Hi everyone
Sorry for the gap in postings! The internet has been down a lot recently and we've been away. We travelled 12 hrs over 2 days to reach the SE coast,not too far from the Vietnam border. We had 4 days public holiday to celebrate the king's birthday and stayed at the Verandah Resort, high on a hillside surrounded by blossom and tropical foliage and overlooking the Gulf of Thailand.It was worth the hot and bumpy treck - quiet, clean and undeveloped, but with a very distinctive feel.The area was used by the French in colonial times for rest and recreation.Magnificent villas built in the 19th century with flat roofs and straight lines survive as bombed out ruins, destroyed by the Khmer Rouge army in the 70's as they wiped out any vestige of colonialism. In typical Cambodian style some of these are now occupied and even have electricity! The scene helped us to appreciate the reality of Cambodia's recent history.
The province is famous for sea food and in particular crab and shrimp, cooked with Kampot pepper and chilli - the best seafood we've had and the cheapest! All served in wooden shacks overlooking the sea. One day we took a half hour boat trip to Rabbit Island and spent a few hours swimming off a lovely beach. Cambodia is really a small place - we met 4 other VSOs staying in the same hotel, 2 of whom we'd emailed from the UK as they were our age and the husband was an accompanying partner like Geoff.
It was back to Samraong for a few days and then another break for our 1st guests, Laura and Alberto. We'll keep their brave venture for next time! Geoff starts teaching English at my organisation next week, I carry on meeting people and attending meetings and wondering how on earth I'm going to help make even the smallest of changes!
Geoff's home July 2nd - 16th primarily to see his Mum.
Lots of love from us both
Geoff and Carol xx
Thursday 28 May 2009
Thursday 7 May 2009
Hi everyone. After the wedding we returned to Kampong Cham to finish the language course before moving to Phnom Penh for the end of In-Country Training. Here we were able to find several items of furniture for our new house and VSO provided a truck to take us to Samraong.It was decrepid, dusty and old - the middle part of the steering wheel came off 2hrs in - but with a good driver, we arrived safely 9hrs later, feeling very much our age and no hot bath to soak in!
There were still 5 days to spend in a hotel, then at last we moved into the house where we put our suitcases well out of sight.
Our landlord had installed a posh fridge, cable TV, a new bed, gas cooker and settee and chairs. Within a couple of days came new curtains. The house is made of pink stone and has 4 rooms and a rooftop space. There is a kitchen, a shower room/toilet, a bedroom and a lounge/dining room. The lounge has a high ceiling and a shop-house entrance which means you could drive a bus through. We have installed the largest mosquito screen in Samraong across this front space.
Carol started work on the 27th of April.Geoff has now handed over to me. I'm almost at the end of my 2nd week and it all feels very strange after the frenetic pace of the NHS. The days are long, 7.30 -12 and 1.30 - 5 and there's plenty of time to stand and stare! I'm shadowing the Project Manager who is typically Cambodian - small, smiley and generous of spirit. He told me yesterday that his parents and 7 brothers and sisters had been killed by the Khmer Rouge and that he and his 3 surviving siblings had spent their teenage years in a refugee camp on the Thai border. It is only 10 yrs since the civil war to drive Pol Pot out ended in these parts, electricity arrived 2yrs ago and the internet last year. I try to remember this as I complain at the lack of things like orange juice, cheese and white wine!
I've attended meetings with the Public Health Dept and the main funder of our organization, Malteser, a German Aid organization.I've been on a field trip to several villages to look at the reasons why so many families there have dropped out of the community based health insurance scheme which CHHRA - Cambodian Health and Human Rights Alliance , the organisation I work for also manages. I sat in on a days interviews to select a new health promoter and was impressed by the organization's professionalism in spite of the chickens clucking around which didn't seem to bother anyone! VSO say that it takes about 3mths to settle in to the job and I know that I will have to be patient. I'm still at the stage of meeting lots of people - looking for opportunities to make small changes will hopefully come later.
Geoff has met a French girl who is a teacher, working with a French charity trying to add value to secondary school age children's education. He's offered English teaching, a couple of times per week and has also agreed to teach English to CHHRA staff, beginners and more advanced. Meanwhile, he's content to shop daily at the local market for meat and veg which are of surprisngly good quality, wash clothes by hand, read, enjoy his music and cook for me. Nothing changes!
The 8 or so Aid workers here have been very welcoming. We've been out to dinner twice and a local restaurant last night to say goodbye to 2 medical students who have spent their elective at Samraong Hospital - one of them comes from Leeds!
We have 4 days public holiday next week to celebrate the King's birthday so we're making the long trek south to Kep to find some unspoilt beaches and a boutique hotel with ac. Laura and Alberto are also coming to visit the end of May so we have lots to look forward to!
Please keep trying to post a comment! Our address if you'd like to write is -
VSO Cambodia Programme Office. PO Box 912
#19, Street214. SangatBoeung Rang. Khan Daun Penh. Phnom Penh. Cambodia.
Good to know that you're having a beautiful Spring .
Love to you all
Carol and Geoff xx
There were still 5 days to spend in a hotel, then at last we moved into the house where we put our suitcases well out of sight.
Our landlord had installed a posh fridge, cable TV, a new bed, gas cooker and settee and chairs. Within a couple of days came new curtains. The house is made of pink stone and has 4 rooms and a rooftop space. There is a kitchen, a shower room/toilet, a bedroom and a lounge/dining room. The lounge has a high ceiling and a shop-house entrance which means you could drive a bus through. We have installed the largest mosquito screen in Samraong across this front space.
Carol started work on the 27th of April.Geoff has now handed over to me. I'm almost at the end of my 2nd week and it all feels very strange after the frenetic pace of the NHS. The days are long, 7.30 -12 and 1.30 - 5 and there's plenty of time to stand and stare! I'm shadowing the Project Manager who is typically Cambodian - small, smiley and generous of spirit. He told me yesterday that his parents and 7 brothers and sisters had been killed by the Khmer Rouge and that he and his 3 surviving siblings had spent their teenage years in a refugee camp on the Thai border. It is only 10 yrs since the civil war to drive Pol Pot out ended in these parts, electricity arrived 2yrs ago and the internet last year. I try to remember this as I complain at the lack of things like orange juice, cheese and white wine!
I've attended meetings with the Public Health Dept and the main funder of our organization, Malteser, a German Aid organization.I've been on a field trip to several villages to look at the reasons why so many families there have dropped out of the community based health insurance scheme which CHHRA - Cambodian Health and Human Rights Alliance , the organisation I work for also manages. I sat in on a days interviews to select a new health promoter and was impressed by the organization's professionalism in spite of the chickens clucking around which didn't seem to bother anyone! VSO say that it takes about 3mths to settle in to the job and I know that I will have to be patient. I'm still at the stage of meeting lots of people - looking for opportunities to make small changes will hopefully come later.
Geoff has met a French girl who is a teacher, working with a French charity trying to add value to secondary school age children's education. He's offered English teaching, a couple of times per week and has also agreed to teach English to CHHRA staff, beginners and more advanced. Meanwhile, he's content to shop daily at the local market for meat and veg which are of surprisngly good quality, wash clothes by hand, read, enjoy his music and cook for me. Nothing changes!
The 8 or so Aid workers here have been very welcoming. We've been out to dinner twice and a local restaurant last night to say goodbye to 2 medical students who have spent their elective at Samraong Hospital - one of them comes from Leeds!
We have 4 days public holiday next week to celebrate the King's birthday so we're making the long trek south to Kep to find some unspoilt beaches and a boutique hotel with ac. Laura and Alberto are also coming to visit the end of May so we have lots to look forward to!
Please keep trying to post a comment! Our address if you'd like to write is -
VSO Cambodia Programme Office. PO Box 912
#19, Street214. SangatBoeung Rang. Khan Daun Penh. Phnom Penh. Cambodia.
Good to know that you're having a beautiful Spring .
Love to you all
Carol and Geoff xx
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