The workers are back again

Around 7am I was doing my usual marching up and down the apartment, getting my 10,000 steps done before the heat arrived, when I saw a ladder appearing in the kitchen.  The dreaded workers were back - and I'd just cleaned the apartment.  This time I asked what they were doing and one of the workers pointed upwards to the roof.  This is a loft type of place so I have no ceiling.  Apparently, there are mice who are super athletic and can jump up nearly 4 metres.  The day went on with more hammering and drilling and I fretted about the dust flying around.  

I got my usual morning phone all, instructing me to head over the road for lunch.  Today I was happy to go to get away from the noise.  The meals are always interesting as they are one hundred percent Khmer rather than a mishmash of ingredients blending Chinese dishes with Cambodian.

I can tell Chinese New Year is coming up as people are talking about offices closing.  Around town yellow Chrysanthemums and orange marigolds are starting to appear.  Here, Chinese New Year is celebrated but it's nowhere near as big as it is in Vietnam.  There, the streets are lined with yellow and orange plants in pots for sale and also trees that produce a small yellow flower at this time of year.  To make sure the yellow stands out, all the leaves are removed from the branches.  There are also pink branches but they aren't so popular.  In Vietnam it's called Tet and I went there one year at that time.  It's a strange time as there are no open shops and people are either celebrating at home or moving to someone else's home to continue celebrating, before another family comes to their place.  A few years back I happened to visit a friend and his family.  They were drinking at the time and eating snacks and so I had to join them with a can of beer.  Others were drinking a clear liquid in tiny glasses.  I asked about it and I was presented with a glass which I dutifully drank.  It didn't taste too bad and so, when I was offered another one, and a third one, I drank them too.  I then asked the dad what the drink was and he said he'd made it.  He brought out an enormous pickle jar and to my amazement (I won't say horror because I'm quite blasé about things over here) it was half filled with snakes that were coiled and laid on top of one another.  He also pointed out some sour plums as if that would make the whole experience more acceptable.  I didn't have any more.  

In the evening I took the three lads to their Chinese class and then I went to one of my 24/7 shops to buy some supplies.  The one I usually go to is stocked with items from all over the world and I always enjoy browsing to see what's on offer.  At the moment I'm enjoying the sour cherry juice from Greece.  I was surprised to see cans of Campbell's soup on sale for one dollar - cream of asparagus.  I couldn't resist buying some and I enjoyed a bowl for dinner.  I think I'll go back tomorrow and buy some more as it's nice to have something like that on hand for a rainy day.  

I've been watching a 3 part documentary about the life of Lady Jane Grey who should be better known that she is - she was put on the throne instead of Princess Mary and Princess Elizabeth.  Unfortunately, the poor lass only lasted 9 days and then she lost her head.  I'm only at part 2 so right now she's still got it.  I also watched a film made about Dr. Shipman, who became known as Dr. Death in the UK when it was discovered that he'd killed countless patients.  It was positively creepy seeing him inject something into people who trusted him completely.  It became more easy to watch when the police got involved and then I learned a lot about forensics and other things.  

I know I've got some cleaning and floor washing to do but right now I can't be bothered.  

I've jus heard that a sister in law in the UK has suffered a stroke so I'll have to try to contract my brother, Barrie.  She's in a hospital away from her hometown so there's a bus that takes people free of charge.  They really do have some lovely systems over there to help people.  

Final Day for the Workers

I wish I hadn't said anything about the mice.  Dear Vuth is really concerned and so I've had workmen in the apartment every day since Saturday afternoon when I came back from the dentists.  The men brought rolls of sheet metal with small holes to cover all the vents.  The vents are about 3 metres from the ground so heaven knows how a mouse is supposed to jump through them - unless they come from a circus act.  I don't mind the men as they are very friendly and hard working but I do object to the noise.  My walls are cement covered with tiles so it's non-stop drilling and hammering.  When I left the hotel, after ending the dental programme, I thought I'd left all forms of drilling behind until next year.  

In the morning Avikuo arrived.  He's from Nagaland, in North East India, and he's been in Battambang for a couple of months; he's now on his way home.  When he arrived from India he stayed at my place.  I hardly said a dozen words to him as he slept all the time.   This time Vuth decided we should take him out for lunch and he chose the restaurant at the National Museum.  I would definitely like to go back there again.  I had a fish cooked with a mushroom sauce and rice.  I thought of getting the dish Vuth ordered but I'm glad I didn't.  It was a huge plate with a small bowl in the centre that was filled with a fish paste.  Scattered around the dish were the flowers of the water hyacinth and another flower, which people enjoy eating here, and some other native Khmer vegetables.  When I saw it, I heaved a sigh of relief that I had the mushroom sauce.  We also had a salad to share that consisted of a variety of lettuce, pieces of bread and a dip and slices of avocado.  We all had a drink and I opted for a pot of Earl Grey Tea.  The bill for the three of us was just $24.  

Avikuo had to wait a few hours before he could continue his trip so Vuth suggested he come to my place and relax - and relax he did.  He walked straight through the apartment, sat in a chair on the balcony and fell asleep.  Later I found him lying on the tiled floor which I presume was cooler.  I couldn't stand the hammering and drilling but he slept through all of it.  Eventually I decided to read a book in the bedroom.  When things quietened down I came out and discovered that Avikuo had gone.  So much for fond farewells.  I presume arrived home as I've not heard anything - in fact he may still be on the journey as it's a long one.  Phnom Penh to Bangkok and then to Kolkata.  From there to Dimapur and then up into the mountains by bus to his village.

It seemed to me that the workers had finished so I decided to do some spring cleaning.  Every flat surface was covered with the fine powder from the cement so I tried to sweep it up and then I mopped the floor.  The stairs to the ground floor were also dusty so I washed all 38 of them.  Finally I had my home back and I hope the mice realise there's no point in trying to come in

Bits and bobs

I'm hearing news from the dentists that they've reached their various destinations; some have gone on a holiday whilst others headed straight back to Canada.  I'm receiving messages of thanks from various members and thankfully they all enjoyed their time here.  I sometimes feel as if I'm becoming an ambassador for Cambodia because the Cambodians themselves are not very good at blowing their own trumpet.  

Because I'm low man on the totem pole I spend most of my time with the dentists moving around doing a number of little jobs.  Those who work together are able to do their work and chat at the same time but I'm always between here and there as I take patients from one place to another.  One person wrote and apologised, hoping his situation during his time with the group, hadn't caused me any problems.  I had no clue what he was talking about but it turned out that he'd come with his lady friend and, during their time here, they'd decided it was time to part and move on.  He thought I'd observed things but I had no idea what was happening.  Maybe he's now regretting mentioning it.

I've learned that one learns a lot more by listening and with this group I learned some interesting things.  I learned it's possible to have a divorce and to remain good friends with the ex-spouse.   Two of the ladies mentioned that they often have holidays with their ex because their current spouse doesn't want to do what the wife wants to do.  It was said in a group situation and nobody took offence so maybe it's the new way of thinking.

I get fed up with the attitude of tourists towards the local people.  The Chinese are getting a bad reputation because of their loudness and the way they push and shove.  It's offensive here but maybe it's common practice back home - I would think, with a population of over a billion, there's a big need to be assertive.  I haven't been on a Canadian bus in a long time but, when I lived in Calgary over 50 years ago I often was a bit put off by the way those speaking Chinese spoke as if they were entertaining the entire bus.

We are now getting a lot of people from Eastern Europe and they tend to be far more direct and, what we would consider to be, less polite.  When I was with Ponleu, he and a couple of little boys, were using the parallel bars in the park.  Along came an Eastern European who obviously wanted to develop his muscles.  He chased away the other little boys and then announced to Ponleu that he should take off because the man wanted to use the bars for a real purpose.  I said, "In Ponleu's mind he's also using the bars for a purpose."  The man backed off and used the end of the bars from which he'd chased the little boys.  I thought, "You arrogant so and so!"  

Mother used to say I was an accident looking for somewhere to happen.  It was most likely true.  I'm trying to think of a statement to fit Oudom's personality.  What should I call someone who puts glue stick in my microwave or decides he wants to mix baking soda with vinegar to see what happens?  When we had a fruit shake together he finished his chocolate shake and then he decided to play with the straw.  By the way, I was very impressed that the restaurant was using paper straws.  I happened to be looking in another direction when I felt air on my face.  Dear Oudom had blown down his supposedly empty straw and now my nice blue shirt was splattered with blobs of chocolate.  I was ready to strangle him; "Chocolate washes out!  It's no problem!"  

Life's been complicated, especially with the workers fixing things in the stairwell.  The stairs were so full of ladders and other things I couldn't get out of the apartment.  In the evening Thornin came to collect the laundry I'd had to wash twice because of his leaving paper in the pockets of his trousers.  I helped him pack for India and then he decided he'd collect his motorbike, get items for storage from the hotel and then go home.  I suggested it would be easier to stay in my place but the idea was turned down.

We went downstairs and onto the street where I stood and waited with his bags while he went off for his motorbike.  He couldn't get it - it was parked too far inside the building and it was already 8pm.  I said we needed a larger tuk tuk to collect the items for storage but he decided a smaller rickshaw was OK.  I was right!  He finally decided to leave everything as it was and sleep at my place.  It's nice to be right every once in a while.  

A lovely Sunday

A lovely day.  I woke up at 6am and did my walking exercise.  The floor still didn't look shiny so I washed it again.  I phoned Thornin and told him he owed me a meal after I'd spent time cleaning the bits of paper from his clothing.  Vuth came over and said that workmen would be in the building to fix a bit of wall that was falling.  My apartment had to be used for the electricity so I had wires, ladders and bits and bobs all over the place.  They are back tomorrow so my home looks like an obstacle course.  People here work every day of the week as there's no special "Sunday" for Buddhists.

Vuth encouraged me to go over the road to have lunch with the family.  I was a bit reluctant as I'm still in the mood of flopping and enjoying peace and quite, but I decided to join them.  Cina had been to the market in the morning and had bought 5kg of crab at $15 a kilo and 4kg of lobster at $40 a kilo, so she spent a lot of money today.  The creatures were fresh from the river and alive when she brought them home.  Some of them had been cooked in the oven while others were made into a soup.

I just sat there, eating away, while others broke everything open for me.  Grandma was having a great time chomping on the spiny legs of the lobsters and pulling out a piece of meat shaped like a small pencil.  I've learned how to identify a male and female crab by it's underbelly.  I gave up after two lobsters and a crab.  They told me to keep on eating but I said I was worried there weren't many left for the rest of the family.  I was then reassured they had lots of them left.  I wonder how much all of it would cost in the West?

The workers were still busy when I left the apartment to pick up the boys to go for a walk.  I'd promised them a fruit shake along the river so that got them away from the computers.  Their's is not a normal family.  With the travel office inside the home, there are computers all over the place so there's no need to share.  The lads bragged that they'd played games for nearly 5 hours.  I think it's absolutely whacky but I doubt if I can change anything.  They pulled a face when I said, if they come to my place, there's no computer games; they can bring books, do drawing, play with the Lego etc.  Ponleu enjoys drawing but he insists on being paid for each picture - if he colours it he earns $5.  I've told him he'd get nothing from me except a thank you and maybe a hug.  I don't like kids learning all about money at such a young age.

I left the house with three boys.  Samnang (14) was in a muttering mood, saying how much he hated living in the house etc.  I told him he had to wait four more years and then he could make his own decisions.  I always get onto him when he's in this kind of a mood, reminding him of what life would be like if he was with his addict father - no lobster dinners for him if he was with dad.  He likes getting dressed up so he emerged in black and white with long pants; the other two were in floppy t-shirts and shorts.  Ponleu had a bunch of grapes rolled up in his shirt.  At the riverside Samnang went ahead, kicking his ball, and that's the last we saw of him.  He'll be over tomorrow evening and I'll pounce on him for not telling us he was going off on his own.

We sat at the riverside and ordered drinks; the lads ordered the most expensive shakes on the menu but I was in a good mood so I let them have it.  I was impressed with the paper straws.  Poor Ponleu had ordered a passion fruit mix so he had a problem getting the seeds up the straw.  A young man went by on a tiny trolley, as he has no legs; he wasn't begging but had a weigh scale and he wanted people to pay to be weighed.  People here are very resourceful.

I did a bit of shopping for basics.  Here I have to go from shop to shop.  My brown bread is at Panda, my cheese and yogurt is at E Mart and other things I need at Smile so I get. my exercise.  On our way home I saw Ponleu drop to the floor - he was thrilled to bits as someone had dropped a cache of candy on the ground.  He scooped them up and wrapped them in his t-shirt; I was glad the candies were in wrappers.  

It's 7pm and I think I'm going to find a nice movie, have a cheese sandwich and relax.  I should phone my brother Barrie in the UK as his wife has just had a stroke and has lost her speech and the use of her legs.  She was always as strong as an ox during her years as a nurse but, since retirement, she's suffered quite a bit with ailments so I feel sorry for her

Farewell day.

Well, today was farewell day and it started early.  At 6.30am Boroith and I sat with Linh until her bus arrived to take her to Vietnam where she will spend time with family.  She said there's a funeral ceremony so all the family will be there but she hasn't a clue who it's for.  Her family must be hard working.  They came as immigrants to Canada and Linh and all her siblings are dentists - one has many clinics somewhere in Alberta.

After Linh left it was the turn for Sogol.  She is from Iran and is very bubbly.  She was loaded down with a large backpack and other small bags and so it was hard to get into the low rickshaw; at one point she staggered forward when her backpack attempted to fly over her head.  A little while later four large hatchbacks arrived to take the eight people to the airport as they were returning to Canada and had to carry back all the equipment; the supplies they don't take back, such as gloves, bibs, medicine etc., are donated to the Peaceful Children's Home.  Laurence said he was feeling sad so I presume he enjoyed himself.  Some of them were going to have a long trip as they were having to spend a night in Vancouver and then going on to Saskatchewan and Manitoba.  Hans and Dianne were picked up by a private vehicle and set off for the seaside where they'll have two nights in a posh hotel with a private beach.  They are getting married next month so it'll be a pre-wedding thing.  He's going to McGill after the wedding to study for six years to become a dental surgeon - he'll then be able to fix cleft palettes and other mouth deformities.  I discovered that Dianne works in the lab at the St. Albert Hospital so she said I have to pop in and visit - but not to have any blood work, thank you.  We left Graham at the hotel as his wife comes from Canada today.  

Boroith and I sorted out the things left behind that have to be put into storage for next year.  Hans, the leader, gave us money for another compressor so now we'll have two compressors, one generator and two hygiene gadgets.  The only problem is that it leaves me with the job of finding somewhere to check them to make sure they work next year - I'm told there will be a next year.  The AGM for Kindness in Action is in Calgary in late April so I'll join them to say my piece.

I found my apartment looking very depressing as every flat surface was covered with two weeks of dust.  I have vents high up on the walls, that are open to the outside, so there's no way of stopping it coming in.  The balcony was messy as it had rained; I'm glad I remembered to bring in my cushions before I left.  I had my laundry to do, plus Thornin's laundry as he left it with me when he returned home to see about his sick children.  When I removed it from the machine I saw he'd left paper in one of the pockets so I've got another mess to clean up.  I had no lunch as I'm a bit fed up with eating and I finally flopped on the sofa to read a book around 4pm; I promptly fell asleep.  Oudom woke me up at 6pm - "Can I come over to stay?"  I told him he couldn't as I was tired and he'd woke me up.  "It's only 6", he said.  After the call I fell asleep again and finally got up at 8pm.  I suppose it's a mix of physical and mental exhaustion.

I've done so many of these trips that I don't get emotionally attached to them; once they are over, they are over.  This one was especially nice.  I looked at the Thank You card they'd all signed and they all said that the trip was amazing and I was amazing.  I'm going to write and tell them that I can be amazing as I want but, if they are a mess, then the programme's a mess.  I wrote to Soubert and others to tell them about the donation to the children's home so they could write a thank you letter.  My final act was to dispose of a mouse that hadn't been notified that I was going to be away for two weeks.  Poor thing looked a bit desiccated when I found it.  I decided not to send it flying over the balcony so it's now residing in my garbage bin.  

I'm sure there are "teeth" photos on my Facebook if anyone cares to look.  

I'll sleep well tonight; no snoring room mates and no Air Con set for 16C.

Back to Phnom Penh on our final full day together.

I got up early so that I could have breakfast with Val, who is not coming back to Phnom Penh with us today.  She has to travel alone to Battambang as she's going to stay at Thornin and Serey'd home and do some volunteering with the clinic at the Catholic Church.  She's a qualified nurse, midwife and TB specialist so I'm sure she'll come in handy with the staff there.  We drew maps, gave her phone numbers, phoned tuk tuk people so she was well looked after when she finally arrived.

She arrived at a good time because Morokot, the 2 year old daughter of Thornin and Serey was not well - vomiting and not eating.  Val said she had a high fever but wasn't dehydrated.  Serey had taken her to the hospital where they would put her on a serum drip.  This is the solution to all Cambodian health issues.  Val said she didn't need it but it's done automatically if one ventures into a clinic here.  

Elizabeth and Judy were also leaving our group as they were flying to Bangkok to meet their husbands so they could have a holiday together.  When the bus arrived there were only 15 of us to enjoy the 45 seats.  People spread out, put the back down and promptly went to sleep or played with their mobile devices.

We stopped for lunch at Boroith's home and had a wonderful feast.  Unfortunately, the dreaded diarrhea had hit some members of the group so they couldn't enjoy the food.  We had a mixed vegetable and tofu dish, bigger gourd stuffed with rice and ground meat, fish caught from the river just 3 metres away and lots of fresh mango.  It was delicious.  I asked Diane how she felt and I said she'd lost her colour.  "You mean I'm no longer yellow", she asked - she's from Taiwan.  Linh had really gone to town last evening by sampling every form of insect she could find and today it was rewarding her with various ailments.  We've been lucky as nobody as been sick until the end of the programme.  Kim took a couple of days off but that was because of her aching back.  

The group was very impressed with Boroith's ability to throw out the large, circular fishing net and he hauled in lots of small fish that will provide a meal for the family.

From there we drove on and then stopped on the highway by Thornin's village.  We always asked a couple of his neighbours to come with their tractors and trailers to take the group into the village.  We met Thornin's parents, had a coconut drink and a sugar cane drink and then we set off again for Skhun.  This town is famous for a huge market that sells every kind of food imaginable.  Little girls wandered around with a live tarantula.  If you allowed them to put the spider on your arm then that meant you were willing to pay to have a photograph taken with the creature.  I bought a kilo of dried mango, which is one of my favourite snacks, and some sweet tamarind, which I'll give to  my neighbours.  The group came back to the bus loaded down, as usual, with dried banana soaked in honey, chips made from taro and other local vegetables.

When we arrived at the bridge over a river which leads into Phnom Penh, Thornin decided to get off the bus and go home to Battambang.  His daughter had developed a fever and her brother was crying all the time as she'd been taken to the hospital.  My friend Val, who is a nurse, had already arrived at the home so she examined Morakot and agreed she had a fever but said she wasn't dehydrated and therefore didn't need a serum drip.  That's like talking to a wall here in Cambodia.  As soon as Serey took Morakot to the hospital the staff immediately gave her a bottle of serum in a drip.  A couple of years ago I had read that Cambodians are the only people in the world who look forward to the needle and it obviously starts early.   He didn't take his suitcase and his parting words were, "Please do my laundry so I can take it to India."  He's going to a conference on the 29th.

The room situation worked out perfectly in the hotel.  I put the three snorers in their own rooms so they could entertain themselves.  In the evening we walked to the riverside to go to the Titanic Restaurant for dinner.  It's hilarious walking with a group in Cambodia as some are assertive and manage to cross the street while others are on the other side dithering.  For some reason I end up far ahead of anyone else so I have to walk back to get them or stand around on a corner so they know where to go.

We had a lovely seat in the restaurant, sitting in easy chairs with just a roof and no walls so we could see the life on the river.  Hans has been a wonderful group leader.  He held my view that when the volunteers pay money to come to Cambodia then the money should stay here; others try to take a lot back to fill the NGOs coffers in Canada.  We each chose our own meal and he said people could have two drinks plus he had wine for the tables.  I ordered steamed fish done with mushrooms in coconut and I was flabbergasted when a metal tray arrived with a fire underneath to keep it warm.  It was huge so I was glad Boroith helped me eat it.  He and Graham had ordered water buffalo, expecting something different and exotic, but they both declared, "It tastes just like beef!"  

Boroith did his usual disappearing trick and wouldn't answer his phone when I kept calling him.  He does this all the time and it's so frustrating.  He'd decided to go shopping with a local friend for gifts for his family.  Eventually, he came waltzing back to the restaurant not realising that everyone was fretting as it was supposed to be a special farewell time, to thank him for what he'd done.  Hans presented him with his salary and tips so he was suddenly speechless.  We forced him to make a speech and he thanked everyone for coming and helping the poor.

I was quite surprised as I was given gifts too.  I was given a card with expressions of thanks from everyone - that's the first one I've received since I started with Kindness in Action.  They wanted me to give a donation to Peaceful Children's Home.  Someone had asked what I'd do after the group left and I had said I would take Thornin, Boroith and their families to the seaside for a holiday in early March.  I was given an envelope with money to use for the holiday and another dentist gave me another donation so we'll have a lovely holiday.

The night market, and the last chance to shop, was just across the road so off they went.  I went to bed.  Tomorrow it's another early start to say goodbye to them as they drift off in different directions at different times.  I hope there aren't too many errors in this as I'm too tired to go through it.  Nowadays, for some strange reason, my fingers type perfectly spelt words but they aren't the words my brain wanted me to type.  It's all so fascinating

I’m having a holiday today

I'm having a holiday today.  The group got up at the ungodly hour of 4.30am to see the sunrise.  This year they didn't come back to the hotel because everyone wanted to see the sunrise.  Syden organised packed breakfasts for them and so, after they saw sunrise come up over the towers of Angkor Wat, they ate breakfast and then they continued with the tour of the three major temples.  People say they are going to Angkor Wat but that is actually the name of the main temple.  There are 400 sq kilometres of temples; some of them not even studied properly yet.  They go to Bayon, which is famous for the Buddha heads that are on every tower at the temple.  The one I like best is Ta Prohm which is the temple the archaeologists left to nature and so trees are growing in and out of the large stones used to build the temple - this temple appears in the movie, "Raiders of the Lost Ark".  They came back to the hotel much earlier than usual which meant they missed the hoards of Chinese tourists who descend on the temples.  I wonder if they behave the same way wherever they go?  In my mind I can't see them doing in London what they do here, which is climbing all over the statues and making so much noise.

I had a leisurely lunch with Rina who is Syden's youngest brother.  He manages a hotel called "The Wooden Hotel", which is very traditional and owned by a local man.  I'd like to stay there but it's far beyond the dentists' budget.  I've known him for 17 years so I've watched him grow up from being about 9 years of age.  I see him for one hour, at lunch time, whenever I'm in Siem Reap which is usually a couple of times a year.  He helps Syden by providing him with tourists who want to tour the temples.

I didn't do much during the day, just reading and writing so it was a lovely relaxing time as I didn't have to think about finances and receipts.

In the evening we went to a huge restaurant that has a traditional dance performance.  We had an excellent table, near the stage, as Syden books at least two months in advance.  The group sat down and started studying the drinks menu and chatting.  I told them to get up and get their food.  It's always a shame when people have to get food when the dance performance is going on.  I've seen it 15 times but I still find the slow motion, traditional Khmer dancing, almost hypnotising.  The evening cost us $12, which is cheap for an enormous buffet and the performance.  I never eat much and I get fed up with the long lines of people queuing for food.  

Another one of Syden's brothers (Rottana) is a tour guide and he'd brought over 100 people for dinner; they were mainly from Poland and Moscow.  He's quite a chatterbox so we had a good visit.  He's building a school in his village and he's been getting some financial support from people from Utah.  I knew straight away they were members of the Mormon church.  I had to laugh as they are trying to get him to go to the church but he's refused; they even bought him a special pair of shoes so he could go.  He's a devout Buddhist so there's no chance of that happening.  

After dinner, people went off in all directions - some went to the famous Pub Street, which is where all the food and entertainment is located.  No traffic is allowed in the evening so the streets are clogged with people.  Others went to the night market.  I decided to go with Boroith and Thornin for a massage.  I really don't enjoy the standard massage, by the young ladies, as they are a bit rough at times.  I opted for something called 'romantic massage'.  I was put in a room on my own and the lights were turned off so it was pitch black.  There was no music and eventually a man came in to give me the massage.  It was lovely and relaxing and I was glad the lads had suggested two hours.  He couldn't speak any English but he was able to keep saying, "Sleep!"  After one hour they came into my room and asked if I'd finished.  I said I was enjoying it too much and I was happy with the two hours.  They weren't happy because the young ladies had left them shortly after starting the massage and they were replaced by two ladies who they said were older than their grandmothers.  I paid $20 for the two hours so it didn't break my bank.  

I slept like a log.  

 

I don’t know days; I only know dates

People keep asking me what day we'll be in which place. I tell them that I work by dates. I can tell them where they'll be on the 25th but I have no idea what day it is.

Individuals in the group have told me they are very happy but exhausted. One lady said she'd never been away from her family for two weeks - I thought it was funny when she said her husband had. It has been her first time volunteering and she's found it very tiring. At times she left the group to stay in her room but she was always cheerful about it. She's got rheumatism in her back so that wouldn't help. There's another lady I don't fully understand. She's been on six earlier trips to other destinations so one would think she was a well rounded traveller but that's not the case. I hardly saw her eat anything. She can't stand the sight of eggs and doesn't even want to touch them. If anything has the slightest hint of spice she won't eat it. She also has sciatica in her back that won't be helping. In the beginning I asked if anyone had special food needs and nobody said anything. Later on I found out that we had five vegetarians and one with a nut allergy. In a way it was good I didn't know because I just created a menu as if they were all able to eat anything. One young lady, born in Iran, said religion didn't bother her and she had no idea what her parents' religion was.

Every group has a personality; this one is an eating group. I've never known anything like it. They have a meal, we get on the bus and later stop for a toilet break - they get back on the bus loaded with snacks (or "snakes" as the Cambodians tend to say). It's also very much a groupie group; they like to stay together. In other groups, in the evening, people leave the group and go off to do something on their own. Not this group; it's almost as if they are a bunch of primary children holding onto a rope. Maybe it's because some are elderly and new to volunteering. Some of them are related while others are old friends. I've thoroughly enjoyed this group and Hans, the young leader, has been an absolute dream to work with.

Anyway, what did we do on the 22nd? We worked in a pagoda nestled at the foot of a hill so the pathways and buildings go up and up to a lovely view of the surrounding countryside. We've been many times so it's lovely to be greeted by familiar faces - the monks in their saffron and nuns in white. Many years ago, when we first went there, we worked in a building with a huge Buddha statue. He's not allowed to be disturbed from his meditation so he was covered with a long cloth. The following year they decided we needed a different location so up the hill we went to a large open space that had a funny looking structure at the end of it. Nosey me wandered around the back of it and discovered it was an oven - it was the crematorium. Since then we've been in a lovely space with tiled floors, open sides and a large roof so there's lots of shade.

It gets to be a bit of a circus but it's fun. We foreigners were allowed to wear our shoes but none of the locals. I took mine off as I hate shoes anyway. After triage we have to seat people in areas for hygiene, extraction and restorative (i.e. fillings). I'd prepared all the bibs so my job was to be the runner, attaching the bib and taking the patient to a particular area. Easier said than done! I'd pin on the bib and march off, expecting them to follow, but often they had wandered off to sit with a friend in another section. Nuns can't sit near men and monks can't sit near women so it becomes a bit of a juggle moving people around. Everyone has a good laugh. They lie down on tables but aren't supposed to have feet pointing at another person so that affects how we set up our tables.

One lady was very particular about stopping seeing any patient by 2.30pm. Normally, we work until either it's 5pm or the light's too bad to see but she kept insisting. Today we had about 30 waiting for extractions and she went on about the time, not being away before 9pm etc. "We've already seen 101 people", she said. As if that was a criteria for stopping work.

The dentists went into a huddle to discuss things but one of them left and said, "There's too much talking. Set up four tables for me and we'll start extracting." She was amazing. She moved from table to table, freezing the patient, and then back up the line to start extracting. It's funny watching the different personalities. She was a down to earth lady (originally from Vietnam - she was surprised to discover a couple of monks from Vietnam) who used one or two tools. Others would stand and look at the tools, meditating on which ones to take.

Our new hygiene equipment finally broke down - it was nothing to do with the quality of the equipment but the fact that they were working constantly and the tartar on the teeth was so bad. Looking in the mouths of the older people I would have pulled them all out but they'd say, "Not that one!"

By chance we'd ended our programme at this location and it turned out to be a brilliant move. The group had to pack everything to return to Canada and they were happy that we had a clean and pleasant area to do this. If we'd ended our time at the dirty, dusty, rundown school it would have been a miserable time. The head monk and nun came and wanted a photo with us. Boroith and Thornin got down on their knees to prostrate themselves and the monk just stood there smiling. They show the nuns and monks a lot of respect but it's not a kow towing situation; they laugh and joke together.

Did I mention the bats in the earlier blog? My days are blending one into the other - teeth, food, organizing beds, booking buses. We actually saw the bats three times - once we sat and watched them coming out of the cave and on the other occasions we were in the bus as they flew overhead. I can understand how they leave the cave together, but which bat decides it's time to go? How do they all come back at the same time - that's the mystery. They fly out of the cave together but, down the road, they go off in different directions to enjoy themselves.

We had our usual dinner with Serey's family at her restaurant and said farewell to the four local translators who'd helped us. We gave them $125 each which is a nice gift for them, plus cleaned their teeth. Some of the Canadians wanted to go to a sky bar so we took them to a hotel. Some decided to walk up the stairs but they realised it was 10 floors and so, when the elevator stopped at a floor, there was always someone begging to get on. Battambang is a sleepy city so there were not lots of lights and activities to see from up there.

Tomorrow it's all hands on deck loading up a 45 seater bus for our trip to Siem Reap.

On our way to Siem Reap and Angkor Wat

Our final breakfast at Serey's restaurant; we leave Battambang in the big bus for Siem Reap.  It's been hard work for her and the family, preparing food for 23 people who arrive all at once.  The evening before, while they are having dinner, I go around asking for their orders for food and coffee.  It's not just "Coffee please!" - as they'd say in Canada but "Hot black, hot black with condensed milk, some wanted more sugar; then there's iced black coffee with or without milk; two ladies wanted half milk.  I think I mentioned there were 65 items on the restaurant menu but I limited the group to 5 choices which worked out well.  I never know what to have for breakfast so often I ended up with a leftover meal that was put together by mistake.

Thornin has to take care of the regular customers while Boroith and I go back and forth taking meals and coffee.  The group fills the table so I have to eat on my own or with the local men.  It amazes me how much the group chats - they seem to talk non stop during their entire time in the restaurant.  It's frustrating in a way because I never really have time to sit and talk to anyone for any length of time.  When we are working, I'm doing the running back and forth with patients.  If I'm not doing dental work I'm working on logistics and keeping invoices up to date.  I'm constantly having to think about what we might need next.  I mentioned earlier that Hans had said that he knew nothing about me and the same goes for me with the rest of the group.  I know little snippets but that's about all.  When we say goodbye on the 26th some will want to connect on Facebook but it's not to correspond.  Others wander into my life for two weeks and then go off.

It was interesting that two of the group knew friends of mine from my time in Nigeria.  Judy has been here twice and I often have a meal with her and others in Edmonton during the summer.  Those living in Alberta often ask me to drop by their clinics so we can have a drink together, so that's nice.  The annual meeting of Kindness in Action is in Calgary in late April so I'll be able to reconnect with people if I manage to get there.  

It's fascinating watching people on the bus; almost all of them fall asleep.  Some of the younger ones are permanently plugged into music.  I always think, if I'm not coming this way again I should see as much as I can, but the rest of the world seems to disagree with me.  In the earlier days I used to walk up and down the bus telling people about the things we were passing but this time I decided not to bother.  It didn't bother anyone else either.

We were short of a room when we got to Siem Reap.  Two of the men, sharing a room, snore so loudly they keep each other away.  For one night they'll have to put up with each other as the hotel is full and then, tomorrow, we'll get them another room.  One lady had to have her own room as she snores loudly.  As usual, I'm sharing with the two Cambodians.  When it comes to their bodies they are fastidious; both of them bring piles of clothing and they never seem to wear anything more than once before taking it to the laundry.  On the other hand they are a total disaster when it comes to keeping the room tidy so it's a case of East meeting West.  They throw their clothes all over the place, wet towels are draped over furniture, shoes and slippers scattered everywhere.  I do my mother hen bit and follow them around picking things up.  

They went off with Syden, my guide friend, to spend time on Tonle Sap Lake and waiting for sunset.  I stayed at the hotel as I had received an email from Marta, from Poland.  She was in town for a linguistics conference and up to today our paths had constantly crossed with no time to meet.  I'd completely forgotten about our planned visit so it was a good job I went to see the lobby staff just as she was at the desk asking about me.  We managed to have a pleasant half hour together, catching up on news and friends.

The group wanted to have a meal together, even though it was supposed to be a free time for shopping.  We chose an outdoor restaurant that's very pleasant.  They have singers who sing a lot of old Western songs that have been translated into Khmer so it's nice to have the music in the background.  Everyone had asked to go to sunrise tomorrow so they were all eager to get to bed so they would be able to wake up at 4.30am.  Not me, thank you very much.  I'm not that interested in sunrises as they tend to happen every day.  At Angkor they are very special though as the sun rises at the very top of the main tower at the temple.  I have a photo of it so I don't need any more.

In our room I worked on Thornin's CV as he's been asked to teach at a university in Battambang.  Boroith worked on the department of education accounts that he has to do while he's away from work.  I nodded off.  

Final working day with the dentists.

I was busy as usual at breakfast time, giving the various dishes to the people in the group.  I take their order the night before so that we don't have to wait a long time in the morning.   All but one lady enjoys the breakfasts; for some reason she hasn't eaten anything except the local fried bread.  She's happy though and doesn't complain.  I've offered her peanut butter but she doesn't want it.

Today we worked at a pagoda where we've gone for many years.  It's a lovely working environment and it was a much better place to end the programme rather than ending it at the dusty, dirty school.  We work in a space that has a tiled floor and roof but with open walls so it's never too hot.  The first year we went there we worked in a meeting hall and Buddha had to be covered up so he couldn't be disturbed by what we were doing.  The next time we went they put us in a roof with a strange contraption at one end.  I decided to look around the back and saw the oven - we were in the crematorium.  I'm glad they built the place we use nowadays.

There are over a hundred monks and nuns in the pagoda so dealing with their teeth gets complicated.  When we first went they said the monks couldn't be seen by a lady.  We told them that many of the dentists and hygienists were women so they decided it would be all right.  Then they said they couldn't have their feet pointing at each other, because we work on tables and they lie down.  We said we needed the light so they said it would be all right.  Sitting them to wait is hilarious because the monks can't sit next to a woman and the nuns must be kept away from the men.  Everyone has a good laugh as we jitterbug around, trying to keep them away from the opposite sex.

We have one lady who insists on packing up at 2.30pm and not seeing anyone else but, at that time we had about 30 people waiting for extractions.  There was a group discussion and Linh, who is a dentist, came away from the group and said, "Set me up four tables and I'm going to do them; I'm fed up talking."  She went from one table to another, freezing patients, and then back to the beginning to extract.  When it came to getting tools she asked Boroith, a local helper, to get her one or two tools.  Other dentists stood, looking at the array of around 40 different kinds of instruments, studying and decided what to take - they always took far more than they needed.  The lady who wanted to stop working complained we wouldn't get away until 9pm.  "We've already done a hundred people", she said, as if that was a cut off rule.  Anyway, people ignored her and we carried on until we finished everyone.  I hate having to leave people with no treatment as many have travelled a long way to see us.  

Because it's the final day, all the instruments have to be cleaned properly and packed to return to Canada.  Only 7 of the 15 in the group are returning immediately so they have the job of taking everything back while the rest go off for a holiday.  It's not really fair on the ones going back immediately but this year there were enough people returning.  One year only one person returned to Canada at the end of the programme so she was responsible for everything.

Our hygiene equipment, which we bought a few weeks ago, broke down.  It wasn't the fault of the machine; the hygienists said the stain on the people's teeth was so thick it took ages to get off so the machines never stopped working.  We didn't have many children crying, which always helps.  I feel sorry for them because most of the time their baby teeth have rotted and it's mostly because of drinking sugary drinks that are sold around the school playground; this year the school principal had a shop inside the school playground.

When we returned to the restaurant in the evening we had a gift giving time for some of the translators who were leaving the group.  We gave them a salary and a tip so they were happy.  We also gave our bus driver a special tip as he helped us rather than just sitting on his bus.  I think it was because he was grateful we'd fixed his teeth problems.  Two of the dentists went shopping and bought ice cream and made a "float" drink for us.  Usually it's Coca Cola but we only had fruity drinks so we ended up with green, blue and yellow drinks.

We went out in the evening so people could relax and have a drink - it was decided on having just one drink so people could get to bed.  Hans, the group leader, said he knew nothing about me so I had to do a bit of explaining.  Then someone asked if I had any funny stories to tell.  Judy was in the group and her husband led one of the worst groups I've had, but she said I should tell the story.  Every group has a story and so they asked about this group.  I said it will be the group that lost two people before the programme even started.  

Tomorrow we'll have our final breakfast at Thornin and Serey's restaurant and then we are on the bus to Siem Reap for a bit of a holiday.  I won't have much to do because friend Syden is their tour guide so he organises everything.  I'm hoping to meet Marta, from Poland, who is in Siem Reap for a conference.  

Final Day at Kamping Puay

Tues, 1st Jan, 2019

Hello Diary.  I hope it's going to be a good year.  This is the first posting for this new year.

It must be chilly.  I have turned the fan off and I'm wearing a shirt.  I hope it's a sign that the "cold" season has started.  I've had a busy few days so it's going to be good to get into a normal daily routine.

There are no secrets around here.  A friend phoned to wish me a happy new year and he mentioned I'd been to his family for the day on Saturday.  His sister told him everything I'd eaten, which she said wasn't much.  He was worried I wasn't well yet.  If it's not my eating habits then it's my appearance that comes in for observation.  Yesterday a young friend said, "I swear your ears are growing."  Today I was told my eyebrows are going all over the place, which is true, and I'm going to have to do something with the fast growing white ones.  I was also reminded that my nose hairs were coming out of my nose.  People seem to forget that I've been ill and couldn't be bothered with such trivia.  I was also told that when I bend down I have a lump in the middle of my back but it disappears when I stand up.  If I were 20 years old I'd be feeling a bit paranoid at this moment.  

Last night I chatted to Chan and his family who were down below on the street on their motorbike.  They wanted me to join them for countdown at the riverside but I'd got Oudom with me - which was a good excuse as I wasn't that interested.  Oudom wanted to count down for the new year but I said we were going to bed and that was that.  I asked him to set the alarm, which he did, for 11.50pm!  I could have strangled him when it woke me up but not him.  I deliberately stayed awake until midnight so I could bash and pummel him but he was fast asleep.  

We went out for lunch today, to a Chinese Dim Sum place.  When Cina orders food one never knows when the end has arrived.  We'd had the usual wonton soup, dumplings with shrimp, bean curd balls, fried rice with seafood, a plate of a variety of mushrooms and   I thought that was it but then plates arrives with various chicken, pork and duck dishes.  I managed to get through a bit of each and then a sweet and sour fish arrived.  I think we were all heaving by that time but more was to come - a vegetable dish, a crispy mushroom dish and a dessert.  I went home and had to lie down for a while.

I've bought myself a blender.  There are always sales at big holidays so I went back into town to buy one.  I was pleased to see it was made in Vietnam which is a lovely change to coming from China.  I think that's my final gadget purchase.  

I caught a mouse last night - they really enjoy peanut butter here.  The locals call them rats but they are more like a large mouse.  This one spent the day in the cage until I decided to go outside to get rid of it.  I waited until it was dark as I always have a problem getting the creature out of the cage as they cling to the wire walls while I'm shaking to get it out.  I decided to let it go in the alley; I even saw one running along when I went outside so I knew he'd have company.  He plopped out of the cage, staggered about a bit, ran right past the nose of Friday (my neighbour's dog) and ran straight into their home.  It's so embarrassing.  The last time I released a mouse it also ran into a neighbour's home.  I suppose I should be grateful they decide not to come back to mine.  I've now set the trap to see if any more are planning on visiting.

Wed, 2nd Jan, 2019

This morning I listened to a BBC international comedy hour.  The programme had a lady comedienne from Malawi as the compere and the dozen or so performers were from various parts of the world.  I was interested by the fact that most of them were women; three of them declared themselves to be lesbian.  I'm not sure if that had anything to do with their being funny.  In the old days being a comedian meant being a man.  I think I gave up on humour about forty years ago.  Being British I naturally enjoyed BBC comedy while I lived in the UK.  When I moved to Canada I was raised on mostly US shows such as "I love Lucy", "The Carol Burnett Show".  I laughed my head off at Archie Bunker.  Then something happened; I got sick of North American humour and to this day I don't find it the least bit funny.  The CBC has comedy programmes, and people are always laughing their heads off, but I have to switch off the radio.  Nowadays, If I want to have a laugh, I go to YouTube and watch the old comedy programmes.   Tim Conway from the Carol Burnett Show still makes me laugh.  So what's gone wrong?

What interested me about the BBC show was the fact that I laughed throughout the entire hour.  Maybe it was something to do with the fact that most of the comedians had moved to the UK from various parts of the world and so they were tuned into British humour.  I'm not one of those who remembers jokes but I still remember the Russian lady saying that there was a new trend in Russian Presidents that had them involved in the elections of presidents all over the world.  The Mumbai man had me in stitches talking about the British in India.  He mentioned that they'd introduced gin and tonic as a wonderful cure for malaria, and tea, which he objected to as it was "Ours in the first place".  

This morning I looked in room 2 in the mouse house and didn't see anyone.  Vuth came over so I said he could take it back as I obviously didn't need it any more.  At that point I saw a shadow scampering around in room 1 and there it was - another mouse.  I went downstairs, around 10pm when the alley was asleep, and released it.  This time it scampered off into the darkness and didn't bother about the neighbours' homes.

My head is getting so muddled with appointments; I'm glad Cina has given me one of the many calendars her company receives each year.  I got quite excited when Vuth said the French Bred bank calendar showed Cambodian national holidays.  They usually have a couple a month so it's nice to know they are happening.  Unfortunately, this calendar shows them in blue but explains what they are in Khmer.  Makara here means January and the 7th is a national holiday called Victory Day - which is for victory over the Khmer Rouge.  It's also a very popular name for a boy child.  When I left the office I bumped into Soubert, who is a stickler for political correctness.  He jabbed his finger at the day and said, "It should be Invasion Day!"  That's because, on the 7th of January, the Vietnamese came and got rid of Pol Pot but then they occupied the country for 10 years until they were told by the UN to get out.  I suppose there are many dates that mean different things to different people.  

This evening I have a dinner appointment with a Canadian friend who is passing through Phnom Penh on her way to Bangkok.  Tomorrow I'll most likely be meeting another Canadian friend who is returning to Cambodia after spending the holiday with his wife in Thailand.  On the 12th a friend from the UK is coming to help with the dentists; the group arrives on the 14th and we start work on the 15th.  On the 19th I've just heard that a friend from Poland is coming here and wants to meet with me.  She's here until the 28th, and visiting many of the places I'll be in, but not at the same time.  I may be able to see her while the dentists are touring the temples in Siem Reap.  Meanwhile, two of the dental group leave the group a day early, two are having a short touring holiday after the work ends, two more are staying on in town and want my help seeing things, one lady is going off on her own for a backpacking experience and needs buses and hotel rooms.  My brain can't even deal with my own travel arrangements, never mind anyone else's.  

Thurs, 3rd Jan, 2019

I caught yet another mouse during the night; that's number three.  I am getting fed up doing my neighbours' job; after all, they are their mice, not mine.  I have to wait until all the neighbours are indoors before I go out to let them loose.  So far I've been told to think about getting "Bounce" (which I may find in the supermarket but then I can't read the labels), peppermint oil and dish-wash liquid, and mothballs.  

There's a gentle rain falling as I write this.  I was told this afternoon that Thailand is expecting a tropical storm so I hope this is all we are going to get.  I'm enjoying the cooler weather as I don't need fans whirring away all day.

I watched a young lady in an enormous black car trying to do a many point turn in the middle of a major boulevard.  The car was new enough to have no license plates.  It was a Bentley.  I wish I had access to a fairy who could zap all these arrogant, cheating people and get them off the roads.  Nowadays, I tend to walk with the traffic coming from behind.  I have decided if I do it this way, then they have to watch out for me.  I'm fed up facing traffic and having to do the weaving in and out.  I'm taking the attitude that I'm old, white and uninsured so I should be all right.

I had the bright idea of buying the blender a few days ago.  Today I was having lunch with Cina and family and I pointed out that I'd bought the same blender they use.  "But we've got two more that aren't being used," she said.  "We were given them free of charge with the fridge in your apartment."  There's no refund or returns here so I'm stuck with it.  A least I'm happy I picked the same brand they got as I'm told it's a good one.  

Have you heard the rap song, "This is America"?  It's by a well known black singer.  It's satire on what is happening in the USA from the black perspective and it's scathing and nasty in parts.  It has been viewed 458 million times.  I heard on the BBC that it's been copied by many countries so you can now listen to "This is Iraq", "This is Nigeria" etc.  Americans won't like the Iraqi version as it has US soldiers killing local people and marching Iraqis around in orange jump suits.  The Nigerian one bothered me as it sounds as if nothing has changed since I was there in the early 80s.  The main punch line is "This is Nigeria and everybody's a criminal."  There's a bit where two or three Muslim girls, wearing hijabs, are doing some modern cult dance.  Boko Haram threatened the writer to take the video down from YouTube but he wouldn't.  

Even if one wants to be honest, it was often hard to do.  When I was in Nigeria I had to renew my driver's license so I joined the queue in the office.  A young man came to me and said he would deal with the matter and I could come the next day to pick up my renewal.  I asked him where I should meet him and he pointed to a tree and said, "Over there."  I went the next day to collect it; he handed it to me and I turned to walk away.  "Hey!  What are you doing for me?"  I said, "Don't you work here?"  He said, "I come here to do things for people."  Here I was, thinking he was on staff.  People keep telling me I'm naive, which may be true, but I like it better than being cynical about everything.

Thurs, 3rd Jan, 2019

I caught another mouse this morning, or rather the lovely live trap did.  I don't know what would be worse, dealing with a dead mouse or this live one.  It'll have to wait until tonight as I have no plans to take it out during daylight hours.

We are preparing for remnants of the storm that's hitting Thailand at the moment but so far nothing has happened.  We did have a gentle shower but I have a feeling we are going to be saved from any bad weather.

This morning the European Union declared it was going to cease funding to Myanmar because of the government's attitude towards various issues.  The EU is the largest donor to the country so it'll have a huge impact.  The same is happening here in Cambodia; the EU has said it will cut funding to the country unless the Prime Minister does something about the human rights record of his government.  He's not likely to do that, so the main group of people to suffer, as usual, will be the poor and especially the young ladies in the garments' industry.  The Prime Minister says he won't be affected as he's got plenty of money so he's not troubled by the threats.  It reminds me of Trump today saying that landlords will be nice to their tenants because they are unpaid government workers. Someone who knows Trump said he's a landlord who would definitely not be nice if his tenants couldn't pay their rents.

I learned today that the big bosses around the world have already earned this year (and it's only the 4th of January) what an ordinary worker will take all year to earn.  I can't help wondering why this is allowed to happen; is it the shareholders fault?  

I borrowed a book online from my Alberta library.  It's just an ordinary murder mystery kind of book so I wasn't expecting anything profound, but it's amazing what one learns from novels.  This time I've learned all about my death, ancient Egyptian style.  There's this god called Anubis who is the man responsible for coffins and for weighing the hearts of the dead.  He takes us to the "Hall of Truth" where we are attended by lovely goddesses who most likely give us cups of tea while we wait for the god Orisis and Thoth his scribe.  We are taken to a place where there's a set of golden scales - the "justice" type of scales with two balancing plates.  What bothered me was that there were 42 judges so I didn't think I'd stand a chance.  The heart of my soul is put on one plate on the scales and a feather of truth put on the other place.  At that point I knew I wouldn't stand a chance.  If I passed muster I then go to the Bliss of the Field of Reeds where a boat will pick me up and we set off to paradise.  If my heart is too heavy for the feather then my poor heart is thrown on the floor and it's gobbled up by Amenti who seems to be a cross between a crocodile, leopard and rhino.  He's known as The Gobbler and I guess that's what he does.  It's nice to know there's no hell but there's no existence either as I've been gobbled up.  Maybe I should stick to one of the more modern ideas out there.  

I went shopping for vegetables in the afternoon.  This time I went to the local market rather than to the big supermarket.  The next time I go I'm going to have a go at buying some of the fish although I'd want it to  be deceased before I take it home.  In the market the fish are jumping all over the place.  Some of them are mud fish and can survive out of water; some escape and it's fun watching the ladies trying to catch them and bring them back.  

I took the mouse outside and rattled the cage quite a bit to get rid of it.  The mice never realise that I'm trying to let them go and they hang onto the wires for grim death.  It's depressing because, as soon as I get back upstairs, I prepare a trap for the next victim.  

Bea paid a visit and we had an early dinner together.  She enjoys Indian food so off we went to my local Pakistani Taj Mahal.  She's done quite a bit of winter volunteering at the children's home near Battambang.  Tomorrow I will hopefully meet Luc who is another volunteer - he's from Quebec while Bea is from Alberta.  It's nice to have a Canadian chat every so often.  

I typed some of my Nigerian diary today and it's mind boggling what I experienced.  On this particular day our bus driver didn't stop on the exact spot outside our school.  The military ordered him out of the vehicle and he had to bunny hop down the road with his hands over his ears.  When he was told to turn around to return to the vehicle he was told to do it crawling on his stomach.  Wouldn't Canadian roads be more entertaining if the police would make speeding drivers and other wrong-doers do similar things.

Fri, 4th Jan, 2019

Would you believe it!  Another mouse in the trap and that's number five this week.  

It was an interesting morning on the radio, listening to Canada's own Lise Doucet, speaking to various international female members of her BBC staff on women's issues around the world.  Did you know that the first time an Iranian students hears anything about sex education is at university?  The student is 22 years old and he or she is allowed to see a condom from a distance of 3 metres.  It's mind blowing how the world treats women and their issues.  I was fascinated by the 600+ kilometre line of women stretching through Kerala State in support of women who want to go to a Hindu temple.  They can't go because they are female and they may be menstruating, which would upset the deity who decided he was going to remain a bachelor.  What's amazing is that the women want to worship in his temple; I'd say, "To hell with him!"  On the other hand, it's not the god who's causing the problem, it's the men who are the 'protectors' of this bachelor chap.  I don't think any of them bothered asking for his opinion.

I was having people over for dinner in the evening and I had to think of what to do.  I've only got one tiny hotplate so there was no way I could cook a meal for 7 people so I decided to think of somewhere where I could order the food and take out.  I decided to go to the Oyster House which is a seafood restaurant I've been to many times with Cina, Vuth and their staff.  Vuth just sits back and has a drink while Cina does all the ordering.  It's always done in Khmer so I had no idea what she was saying; all I kept hearing was "Moi Kilo" which means "One Kilo".  The food's always good so I asked Samnang, the 14 year old son of Cina and Vuth to come with me to help me with the ordering.  He's the one who comes over to cook for me.  He chatted in Khmer and passed on the order.  I nearly had a heart attack when I was told it would cost $55.  It turned out he'd ordered a kilo of crab, a kilo of shrimp, two large bbq'd fish with vegetables and a large plate of fried rice with vegetables and seafood.  He also told me he'd asked for it to be super spicy.  I crawled up one side of him and down the other and then he started laughing - he hadn't.

It was a challenge as I don't have much in the way of furniture and kitchen supplies.  My kitchen table went into the living room and joined up with my desk to make a long table.  I put onto the table all the plates, bowls and cutlery I possessed and hoped for the best.  Bea and Luc came early and we kept getting reports from Sokha that he was getting closer.  It took him 2 1/2 hours to come from the outskirts of Phnom Penh to the centre, where I live.  He came with his wife, two daughters and his dad.  All Cambodians love seafood and they attacked everything with relish.  I can take it or leave it, especially when there are shells involved - I just don't have the patience to deal with food that's smothered in spicy sauce and has a shell to remove.  Luckily the crab shells are soft enough I just chomp on everything.  There was food left over so Sokha was happy to take it home.

I took them downstairs to the back door at 9.00pm and then I returned to bring down the mouse.  Again, it took quite a bit of bashing around to get rid of the thing.  At 9.30pm I put some more food in the trap and by 10pm there was another mouse jumping around inside.  I couldn't believe it.  They must be enjoying my peanut butter.  It's going to have to wait until tomorrow night to be released.  I've decided I'm going shopping to see if I can find something to deal with this crisis.   

Sat, 5th Jan, 2019

Did you hear about the Japanese man, who owns a chain of sushi restaurants, who'd bought a 280 kilo tuna for just over $3 million?  He said he was going to share this amazing fish with his customers; how does he know it's going to be amazing to eat - he only saw it on the auctioneer's counter?  It reminded me of the fun we had last night with $55 of seafood.  I don't think I'll bother trying to get any of his tuna.

I fancy looking at the dark web which I learned about from the BBC this morning.  It's fascinating.  It's full of illegal stuff and I can buy anything.  Prices go up and down depending on availability and demand.  I can get credit cards, phone bills, invoices and all sorts of stuff which I can then use for illegal activities.  It sounds so interesting!  

At the same time I learned about the epidemic in the USA concerning loneliness.  Maybe that's why I need the dark web.  The UK have even appointed a Minister responsible for Loneliness.  Apparently, it's causing a lot of problems in the workplace because people who are lonely stop having social skills so they don't work so well with colleagues.  A Norwegian company creates devices that help people with loneliness; one is a toy gadget for sick children.  I didn't realise that, as we grow older, blood doesn't always circulate to the tips of our fingers and the skin becomes dry. When that happens we can't use a touch screen computer.  Now that would be a real calamity for me as I don't use a mouse - I just catch 'em.  I found myself massaging my finger tips today just to make sure they stay supple and moist.

I went to the supermarket this afternoon to look for mouse deterrents.  The store sold trays onto which I would have to put sticky sheets of something.  I really didn't fancy waking up to find a mouse trying to remove it's feet from the sheet.  What would I do with the mouse - clobber it?  I ended up buying a can of spray I'm going to put on the steps, along with some rat bait, but I will still use my trusty trap and the peanut butter.

Many years ago, when I lived outside Calgary, I worked with Agness who owned a lovely ranch and raised dogs.  On her own, with little outside help, she cared for over 200 dogs which were all pedigreed.  That was until there was a huge fire while she was away.  Neighbours came over, grabbed dogs, bundled them into trucks and took them to safety.  Many were in heat so it was a veritable orgy in the trucks.  Poor Agness had a devil of a job getting rid of all the pups and I bet you didn't know that once a pedigree dog has had a mongrel pup her future offspring can't be called pedigree.  

She had a mice problem.  Sometimes she'd put out bowls of food for them mixed with plaster of Paris which would expand in their stomachs and what happened after that I don't discuss.  Others would eat the dog food and then try to escape.  Agness was always helpful; one day I saw her pushing a rather fat mouse through a hole in a plank.  She was a lovely lady.  

Sun, 6th Jan, 2019

This morning I looked into the mouse trap and didn't see a  mouse.  I was delighted; it meant the poison and/or the peppermint spray had worked.  Later I decided to take another look in the trap and there was a mouse - in room number 1.  I was really deflated.  

Vuth came over to find some peace and quiet for a Skype conference call so I invited him to look into the kitchen of my downstairs neighbours.  I was amazed to see her using the broom but unfortunately she didn't use it in the kitchen, where it's most needed.  We also saw a tray covered with the glue stuff that people use to trap mice; there were three of them stuck to the tray.  I went down later in the day and they were still stuck there; heaven only knows when she's planning on disposing of them.  Now I have to do my eviction trick at 10pm and put some more peanut butter in the trap.  It's getting expensive.

Friend Milind phoned from India to say that the cold season had started.  Panchgani, where I stay, is 1000m above sea level and so, during the cold season, the temperature is mild during the daytime and downright nippy at night time.  It's lovely to sleep under many blankets whereas here in Phnom Penh I have one cover and the air conditioner on.

Boroith phoned to say his brother got engaged today.  I'm very close to the family but I'm eternally grateful I wasn't invited.  He's still on the road, coming back by taxi, so it'll take him around 7 hours to reach home.  Komphear has to raise US$5000 to pay as a dowery to his fiancee's parents; it's not a dowery in the same way as in India but rather a deposit on the cost of the wedding.  So the wedding day depends on when he can get all the money together.  I think I'd run away from home if I was in the same situation but traditional values have a strong hold on people here.

I learned of a new therapy this morning - financial therapy/psychology.  Apparently, there's a lively business by psychologists and therapists helping people with the stress of dealing with money.  People most likely think I'm lying when I say I haven't a clue what I have in the bank; I don't even know the amount of money I get as pension.  My bank people told me I had enough to bring my body back and deal with it.  I told them, I'm not going back if I happen to pop off away from Alberta.  The people in the interview said it's important to look into our past to understand how we deal with money.  I wonder what we have to think about if, like my family, there was no money?

I used to get two shillings a week from my Granddad and for that I had to go to the shop every evening after school to bring him his "Players, Capstan or Goldflake" cigarettes.  I also had to do the garden of the local baker, cutting the grass around his bungalow and taking care of the plants.  Every Saturday I went into town, on the bus, to buy the horse meat which Dad cooked for the hens we kept.  This was just after the war so there was still rationing and we had to depend a lot on what we could raise ourselves or grow.

One Saturday I detoured and went into the market before buying the meat.  I watched a demonstration of a toy which I thought would be nice for my younger siblings and so I bought it.  I went home with a smaller package of meat.  I couldn't face Mother with the toy so I hid it under the neighbours' hedge and two weeks later I fished it out and showed it to Mother.  "Look what I've found!" I said.  The toy was metal so it was quite rusty by this time.  "So that's what you bought with the meat money", my smart Mother said.

I've just heard that a South Korean boy was removed from a gaming place where he'd been sitting and playing non-stop for 96 hours; the police had to drag him out.  One in seven South Korean boys are addicted to gaming.  I feel sorry for them; it's as if the parents have no clue what to offer them as an alternative.  In my younger days we had no toys for inside the house and none for outside; we had to play with what we had.  We used Mother's clothes horse and covered it with sacks and mats to  make a tent.  We played Tin Can Alley, whacking a tin can with a stick.  For Hopscotch all we needed was a  bit of chalk.  Inside the house we played dominoes or cards and that was it.  Most people in the village were in the same boat so we never felt deprived.  The little 3 year old I know here said, "If I cry my dad gives me his iPhone."  Kids are smart and parents don't often realise they are being controlled.  I had lunch with her today; I came back to my peace and quiet with a smile on my face.  

Mon, 7th March, 2019

It's Victory over Genocide Day today so it's a national holiday.  Son Soubert stabbed his finger at a calendar for the day and said, "It's not Victory Day, it's Invasion Day."  He's talking about the fact that the Vietnamese troops came in to chase Pol Pot away but they stayed in Cambodia for 10 years.

I now have a very nice daily routine but it'll only last until the weekend when the dentists start to arrive.  I'm getting up around 6.30am and by 9am I've done my daily steps, washed the apartment floor and had a shower.  After that I wander onto the balcony with my breakfast and my iPad to do Facebook birthdays and check my mail.  I do get a bit fed up with the birthday business because so many times people tell me it's not their real birthday.  Their excuse is that they want to keep some things secret from the Facebook public.  I can't understand why people are so sensitive about birthdays.  

On the other hand, I do get a bit fed up when people keep asking me how old I am.  When I moved from Nigeria to the Canadian north I got fed up with people wanting to know about my marital status.  I don't think anyone was asking me because they fancied me so I decided to lie.  I told people I was married.  When they asked for more details I told them I had three wives back in Kano and I also had children.  Luckily, I had a photo of three fellow lady teachers and lots of photos of students.  The main problem was keeping their names in my head.  I was often asked why I didn't bring a wife over to Canada but my answer was that in Islam I have to treat all wives equally and, seeing as I couldn't afford to bring all three to Canada, I decided to leave them all back in Nigeria.

This story went on from 1984 to 1990 when I applied to move to Cambridge Bay.  When I applied I thought it would be good to move as I could finally say goodbye to this story.  Unfortunately, a fellow teacher had moved to Cambridge Bay the year before and he primed the staff about my story so they all knew about it when I arrived.  It didn't bother the Inuit that I had multiple wives; they told me in the old days the Inuit women had multiple husbands. While one was away hunting the other would stay home to protect the family.  It made a lot of sense.  

I also got fed up of people asking me how old I was and so, when I moved to Fort McPherson from Nigeria, I decided to add 10 years to my age.  It worked really well.  People were amazed I looked so young.  One student said I looked younger than his dad who was only 40; I was 47 at the time.  I don't need this ruse in Cambodia as people always say I'm younger than I really am - whether they are saying it through politeness or being honest I don't know.  

I'm watching a BBC programme called "The Face of Britain" and it's about where we came from - are we Celtic, Anglo Saxon, Norman etc.  I'd love to know my background.  The Welsh people were so upset at the thought they might be Anglo Saxon - they all wanted to be Celtic.  I think my Dad's family came over from Ireland at some point; the Liverpool area is full of Heyeses but there are few on the other side of England which is where Dad moved to for work in Yorkshire.  If I am Irish then I'm also a bit Celtic.

There was an interesting talk about John Lennon and his song, "Beautiful Boy", which I don't think I've ever heard in its entirety.  It was linked to an American father whose son was a drug addict.  The son finally pulled himself together and the father talked about how the song helped him.  The programme producer said she read the comments about the Lennon video and she was in tears reading about the tragic lives of children on drugs.  I'm a bad one for YouTube comments and it's amazing how much influence the comments have on my opinion of the programme.  If the comments tell me it's a terrible movie then generally I don't watch it.  I'm sure life would be easier if I ignored the comments and just watched the movie, judging it using my own opinions.  

Samnang came over in the evening which meant I lost control of my iPad.  Luckily, he's fascinated with "The Two Fat Ladies"; the large ladies who had a very successful cooking show.  He used to complain they were slow but now he's fascinated with the way they cook and how much butter, oil etc they use.  I think they are lovely and I would love to be on their motorbike.  

After he left, I gave a final check of the mouse trap, which had been empty all day.  Lo and behold, there was a mouse in it.  I wonder which work shift he was on?  I was ready for bed but I decided I'd better take him downstairs and let him go.  

Wed, 9th Jan, 2019

This morning, while doing my daily marching up and down, I listened to a History programme on the BBC.  They interviewed people at an army base in Central America that was attacked by rebels.  The soldier talked about the base and its defences, huge fences, barbed wire etc.  It reminded me of the army base I was in during the 1950s when I was doing my National Service.  I was at the main centre for the Armoured Corps - tanks, heavy guns etc.  As far as I can remember it was completely open with just a gate at which visitors had to stop and report to the office.  Every evening about 10 of us had to dress up for guard duty.  Generally, it was just an overnight guard duty but every so often it was for 48 hours or 72.  It was during the time of the IRA and their members would creep into the camp and steal guns etc.  In their infinite wisdom our commanding officers issues each of us on guard with a long wooden pole and that was the only thing we had to defend ourselves against the IRA.  Fortunately, I was never on duty when any of their members arrived.  

Samnang crept in around 2pm.  Because he's the son of the landlords he has access to their keys.  He loves creeping in and hoping that I haven't noticed.  I feel sorry for him and his two brothers because the school has been on holiday for nearly 3 weeks and he's got nowhere to go.  The house has no outside play area and his family doesn't want him, at 14 years of age, roaming around the streets, especially in this tourist area.  He decided to come over to visit me so I took him to the riverside where we could sit, have a drink and chat.  I enjoy his company as he speaks excellent English and he can be quite mature when he feels like it.  He and his brothers were adopted by their aunt when their father, her brother, developed into a permanent addict.  I often ask him about his past life and it's interesting how he doesn't blame his real dad and has no animosity against him.

We came back to the apartment and he helped me make a cauliflower curry in coconut milk.  It turned out very well and he didn't fool around too much with the chilli.  He also helped me eat it.  

I felt a bit sad when I saw a video on Facebook called "Lily Savage and Parkinson".  "Lily" is really a male and he's very famous as a female impersonator.  I've known of him for years so I felt sorry he'd developed Parkinson's.  What was so funny was that he was on a chat show with a man called Parkinson.  

My sister Janet phoned in the evening.  Just before we said goodbye I said I'd check the mouse trap to see if anything had happened.  It was already quite dark.  I'd put the trap on the balcony as a change to the steps - the steps I now spray with a peppermint mixture which is supposed to deter the mice.  I picked up the trap and lo and behold there were five mice in it.  Janet got me worried as she said mice can find their way back home from a distance of 3km.  I was worried about releasing them in the back alley.  I've done that with one mouse but dare I do it with five?  What if they all ran into the neighbour's house.   There was no way I was going to walk 3km so what to do?  

I'm a bit slow sometimes but this time I surprised myself.  I carried the trap to my front balcony, opened the trap door and released them.  It was fun watching them fly through the air from my balcony - 2nd floor British style, 3rd floor North American.  They all landed well and ran off in different directions.  It reminded me of that song, "They fly through the air with the greatest of ease."  This time it was tiny mice rather than 'daring young men on the flying trapeze.'

Wed, 9th Jan, 2019

Another mouse went flying through the air this morning.  I have to be careful because the balcony below is wider than mine so I have to watch that I hold the trap far enough away so the mouse goes to the ground.  This particular one made a very loud splatter noise but it still got up and ambled off.  I have to watch for the road sweepers as they arrive just as I'm getting ready to jettison another mouse.  Nobody here has heard of "raining cats and dogs" so "raining mice" would be an amazing phenomenon.

I had a cheery message from my walking gadget people.  They told me I'd walked 4,115,790 steps in 2018 which is equivalent to 2,857km.  I'm going to have to look at an atlas to see how many countries I could have crossed.  I burned 417,700 calories, which doesn't mean a thing to me but I did understand when they said it was the equivalent to eating 1,814 scoops of ice cream.  They didn't say if it was low fat.

Thornin phoned.  The poor lad has been driving back and forth between Battambang and Phnom Penh on a regular basis, and then driving into Kandal Province to meet someone from the Ministry of Health.  That person makes promises which are never kept so often it's a wasted trip for Thornin - a 7 hour drive.  He finally got the papers and took them to the main Ministry of Health office.  There he was told that another letter was needed from both Battambang and Kandal Provinces.  This is not only impossible as the group arrives on Monday but the Provinces are refusing to issue them as they said it's never been done before.  Thornin, reading between the lines in the discussion with a certain lady, came to the conclusion that some money would solve the problem.  We sometimes give a $10 phone card as a thank you but Thornin suspected she wanted a large amount of cash.  So now we are stuck.

Without this final approval we can't go to the customs people to get clearance for the equipment and I can't get into the airport to meet the group.  This is the first time in 15 years.  I've sent messages to the 15 in the group that they pick up their suitcases and equipment bins and come out as tourists.  The flight comes from Taipei and it's always full and the passengers return here loaded with enormous boxes.  The customs people say nothing so I don't think the dentists will be taken aside.  The one big problem is that they love to wear their team t-shirts when they meet in Vancouver so they can bond.  This year they are bright red, emblazoned with logos.  I've told them this is a clandestine operation so they should be a bit more subdued.  I feel a bit of a maverick and it's going to be fun.  We do have permission to work; it's just that we don't have permission for the tools etc.  

I had a call from a Canadian Cambodian friend who had arrived today in Phnom Penh.  He wanted to see me so he arranged to come to the apartment at 5 or 6pm.  Close to 7pm he phoned to say his brother hadn't picked him up and, when he did, they'd have another hour drive through the city.  I tried to put him off but he was determined to come.  He finally arrived at 9pm.  I went downstairs to meet him as it's hard to find my entrance.  "Where can we eat?" I told him a place but his brother said it would be closed; it wouldn't as this is a tourist area.  I offered a coffee shop just a few minutes away but that was declined.  Our visit ended up as a five minute chat at the side of the car.  I wasn't too concerned as I didn't have to eat late in the evening, I didn't have to drink coffee (which is not on my bucket list) and I didn't have to bring him here to entertain.  He's been in Canada for over 20 years so it's a perfect example of the fact that you can take a Cambodian out of Cambodia but you can't take Cambodia out of a Cambodian.  My rule of "absolute flexibility" continues to work.  

Before going to bed I checked the trap and found another couple of mice.  Off I went to the balcony.  Others might find it quite exciting but it's becoming a mundane operation for me.  

Thurs, 10th Jan, 2019

This month we've had two holidays already - New Year and the 7th which is officially known as Victory over Genocide.  I thought I'd do a search to see how many holidays we get in this country.  On the 19th Feb there's Meak Bochea which has something to do with remembering Buddha's teachings.  On the 8th March there's International Women's Day, which I think every country should celebrate.  For 4 days in April it's the Khmer New Year.  They do quite well for New Years as they celebrate the 1st Jan and also Chinese New Year.  On the 1st May it's International Labour Day - another day that the West should celebrate.  From the 13th to the 15th of May they celebrate the present King's birthday and on the 18th they go further back and celebrate Buddha's birthday.  On the 20th May it's Remembrance Day - don't ask me what they are remembering, and on the 22nd it's the Royal Ploughing Day.  This is when the King comes out of his palace to push a plough pulled by an enormous bull.  The bull feeds from a pile of grain he chooses and it's then said to be a good year for that particular crop.  That's 7 days holiday in May - why bother working for that month?  Children's Day is on the 1st June, which I think is a lovely idea.  On the 18th we celebrate the birthday of the King's Mother.  After that we have to wait until September when we have Constitutional Day on the 24th.  The UK can never have that day as they don't have a written constitution.  From the 27th to the 29th September it's Pchum Ben which is the time when everyone returns to their family home to celebrate their ancestors - they have meals around the grave, do some tidying up and generally have a good time.  On the 15th October we have a Commemoration day for the old King and on the 23rd it's the holiday for the Paris Peace Agreement which brought an end to the Pol Pot era.  On the 9th November it's Independence Day and on the 10th to the 12th it's the Water Festival.  This is the time when all the provinces have dragon boat races to select a provincial champion boat.  These boats then compete in Phnom Penh in the presence of the King and other dignitaries.  The largest boats hold 75 men - half of them standing.  Don't fall off because the boat doesn't stop to pick you up.  The festival is supposed to fall at the time when the Tonle Sap River decides to flow south again to join the Mekong and to flow to Vietnam.  It's a fascinating thing - during the rainy season, so much water is coming down the Mekong from Tibet and the water from Tonle Sap can't enter it; instead the river reverses it's flow and it flows back into the Tonle Sap Lake which triples in size at that time.  Very clever these rivers. Finally, and you are saying "Hurray", we have International Human Rights Day on the 10th December.  Fortunately, Christmas isn't a holiday in this Buddhist country but it doesn't stop the streets from being decorated, trees being put up and shops dressing their staff in red and white like little elves.

I learned today that 1 in 3 of us will suffer from Alzheimer's.  What a depressing thought.  I don't know if to start practising to be the '1' or to put up a struggle to be one of the other two.  

I listened to World Book Club on the BBC this morning.  If you want to learn about authors and how their minds tick it's a lovely hour of chat.  You can also access records going way back to choose a book you'd like to read.  Today the lady was interviewing Lee Child who writes fast moving American mystery books with a man called "Reacher" who appears and disappears and doesn't seem to have a permanent home.  I was surprised to hear that Lee Child was born in Birmingham and went to university in Sheffield - his books are totally American so he's really soaked himself in the culture since moving to Wyoming.  The way he spoke about his books and writing makes me want to read more of his work.  

I always say, when I take the pictures down from my wall it's no longer my home.  When I moved into this rented place Vuth and Cina had put up some pictures.  One was a wall hanging in hand woven silk.  A couple of weeks ago Vuth asked if he could hang it in his office.  Seeing as it wasn't mine in the first place I don't miss it at all.  I have a lovely, heavy, Naga blanket.  Officially, they are meant for the bed but they are very heavy and ornate.  Whenever I go to Nagaland I am always given a blanket.  I realised I had it in the cupboard so I asked Vuth to take the blanket to the man who made the wall hanging to ask him to make a rod so I could hang the blanket.  Most people who get them drape them over the sofa or put them on the wall.  The blanket came back without the rod.  I asked Vuth when I was getting it and he said I wasn't.  Apparently, the carpenter says it's not appropriate to be on the wall so he won't make a rod for it.  I thought, "This is my house and my blanket," but obviously, according to the carpenter it's not enough.  

The dental document tale continues and we are getting nowhere.  Thornin wanted lunch so we decided to eat on the street - the food is cooked by my neighbours.  We had a plate of rice along with a bowl of fish and vegetable soup, a plate of bbq'd chicken and a beef and green pepper dish, plus a beaker of iced tea.  It cost us $1.75 so I still have some money in my pocket.

Cina told husband Vuth to join Thornin and me and go to a coffee shop.  Fortunately, coffee shops serve countless drinks so I don't suffer.  I ordered hot caramel for $2.50 - it's more of an upmarket place than the roadside lunch.  I didn't mind it but I think it's just hot milk with squiggles of caramel floating on top.  Afterwards I picked up Samnang who wanted to come for a visit.

He's 14 and I'm constantly getting on to him about his lack of relationship with his parents - maybe it's a 14 year old thing.  Whatever they say to him gets no response, just a yes or no.  He said he likes talking to me because I don't judge him even though I do tell him off at times.  I told him that I've most likely done all the things he's doing at his age.  I'm going to have to have words with his parents.  

I'm now into a mouse routine.  Before it gets dark I put food into the trap and then I put it onto the balcony.  Around 8.30pm I check the trap and I usually find one or two mice.  They are what I call the late shift.  in the morning I'll check the trap at 6.30am and will take the early morning shift to the balcony.

I'm beginning to wonder - is my ginger biscuit and peanut butter menu attracting the mice? Would they come if there was nothing in the trap?  Would they come if it was some marmalade on a bit of bread.  I wonder if there's some scientific information about this?  

Fri, 11th Jan, 2019

This month we've had two holidays already - New Year and the 7th which is officially known as Victory over Genocide. I thought I'd do a search to see how many holidays we get in this country. On the 19th Feb there's Meak Bochea which has something to do with remembering Buddha's teachings. On the 8th March there's International Women's Day, which I think every country should celebrate. For 4 days in April it's the Khmer New Year. They do quite well for New Years as they celebrate the 1st Jan and also Chinese New Year. On the 1st May it's International Labour Day - another day that the West should celebrate. From the 13th to the 15th of May they celebrate the present King's birthday and on the 18th they go further back and celebrate Buddha's birthday. On the 20th May it's Remembrance Day - don't ask me what they are remembering, and on the 22nd it's the Royal Ploughing Day. This is when the King comes out of his palace to push a plough pulled by an enormous bull. The bull feeds from a pile of grain he chooses and it's then said to be a good year for that particular crop. That's 7 days holiday in May - why bother working for that month? Children's Day is on the 1st June, which I think is a lovely idea. On the 18th we celebrate the birthday of the King's Mother. After that we have to wait until September when we have Constitutional Day on the 24th. The UK can never have that day as they don't have a written constitution. From the 27th to the 29th September it's Pchum Ben which is the time when everyone returns to their family home to celebrate their ancestors - they have meals around the grave, do some tidying up and generally have a good time. On the 15th October we have a Commemoration day for the old King and on the 23rd it's the holiday for the Paris Peace Agreement which brought an end to the Pol Pot era. On the 9th November it's Independence Day and on the 10th to the 12th it's the Water Festival. This is the time when all the provinces have dragon boat races to select a provincial champion boat. These boats then compete in Phnom Penh in the presence of the King and other dignitaries. The largest boats hold 75 men - half of them standing. Don't fall off because the boat doesn't stop to pick you up. The festival is supposed to fall at the time when the Tonle Sap River decides to flow south again to join the Mekong and to flow to Vietnam. It's a fascinating thing - during the rainy season, so much water is coming down the Mekong from Tibet and the water from Tonle Sap can't enter it; instead the river reverses it's flow and it flows back into the Tonle Sap Lake which triples in size at that time. Very clever these rivers. Finally, and you are saying "Hurray", we have International Human Rights Day on the 10th December. Fortunately, Christmas isn't a holiday in this Buddhist country but it doesn't stop the streets from being decorated, trees being put up and shops dressing their staff in red and white like little elves. 

I learned today that 1 in 3 of us will suffer from Alzheimer's. What a depressing thought. I don't know if to start practising to be the '1' or to put up a struggle to be one of the other two. 

I listened to World Book Club on the BBC this morning. If you want to learn about authors and how their minds tick it's a lovely hour of chat. You can also access records going way back to choose a book you'd like to read. Today the lady was interviewing Lee Child who writes fast moving American mystery books with a man called "Reacher" who appears and disappears and doesn't seem to have a permanent home. I was surprised to hear that Lee Child was born in Birmingham and went to university in Sheffield - his books are totally American so he's really soaked himself in the culture since moving to Wyoming. The way he spoke about his books and writing makes me want to read more of his work. 

I always say, when I take the pictures down from my wall it's no longer my home. When I moved into this rented place Vuth and Cina had put up some pictures. One was a wall hanging in hand woven silk. A couple of weeks ago Vuth asked if he could hang it in his office. Seeing as it wasn't mine in the first place I don't miss it at all. I have a lovely, heavy, Naga blanket. Officially, they are meant for the bed but they are very heavy and ornate. Whenever I go to Nagaland I am always given a blanket. I realised I had it in the cupboard so I asked Vuth to take the blanket to the man who made the wall hanging to ask him to make a rod so I could hang the blanket. Most people who get them drape them over the sofa or put them on the wall. The blanket came back without the rod. I asked Vuth when I was getting it and he said I wasn't. Apparently, the carpenter says it's not appropriate to be on the wall so he won't make a rod for it. I thought, "This is my house and my blanket," but obviously, according to the carpenter it's not enough. 

The dental document tale continues and we are getting nowhere. Thornin wanted lunch so we decided to eat on the street - the food is cooked by my neighbours. We had a plate of rice along with a bowl of fish and vegetable soup, a plate of bbq'd chicken and a beef and green pepper dish, plus a beaker of iced tea. It cost us $1.75 so I still have some money in my pocket. 

Cina told husband Vuth to join Thornin and me and go to a coffee shop. Fortunately, coffee shops serve countless drinks so I don't suffer. I ordered hot caramel for $2.50 - it's more of an upmarket place than the roadside lunch. I didn't mind it but I think it's just hot milk with squiggles of caramel floating on top. Afterwards I picked up Samnang who wanted to come for a visit. 

He's 14 and I'm constantly getting on to him about his lack of relationship with his parents - maybe it's a 14 year old thing. Whatever they say to him gets no response, just a yes or no. He said he likes talking to me because I don't judge him even though I do tell him off at times. I told him that I've most likely done all the things he's doing at his age. I'm going to have to have words with his parents. 

I'm now into a mouse routine. Before it gets dark I put food into the trap and then I put it onto the balcony. Around 8.30pm I check the trap and I usually find one or two mice. They are what I call the late shift. in the morning I'll check the trap at 6.30am and will take the early morning shift to the balcony. 

I'm beginning to wonder - is my ginger biscuit and peanut butter menu attracting the mice? Would they come if there was nothing in the trap? Would they come if it was some marmalade on a bit of bread. I wonder if there's some scientific information about this?

Sat, 12th Jan, 2019

I hope most of you are wondering, what the heck is FYROM.  Many years ago, even before Jesus, there was an area in the Balkans called Macedonia.  It's mentioned in the Bible.  Alexander the Great's dad was called Philip of Macedonia.  Macedonia was part of the Greek world but it was an area where people spoke a Serbian language rather than Greek, people's names were a bit like Russian where women's names ended in 'ova'.  I've just realised it looks a lot like ovum - egg, so maybe it is connected to female fertility.  

Anyway,  these people followed the Serbian Orthodox Church rather than the Greek Orthodox.  When Yugoslavia came into being the country had an area called Macedonia.  It always bothered the Greeks who claimed the name as their own.  When Yugoslavia fell apart, Macedonia because a country.  It had always been called Macedonia so the folks decided to carry on using the name but that made the Greeks even more angry.  When I went to Thessalonika, which was called Solun in the old days, we were stopped at the border.  The Greek guards came running out of their hut with a roll of sticky tape.  They tore some off and stuck it over the MK symbol on the car - the symbol of Makedonia.  On the tape it said FYROM which means "The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.  

Now the Macedonian Parliament has voted to accept a proposal to call the country The Republic of North Macedonia and in a few days time the Greeks will vote.  The folks don't like it but it's all they can do; they won't be allowed by the Greeks to apply for EU membership etc unless the name is changed.  So now you are experts on FYROM.

Val arrived from England yesterday so I spent most of the day dealing with her needs.  I did a lot of walking, in fact I managed to walk over 26,000 steps which equated to 17.6km.  At the end of the day I was too tired to be impressed.

With it being Saturday morning I had to wake up at 6.15am so that Oudom could play football.  I woke up at 5.35am and lounged around, wondering when the alarm would go off but it didn't.  I finally checked the time and it was 6.40; I was to be in the parking lot at 6.45.  We moved!  Oudom had forgotten his football boots so back to the house we raced.  He couldn't find them so he never did play football.  Samnang said it didn't make any difference because Oudom can't play anyway.  I don't think I've ever heard the two of them say anything nice about the other brother.  Later I checked the alarm and it turned out that it was set for 6.15pm.  I've decided I should always set the alarm wearing my glasses.  

I caught two more mice.  Other people arrive home and say to themselves, "I wonder if there's any mail?"  I come home and say, "I wonder if I've caught any mice?"  It like a conveyor belt; they keep on coming and coming and I'm running out of biscuits and peanut butter.

Sun, 13th Jan, 2019

I was enjoying my apartment walk this morning when I got a message from Hans who is the leader of the dental group.  "Sogol and Graham are already in Phnom Penh; they left Canada a day early.  Can you go to the airport to meet them?"  I told Hans the plane had already landed so they could be anywhere.  I decided it was pointless because they may be on the way to the city centre while we are on our way to the airport.  Later on I heard that Sogol was inside the airport, trying to find Graham who could be anywhere.  She didn't want to go out of the airport to look for him as she might be able to get back inside.  We had no rooms books for them in the hotel so I had to get my travel agent to see if he could get a couple more rooms.  The group isn't staying at the hotel so I was worried as to which address they'd used on their arrival documents.

It was all chaotic.  Sogol finally got hold of me and said it was frustrating looking for someone when you didn't know what he looked like.  Eventually, she was alone inside the arrivals area so she decided to go outside.  a tuk tuk man tried to take her somewhere but she said she was looking for someone.  Cambodian tuk tuk people love to help so he asked her questions.  She said she was looking for someone who was supposed to be going to the Angkor International Hotel.  The man said, "I've just been there and dropped an old white man with white hair."  That was Graham.

Eventually, I connected up with them and heard their story.  We've still no idea why they were issued with tickets two days earlier than the rest of the group.  I was so frazzled I suggested walking down to the river and having a drink.

While all this is going on, I'm trying to deal with Val's time in the city.  Srun, the tuk tuk driver came and dropped her at the royal palace.  He left and she found out it was closed until after lunch.  My job was to find him and get him back to pick her up.  I met them and we went to a shopping mall for lunch.  Meanwhile, I'm also dealing with the dentists but my phone had almost no charge.  I went to the travel office to charge my phone and Vuth and Cina were phoning the airline to see what they could do to locate Graham.  We'd no idea he was relaxing in the hotel.  

Boroith, one of my main translators was arriving in Phnom Penh from another city so I had to locate him and tell him what to do so that I could meet him.  It was like a circus.  I finally got everyone together and at 6pm we met to walk to a restaurant for dinner.  What a relief.  Now I'm hoping they are packing a small bag for just one day of work.

Tomorrow I'll meet them at the airport and hopefully they will be able to come out of the airport with their dental equipment.  It'll be a busy day for them as they've been travelling for a long time but we have to do some tourism jaunts because there's no other time during the programme.  Such is life.  

Mon, 14th Jan, 2019

This date has been etched on my brain for about five months and now it's here.  Boroith and I had pork and rice on the street.  It's a nice meal as the pork is bbq'd and it comes with rice, a dish of pickles and a bowl of broth, plus the usual free iced tea.  The other people came from the hotel and picked us up to go to the airport to meet the rest of the dental group.  

Now I have to switch into my logistical mode.  On the way to the airport we met the truck that we use to pick up our equipment and we transferred our bags from a tuk tuk to the bus.  In the airport we saw that the flight from Taipei was 30 minutes early so we time for a quick drink.  I ordered a local herbal drink with honey and Sogol decided to join me - much to her regret.  If you've never had it before it tastes as if you are eating grass.  She's a brave soul and drank it.

This is the first time I couldn't get into the airport so it felt strange waiting outside for the group.  I recognised one lady with a bin and so, when the doors opened, I quickly shouted to her to gather the group and to come out when she had everyone.  It worked perfectly.  For so many years we've had problems with the documents but now we can save ourselves time knowing that the dental people could come out as individual tourists, without any questions asked.

First stop the Killing Fields.  The locals and I had lunch while the group was inside on their individual tour, listening to an audio on a headset.  They all came out looking very sombre - it really is a moving experience, especially the thousands of skulls in a ceremonial stupa.  From there we went to Toul Sleng, the prison which used to be a high school.  I met one lady who couldn't go into the area because she said it was her high school in the old days and, at that time, it rang with the laughter of children.  The group's general comment was, "How could people do this to their own people?"  It's a huge question.  Sitting beside us were four elderly Khmer men and I pointed out to my friends that they were most likely Khmer Rouge in the old days.

We arrived safely at the children's home.  In French it's L'enfant du Paix but it was translated wrongly to peaceful children whereas it should actually be children of peace.  These children are like any other child - not always peaceful.  We arrived in time to join them in their daily singing of the national anthem and lowering of the flag.  The group got to work, opening up the bins and organising how they wanted items laid out.  Boroith and my local friends had already done a great job of setting up the tables.

Dinner was lovely, as always; breaded fish, a pork and beans dish and a lovely soup with lots tomatoes, onions and mushrooms in it.

The group found their rooms, had showers and then held a meeting to discuss tomorrow.  Hans, the leader, is very upbeat and everyone was smiling so I think we are going to have a good day tomorrow.  

15th Jan, 2019

First of all I must apologise.  I was reminded I'd skipped a day.  I had completely forgotten; when the dentists are here each day blends into the next one.  It'll be out of date order but nobody will notice the difference1. 

Anyway.... our first day of work was with the children at the Peaceful Children's Home.  It meant a one hour bus ride from the hotel to the home and I was happy to see the dentists on time.  Boroith had left the hotel at 5am to set up the tables so everyone was impressed when they saw there were a lot of things they didn't have to deal with.

We work in one of the small classrooms so it's quite crowded but the dentists prefer to be together as it helps them to feel as if they are a group.  We did a lot of preliminary work before going for dinner and to bed.  The accommodation is mixed so some people found themselves in rooms with bunk beds while others had rooms with air conditioning.  One lady was in a room and then the group leader popped his head around the door and said, "Can we join you?" So he and his partner joined her for the night.  She was a bit befuddled but took it all in a friendly way.

I was in a room that meant showering in an outside room.  I always find it fascinating because there are so many lizards glued to the walls waiting for mosquitoes and ants.  In other years the ladies haven't appreciated using a "shower" that involves dipping a ladle into a large tank of water and chucking it over oneself.  They insisted on using the showers in other private rooms.  I told them the water was the same but it didn't encourage them to have a go.  This year the group didn't mind so it makes my life much easier.

This year we had only 27 children to see because each year 1/3rd of the children must return to their home base.  It's a totally insane idea by the government.  Many of the children are orphans, some come from destitute families so there's no one to take care of them. They get poorer health care, education, food, clothing etc., so it's very sad.  There are two special needs people at the home - one is 27 and the other an older teen.  They are uneducable but there's no one able to teach them anything.  We are now trying to get them into a centre where they will learn basic skills.  One of them has a family but they don't want her.

We had a great day; people came from the village saw we saw around 76 patients.  Some of them need a large amount of work done because they've never been to a dentist, so it kept the group busy.  Many in the group this year are new to Kindness in Action so I'm happy it's a positive experience for them.

In the evening we went back to Phnom Penh so the group was happy to be in a room with air conditioning and a proper shower.  We took them for a boat ride on the Tonly Sap and Mekong River.  While on the boat, one of the older ladies came to me and said, "We've been trying to figure out how old you are; are you older than I am?"  I looked at her and knew she was far younger than I was - she was 71.  It was nice to know that she thought she was older than I am.  

The group kept thanking me constantly for giving them a variety of experiences so it's a great relief.  I now know all their names and lots of information about their past lives.  I'm hoping they spread the word that Cambodia's a good place to visit.  

16th Jan, 2019

The day started off well.  I got up at 6am and didn't find a mouse in the trap.  Boroith left the hotel at 5am to set up the tables at our next work place.  That meant I could go to the hotel and have his breakfast.  The restaurant is a totally different place now the Chinese have taken over.  We have to get a chit from the hotel desk whereas before we just wandered in and ordered a meal on trust.  A man stands and does nothing except collect chits.  The frazzled lady cooking the eggs doesn't speak English so it's hard to order anything other than omelette as that's the only word she seems to know.

As usual, things have gone wrong with the equipment, so three of the group had to leave separately to visit a dental store.  It took us nearly 1 1/2 hours to reach our destination because of the traffic and stopping for water, ice etc.  Boroith had done a great job of setting up so the dentists just have to place all their equipment where they want it.  For a few days I've been trying to reach Father Ou Chang, who is the Korean director of the centre.  When we arrived I learned that he'd been back in Korea for two months and there's now an Indonesian Jesuit running the place with a young man from Vietnam.  

Triage is always interesting at this place, which is for mentally and physically handicapped adults.  They come to the centre for almost a year to learn a trade and then they return home to set up a business.  The Catholic church runs the centre and they also follow the young adults when they return home to help them get established.  Nowadays, they take in the mentally handicapped and they live side by side with the physically handicapped.  In the villages they are ignored but at the centre they live happily together.  They learn how to do simple tasks such as washing dishes, cleaning floors etc and so, when they return home, they become appreciated.  

I think I went off topic for a while!  Triage is fun because people come in their wheelchairs; some have amputations and hop around on one leg or they wear artificial legs.  There are people with various stages of cerebral palsy, spastics etc.  The mentally handicapped seem to control how we work  because we have to work around them rather than our own schedule.  They are examined, given a bib and then they disappear.  We tell them to sit in a particular area and then they get up to join a friend in another group.  I got a translator to tell them, "If you move to that section you will get all your teeth removed as that section is for extraction." They quickly move.  One man with Down's Syndrome said he couldn't be examined because he was a VIP and he had to wait until his guru came.   I've learned to treat them as ordinary people and I often ask how they lost a limb.  I had to laugh at a church helper who has no fingers on one hand.  Everyone automatically thinks the accidents are with landmines but he'd worked at a sausage factory and he lost his fingers in a machine.

It's amazing how independent they are.  They climb on and off the tables, even though they are missing limbs.  While waiting for their turn some play football and crutches are flying in all directions.  We stopped for lunch and today a village kitchen brought us some fried vegetables, chicken, rice and fish.  The fish was the head with the portion just behind the head.  I took the whole thing and it was delicious; I didn't bother about anything else.

The group gets along really well and there's a lot of laughter and fun while we are working.  It's interesting how they arrive and some are friendly while others are a bit reserved.  Gradually, they start to feel comfortable, they relax and eventually everyone is having a great time.  

This evening we took them for a boat ride for an hour and then to a restaurant called Shabu Shabu.  Each one of us has our own pot of broth, made from different things such as Tom Yam, the spicy Thai soup, a pork broth etc.  Then food goes by on a conveyor belt and you just take a plate and add it to the broth.   There's also a sushi section, other kinds of food, ice cream and soft drinks - all for $12 per person and as much as you can each.  Buffets are a lost cause for me as I never eat my money's worth but the Asians in this group definitely made up for what I didn't eat; they were still eating half an hour after I'd finished.  It was nice to be thanked so many times for the work, meals, trips etc; it makes it all worthwhile.

I can't sleep at the hotel as I've given my bed to a translator.  I had to pick up my bag from the translators' room and I came home with an armful of laundry for the lads.  It'll take over an hour so the first job in the morning will be to hang out the laundry.

So now I'm off to bed, basking in the glory of being appreciated!

Thur, 17th Jan, 2019

I think I've already told you that "Prieb" means "dove" which is quite appropriate considering that the area was a military base not that long ago

This morning I had my breakfast on my own at home and then joined the group for 7.30am at the hotel.  The traffic was awful and it took us 2 hours to get to the centre.  We stopped for some fruit on the way and the group bought fruit they've never eaten before - mangosteen, dragoon fruit, lychee and a banana that's mouth size.

If we thought yesterday was a challenge, with all the physically handicapped people, today was even more challenging.  Today was mostly ladies and they were all mentally challenged.  At the centre they are called "special needs".  Some were slow, some had Down's syndrome; there were some with epilepsy and others with problems we couldn't define.  One young lady shook when anything was suggested to her.  The man who said he was a VIP yesterday decided to have treatment.  One man wandered around all the time and didn't come to see us until the last minute - he constantly dribbled.  They were such a happy bunch and constantly laughing.  We were definitely not in control - they were.  They kept disappearing or moving from one section to another.  When we asked what was wrong with their teeth they kept changing their minds.  With them being so happy, it makes it easier as we often want to treat them with kid gloves as we feel sorry for them.  It's sad when we can't give them the treatment they need because their teeth have reached a critical stage and needs more care than we can provide.  One supervisor told us to only remove one tooth, even though the girl needed many extractions.  As she rightly said, "You are only here for one day and so you don't see the trauma that might happen tomorrow."    

Lunch is always a challenge.  Yesterday we had the fish heads and today it was a long slim fish, about the size of a pencil and not as long.  I told people to imagine it was our sardine, which didn't help as most of them didn't like sardines - they said it was a British thing.  These fish are deep fried and I eat everything -  bones, head and tail.  Looking in the bag I don't think many tried them.  

After our work the group made a tour of the centre to see what the young adults are being taught.  The men learn how to fix mobile phones and computers, make wheelchairs that are suitable for bumpy country roads, fixing engines, farming, gardening etc.  The ladies learn how to run a beauty salon, sewing clothes etc.  They stay for one year at the centre and then they return to their community.  The Catholic church supervises their return and makes sure they are able to set up a little business.  I think the gift shop was happy for our visit as I saw a number of the group buying things.

It took another two hours to get back to the hotel but time went quickly as we were in a singing mood.  Someone hung a portable speaker from a luggage rack and we placed requests for songs.  It was a happy time and the time past quickly.  I'm supposed to meet the group at 9pm to take them out for a drink but they are having problems getting their meals.  Normally, we go in a group and I order everything to make it faster and easier.  This evening they are all ordering individual meals which really complicates things.  It's always a problem when 20 people enter a restaurant.  They take time ordering and then it takes time to cook.  I prefer ordering some specific dishes and asking everyone to enjoy them.  So now I've got a few minutes spare before I leave home to find the group.  Wish me luck. 

Fri, 18th Jan, 2019

Sat.19th Jan, 2019

Sun, 20th Jan, 2019

It's 10.25pm but I'm too awake to go to sleep so I thought I'd do my diary.  The day worked out well although it's always worrying when there's nobody waiting for triage.  Inevitably, when we decide to go off and help in the different work places, people start to come so I have to chase around to find translators to tell them what is happening.  A group of ladies came and they said they were very nervous as they'd never been to a dentist before. Then another lady appeared and she said she'd been to our clinic three years ago and it was a wonderful experience so that helped the other people to relax.

We had lunch in one of the classrooms.  There was rubbish all over the floor, parts of the walls were missing and hens and cockerels kept coming in and out, hoping we'd drop something on the floor.  It was so strange to see advanced math on the blackboard.  I had no idea what the calculations were as they were so complicated, plus they were done without calculators.  It's exactly what the author of "The Outliers" has to say, it's not individual intelligence that counts but opportunity.  There are obviously children in this particular math class who are brilliant at what they are doing but sadly they won't have the opportunity because they are in a remote rural area.  In a recent English language newspaper there was an article about an excellent government school in Phnom Penh where students are able to participate in debates, they have computer classes and all sorts of modern educational aids.  What the article didn't mention is that this is available to about 1 percent of the Cambodian young population; the rest put up with what they can get.

Luc, who asked us to work in the area, came by and said he'd visit parts of the commune to let people know we were here.  He said that health workers do go around the community checking on people's health but, when he asked them to tell the people that they could have their teeth fixed, they refused unless they were given money.  It's the same in the schools. The teachers are so poorly paid they generally only teach half the curriculum and then the students have to pay their teachers for evening classes.  If there's an exam, the students have to pay for the exam paper.  In all school playgrounds you can find stalls, selling all sorts of educational supplies (pencils, exercise books etc) plus snacks, and they are all owned by the teachers' families.  It's an awful state of affairs but I can't blame them for wanting a higher salary.

After doing our work we packed up and left the school.  Tomorrow there's be 600 students so it's going to be a bit chaotic working in the environment with children running all over the place.  We had time, so I suggested we go to see the bats.  I don't know how many millions come out of a large opening into a cave and it's fascinating watching them.  I've taken the 15 dental groups to this place and we sit and have a drink and snack while waiting for the bats to emerge.  In this year's group some were concerned about rabies, which is something I'd never thought about.  I suppose it is something to be concerned about but sometimes we allow these medical issues to prevent us from enjoying ourselves.  

Around 6pm the bats started to come out.  In one second there are thousands of them and they are coming out of the cave for over half an hour.  I often wonder what's happening in the cave.  Do the bats have an internal clock that tells them it's time to leave or do they have one person with the alarm clock who makes the decision.  They stream out in a ribbon that weaves its way across the sky.  At some point they say to each other, "Well, I'm going off in this direction so I'll see you in the morning."  They all return to the cave in a ribbon of thousands rather than one by one.  It's fascinating.  

We went back to the hotel and had a shower and change of clothing and then we went for dinner.  Today was a scrumptious meal of mushrooms cooked in a sauce, a dish made with vegetables and very wide noodles, a Tom Yam soup which is a Thai soup and Lok Lak which is a delicious beef dish.

After dinner we took the group to a karaoke. Three or four didn't want to go so they stayed in the hotel.  Some of the group had never been so it was a lovely experience for them.  We had the enormous VIP room which had space for dancing and I made sure we had Cambodian music so the boys could teach the Canadians some dance steps.  It was a huge success.

One lady said she was enjoying the programme so much and she said I was an absolute - I don't think I'd better say as we were talking about dental egos and I might have to class myself in that group.  The lady is from Saskatchewan and her husband encouraged her to join the group because of the history in the area.  It's really great when people keep on thanking me and the boys for giving them a good experience. The trouble is that it makes the boys want to continue and I have to join them.  

Mon, 21st Jan, 2019

As usual we were up at 6am and out of the hotel at 6.45am.  I always eat my meal while walking around the restaurant as I help deliver the food to the dentists.  Serey had a difficult morning as only one cook arrived for work.  Lower paid people generally don't have the commitment to jobs and so you can't expect them to be loyal and come every day, or even inform you they aren't coming.

When we arrived at the school we didn't see anyone waiting for us so I started to worry.  I'm eternally grateful for not being born in Cambodia and becoming a teacher here.  The school where we are working is typical of all rural schools in the country.  The grounds are littered with rubbish, the bushes are rarely watered in the dry season so they always look half dead.  The classrooms are awful and there's very little in the way of supplies such as chalk; the children have to provide everything themselves.  To serve this need, the lady principal of the primary school, and her husband, have a shop in the school grounds which helps to supplement her very low salary.  Children were constantly coming away from the shop with sugary drinks.  I told the children they'd be back to see the dentists but they just laughed.  It's the only treat they get in the day so who can blame them.  

An annual treat for me is to have my teeth cleaned by one of the dentists.  I have paid into a Canadian insurance plan since 1990 but have hardly used it.  I tried calculating how much I've given the company with no benefit to myself - maybe I should cancel it all together.  This time Graham cleaned my teeth.  He's in his early 60s and so it was nice to have someone who understood why my teeth weren't perfect.  In my younger days we didn't even know what a toothbrush was.  When we eventually got one we used salt rather than toothpaste.  We were encouraged to have hard bristles and to brush hard so my gums are not where they are supposed to be.  I've also got gaps that were created when I was about 10 years old when the government lady dentists came into the school and pulled teeth - that's all they did.

We all felt dirty at the end of the day because of moving around the dusty grounds.  At one point the dentists started screaming and I learned that they'd disturbed an ants' nest and so thousands of ants were coming out of the ground carrying eggs.  Later somebody said an enormous wasp was building a nest on the ceiling.  Luckily we'd bought spray so we could deal with these disasters as they appeared.  The students looked clean in their white blouses and shirts and black pants and skirts but the children from the village wore very dirty clothes.  With all the dust and dirt around I suppose the parents are fighting a losing battle.

In the mid afternoon we decided to close up the triage and, as usual, people came at the last minute for treatment.  I hate turning them down but there's nothing we can do for them.  We did treat one young lady as she'd come yesterday but we had finished work.  She came by motorbike from the Thai border, which is a long way off.  Later a man arrived and his teeth situation was so bad he needed seven teeth removed plus surgery.  Our bus driver is constantly helping us in little ways and I think it's because we gave him treatment.

At the end of the day a young lady of about 15 approached me.  She'd been walking around but didn't make any effort to see the dentists.  I had decided she had a mental issue so I just thought she was spending time seeing what was going on.  This time she stood in front of me and pulled up a trouser leg.  Her leg looked awful - swollen, purple with two enormous open sores.  I took her to see Val but she rightly pointed out that this was a dental mission so we had no bandages, medicine or ointments to treat the young lady.  We asked her questions but all she said was the name of the area where she lived.  We did learn from someone else that her father is a drunkard and he beats her all the time.  One of the volunteers washed her leg but we were so frustrated as we couldn't do anything.  Eventually, we found a man who would take her to the local clinic on his motorbike.  She'd get very little treatment but it would be better than nothing.  Val said the infection had gone deep and, if it affected the bone, the young lady could lose her leg.  It's so sad when we can't help people.  

We stopped at the pagoda where we'll work tomorrow and it was nice to see our friendly senior monk.  What's nice about going to regular places once a year is that people recognise me.  We set up the workplace for tomorrow as there will be over 100 people, mostly monks and nuns.   I went into the meeting hall and sat on the floor staring at the Buddha statues for a while as I get fed up with all the daily noise.  

Coming back on the bus we had the pleasure of seeing a special blood red moon which has something to do with an eclipse which wouldn't be seen in our part of the world.  I had an early dinner and decided to walk back to the hotel as I wanted to put my feet up.  

Final working day tomorrow.