker through the heavy traffic)

Most drivers just play the sit, wait and hope game, occasionally asking the passing foot traffic if “you want Tuk-Tuk”. Sickness is something most Khmer families cannot afford to budget for and in Chanthy’s case his Tuk-Tuk was already in bad repair and his motorbike running on a wing and a prey when his son became ill. He tried local medicine which comprised of feeding his son ash and only seemed to be making his son worse.

Around this time Lydia and Mike had moved to Phnom Penh for volunteer work and started to use Chanthy’s services to transport them about. One of Chanthy’s best advantages is his good command of English and over a period of a few weeks Lydia and Mike came to know and like Chanthy very well. The story of his son was eventually uncovered and by this time Chanthy had already been to a loan-shark to obtain the $40 required to repair the engine on his motorbike and keep his only form of livelihood running (literally). Lydia and Mike are just normal, honest and caring people but what they’ve done has been monumental in Chanthy and his families life’s. Small things like passing on sparkplugs from Mikes bike, to Lydia printing up signs for the Tuk-Tuk to promote Chanthy’s services which include day trips and translation. To remarkable things (at least in Chanthy’s eyes) like loaning him the money to assist him to tidy up his Tuk-Tuk with new upholstery and paint, pay his son’s doctors bills and actually buy a new motorbike. (The old one’s engine having given up the ghost two weeks after being fixed by the money from the loan-shark) Lydia and Mike also wanted to provide a constructive way that Chanthy’s wife; (Chantoo) could supplement the family income. Chantoo previously had a job at a garment factory earning 5c for each shirt and trouser outfit she completed but had to relinquish it on the birth of their second child due to a lack of child care. The factories in the recent past had been outsourcing sewing to those with machines at home but this has stopped with the economic downturn. So instead they have bought her a sugar cane machine, something that will have a very positive effect on Chanthy and his family and an investment out of the reach of many locals. Chanthy is now becoming very busy, through word of mouth and repeat business, so much so that Lydia and Mike now have to book him in advance, of which they couldn’t be happier! So that plus his wife’s income, through the sale of sugar cane juice, means that Chanthy was able to make his first repayment to them within 6 weeks. Not only was he able to pay almost 5 times the kind repayment fee Lydia and Mike had set, he was also able to repay his loan sharks, buy new shoes, register his new bike, and take his family out to dinner (probably for the first time ever!). All this from a lovely Cambodian who couldn't afford a new inner tube a month and a half ago. I thought this was just such a positive, encouraging story of people’s good will and the ability of a smart man to turn his life around given the opportunity.

Thanks to Lydia and Mike for letting me retell their story. I hope myself and all other westerners living or visiting here can have their own such positive stories. 1 A Tuk-Tuk is a two wheeled carriage motorized by a motorbike which is fixed in place where the motorbikes backseat is . It has a roof but exposed sides, and has two bench seats facing each other. You can easily fit 10 Cambodians inside, but only about 4 westerners.

Photo of Chanthy, Mike and the new sugar cane machine.

The last week of January - livin it up in P.P

I think it’s curious that now I’m living in a foreign country I am finally interested in the news and what’s happening around the rest of the world. But then again it could just be because I now have the luxury of Cable and it’s being thrown at me from multiple different channels. Watching bad movies on Cable is what encompasses my Tuesday night this week. I’m still a bit fragile from Sunday night/Monday mornings events, and am not brave enough to venture outside the house. I lay on the couch in my front room, reading and keeping half an eye on the Tv while the sounds of Phnom Penh let themselves in through the windows I’ve left open for the breeze. The ”Ta Ban Club” is directly across the road from me, (three strides and I’m there). Big neon signs tell you in English that it’s a “massage and restaurant” establishment. Now it could just be the uncultured western part of me but I’d rather be offered a “pedicure or facial with my massage” rather than “Asian noodles or rice”. The entrance attracts a crowd of Khmer men most nights playing some game of cards they’ve laid out on a sack on the ground. Tonight they’re completely raucous and you don’t need to understand the language to know someone is either losing very badly or winning extremely well by the hoots, shouting and laughing that’s going on. I go to bed early, beat, and dream I’m back in Australia, at work. It goes something like this: . . . we’re all told an emergency meeting has been called and everyone has to get to the main hall quickly. Everyone is rushing because no one wants to be the last there and be singled out by the speaker. I sit down and am busy saying hallo to lots of different people when the speaker begins. I’m surprised it’s not the CEO but is instead someone from Comms. She’s very flamboyant and “made up” and I forget to listen to what she’s saying for a while as I focus on what she’s wearing and the way she’s done her hair. Once I tune in I realize she’s saying things along the lines of how she's sick of the situation at Suncorp, how she’s sick of doing the work of three people etc, etc. There’s murmuring all around me and I turn to someone next to me and say, “I don’t think this meeting has been organized by the Execs” everyone agrees and we soon realize it’s a staff revolt organized by the Comms department. We’re all amazed and kind of in awe at the braveness of it all. . . Now, some of you have been privy to the retelling of my dreams before and thought you would find this one close to home although not as interesting as some of my others have been. :o) Note to Nat: don’t worry this dream has no direct link to anyone I know personally who may or may not work in Comms herself. Srey greets me in the morning with a Khmer phrase that I actually recognize and I repeat it back to her hoping it’s the equivalent of the French ”cava?”, “cava!” I think she’s happy that I am better anyway. The streets are still quiet because of Chinese New Year and Yuan and I fly to work. I spend the day preparing questions for external interviews. Four of the staff head off at 1pm to Kratie where they will be for 3 days doing interviews and attending an annual meeting. The ED (Executive Director) promised me before he left that they would take me next time so I could get to see the country side, I can’t wait to get out and about. I get changed as soon as I get home and walk to the gym, mainly to see how long it takes. Going for a walk here is really not the same as at home. For one thing, if there are footpaths, they are normally covered in cars, motorbikes, food stalls, dogs etc so you’re forced to walk on the road anyway. And secondly when crossing a road you have to actually look both ways two or three times, because it's more than likely a motorbike will shoot past you traveling on the wrong side of the road which is actually the right side of the road if you are at home. Yes, very confusing! Once again the gym is wonderfully cool for my workout and a Motodop is waiting right outside to take me home. I don’t feel save enough to walk home in the dark although it’s only about 6.30pm. Although in hindsight, this could have been the safer option as riding on the back of a Motodop in the dark is a whole other scary experience. My blind little “woofer”, as always, welcomes me home (that’s how I’ve decided to look at his insistent yapping) and I cook and eat my first real meal since Sunday. The real treat is the Chai tea I make later on with Soy milk that doesn’t taste like it’s had a cup of sugar added. Hhhmmm bliss. Traffic is back to chaos again today as Yuan bravely takes them on!!! It’s kind of good that we can’t communicate as I get to make up this whole personality for him that he probably doesn’t possess or even want. I’m gonna stick with the white knight, caped crusader on rusty red stead image I have for him though, cause I think it kinda works, especially with that big cheesy grin and sly little smirks as we leave yet another 4x4 in our wake!!! I’m honored on Thursday as the Media & Comms Manager asks me to edit the latest issue of MEDiNEWS for him and he’s added my name to the list of editors before it goes to print. This is a monthly publication that goes to all medical NGO’s across Cambodia. I go out to lunch with Kalyan our Health Information Officer. I find out she has a 6 year old son who prefers to learn English than Khmer and a husband who is a dentist. I also get to try a Khmer dish that I would have had no idea how to order on my own and it’s delicious. Kalyan offers to take me shopping and says she loves to go “window” shopping at the Russian market. I walk the 20mins to the gym again after work and this time Toby (Vida volunteer) is there and offers me a lift home. He’s got a big,"dirt-bike" type bike and I hold on for dear life as it’s not quite as sedate as riding on the back with Yaun. Toby takes me to the French bakery for a baguette enroute cause that’s the only thing I can think of that I want to eat, brown rice just isn’t going “to cut it” tonight. I try to pay Srey in the morning as it’s the end of the month but she refuses to take it. She shows me on the calendar that she’s only worked two weeks, a fact that I was happy to ignore but she’s not having any of it. I finally manage to convince her to take half of it anyway by saying “soam” in Khmer (please). I knew learning the language would come in handy! It’s Friday but the day is sooo quiet and slow and takes for ever to pass. I am invited out for drinks but I’m still not sure my stomach is up for any alcohol and spend the night vegged out on the couch instead. Saturday morning I walk to meet Lydia at the Java Café. I’ve noticed when Westerners get together there seems to be this rapid deluge of conversation, as everyone breaks down the constraints and rejoices in the luxury of being able to speak as fast, and with as much colloquialisms as they can muster after speaking English slowly and correctly all week. Mara joins us after a bit and we all head off with Chanthy to look at pushbikes. There’s no deliberation as I fall instantly in love with a great big white beauty. He’s preloved and costs me $38, the iridescent paint job is worth that alone I think to myself. But the extras don’t end there, they throw in a basket for the front, a bell, front light and a rear carrier. I’m certainly traveling in style now! We can only imagine what people are thinking as Chanty drives me, Mara and two bikes through Phnom Penh in his Tuk-Tuk. They don’t think we’re too lazy to ride and carry our bikes around with us “just for emergencies”, surely not. I really enjoy the rest of my afternoon as I walk ten minutes to Orussey my nearest market and spend the next few hours phaffing about. This is more of a “local market”and not so much for tourists which definitely has it’s own appeal. I stumble upon hairdresser and beautician suppliers and manage, by rubbing my toe, to demonstrate my need of some nail polish remover. I’m pointed to where 5 people are sitting surrounding one lady who is upending a 40ltr drum to facilitate the filling of 500ml water bottles at her feet. I’m provided one of these in exchange for $1. Wow, I’m gonna have to stay here for 5 years to use up that amount of remover. The market itself is relaxing as there’s no pressure to buy and you don’t get the feeling they trying to rip you off with Westerner prices. The english of the stall owners is limited but somehow we manage. I buy material to have a skirt made for $3, a kilo of tomatoes for 75c and a reading lamp and torch (just incase or for WHEN the power goes out again). I join those crazy Kiwi lads from “Flight of the Conchords” in America on Saturday night and fear this buying a television is having an adverse affect on my social life and productivity. I can’t believe I leave the house at 9am on Sunday and don’t return until well late, the day just flew as I transported myself around town on my new “white charger”. Things were a bit wobbly to start with as I got used to the size and weight and I found myself doing things that don’t work unless you’re clipped into the peddles but other than that I loved being back on a bike. There’s nothing like the exhilaration of self propelled freedom! Yoga at 9.30am was great although I’ll have to get used to all the “hhhuuuuummgghhing”and other chanting. It was held on the roof of a building with temporary roof, cane blinds for walls and lots of drapped material for decoration. Some of the area was exposed to the view and created a beautiful gentle breeze. The setting made for a lovely relaxing tranquil atmosphere. My body felt great as I stretched out some knots and completely relaxed. Afterwards we have a chat over the home made Chai tea the organisers supply, I’ll surely become their friends for life as it's beautiful. They explain that this afternoon they will have the children from the Stung Meanchey Municipal Waste Dump come in for play time and yoga lessons. Mara took the same kids to the Waterpark yesterday. It’s really heartening to hear that these poor kids who live near the dump, and work as “rubbish pickers”, get some “time-out” to just be kids for a while. I meet Cara at the Russian market and we go visit her tailor to arrange to have some things made. My skirt is going to cost $5 and be ready next Sunday! We bump into Terri and Toby at the Jenjji café which is a favourite amongst volunteers. Afterwards myself and Cara can't resist and head back to the market for another dose of shopping. Me, my bike and my load cause a bit of a stir as I park at my local supermarket later on. You pay 500riel, (about10cents) for a seemingly efficient security system out the front. The security system asks me what I’ve got on the back of my bike. I’d bought some black cane sticks at a shop near the market to make wall hangings with and considered myself to be looking like a true local with this long, ungainly load on my bike. They didn’t really understand my explanation but when I came out of the supermarket a bit later they were still hanging around my bike. Unfortunately I didn’t have a small enough note to pay for the curious security but they smilingly waved me away. I'll give them double next time. Well, it’s the start of a new month and already I’ve been here for three weeks! I think this is one of those periods in life when you wish time would slow it’s incessantly rapid pace.

Here's few photos from the bike buying expedition:

Phnom Penh 21st - 26th January 2009

It feels like it’s starting to get a bit warmer and I’m glad to get onto the motorbike this morning with Yuan (see photo on right - he's very serious for the photo but normally wears a big grin) to feel that nice breeze. Yuan tries to take a different route today, down a back street but there’s too much congestion and it ends up being a slower trip. The main culprit is a water truck that completely fills a street which was originally designed with nothing like this kind of traffic in mind. More like ox and cart I think. I attend an induction with Medicam for the three of us new starters. I’m slightly uncomfortable as the speaker speaks and directs most of the attention at me. This is something I’ll have to get used to I think. Where ever you go here, you become the focus of attention as a westerner, children stare at you, their eyes big with wonder at this large creature with the funny coloured hair and skin. The nice thing here though is that when you smile, everyone smiles back! A couple of big achievements today – found dishcloths and gas canisters for my stove. I asked some locals standing around outside a restaurant who pointed me in the direction of a tiny shop which really looked more like a shack. As always, the girl in the shop is lovely and we laugh together at our lack of understanding of each other. Luckily I’ve brought the stove with me so can point at what I want. She tries to explain through sign language about what I presumed was a safety message, or demo on use – not quite sure which. The mossies are biting tonight so I have to sleep with a coil in my bedroom. I cough and splutter and think it’s maybe not such a good idea for my lungs – will have to come up with another solution. Although there’s mesh on all my windows these blighters have their ways and means when they’re onto the scent of tasty “barang” blood. I’m up early to let in Srey, my new cleaner on Wednesday morning and once again we employ the semi-successful sign language technique to understand requirements and cost. Srey talks me into letting her do my laundry for a minimal extra charge per month. I think I may stay here forever! I finish getting ready for work and by the time I’m ready to leave Srey is already hanging out my washing on the balcony. It’s so sweet, as I look up at the balcony she’s waving me off as Yuan whisks me off down the street. On arriving at work we’re locked out so I stand chatting (or at least try to chat) with the guard and his brother. A couple more staff members arrive and we all sit outside reading the newspapers, Khmer and English versions and you can probably guess who’s reading which version. Everyone’s reading the same topic though – the Obamba inauguration. They seem to be as happy as I am about the whole thing and it will nice to remember that I was living in Cambodian at the time the first African-American got inaugurated.

(Picture of the Medicam office on right)

I have a call from Thai Airways Cargo that my boxes have arrived from home. Wow, it’s going to be like Christmas, once I get them out through customs. That process, as I soon discover, is a pretty exhaustive one with two trips to the airport, three to the Customs and Excise Department in town and obtainment of stamps and signatures from 21 people in total over a 24 hours period! And if I try to find the positives out of this experience it would be that, that many people are actually gainful employed in this one seemingly simple task and on top of that everyone is helpful, professional and keen for a chat. “Where you come from?” “My daughter, brother, uncle, cousin, nephew are living in Australia/New Zealand” Some commonality breaks down the barriers. Nothing is done with any sense of speed or urgency and all is done manually. The subordinates come toward the superior’s desk with their heads bowed and documents in both hands. When they leave they walk away backwards with heads down. I’ve half expecting to have to pay some backhanders throughout the process but this doesn’t happen. I do however end up seeing corruption or extortion in action on the way back from the airport though. The Police with batons in hand point at random drivers or motorbikes and motion that they pull over. Some don’t bother but just hand the money straight to the cop as they drive past. I saw one poor local on a motorbike obviously complaining and the cop was pulling at his handle bars to get him to go where he was wanting him to go, to a booth where other police were sitting. For Westerners the standard “administration” fee for the Police is $5us.

I attend an information session run by Medicam for all medical NGO’s and am driven there by the Medicam driver who I have a great chat with. He’s eager to improve his English and better still for me, he’s happy to help me with my Khmer. I’m the first to arrive at the training facilities and on walking into the room wake up the caretaker laying on one of the tables still in his underpants. Bless him, he’s pretty embarrassed but I show no sign of anything being untoward. I get to meet another volunteer from Australia who works for the one of the NGO’s who’s main focus is HIV/Aids, and discover we’re both going to the Vida drinks on Friday night. I have a feeling Phnom Penh is going to get smaller and smaller the longer I’m here.

The Westerners get to wear headphones throughout the discussion while the translation is remotely piped through as it happens. I’m so impressed that the translator is so quick, a real skill.

I attempt to rent a post office box and this develops into one of those really frustrating times that anyone living in a foreign speaking country encounters at some stage. I go to the General Post Office as I’ve been told this is the place if you want a box. I’m informed, “no it’s ok, you go number 3 post office” which is my local P.O. I’m there at 7.50am (they open at 8) the next morning and although the staff don’t speak any English there is already a customer ahead of me who does speak a bit. She translates that I need to go to the main Post Office, pay there and then come back here. Ok, I can do this! I head to the Main P.O and wait for about 15mins as no-ones actually serving there at Window Number 30 – the all important PO Box window. Eventually they come and I explain I need to rent a PO Box and she says “cannot” “none left” I said I need one at Post Office 3 she says “cannot” “they none left”. I quickly apply all the Buddhism teachings I’ve been reading about to remain serene and calm, this isn’t really that important, remain happy and smile at the world!!!!! Uuuuurrggghh I try to Skype with Bec on Wednesday night and although neither of us can see each other she can hear me clearly and I can hear her in spurts. Bec mostly sounds like she’s been sucking helium and gives me a great laugh even though it’s pretty frustrating for both of us. Lis rings me and we manage to talk ok and I can see her and Troy and the boys. It’s great! Hopefully I can get this thing working with Bec and everyone else, it’s going to be so good.

I have a chat to one of my work mates on Friday, who has already asked me my age, how many children I have and whether my parents are divorced. He clarifies this last by saying all Westerners get divorced, we’ll he’s got that 50% right. I asked him some questions in return, "he’s too old he says, 56", has four children and has worked at Medicam for 10 years. When I asked where he’d worked before that he said he fled from Pol Pot with his family to the Thai border for many years and didn’t return until 1992. I don’t know if anyone else can remember what they were doing in 1992 but I’m sure it wouldn’t have been anything as significant as returning to your homeland after having escaped genocide. He had a couple of other jobs before he applied for the one at Medicam and was chosen out of 40 people! No wonder he’s hung onto it for 10 years. The scariest thing is that life expectancy for Cambodian men is only 60 years of age, that having recently gone up from 56. Also, interestingly enough, I also learnt this week that Sierra Leone has the worst life expectancy – 37 years of age!!! and Japan has the best, at 81. Very excited on Friday night as I head to drinks at the Vida office where I get to meet up with the volunteers from our Pre Departure training and heaps of others. We eat cold pizza and cold chips, the catering provided by Vida and drink lovely cold, cold beer! Its stinkin hot today! We all jump into Tuk-Tuks and head off to a pub called Gasoline where there are dancers and African drummers putting on a show. We venture to a few other bars before Toby and Terri see me home in a Tuk-Tuk. I’ve been locked out by the landlords cousin and have to ring him and get him out of bed to let me in. Going to have to work on that, I feel like I’ve been naughty and stayed out too late.

I’m sitting typing this in darkness on Saturday night as the power has been out for the last 3 hours. I only have tea light candles to light my way and it could be kind of romantic if I wasn’t on my own. Very ironic though as I spent a good part of the day buying a second hand TV and DVD and was looking forward to a lazy night in, watching my pirate copy of “Slum dog Millionaire”. Instead I go out for a dinner of Pad Thai and Morning glory for $3 and go to bed early.

Sunday is a fun day. I take a Tuk-Tuk to meet Cara at the Russian market at 9 and we walk around buying bits and pieces of clothing and things for our apartments. We meet another volunteer for coffee and then head to a gym for a workout. It feels great to be getting some exercise again, especially in such a nice cool room. I decide I have to buy a cycle so I can get to the gym in the mornings before work. Sunday afternoon I pick up Mara, who I met at the Embassy, on my way to an Australian day event at the "Talking to Strangers" bar. The Tuk-Tuk driver says "yes, yes I know that hotel. But proceeds to take me ages in the wrong direction which I only realise when I think we've been going way too long and consult my map. Most Motodop and Tuk-Tuk drivers cannot read the city maps and don't understand the Street numbering system so it makes it pretty hard. But at least I'm learning quickly and can direct them to most places I want to go. The afternoon is great for meeting new people and finding out about what there is to do. It's almost a case of, you name it, they have someone already doing it, here. Yoga, touch football, Apsara dance lessons (native dance), Belly dancing, teaching English to the children who live at the Phnom Penh dump, photography courses etc, etc. And as is always the case with me, I want to experience it all and now! Mara lets me know that a hotel two mins walk from Medicam lets you use their pool for a $1us. That will help fill in the lunch hours!

Sunday night I wake up with excruciating pains in my stomach. It feels like it's on fire from the inside. Needless to say I spend most of the rest of the night sitting on the loo while throwing up in the bath simultaneously. In all my years of travelling I have never experienced food poisoning and I never want to again!! The scariest part of the experience was blacking out while sitting on the loo and waking up on the bathroom floor completey in a daze with no idea where I was. I recognised the tiles though and "thought, god I'm in Cambodia". Both my calves were knotted up with cramp and while I was struggling to get up noticed a scratch bleeding on my thigh. I can only imagine that I scratched myself when I fell as there was nothing sharp nearby. Pretty disturbing when you're on your own. I was completely shattered and had to take the day off work. I managed to eat something on Monday night and keep it down. I think boiled rice will be my friend for the next few days.

My first week in Phnom Penh

12/01/09 – 18/01/09 My first week in Phnom Penh. The butterflies that have been rampant in my stomach since getting up this morning have finally stopped as I take my seat on the plane. Mum and Dad were there to wave me off, it must have been about 30 years since that last happened and it was really nice. But now the goodbyes and strict luggage checkpoints are behind me and I’m just excited that my journey has finally begun. I’ll worry about what lies ahead of me when I get off the plane, for now I’m relaxed and ready to enjoy the flight as I have the luxury of three seats to myself! My flight from Singapore to Phnom Penh is spent observing the Cambodian father and son sitting next to me. They’re wearing matching sapphire and diamond-like rings and enjoy (very quickly) a bottle of wine each. The father gets quite merry and vocal while the poor son gets more and more flushed until I think I may have to resuscitate. The descent for me is amazing as I get to see Cambodian from the air for the first time. The sun glints off rice paddies through the haze and what looks like roads, as we get closer reveal themselves as canals. I begin to see houses on stilts and it looks just like a toy village created out of matchsticks. I’m ready to burst with anticipation and can’t get the smile off my face. My bags arrive all in one piece and for the first time I’m one of those people who has a card held up with their name written on it as Soma and driver are there to meet me. Soma briefs me enroute to the hotel while I keep an eye on the chaos that is the traffic in Phnom Penh. Massive 4x4’s, expensive looking cars, motorbikes, pushbikes, cyclos and Tuk-Tuks all jostle for position inches apart as two roads intersect with no traffic lights. The traffic comes to a stand still until eventually someone gives way and inch by inch we move again. Even though it’s dark when I get dropped off at the hotel I can’t resist going and checking out the neighbourhood. I poke my head out of the open hallway window and see a building that looks amazingly like the photos of the apartment I’m supposed to be moving into. And even more amazing, it actually is! That’s one hurdle out of the way. I only wander around for about 15 mins as I’m getting some strange looks from the locals (“crazy barang”). My first night in P.P ends to a lullaby of voices from the Tuk-Tuk drivers downstairs, not a word of which I can understand. My escorted tour of P.P starts at 9am. The city seems huge and confusing but Soma assures me it’s actually quite small. We go to Phsar Toul Tompoung known to Westerners as the Russian Market. They’ve got it all here, skinned black chickens (??) with the heads and feet still on, eel, numerous fish and any cut of meat you want, all sitting out in the open. There’s some really interesting looking vegetables, stall after stall of clothing, handbags, watches, gems, and tailors all beavering away in front of you, etc, etc. The senses are in overdrive and I already have a mental list of the Buddhist carvings I want to take home. I’m taken to a sumptuous buffet lunch and my fist Angkor beer. Then I arrange to view my new apartment. Although it’s only a one bedder, it’s massive. The previous tenant has left me a lovely welcoming message written on the wall (all the walls are tiled) and kindly donated a boxing bag, some hand weights, some books etc. Great! with my yoga mat and exercise ball I will have my own wee gym at home. Hour our In-Country-Manager briefs myself and another Volunteer on culturally differences. One of the interesting points being that Cambodians don’t like to say no and will therefore nod and agree even when they don’t. Also, the Western symbol of fingers crossed for good luck actually means to Cambodians what our middle finger raised in disgust means – have to watch that one. I’m not sure the fingers crossed thing will work back in Australia in moments of road rage. Hour also takes us out to dinner and we get to sample a chilli soup complete with fermented fish – very tasty if you didn’t think too much about what was actually involved in the whole fermenting process. Next day we get to talk to a volunteer that’s been around a while to pump him with questions. He’s a lawyer and is working on the land grab issue. It was reported last year that the government had sold off approximately 45% of the land to foreigners. Poor people get relocated with little or no compensation and have to rebuild their homes wherever they get moved to and however they can. I have some free time and manage to find a post office for stamps, a supermarket to supply me both with an iron and Vodka cruisers at $1.20 each! Then it’s off to work for a couple of hours to meet my new company of 14. I’m part of the Organisational Development team of 4, two of which they’re still recruiting and one of which is in the field. Everyone speaks English to some degree and are all extremely polite and smile constantly. I’m shown to my office that I share with one of the doctors. I have my own wooden desk complete with laptop and two in trays – that’s it! The bonus is the bathroom off our office which comes complete with bath and shower! I’m left up to my own devices so I have a look through the files on the Laptop left by my predecessor then totter off in my heels along the gravel road to find the main road and some mode of transport to get me home. Amazingly easier said than done (normally Motodops (Motorbike taxis) and Tuk-Tuk’s are at you from every direction) but not this time. I try ringing the “safe” Motodop recommended by Vida but he’s busy and cannot pick me up for over an hour. Eventually a guy on a motorbike turns up and has no idea where I want to go – his English is almost as bad as my Khmer. Another motorbike turns up and I point out on my map to both of them where it is I want to go. I’m still having no success, when another motor bike turns up and he explains to both the others for what feels like an hour how the first guy is supposed to get there. I just keep smiling at them and although I’m hoping for the best there’s no way I’m crossing my fingers. On I clamber, feeling a bit special with me heels and handbag and we’re off. I thought the traffic was bad enough from the relative safety of a car, start of peak hour on the back of a motorbike weaving and ducking and diving in between any number of different vehicles was a whole other level of chaos. All the same quite exhilarating as I can’t help but be impressed with my drivers skill and lightning speed of reaction. I book him for 7.30 the next morning and wonder if he’s actually understood a thing I’ve said as he smiles and nods and says “yes, see you” I take a walk to the Olympic Stadium where Cambodians come out to exercise. They’re either running around the stadiums concrete seats or doing aerobics on the very top platform of the Stadium where every 50metres or so massive sound systems have been set up and are pumping out anything from hip hop to local music all fighting against each other for sound space. I think I'll have to come and join them one day. I’m feeling like I’m getting my bearings in my new neighbourhood and find somewhere for a dinner of ginger chicken and Angkor beer then head home to pack ready for check-out prior to work in the morning.

I spend the whole day reading files, we all share some Jack fruit for morning tea off a tree in the Medicam grounds. I go for a wander at lunchtime and find a supermarket with Australian red wine! My lovely driver is back for me at 4pm and drops me back at the "Home View Hotel" for the last time. I haul my bags across the road and move into 27a. Then it's Friday but there's no casual days here. I attend a meeting where (thankfully) everyone speaks good English. More reading and the receptionist asks me a couple of times to do some proof reading of his English for him. I'm quietly very chuffed and feel like I've actually achieved something today.

Yeah! it's the start of the weekend and Mike (an American that's been living here for 18 months and is on the Board of Directors for Medicam) comes and picks me up for dinner. We go to the legendary Foreign Correspondence Club where photos adorn the walls from the photographer portrayed in the Killing Fields movie. It's full of foreigners (oh yeah, I'm one of those) and I relent and have pizza while we have a great view over the Tonle Sap river.

My Saturday starts with me sleeping in - my bedroom is like sleeping in a dark cave and I think I could almost snuggle up like a bear. I still have time to get ready and walk to meet Peta at the Java Cafe although in two different jandels (thongs). People don't tend to walk in P.P so I'm propositioned by Motodops etc constantly offering me a lift. But I just smile and shake my head and most of the time they just smile back at me, which is nice. I get to have my first Chai tea in P.P and it's devine. There's a great menu of western choices here and I'm not doing so well on "doing as the locals do" so far. But still, I'm thinking this may become a regular haunt for me on a Saturday morning as they have free internet and it has a comforting feel as it's a lovely old colonial building with Rattan furniture and ferns etc all around. Peta generously shares with me lots of advice and suggestions for places to go and then takes me on the back of her motorbike (this girls a pro) to go check out some drawers for the apartment. I find what I'm looking for and it's so much easier with someone who knows the language to do the haggling and to organise the delivery of my goods and me home - see photo above.

I spend the rest of the day cleaning the apartment, (it has 2 months build up of dust in it - this sure is a dusty place in the dry season) and trying to make it feel like home. There's no gas for the cooker so I end up having pot noodles for dinner 'cause luckily there's a jug, and drink my red wine which is a little on the sweet side. I sleep like a log as I must be learning to ignore the tiny yappy "guard dog" from downstairs. He's blind poor thing but he sure doesn't miss a beat, I can't make a move out of my place without his vocal cords being engaged at full throttle. Mike picks me up late on Sunday morning and takes me looking/shopping for a TV and DVD player. I come home with a rice cooker and hand weights. I can't believe all the stuff you can buy here - just about everything you could want from home. Some things are expensive though, a 500ml bottle of olive oil cost me $8US. It's a great day being chauffeured around and we go to a lovely French cafe where the food is (again) not Khmer but very good (the baguettes are to die for) and full of French people. I take my laundry into a place around the corner for $1 a kilo and back the next day then clean some more, decorate some more and then try out the new rice cooker. Unfortunately the instructions are in some foreign language so it could be a bit of trial and error for a while. And so there ends my first week, pretty much settled into my new home and quickly finding my feet. Looking forward to what lies ahead of me at work and a trip to the Australian Embassy tomorrow, to let them know I'm here, I think. They have drinks every Friday night but this Friday I'll be going to the Vida drinks to meet some of the other Vida's and Ayads.