here I am.

view from Helens veranda

The Taxi picked me up from the VSO office on Saturday at 4:00 am and off we were. Usually the taxi is packed, 3 in the front and 4 at the back. But Hor ( who I travelled with and whom I working with closely in Stung Treng) booked 2 seats for each of us, so we were comfortable.
I know now, why they recommend to take sport-bras with you though. The driver shot over bumpy streets and there are big holes on the way. Fortunately I didn’t see all the rather risky overtakings he did, because I was quite tired and slept a little bit on the way. The aircon was on all the time and it was really cold. But I was prepared and had my fleece and a scarf with me.
On the way half way up, the street was very muddy but the driver managed well and so we slipped ahead.
I also had my first rice dish for breakfast at 6:00 am. It was rather nice. Rice with ginger and frighed chicken and soup. I just watched how the other were eating it. They usually don’t use chopsticks. They have in the left hand the fork, right the spoon and with the fork they shift the food onto the spoon and that goes into the mouth.

We arrived in ST around 11:00. Helen was there and she introduced me to her lovely house.

I think, it is stunning.

Helens house

more green

Helens house from one side

me, Helen and Kahn

We then had a little tour by feet to the market and to the internet café. In the evening we went to a little food place just right next to Helens house and we had something local.

On Sunday, Hor picked me up on his motorbike at 8:00 and we made a tour through Stung Treng. We went to the bridge and he showed me the RTC and where to go to pay the bills, the other Hospitals and Healthcenters, Kathys house

Hor, the lovele Provincial Programme Officer

Hor and me on bridge to Laos

The afternoon and evening I felt quite low and depressed and I was asking myself, what am I doing here. I suppose that is the first stage of adapting. I also felt quite homesick and I really taught, if the next day is not better, I’m going back to England.

I got distructed by Helen, who told my that she invited all the other volunteers from ST to welcome me and she cooked a lovely cambodian curry from a cambodian cookbook. Not all people could come, but it was a nice little round.

Hor, Helen, Yvick, Louisa and Joelle

Helen, Hor, Yvick, Louisa, Joelle and me

Monday

RTC front

the RTC

first working day

Then Dr. Tat Souann and Mrs. Say Sophanny talked about the secondary midwifery course (ADM), which is associated degree in midwifery. The key point I got out of it was, that they have far too litte midwifes in Stung Treng Province. So apparently there are 3 midwifes only for 1000 patients. Also, there are no perceptor around at the moment. And if you do the ADM for 3 years, it is also difficult to practise in delivering a baby. The reason for this is, that each midwife gets 40.000 Riel extra payed when she did a safe delivery in a Referral-hospital. 60.000 Riel when Baby delivered safley in a Health-Centre. So the midwife of course doesn’t want to miss out on this bonus money and delivers the baby herself, rather then involving the student nurse.
Then Dr. Tat Souann talked about strengh and weaknesses of the preceptorship programme during the student placement. We would say to mentorship programme in England. Some Preceptors are not aware of the clinical Lookbook with all nursing procedures. They sometimes don’t know about the existence of certain procedures so they can’t practise them on the ward with the Student nurse. Also they mentioned the lack of resources and little motivation. They don’t have always time for their student and can’t give any feedback.
Apparently a perceptor gets $15 from VSO and 32.0000 Riel from the government per month to take on the responsibility. So they discussed that and then we had lunch.
For lunch, I met Joelle who gave me her bike. Joelle is from Switzerland, infact she is from Lousanne! She is very friendly and easy going and she also speaks German, so that is nice for me. She works here for 3 months already and works for an NGO. She introduced me to the marketfood. It was ok. We had rice with meat and lots of intestines in it. I can understand, why lots of people become vegetarin here.
Unfortunately her placement finishes next month, but she wants to cycle with me to the Mekong blue, the local silk factory.
Hor then picked me up again from home and we were off again to the RTC at 14:00 to continue with the workshop. People then had to put onto a flipchart challenges they experience during clinical placements in the Refferal Hospital (RH). Because there were Preceptors from nearly all 6 Provinces from Stung Treng, they did that for each province. Somehow I put inot my diary automatically some idears already about possible improvements, so that when suddently all heads turned to me, I was prepared. Preceptors have to face a lot of challenges, I won’t bother you now with details, it would be too long. So after their presentation and the group discussion, they wanted to hear from me some idears to contribute on improvement on those challenges.
I suggested through Hor, that Preceptors could let the student nurses shadow them at whatever they do, whenever they are too busy to teach them. Also I suggested to them to try and encourage their colleagues to take on the role of a Preceptor. Then I said that it is also useful not only to have an evaluation about the student nurse, but also to give the student a way to evaluate and feedback the Perceptor with an Evaluation form.
I could see that everybody looked blank and not interested. But then Dr. Tat Souann said the first two points, they do already but the third on was good and that they might pick up on it. Then the Vize director (don’t know his name, only found out about him afterwards) said, that he really liked the idear of an evaluation form for the student about the Perceptor and that he will forward it to the Ministry of Health and that I could think about a draft already until the next meeting in 6 month!
I didn’t know what to say. It isn’t even my idear. That is what we do in England all the time and I’m so pleased that I went onto this mentorship course there and that I had all the experiences with my student nurses and so on.
Then Hor and me tried to call some of the applicants for the VA job, there are 4 now and the interviews are on Wednesday.

Perceptor workshop at the end

When I looked into one of the student classes today, I felt really happy. Mostly female student nurses, all very young looking but apparently all older then 18, they had little white aprons on ( like a school uniform) and around 25 in one room, practising something. They sat in small groups and in one group a girl was standing and practising how to put on sterile gloves. The others were watching and had to say something, when they saw a mistake. It was just so lovely to watch and I felt happy.
Also I have the sense that the people in the RTC really care and that they want to improve things. I think, Kathy had a deep impact on this, and she can be proud of herself. Hor is just amazing. He never had anything to do with nursing and translates now all those difficult words. He was an English teacher before and works with VSO now for more then 2 years and is the Provincial Programme Officer, I work closely together. He is so bright and dedicated and gives so much. I think, I can really rely on him.
So my hopelessness from yesterday has flipped over to beeing motivated and more happy.

Sunset over Mekong

Then Channa and me went to the Bank to open a bank account for both of us. Unfortunately on the copies of my letters ( that I work with VSO and in the RTC), they didn’t spell my first name right. Instead of Katja they wrote Katya. So I need to get it changed on the letters and try again tomorrow. Also there were fiddeling with my passport and couldn’t work out if it is a real document or not, because it is a German passport, mostly in German. So when they pointed at the word: Bundesrepublik, they asked me: Budda? Budda?
Channa succeded in opening his first bank account. He told me, that no one in his family got one, so he still can’t pass money on to his family via bank transfer. He still has to give it to somebody else, because his family lives in another provinz. But he seemed happy. He has to be there for me for 2 days and a half per week and earns $105 per month. I learned today, that in Stung Treng RH a nurse working fulltime earns $30 per month.

Helen

Then we saw other wards, not big ones. Maybe with max 10 patients. There is also one nurse there for mental health problems. Seltil asked me what drugs we give to patients in the UK to patients with mental illnesses. I said to him that there is a variety we use. He said they have there only a choice of 3, everything else is too expensive.
We went to see a ward with patients who have HIV, and then I asked about the nursing documentation. He showed me a few papers hold together with a paperclip and said, that’s what they do. He explained that it is very poor documentation and he is unhappy about it but can’t do anything about it. People are not motivated enough to do their best they can I suppose and nobody is checking anyway.
The Maternity ward is together with the Eye clinic. I’ve seen the small room were women deliver their babys on a wooden birthchair and just next to it are the women, who have diliverd. Usually they have to stay for 3 days in hospital before they go home. So they must hear everything each time from the delivery room.

There is a british aid organisation called: CRY, who gave money last year to build a women waiting house at the RH. Shortly before women are about to deliver, they go there. It is really nice. But already the fans are broken and the bathroom is blocked. VSO supported this project also, but now, I think they stopped supporting. And that is a big problem.

A big dark wooden house we didn’t go in was for TB patients. Then I’ve seen a small surgical ward and we went into a small theatre, were a man just had an operation on his arm. Seltil told me that in his free time, he’s doing anaeshetic work as well, because he is a Anaesthesist. Next to that building there is a big new building to come. A new big surgical and maternity ward. Finished maybe next year?

We’ve been to the Drug store building, were nurses get their drugsupply for the day from. Infusions on the floor, lots of loose paperwork around and two people behind big desks.
Then we went to the Childrens ward. There were swings out of steel, making an awful noise and a steel slide ( can imagine that that gets really hot in the sun) infront of it. Sponsord by an aid organisation. There weren’t many children around. One young very thin boy had a drip, he had malnutrition.They score the people with a Nutritional scoring system. I also saw Delia, who is from VSO and works there as the Nutrition Advisor.

I was really greatful for having the opportunity of seeing at least a small part of the Health System. I didn’t see really critical ill patients or something really shocking.
I’ve seen a women, cutting gauze and folding it into little squares. I then asked about sterilasation, and the have good machines for that. But otherwise I have the impression that nurses there just do the absolut minimum. I’ve seen no handdesinfection or soap, bearly sinks to wash hands, I haven’t sen one nurse having actual contact with the patient. So when there are student nurses around, I can imagine, that they can practise certain skills, but that it is also difficult to keep up the standards, they learned in the RTC.
When I was about to go, I noticed, that my sunglasses I left on the Chief Nurses desk were gone. Stolen. I’m over it now.

a temple in ST

In the afternoon we had VA interview. 3 out of 4 turned up. Hor first gave them 15 min time to translate a medical text (in writing) and then we asked them questions.
Somehow all three wanted the job so desperatly and it was really difficult to decide for me. But then I thought I just have to take the one with the best English skills. And at the end I decided for Channa.
He is 26 years old and works also as an English teacher in a local school. He is quiet, but I think that with the time, he’ll gain more confidence. I hope that we can also teach each other. He Khmei to me, Me Denglish to him. He is very shy and I hope that he’ll still tell me, when I’m wrong and so on.

Helens kitchen utensils

Helens kitchen with 'compost-window'

A glance from the back in Helens house

my room in Helens house

basket anybody?

Hor went to Phnom Penh yesterday morning to attend to a meeting in the afternoon in the office there and he’ll be back on Sunday evening.

So I had a day with Channa in the RTC office. In the mornig I tried to write a report for Kadoorie about the Workshop.

I also gave Channa something to read from the office, now I know where stuff is after giving it a good clean yesterday.

ST view

At 16:00 we had a meeting with the director of the RTC and he still makes a very nice impression to me. So does the vize director. He invited all staff I’ll work closley with and I had to introduce myself and then they did. With most of them I sit very closely. And most of the time they ignore me. But in that meeting they purred the nicest words ever over me.
I prepared some questions and Channa did a good job in translating.

After work I wanted to meet with Delia in the Mekon Blue café, but then she said there was no connection today.
Instead we cycled to her house and had a chat. I met there Stinky, Kathys cat. Delia has her now and she is really cute. I can have her, Delia said when she goes. I’m looking forward to that. I think a pet can really make a difference.

Delia asked me if I wanted to have a cleaning lady, she and Helen have one. I need to be careful what I say now, because in England I was so against having a cleaner at home and fought many fights.

road in ST

ST wildlife

I want a cat! They were at Joelles house.

After seeing Joelle, we wondered over the small market, apparently it is cheaper there. It was an amazing experience.Lots of fresh veg and fruit I’ve never seen before. Also they sold little ducklings there and exotic fish.

want any bananas, or ducklings?

little duckling, wonder what to do with them?

At lunchtime Kahn came and he gave us first a lesson in Khmei and then Helen taught him about tendons and ligaments. She is just amazing. Today I thought how lucky I am to be with her, livingwise. Although she is 65, she is so fit and bright and so wise. She starts to struggle with her memory and sometimes I hear storys twice, but I don’t mind. She is also a great cook. Yesterday she made Jackfruit jam, today she made Spagetti sauce with beef, she makes a real effort. So I’m not as thin as I thought I would be at this stage. She keeps me chubby.

at the market

I will make my famous Thai curry tonight for me, Helen and Delia. Vegetarien though. Delia is a veggi, and I just can’t bear the thought of buying meat from the market. Maybe one day…

what a green view

me, the washing machine

Tomorrow I hope I’ll have a lazy day with no plans. I hope everybody is well over there. You can e-mail me too!

Just a few impressions of my new house!

my house to be

my house to be

view from my new house

coconut palmes at the front

I have hair!

the Mekong river with bridge to Laos

Street in PP with amazing trees

Street Sothearos

I then met Laura for dinner. She picked me up from the office and we cycled to Frizz. A Khmer-Restaurant, where they also offer cooking classes.
While we were looking at the menu, I felt something on my shoulder and I jumped up, nearly screamed loud, because I thought it was a big spider! But then it was only a giant beatle. Maybe a coqurouch ( how do I spell that)? We couldn’t decide.
I then ordered fresh coconut juice and a local fish dish, and Laura took lemon juice and fish curry. The food was really nice.

Laura and me, not the beatle!

Independence monument

We want to meet again tomorrow probably to go to the famous russian market.

After the dinner, I went again to Metha- House, following the invitation from Claire and Helen. Both of them are VSO volunteers and a couple, as I found out later. Also they help to organise the Gay – Pride here in PP. So I went there and a transexual surviver of Pol Pot times was just there, answering some questions from the crowd.
Then we saw the film “Fire”. An Indian movie about two lesbian women. It was quite nice.
I then went home and kept chatting to Noel (who has nearly completely recoverd from her Dengue fever) and Eric, the volunteer from Kenya. Because of their religion, Homosexuality is a big tabu in both of their countries and they can’t understand how it can work. I couldn’t believe it when they told me of how many volunteers are actual gay. (They are real gossip pockets)So many!

Noel, Eric and me at VSO office

Thursday today.
My day startet with 4 lessons of Khmei, as they say here. Afterwards I went to the market and found potatoes! So I had for lunch some fried noodles with potatoes and pies. Then I cycled up to Laura’s flat and to go together to the russian market. She lives in a very nice area. It’s also called BKK1 ( Boeung Keng Kang 1) and the city’s ‘foreigener quarter’ since the 1980s. The area is base to many NGO’s, embassies and international organisations and now also hotels, restaurants, bars, massage spas and so on. I even spotted ‘Save the children’ s office there.
The russian market was far less architectural interesting then the Central market but had a larger and more varied selection of souveniers, clothes, DVD’s and music and fruit and veg. I bought a little handfan? ( Faecher), a rain coat (v. thin layer of plastic), apples, batteries, 2 CD’s ( Mika and the new one from Manu Chau Doerti!) and something for my nieces ( you’ll see!). Laura bought bathroom hooks and DVD’s. They had the newest selection of films there.

typical streetscene

I couldn't get enough

impressive beads

Then I discovered a shop called simpley: chocolate. I hadn’t eaten any chocolate since I’m here, except some on the first night, the one I got from Pam. So I had a Brownie, 2 Trueffels and a chocolate milkshake. I felt really dekadent. But also I know that soon, once I’m in Stung Treng, I won’t have that luxary any more.

nice weather in Cambodia

So tonight, I’m sharing my room with Helen. She had a few days off and traveled around Cambodia before going back to Stung Treng tomorrow. It is good to see her again before I arrive. She went shopping here and takes with her cheese, peanut butter, porridge, brown rice, raisans. I can’t buy it there. So I went also the the supermarket to get some of those items. I probably can survive without cheese. I know you couldn’t, Carmi…

at the royal palace

I’ll stay with Helen, until my house is sorted out. Will see what happens once I’m there.
Helen is very pleasant and I’m glad that I have met her and that she offered me her hospitality.
Actually evey volunteer is really nice and helpful. It makes such a difference. Especially for me, arriving out of cycle, not knowing anybody and anything. I hope, I can be helpful one day for somebody in my situation.

Tomorrw, I’ll have again language all morning. Before that, I want to get up early and see, how the locals do exercise in the park.
Apparently they start already at 5 am, rush to the little park area in their pyjamas and do Thai Chie like exersises. I want to be tourist and picture it.

people come here v. early in the mornig to do exercises

Then I’ll meet Sohklang at 1pm to talk about my journey on Saturday. He goes with me, because he works also at the RTC ( regional training centre). Very nice guy.

I also need to take with me a first aid kit/bag and a waterfilter-system and a moskito-net. VSO provides all that.

After meeting him, I thought I go and chill out at a pool, Laura recommended to me. Then I need to pack my stuff together and get ready for the long journey to Stung Treng. Kathy thinks it’ll take up to 9 hours. Apparently the bus stops twice at a food place on the way.

Generally I’m feeling fine, apart from heavy homesickness now and then. Sometimes I could cry just out of the blue, when I think about home. And I have a few homes now. But then I think, gosh, I am here now for more then 1 week already, how did I manage that? I’m certainly still in the adaptation process. And that can take a while.

What I noticed was, that I’ve never seen people beeing angry or shouting at children. Also the fathers are so much involved with the children, it really amazed me. And that might be the reason, why Cambodians are generally very friendly, warm and patient. Of course, there are exceptions. But that was my impression.

So, more Goodnight stories from me most likely from Stung Treng next week!
Hope, it’s not too booring or to long. Please give me feedback, doing this for the first time!

Lots of Love! Thinking of you!

Chaktomuk Theatre

written by  katja-horsch on May 15, 2009 from Phnom Penh, Cambodia
from the travel blog: Wednesday until Friday (13-15.05.2009)
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just a quick few words, because I really urgently need a pee!

Wat Botum

So, tomorrow I'm going to Stung Treng by Taxi now. Hau was deciding it is quicker and I would have more time to relax afterwards.

picture for my oncle Rainer

They'll pick me up at 4:00 in the morning and estimated arrival time will be before lunchtime.

aquivalent to Berlins "Treptower Park"

Will update you next from Stung Treng!

in the park

Have packing to do now and more postcard- writing...

x Katja

in front of the Cambodian Vietnam Monument

Is the royal Bull hungry?

the march in

the king on the way to the ceremony

The queen looks comfortable to me

at the ceremony

aren't they beautiful?

Then the Royals stood up and marched around the circle, the king was ploughing

the king loughs the park

the queen follows her husband throwing something

rain is on it's way

easy tiger!

isn't he a beautiful bull?

not quite sure but I think they choose grain

Then I had the most perculiar doctor visit ever. Songklong gave me a lift and it was a very modern and clean praxis, where you have to take your shoes off before you enter, with a Russian female doctor called Ludmila.
I’m used from the UK, you say what you have and then they prescribe and then you are out after max 10 min.
At the beginning, she was asking me lots of personal questions, also the reason why I came to Cambodia. Then she gave me a monologue over 25 minutes about Cambodia and what I could get. For me she described the really worst case scenarios, but I can imagine, that people there only go to see a doctor when they are already half dead.
She then came closer and closer and asked me again about me reason for coming. She wanted to know from what I’m running away. I explained again my reasons. She then talked me through the first aid kit and how and when to use meds.Then she asked me again and I couldn’t believe it. If I would have some heartache and wanted to leave and so on. I then asked her why she was keep asking me and her reply was, that she wanted to know how my emotional status was. Weird.
Then she gave me advice about how to carry my bag to keep it away from thiefs and then she grabbed my foot and put it on her leg and said: you have a red mark there.
Well, I have red marks all over my feet, she inspected it very closley but then couldn’t find something.
After all that, she advised me to start Doxycycline before I enter Stung Treng although it is a low risk area and to stop my contraception pill after she asked everything about my relationship.
She was very nice but really weird. After 1 hour, she did let me out off her praxis.
I have to go back in September/Oktober to have another Vaccination. So she said, she’s looking forward to see me then. Me too!

On the way back I had some fried rice with veg and prawns in a local restaurant for 8000 Riel.

Then I had another 3 hours language training with Dara. It is great. I learned a few vocabularies and I can have a little conversation now. I’m still very very slow, but I have the feeling if I practice, it might be ok. So I feel motivated.

Believe it or not, tomorrow I have Language for 2 hours in the morning and then 3 hours in the afternoon! Gosh. I tried to persuade Dara to take it easy tomorrow.
He is lovely and a good teacher.

I think I’ll go early to bed tonight. Will update again on Friday, before I go up to Stung Treng.

Will meet Laura tomorrow for dinner. Don’t know where she is based and what she does, but she is also a VSO volunteer and she gave me her number so we meet.

It is hot hot hot here. I wonder how weather in England is. I hope bad : )

haven't tryed that yet, I think it's salted fruit

written by  katja-horsch on May 12, 2009 from Phnom Penh, Cambodia
from the travel blog: Tuesday
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Here in Cambodia, everybody gets up early and people usually start work around 7:30/ 8:00. Because of the cool weather in the morning. Then they have a lunchbreak from 12:00 until 14:00. Usually they have lunch and afterwards a nap. This nap is ether on their workdesk with forehead on arms or on the little benches in the waiting area. Then they continue with work until 17:00.

Cambodian building style

My second meeting was with Pich Bunthoeun, who explained to me for an hour about cultural do’s and don’ts. Very useful. I learned how to fold my hands properly and how to behave in a temple with buddas. He also told me what not to do when invited to a Khmer family, wedding and funeral. A funeral lasts more then 100 days in Cambodia!

Then I met the Finance Manager Sam and she introduced me to the neverending paperwork and receipts and moneybuissness. Including Emergency dentist treatment. And I found out that Borat is a very important man in this office!

I then met Teang Kamonn who was advised to talk to me about Funding but I didn’t understand him, bless him. We both tried hard, but at the end I think we both were hungry and ready for lunch.

For lunch I had an appointment with Dr. Phil. UUUhhh. He is one of the ‘Safe Motherhood Advisors’ in PP, a retired (!) GP from the UK. Very nice and intelligent man, who wanted to tell me more about the Health Situation in Cambodia. With us came Susan, she is a ‘Maternal and Child Health Advisor’. She is from New Zealand and has the funniest accent ever. They both started last year together.
I was really keen to have some sticky coconut rice, served in a bamboo basket as Shane was so highly recommending, but so far no luck. So I had a delicous fish soup instead.

After lunch, I washed some clothes. There is a washing machine downstairs and the washing was dry so quickly.

Then at 14:00 I met my new friend. Dara. He provides language training. I have one to one sessions because I think they don’t know quite what to do with me. But they try hard and I have the feeling, slowly they open more up.

Anyway, let me cry on your shoulder,every day now for 3 hours I have to concentrate hard and learn, until Saturday. Then I will go up to Stung Treng with Seanhgor, who I met briefly today in between.
I asked Dara how I was doing at the end of the 3 sessions and he said, I’m in the top group. That was reassuring. And I even learned some Khmer. Shall I bore you? Scroll further down for more interesting stuff. Here is what I can say without looking.

I work in Stung Treng. Is:

Knyom twirlcar no Stung Treng.

She doesn’t like to eat bread but likes rice. Is:

Quot ot cholchet njam numbung tej pontai cholchet bay.

I think. Don’t look at how it’s written. It’s totally wrong written. It’s just how I speak it out. I really would like to learn it now. So I have to go through notes one more time.

What else to bore you with?
After that exiting day today, I fell asleep on my bed going through my notes. A loud knock woke me up and two volunteers I didn’t know then asked me, if I wanted to come to see a film tonight at 7 pm in Meta-house. They were taking part in organising the Phnom Penh Gay and Lesbian Pride 2009. And the film was ‘Milk’. So I said yes ( because I like the actor Sean Penn) and after having had a quick mango, I cycled to the place.

at Meta-House

Tomorrow starts the puplic holiday. I’ll get up early because I don’t want to miss the ploughing festival with the forcast from the Royal Ox.

I also will see the VSO doctor tomorrow to have a look through my vaccinations and so on. I better not mention, that I haven’t started to take my Malaria tablets yet. I just think, they have so many side effects and make you resistant at some point. Why to take them if I can get Malaria anyway and then take even more and higher doses of Antibiotics because I might be resistant already then. And here in PP is no danger of getting Malaria.
If you don’t hear anything from me for 7 to 14 days, then I’ll be very sick with Dengue fever. Every third volunteer had it so far and I’m sure, I’ll get it as well at some point. One even had Typhus. But none had ever Malaria.

If you want to send presents, then I would apprichiate Anti-Mosquito lotion/spray.
Otherwise I hope you are all well. It’s great that I can share my experiences with you.

written by  katja-horsch on May 11, 2009 from Phnom Penh, Cambodia
from the travel blog: Monday, the 11th of May
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two monchs on the street

When I returned, I saw Alice who told me, that there was a Volunteer Farewell Party in the China House. She drew me instructions and showed me on the map and after Noel and me had dinner together, I headed off. It took me around 25 minutes and I cycled through really rual areas in the dark. There was rubbish on the streets, mouldy fruit and veg and little girls standing on the streets, presenting themselfes to the moto and cardrivers. Then I finally found it and I stayed for an hour or so, horrified aboud the way back. Also I didn’t know anybody ecxept Alice. It was a mixed bunch of people, all nearly finished with their placement in Cambodia. On women found another female volunteer on her placement and they both got married not long ago. I also met Helen, an elderly lady, who also works in Stung Treng, and she offered me to live with her until I have found something on my own. She seems to be very kind and easy going.
The way back was ok, just got a bit scary because the Cambodians are in a celebrating mood at the moment because of King Sihanouk’s birthday and the Bonn Chroat Preah Nongkoal next week ( Royal Ploughing Ceremony). It is about the planting season, which starts in may. Monks will ask the earth spirits for permission to plough. Then ceremonial furrows are drawn, rice is scattered and offerings are made to the divinities. The most important part of the ceremony is what the Royal Bull chooses when it is offered rice, grain, grass, water and wine. Rice or grain means well, water signifies rain, grass is a sign that crops will be devastated by insects, and wine, that there will be drought.

Over night there was I think a guard, singing all night. This morning, it switched over to music from a radio or so. I had a confidence booster because of last night. I was quit proud that I did it, cyclingwise. So I decided, to explore PP more on my own today, by bike. So I first went to the big Central market (Psar Thmei). It was amazing. They sell propably everything there, mostly clothes and juwellery. I finally found some postcards and then there was a little girl, she sold T-shirts and I got some. I also bought fresh fruit and veg from the people outside the market. It then started to pour down with rain, so I sat a bit and practised my Khmer from a book, asking for some directions.

sitting and wait for the rain to stop

the national museum

national museum

Vishna or Krishna?

I then went to the rather big Royal Palace complex opposive the Mekong Riverbank.

at the Mekong riverside

at the Mekong riverside

how does this boat swim?

Today I feel like, yes, I’m in Cambodia, and? It feels more normal now. I look around, see only asien faces and think, cool. I like it here. Although it is a struggle, I must admit. Life is completely different here. Each little thing is a new challenge, but they can be overcome. For example, this morning. No drinking water left. So I had to boil a big pot of water after finding out how the gascontainer works, because it didn’t work at the beginning. This boiled water then goes into a , like a terracotta stone pot in a plastic bucket, to get filtered. And then you can drink it. But I don’t mind, I have the time. Yesterday, I was sitting talking to somebody for a long time, it was Noel, and her English is not so good. Usually I get unpatient at some point. But here, it just flows. Time passes not so quickly here somehow.

a typical street

Another thing I found out today, it must be rubbish day, and they collect it while usually a man goes along on a sreet with a little like a waggon ( handwagen in German) pulling behind him. That people know that he’s there, he makes noises with a little horn in his hand.
Women sell little spiced mussels or snails on the street, haven’t tried yet, not brave enough yet. They carry them on their head in a big flat basket.
I saw 6 people sitting all together on a motorbike, mostly children. They nearly fell off.
Women and men look generally beautiful.
I kind of get to know now how to pay in Dollar and how to pay in Riel. They don’t have coints, only notes.

Tomorrow I think I take a closer look at Wat Phnom, one of PP’s most important shrines dedicated to Daun Penh, the legendary lady who gave her name to the capital.

I’ll also propably go and see the Toul Sieng Genocide Museum, which was the notorious Khmer Rouge prison, through whose gates more than thirteen thousand people passed to their death. It was a High school once, and then used as detention, interrogation and torture centre. Apperently it’s very hard to look at, but I think I’ve seen bits of it in my Cambodia DVD, so I’m a little bit prepared.

a fruit tree and my bike

I then cycled to the tourture museum and it took me probably more then 1 hour to find it.

Toul Sieng Genocide Museum

Toul Sieng Genocide Museum

Toul Sieng Genocide Museum

Toul Sieng Genocide Museum

Toul Sieng Genocide Museum

I felt quite depressed afterwards and went then into a little local restaurant and had some great curry with a veg called: morning glory.

I really want to take more pictures, but somehow I feel like I’m picturing just how poor everybody is and I feel quite embaressed. Also sometimes I feel not very confident, beeing on my own as a white European lockalike…

On my way back I stumbeled on What Laka.

What Laka

What Laka inside

Finally Noel showed me this Internet café and I’m so happy to get through to the outside world and show you how it looks like. That is important to me.

My adress will be:

Katja Horsch
VSO programme office
PO Box 912
Phnom Penh
Cambodia

Mail takes around 6 to 10 days to get there. They’ll sent it to me to Stung Treng then.
I even have a mobile phone number. Just don’t know the Cambodian number at the beginning:

089223548. I don’t expect you to call me, prob. Too expensive.

What Laka

written by  katja-horsch on May 10, 2009 from Phnom Penh, Cambodia
from the travel blog: 4.th day
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2 comments...

I have to prepare things I want to take with me for two years of living in Cambodia. I can take 25kg with me, and a motorcycle helmet. Having packed four times already, but each time there's still too much, I'm finding it hard to decide what's necessary and what isn't.

It feels very unreal, thinking about going away for two long years without returning to familiar people and places. Everything I've heard and read about Cambodia so far is very positive, and I can't wait to see it for myself. Is it really true that they eat deep-fried spiders, and that they drink bat's blood? is Angkor Wat really that astonishing?

Well, I'd better get on. More later, maybe from Phnom Penh.

my leaving do from work