Last night was another it-is-too-humid-to-sleep-night, until 2.30am when it began to storm! This morning is cool and dark and wet. The market was very muddy this morning.
An artist in Sydney has blogged (her own pictures and thoughts) about her experience serving homeless people in Australia :Homeless people floating between harsh reality and sweet fantasy,
Friday, March 26, 2010
Thursday, March 25, 2010
About Cambodia
Of course there is heaps on the net about Cambodia, here are a few sites that might be useful and interesting:
Cambodian Culture
This one always come up when I do a google search for something about Cambodian culture- it has lots of photos and short simple explanations for things in our everyday life. Exploring this site will give you a feel for what it is like to live here, though expats eyes.
CIA factbook on Cambodia
NEWS
The News in photos- John Vink
Phnom Penh Post
Daily news paper
KI Media
Dedicated to publishing sensitive information about Cambodia
Air Asia- budget airline
Cambodian Culture
This one always come up when I do a google search for something about Cambodian culture- it has lots of photos and short simple explanations for things in our everyday life. Exploring this site will give you a feel for what it is like to live here, though expats eyes.
CIA factbook on Cambodia
NEWS
The News in photos- John Vink
Phnom Penh Post
Daily news paper
KI Media
Dedicated to publishing sensitive information about Cambodia
Air Asia- budget airline
Kimsoeun and a group of friends spent the other day at the hospital. One friends father is sick, and another friend's aunty is sick, as well as someone from a friends home church. Actually the father was sent home from hospital last weekend as there was nothing more they could do for him, so it sounded like he doesn't have long to live. If he had more money he could go to Vietnam or Thai for treatment. Anyway he's back in a Phnom Penh hospital now. The aunty doesn't want to be there, she is hoping to find someone to take her back to her province.
In other news, we have finished writing a 2 page thing about our future plans. We have been working on something for almost a year now, and it's got to the stage we can write something that sums it all up. Plus we made a new prayer card- we started working on that a few months ago, I was hoping to send it out in Nov, but it's a little late. First we had to take a photo that we both looked normal in, then we had to find a photo shop that prints clear enough photos. I went to at least 5 before we found an OK one.
It is so hot and humid! Hard to sleep and hard to work! Drinking lots.
In other news, we have finished writing a 2 page thing about our future plans. We have been working on something for almost a year now, and it's got to the stage we can write something that sums it all up. Plus we made a new prayer card- we started working on that a few months ago, I was hoping to send it out in Nov, but it's a little late. First we had to take a photo that we both looked normal in, then we had to find a photo shop that prints clear enough photos. I went to at least 5 before we found an OK one.
It is so hot and humid! Hard to sleep and hard to work! Drinking lots.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Culture shock
There's lots of differences between Australia and Cambodia. Some things like the fact that Australian cities have parks and other outdoor spaces people can use and Cambodians ones don't. The people look different, the food is different- one Aussie wrote on her blog about what it is like to be an Aussie living in Phnom Penh. I keep meaning to, but she's done such a good job for now you might like to read her thoughts.
You can read a bit of it here, and a bit more here:
Talk about a change of scenery! From civilised afternoon drinks in our lush garden in inner-western Sydney, I found myself back in an airport where the electricity kept cutting out, experiencing that sensation of sweat dripping down your back within two minutes of stepping outside, and taking in the whiff of 'the black lake' (i.e. the open sewer around the corner from home) as the tuk tuk made its way through the crazy traffic home.
The last time I went to stay with a family in the province I noticed I was stressed about different things than in the past. When I first started visiting I felt disorientated as their house is quite different from anything I've ever lived in.
I don't know how to do things. For example, there are no sinks. So where do I clean my teeth, and where do they wash the dishes?
I guess I'm used to cleaning my teeth there now, and I can understand more of what people are saying, so those original stresses aren't so stressful.
After a recent visit I realised the stressful thing was that I have such different assumptions/ views etc.
Somethings I have grown up thinking are wrong- they do without thinking.
Things they assume are beautiful are actually really ugly to me.
Things that are normal to them are totally foreign to me.
In all these things they have no idea (as far as I'm aware) that I see things a different way, or even that there is a different way to see things. If they knew how I saw them I think they would be embarrassed. Which probably means that the way I live/act/thing is strange to them, so there must be things I do that they think are weird/wrong etc, and I'm not even aware.
There have been occasions when friends have pointed things out to me, but unless I have a friend to tell me I wouldn't know.
In year 11 and 12 I did a subject called "Society and Culture". I often think about what I learnt in that class "different, not wrong". It's helpful as I sometimes find myself wanting to tell people they are wrong!
I'm still not used to seeing people drop rubbish on the ground so often, so casually, so unashamedly.
You can read a bit of it here, and a bit more here:
Talk about a change of scenery! From civilised afternoon drinks in our lush garden in inner-western Sydney, I found myself back in an airport where the electricity kept cutting out, experiencing that sensation of sweat dripping down your back within two minutes of stepping outside, and taking in the whiff of 'the black lake' (i.e. the open sewer around the corner from home) as the tuk tuk made its way through the crazy traffic home.
The last time I went to stay with a family in the province I noticed I was stressed about different things than in the past. When I first started visiting I felt disorientated as their house is quite different from anything I've ever lived in.
I don't know how to do things. For example, there are no sinks. So where do I clean my teeth, and where do they wash the dishes?
I guess I'm used to cleaning my teeth there now, and I can understand more of what people are saying, so those original stresses aren't so stressful.
After a recent visit I realised the stressful thing was that I have such different assumptions/ views etc.
Somethings I have grown up thinking are wrong- they do without thinking.
Things they assume are beautiful are actually really ugly to me.
Things that are normal to them are totally foreign to me.
In all these things they have no idea (as far as I'm aware) that I see things a different way, or even that there is a different way to see things. If they knew how I saw them I think they would be embarrassed. Which probably means that the way I live/act/thing is strange to them, so there must be things I do that they think are weird/wrong etc, and I'm not even aware.
There have been occasions when friends have pointed things out to me, but unless I have a friend to tell me I wouldn't know.
In year 11 and 12 I did a subject called "Society and Culture". I often think about what I learnt in that class "different, not wrong". It's helpful as I sometimes find myself wanting to tell people they are wrong!
I'm still not used to seeing people drop rubbish on the ground so often, so casually, so unashamedly.
Sunday, March 14, 2010
sparkle, noise, food
Some sparkle......
...a big tent...
..some changes of clothes...
...some noise...
...and some food.
When there are too many empty cans on the table, just start throwing the rubbish on the floor.
There are heaps of weddings on these days!
Tuesday, March 09, 2010
Bad news and a nice photo
We have a friend who was worried her house was going to burn down last night. We found out this morning her family's house is ok, but not everyone was so lucky.
Residents living near Wat Neakawoan Pagoda, located in Boeung Kak 2 commune, Tuol Kok district, Phnom Penh city, were victimized by a major blaze that destroyed their homes and belongings. The blaze also destroyed a number of housings for monks in Wat Neakawoan Pagoda as well. (click to read full)
Today I also found out one of the sick people we visited in Mondulkiri died on Saturday. She's the one I mentioned at the end of my last one, who lived in the house I took a photo of.
On our last night in Mondulkiri we stayed in the town (rather than in the village we had been in previous few nights). It was nice and green and quiet, as you can see from this photo.
Residents living near Wat Neakawoan Pagoda, located in Boeung Kak 2 commune, Tuol Kok district, Phnom Penh city, were victimized by a major blaze that destroyed their homes and belongings. The blaze also destroyed a number of housings for monks in Wat Neakawoan Pagoda as well. (click to read full)
Today I also found out one of the sick people we visited in Mondulkiri died on Saturday. She's the one I mentioned at the end of my last one, who lived in the house I took a photo of.
On our last night in Mondulkiri we stayed in the town (rather than in the village we had been in previous few nights). It was nice and green and quiet, as you can see from this photo.
Saturday, March 06, 2010
Cross culture for Bible school students
It was funny for me to see nine Cambodians walking around a village in Cambodia acting like visitors from another country- taking photos, staring and pointing, trying to the greeting in the local language.
I tagged along with a Bible school group on their annual mission trip. Although we were still in Cambodia we were visiting a hill tribe/ethnic minority group called the Pnong.
I saw some people greet each other by shaking hands, instead of the usual greeting where people put their hands together as if they are praying. I thought they looked strange, maybe they were really good friends and it was a special thing the two of them did. But then I saw heaps of people doing it, that's how Pnong greet each other!
The Bible school team I was with was working with this church. I think the services are usually in Pnong language but many people can understand Khmer as well so the team were able to run programs.
The group knows Khmer person who has lived and worked here, and knows some Pnong, so it was through her that we got to know these people.
When we first got there we went for a walk around the village. People came running out to greet us, and we ended up visiting people and praying for them. We couldn't understand the language so sometimes we had to wait for it to be translated into Khmer. That was a weird for me, as I'm used to waiting for the English translation so I can understand, but in this case it was the Khmer that I could understand!
In this house there was a lady who was really sick, and had been for ages. Her husband has taken her to a few different hospitals in Cambodia, and has been to Vietnam too. She can''t move, speak, etc.
I tagged along with a Bible school group on their annual mission trip. Although we were still in Cambodia we were visiting a hill tribe/ethnic minority group called the Pnong.
I saw some people greet each other by shaking hands, instead of the usual greeting where people put their hands together as if they are praying. I thought they looked strange, maybe they were really good friends and it was a special thing the two of them did. But then I saw heaps of people doing it, that's how Pnong greet each other!
The Bible school team I was with was working with this church. I think the services are usually in Pnong language but many people can understand Khmer as well so the team were able to run programs.
The group knows Khmer person who has lived and worked here, and knows some Pnong, so it was through her that we got to know these people.
When we first got there we went for a walk around the village. People came running out to greet us, and we ended up visiting people and praying for them. We couldn't understand the language so sometimes we had to wait for it to be translated into Khmer. That was a weird for me, as I'm used to waiting for the English translation so I can understand, but in this case it was the Khmer that I could understand!
In this house there was a lady who was really sick, and had been for ages. Her husband has taken her to a few different hospitals in Cambodia, and has been to Vietnam too. She can''t move, speak, etc.
House we stayed in
We stayed in the pastors house, Kimsoeun and I had our own bedroom and his 8 students slept on floor jus near our room. Here is what we saw out our bedroom window and door.
And here is where the students slept.
And here is where the students slept.
Coffee and rice
Last week we went to visit an ethnic minority group in a province near Vietnam. They grow coffee in the area so they drink it too!
There were so many people in the house we ate each meal with about 20 or more people. They needed six mats to fit us all!
Below is a photo of breakfast.
On the left is some dried fish, at the front is a preserved radish like veggie (its called white carrot in Chinese cos that's what it look like when it's fresh). The white stuff is rice porridge. You might also be able to see a bowl of rice, and a bowl of kimchi. The kimchi isn't local to that area- we brought it with us (KS made it at home, he learnt from a Korean friend).
Not really my favourite breakfast! I've gotton used to eating pork, pickled veggies and rice.
This meal must have been a lunch or dinner.
There were so many people in the house we ate each meal with about 20 or more people. They needed six mats to fit us all!
Below is a photo of breakfast.
On the left is some dried fish, at the front is a preserved radish like veggie (its called white carrot in Chinese cos that's what it look like when it's fresh). The white stuff is rice porridge. You might also be able to see a bowl of rice, and a bowl of kimchi. The kimchi isn't local to that area- we brought it with us (KS made it at home, he learnt from a Korean friend).
Not really my favourite breakfast! I've gotton used to eating pork, pickled veggies and rice.
This meal must have been a lunch or dinner.
Tuesday, March 02, 2010
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