Odd job day.

Today is my bits and bobs day as I have to get ready to leave for Ho Chi Minh City tomorrow.  The flight isn't until 5pm so I'll have time to do odd jobs before I leave home.  I always forget something so I just hope it's something that's not so important or can be purchased in Vietnam.  I'm glad Messrs Trump and Kim are north in Hanoi and won't be bothering me in Saigon.  

It was lovely being able to sleep until I felt like getting up, with no Chinese music blaring away.  I washed the floor yesterday but the water was dark brown when I washed it today; there must be more dust in the air for some reason.  It's very hot nowadays but I was told it'll be even hotter in March and April, getting up to 50C.  

I was in the kitchen, staring out of the window, and there seemed to be something different about my live mouse trap; I'd caught a mouse.  I have no idea when he decided to move into the trap but he was well and truly dead.  I don't mind because he was caught on the balcony and I think I'm mouse proof and almost bullet proof as far as the kitchen's concerned.  

I sat on the balcony, having breakfast, for a while and then I thought I'd better get down to putting together the two page report on the exchange programme.  I really don't want work to do while I'm on holiday.  When that was finished, I tackled my ironing.  The shirts didn't go back into the wardrobe but ended up in the suitcase again.  I know I'm supposed to take warm clothing to Vietnam, but I'm a bit confused because cold weather in Vietnam is not what I'd call cold weather.

Friend Syden, who is a tour guide in Siem Reap, posted photos on Facebook of his son's birthday.  Syden's nickname is "Tiger", so naturally the boy's nickname is "Tiger cub".  Instead of having what we'd call a traditional child's birthday party, Syden took his wife and son to a pagoda and the boy gave gifts of food, drink and money to five monks.  I thought it was a great idea; learning to give instead of receiving.  

I heard on the news that there's a movement around the world to get major companies to make items that can be fixed by the owner or by a local person.  So many items are made that have to be returned to the manufacturer to fix; sometimes it's a simple matter of not being able to get the back off something as it's glued rather than screwed on.  The BBC tried to contact Apple and other major manufacturers but they didn't respond.  A major culprit in the agricultural sector is John Deere.  At some point the computer in the tractor will say, "Check engine".  The farmer can't do it, nor can a local repairman; instead the farmer has to call out a John Deere mechanic.  Even if the mechanic has only to reset the computer the bill will be US$15,000.  It reminded me of the day last year when a nice lady drove too closely and removed my side mirror.  Honda wanted $450 to put on a new one.  I ended up paying $75 for one from a wreckers' yard that looked new and, after looking at a video on YouTube, John was able to replace it in five minutes.  

I waited for Phearak and Srun to come for their English class but they didn't appear.  Later Phearak wrote and apologised because he was outside delivering travel documents to someone.  It's amazing the services we get here - so many things are delivered without my leaving home.  

I went out for a walk this evening, mainly to take out my rubbish.  I always separate the things for recycling but nobody else does.  It makes it difficult for those going through the rubbish every evening looking for plastic, glass and metal.  They carry a metal bar, with a hook on the end, and they test the bag and then rip it open.  This means that rubbish is all over the place, which makes it difficult for the garbage workers who have to pick up the rubbish every evening.  

It's going to be a long day tomorrow, once I start travelling.  Friend Ngan will meet me at the airport in Ho Chi Minh around 6pm and at 8pm I'm on a bus for an overnight drive into the blue (or should I say 'dark'?) yonder.  I hope that Saturday is a day or rest!

I'm not sure about internet while I'm away so things may be a bit hit and miss until I get back on the 8th.  I hope I'm missed!  

It’s nice to be home again

I nearly jumped out of my skin this morning.  It was dark but there was loud music and bashing of drums and cymbals going on outside the apartment.  It was a Chinese ceremony and something to do with breaking the floor in a shop to make a new shop.  I finally ended just before 6am.  I should have got up but I objected to being woken up in that fashion so I stayed in bed until nearly 8am.  This meant my morning was almost over by the time I had done my morning walk, showered and had breakfast.  I decided I was totally fed up with my hair so I went to the barber where I'd taken the boys.  He asked if I wanted it styled or just short - I chose short.  I had no idea what he could do with my mop anyway.  I gave him the money I'd paid for the boys but then I discovered that we foreigners pay double so it cost me $3.  On the way home I bumped into Bopha, who works at the hotel we use with the dentists.  When I said I'd been to the barber she said, "Why do you go so far?"  I'd only walked for 10 minutes but she was right - there are barbers within a minute or two of where I live and in fact they are all over the place.

I found Thornin sitting at my neighbours' sidewalk cafe and so I joined him for a bit of lunch and then he came up to the apartment.  I have been away from home for 5 days and so the floors were very dusty.  The dust is so fine it can't be seen but I know it's there with the state of the water after I've done some mopping.    I had an hour English class so he disappeared into the bedroom where he could use the air conditioning.  As usual, Phearak plugged his phone in to charge it and then he started to nod off for the next hour.  He seems to be able to sleep at the drop of a hat.

I then joined Thornin and Tola at a coffee shop for a chat about money.  Tola's a notary and lawyer so we needed to ask for advice about people who owe money.  I found it quite embarrassing as I've been waiting for a young man to pay me for 3 years but he keeps putting it off.  I've told him to pay whatever he can but he hasn't bothered.  Thornin explained the family situation and I started to feel as if I was the bad apple.  His mother used to sell diamonds but then people stopped paying them and they ended up bankrupt.  When I first new them they lived a good life but Thornin said that one of the daughters, who is married, has been reduced to picking up plastic and beer cans after the karaoke parties.  They got me even more worried by saying the young man is depressed, hides in his room and might commit suicide.  What to do!?  

I forgot to mention a very interesting chart that was on the wall at the centre we used over the weekend.  It showed how 197 countries were progressing with regard to banning nuclear weapons, landmines, cluster bombs and the environment.  There was only one country on the chart that was doing nothing in all four sections - the United States.  I was quite surprised.  

Someone was talking on the radio this morning about "Sensory Food Education", and how young children need to be able to learn about food by playing with it, cooking, eating etc.  It helps children to become more curious and brave.  I had to laugh when one little boy was asked about the feeling of having a bite of banana.  He said it was like running in a muddy football field.  Another lad was asked to describe the smell and texture of a mushroom; he thought it was crunchy but he said it smelt like an old cupboard.  I didn't know that the world has 6000 plants that could be used for food but only 65% of them are eaten.  Of that percentage we focus on just 6 plants worldwide.  That seems like a heck of a waste to me.  

I declined an invitation to go out for dinner at 8.30pm.  I'd already eaten anyway.  Now I'm punishing myself trying to stop myself from eating too many Ferrero chocolates a friend gave me.  I did so well, just one or two a day, but this evening I gave in to my natural instincts.

Dancing, playing games, singing and having a bit of serious stuff.

I've died and gone to heaven - they have Marmite on the table here at the centre.  It really is a lovely place and you can't go wrong when you only pay $15 for three meals a day and a comfortable room.  When I stay in hotels I find the usual comb, toothbrush etc., but here we found an umbrella, extra sheets and blankets, everything we need to make a drink and even a fridge with items left by other people, which we can use.  Breakfast is a mix of Western and Eastern foods and the other meals are delicious.  We do our own dishwashing but it's a small price to pay for such good food.  Sister Denise, who runs the centre, is from Australia so I suppose that's why there are Corn Flakes and Marmite on the table.  Some of the people working here are in wheelchairs and others are young people who've been in trouble with the law.  

There's a pond that has a number of large wooden wheels around it; they are prayer wheels.  As you walk around the pond the idea is to spin a wheel and think of a country, then move to the next wheel and think of a person.  Each wheel is for a specific reason, except the last one, which is for anything your heart desires.

We use a meeting room that is open to the fresh air; everyone sits on cushions on the floor, except yours truly.  I'm typing so I have to have chairs - even if I wasn't typing I'd insist on a chair.  Hanging outside the hall is a model aeroplane and hanging from the plane are the different types of bombs the Americans dropped on this part of the world; the worst was the cluster bomb.  They are a couple of metres long and, when they leave the plane, a trapdoor opens and hundreds of large round bombs, a bit bigger than a baseball, fall out.  On their way down to earth they were supposed to open and out would come ball bearing sized metal objects that were meant to injure or even kill people.  Unfortunately about a third of them didn't open and they plunged 20cms into the ground, which is the depth of the farmer's plough.  This mostly happened in Laos; here in Cambodia landmines are the problem and an estimated 10 million were 'planted' around the countryside.

Today was quite a whirlwind of activities with workshops, family sharing times and presentations.  I've been impressed with the punctuality of this group; nobody is late which is a miracle in itself when you are dealing with over 30 young people.  In the evenings they all want to go into town to visit the night markets.  I find it funny because the Thais have night markets all over the place in their country and I'm sure most of the stuff is the same as here.  They come home late but they are still at the breakfast table at 7am.  I've never seen so many enormous lenses on cameras; many of the young people are interested in photography.  Another revelation has been the young people's discipline with regard to their mobile devices.  Usually, young people can't keep their hands off the phone but here, on the first day, we asked them to put their phones away and they have done so.  On our first day, when we were introducing ourselves, the majority of participants said they were single.  Jokingly, I reminded them that they were all lying - they were all married to their phones.

Being elderly, from the West, and not used to 'touchy, feely' things, I sometimes found the activities a bit difficult.  Fortunately, I always hid behind my typewriter.  For four minutes couples had to face each other and look into each other's eyes.  One young man said that he was amazed when the other person told him everything he had been thinking about.  Father Totet, who is from the Philippines and has been here 25 years, said, "The meetings are useful but the people get to know each other better and deeper during their times together having coffee, meals, playing games."  

Yesterday evening I was frustrated because I couldn't find out who was wearing such strong perfume.  Every so often it wafted past me and I'd ask if the person standing by me was using perfume - he or she never was.  Later, I walked back to my room and I realised it was the strong smell of flowers on the trees.

One member of our programme left early to return to Bangkok.  She works for a human rights NGO and was leaving to join an international programme in Brussels dealing with the abolition  of the death penalty.  I know there is the death penalty in Thailand so I asked about it and she said that a young 25 year old was executed last summer after spending 6 years in prison.  That was the first execution in 10 years and so she's disappointed that it has set the nation back to the beginning of the struggle.

I've learned quite a bit about the Thai culture.  I said to the friends that it seemed that Thais had to spend so much time with cultural things they didn't have time for work and play.  I learned that we all have a "Kwan" which is our own personal spirit.  We can sing a song to him or her to invite the spirit to join us.  They take care of us so I think I'm going to get one.  The Thais have unusual nicknames; one young man is called "Ice" and others have just a single letter such as "B" and "P".  If there's a baby in the house, and the baby is being taken outside, the grandmother will take some dust from the sole of her foot and place it on the forehead of the child; it's to show that the spirit of the grandmother is travelling along with the baby to keep it safe.  A lot of the customs seem strange but they all have a lovely meaning.  I think we in the West are missing a lot when we don't have these cultural activities.  

We had a fun time which was officially called "Cultural Programme" but it turned into a series of hilarious games, song and dance.  As someone from a different culture I was asked to perform.  What the heck could I do?  Normally I say, "I can't because I'm typing", but I didn't have my iPad with me.  I decided on my party piece, getting everyone to dance the Macarena, which had everyone on his or her feet trying to follow my actions; it was good to know that I was a lot better at it than they were. The coordinators took almost an hour to review the time together.  I found it a bit long but the young folk sat on the floor listening.  They were then invited to pick a candle, light it and then say something about their time at the programme.  This also went on a long time.  Afterwards we listened to the "Candle Song" which talks about having a personal candle to light the world's darkness.

It was almost midnight when I finally returned to my room.  With leaving tomorrow I didn't have to wash any of my clothing, which was a relief.  It's my last night and I've finally figured out the best way to sleep - open the curtains and the windows, turn off the fan, use the mosquito net and a blanket.  Here's to a good night's sleep.  

It’s supposed to be a day of rest

I had a lovely, relaxing and quiet day.  The group left at 4.30am - at least I think they did as I was fast asleep.  They were visiting the Angkor Wat temple complex for the day.  During their time together they visited the sites but they also had groups session and time to discuss relationships between the two countries and individuals.  

Meanwhile I met with Rina, whom I've known since 2002 when he was a young child.  He's now the front desk manager in a boutique hotel in Siem Reap.  His working hours are all over the place because, if people come late he has to be there to meet them.  Sometimes he's at work from early in the morning until nearly midnight.  Today was his day off because he'd worked so late last night.  His boss invited him to go to his family farm which meant doing more work as they grow a lot of different fruits.  He was therefore grateful to have lunch with me so he didn't have to go to the farm so early.

After lunch I went back to my room to work on the report.  We are together for five days so it's hard to write the report, from all my typed notes, after the end of the programme.  In the old days I'd be able to print out the paper and then use a pair of scissors to cut the pages into pieces.  Nowadays, I have to move up and down the screen looking for information - modernisation is a lot more difficult than in the old days.

The group came back in time for dinner and afterwards I thought I'd have time for myself, to do my diary and other things.  It wasn't to be.  I was called in to a meeting with the coordinating team.  I dislike meetings at the best of times, and I dislike them even more when they go on and on about what I think are not so important.  At 10.30pm I was already turning into a pumpkin and then they decided to continue meeting until 11.15pm.  I said, "No thank you" and off I went back to my room.  I originally thought this programme was for three days so I've been washing my shirts every evening.  Luckily they dry by the morning so I've survived.

Day 2 of the youth meeting

It's been a long and busy day time spent in silence and reflection, speeches, workshops and cooking.  Today, the staff at the centre have a break in the afternoon so our group could either eat outside or cook themselves.  We decided to team Khmer and Thai people together so they could learn to cook each other's dishes.  The meal was excellent and then those who didn't cook washed the dishes.

I sat in my little corner, typing all the sessions.  Sometimes it's quite difficult hearing or understanding what people are saying but I muddle along, willing in the blanks later.  There were some exercises, which the young folk love but I find very strange.  For four minutes pairs of people had to sit staring into each other's eyes.  Some stayed focussed the entire time whilst others would frequently burst into fits of giggles.  In one exercise the participants were asked to talk about an issue they'd faced in life and how they had solved it.  

Everyone sits on the floor but yours truly decided to sit on a chair.  I have another chair in front of me for my iPad and I type merrily away.  I collect so much material it goes on for many pages.  I'm here for five days so I'm a bit worried about having to through it all to create the report which I have to submit to various groups, including financial donors.  Generally, when I have a few moments I work on the report and delete material I no longer need.  I'm not used to sitting for so long and so my backside suffers.

One thing I've insisted on is that Khmer and Thai participants sit together in the dining room.  If I sit at a table that is completely Thai or Khmer, then they use their own language and I feel left out of the conversation.  If they mix, then they have to speak English and that helps me to join in.  

During the day we listened to a Thai priest who came to work in Site 2, which was the biggest refugee camp on the Thai border following the fall of the Khmer Rouge.  He spoke about having to be careful because local people thought he was a Vietnamese - the enemy.  One day he was on the back of a motorbike and the driver said, "Take your hat off because people will think you are Vietnamese."  He's been in Cambodia since the late 1990s so he's seen a lot of changes.  In the old days he could meet with any official and was accepted.  Nowadays, when he meets officials he has to be dressed appropriately with jacket and tie.  He mentioned that people returning from the refugee camps often had an advantage over those who'd remained in the countryside.  That's because they were given an education while in the camps and so they were offered jobs because they were more qualified.  In his early days, only officials had vehicles and they were generally poorly made Russian jeeps; everyone else rode bicycles or cyclos - the bicycles with a seat in front for a passenger.  Things must have been so different in those early days.

We had an excellent meal and we thought of cancelling all the programmes and just allow the youth to cook.  Afterwards we created our family trees and individuals shared what they knew about the family with the rest of their group.  In Cambodian families there are often gaps because of people disappearing during the time of Pol Pot.  I was interested that the Thais in my group knew nothing about that time, even though they are neighbours.  I was also surprised that the two Cambodians in my group have never visited the famous sites in Phnom Penh that talk about the history during the time of the Khmer Rouge.  It's as if they don't want to know.  I don't blame them but they really should see these places if they want to understand the older generations.

Tomorrow the youth have decided they want to see sunrise over Angkor Wat temple.  I've decided they can go and leave me in bed as there's no way I'm going out on a bus at 4.30am.  I won't see them until 4 pam as they plan on having meals in the temple area plus touring the temple.  I've seen so many sunrises, I don't need to see another one, and in any case I've got a beautiful photo of it happening at Angkor War and so I can just stare at the photo.  I've seen the temples so many times and it's not easy spending hours in the sun.  I'll work on the report, relax and do my own thing.  There are people I can phone for lunch, if I want to have company.   

Cambodia-Thai exchange programme

I was up at 6am and did an hour walking.  After that I finished packing my bag and having breakfast.  I wasn't sure when I'd get my next meal so I had scrambled eggs and finished off the leftover bread.  I went over to Cina Travel and, when I was asked where I was going I told them about the trip and that I'd be back on Sunday afternoon.

I went with Vuth to Larryita Bus Company to get the bus we'd hired to Siem Reap.  About 10 people joined us from various universities and we set off.  In other countries, the word 'express' with regard to travel just means the train or bus doesn't stop so many times.  In Cambodia it means travelling at twice the speed of sound, to honk the horn continuously and to break many of the highway rules.  At one point our driver braked sharply and I started to slide gracefully from my seat; there are only seat belts for the front seat people.  I grabbed onto a handle and managed to stay on my seat.  

I'm always amazed by how much people pack into and onto these vans.  One van had two enormous tractor tires tied to the back, along with two motorbikes.  Fortunately, the van was full of people otherwise I'm sure the front end would have lifted off the ground.  

I'd been told we'd be staying in dormitories so I packed a towel, soap and other things I didn't think they'd provide.  I was very surprised when we pulled into a very pleasant centre run by the Jesuits.  I have my own room and it's got everything in it.  There's a lovely balcony with all the things needed to make a cup of tea or coffee.  I even saw beer, rum and some Cadbury's chocolate in the fridge which I think were left by previous guests.

In the late afternoon we met the group from Thailand who'd come to join us for the 3rd Cambodia-Thailand exchange programme.  It's mainly to learn about each other and our countries, their situations etc., and to develop positive relationships.  There are often conflicts between the countries in the region so it's nice to play our part by building friendships amongst the younger people.  

Dony moved into a room on my floor as she said some of the Thais wanted to share a room.  I thought it was a bit strange as they'd come to build relationships with people from another country.  I asked Vuth and he said four Thais were "neither boy nor girl".  It got me a bit befuddled but then I realised he meant they were trans whatever they call it - transgender, transsexual.  

The programme was well organised and run by the coordinators from both countries.  There were ice breaker games, time to write down their expectations, reviewing the programme for the coming days.  Visal said he wasn't staying until the end of the programme as he had to go to work on Monday.  I was a bit confused as I thought it ended on Sunday; actually it ends on Tuesday after lunch.  I panicked a bit as I'm leaving Phnom Penh for Vietnam on the 1st March.

I found myself with a group of Cambodians at dinner time and so naturally the conversation was entirely in Khmer.  Tomorrow I'm going to have to find a table that's got both countries represented and then the conversation will be in English.  

We have been divided into family groups and we'll meet regularly each day to get to know each other better and to be able to speak more confidentially and in confidence that what we say won't go any further than our group.  We had to choose a card which had a picture on it and a quotation and then, in our group we had to say why we chose the card.  It was easy for me as I was the last person taking a card so there wasn't much to choose from.

Throughout our time together I was wondering who the four transgender people were.  I couldn't tell!  In our circle one young man showed us the card he'd chosen; on it was drawn a road approaching a T junction.  He said, "I chose this card because I don't know who I am; am I a boy or am I a girl."  He looked quite a strapping young man to me.  He was very matter of fact about his thoughts and I was impressed with his attitude.  When I heard we had this specific group of people with us I wondered what impact it would have on the group dynamics but so far they are simply participants, just like everyone else.  

Now it's my bedtime but some have opted to go to the night market so heaven only knows when they'll get back.  

A really good lunch

I'm one of those people who can ignore a ringing phone.  It can ring as much as it likes, especially if I'm doing something that's important to me - such as shaving.  I finally picked up the phone, expecting a crisis, and was told by Vuth to join him and Ratha for coffee at 10am.

I went over at 10am and discovered that Ratha was at the bank, making sure he had enough money in his account as he was preparing his documents for a second attempt at getting a visa for Australia.  He owes all of us something as he left all the paperwork for the rest of us to do - I typed a couple of letters giving details of how wonderful he was, his company, his family etc.  He finally left the bank at 11.30am.  Banks here treat people as being very special.  We aren't expected to stand in a queue, shuffling along but instead we take a number, depending on which department we want, and then we sit down until our number appears.  

Everyone else seems to have a mobile device with them, when they are sitting around.  I can't stand the phone so I leave mine at home, which means I generally sit twiddling my thumbs and staring into space; I call it meditating.

Vuth asked Tola to book a table at a restaurant that's usually packed at lunch time.  When Ratha eventually arrived we set off for Brown Coffee House where we parked the car and then walked to the restaurant.  I was expecting something quite posh but, when we started going up a dingy staircase I was beginning to wonder.  What a surprise when we walked into a delightful place, built in a Khmer style with lots of wood.  The staff wore traditional Khmer outfits; not fancy ones but those worn by country folk.  Eventually, Tola arrived from his job as a notary and Ratha ordered the food.  I never bother with the menus because I feel it's better if they order what they want as I tend to eat anything.  Jokingly, I asked if Prohok, the fermented fish paste, was on the menu.  The waitress laughed and asked if I liked it.  I told her it depends on who makes it as it's different every time I try it.

The food in the restaurant is Khmer and so some of the vegetables were local ones that don't have an English name.  I did enjoy the meal - we had a green creeper with meat, a plate of rolls that were made of Khmer traditional noodles with a piece of fatty pork inside.  Another dish had rice paper and into it we were able to put various offerings.  There was a Khmer style sweet and sour fish soup filled with fish and different vegetables and finally a large fish that had been cooked in a kind of batter so it had a crispy skin.  For the four of us we paid $40 which wasn't bad at all for such a lovely experience.  Ratha said he'd pay for me as he'd invited me, but I had to pay for the upcoming coffee.

From there we walked back to Brown and managed to find a table with just one chair.  It's amazing how packed these places get at noon.  Staff found three more chairs so we could sit down and order.  I never know what to order, especially when the menu is full of lattes, mochas, cappuccinos etc.  The waitress showed us a new offering and, if we ordered one of the drinks, we got a free custard tart worth $1.  Vuth ordered a honey coffee and I chose a minty lime one.  Mine was so sour it send shivers through me.  I ended up added three packets of sugar to calm it down.  I won't order it again, even though I did like the tart.

I came home and settled down to type my Nigerian notes.  Recently, I've been typing about exam time and I can't figure out how any of the Canadians survived being at our various schools.  My notes are full of absentee invigilators, absent students, students taking the exam for a friend, students being given papers to mark and filling in blank spaces with the right answers, correcting wrong answers and generally passing everyone.  We drove ourselves to distraction trying to keep the system going with no help from the local teachers.  Finally, Avis said, "Why should we fight to change their system?"  I think we were all joining the ranks of the students fighting the tyranny of the system.

I didn't have to out any more during the day but I decided I need a break from typing.  I went to one shop and bought some oatmeal for porridge.  I checked for brown bread at "Smile" but couldn't find any and so I ended up at "Panda" where I did find a loaf.  It's handy having lots of shops around.  At eMart I found some small cans of pate from France with various meats - pork and mushroom, chicken with herbs etc.  Just $1.35 a can so I'll be going back for some as they'll be nice with sandwiches or crackers.

I came home and settled down to watch The Murder Room on YouTube.  It's an Inspector Dalgliesh mystery written by PD James.  Unfortunately, it's in two parts so the end will have to wait.

I have to get to bed as I want to get up at 6am tomorrow.  I am joining about young people to go to an exchange programme involving young adults from Thailand and Cambodia.  We do exchange programmes with thailand and Vietnam and we find it helps to improve relationships among the younger generation.  The older folk have set ideas about each other which are often negative.  I wasn't actually invited to the weekend gathering but I did receive a copy of a letter that said, "Peter will be keynote speaker and note taker for the weekend."  So I thanked the writer for the warm invitation.

I've just received another wedding invitation for the 17th March.  It's a young lad who was raised at the children's home.  He's now at a good university, studying international law.  I'd love to go but it'll depend on getting a ride as it's in another province.  Right now I'm not thinking about it.  Good night.   

Soap!

I deliberately changed my morning routine so I wouldn't find myself trying to better yesterday's timings.  I stayed a bit longer on the balcony, watching the world go by.  With being on the 3rd floor (Canadian), 2nd floor (elsewhere!) I see the tops of heads passing by below.  It's interesting figuring out what the rest of the person looks like.  

On the BBC I listened to the Arts Hour, which is always an interesting and often funny programme.  Today they spoke to a black American artist about her attitude towards the police in Los Angeles.  I started to think about life in our Yorkshire village with regard to the police.  Constable Lascelles (otherwise known as 'lace 'oles) was always around but I was never fearful of him.  We were more afraid of the black man, whomever that happened to be.  Parents would often tell us, if we were doing something undesirable, "If you keep on doing that, a black man will come and get you."  I don't know how old I was, but a black family did move into the village; they never did come to get me.  

Because I hear programmes on the radio I have to use my imagination; who are these people they are talking to or about?  I really enjoyed hearing about PJ Harvey - I bet many people have no clue whether the name is for a male or a female.  She's actually a British song writer who is super famous and is doing the music for a new show based on the old movie "All about Eve".  She must be amazing; she hums away at a tune and then records it.  She said, "I can't stand faffing about; let's put on the kettle and have a cuppa tea."  I just had to satisfy my curiosity so I looked her up and listened to her singing - to say the least, it's very dramatic.  They also talked about Gillian Anderson, whom I didn't know from a hole in the wall.  I must be a dinosaur as she is also very famous.  

The world is in mourning - Karl Lagerfeld died.  All the people said he'd passed so maybe he's gone to a different place.  He did make an interesting comment that if an ugly modern car is advertised, people might want it because it's new but they'd wait a bit before buying it.   With fashion, if an ugly bit of new fashion is created, people want it immediately.  I'm surrounded here in Phnom Penh with clothing stores that spill out onto the sidewalk; people check the goods without even getting off their motorbikes or out of the rickshaw, but I blithely walk by as I'm not into buying, especially clothing.

We've just had a Buddhist holiday which is quite sacred but you wouldn't have known.  All of the street noise was from groups of Chinese banging gongs and going on about something.  They were even giving things away to people who stopped by to see what was going on.  If I were a traditional Khmer I'd start worrying.

I've got a thing about soap - I can't throw it away, it has to disappear completely while in use.  I was a bit ticked off with Oudom because he broke up a paper thin piece of soap that I planned on attaching to a new bar so now I have to use it as is - I think it'll last for one more shower and then it'll vanish into thin air.  I think I'll buy a smelly bar next time.  In the old days we had to get used to Carbolic soap, which was bright red and used for everything from washing our bodies and hair, washing clothes, scrubbing floors etc.  Our family tended to use Fairy soap, which came in huge green blocks, for all the above tasks.  I always find it mind boggling seeing all the "body" stuff that's available in shops.  

Talking about cosmetics, I had dinner with Makara and Noch this evening.  Both of them lived with me before Makara married and I moved into the apartment.  Makara is job hunting at the moment and the agency sent him to a pharmaceutical company.  He was there for over two hours, talking to a lady manager.  Finally, he said, "Is this an interview or are you wanting my advice?"  I don't think he came away with any thought of working there.  Today he had an interview to work for Xerox; it's a Japanese company and, as he's fluent in Japanese, he was told he will most likely get the job - again, I'm not sure he wants it.

Noch works for the courts and has just passed some state exams.  He's very shy so he refused to go home at Chinese New Year because he learned that his parents had found out about his passing the test and he knew they'd get emotional about it.  Next year he'll be posted to Kratie, which is another province.  He said others pay a bribe so they can have a more central posting.  One young man he knows paid $16,000 to ensure a good posting and then the poor man failed the exam.

We went to a bbq place where we had our own waitress who did everything for us.  There was a grill which was wiped with pork fat and then she bbq'd various vegetables such as carrot, onion, cabbage and okra.  After that she bbq'd shrimp, beef, pork and an unidentifiable (but nice) meat roll.  Because she stayed at our table the entire time, Makara decided to give her the tip rather than leaving it with the bill to be shared with everyone.  He wrapped it in tissue paper!  

Thus ended a lovely day except for the fact that Vuth has asked me to provide thoughts on how to deal with various types of people - dominant, talkative, peacemakers and structured.  He needs it by Friday so I'd better put on my thinking cap.  Right now it's after 9pm and I'm switching off.

It’s lovely to have sharp knives again.

I had a personal best today.  I walked 7km, washed all the floors of the apartment, showered and had breakfast - all before 9.30am.  I'm not into breaking records so this is most likely a one off.  

I had an unhindered few hours because Oudom didn't get up until nearly 11am; he said he'd had two cans of Coca Cola yesterday and it kept him awake.  It's strange how cultures can be so different.  His grandmother puts a can of Coke in his lunch box every day; she thinks, as long as it's not one of those energy drinks, then it's all right.  Oudom drinks it, even though he doesn't want it, simply because his Grandmother put it there.  On the other side of the world from here, kids are constantly giving away what their parents put in their lunch boxes because they don't like it or they don't want it.  

A few years ago we could find a Bubble Tea cafe on every corner; now they have almost disappeared and they have been replaced with coffee shops.  I'm not a great fan of Bubble Tea but it was nice of Samnang to come over with a Milk Tea for me and a Passion Fruit one for Oudom.  People here love Passion Fruit but I find it a bit too sour.  I think my Milk Tea was just that except it had some round, squishy things in it so I had to use a large straw.  I can't understand why people insist on using straws here whenever they have a drink - even a glass of water needs a straw.  The folks across the road have got used to me so they don't offer me one but everywhere else I am given a drink with a straw in it; often two.  When the lads came over for English I gave them each a bottle of water; Srun said, "Do you have a straw?"  I may have but I said I didn't.

Samnang told me the knife sharpening man was in the back alley so I sent him off with some of my knives.  A few minutes later he brought them back, razor sharp and the man charged $1.  People often knock developing countries for their deficiencies but I definitely appreciate these little conveniences.

Kannan, my Indian friend in the US, sent me a report of his time with his Master - it's something to do with Karate and other martial arts but it goes much deeper than the physical stuff by bringing in the mental aspects, health etc.  I was supposed to say what I thought of it but it was so full of shorthand English I couldn't get the hang of it.  I decided to correct it, and it took me almost two hours.  In the end I had a better understanding of what he was on about.  I did learn two things; the importance of focusing on one's breathing and being aware of it all the time.  I'm like 99.9% of the planet, when it comes to breathing, it's just there.  Now, it crosses my mind when I'm reading, sitting etc., and so I make an effort to breathe properly.  The other thing the Master said was, "Don't give any complex answers; keep them simple, even if the question was complex."  I like that one.  Kannan is constantly analysing his emotions and trying to understand why he reacts in certain ways to situations.  It sounds very challenging to me but he's so much happier than in earlier days so it must be doing some good.  

I'm continuing to type my Nigerian notes and at the moment I'm re-visiting exam time in school.  Talk about chaos; people cheating, people writing a paper for another person, invigilators disappearing.  Three of us Canadians tried a test that was set for 1 1/2 hours for the 18 year olds.  We took over an hour to do it and none of us could agree on the right answers.  How the heck the Ministry expected Hausa speaking Nigerians to be able to complete the exam, which was in English, is beyond me.  One teacher couldn't be bothered marking the papers so he gave them to two students.  They altered answers, marked wrong answers as if they were correct, filled in blank spaces with the right answers.  We nearly had a riot when the 5th form students found out they were expected to sit together with the 4th year boys.

Coming from Canada we drove ourselves to distraction trying to keep a lid on things but after a while we realised the system was against the students and so our attitudes changed.  One of my Christian students missed the exam because his daughter had been injured in a traffic accident and so he went home.  The principal told me he'd therefore have to repeat the entire year, in all subjects, because of missing the exam.  I went back and forth from classroom to Principal, like a chicken with its head chopped off, trying to find a solution.  Finally, one of the students said to me, "Don't worry sir, it's taken care of."  What a relief.  Later I found out that another lad had sat the exam for him.  Hurray!  One up for the students.  

Thornin asked me to hurry up and check his CV as he needed to send it to the university he's now going to teach at - or should that be 'the university at which he is going to teach"!   That's along with his work with micro finance and helping his wife run a restaurant.  It was a mile long.  He's taken countless courses offered by various NGOs had a chance to travel to a variety of countries to join international conferences.  It made me a bit jealous as I'd done nothing by his age - apart from two years serving Her Majesty in the army.  

I ended the day with Luc, a friend who is a retired Canadian nurse from Quebec.  His wife is from Thailand so they agreed, on his retirement, to move to Thailand.  Her home is only 10 minutes walk from Cambodia so he spends his time working with children here.  We had a meal together and watched the world go by.  Across the street was a beauty parlour, right on the sidewalk, and people strolled up and down.  I'm positive that a very tall, slim, elegant young lady was actually a bloke.  One thing I don't understand is the number of men, of Indian extraction, who come here to sell stuff.  They seem to come out at night time.  They look alike - dark skinned with thick, black hair and the inevitable moustache.  Over one arm they have a layer of mats or towels and in the other hand a bag of clothing.  It's almost as if I'm seeing the same person but I know I'm not as they were wearing different shirts.  They always stopped at the same corner restaurant and would show articles from their bags; they never seemed to sell anything.  Over the years I've seen them in very isolated places in the countryside and people just can't figure out why they are here - some say they are spying.  

Twopence a bag.

There's another holiday today.  I think it's religious and to do with Buddha doing something.

I had a jolly time walking this morning because there was a BBC programme about the creation of the Disney musical, "Mary Poppins".  It was fun hearing about the two brothers who wrote all the music and the battle they had with the British author who wasn't amused at the idea of her book becoming a musical.  It was interesting that Disney's favourite song was the one about the lady who sold crumbs for two-pence a bag to feed the birds.  The writer said he used to go into Disney's office, after he'd died, and just sit there and play this song.

Before I became a teacher I was one of the world's best filers of files.  I was spot on and organised.  I therefore fretted when someone questioned my ability when I was clearing out old files.  I paid him back by filing all the files neatly on his desk and surrounds until there was just a place for him to sit - and then I woke up.  

I'm sort of blocked in, in this apartment by buildings on all sides.  At the front I look across the street to my landlords' home.  At the back I look over the roofs of some smaller homes to another row of apartments like my own.  Every morning around 7am a wooden door opens and I can see a European man standing there, checking his emails.  A few minutes later he closes the door and presumably goes to work.  It's strange he's so close yet most likely I'll never meet him.  Inside these blocks of buildings it's like a rabbit warren of small alleys and he could appear from any one of them when he leaves for work.

The BBC had a programme today on eradicating rats from a French Polynesian island.  They said they most likely came in on boats along with mosquitoes and other pests.  At the same time, throughout the island, the scientists had to lay bait.  They said they were 99.9% sure they'd killed all the rats.  I wish someone would come to Cambodia and eradicate all the rubbish along the main highways;  it's not dumped by local village people but by people in cars and trucks.  Another thing I'd like to see eradicated is the eucalyptus tree which was imported from Australia.  I don't know why they bothered.  It provides little shade, it's wood is useless and the leaves, when they fall, poison the soil so nothing grows under the tree.  I felt a bit guilty because, when I was in Nigeria, I went to a local nursery and bought three eucalyptus saplings.  Within three years they were over twice as tall as my bungalow.  They are awful things as they suck up so much water without doing anything that's useful.  

I had to laugh when I was introduced to the new maid across the road.  She's worked in Malaysia as a maid for 13 years and so she speaks English, but in a Malaysian fashion - I don't think she's going to understand me.  The food is extra good in the home and so there's always a joke about new staff putting on weight.  The cook, who has been there for a while, is now 9kg more than she was when she first came to the house.  The family is now wondering how much the new maid will put on.  

I had a letter from my Indian friend Kannan, who is now working in Cincinnati, USA.  He's very much into self discipline and is now taking cold showers every day and once a week he walks, barefooted in the cold.  Last week he managed 14 minutes in -2C.  I couldn't help saying "Ouch!"  He's an interesting character as he analyses everything he does.  He has a 'master' who helps him along the path he's chosen.  When he writes, his letters are full of news and thoughts about his self development, how he's feeling, his successes and failures etc.  I've known Kannan since 2004 and it's interesting seeing his progress through life.  He's applying for permission to live in Canada.

I decided to have a day without procrastination.  It worked quite well and I managed to do quite a bit of work in the earlier part of the day.  The big job was sweeping and washing the 38 steps up to this apartment.  I would have thought that the people below me would do their fair share but they can't even be bothered cleaning their kitchen.  Because of the layout of our apartments, I can see the floor of their kitchen as I go down the stairs and it's disgusting.

Just after 5pm Samnang appeared and announced there was no Chinese class this evening because of the holiday tomorrow.  I never know whether to believe him or not.  His favourite room is the kitchen so he dragged me into it to bake potatoes.  I'd already planned on having the soup I made yesterday so he mucked up my plans.  I enjoyed the  potato too.  Terry posted a photo of potatoes he was taking to the Sunday Supper group and I muttered that I'd love a potato, and there I was eating one a bit later.   His dad phoned to check on the Chinese class and, because he doesn't trust Samang, he walked over to the school.  Samnang must have already known the answer because he immediately packed. his bag and left; a few minutes later his dad phoned to make sure he would leave for school.  Samnang may be back because he hinted at a sleep over.  That means no toast or simple porridge for breakfast tomorrow - it'll most likely be an omelette or scrambled eggs.  I don't mind - as they say, a change is as good as a rest.    

Samnang didn't come; I've got Oudom (12) instead.  So no kitchen work and it'll just be peanut butter on toast for breakfast.  Instead of talking about gaming with Samnang I've been hearing all about the life of Putin and about a book he's reading that's all about Apollo who was punished by his dad, Zeus, and sent down to earth as a teenaged boy.  Oudom said he's going to read 20 pages before bedtime so maybe I'm in for a quiet evening.  Whoopee.