Tomorrow marks a new chapter for us.
We've donned many titles in our times, but this whole "teacher" thing is a new one for us both. How do you teach someone (or say, 70 someones) how to speak a language that is so totally different than all that they are used to? Ah, well, guess we'll find out.
With us spending our Mondays-to-Thursdays out at cyberless-Place of Rescue, these lampshades won't be dancing much aside from the weekends. But I'm sure Friday will come pretty quickly, as will the tales of our first week on the job.
Guess we'll chat in 2008. Happy New Year!
THE FRIENDLY
As some of you can attest to, when it comes to having a good night on the town, not too many things top going to a big ol' sporting event. The crowds, the stadium, the anthems, the bleachers, the tickets, the carnival atmosphere, and the company... you just gotta love it.
From the laid back, sunny, seed-eating crowds at Safeco or Skydome, to the patriotic, Molson-swigging puckheads at the World Juniors, to the carnival that is the NBA, each sport brings with it its own unique experience. Including, as I found out yesterday, soccer- Cambodian style.
From the laid back, sunny, seed-eating crowds at Safeco or Skydome, to the patriotic, Molson-swigging puckheads at the World Juniors, to the carnival that is the NBA, each sport brings with it its own unique experience. Including, as I found out yesterday, soccer- Cambodian style.
Some match facts:Read them once and it seems pretty normal. Read 'em again and you'll be scratching your head.
The teams: Cambodia's best club team versus a top club team from Korea
The stakes: none, really- it was an exhibition match.
The score: Korea: 3 Good Guys: 1 [and we were up 1-nil with 20 minutes to go...]
Game Start time (advertised): 2:00 pm
Game Start time (actual): 4:45 pm
Apparently, "two o'clock" is Khmer for "four forty five". Whatever.
Admission: Free
Seating: First come, first served
The pre-game entertainment: On paper, pretty typical- Cheerleaders, dancers, and a local live band sponsored by a cigarette company.
The Cheerleaders: 30-something men and women wearing black t-shirts and black jeans waving pom-poms and doing the can-can to what sounded like a techno remix of "T'is So Sweet to Trust in Jesus"
The dancers: 20 women in a circle wearing traditional outfits waving abnormally large fans. Painful to watch.
The band: My favorite pregame entertainment. 2 synthesizers, a couple of saxophones, a guitar and a bass provided the 40-something lead singer enough treble to belt out a 7-minute rendition of "That's the Way (Uh-huh Uh-huh) I Like It". Wow.
The Crowd- an estimated 20000 strong, but I could be way off. I can say for sure, though, that Phnom Penh's version of the Big O outcrowds Montreal's version any day of the week.Drinks: No booze here, but for 500 Riel (12.5 cents) you can get a tasty baggy of freshly squeezed sugar cane juice. Pony up the big cash (1500 Riel) and get some Pomegranite-flavored green tea, or a bottle of heavily sweetened, artificially flavored, carbonated fruit drink called "Sting", which, as an added bonus, is infused with Ginseng.
Food: All your favorites (popcorn, peanuts, chips, and cookies) and then some: duck eggs, salty and spicy mangoes, dried shrimp skewers, prawn crackers (with real prawns), noodles of all types, and several versions of mystery meat that make ballpark hotdogs seem like filet mignon.
The Intangibles: A whole section of military clapping in unison, the 28 different number combinations announced for the 50\50 draw, and the killer Cambodian sunset over the stands as the game was winding down made the experience just that much better. And, oh yeah, we may have been the only white people in the entire place.
All in all, it was a great time. The match itself wasn't all that great (Cambodia was severely outplayed), but it was a cultural experience that's for sure- kind of like tailgating at the Bills, or screaming oneself hoarse at the Sparty's.
Until next time, enjoy the World Juniors, the Bowl games, the Canucks, the Raps, and the 'Hawks.
Cheers!
SOU-SDEY NOEL
From the banks of the Mekong to those of the Vedder;
from the Char Kreung of Khmer Kitchen to the seafood at Rodney's Oyster Bar;
from hibiscus bushes to poinsettia plants;
from the streets of tuk-tuks and motos to the highways of SUVs and snow tires;
from palm trees and coconuts to pine trees and cranberry sauce;
from Street 320, Phnom Penh, Cambodia, to Coleridge Place, Sumas Prairie Rd, and beyond;
from the both of us, to all of you, our friends and family,
MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!
God Bless,
James and Julia
OUR HUMBLE ABODES
NOTE: Be advised that a post like this is most likely only going to be of real interest to people like our moms (both of whom we're still trying to convince to come visit*); but if you're at all interested in our everyday life, than this is for you too.
The Apartment - Our landlords, a wonderful Cambodian-American couple and their two kids, live below us. They're really great people that have taken us under their wing and brought us along on walks around town, to Christmas parties, and invited us to down for dinner. We have neighbours that listen to karaoke around the clock. A guard dog named "Chomper". And a street that is currently going through a month-long face lift.
Thought we’d give a quick visual tour of the places we’ll be calling home for the next few months.
Places? Plural? You ask.
While Marie—Rescue’s fearless leader—is away for three months in Canada, we’re going to be living in her home during the week, and then in the apartment that Rescue rents in Phnom Penh for the weekends. It’s a pretty good deal...actually we're quite spoiled in both places. Spending our weeks on-site saves us a nasty hour (or more) commute to and from Rescue. Plus, it’ll be great to be closer to the kids and to have the option of spending a few evenings with them.
Both are really great places...clean, 2 bedrooms (perfect for visitors...hint, hint), and have more than enough amenities to be really comfortable. The apartment in the city is close to the action—the markets, the restaurants, our friends, church. But it’s a little cooler, quieter and calmer out at the orphanage, and we’ve been told the stars you’ll see at night are unbelievable! There is one thing, however, out there that makes this my favourite...
And so, here they are: Mi casa es su casa!!...I have no idea how you say that in Khmer?
Places? Plural? You ask.
While Marie—Rescue’s fearless leader—is away for three months in Canada, we’re going to be living in her home during the week, and then in the apartment that Rescue rents in Phnom Penh for the weekends. It’s a pretty good deal...actually we're quite spoiled in both places. Spending our weeks on-site saves us a nasty hour (or more) commute to and from Rescue. Plus, it’ll be great to be closer to the kids and to have the option of spending a few evenings with them.
Both are really great places...clean, 2 bedrooms (perfect for visitors...hint, hint), and have more than enough amenities to be really comfortable. The apartment in the city is close to the action—the markets, the restaurants, our friends, church. But it’s a little cooler, quieter and calmer out at the orphanage, and we’ve been told the stars you’ll see at night are unbelievable! There is one thing, however, out there that makes this my favourite...
And so, here they are: Mi casa es su casa!!...I have no idea how you say that in Khmer?
The Apartment - Our landlords, a wonderful Cambodian-American couple and their two kids, live below us. They're really great people that have taken us under their wing and brought us along on walks around town, to Christmas parties, and invited us to down for dinner. We have neighbours that listen to karaoke around the clock. A guard dog named "Chomper". And a street that is currently going through a month-long face lift.
When you climb the side staircase and come inside, you look straight ahead and see this (Above)...you look to the left, you see this (Below)
(See? Look at us living the good life: A coffee maker. A washing machine. Could we ask for more?)
...and a happy husband talking with his mom! Life is good here.
But it's also good here: Marie's home at Rescue. 
Below: Meet Toby & Susie...the soon-to-be proud parents of a litter of retriever puppies!
And the best for last. My favourite thing about this place is the veranda...easily the best place to write, read, or eat corn flakes.
*Any encouraging pressure given from readers to these two fine women in favour of them coming out here would be greatly appreciated :) And even if they won't come, help make sure our dads do!
THE LAPS LAUGH
I don't know the exact temperature out here, I only know this: as soon as you put a shirt on, it sticks to your body. It's gross.
That being said, if you want to be somewhat comfortable out of doors, the only real way to beat the heat is to get up before sunrise. Which is exactly what we did.
Lately we've been on a bit of an exercise kick, which has been a tad uncomfortable in this heat. We had been to the gym more than once in the past week, but, of course, this wasn't good enough. I knew it was coming, and on Monday evening the conversation went something like this:
Julie- "James, what do you think of getting up early tomorrow to run?"
James- "You mean go to the gym?"
Julie- "No, the track, at the Stadium"
James- "How early is "early"?"
Julie- "I don't know, sometime when it's still cool- 5:45, maybe?"
James (not believing his ears)- "Or we could, you know, sleep"
Julie- (excited)- "Come on, it'll be fun"
James (begrudgingly)- "Fine, let's do it- but I'm not setting the alarm, you'll have to wake me."
Julie (doing a victory dance)- "Great! Can't wait!"
So we did it. By 20 to six Tuesday morning we were out the door and on our way to the track. And we were not alone. Much to our surprise, we arrived to see approximately 2000 Cambodians engaged in all sorts of physical activity: a gaggle of 40 year olds playing hackysack, a flock of green belts practicing karate, a herd of soccer players occupying every spare patch of field, and an absolute murder of aerobics junkies doing strange acrobatic and stretching maneuvers all around the stadium's circumference. There were also a few expats like ourselves actually running laps. What a blast. It was crazy, totally unexpected, and so entertaining we might just go again in the near future. Maybe we'll even take some pictures and post 'em. It's quite a sight.
And I just thought Cambodians looked fit because they eat their vegetables.
That being said, if you want to be somewhat comfortable out of doors, the only real way to beat the heat is to get up before sunrise. Which is exactly what we did.
Lately we've been on a bit of an exercise kick, which has been a tad uncomfortable in this heat. We had been to the gym more than once in the past week, but, of course, this wasn't good enough. I knew it was coming, and on Monday evening the conversation went something like this:
Julie- "James, what do you think of getting up early tomorrow to run?"
James- "You mean go to the gym?"
Julie- "No, the track, at the Stadium"
James- "How early is "early"?"
Julie- "I don't know, sometime when it's still cool- 5:45, maybe?"
James (not believing his ears)- "Or we could, you know, sleep"
Julie- (excited)- "Come on, it'll be fun"
James (begrudgingly)- "Fine, let's do it- but I'm not setting the alarm, you'll have to wake me."
Julie (doing a victory dance)- "Great! Can't wait!"
So we did it. By 20 to six Tuesday morning we were out the door and on our way to the track. And we were not alone. Much to our surprise, we arrived to see approximately 2000 Cambodians engaged in all sorts of physical activity: a gaggle of 40 year olds playing hackysack, a flock of green belts practicing karate, a herd of soccer players occupying every spare patch of field, and an absolute murder of aerobics junkies doing strange acrobatic and stretching maneuvers all around the stadium's circumference. There were also a few expats like ourselves actually running laps. What a blast. It was crazy, totally unexpected, and so entertaining we might just go again in the near future. Maybe we'll even take some pictures and post 'em. It's quite a sight.
And I just thought Cambodians looked fit because they eat their vegetables.
NAILED THAT PROBLEM!
I stumbled upon a very sad sight the other day:
An empty spa in desperate need of customers. It broke my heart.
Having the wonderful heart that I do, I took it upon myself to give the place business, as well as give myself an early Christmas present.
Actually, in all honesty, it’s a really cool place. This spa is run by an NGO that trained women living on the street to become aestheticians. These girls are so friendly. They provide the typical outstanding South Pacific customer service. The facility and the equipment isn’t much to write home about, but they work hard and to please…one girl working away on each hand at the same time—I think if Nephritides or Cleopatra or the Queen ever got/gets a manicure, they would have it done like that. And, best of all, the women learn a trade with which they can earn a living.
I'm already thinking of post-Christmas, New Years'...heck, a nice set of nails to ring in Ascension Day could be uplifting, eh? And all for only $2 a pop. Where else can a toonie give you Cambodi-licious nails?!
ROUTINE POO-TINE
Weekend Recap:
It was a great first week here, don't get me wrong. We went to a beautiful Christmas celebration, rode motos, explored the markets, went to a new church, started a new job, made some new friends, had conversations like "Wow, we're in Cambodia, life is so good, how amazing!!!" Should have known that feeling wouldn't last forever; Friday we realized the honeymoon was over.
Despite always being on the go and the occasional longing for stability, we realized that it's a backpacker's life, and Friday we realized that for us, for now, that life is over."Cleaning up" no longer involves taking a quick cold shower and cramming everything in your pack. "Doing dishes" isn't finding a garbage can for the falafel wrapper, and since we travel on wheels now, walking everywhere no longer counts for exercise.
Our house was a mess. We hadn't worn running shoes in 2 weeks. Yesterday's dishes were on the counter. The floor was covered with the ubiquitous red dust. The laundry hamper was overflowing. "Real Life"- I hate that term- was setting in. Check that, it was culture shock- the shock of being re-introduced to domesticity. And to be honest, for the first bit, it was really annoying.
Those little nuances that you take for granted in Canada haven't yet made it to Cambodia. Such as an air-conditioned workout facility (with a reliable power supply), hot water from the tap to do the dishes, a clothes dryer, fast internet connections, DVDs where the mouth matches the voice, no ant colony living in your bath towels, etc, etc.. made for a quite a frenzied day off.
And then it hit us- what right do we have to complain about day-to-day stuff like this when, really, it's nothing. How about the little girl that was sitting on your lap yesterday that has HIV? Or the fella in Kolkata that eats, works, and sleeps on his rickshaw just so his family can have a couple bowls of rice?
Boy did I ever feel selfish.
Funny thing is, once we realized that and got over ourselves, the weekend did a complete 180. Saturday and Sunday were great.
We woke up Saturday and went out for sugarcane juice with the neighbor family, and later that day we had a turkey dinner at a Christmas party where we met all sorts of interesting folks (including some Canadians). Today we went to a good church service, and even managed to take an afternoon nap.
Funny how your moods can dictate your mindset.
Oh well, live and learn, right?
But housework is still a pain.
It was a great first week here, don't get me wrong. We went to a beautiful Christmas celebration, rode motos, explored the markets, went to a new church, started a new job, made some new friends, had conversations like "Wow, we're in Cambodia, life is so good, how amazing!!!" Should have known that feeling wouldn't last forever; Friday we realized the honeymoon was over.
Despite always being on the go and the occasional longing for stability, we realized that it's a backpacker's life, and Friday we realized that for us, for now, that life is over."Cleaning up" no longer involves taking a quick cold shower and cramming everything in your pack. "Doing dishes" isn't finding a garbage can for the falafel wrapper, and since we travel on wheels now, walking everywhere no longer counts for exercise.
Our house was a mess. We hadn't worn running shoes in 2 weeks. Yesterday's dishes were on the counter. The floor was covered with the ubiquitous red dust. The laundry hamper was overflowing. "Real Life"- I hate that term- was setting in. Check that, it was culture shock- the shock of being re-introduced to domesticity. And to be honest, for the first bit, it was really annoying.
Those little nuances that you take for granted in Canada haven't yet made it to Cambodia. Such as an air-conditioned workout facility (with a reliable power supply), hot water from the tap to do the dishes, a clothes dryer, fast internet connections, DVDs where the mouth matches the voice, no ant colony living in your bath towels, etc, etc.. made for a quite a frenzied day off.
And then it hit us- what right do we have to complain about day-to-day stuff like this when, really, it's nothing. How about the little girl that was sitting on your lap yesterday that has HIV? Or the fella in Kolkata that eats, works, and sleeps on his rickshaw just so his family can have a couple bowls of rice?
Boy did I ever feel selfish.
Funny thing is, once we realized that and got over ourselves, the weekend did a complete 180. Saturday and Sunday were great.
We woke up Saturday and went out for sugarcane juice with the neighbor family, and later that day we had a turkey dinner at a Christmas party where we met all sorts of interesting folks (including some Canadians). Today we went to a good church service, and even managed to take an afternoon nap.
Funny how your moods can dictate your mindset.
Oh well, live and learn, right?
But housework is still a pain.
CHRISTMAS AT RESCUE
Christmas came early this year for us —December 13th, to be exact. This year Julie shared her birthday with Jesus (an annual occurrence for at least one of us.)
Tuesday saw us wrapping presents for the better part of the day. A church from Alberta donated more than 50 boxes of toys, clothes, books, puzzles, and jewellery for the kids; there was more than enough to go around for each of the 140 kids and grannies. However, someone had to wrap all those gifts, and that someone (or some people) included us. What a task that was. Being a gift bag man myself, this task would have taken me somewhere in the neighborhood of 4-6 weeks. Lucky for everyone, the job of wrapping went to Julia and Marie, who somehow managed to wrap a stuffed animal, two pairs of jeans, a toy car, and a bouncy ball with a single square of wrapping paper. They likened the task to wrapping a 24lb turkey. My job was making sure there were enough small pieces of Scotch tape. Once the wrapping was done, the mountain of presents was stashed in the storage room, and kept in hiding till the 13th.
On Wednesday we were back at Rescue for another full day. A scheduling mix-up saw us arrive a little later than usual, but we still managed to put in a full 8-hour day which included wrapping more gifts, baking up a storm with some of the girls (Julia), and trying to balance helping out with the festivities and playing soccer & volleyball with some of the boys.
Tuesday saw us wrapping presents for the better part of the day. A church from Alberta donated more than 50 boxes of toys, clothes, books, puzzles, and jewellery for the kids; there was more than enough to go around for each of the 140 kids and grannies. However, someone had to wrap all those gifts, and that someone (or some people) included us. What a task that was. Being a gift bag man myself, this task would have taken me somewhere in the neighborhood of 4-6 weeks. Lucky for everyone, the job of wrapping went to Julia and Marie, who somehow managed to wrap a stuffed animal, two pairs of jeans, a toy car, and a bouncy ball with a single square of wrapping paper. They likened the task to wrapping a 24lb turkey. My job was making sure there were enough small pieces of Scotch tape. Once the wrapping was done, the mountain of presents was stashed in the storage room, and kept in hiding till the 13th.
On Wednesday we were back at Rescue for another full day. A scheduling mix-up saw us arrive a little later than usual, but we still managed to put in a full 8-hour day which included wrapping more gifts, baking up a storm with some of the girls (Julia), and trying to balance helping out with the festivities and playing soccer & volleyball with some of the boys.
Thursday was the big day!!! By 7:15am we were rolling along in the tuk-tuk heading off to Rescue. Once there, you could feel the excitement. We arrived to find the stage getting its finishing touches, the choir practicing Cambodian Christmas tunes, and the cooks busily preparing the evening’s feast. After 6 hours of "last-minute" preparations, everyone took their seats to watch the much-anticipated Christmas program. And what a program it was...for 3 hours we were entertained by dancers of all ages, a few special musical numbers, and a message from the pastor. The highlight of the night was the Cambodian Christmas play put on by the kids. Oh little town of Phnom Penh, how still we see thee lie...
A couple of program notables:
- The whole production in its entirety was in Khmer; neither of us understood a word. Yet another reason to learn to the language.
- Cambodian kids have an amazing attention span... we’re talking 6 year olds sitting still for 3 hours waiting patiently for their turn to dance. Coming from a place where one gets bored during commercial breaks, neither of us had ever seen anything like it; I'd say the two of us were the most fidgetty.
- After the program we all sat under a giant canvas canopy and ate a Christmas dinner of curry, bean sprouts, and fresh bread. As for dessert: rambutans and mini-oranges. Just a wee bit different than turkey and mashed potatoes, but we’ll take it...it was great!
The best part of the evening by far was the gift opening. For many of the kids it was the first time they had ever celebrated Christmas and received a gift. The looks on their faces were priceless. It is amazing how overjoyed they were just to receive some second-hand t-shirts and some old toys; many of them just burst into tears.
Merry Christmas, Rescue!
PLACE OF RESCUE
Of all our destinations we’ve hit on this trip, I’m glad we saved this for last. Making Phnom Penh home and finding a community here is going to be no trouble at all. This might be a long entry, so if you’re short on time, here’s the skinny: It’s great. We love it. Glad our return flight isn’t booked yet!
After 3 days of gathering our bearings and getting an idea of how we’ll be spending our days, we are so pumped to be here. You know that feeling you get when you’re fully certain you’re where you ought to be? This is it!
A definite highlight was visiting Rescue last Friday. With our predecessors—3 girls who had been teaching since September—leaving the next day, and our new arrival, Rescue had a little “hello/goodbye” bash. Never in my life have I been greeted with so many tears. It was a sad farewell to the girls, but we were so warmly welcomed.
One moment spent on that site and you’ll see how wonderful those kids are, and how great a project Rescue is. First, the latter.
Rescue, which began in 2003, is nearly completely directed and operated by native Cambodians. Not only does it empower the workers, it plainly shows the children that aid and development doesn’t come only from foreigners. They can--and ought to--dream big. The Prime Minister of Cambodia. A business man. A teacher. The director of an orphanage. You name it, and those kids are gunning for it. I’m sure as time goes on and we get to know the kids more we’ll see their ambition even stronger. It’s pretty great.
Ok, back to Rescue. There are about 140 kids living on site—ranging from 2 to 19 years of age…all of which are either orphaned or have been abandoned by parents and family. Every one of these kids, in their short-lived lives, have had to deal more than any human should in a hundred year life. Yet they are so joyful and eager to shower you with love. There are 6 ‘boy houses’ and 4 ‘girl houses,’ each having a dad and/or mom. Each home operates as its own familial entity. The family will eat its meals together; everyone pitches in with chores. They do their best to put kids of all ages into each home. The house parent(s) will have helpers in the older kids, and the younger ones then have role models to emulate.
Another 30 or so children live with their mothers on site. All of the mothers have AIDS; many of their children do as well. These families have the otherwise-impossible opportunity to live as a normal family (each having their own home/hut to live in.) When the mothers become too sick to care for their children, there is help available. The kids, though they live with their siblings and mother, are adopted into a larger family and have the same routine (incl. school) just like the other kids. If the mother eventually dies, though it's no less tragic for the children, they have security and an established community to move in with.
One other project underway at Rescue is the “Granny House.” As the name would imply, it is a place where elderly women who otherwise would be living on the streets come to live. When talking about most things in or about Cambodia, it’s important to keep in mind the nation’s recent past that it continues to recover from (…we'll touch on this more in another entry.) Many of these grannies lost all their children, as well as siblings, husbands or anyone else they could turn to for care in their old age, during the ‘70’s. Place of Rescue is definitely just that for these ladies.
Another thing to note about Rescue is the attitude that no one comes for a free ride. The children and the grannies & mothers (if they’re able) all help out around the site, be it in the sewing centre, the garden, the fish pond, etc. It’s obvious that to keep a place like this up and running takes many a helping hand. And the residents, just like any other family members, are eager to contribute.
And speaking of keeping Rescue up and running, you couldn't mention this without talking about Marie Ens. She was of the master minds in getting Rescue off the ground. With her knowledge of this country and the language, and her immense love for its people and the Lord, it is not hard to see why God has used her the way He has. In the short time we’ve been here so far, it’s nearly impossible to see her walking around the compound when she isn’t smiling at someone, holding a child, or getting bombarded with hugs from the children. I think she has 140 grandchildren at Rescue. She has been a great help in getting us oriented around Rescue and Phnom Penh. Unfortunately for James and me, she is leaving in a week to spend a few months in Canada. Did we mention that Rescue is run nearly entirely by Cambodians? Well, she is that “nearly”, and without her we really have incentive to learn Khmer.
What else to say about Place of Rescue? Ah yes, our role here. We are the English teachers (or the “chas” as the kids call us.) We’ll be teaching nearly 70 kids, ranging from grade 4 to grade 12. We can’t wait to begin! More to come re. this once a few more logistics have been ironed out.
After 3 days of gathering our bearings and getting an idea of how we’ll be spending our days, we are so pumped to be here. You know that feeling you get when you’re fully certain you’re where you ought to be? This is it!
A definite highlight was visiting Rescue last Friday. With our predecessors—3 girls who had been teaching since September—leaving the next day, and our new arrival, Rescue had a little “hello/goodbye” bash. Never in my life have I been greeted with so many tears. It was a sad farewell to the girls, but we were so warmly welcomed.
One moment spent on that site and you’ll see how wonderful those kids are, and how great a project Rescue is. First, the latter.
Rescue, which began in 2003, is nearly completely directed and operated by native Cambodians. Not only does it empower the workers, it plainly shows the children that aid and development doesn’t come only from foreigners. They can--and ought to--dream big. The Prime Minister of Cambodia. A business man. A teacher. The director of an orphanage. You name it, and those kids are gunning for it. I’m sure as time goes on and we get to know the kids more we’ll see their ambition even stronger. It’s pretty great.
Ok, back to Rescue. There are about 140 kids living on site—ranging from 2 to 19 years of age…all of which are either orphaned or have been abandoned by parents and family. Every one of these kids, in their short-lived lives, have had to deal more than any human should in a hundred year life. Yet they are so joyful and eager to shower you with love. There are 6 ‘boy houses’ and 4 ‘girl houses,’ each having a dad and/or mom. Each home operates as its own familial entity. The family will eat its meals together; everyone pitches in with chores. They do their best to put kids of all ages into each home. The house parent(s) will have helpers in the older kids, and the younger ones then have role models to emulate.
Another 30 or so children live with their mothers on site. All of the mothers have AIDS; many of their children do as well. These families have the otherwise-impossible opportunity to live as a normal family (each having their own home/hut to live in.) When the mothers become too sick to care for their children, there is help available. The kids, though they live with their siblings and mother, are adopted into a larger family and have the same routine (incl. school) just like the other kids. If the mother eventually dies, though it's no less tragic for the children, they have security and an established community to move in with.
One other project underway at Rescue is the “Granny House.” As the name would imply, it is a place where elderly women who otherwise would be living on the streets come to live. When talking about most things in or about Cambodia, it’s important to keep in mind the nation’s recent past that it continues to recover from (…we'll touch on this more in another entry.) Many of these grannies lost all their children, as well as siblings, husbands or anyone else they could turn to for care in their old age, during the ‘70’s. Place of Rescue is definitely just that for these ladies.
Another thing to note about Rescue is the attitude that no one comes for a free ride. The children and the grannies & mothers (if they’re able) all help out around the site, be it in the sewing centre, the garden, the fish pond, etc. It’s obvious that to keep a place like this up and running takes many a helping hand. And the residents, just like any other family members, are eager to contribute.
And speaking of keeping Rescue up and running, you couldn't mention this without talking about Marie Ens. She was of the master minds in getting Rescue off the ground. With her knowledge of this country and the language, and her immense love for its people and the Lord, it is not hard to see why God has used her the way He has. In the short time we’ve been here so far, it’s nearly impossible to see her walking around the compound when she isn’t smiling at someone, holding a child, or getting bombarded with hugs from the children. I think she has 140 grandchildren at Rescue. She has been a great help in getting us oriented around Rescue and Phnom Penh. Unfortunately for James and me, she is leaving in a week to spend a few months in Canada. Did we mention that Rescue is run nearly entirely by Cambodians? Well, she is that “nearly”, and without her we really have incentive to learn Khmer.
What else to say about Place of Rescue? Ah yes, our role here. We are the English teachers (or the “chas” as the kids call us.) We’ll be teaching nearly 70 kids, ranging from grade 4 to grade 12. We can’t wait to begin! More to come re. this once a few more logistics have been ironed out.
Cambodia- We made it!
Alright, finally we have arrived!
From Toronto, Ontario to Phnom Penh, Cambodia, it is safe to say we definitely took the long way. On our journey thus far, we have taken almost every single mode of transportation you can think of: plane, fast trains, slow trains, overnight trains, service taxi, city bus, charter bus, many different Metro systems (Athens is the cleanest, Germany's is perhaps the best, and Cairo's surpringly efficient), car, camel, donkey, cablecar, chairlift, bicycle, sailboat, motorboat, auto rickshaw, taxi, bicycle rickshaw, tuk-tuk, the Indian version of a van (picture 5 people sitting on flatbed getting pulled behind a bicycle on a bumpy road), by foot (of course), and, most recently, the moto- a Cambodian special. For a mere 3000 Riel (75 cents CDN) the 2 of us can hop on the back of a motorbike and get anywhere in Phnom Penh. Needless to say, due to the price, the convenience, and the fact that it's a motorbike, Motos are our new favorite. [to the Mom's- don't worry, they're safe and we're careful]
To think that less than 4 months ago our experiences were limited to Little Blue, a couple of bikes, and the cottage watercrafts. Hmmm.
Now we are in Phnom Penh, and feeling surprisingly at home. Our house is perfect, and both of us are certain that this place was worth the wait. Our apartment is luxurious- for the first time in our married life we have a tv, a patio, and even a cell phone. Thanks, Rescue.
We christened the first day in our place with a heaping plate of Julie's homemade spaghetti, washed it down with some cold iced tea, and then settled down with our 7000 Riel copy of Jason Bourne Ultimate. Gotta love having a home again.
Other than that, we've done some exploring around the city, and have found it remarkably navigatable. We have been successfully butchering the Khmer language at every opportunity, and have eaten at some great restaurants. Cambodian food is great.
There are a bunch of Westerners here due to the hundreds of NGOs, thus it has been relatively easy to communicate in English and meet some people. Already, we've went out for pizza with a party after church, had breakfast with a table of 8, and I spent this afternoon playing basketball with a bunch of Americans. The people have been really welcoming.
And- that's about it. So far, so good.
From Toronto, Ontario to Phnom Penh, Cambodia, it is safe to say we definitely took the long way. On our journey thus far, we have taken almost every single mode of transportation you can think of: plane, fast trains, slow trains, overnight trains, service taxi, city bus, charter bus, many different Metro systems (Athens is the cleanest, Germany's is perhaps the best, and Cairo's surpringly efficient), car, camel, donkey, cablecar, chairlift, bicycle, sailboat, motorboat, auto rickshaw, taxi, bicycle rickshaw, tuk-tuk, the Indian version of a van (picture 5 people sitting on flatbed getting pulled behind a bicycle on a bumpy road), by foot (of course), and, most recently, the moto- a Cambodian special. For a mere 3000 Riel (75 cents CDN) the 2 of us can hop on the back of a motorbike and get anywhere in Phnom Penh. Needless to say, due to the price, the convenience, and the fact that it's a motorbike, Motos are our new favorite. [to the Mom's- don't worry, they're safe and we're careful]
To think that less than 4 months ago our experiences were limited to Little Blue, a couple of bikes, and the cottage watercrafts. Hmmm.
Now we are in Phnom Penh, and feeling surprisingly at home. Our house is perfect, and both of us are certain that this place was worth the wait. Our apartment is luxurious- for the first time in our married life we have a tv, a patio, and even a cell phone. Thanks, Rescue.
We christened the first day in our place with a heaping plate of Julie's homemade spaghetti, washed it down with some cold iced tea, and then settled down with our 7000 Riel copy of Jason Bourne Ultimate. Gotta love having a home again.
Other than that, we've done some exploring around the city, and have found it remarkably navigatable. We have been successfully butchering the Khmer language at every opportunity, and have eaten at some great restaurants. Cambodian food is great.
There are a bunch of Westerners here due to the hundreds of NGOs, thus it has been relatively easy to communicate in English and meet some people. Already, we've went out for pizza with a party after church, had breakfast with a table of 8, and I spent this afternoon playing basketball with a bunch of Americans. The people have been really welcoming.
And- that's about it. So far, so good.
EN ROUTE
The other day we hit a milestone on our trip: Our passports are half full. That’s a pretty monumental event. There would be more pages used, but we mostly only get stamped when we fly into or out of a country; a few countries in Europe went unstamped since we used trains or buses.
Since September, we’ve taken over 10 flights to get to where we are now. Other than a couple ridiculously early departure times and overnight “sleeps” in airports, we have nothing to complain about. All flights have never been delayed more than an hour or so, and after every journey our baggage has faithfully found its way to that carrousel.
Last Wednesday, however, our flying experiences reached a whole new height.
Two words: Air. Singapore.
Keep in mind that one thing—and one thing alone—is solely considered when we book our flights. Money. No matter what time a flight departs or arrives, if it’s cheap and it’s reasonably close to where we want to go, we book it.
At the price we paid for the flight from Kolkata to Phnom Penh (via Singapore), we were expecting a flight like most of the others we’ve taken. Saying no to purchasing flimsy ear phones, nasty food or expensive duty free. Leg room that’s fit for a four year old. Stale air. Ninety-degree seats. You know the drill.
Well, any airplane that decks its walls with boughs of holly this time of year, clearly is in a league of it’s own. They treated us like royalty—we’re talking warm towels, socks, headphones, meals ordered off a menu, endless beverages & cocktails (…ever tried a Singapore Slinger?), personal TVs with movies, trivia, Nintendo, radio), and tons of leg room. They had mouthwash, toothbrush, toothpaste, combs, razors and shaving cream in the bathrooms. And to top it all off, we landed to a sweet little flute solo of “What Child is This?” Does it get better than that? Sorry West Jet, but I think not.
The only downfall to the whole thing was that it was only a 3 hour flight. It takes a person that long to orient themselves with all the gimmicks, sample the food and drink, and pamper oneself in the salon-like bathrooms. Even though the flight was from 11pm to 2am, sleep was definitely not an option.
And that’s just the airplane; Singapore’s airport is a whole other ball park. There are 3 massive terminals, one of which was having a grand opening while we were there...guided tours and all. Within these terminals are huge city-like areas reserved solely for passengers in transit (“Transit Terminals”) You don't have to go through customs, and your baggage (ideally) goes directly through to your next flight. There are cheap hotels within the terminal, free 2hr city tours aboard a coach bus and river boat (...the city isn't to shabby either, but that'll have to wait for another time), showers, movie theatres, pools, fitness centres, shops, free internet, restaurants, massage areas, and quiet sleeping areas.
Needless to say, Singapore has undoubtedly become our new flying Mecca. The airport alone is worth becoming a vacation destination. If you're ever in the area, add 'er to the list...
Since September, we’ve taken over 10 flights to get to where we are now. Other than a couple ridiculously early departure times and overnight “sleeps” in airports, we have nothing to complain about. All flights have never been delayed more than an hour or so, and after every journey our baggage has faithfully found its way to that carrousel.
Last Wednesday, however, our flying experiences reached a whole new height.
Two words: Air. Singapore.
Keep in mind that one thing—and one thing alone—is solely considered when we book our flights. Money. No matter what time a flight departs or arrives, if it’s cheap and it’s reasonably close to where we want to go, we book it.
At the price we paid for the flight from Kolkata to Phnom Penh (via Singapore), we were expecting a flight like most of the others we’ve taken. Saying no to purchasing flimsy ear phones, nasty food or expensive duty free. Leg room that’s fit for a four year old. Stale air. Ninety-degree seats. You know the drill.
Well, any airplane that decks its walls with boughs of holly this time of year, clearly is in a league of it’s own. They treated us like royalty—we’re talking warm towels, socks, headphones, meals ordered off a menu, endless beverages & cocktails (…ever tried a Singapore Slinger?), personal TVs with movies, trivia, Nintendo, radio), and tons of leg room. They had mouthwash, toothbrush, toothpaste, combs, razors and shaving cream in the bathrooms. And to top it all off, we landed to a sweet little flute solo of “What Child is This?” Does it get better than that? Sorry West Jet, but I think not.
The only downfall to the whole thing was that it was only a 3 hour flight. It takes a person that long to orient themselves with all the gimmicks, sample the food and drink, and pamper oneself in the salon-like bathrooms. Even though the flight was from 11pm to 2am, sleep was definitely not an option.
And that’s just the airplane; Singapore’s airport is a whole other ball park. There are 3 massive terminals, one of which was having a grand opening while we were there...guided tours and all. Within these terminals are huge city-like areas reserved solely for passengers in transit (“Transit Terminals”) You don't have to go through customs, and your baggage (ideally) goes directly through to your next flight. There are cheap hotels within the terminal, free 2hr city tours aboard a coach bus and river boat (...the city isn't to shabby either, but that'll have to wait for another time), showers, movie theatres, pools, fitness centres, shops, free internet, restaurants, massage areas, and quiet sleeping areas.
Needless to say, Singapore has undoubtedly become our new flying Mecca. The airport alone is worth becoming a vacation destination. If you're ever in the area, add 'er to the list...
FAREWELL TO INDIA
Well, our time in India is quickly drawing to a close, even though it is only now starting to hit us that, ‘wow, we’re really in India.’
Above all, we had a great visit with Ben & Maria. For all Hazelgleners out there, know that they are doing awesome! Ben seems absolutely in his element here; both he and Maria bring so much joy and love to nearly everyone they meet here. You should see them chatting up a storm with people on the beach or store clerks or taxi drivers, etc. Their love for their families and the people of this country is so evident. They are shining!
As for our final impressions of this place, I think Dominique Lapierre, in his novel The City of Joy (a great book to get a hold of), described what we’ve experienced best:
“India! a subcontinent with exceptional potential wealth—yet where areas and social groups of overwhelming poverty survived. A land of intense spirituality and of savage racial, political, and religious conflicts. A land of saints like Gandhi, Aurobindo, Ramakrishna, and Vivekananda, and of political leaders who were sometimes odiously corrupt. A land that manufactured rockets and satellites but where eight out of ten of its inhabitants had never traveled faster than their oxen could pull their carts. A land of incomparable beauty and variety, and of hideous prospects like the slums of Bombay and Calcutta. A land where the sublime often stood side by side with the very worst this world can offer, but where both elements were always more vibrant, more human, and ultimately more attracting than anywhere else.”
And with that, we say good-bye to India, and move onto Cambodia.
Above all, we had a great visit with Ben & Maria. For all Hazelgleners out there, know that they are doing awesome! Ben seems absolutely in his element here; both he and Maria bring so much joy and love to nearly everyone they meet here. You should see them chatting up a storm with people on the beach or store clerks or taxi drivers, etc. Their love for their families and the people of this country is so evident. They are shining!
As for our final impressions of this place, I think Dominique Lapierre, in his novel The City of Joy (a great book to get a hold of), described what we’ve experienced best:
“India! a subcontinent with exceptional potential wealth—yet where areas and social groups of overwhelming poverty survived. A land of intense spirituality and of savage racial, political, and religious conflicts. A land of saints like Gandhi, Aurobindo, Ramakrishna, and Vivekananda, and of political leaders who were sometimes odiously corrupt. A land that manufactured rockets and satellites but where eight out of ten of its inhabitants had never traveled faster than their oxen could pull their carts. A land of incomparable beauty and variety, and of hideous prospects like the slums of Bombay and Calcutta. A land where the sublime often stood side by side with the very worst this world can offer, but where both elements were always more vibrant, more human, and ultimately more attracting than anywhere else.”
And with that, we say good-bye to India, and move onto Cambodia.
NOTE
At last, an internet cafe with a fast enough connection post some photos from Israel and India. You might have to scroll back a bit. Hope you enjoy!
THE OTHER SIDE
From time to time, we glance over a few of our entries from this trip. Maybe it’s just me, but I really don’t want this journey to sound as if it’s the “Brady’s Global Adventures” rather than the everyday happenings of two average backpackers experiencing the world.
We still maintain that we’re having the time of our lives, but from time to time, traveling loses its luster, if even for a moment.
As I hung my head over the toilet yesterday for the 5th time of the morning, whole-heartedly regretting the previous night’s meal and wondering which mouthful was to blame, I thought it was high time to mention the other half of what this adventure has held for us…both the major and minor downfalls.
We write about the beautiful oceans, lakes and seas; we don’t mention the constant cold showers or the endless hunt for bottled water. We describe cultures’ beautifully coloured garmets; we omit how maddening it can be to circulate the 3 or 4 t-shirts for over 70 days. We touch on a few of the great people we’ve met, or the exhilarating feeling of being amidst the crowds of busy marketplaces; we overlook the rarity of even 30-minutes of personal space for weeks on end.
Even as I write this I have a twinge of guilt as I hear my grandpa’s words, “look upon the donut, and not upon the hole” in my mind. But I think that half of what makes this such a valuable experience isn’t just seeing the beauty and bliss of the world around us; it’s also just experiencing life and what it throws our way. And it has thrown a lot our way. We’ve watched a man, who moments before was sitting next to us on the plane, lie motionless on the asphalt at Cairo’s airport having suffered a heart attack. We’ve witnessed a motor cycle accident occur metres away from where we were standing on the streets of Paris. We’ve had to call the police after someone was attacked in the marketplace of Jerusalem. And we’ve seen poverty beyond comprehension.
Those times aren’t fun, but they do remind us of how unjustified we are to complain over our minuscule discomforts. They also help to maintain perspective. There is a lot of suffering out there—be it in far off corners of the world, or in our own backyards with friends and family.
As we hear and read stories from many of you back home, we know that there’s some really tough times going on for you. And so, we want you to know that we’re thinking of you, and praying for you.
And so, I think it's fitting to borrow the sign off method of a great blogger we know…
3 Things We’re Thankful For:
1) This trip, and all that it has entailed (the perfect time of life, the resources, the itinerary, the experiences, the people we’ve seen along the way, each other, etc.)
2) People praying for us...thank you, thank you, thank you!!!
3) Cambodia…4 days from now we’ll reach our final destination for this journey. We’re so looking forward to settling down for a few months with those children.
We still maintain that we’re having the time of our lives, but from time to time, traveling loses its luster, if even for a moment.
As I hung my head over the toilet yesterday for the 5th time of the morning, whole-heartedly regretting the previous night’s meal and wondering which mouthful was to blame, I thought it was high time to mention the other half of what this adventure has held for us…both the major and minor downfalls.
We write about the beautiful oceans, lakes and seas; we don’t mention the constant cold showers or the endless hunt for bottled water. We describe cultures’ beautifully coloured garmets; we omit how maddening it can be to circulate the 3 or 4 t-shirts for over 70 days. We touch on a few of the great people we’ve met, or the exhilarating feeling of being amidst the crowds of busy marketplaces; we overlook the rarity of even 30-minutes of personal space for weeks on end.
Even as I write this I have a twinge of guilt as I hear my grandpa’s words, “look upon the donut, and not upon the hole” in my mind. But I think that half of what makes this such a valuable experience isn’t just seeing the beauty and bliss of the world around us; it’s also just experiencing life and what it throws our way. And it has thrown a lot our way. We’ve watched a man, who moments before was sitting next to us on the plane, lie motionless on the asphalt at Cairo’s airport having suffered a heart attack. We’ve witnessed a motor cycle accident occur metres away from where we were standing on the streets of Paris. We’ve had to call the police after someone was attacked in the marketplace of Jerusalem. And we’ve seen poverty beyond comprehension.
Those times aren’t fun, but they do remind us of how unjustified we are to complain over our minuscule discomforts. They also help to maintain perspective. There is a lot of suffering out there—be it in far off corners of the world, or in our own backyards with friends and family.
As we hear and read stories from many of you back home, we know that there’s some really tough times going on for you. And so, we want you to know that we’re thinking of you, and praying for you.
And so, I think it's fitting to borrow the sign off method of a great blogger we know…
3 Things We’re Thankful For:
1) This trip, and all that it has entailed (the perfect time of life, the resources, the itinerary, the experiences, the people we’ve seen along the way, each other, etc.)
2) People praying for us...thank you, thank you, thank you!!!
3) Cambodia…4 days from now we’ll reach our final destination for this journey. We’re so looking forward to settling down for a few months with those children.
PURI
Puri is a wonderful beach town on the coast of the Bay of Bengal on the Indian Ocean. It’s a hot vacation spot for Indians and many a hippie (p.s. Dad, we saw a man sitting on the beach the other day and I think this is how you’d have turned out had you not returned from your travels 30 years ago…see photo below.)
Departing from Kolkata's crazy station, we took a 12-hour overnight train to get here (have we mentioned yet how proud we are of Ben and Maria?) The clean air and beautiful waters that welcomed us made the journey so worth while.
We did a whole lot of nothing in the 5 days here, except chill, sleep, and eat (…and recover from eating). We watched fishermen bring in their catch and mend their nets. Were bombarded by pearl-vendors. Saw the Hare Krishnas flock to the water's edge with cymbals, flags and flowers. Skirted cow remnants. And smiled as Indians yelped with joy while "swimming" in their saris getting completely pummeled by the waves. Other than that, not much to report.
Rather than more words, here’s a few pictures:
Departing from Kolkata's crazy station, we took a 12-hour overnight train to get here (have we mentioned yet how proud we are of Ben and Maria?) The clean air and beautiful waters that welcomed us made the journey so worth while.
We did a whole lot of nothing in the 5 days here, except chill, sleep, and eat (…and recover from eating). We watched fishermen bring in their catch and mend their nets. Were bombarded by pearl-vendors. Saw the Hare Krishnas flock to the water's edge with cymbals, flags and flowers. Skirted cow remnants. And smiled as Indians yelped with joy while "swimming" in their saris getting completely pummeled by the waves. Other than that, not much to report.Rather than more words, here’s a few pictures:
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