Don't assume it's common knowledge

Today in during library time I had to explain the meaning of 'backyard,' 'roll over,' and 'pal' to the Khmer teacher. Then later, one of my students surprised me by knowing what a bowling pin was and acting out the motion of sending a bowling ball down the lane. They are constantly surprising me with what the know and what they don't know or understand.

River beautification and no compensation

National Road 6 runs along the north end of Siem Reap. 90% of the tourist attractions, etc. Are south of this road. The banks of the river, north of NR 6 are lined with a fairly large community. The houses are by no means made of anything substantial. None of them had running water or plumbing of any kind. A few were lucky enough to have electricity. The houses were simple bamboo/thatch/wooden structures that projected out over the water. This community extended for ~2-3km along the river, with the most concentration on the western bank. The other day I was biking by for the first time in a few weeks and I was met by the most extraordinary scene. The houses were being dismantled/demolished/deconstructed. I've asked a few people what's going on and I've gotten a few various answers, but they all centre around one specific fact: the government wants to 'beautify' that section of the river, to make it more pleasing to the eye . I've heard that they were only given a weeks notice to move out and I've also heard that they've known for the past three years, they were simply reminded of the impending deconstruction date a week ago. Which ever way you look at it, it's still the destruction of some 400 families' homes, and they're being 'relocated' somewhere else. In Cambodia, a person's sphere of their community and who the interact with on a daily basis isn't likely to be more than 5km from the place they were born. If the people living on the river are being 'relocated' some 10-15km away it's equivalent to a typical Western family moving from Madison, WI to Tampa, FL. And I highly doubt they're going to be compensated in any way.

As I walked along, evidence of the lives of these people was everywhere: discarded shoes and clothes and a few stuffed animals. There was garbage everywhere. There's only a very basic rubbish removal system here, so most of their trash gets chucked under their house, and with the houses gone, the rubbish is apparent. 

What the river bank will eventually look like

What the river bank used to look like

 The current demolition of the river bank community

On a similar note. I was talking to one of the Khmer teachers at work today and he said yesterday we went to a meeting for people in his neighbourhood to discuss the upcoming widening of the road. Each property along the road, on either side, is being told that they're going to have to give up 5m of their land, so the road can be widened. The teacher said that one of his neighbours has recently completed a guest house (at the cost of ~20 thousand USD) and that a section of the building rests on land that's meant to be used for the road project. What are the supposed to do? Tear down a guest house they've just finished building? I asked him what the land of other neighbours is being used for. He said, 'They have small convenience type shops, laundry shops, petrol shops, parking areas for their vehicle/s.' And similar to the evicted families along the river, these people will receive no compensation for giving up their land; land which they use to bring in their income. 

Fortune telling

Today I had my fortune told by a group of 8-12 year olds. It involved me making a fist and then they squeezed the underside of my wrist and some how determined how many babies I am going to have. Depending on the fortune teller, I could have anywhere between 0 and 3 babies. This is in contrast to one of the Khmer staff, who tells me that I'm going to have 12 kids, so I can start my own football team. I think the kids were having a laugh at my expense. :P They were also trying to teach me some new words today but thankfully their devious intentions weren't achieved. I checked with the Khmer teacher in my class and she said they were trying to teach me bad words. They are a mischievous bunch. :)

Before and After

These two pictures are of the same field, but from slightly different angles.  In the second picture the field is flooded, not because it's rained a lot (fat chance of that happening) but because they've re-directed the water.  I don't know who 'they' are or how they decide when to do this.  I've seen it occur twice now.  One day the field will be normal and dry and they next it'll be flooded.  The ditches all along one side of the road are full to bursting with water.  It's quite the contrast to see.

A note about Iced Coffee

The three best iced coffees with milk I've had since I've been in Cambodia:

1 – In Sihanoukville, after spending my morning walking down beaches and through a fishing villages I wandered back into town to look for some lunch. I found some food stalls similar to those here in Siem Reap, but not quite as big and ordered some noodles and an iced coffee with milk. It came in a pint glass! I was had worked up quite e thirst walking around in the sun all morning and the iced coffee hit the spot. Half way through my meal the clouds came out and it started to down pour, full on monsoon rain! It was a fantastic end to my beautiful morning. :)

2 - The next day we were trekking across a small, mostly uninhabited island: destination? A small fishing village on the other side of the island. We were told it was only going to be an hour or so, a nice walk through the forest. An hour turned into 2 and still we weren't there. We'd battled biting ants and prickly bushes and all the while the hot sun is bearing down on us. FINALLY, the end is in sight, we just have to wade out into the shallow water, cross a highly suspicious looking bridge and we're there.....no problem. Thankfully we all made it across without mishap and were rewarded for our troubles with an iced coffee with milk. It was the most delicious thing at that moment.

3 – Yesterday I went on a 5 hour bike/trek. I rode my bike to where the boats leave for the floating villages on the Tonle Sap (~1hr). I left my bike there and walked through a small fishing village, along the river and to the very edge of the lake (~1.25hr). Given that the village was floating on the lake, i could only look at it from the waters edge, but the walk down was enjoyable. More to come on that in a later post. After I'd had my fill of watching the boats come and go I walked back to my bike and rode my bike back to town. I passed Grace House on the way home and across from the school is a little coffee shop that we frequent during lunch time. I stopped in there yesterday, after biking and walking and more biking, almost completely knackered and ordered an iced coffee with milk. I swear that if I hadn't stopped for that coffee, I wouldn't have made it back to my guesthouse. It gave me enough caffeine to endure the last 20 mins. of the bike ride.

I wasn't a big coffee drinker before I came to Cambodia. But iced coffee with milk.....tasty, tasty. I should point out that it's not regular milk that the use, it's sweetened condensed milk. :)

Toothpaste fail

I bought a new tube of toothpaste a few weeks ago but it wasn't until tonight that I've finally had to open it up and use it.  It's the colour of poop. No shite, full on brown toothpaste.  Toothpaste is meant to be white, or blue....not brown.  (Though, come to think of it, why is it that toothpaste is usually blue or white?).  Anyway, it's brown and it tastes rank.  It's not very conducive to wanting to brush my teeth.  One of the sweet side effects of brushing your teeth is that you have a nice refreshing feel in your mouth afterwards.  Not so with this stuff, no sweet after taste.   In fact, I've decided it's got the look, consistency and taste of henna.....I wonder if it'll dye my teeth brown....

I think I need a new new tube of toothpaste..... :P

Photos from Grace House

Lifeguard Duty

Testing the paper airplanes we made.  They worked ok.  Not the best, but it occupied them for a good 30 mins. :)

My lovely class; playing charades

Photo session between classes :)