Water,water everywhere.....Asia, a place of contrasts.

Hi Everyone
I've just come home on my bike in the rain from a trip to the flooded lake and an early evening beer. It's still raining hard most days with lots of thunder and lightening and many houses and our compound are knee deep in smelly, stagnant water. Some days are cloudy, dull,almost sunless, and cooler.When it rains, the town feels deserted. The roads are empty, meetings start late and roads are so flooded that staff are unable to get to the villages on their motos.Nothing compared to Pakistan, but the hospital is flooded and had 97 patients yesterday with only beds for 70.
This is the season for respiratory infections and dengue fever.Against a backdrop of malnutrition, children readily succumb to pneumonia and diarrhoea.All of my teaching at CHHRA tries to raise staff awareness of the danger signs, which if they see in the villages, they should be encouraging families to go to the health centre quickly, rather than visiting the traditional healer or buying drugs, usually fake , from a market stall. So, even though the end is in sight, there's still plenty to do! I'm supporting our most experienced health promoter to run a workshop looking at best practice for working in schools and the health insurance promoters are planning village training to motivate the volunteers we use to promote the sale of health insurance. These are the best times here - there's always laughter, and I'll try to find some games and songs to incorporate into the sessions. Mary, an Irish Education volunteer, older than me, is sharing her resources with me next week.It will be great if even a little of what I've done here is sustained when I leave.
All such a contrast with Singapore - not a biting insect or bad smell in sight as we sat having dinner on Laura and Alberto's balcony, overlooking a pool and beautiful planting, just over a week ago. And only 2hrs away from Cambodia! It was great to feel really clean but as ever I felt the country bumpkin in my bright colours, compared to the sleek greys/blacks of the stylish Singaporeans.Its going to be a culture shock coming home.The best bits of life here - living simply, no pristine home, entertaining without a fuss, I hope we'll keep up! Geoff went on from Singapore to Pnom Penh to get our visas renewed, so I've missed my house keeper and have had to deal with a mouse in the kitchen who has had a good chew at our wooden kitchen utensils and lots of lizard poo.Better than a rat though, which we had at the top of the stairs before we went away!

I've saved the best bit of life here until last, the birth of our 1st grandchild Enrico Renato Martinelli on Sept. 24th.He is lovely and has quite a bit of the Coles in him with a cherry nose and chubby cheeks! Laura's a great Mum and Alberto a doting Dad.He's a lucky boy and will want for nothing, such a contrast to so many beautiful babies here.The Granny bit still feels a bit surreal but Geoff has taken to his new role with gusto. Thanks for all your kind and heart warming congragulations, which I've forwarded to Laura to read eventually, when not breast feeding! Hope all is well with you all and that the Autumn colours are good.Keep in touch.
With love, Carol and Geoff xx