Somebody else can take care of Mary

What a morning. I was asked to take care of two special needs people and then I was asked to look after Mary too. I discovered they lived next door to each other. I first of all decided to see about Mary and we ended up going out around town. What a pain in the neck she was; I've never met anyone like her. She'd walk with me and then shoot off in another direction, bashing into people. I was constantly apologising and dragging her off. Then I woke up! I never did get to meet the other two people and I haven't a clue what happened to Mary, thank God.

I did my morning 10,000 steps, walking up and down my apartment and listening to the BBC world service - I love it. I'd just taken my breakfast things out of the fridge when Vuth phoned - "Join us for noodle breakfast." I put everything away and went up the road to our usual place where I had a bowl of seafood and noodles with a glass of sugar cane juice with a dash of lime - and very nice too.

Back home I settled into doing my morning chores when Vuth phoned again, "Would you like to go out for a ride with me?" He enjoys company in the car and I'm practising absolute flexibility, so off we went. We stopped for gas but then the car wouldn't start - the battery was dead. We had to push the car forward to get it away from the pumps and then I saw a car wash place behind us so we pushed it backwards to get it out of the way of garage traffic. Luckily they had a charger so a few minutes later, and a few dollars tip, we were on our way. Often, life is so much easier in Cambodia with help readily available most of the time and no form filling and formalities.

Vuth is a member of Business Network International, which has chapters around the world. It's an interesting arrangement, mainly for young business people to network and learn from each other. Each chapter can have only one representative for each occupation/business so Vuth is the sole travel agent in his group. After breaking down at the garage we drove to a car repair place owned by a BNI chap and got a new battery; naturally with a discount. We were late so decided to have lunch on the way home. We stopped at the Moon Cafe which is owned by a BNI lady and there we met another BNI man who deals in cotton fabric. Normally, I only meet people who work for others so it's interesting sitting with business people as the conversation is different.

I was leaving later today with Vuth, and around 16 other people, to go to Seoul for four days and Hanoi one day so I had to start packing when I got home. Emails were coming in from the dental group that's coming next year to Cambodia so I got distracted and ended up having only 30 minutes to get myself ready, pack and organise the apartment.

The traffic to the airport was terrible as it's Pchum Ben, the Buddhist festival in which people honour their ancestors - I think every man and his dog was on the road heading home for the holiday. It was a relief to finally settle into the lounge for our flight to Ho Chi Minh; we'd got a good deal on ticket prices so we were travelling with Vietnam Airlines. It was Vuth's 40th birthday so one of the group had bought a cake and we sang "Happy Birthday" in the lounge. We couldn't eat the cake so we took it on the plane for HCM. We were late arriving in HCM so the cake then went on with us to Seoul. It was a well travelled cake.

No meat day

Thunderous rain started in the evening and went through the night.

I woke up around 5am and went for a pee.  I finally got up at 9am.  That meant I'd missed going for a noodle breakfast with Cina and Vuth.  I stood by the stairs, contemplating how to apologise, when Vuth appeared.  He, and the rest of the family, have keys so they are always coming in unannounced.  He said he'd been calling but I hadn't heard a thing.  When we checked the phone we realised the boys had mucked about with it.  He said they do this kind of thing all the time and, before they leave, I have to tell them to put things back the way they were.

We had a visit and I asked him to look at the television.  Somethings wrong with it - the remote doesn't work and I can't change the volume or channels on the television.  It's so embarrassing because it comes on with such loud volume I worry about the neighbours downstairs.  Now we have to carry the television down three flights of stairs to have it fixed or chucked.  Personally, I'm wondering if I can get a second hand smart television so I can watch YouTube on it.

He said I had to come over to have lunch with the family so I toddled over.  I always enjoy eating with them as there's a lot of company.  Granny helps to serve and then she and the 2 maids and one cook relax and watch a Hindu soap.  After all the meat I'd eaten at the buffet it was lovely to have dried and fried fish with a soup which had tofu and minute shrimps in it.  Cambodians eat a lot of fruit at every meal and today we had lovely, juicy pineapple and persimmon.  Granddad sometimes joins but it depends if he's outside working on one of his projects.  He's a fine example of a handyman - he even made my coffee table out of marble and metal, plus the shower head.   After lunch I had to go with the little 3 year old, Cheata, to take her to school.  We travelled with the regular rickshaw chap so he knows where to go.  We always look for police, hiding behind trees, as they have a habit of catching poorer folk who happen to be going the wrong way on a one way street or using streets which rickshaws and motorbikes can't use.  Things are getting super modern here - if I want to be taken somewhere I can use an app on my mobile device and I can decide if I want a regular car taxi, tuk tuk or rickshaw.  I saw an enormous white Rolls Royce on our way home.  This would be a rarity in my part of Canada and England but here, in this poor, developing country it's not an uncommon sight.

I hate modern technology.  I added a photo and then changed my mind.  "Do you want to delete changes" it said.  I agreed and I promptly lost not only my photo but the rest of this blog.  So here we go again.

In the afternoon I cooked three bags of popcorn and took them across to the travel office.  It was time for celebration as it was pay day.  No cheques here, just envelopes stuffed with money.  The boys came home and Oudom insisted on coming home with me until he had to go to Chinese class.  I had my potato/spinach curry along with a dessert made from black beans and coconut milk while Oudom had a peanut butter sandwich.  In the Chinese class there are 60 students and twenty classes.  He said he just sits and listens and repeats what the teacher says; there's no individual interaction and the teacher doesn't care if people want to learn or not.  Rather him than me and I can understand why he and his brothers are grumbling.

On being a grandpa

I woke up quite early and did my 10,000 steps before breakfast. As I haven't got my toaster back it was plain bread and jam. I didn't mind as I was on the balcony in lovely weather. I've decided it's the ambiance and people who make a meal - not the food so much. Maybe that's because I eat to live.

Before it got too hot I walked up to a 24/7 shop to buy some basics. It's always an experience walking around here as there are people and traffic everywhere and it's total chaos. Back in Canada I'd be walking down the street and there'd be very little stimulation going on around me; here it's sensory overload all the time. Things are improving; the lady asked me if I wanted to buy a plastic bag but luckily I always take my own.

I didn't think I'd have any evening company, as there was a torrential downpour, but I was wrong. First of all Samnang came over and immediately wanted to discuss what I was having for dinner; at times he exhausts me as I don't feel like eating. This time he checked my cook books and decided on a potato and spinach curry. I thought it was spinach but it turned out to be a local vine. He asked if I wanted the stalks cooking and I said I did, knowing that spinach stalks are soft. When it came time to eating the curry I realised I'd goofed - the vine had tough stems so I had to fish them out of my bowl before being able to enjoy the rest of the meal.

Meanwhile Oudom and Ponleu decided they'd microwave some marshmallow candies. They ended up with a stretchy, gooey mass which kept them busy eating it and cleaning the bowl. Later we played a game of Skip Bo. Their Chinese class had been cancelled so Oudom said he wasn't going home until the time the class would have ended. So that meant having them until 8.30pm.

First day in Cambodia

I did have a good sleep but it was punctuated by a huge rainstorm with lots of thunder that caused walls and ceiling to vibrate. I finally decided to get up but I had no idea what time it was. There's no internet connection at the moment and my iPad and phone are telling different times. The wall clock has gone. Eventually, I found out it was after 9am.

I don't have much food in the fridge and, with my toaster out on loan, I ended up with slices of bread with honey, marmalade and peanut butter. I took breakfast onto my balcony and watched the world go by. I've decided that surroundings for a meal are as important, or even more important, than what I eat. Relaxing on the balcony, in shorts and shirtless, with greenery wafting around beside me, it was the perfect setting and, even though I only had bread and jam, it was lovely.

I did bits of final unpacking and tried to get my life back in order again. Later this afternoon, when it's cooler, I'll go to the shop and stock up on things. I presume Samnang will come over after school and we'll have our usual argument about what I should be eating for dinner. At the moment, it's after lunch, and I couldn't care less about food.

I took the 12 health trackers over to Cina and staff and we soon realised there were going to be complications. They are all for elderly relatives of the staff and all but one of them use old fashioned phones. That means the app has to be on the young people's phones. They'll also have to use their children to charge the gadgets. I'm going to have to teach one person how to use it and then that person can teach everyone else.

In the afternoon Vuth phoned to say I had two choices for dinner; I could go with him and friends (whom I know) or I could go with Thornin and friends. I said I couldn't make the choice as Thornin had said we would go out together. Vuth came up with a solution; we'd all eat together. Then I learned that Thornin and friends were still at the old house, clearing everything out as the owners want to move in tomorrow. I presume they don't believe in giving notice. They don't even hand over the money until 5pm tomorrow. I've allowed the young folk to take what they want and the rest will be given away. We have piles of dishes and lots of cutlery so I told Thornin to take them to his village and give them to the monks at the pagoda.

14 year old Samnang came over to see what was happening. We decided to go shopping so I could stock up on supplies. He enjoys pushing the cart around and helping me choose things. On the way home he was delighted he was too late for Chinese class but I reminded him there was still 20 minutes to go. He said we should have shopped for longer. I don't need much in the fridge as I'm leaving on Friday, with 17 others, for Seoul and HCM City for a few days.

We ended up at Sabora, which is a buffet that allows the patrons to cook food in broth or on a grill. I told my friends that I had eaten more meat at that one meal as I'd eat in a couple of weeks in Canada. Ratha bbq'd the different kinds of meat; some of them had cheese added and then the meat was folded over. There were baby lobsters which aren't my favourite food as they are so messy to deal with. The broth had all sorts of vegetables, shrimps, mushrooms etc. Waiters came around filling our glasses with either Coca Cola or green tea. All three young men at the table own their own businesses - one is a notary, another buys land for development and the third is with his wife in a travel agency; last month they did US$645,000 of business, which is a record for them. I think Vuth is the oldest at 41.

When there are more than two Khmer together the conversation is always in Khmer so I relaxed, ate and kept my mouth closed. If I felt like saying anything I'd butt in and say my piece. Ratha kept picking up the book with all the dishes we could order - each dish contained a particular meat, fish or vegetable. In the end we paid around $13 each which was a good price although I never eat that amount of food; on the other hand I'm contributing to the rest of the ground as they ate an enormous amount.

We came home in pouring rain and it was still raining when I was ready for bed.

Flights and airports to Phnom Penh

It was after 1am on Sunday when we started boarding our flight to Taipei with EVA Airlines, which is a huge Taiwanese transportation company. Another part of their business is shipping and, all around the world, I've noticed "Evergreen" containers which belong to this company.

I felt quite posh sitting in my Premium Economy seat. It was lucky that Cina talked me into flying with them, plus buying a return ticket. It did cost $1000 extra but it was well worth it as it was hassle free. Normally, in Edmonton I'm questioned because I have a one way ticket and no visa, which I always bought on arrival. This time I was travelling on the return half of a ticket and I had a one year visa in my passport. On top of that benefit, I was allowed two suitcases. This was a blessing because Norma had given me a huge amount of Lego, including a special table and three large containers of bricks and other things. It must be worth a lot as I'm told Lego kits cost a small fortune. All of it fitted into my big suitcase and it weighed almost the limit of 50 lbs.

The meals and service on EVA are always excellent. The cabin crew walk up and down regularly, between meals, with drinks, the inflight entertainment is excellent, the meals are huge and this time I couldn't even finish my main course. I watched three movies. The first was on OK film about an American baseball player who was recruited to assassinate a high ranking German physicist whom the Americans thought might be working on the development of an atomic bomb. It's a true story which made it interesting as the film wasn't so good. He did meet the man, and had a chance to kill him, but decided he was a good person and was not working on the bomb. I was interested in the fact that Mo Berg (which I think was his name) was given the highest civilian honour the US can give to a person, and he refused. He kept the reason for refusal secret and I have no idea what it might have been about.

We arrived in Taipei at about 5am which meant that it was reasonably quiet with hardly any shops open. I wandered up and down and found my gate and settled in for the 2 to 3 hour wait for my flight to Phnom Penh. I sat across from an elderly couple who had a tiny baby. I couldn't help wondering why they were travelling with such a baby - was it their own or did it belong to a family member? The lady changed the baby's diaper and dropped the package by her seat, where it remained. It brought to mind the garbage situation in Cambodia and it was interesting that the lady continued being Cambodian even though she was in another country. It was not a happy child - it screamed blue murder most of the time and it had the parents hopping trying to calm it down. It looked like a boy, very chubby faced, but I saw bangles on its feet so it was most likely a girl.

I was intrigued by the number of healthy people who asked for wheelchairs; there must have been about twenty of them. All but one or two looked perfectly healthy. I wondered if they were doing it because it allowed them to get on the plane without queuing with the rest of us. Later I was told it may be because they don't speak English or Taiwanese so they use the wheelchair as a way of being helped. I didn't buy this reason as Khmer was used by the staff to explain what was happening.

Would you believe it; I was in the row behind the baby. Across the aisle was another baby but fortunately that one was peaceful. My neighbour squawked almost the entire four hour flight. The man tried to distract her from crying by banging a bit of cardboard on the bulkhead until the stewardess asked him not to do it; I presume the business class passengers on the other side were not amused. Then the man picked up magazines and constantly wafted them in the baby's face. The lady bounced it up and down and making supposedly calming noises. Then a lady across the aisle got involved and started to wave her pillow in the child's face and make loud cooing noises. There was nothing I could do about it apart from practising absolute patience and flexibility. Personally, if they'd just shut up, put down their toys, and let the child calm down I'm sure it would have been a happier flight for all of us.

I sailed through customs and went to claim my bags. It would be an easy job this time as I'd bought rainbow coloured straps to put around the two suitcases. Waris said, "I didn't think you swung that way", noticing the "gay" straps. I waited and waited, looking for the straps and not seeing them. Finally, I observed a blue suitcase and I decided to take it off the carousel and undo it - it was mine. I then looked for my other brown suitcase and found it also minus its strap. I wonder where the straps went? Did someone undo my suitcase and not bother putting them on again? Did they break or got caught in something? I shall never know. Other suitcases were going around with straps on them so why not mine? I've been got at yet again!

Outside the airport I did my usual thing which is to look confident and know it all, yet inside feeling like a lost two year old. My Cambodian friends always watch my arrival but for the fun if it they seem to think it's better to hide. I eventually found one of them and he laughed as he wiggled his finger in a 'come hither' fashion. Then three more male friends appeared. When I turned around there was Dalin, creeping around in the background. She's about 4 foot nothing so hard to miss. They wanted a meal so we went to an outdoor airport cafeteria which caters to staff and the locals. I'd just had a large meal on the plane so I was wasn't that hungry but I had to tuck into the rice, lotus shoots, fish with mixed veg and various soups - all at a very reasonable price of $1.50 for a set meal of three dishes.

I found my apartment intact and clean as Cina and the two maids had been over to wash the floors and dust. I spent almost 2 hours putting things back in place as I'd put them away before I left. My toaster and wall clock are on loan to the people downstairs - a Filipino wife with Cambodian husband and a little baby. Chan came over for a visit and I entertained him with the tangram puzzle which he found fascinating and a challenge. Thornin came and he was roped into having a go but he didn't have that much patience. I had a shower can came out to find Samnang hiding from me. The first thing he wanted to know was what I was going to eat and he would be cooking it. I walked over to Cina Travel with them, saying hello to my neighbours on the way. It was good to see the staff again and to meet the three lads.

When I left Cambodia last April the Golden Chain tree, which I'm told is a kind of Laburnum, was in bloom. I was happy to find blooms still on the tree six months later.

Thornin had sent a message out inviting people for dinner so I went with them to our Relax Cafe which should have the IofC logo on the door as we go there so often. The young folk enjoy having a huge pot of broth and putting into it all manner of fish, shrimp, various greens and meats. About 15 came and Chivak came for a short visit as he was at a Nescafe promotion meal down the road - he sells coffee. It was a fun time but I didn't have much time with the adults as I was surrounded by the boys who wanted my attention. As usual, Samnang was concerned about his thinning hair, which it isn't. Oudom asked me the same questions - "If Britain goes to war with Canada which side would you fight on?" "Britain is a nuclear nation so it would win again Canada, right?" "You haven't asked me about school." "I can wait until Friday to buy a jar of peanut butter". Ponleu wants a sleepover on a weekend but Oudom says it's his time.

Back at Cina Travel I met Cina and her mother, plus Cheata, who explained to me about a fall she'd had. She did it in English which is pretty good for a 3 year old. I gave Cina the two can openers she'd asked for and tomorrow I'll give her the 12 health trackers I bought for her family; she's worried that the adults aren't getting enough exercise. I'm not exercising today either, nor did I for many snowy, wet days at the farm and the hours spent on the planes.

I feel home again.