Cambodia Sam

Flooding Problems

2011-09-29T08:18:00.003-05:00

I heard from Prem that the flooding in Siem Reap and Kampong Thom provinces is extreme. He has personally been unable to travel to the market for days at a time and only recently was able to get online. The water level at the old market was up to 1 meter high at one point. That's incredibly high for a very flat place. The government even bulldozed a section of the new road that was unfortunately trapping water so it could flow out. Apparently it helped, but they still have major problems.

Poor families are in need of food and basic necessities. According to Prem the Red Cross is working in the area but he hasn't seen other NGOs or organizations like the World Food Program kick into gear yet.

I encourage you to consider donating to the Red Cross. You can also read more about the situation here:
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/index.php/2011092951875/National-news/flooded-kingdom.html

Two Items Gone!

2011-09-20T14:59:00.003-05:00

I sold two items since my announcement at the Discovery United Methodist Church in Hutto on Sunday. If you haven't already checked out the Bicycles Project at www.buildingcambodia.org then get on over there as fast as you can!

New Project: Bicycles

2011-09-14T19:51:00.002-05:00

We're raising money to purchase bicycles for one of the villages. Please visit my project page here: http://www.buildingcambodia.org/bicyclesproject.html. I'm selling a large number of items to raise money. With luck we can change the lives of many village children.

New Wiring

2011-07-30T19:09:00.003-05:00

Oh, you thought I was done?

One of my last activities in Khnar Tmei was the kickoff of a rewiring project for the church buildings. Any time you touch bare metal on a computer you would get a rather powerful dose of 220 volts. The problem: no grounding. After getting Mr. Somnang Bin (pictured, he is a recommended electrician from the family that runs the guesthouse) onsite to do a quote, he pointed out a number of issues, including the long connection going from the church to the pastor's house. This was done to save money and not pay a hookup fee. Unfortunately, it was causing major problems.

The one day project for him stretched into a multi-day affair. It was that bad. Now, the church has a central circuit breaker, new internal wiring, coverage for exposed wires, new switches and outlets, and a new high-capacity line going to the pastor's house for the main hookup. Parts and Labor: about $350. That's a DEAL.

Oh, and I'm STILL not done. The paperwork for Building Cambodia continues. I'm partway into IRS Form 1023. I have three pages of questions now...

Pictures

2011-07-25T10:35:00.001-05:00

Browse through the pictures from this year's trip here:

Cambodia 2011

Catching Up

2011-07-25T09:45:00.002-05:00

It took me a few days to recover from that extreme travel. I was too groggy to write up the beginnings of my case study. I also have some UN reports I need to review with good reference material.

Over the next few days I'll post pictures and supplemental information about my trip. I also have corporate work to do and will bore you with some details on what it takes to start a non-profit corporation. IRS tax form blog, here we come!

I Guess That Was Rest

2011-07-20T22:00:00.002-05:00

The Asiana lounge is quite nice. I'm in the "Business Class" section. I can only imagine what the "First Class" area looks like. Here they have free showers (fully stocked with amenities and very luxurious), relaxation chairs overlooking the tarmac, a business center with extremely fast Internet, a plethora of magazines, and even a full buffet including beer and Diet Coke.

I found a bench and wedged myself up against the wall using my replacement set of clothes as a pillow. The sleep was fast and fractured. At one point I think someone started playing the grand piano they have in the center, and another time a flight attendant woke me to make sure I wasn't on some flight departing soon.

After a shower and some email, I'll try the lunch buffet. If everything is covered in Kimchi (it's like Korean Sauerkraut) then I'll go to my standby of Burger King. I get the feeling I'm going to be somewhat messed up when I get to San Francisco. Oh well, that's the life if buying super-cheap plane tickets to help people in a third world country. It's worth the couple days of stumbling and hallucinations.

So Tired

2011-07-20T18:12:00.002-05:00

The airport transit hotel is full, and it doesn't make a lot of sense to hike all the way to the other end of this massive airport just for 4 hours of rest IF they have a room open up at 10am local time. I don't sleep well on the plane if at all, so I'm worn out already. The prospect of hanging out for about 7 more hours isn't thrilling, even in the Asiana Lounge (I had a coupon).

Next time you have a long flight remember that it could be worse. I usually measure my travel time in hours... not days.

In the Airport - Last Khmer Language

2011-07-20T10:28:00.003-05:00

I make a strong effort to learn as much Khmer as I can. The local people get a kick out of it when you try, and they look downright shocked when you nail a word or phrase with the right accent. Sitting in the airport is the last time I get to use my limited vocabulary. I picked up a few great new words this trip, and I'm saddened that I won't get to use them for another year.

This is also a time for reflection. I like to ponder the work I've done and consider how I can do more. This trip was a learning experience first and foremost. I now know more about the healthcare system than most people, even locals. I'm not an expert, but it doesn't take an Ivy League Scholar to see big, gaping holes in the sector.

We made great strides on the incorporation front. I look forward to helping in that way to build momentum for larger projects. After all, I see big challenges that need to be addressed.

The Last Day is Typically the Busiest

2011-07-20T07:27:00.003-05:00

Perhaps it's the looming deadline, but I always seem to have a very busy and productive day when there are only hours to go before my first flight heading home. Today we coordinated to get a replacement computer for Khnar Tmei. I was bothered that the grounding cable was missing, and anytime you touch bare metal in that place you are greeted with a few unwelcome volts. It's quite jarring and probably frying the PCs. So, we got an electrician onsite to quote out replacement wiring and a new grounding plate.

I learned from a few experiences that your labor and materials costs should be roughly equal when doing a construction project. I was pleased to see the same ratio hold true for this rewiring effort. Here's the work involved:

Replace main line going from the church buildings to the pastor's house (probably 100m)
Install a circuit breaker panel
Run new wiring circuits to each zone in the building (probably 6-8 outlets)
Replace wall outlets and switches
Test and verify that you don't leap into the air when touching a PC

Parts and materials will run about $300. Think about that. We're rewiring an entire building for less than what we pay for a high-end light fixture.

Deanna and Mony will see that project through. Right now, I have to pack and get ready to board a red-eye flight to Korea. That's South Korea. I don't think I want to visit North Korea after seeing the surly gentlemen in Phnom Penh.

Cambodian Growth through North Korea?

2011-07-19T08:38:00.003-05:00

The In-Flight magazine on board Cambodia Angkor Airlines had an interesting article about foreign investment in the country. During the first 4 months of 2011, foreign investment rose 176% to over $2.5b in capital. That by itself is amazing, but the breakdown by country was shocking.

North Korea is in the top 10 with $17m in investment.

Last I checked, that country didn't have much money left after paying for military, nukes, and the whims of Kim Jong Il. The story from local people is somewhat different. They recognize that North Korea is a strange and isolated place, but the stance isn't aggressive. "Oh yes, they have a nice embassy just down the road" said our local driver. Feeling intrigued, we decided to do a Drive-By.

We approached the embassy and it was obvious by the two guards leering at us that they didn't want visitors. So, I rolled down the window and took a few pictures as we drove slowly. If we had stopped, I'm sure the police would have been called. If they found out we were Americans, I'm certain there would have been trouble. So, we rolled on by.

Later on I heard that some of the local North Korean restaurants are actually run by South Koreans...

One More Day

2011-07-19T08:19:00.003-05:00

I get on a plane bound for Seoul in about 24 hours. At 11:45 pm local time tomorrow I begin the trek back to the US.

Tomorrow will be a lot of tying loose ends. I have a PC that needs to be replaced at Khnar Tmei and the shop is taking an unusually long time. I also have Day 3 of Internet class. I found out today that I need to pick up a book on "Unicode Khmer Font" because that's what the Khmer version of Google uses. Who knew. After that, it's off to dinner then packing.

One tidbit from the morning: our good friend Ko Sol, now the head chef here at the guesthouse, is amazing at what he does. He asked a friend how to make a local dessert called "Song Cha". Turns out that's the exact same thing at Creme Brulee. He didn't make some dainty little dish of it either. It was a breakfast bowl size portion. OMG. We had some last night, then he made the rest of the batch this morning. For breakfast. I just had Creme Brulee for breakfast!

Busy Schedules

2011-07-18T20:49:00.002-05:00

We try to pack in a lot while on the ground in Cambodia. Here's a sampling of our activity:

Met with the local UNICEF office and found some potential partnerships
Taught the first Internet class at Kessararam Primary School
Told my driver to take it easy since he has Dengue Fever
Took a group of village women to the Silk artisans
Had an authentic Khmer lunch
Tried to change the flight for one of our coworkers that connects through Tokyo during the arrival of Typhoon Ma-On. Sorry, no seats available.
Finalized the logo, stationary, and business cards for our incorporation as Building Cambodia, Inc.

Another tidbit is that I found a news station that I really like: Al Jazeera. I knew they were well respected but I never had any exposure to their broadcasts. After watching it (yes, in English) for some time now, they have excellent reporting and in-depth stories. Give it a whirl: http://english.aljazeera.net/

Pharmacy with a Prescription

2011-07-17T05:36:00.002-05:00

One of my compatriots has been coughing a little bit since I arrived. Nothing too extreme, but you can tell that it has been nagging at her a bit. Apparently the doctors in the US gave her a course of antibiotics and it didn't completely clear up the pulmonary issue.

After learning about how the local healthcare system works... I thought I would give it a try.

There's a pharmacy by the old market called "Ucare" that stocks foreign drugs. You can get anything from Listerine branded mouthwash made in Thailand (which I picked up) to generic Viagra from India (we had a good laugh and some conversation after seeing that stocked as an "impulse purchase" at the counter). They sell everything without a prescription. You ask, they sell.

We picked up some expectorant and antibiotic. Not your run-of-the-mill stuff either. I asked for azithromycin (aka Zithromax) and they had many different options. These were French, and checked out as legit. Total price: $13. Yes, for both together.

It's one thing to have a fair amount of education in drug dosage, counter-indications, and the ability to verify medications via Internet search. We're probably in good shape. Based on my interviews so far, I suspect that many local people will not finish their course of medicine or just plain get the wrong thing. Again, Education is the answer.

Education through Entertainment

2011-07-16T09:19:00.002-05:00

Education is probably going to be the top solution to the problem of a broken health care system. It seems Education is just about the main tool for anything in this country that needs fixing, but that truth is hard to ignore. We drove past Tuol Sleng this afternoon in Phnom Penh. The road is now paved and massive construction built up since my last visit in 2004. We didn't get out of the car, but it was a stark reminder of how not so long ago there were unimaginable evils happening just around the corner.

So if education is the answer, then how do you reach lots of people? Individual classes are nice and cheap, but their scope is limited. We're incorporating our company and thinking bigger than before, so I sought out Resource Development International. They have a unique education strategy: Children's programming and Karaoke. The shows deliver messages on rather hard hitting topics like HIV, Pornography, waiting until later in life to get married, and more. I've attached a video clip, but you can find more at: http://www.rdic.org/studio-page.php

I plan on summarizing my findings on the trip back to the US, and if education is the answer, then I just may have found a way to deliver it.

Mekong Riverfront View

2011-07-15T20:15:00.003-05:00

We arrived in Phnom Penh around noon yesterday. Our drivers had a great time on the plane. They got a kick out of picking out familiar landmarks on the ground and thought it was a great way to travel.

Partway through the flight I told them, "Imagine sitting like this for almost 2 days. That's what it's like to get to the USA." They groaned. I think the luster of travel lost something for them.

One of our first tasks was to find a room. We picked a nice little hotel on the Mekong river. I got a room with a partial riverfront view. Can you see it? It's in the top right corner. For a whopping $35 a night I got the room, cable tv, air con, wireless Internet, and even breakfast. For a true riverfront view, you have to pay $10 more.

We stopped by the American Embassy to see if they had information on their small grant program, but we never made it past the bunker-like checkpoint. The 1" bomb-proof glass and massive steel doors really make a statement. I think that statement is "keep away". After that disappointing experience, we headed to a place called Resource Development International. That post is upcoming. It was extremely interesting.

For now, finishing breakfast, meeting with a man doing agricultural work in a nearby province, and then some fun activity before our return flight.

Road Trip

2011-07-14T01:25:00.002-05:00

We try to make some sort of road trip every year, and this time around it will be to the capital city of Phnom Penh. There are several organizations and NGOs there that may be helpful to us, and it's a big town with lots to do. A mix of business and pleasure!

Normally, we would drive. It's about 4 hours because the road is very good, but we don't have a lot of time this year. We opted to look at flying. Cambodia has a domestic airline run in partnership with Vietnam airlines, and they're running some specials. It's a bit more expensive than driving, but it saves time, gas, and it's an experience all by itself.

Plus, we're taking our drivers Mony and Prem. They've never flown.

Our departure is around 11:15 tomorrow morning. I'm looking forward to introducing them to airline travel. I suspect that the flight will be nicer and more luxurious than a standard domestic flight in the US.

I'd like you to re-read that last statement. Let it sink in for a moment.

The Health Care Interviews

2011-07-13T04:29:00.005-05:00

This year I'm doing research as my primary activity on the ground. The experience of trying to help a student's father receive care for electrocution stuck with me, but I realized that I don't have background knowledge on how the system works in this country. Essentially, I don't even know what I don't know.

The solution is to learn, and my mechanism of choice is to interview local people. I've already spoken to drivers, hotel staff, hospital staff, and even the man we helped last year. A picture is emerging of a broken system that lacks transparency and delivers care unequally. Not a huge surprise based on my one experience. One of the most telling quotes is nearly universal from everyone I've talked to: "The number for the hospital is something easy to remember, but I just can't quite think of it right now."

While talking to Toni (my student) and his family, an amazing fact emerged. His father returned to Cambodia in 1979 right after the Khmer Rouge lost power (remember, they were still a force in the country for nearly 10 more years). At that time, he was working with an international healthcare care agency, and acted as the director of the regional hospital and governor of the state from 1979 to 1981.

My jaw dropped.

I have a standard question I ask people near the end of my interview designed to wrap up and tease out high priority issues. "If you could change one thing about health care in Cambodia, what would it be?" Some people are stumped at first, but Toni's father began rattling off a laundry list. I don't know a lot of Khmer, but he started numbering his points "First.... Second.... Third..." (that's all I could understand), and I knew I was going to get some incredible information.

After most interviews I walk away with more questions than I had before, but that's how this type of process works. I'm gathering as many details as I can from different perspectives. In the end, I should have what I didn't have before: a base of knowledge.

Rude or Incredibly Eccentric?

2011-07-11T19:51:00.002-05:00

I'm writing this post as surreptitiously as possible. I'm enjoying a nice breakfast in the restaurant of the hotel, waiting for Pat and Deanna to come downstairs. There aren't many tables, so it's normal to have someone sit at the other end of a 6 person table.

This happened a few minutes ago. No big deal. Then the rest of the family started to appear. Two turned into 4. I'm pretty sure they are French given the obvious language qualities as they chat with each other and the unhealthy fascination they have with the wine rack behind us.

Then it happened. A lady in the group arrived (#5 now) and grabbed my empty tea cup. She walked over and got herself coffee and started to prep it. I guess the bit of tea at the bottom, empty sugar packet, or the fact that it was sitting right next to my breakfast weren't good enough indicators of the fact that she just took my tea!

I'm feeling bold right now. I snapped the picture just to prove it. That's my tea!!!

New Visitor's Center

2011-07-10T23:26:00.002-05:00

I dropped off the suture kindly donated by GlobalLinks. Much to my surprise, there was a whole new visitor's center at the hospital. It's a wonderfully decorated office with murals, videos, and other items that share their work. I think I knew it beforehand, but apparently they have been running the hospital since 1999. That's really not a long time with impressive growth and organization. I hope our little endeavor has the same success. The director of the hospital was out sick today, so I'll attempt to speak with him later this week. I guess doctors get ill too!

Next stop after lunch, check on PC equipment and talk to the family who had the electrocution last year on my last day.

Shocking Intrusion of Western Habit

2011-07-10T20:21:00.002-05:00

The travel is long but uneventful. My connection in Seoul was lightning fast compared to other years, but having an hour between flights would be considered normal in the US. Thankfully there was a Starbucks right across the gate. I decided to play it safe and avoid some rather unusual Frappucino options. It was nice to sit and watch the rain in Korea. I haven't seen it rain in months.

Arriving in Siem Reap is like coming home in a way, familiar and comforting. No problems with my visa or customs (as usual). Pat, Mony, and Prem were there to greet me and wisk me away to the hotel. "You are big VIP" said Mony, referring to having a private car. I think that loses a bit of it's luster when you see the front seat passenger pay for the parking because the driver's wheel is on the wrong side.

I unpacked and realized that I left a couple items in a suitcase that I was shuffling around. Not a big deal, but an annoyance. Then it hit me that I was still wearing my shoes in my room. Oops! This morning I figured out why:

They are all wearing shoes in the building.

This is a massive change. I'm used to taking them off whenever I enter people's homes or some small shops. I'm certain they did this out of convenience. The large show rack was taking up a ton of space, and I don't think a lot of foreigners are consistent about it. It might be a small thing on the surface, but that's how culture change works.

Today I have a full list of activities. I'll start by dropping off the large box of suture at the hospital. The fun begins!

Next Flight - The Long One

2011-07-09T13:27:00.002-05:00

The feeling of Deja Vu is powerful right now. I swear I'm sitting in exactly the same gate and seat as last time I waited for this flight. The mix of passengers is far more exotic than domestic flights, and agents are milling about not.

I've been keeping busy. It looks like we might have a nice logo designed and ready to go in the next day or two for Building Cambodia, Inc. I also think we will get our registration through with the Texas Secretary of State. Not a bad span of productivity for a travel day. Wait... what day is it again? Ug. The time shift is always brutal.

First Flight

2011-07-09T05:23:00.002-05:00

And so it begins. The Austin to San Francisco flight is apparently a regional jet. You know the one. It's slightly larger than a Tylenol. I guess 4 hours won't be too bad compared to the rest of the flights.

2 Days to Go

2011-07-07T08:29:00.003-05:00

With only 2 days left before I begin this year's adventure, I find myself in an almost surreal travel routine. I have almost everything lined up to pack except for clothes (which are always last). Should it really be this easy to journey halfway around the world?

On the incorporation front, it sounds like the Texas Secretary of State believes the company name "Building Cambodia, Inc." is substantially similar to "Building Texas, LLC." I would honestly be surprised if someone confused the two, but that's how it goes. I'm reaching out to those folks to get another form signed so we can continue to move forward with organizing our efforts.

Suture

2011-05-27T08:17:00.003-05:00

This was a very productive week! Each year I try to fill my second suitcase with some type of donation that is hard to find in Cambodia. Some trips it's as simple as first aid kits, and one time I had surgical instrumentation. This year I found a medical supply organization called Global Links (http://www.globallinks.org/) that specializes in surplus suture donation. The Angkor Hospital for Children (http://www.angkorhospital.org/) listed suture as one of their needs, so I sent a few emails. In no time, I secured a large quantity of items that will help hundreds of children. It's incredible to me how easy it can be to make a significant difference in this world.

Administration

2011-05-20T14:06:00.002-05:00

The past several weeks have been action-packed. In late March I met with Hem Heng, the Cambodian Ambassador to the United States. He was an informative and gracious host who helped give me insights into how acute-care medical services need attention in Cambodia. I was especially moved by how he could compare elements of our system here to the very basic infrastructure they have. For example: price. We pay a lot for healthcare and so do they. It's not surprising that people would try to cut corners where they feel they can save a few bucks.

This week I met with Deanna and Pat to plan for some administrative work. We want to make sure that our work in Cambodia has some longevity to it. Yes, a track record of over 10 years is impressive for a few people, but we want to do more. To help grow and improve our odds for long term success, we plan on incorporating under the name Building Cambodia and pursuing 501(c)(3) tax exemption status. This will make it easier for people to give money, add even more transparency to our work (as if vivid details about food poisoning interspersed with local mission work isn't enough!), and strengthen our cause. I have my best lawyers working on it now (thanks Rick).

I'm just over 7 weeks away from departure, so activity will begin to ramp up. My visa is purchased, flight booked, vaccinations verified, and work is lining up.

Booked for 2011

2011-02-11T09:45:00.002-06:00

I purchased my ticket to Siem Reap this week. I'll depart July 9 and be on the ground in Cambodia July 10 (I arrive the evening before, but I'll go right to bed) and depart the evening of July 20. In this 10 day span I will focus on learning about emergency and acute-care medical services. I'm getting conflicting information, so this fact-finding trip will help me determine where I might be able to make a difference.

If anyone has an interest in going with me, now's the time to purchase a ticket and get your shots!

Unpacking, and thinking of 2011

2010-07-19T10:46:00.002-05:00

I landed around 10:30 last night, and Yvette was nice enough to pick me up from the airport so I wouldn't have to take the shuttle home. All of our driving in Cambodia is around town, and even then they go a lot slower than we do. It's kind of a thrill ride when you start going 50 or 60 miles an hour. Not that it takes long to adjust, but for a moment you realize that it's pretty darn fast.

This morning I started the unpacking process. It actually takes a fair amount of time to sort of this stuff, from the gifts to the clothes to the items I take every year (like the foreign power adapter).

I thought I had a handle on what I wanted to do next year, but the experience at the clinics and hospital threw me a curve. I'll have to discuss this with Deanna when I see her in Wisconsin. After all, one of my suitcases is full of her stuff. It's a lot cheaper and safer for me to bring items back than to ship them.

Probably fewer posts from here on out. Remember, I would be happy to assist anyone interested in making the trip. I'm 100% certain we can find a way to put your talents to good use. I promise it's an entertaining, positive life experience.

One more flight to go

2010-07-18T16:20:00.001-05:00

Undoubtedly the best phrase I heard this whole trip was from Pat. While discussing the differences between US-based airline companies and pretty much the rest of the world, she said “Stewardesses on the US planes are like truck stop waitresses.” Of course this isn’t true 100% of the time… but I’ve had more than my share of Truck Stop Waitresses as cabin crew.

It might be a bit hard to see in the iPhone picture, but the Asiana crew all wear impeccable uniforms, are genuinely helpful, and keep things moving at a rapid pace. I don’t expect the same thing on my last flight on United. In fact, it’s already been delayed by a half hour. At least I got an exit row seat.

2,175 Miles down…

2010-07-18T01:10:00.001-05:00

And 5,639 to go, at least on the next leg. Then I have about another 1,500 between San Francisco and Austin. I just had a nice rest at the Transit Hotel. It’s a small but well-appointed and very comfortable room for people with a long layover. The ~6 hours of sleep I got is going to have to hold me until just before Midnight on Sunday.

Once unexpected perk happened upon check-in at the Siem Reap airport. The staff gave me an upgrade to “Business Class,” which his First Class by American standards. They said it was due to the “long journey I had booked,” but I think is was more that my bags were under the weight limit, I waited patiently for the Korean tourist flood (they come in very large groups), and my Khmer language pronunciation was surprisingly good. I noticed that this year I know enough words to be able to follow their conversations with some degree of accuracy. I might only be able to figure out the topic, but that’s a lot more than most foreigners.

I’ve already had my obligatory Whopper here at the airport Burger King in Seoul (it’s kind of a tradition for me now), and I picked up an iced coffee at Starbucks. You’d think I was already in the US… but we don’t vigorously advertise vitamins as “V-food” right next to odd displays of prepackaged dried fish, Coach handbags, Rolex watches, and some sort of miracle ointment. It’s like the 5^th avenue version of an Asian market. Much more polished and refined, just as Oriental. Love it!

Expect the Unexpected

2010-07-17T05:19:00.003-05:00

I thought the last day here would be busy, but I never expected anything quite like this. I shouldn’t be surprised. Every year I have some new experience that just can’t be predicted.

The morning was moving along nicely, with a light breakfast and prep for my last class at 10:30am at Khnar Tmei. The students there wanted one more day of review and training on how to program in Alice. I can’t blame them, since learning how to program is a lot more than just figuring out code. It’s a way of approaching and solving problems.

One of the students, Toni, was late to arrive. He has had trouble being able to make it to class since he has both a full time job and school at the University. He’s a sharp student, and I could see that he was a bit sad to miss class.

As I’m wrapping up the lesson, he got a call on his cell phone. Someone at his house just got electrocuted and they wanted him to come back to help. He ran out of the building to head home. I said my farewells to the other students, got a picture with them in front of the PC, and packed up. I said to Prem (my driver), “We should go over there and see if we can help.”

The house is only about 50 yards away, and we could see the commotion from the school. As we got closer, it was apparent that there were power lines down. They must have been trying to fix something or move the lines. Many of them are held up by trees or thin sticks, so it’s not totally unusual to see one sagging a bit. Toni was busy putting a patch over one of the lines with tape as a way to prevent future shocks. I asked who got hurt, and they said it was Toni’s 60 something father, who was lying on a covered wooden bench area.

His breathing was steady and I could see his heartbeat was also steady. I’m not a doctor, but I was the closest thing they had at the moment. Since he was just unconscious, but burned pretty well on his hand and breathing ok, I asked a few questions. “Was he on the ground or on a ladder?” “Did he touch with both hands or one?” “Has he said anything since he got hurt?”

The answers told me that he was knocked out pretty well, but at least didn’t fall and break something. He also never stopped breathing, and hasn’t said much.

I told them we needed to get him to a hospital to make sure he was ok. This isn’t the kind of problem that you just recover from without help, and you want to make sure it doesn’t get worse. They agreed, so I said that we should use Prem’s car to transport him. They were quite thankful since the only option they had was motorbike. It would have been a driver, Toni’s father in the middle, and someone on the back to hold him up. Not a good situation.

Now from here you might think that the story is routine. “You just drove to the hospital, right?” Nope. We first drove to a pharmacy. Yes, a pharmacy. Apparently this is a place that Toni’s mother goes to on a regular basis and they have a doctor there. However, they didn’t have the means to treat electrocution and also didn’t want to take a patient that might not have a good outcome. Yes, they were worried about their reputation before the health of the patient.

I was not happy.

Next, we drove to a local, private clinic for Cambodian people. Instead of getting Toni’s father out and back in the car again (like we did at the pharmacy), they checked to see if they would take him. Same story. No treatment for electrocution and fear that someone might die in their clinic, harming their reputation.

I was REALLY not happy.

Before this, the car ride had been quiet. I wasn’t going to have it anymore. “Prem, where are we going next? We are NOT going to another clinic or pharmacy. I know of at least 3 real hospitals around here.”

Prem wasn’t happy either. “No problem, we are going to the provincial hospital, by the old market. I know they can treat him there.”

As we pulled in, he started to vomit a bit. I guess he had asked quietly for a small sip of water and they obliged. Not sure if that was the cause or not, but at least we were 10 feet from the emergency entrance when he did. I got out of the car and said “Please!” in the Cambodian language to get their attention, and before I knew it they had him in a room and on a bed.

The doctor quickly evaluated him, hooked him to oxygen and IV fluids, and I gave the little bit of detail that I knew about the incident. He was quite fluent in English and happy to have the bits of info I got when we first arrived. He also started to get a bit chatty and asked about how I was and what I did in Cambodia, but his focus was on the patient. About damn time.

The doctor said the prognosis is good, but with electrocution you really have to watch the patient for a few hours to make sure nothing major has happened. If he recovered well he could even be out by the afternoon. Before I left Toni’s father was already responding quietly to a few questions. Toni himself was rather shaken up, and was thoughtful enough to ask if I might miss my flight. I told him that was the least of his concerns, and No, it wasn’t for a long time. I would have said that even if it was in an hour.

The rest of the day would be considered more typical I guess. We had amazing food, packed bags, and looked around a bit. I can’t quite shake the feeling that I might need to focus on a few different things next year, like working with the government to put some big blue H signs around the outskirts of town, and seeing about healthcare education for people. After all, during a major health problem, you don’t have time to figure this kind of thing out. “What’s bad enough to necessitate going to the Hospital versus going to a clinic?” is something you learn before a problem happens, not by driving around town.

I’m also rather pissed at the clinics. I need to stew on that one a bit more.

UPDATE: I called Toni this afternoon and found out his father is doing fine and already home.

I'm still pissed at the clinics.

Last Day, Hectic Schedule

2010-07-16T19:55:00.003-05:00

Typically on my last day the schedule of events is rather hectic. Last minute shopping, packing, a final class or two, and double checking a lot of things will fill the day. I thought I would write a quick summary of some of the highlights from 2010:

· Hot. It barely rained, and even the locals were complaining about it.

· The Kesararam Primary School PC was a huge success from last year, and they quickly picked up on using Publisher to make certificates and signs.

· Khnar Tmei had a smaller class this year because of schedules. Many of my regular students now have jobs or are going to the University. Next year I might need to go back to “Computer 101” and start teaching a younger set of kids.

· The food here somehow is getting even better. The variety is increasing and the focus on quality remains a top priority.

· Basic infrastructure continues to improve. I took the new Toll Road that goes around the town to divert large trucks and busses. The Internet is blazing fast if you know where to go, and it’s adequate pretty much everywhere else.

· Significant social and economic problems still remain. Many beggars, orphans, and people struggling to keep up. I heard more than a few stories of people having to borrow large sums of money for healthcare costs, repairs, and other basic needs.

My next post will likely be from Korea. Should you find yourself with the travel bug to go somewhere exotic, I can make sure you have a memorable time in Cambodia. The people are friendly, the area is safe, the food is magnificent, and you just might consider it your second home after one visit (like I do).

Wait a minute, when do I leave?

2010-07-16T01:56:00.002-05:00

During lunch today I came to the stark realization that I’m leaving tomorrow night. I haven’t done a single bit of personal shopping, just work related purchases. We also haven’t seen any of the sights (we try to do at least one “fun day” per trip). I’m going to try to have to mash it all in tonight and tomorrow.

I must say that the accommodations this trip have been the biggest surprise. I had no idea that we would be in a totally new hotel building but still have all of the same management and staff. The location is actually better for us, the rooms are huge, and the food is amazing (of course). I’m definitely going to miss the panoramic view from my room and the end of the hall (pictured). See more at their website: http://www.riversideroom.com/

IT’S RAINING!

2010-07-15T09:19:00.001-05:00

It took long enough. The rains finally came today. We had a short, light rain around lunchtime. When it stopped, everyone was rather upset. I think all of Cambodia is ready to have unyielding, constant rain. They know it’s going to drive them crazy in a couple months’ time, but this extreme heat is not fun. They’re also concerned about the farmers in the area not getting enough rain for their fields, the lake not rising on time, and wells drying up.

Speaking to Deanna today about the wells project, it sounds like the increase in development has brought a new problem: a lower water table. The big hotels have very deep wells that suck up a lot of water, which is then returned to the sewer. Water treatment is not exactly a refined industry here, so most of the dirty water will get only basic treatment (that means filtering out the big stuff) and then returned to the rivers. It takes a while for that to return to under the ground. As a result, there are more and more wells drying up in the late summer season. Thankfully, the wells that our program digs are deep enough to keep flowing, for now.

Class and a Show

2010-07-13T23:40:00.002-05:00

Sometimes you’re in the right place at the right time. After my class, we noticed that the Korean volunteer team had setup a Taekwondo show for the kids. I got my camera out and snapped a couple videos of it.

Keep in mind, today is another one of those scorching hot days, and these people are out here doing vigorous physical activity. Heck, I couldn’t even sit out of the shade.

Not all Pastries and Shopping

2010-07-13T09:49:00.001-05:00

This might come as a surprise based on my common postings, but I actually do spend the bulk of my day teaching. Here’s my daily routine:

• Breakfast and coordination with others – 7:30 to 8:30
• Morning Class – 8:30 to 9:30
• Work (my real job) and errands around town – 9:30 to noon
• Lunch – noon to 1:30
• Break – 1:30 to 2:30
• Afternoon Class – 2:30 to 3:30
• Break, prep for hard class – 3:30 to 5:00
• Evening Class – 5:00 to 6:00
• Dinner – 6:00 to 7:30
• More Work – 7:30 to 9:00
• End of Day at 9ish

It varies somewhat based on the weather, class schedules, errands, and whatnot. Lately the breaks have been spent trying to cool off from the searing heat. It’s one thing to teach, it’s another to constantly fight the sweat pouring off your body at the same time. When the locals are complaining about the heat, you know it’s bad.

At least today we had clouds. No rain yet, but the clouds made a big impact on the temperature. I only had to replenish all the fluid in my body once, not twice.

You may have noticed the blurb about my evening class being the hard one. I’m teaching programming to the students at Khnar Tmei. This is a really hard set of concepts. Almost all of it is totally foreign to them. However, we have the benefit of a really large monitor. One of the students bought it from a friend for a good price. Now that World Cup is over, it’s been sitting unused. We’re taking advantage of it to make sure everyone can clearly see the menus and re-explain the basics of programming.

Dodged a Bullet

2010-07-12T23:44:00.006-05:00

Today my cohorts needed to buy some supplies for their sewing class. Specifically, they needed these large fabric shears that are hard to find in an average shop. Deanna knew just the place in the old market.

Ah, the Old Market. If you have any aversions to unusual smells or tight spaces, then this is not the place for you. You enter this maze from one of seemingly a thousand points of entry. There is a certain order to the chaos, where types of shops tend to cluster. Clothing on one place, tourist items on the outside, toiletries in another, and so on. The aisles have barely enough room for one person to walk without your elbows rubbing against the merchandise of the two shops on either side.

The Old Market isn’t just for dry goods. It’s also the best place for locals to go grocery shopping. You can emerge from one of these tight spaces and find yourself with a lady cutting the heads off a chicken at your feet. The aromas are quite distinct, and shockingly different from one part of the market to another.

So here we are trudging along under the mosaic of tin roof shacks to find shears. I get a little behind because it is after all quite busy. After turning a corner I hear the unmistakable, language independent sound of someone dry-heaving. You know the sound. Like when you have the flu, or perhaps just read about the chicken on the floor. A lady in one of the shops was covering her mouth and making this sound when she was walking out to the aisle… right in front of me. I quickly took a step back (which can be dangerous, you never know if someone is walking behind you with a big pot of something) and she stopped as well, obviously struggling. She walked in front of me to the shop across the hall (all 2 feet away) and threw up on the floor as I darted ahead.

The Old Market and I have a rocky relationship. I prefer to go to Central Market, where the aisles are huge and it’s a nice, big open space. Dodging a lady who was about to throw up on me has pretty much cemented my opinion about the place. I’ll wait in the car next time.

5 Star Meal – Fast Food Price

2010-07-11T23:27:00.002-05:00

One of our drivers, Ko Sol, went to culinary school over the past 9 months. Most of his training was done in the 5 Star hotels in the area, so he now has firsthand experience cooking Cambodian, Italian, and French cuisine. He formally receives his certificate next week, so I won’t be here to attend the ceremony, but Deanna and Pat will be there as his family. Even though he doesn’t have the paper yet, he’s already been hired by the guesthouse that he’s been working with as a driver. It’s amazing how the sense of family and togetherness in this culture is an extremely strong bond.

Last night he cooked an incredible meal. We had grilled red fish, amok (fish, coconut milk, and spices all steamed in a banana leaf cup), beef kabobs, and an authentic Waldorf salad. The flavors were incredible and everything cooked to perfection.

This morning we had some of the leftovers for breakfast. There’s a sizable group of French college-age tourists staying in the hotel, and when they came down for the standard breakfast fare they were rather amazed to see what we were eating. One girl stopped dead in her tracks and stared at the Waldorf salad for a good 5 seconds. It was quite different from the standard toast and jam, omelet, or French toast that is on the menu.

Today was the start of class. It’s blazing hot here, so that makes speaking in front of a group a challenge. I have to keep wiping away the sweat so I don’t have any land on the PC. The electricity is already bad enough. I imagine one droplet of liquid would put on a real show.

Multi-tasking

2010-07-11T09:17:00.001-05:00

Today was a busy day. It all started at the church in Khnar Tmei with attending service, figuring out classes and schedules, talking to the people, and generally get the next couple weeks organized. I snapped a picture of one of the local kids doing his laundry at the well. He was taking a break to check his cell phone. It’s incredible how much better the service is here than in the US. I guess it helps that the tower is across the street.

Next we headed over to the Lucky Mall. This is a surreal experience that can’t be missed. All of the shops are owned by the same company, so you have wonderful selections like “Lucky Department Store”, “LuckCafe”, and my favorite “Lucky Burger”. One of members of our group hadn’t been to it before, so we thought we should indoctrinate her. The real reason for going was the oppressive heat. The rains haven’t been coming in the afternoon like they usually do this time of year, so it’s still incredibly hot. We decided we needed air conditioning and ice cream, and Lucky Mall has both.

After eating way too much at Lucky Burger, I got the traditional water blessing from one of the nearby temples. They always look surprised to see a foreigner, and especially perplexed when I know pretty much what the process entails. I told my driver that I if we could find a Muslim Temple, I would round out the big three religions all in one day. He had a good laugh at that.

In my next post I’ll write about the 5-star gourmet meal I had at my guesthouse. I’m a bit too busy multitasking and preparing for bed early. I need to wake up around 1:30am local time to watch the world cup. After all, that’s what everyone else is doing around here!

Purchase Power

2010-07-10T03:19:00.002-05:00

Yesterday we determined that the Kessararam primary school was a fantastic success with the installation of their first PC ever last year. They’ve been using it so much that there was little time to teach the other instructors since they were too busy making forms and tracking records!

So today I went back to ABC computer, the shop where I go every year to buy supplies. Bunly (the owner) was there so we caught up a bit. He’s done a PC refresh since last year with newer IBMs now lining the shop. He also mentioned that the Internet access in Siem Reap has gotten a lot better. For $30 a month you can get “very stable” DSL at a whopping 128k download and upload! I didn’t have the heart to tell him that I pay about $50 a month for 22,000k download.

We picked up a Dell PC, flatscreen monitor, two battery backup units (one is a replacement), and a laser printer for a total of just under $400. Good luck finding a deal like that in the US.

I laud praise on the Cambodian food every year. This trip has been no exception. For just $3, I got the meal pictured in this post. It’s Chicken Fried Rice served in a hollowed-out pineapple. The flavor was amazing, everything was fresh, and I plan on stuffing as much of this unequaled cuisine into my face as possible!

More changes some years than others

2010-07-09T05:01:00.002-05:00

This happens to be one of those years with more. After meeting with Deanna, Pat, and our driver Mony at the airport, we headed into town. “The Hotel moved” was the first tidbit of the evening. What that actually ended up meaning was that the owner of the land and building wanted to do something other than run a guesthouse, so the family that ran it picked up everything and moved it into a new location. It must have already been built beforehand since it’s easily 2-3 times larger than the old place. The rooms are more than double the size, the bathroom has a real tub and shower fixtures, there’s a pool outside, and I’m using the free wireless internet available in the room. It’s not extremely fast, but it’s good enough to get the job done!

Today brought some other surprises. Both PCs were working fine at Khnar Tmei. That might be the first time in 6 years they’ve make it without repairs. They also had a nice flat screen TV setup with the World Cup schedule posted on the wall next to it. Apparently they didn’t use it much except for the event.

The Kessararam School has been heavily using their PC since I installed it last year. They need a new battery backup, but that’s the only repair. I’ll be buying them a second unit tomorrow since they don’t have any spare time between making forms and managing records! A fantastic result.

Last, there’s been a popular addition to the tourist fare. Apparently you can pay $3 per hour (including a free beer) to have fish “give you a massage.” My driver Prem says he tried it once and that “it kind of tickles.” I think I’ll pass.

Starting your day

2010-07-08T04:05:00.002-05:00

When I woke up just shy of 2am this morning, I knew I was going to be in for a long day. It's not a daily occurrence for me, but I'm sure if I was required to be up at that time I might get used to it.

I mention this because I don't think the staff at United Airlines are morning people. They were helpful and attentive, but they were overwhelmed. I think I know why: They start about 45 minutes later than all the other airlines, yet they have 6am flights just like everyone else. This means they have to scramble the moment they turn on the machines (which looked like they were time locked to 4:45, no exceptions) to get everyone checked in. Since it's a Wednesday (cheap travel day) there were a lot of casual fliers and just as many going international.

I start to wonder if these poor folks are paid hourly wages. Is this a scheme by United to shave a few bucks off their payroll by starting their people later in the morning? If so, it's not exactly resulting in a great experience for anyone.

After I boarded my Asiana flight (where all of the staff are amazingly friendly and nice, a top notch airline), I realized that something was missing from the plane: First Class. They had Business and Travel class, that's it. I guess I always pictured 13 hour flights having that option for the super-frequent flier.

I'm in Korea now, looking at my last flight of the journey. Perhaps I'll sleep a bit this time if I'm lucky.

And so it begins again

2010-07-07T10:18:00.002-05:00

Just arrived in San Francisco. The van that picked up me bright and early at 3 am got me there a good hour before the people at the United ticket counter had even rolled in. Next time I'm going to lie on the form and say my flight is Domestic.

It's been a while since I've flown United. They have a ton of strange options and features to pay extra for. I was particularly amazed at how their staff starts later than any of the other airlines. I'm guessing it costs them less per hour, but as a result they have people hustling to get all of us with a 6am flight checked in. Not a great result.

Less than 12 hours

2010-07-06T15:30:00.002-05:00

It's a little disturbing when you get the automated phone call that your shuttle will be by to pick you up in 12 hours... and the time is 3pm. Yes, I need to be standing in my driveway soon. Looks like sleep will be a premium from here on out.

Lets hope that North Korea can tone down the saber rattling, and that Thailand doesn't descend into chaos for just a couple more weeks.

Bag packed?

2010-07-03T16:21:00.002-05:00

The first year I prepared for Cambodia it took at least one solid day of packing. I mean an 8 hour day. I had a basic checklist of what I needed, but since I hadn't done it before I was doing a lot of double checking and adding to my list.

This afternoon I did just about everything in 1 hour. I'm to the point now where I'm concerned that I'll forget basic items. It's the same level of comfort now as when I travel domestically. Rather frightening!

Organizing MP3s

2010-06-28T14:59:00.003-05:00

When you face the daunting prospect of nearly two days of solid air travel, you want to make sure you have entertainment at hand. Last year I was on a Korean Air flight that didn't have the individual seat-back video units. Thankfully, they did have regular electrical plugs in all of the seats. I felt like I dodged a bullet on that one. I'm going to make sure my iTunes and iPhone are chuck full of things to watch and listen to.

Speaking of bullets, I'm hoping the North Koreans can settle down over the coming weeks. I'd rather my flight not have to dodge missles.

Travel Itinerary

2010-05-29T14:14:00.003-05:00

Here's my flight itinerary for the next trip. Sorry it's posted as an image, but that was the easiest way.

Programming 101

2010-05-14T10:40:00.002-05:00

This year I plan on teaching object oriented programming using the Alice language:

http://www.alice.org/

It might seem goofy to anyone with years of experience building applications, but I believe it will be a very easy way to introduce basic concepts like objects, control structures, methods, and more.

I've been playing around with it for a while now so I can at least teach a class on it. Who knows, perhaps by the time we're done I'll be showing them how to make iPhone apps!

Prepping for 2010 - Typhoid Gut

2010-05-02T14:35:00.004-05:00

Preparations for 2010 have been underway for quite some time now. I booked my ticket at a massive discount (about $1,300 instead of $1,800), and just got screened for my vaccinations. Turns out I need a booster for my Typhoid.

I remember this from the first time I went. Several doses spread over about a week and pills that are kept in the fridge since it's a live virus.

I don't remember the loss of appetite of near constant stomach ache.

I just keep telling myself that it's better than actually get Typhoid. Not that I know what that disease is like, but I imagine it's worse that than this. Right?

Prep for 2010? Already?1?

2009-07-31T08:33:00.002-05:00

In this case, I'm talking about how YOU can prep to go to Cambodia next year!

The first and most important task is to commit yourself to the trip. You need to do that now. Why? Because the plane ticket is expensive and there's a fair amount of extra work to do if it's your first trip.

So here's what you need to do:

Ask me questions now about what all is involved. You can choose to go as a tourist, and that's just fine. Stimulating the local economy is a charity all by itself.
Make the choice before the end of the year, and let me know.
Start saving about $200 a month (now). That should cover your airfare, by far the biggest expense (~$1,800).

Send me an email at samueljcarrorg. I'd love to show you around!

2009 Recap

2009-07-21T09:59:00.003-05:00

This was a shorter trip than years past, but still productive and inspiring. Here's a recap of the 2009 experience:

Arrived July 10th
Evaluated equipment at Mr. Sok's house, needed new power strip, antivirus software, and new apps for install
Interviewed staff at Kesararam Primary School
Purchased new PC and laser printer for the school
Evaluated PC #2 at Khnar Tmei, determined that it needed replacement
Purchased new PC for Khnar Tmei
Taught classes at Khnar Tmei once per day, at the school twice per day
Departed July 17th

Overall I was able to keep the main infrastructure running, and I started bringing the Primary School into the PC world, all in one week.

I've heard from friends and family that they are often interested in going, but aren't sure how to start, or it's too late by the time they hear about the next trip. I'll be updating this blog with entires between now and the next trip with tidbits from previous excursions and information on how to join me on the next run.

Back in town

2009-07-19T09:28:00.002-05:00

I got home yesterday around 1pm. As usual, it was a long trip, but worth the pain of travel. I'll write more tomorrow after the kids settle down.

On the Road

2009-07-17T08:24:00.002-05:00

I'll be heading to the airport in a few hours. I don't know what it is about travelling East back to the US, but it's always far more brutal than coming to Cambodia. My body just doesn't adjust nearly as well. Perhaps it's the full day of being away before getting on the plane. I have a lot of trouble sleeping on a flight, so that might be part of it.

This year has been very productive. I taught more at Khnar Tmei, and I helped get the local Primary School well on their way to being computerized. I'll post more details soon. For now, I have to pack.

See you in Seoul!

Last Full Day

2009-07-16T09:08:00.002-05:00

It's incredible how time flies. Today was the last full day I have here in amazing Siem Reap. We had yet another awe inspiring dining experience. This time it was a restaurant opened 3 months ago by a world-travelled chef. Nest Angkor offers Japanese styled cuisine, but with some local flair. I was simply blown away. We all agreed that it was something that needed to go into our standard rotation, even if it's more expensive than the other places.

Tomorrow will be another day of class, mostly wrapping up on topics and doing final house-keeping items. For example, today I taught the students at Khnar Tmei about Odds and Probability. There's a bit of a problem in the area with young people spending more of their time on gambling than on studies, so I thought this would be a useful lesson. A simple experiment using a deck of cards and the odds of pulling an Ace from the deck worked wonders. They now saw how you can have moments of gains as a player, but the Casino is gauranteed to win over time because of the number of plays and the mathematics behind it.

Over dinner we also talked about getting friends to come with us to Cambodia. If you're interested, let's start planning now! I'd love to bring you here, even if you just see the temples while I go into the villages to work!

Handwritten World

2009-07-15T08:23:00.002-05:00

Faced with the prospect of managing 1,500 primary school students, How would you do it?

The teachers at Kesararam have a very visible and easy to use system: Public Display. They have devised a method of publishing all of the class and student information on gigantic whiteboards in the main office. Under these are the posted class rosters, about 5-10 pages thick gently shifting in the breeze.

There are also permanent posters that show the layout of the campus, general information, current teaching staff, and more. All of this without a single keystroke on a PC.

Western Indulgence

2009-07-15T01:29:00.003-05:00

A new shopping mall opened up on the main road. It was under construction last year, and now it's fully operational. The company that runs it is called Lucky, hence the name Lucky Mall.

Inside they have places such as Lucky Department, Lucky Burger, and Lucky Bookshop. Not all the shops are run by the same company, like the chocolate store. Everything they had was pure decadence. The manager said that the owner runs the large chocolate shop in Phnom Penh by the royal palace, and has done so for many years.

This experience was evident in the luxurious flavors, such as Dark Chocolate with Green Tea Chocolate filling, and other amazing combinations. Nothing was overpowering, just very pure and well crafted pieces of delight. This was easily on the level of a gourmet chocolate shop in the US, and could probably surpass any of them in quality.

So how much would you pay for 6 (we shared) pieces of handmade chocolate? Try under $3, with table service, water, and an amazing atmosphere.

More Progress in the Third World

2009-07-14T06:55:00.004-05:00

Did you ever think for a moment that the city sewer system wasn't always there?

How about the next step in that thought process... What would it be like to install city water and sewer in a place that already had some infrastructure, like power, telephone, roads, and some other services?

Yes, that's a picture of people holding up frayed electrical lines with rickety bamboo poles, all while a gigantic backhoe digs a trench about 2 meters deep and another machine (shown) drives 10 meter metal pilings into the ground.

This is already about the most dangerous construction site I've ever seen. How could it possibly get worse? Add in some local traffic and torrential downpours.

I did get to experience a unique kind of detour yesterday. They were tearing up another part of the street and had traffic go around. Their solution was to literally have us drive through the front part of a sidewalk restaurant. Yes, right next to the tables.

Oh, and those downpours? There was an especially windy gust of weather this afternoon, and one of the drivers got a text message. The government will frequently send out free warnings to people on their cell phones about weather and helpful tips (like go indoors if lightning is striking). Now that sounds like a step ahead of the US. I could never see any US carrier agreeing to do that!

Day 1 of Class

2009-07-13T09:42:00.003-05:00

The first day of class was thrilling on many accounts. First and foremost, I felt great this morning and was over my Food Poisoning.

So bright and early, we set out for Khnar Tmei for the 7:30-8:30 Electronics class. The students were amazed by the kit (I wrote about it earlier). I built a simple circuit with a light and a switch, and it appeared to them as the most fantastic thing ever. You could see the connections forming in their minds as they realized that this was just like the lights they use everyday, but now they know what happens behind the scenes.

I left the kit there and went to the Primary School for the 9am class next (inset picture - My driver & translator Prem is on the right in the doorway). This was also a great experience. I had about 8 teachers and the Administrator soak up all the basics of computer use. I do mean basics. We began with parts of the computer, the Desktop, Left & Right click, and so on. They had that "drinking from a firehose" look when they were done, but all were anxious to learn more. They were also the best note-takers I've ever seen!

Class in the afternoon was also at the School, but a repeat of the same topic for more teachers. They were a bit more lively this time, but still great students.

You'll be happy to know that I avoided the sauce that came with my dinner tonight. I learned my lesson.

A different kind of busy

2009-07-12T18:39:00.003-05:00

We attended the church service at Khnar Tmei on Sunday. It was another fiery sermon, this time about worshipping false idols. After that, Deanna and I took time to speak a little about what we are doing this year, and work out class schedules. It turns out 7:30 to 8:30 works best, since i also need to teach at the primary school from 9 to 10 and 3 to 4.

On the drive back, I started to feel a little ill. Nothing really bad, just like I had forgotten to drink enough water. There has been an odd lack of rain since we arrived, so I figured that was it.

I was so very wrong.

My body tried to turn itself inside out for 5 consecutive hours. Oh, and I don't mean from just one side or the other. Often the urge was simultaneous, and more powerful than I thought possible for the human body. Is this what it's like when athletes get sick? I felt like you had to train up to this level of power within your GI tract, it doesn't just come naturally.

Between bouts of Olympic strength expulsions, I slept. A lot. I don't think I've had that much sleep in a 24 hour period since college.

Today, I'm in much better shape. I'm REALLY hungry, but I don't want to overdo it. Plus, I have class to teach and not much time!

In retrospect, I think that food poisoning is perhaps the easiest ailment to diagnose, and even pinpoint the cause. I got a little lazy with the food condiments. Perhaps next time I'll think again before I eat tartar sauce in a country with little refrigeration. But it tasted so good!!!

Hotel Room Shuffle

2009-07-11T19:38:00.002-05:00

In my sleep deprived stupor when I arrived, they said something about how "tomorrow we change your room". I didn't really grasp what that meant at the time. I was just happy to be out of economy class.

Yesterday I found out that I was being put on the 3rd floor. One more extra flight of stairs is no big deal, so I figured sure, why not.

I discovered that I was given a room in the extended part of the hotel. A few years ago they added on to the back, and this was part of that project. The room is quite nice, with a double bed instead of a pair of singles, and a nicer bathroom. Plus, I'm not subject to the loud reverberations of people dropping things on the floor from the rooms above me (the 4th floor doesn't have guests). It's amazing how much sound seems to amplify when you have all plaster and concrete for the architecture.

When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro

2009-07-11T19:34:00.001-05:00

That’s one of my favorite quotes from Hunter S. Thompson, and it sums up a wild first day. We began our breakneck pace at 9am. First, breakfast in the restaurant quarter and a game plan. We decided to do the following:

1. Check on the status of PCs at Khnar Tmei
2. Check on the PC at Sok’s House (the one that was solar before utility power came)
3. Determine how we would setup a PC at a local Primary School
4. Do some shopping for odds and ends like whiteboard markers and other supplies

We knew it was going to be busy, but felt that was necessary given my short time in town. Here’s what we ended up doing:

1. Went to Khnar Tmei and found out that one PC may be down. We’ll look into it tomorrow
2. Went to Sok’s house. He said there was a virus on the PC because he lost some files. Turns out he saved them to a different folder or had a different problem. Also found out he needs a new surge protector and wants to learn Photoshop (which is not installed).
3. Had “lunch” of Iced Tea at the Express Mart. That’s a gas station with a small restaurant in it. They make great drinks, and we weren’t hungry at the time.
4. Went to the Primary School and determined that they could use a PC and training
5. After shopping about 5 times in 7 or more stores:
a. the software I needed for a “substantially lower than retail price”… if you know what I mean
b. whiteboard markers
c. snacks for our rooms
d. surge protectors
e. flash drive and electrical adapter for Deanna
f. complete Dell PC setup with UPS and flash drive
6. Dinner at Molly Malone’s (I had fish and chips with Crème Brule). Yes, it was excellent!

On item # 4 above, that’s going to be a rather substantial project. The Primary School serves about 1,500 kids from grades 1 to 6. They currently do everything on paper. Yes, I mean everything, including rosters, classes, grades, and reports that need to go to the Cambodian Ministry of Education on a regular basis. Now I have to try to sketch out both a lesson plan and cover topics like templates, backing up files, who can access documents, and more.

Can you imagine handling that without technology? I couldn’t believe it until I saw it. I’ll get pictures on Monday, when I start basic PC training for the teachers and administrators, two classes a day. They were on the edge of tears when they realized that they could at least avoid having documents rejected by the Ministry because of errors and typos, and could reuse document templates. That’s hours a day that they need back!

Tomorrow will be busy again. There’s a lot to do, and not a lot of time.

H1N1 ASAP

2009-07-10T03:47:00.002-05:00

One more thing...

They are really taking the "Variant" Flu H1N1, also called Swine Flu, thing very seriously. Each passenger had to fill out a health form to hand to a Quaranteen Official as we disembarked. 6 or so mask wearing officials reviewed the form and then took our temperatures using a thermal scanner on the neck.

Also, I noticed they had FLIR cameras (infrared detectors for thermal imaging) set up at yet another quarantine station that we all had to pass through.

Now I get to listen to the health broadcast over the PA about every 10 minutes telling me that if I have any symptoms to see a Quarantine Official.

First Time Flier

2009-07-10T02:00:00.002-05:00

This year the flight from Dallas to Korea was my long leg. A solid 14 hours in row 57, seat A. That's not just economy class, it comes with the added bonus of being next to the lavatories. The seat map indicated that it might be a lone seat with nothing next to it, but alas it was wrong. I got the window, and sat next to a Korean kid in his 20s that was an Olympic Sleeper. I swear he slept through the entire flight. I even had to jump over him once to get to the bathroom since I rarely fall asleep on a plane, no matter how long it is.

Before he poured him self into the seat and went comatose, I chatted with a lady in the middle row. She had a 5 month old with her, so I asked if she had travelled with her before. "Nope, it's a first time for both of us!" I figured she was on her way to see her husband who was likely in the military, and I was right. Both she and the baby did great. That's got to be one heck of an inaugural flight!

This was my first year on Korean Air. I was initially shocked to see that they do not have individual entertainment screens in the seat backs. My fears were subsided when I found out that they have real power outlets under the seats, not the car-style adapters. I was able to happily watch movies and shows with no loss of power issues. That's even with my hot-rod class laptop that sports a Acme Brick for a power adapter.

So here I am in Seoul again. A few things have changed, with the most noticable being the food court. When I walked by I was shocked to see my Burger King missing. Luckily, it just moved upstairs. I think they remodeled and expanded. That's a good thing since the previous one was cramped.

My next flight leaves soon. Time to get a Whopper and head to the gate.

The Value of Cash

2009-07-07T13:47:00.003-05:00

In the US, we normally take our cash for granted. I mean that paper stuff you sometimes carry around. It's easy to forget that the plastic credit cards we use everyday are moving around legal tender from one company to another, ultimately coming back to our personal bank account. Ah, the quickening nostalgia of paper currency.

The third world is a different story. They generally don't have credit cards; those are for the elite and tourists. Sure, you will see a few ATMs around, but the general populace isn't using them. You have to rely on cash unless you frequent the nicer stores or restaurants.

Before I head over, I like to get some cash ahead of time. The key is to make sure your bills actually look nice. The physical appearance of a note will have a direct affect on how much it's worth. I've had shopkeepers comment, "Do you have a better $20? This one... not so good." It's not uncommon to be offered less than face value because of rips, marks, or just plain wear. Counterfeiting is a big problem, and people are wary of falling victim.

So the next time you try to shove a wrinkled old $1 bill into a vending machine, keep in mind that there are places in the world that might offer you $0.75 for it, or hand it back for the same reason.

The Lesson Plan

2009-06-23T16:04:00.008-05:00

So what can you do with 1 week? Teach a little of everything!

The schools in Cambodia do what they can with the resources they are given. Education and Academics are highly valued commodities in this extremely improvised land. As a result, most classes are theory only, no labs or experiments. Last year I essentially ran out of pure computer topics, so I moved on to general science classes. They went over well, so I'm getter better prepared this time.

One topic will be electronics. I have fond memories as a kid of my "200 in 1 Kit" from Radio Shack. This was a cardboard box that had various components like resistors, capacitors, lights, and even a couple integrated circuits on it, all with little springs for the connectors. You linked all of the parts together with wires that were held by the springs. It was amazing fun, and purely hands-on.

So this year I found the modern version: Snap Circuits Pro SC-500. They made it a lot easier by putting the components on plastic pieces with metal snaps. We bought the Junior version for my Son’s 5th birthday. He had built his own toy within minutes and had a blast. The Pro version I got for Cambodia will be unlike anything they have ever seen.

Oh, and this will be 1 of my 5 days of class. I plan on covering some Physics, Chemistry, and Biology as well.

I'm Booked: July 9 through July 18

2009-05-20T09:07:00.005-05:00

It's official, I'm booked to Cambodia. I depart July 9 from Austin and arrive in Siem Reap the evening of July 10. I'll be there for only one week this year since I have a lot happening here in the US with work and family. I hope to concentrate the classes and make sure PCs are up and running while I'm there. I'll depart the evening of July 17th and be back July 18.

Time to start planning!

2009-01-23T16:36:00.004-06:00

It's been a long time since the last post, but amazingly it is time to start planning the next trip!

Trying to find a good fare is always a challenge. There really is no good way to do it, even with the plethora of online travel web sites. I end up using a rather extensize Excel sheet with arrival dates on the rows and departure dates on the columns. I then open about 6 different windows of Expedia and start plugging in the details. It take a while for their site to return an answer, but then I track the results in the sheet. Time consuming? Yes, but worth it for finding a good rate and reasonable travel times.

Catching Up

2008-07-28T12:55:00.005-05:00

Today's the first weekday back in the States. This is always a busy time with lots of sorting, email, phone calls, and general craziness. Because of this, I'll keep today's entry short.

One thing that must be shared is this picture of me in front of the only Mexican Restaurant in town. The enchiladas weren't too bad, but they also weren't exactly authentic.

Also, I've read on various news sites and heard from folks locally that the elections went off quite well, and that the ruling party claimed an easy victory. This is probably a good thing for short term stability since it won't massively disrupt the talks with Thiland on the border issue. They really need to find a sollution to that pretty quick. The Thai government doesn't seem to have a solid handle on some of their fringe political groups that are inciting this problem, and the Cambodian people are starting to feel the dangerous euphoria of Nationalism.

More pictures on the way after I get through the avalanche of tasks that I put off while sorting email remotely.

Sleepy... So Sleepy

2008-07-26T21:33:00.004-05:00

Made it back last night (Friday the 25th) around 11:30 pm. I think I got a whopping 5 hours of sleep after the drive, a bite to eat, and just catching up. The first day back is always really hard on the body. I can't really determine why when going to Cambodia, it's no problem to get turned around. Coming back is always 10 times harder.

So over the next week I'll continue to add to the blog with some more pictures and items that I didn't write about before. I'll also keep you up to date on the elections and border issues since I have a bit of an inside track with locals.

In the meantime, enjoy this short movie. It's the view from the back of a Tuk Tuk. This is the preferred means of transport for tourists. They basically attach a covered 2 person trailer to a motorbike. You'll get to see the old market, the river, one of the election billboards, and the seemingly impossible traffic patterns.

The Long Road Home

2008-07-24T23:46:00.003-05:00

This is my first entry from Korea since leaving Cambodia about 12 hours ago. It was a late flight, almost midnight. When I got here I caught a few hours of sleep in the "Transit Hotel". It's quite nice and not a terrible price either.

So now, I get to wait. My layover is about 12 hours. At least this airport is large enough to spend an hour just walking from one end to the other, gawking at the shops with ominous names like "Fashion and Packaged Foods", and "Quiznos".

This is also the point in the trip when you start to realize that your body clock is seriously messed up. It's midnight Central Time as a type this, but I just woke up. And that's considered pretty good when trying to get turned around. My goal is to try to stay away for the next 24 hours or so. Since 13 of that is in the air from here to LA, it shouldn't be too hard.

For now, I get to enjoy strange Korean TV shows and overpriced foods. I tried the Quiznos, fearful they might try to slip some Kimchee in there. Luckily they did not, but the affect of the dollar dropping like a stone was especially painful when I shelled out $13 for a sandwich and drink.

A Parade to End My Trip

2008-07-23T23:29:00.005-05:00

I've mentioned the elections that are happening on Wednesday, and today I got to witness what happens in the final stretch. Just like in the USA, things crank up here. More people driving around with bullhorns and recorded speeches.

Today we ran into a parade of nearly 10,000 people all from the Sam Raimsey party (they have a single candle as their logo). That's the second or third largest party at the moment. They were out in full force. Pickup trucks that were teeming with human microphones, motorbikes, cars, even the occasional Lexus SUV.

The intersection where I took this photo is normally very busy. The road from the lake meets two other major roads, one that goes north to the temples and another that is the back way into the old market district. Having a solid wall of people flow through here was a major issue. Huge busses had to divert into incoming traffic, people and motorbikes had to start driving on whatever remnants of sidewalk were available.

Most people in a political caravan in the US would be waving and smiling. Most of these folks looked downright bored. I have to wonder if they were offered a little "something" for their time.

We eventually made it through the crowd by following the busses that were going the wrong way. When there was an opening in the traffic, we swung over to the right side of the road and made it to the cafe.

So tonight I'll pack my bags and get ready for my long trip back home. Hopefully when I get there we won't have any political parties sitting in my cul-de-sac with megaphones blaring about how their candidate is the best.

No Preservatives

2008-07-22T22:50:00.004-05:00

One of the best perks of being in Cambodia is the food. You might initially think that a third world county doesn’t have anything good to eat. I’m sure that other parts of the world that are crippled with poverty have nothing but the barest of sustenance. Cambodia however, is trending positive in a big way, so this is not a problem.

Everything here is fresh. People simply don’t have the money to keep food in a refrigerator for weeks on end. Also, prepackaged items that spit out the back end of a factory are also not acceptable or necessary when you have everything growing around you. This is an odd juxtaposition. If you are just above the level of poverty, you have clean, fresh food. If you live in a high modernized society, almost everything is high fat, sugar, and processed.

Combine these factors with the Cambodian history as a French colony many years ago, and you have an incredible result: extremely high quality ingredients that were picked within hours of cooking time, with an unreal combination of French and South Asian styles.

After my morning classes I frequent a shop called The Blue Pumpkin. They have free wireless internet and an amazing bakery. They are also branching out (See the blog entry on the Golf Outing), another sign of success.

Try finding anything close to this level of taste and quality in the US, and you will pay about 5 times the price. Almost everything in the picture is about $1. The most expensive items are $2.

Border Trouble 3 - The Telethon

2008-07-20T08:11:00.002-05:00

You can't help but be plugged into the recent issues at the border. Everyone is talking about it, and they have lots of news stories. I'm convinced that this is the first real "Nationalist" issue that people have rallied around since before the Khmer Rouge. Everyone, and I mean everyone, is behind the Cambodian government on this issue. Plus, there's a deep seeded rivalry between the two countries. Most local people aren't too fond of their Thai neighbors.

I noticed watching the live kickboxing match (it's the popular thing for the drivers, so I often join in to see what they are chatting about), that the TV station had co-opted about 1/3 of the bottom of the screen with phone numbers. They also would cut away from both the action and the commercials (which is quite significant here), to show pictures of people answering phones.

It turns out they are taking donations for the Cambodian Army. People are giving money to help support their troops at the border. Apparently they are raising over $35,000 a day. That's a monsterous sum for people here. If you earn around $200 a month, you are doing well.

So the politicians are shaking hands and making nice for the cameras. All the while Cambodia is awakening to a new type of pride: Nationalism.

Hopefully the ghosts of the past will remind them how this emotion can turn ugly.

Khmer Golf Outing

2008-07-20T08:03:00.006-05:00

Every year I have a free weekend to do something entertaining. Last year we visited the ruins of Preah Vihear, which are currently the site of a border skirmish between Cambodian and Thai authorities. Before that we made other long-distance trips to see temples or other historic sites.

This year I had to try the new golf resort. There were signs advertising it in the airport, and I had read about its construction over time. Given that it’s associated with the high-end hotels, I figured it would be pretty good.

Here's their web site. It wasn't working when I posted this, but feel free to try.
www.angkor-golf.com

My initial impression wasn’t right. Prem and I had stopped by the equivalent of the Caddy Shack when I wanted to make a tee time. Things there are still under construction in this particular spot. For example, they were putting in the electricity poles.

We pulled up at 8 am and they pointed to the shuttle bus. I loaded up with about 5-6 other gentlemen and immediately realized that this was the shuttle to the clubhouse. Ah, things are looking much nicer now.

Nicer indeed. I was completely blown away by the architecture and arrangement of this small yet incredibly elegant clubhouse. After renting pretty much everything (clubs, shoes that were about 1 size too small, cart, and caddy), I headed out the front. Sure enough my caddy was standing next to the cart waiting for me. She didn’t speak a lot of English, but was quite friendly and certainly able to communicate well enough about the game.

One glace at the clubs and I knew they were expensive: All new Cobras. I got into the cart and heard, “Ok, ready”. She was hanging onto the back on a special metal frame built just for the caddy. Wow, I guess no crazy driving for me.

The game progressed very well. I’m nowhere near a pro golfer, but for the most part I can find my ball if I don’t hit it in the water and will shoot straight about half the time. It was on about hole four that I realized that she was keeping score for me on my card. Woah, I don’t think I’ve EVER kept score without a few gimmies here and there. This will be interesting!

On hole 4 I had to wait for the foursome in front of me to play, and I was standing near my ball absentmindedly looking at the gorgeous scenery. The course is downright manicured. I thought a cloud had come over since the sun took a break from blistering my neck, but it was actually my caddy. She was holding a gigantic umbrella over me for shade.

At hole 8, we pulled up to an stylish café with cold drinks and snacks. It’s run by The Blue Pumpkin. That brand is really taking off in Siem Reap. Prem would later comment, “The Blue Pumpkin, they are everywhere!”

Around hole 10 my toes were starting to get sore. I think the shoes were probably my size when they first bought them, but the climate must have shrunk the leather. It wasn’t a problem really, I should have spoken up in the pro shop when I first put them on. I was simply too anxious to get started.

Around hole 14 I was feeling the effects of the sun. The day started out cloudy but was clearing. I knew I was going to get burned. The course was simply too wonderful to let that stop me!

Hole 18 was my best: I shot par. I had been averaging about 2 shots over (with a couple really nasty ones).

When I finished up I knew I had to purchase a golf shirt with the course logo. How often will you get the opportunity to do that!

Overall, I spent quite a bit of money on my golf outing. About $250. Yup, it was expensive, but it was also a world-class facility that would likely be about twice that price in the US.

If you’re a casual golfer or more, I highly recommend it should you find yourself in the middle of Cambodia. As an added plus, no landmines!

Border Trouble 2 / Signs of Progress

2008-07-18T07:49:00.002-05:00

Another entertaining day. Kids learning Photoshop are especially fun to watch when they get to take their own pictures and do silly things. It helps with the learning process when it's personal!

Before my afternoon class, I had to get some wiring and batteries ready for the lesson on electricity. Since it was going to take me a couple minutes, I thought I would ask them for their opinions on the recent problem at the border with Thailand. They all agreed that it was a bad thing, but that talking was the best way to resolve the conflict. A couple of them had friends who talked about being willing to fight, but that it wasn't the popular opinion.

Apparently the Prime Ministers will meet early next week to talk it over. It sounds like this will resolve soon we hope, but it's dominating the local press and local conversation. I like to hear that folks are disposed to peaceful resolution. It's the first real "Nationalist" issue in recent memory that all Cambodian people can get behind since the Khmer Rouge, which was essentially a form of civil war.

Another odd sign of progress I've noticed this year has been with the animals. The dogs don't look like skin and bones. They also have some obvious owners, not just strays. The cows and watter buffalo also look a lot more thick in the middle. When times are good and you have some leftover food, I guess it goes to the next in line.

The acme of burgeoning luxury has to be the new golf course. I'm trying it out tomorrow, this will be my "weekend excursion", instead of traveling for almost two days straight to a remote part of the jungle. My tee time is 8 am. The lady didn't write it down, so I might be the only one there. Oh, and there's no pro shop. There's also no electricity, because I saw the power poles just getting set in concrete. I bet it will be awesome.

Tension at the Border

2008-07-16T22:34:00.004-05:00

Unless you're a news junkie, you probably don't know about a troop buildup that is happening between the Cambodian and Thai authorities at a disputed temple site. Here's a link to a good BBC summary:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7509412.stm

I had the pleasure of visiting this site last year. It's quite a nasty trip to get there, over bumpy and bad roads for most of an entire day, one way. However, it's a majestic place situated on the edge of a mountain.

Since it gained UNESCO World Heritage Site status in the last 10 days, it has been a reason for lots of local people to celebrate. Many hangovers, but still lots of smiles. It's a point of national pride.

Word on the street here is that both countries are going to try to find a peaceful solution very soon. I asked around to see if anyone knows people that work in the Army, and some do. Apparently these countries haven't been too fond of each other for many generations, but times are changing. We'll see if I can get the inside scoop.

Also, it's election time. That will complicate things somewhat, but I'm not sure how yet. I'll let you know.

FYI - My weekend excursion this year isn't going to be anywhere near the north where the trouble is.

Health and Science

2008-07-16T08:11:00.003-05:00

This morning I had a second visit with the Angkor Hospital for children. The Operating Theatre Director, Mr. Chhoy Chan, gave me a tour of their sterile processing area and Operating Room. Apparently I had dropped off so many instruments that they simply haven’t had a chance to organize them and put them in rotation yet, but the consensus there was that I had brought a lot of fantastic things that will help them create new sets and fix some old ones. Nice to hear!

Their sterile processing department (SPD) area is small. Incredibly small. Like imagine a college dorm room. Yeah, that small. They actually do have quite a few instruments, but many are specialized and can’t be used for every type of case. Also, many are just not in good repair.

They had all the same elements of SPD you would see in any hospital: Initial Decontamination, Drying, Packaging, Sterilization, and Storage. Granted, their facility is not the standard you would find in an American hospital, but it was extremely well organized for the amount of space and the type of equipment they have. Keep in mind that they process instruments through there all the time. They run about 5-8 cases a day in that one room, and many of the general items need to be used from one case to the next!

The Operating Room was much roomier, but they had to sacrifice part of the space for more supply storage. Unlike in the US, you can’t simply wheel something into the hall for temporary (or longer) keeping. The halls are literally teeming with people. On one hand it’s hard to see so many people in need, but that quickly diminishes when you realize they are getting excellent care for little or no money.

Mr. Bill Housworth is the new Executive Director. He’s actually an American, I was a bit surprised! Most of the volunteers I have seen in Cambodia come from other countries.

After chatting with him and Chan I was able to get a better assessment of the things they might find useful. I’ll have several folks to talk to when I get back to Texas, and I can email the hospital to verify if they need something. It certainly appears to be a burgeoning humanitarian effort for me. Maybe I can make it really roll quickly.

Just before lunch we stopped by the Artisan's D'Angkor, a facility that trains Cambodians to be artists using wood and stone carving, as well as silk design. Since they take a credit card, I personally helped stimulate the local economy for another year in a row.

After lunch we were driving back to the hotel and spotted Mr. Wayne the policeman on a motorcycle. We ended up following him for a little ways. It was fun to watch all of the local people on the street turn their heads and look at him as he drove by. He truly is a local celebrity!

Class at Khnar Thmei was quite fun. After a little trial and error, we were able to get an egg to float on a jar of salt water that was inside a jug of regular water. If it’s still there tomorrow I’ll take a picture. We had to rush out since it was looking like hard rain.

I briefly touched on tomorrow’s topic: Air Pressure. They were picking up on it quickly, but still excited to see the experiment. I think seeing another one work is instilling confidence in them!

Tableside Propane

2008-07-15T08:51:00.003-05:00

Dinner tonight was on "Pub Street". The name is quite deceiving. 4 years ago it was a dirty garbage alley. Last year we noticed they had cleaned it up pretty well and they had some restaurants expanding with a few tables. This year it's quite nice. A few art vendors, and lots of restaurant options.

While eating my "Khmer Fish", which is essentially a whole fried fish with a side of mango-leaf salsa, we had a visitor. Apparently our restaurant ordered some propane. A guy came up Pub Street on a rather grimy, old, red motorbike. It wasn't your standard Honda. It looked like something from the 60s that had been rebuilt about 4 times and was spray painted red. On the back of it he had a giant propane tank, probably twice the volume of a standard one you use in the US.

He pulled up next to our table. Oh, I do mean next to it. Probably 2 feet away. We got a nice whiff of the exhaust to accentuate the fish. I think the lady at the table next to us wasn't able to back up if she wanted to.

He hopped off the bike, unstrapped the tank, and heaved it onto his shoulder. It looked quite heavy. I'm glad he didn't drop it.

Not too long after he came back with a much lighter looking canister. I guess in Cambodia you can have propane delivered 24/7. Hey, you have to cook with something, and there's no central gas service in this town.

3 Year End of Life

2008-07-15T08:45:00.001-05:00

Classes yesterday were a little out of the ordinary. I’m still trying to get most of the PCs up and running, and we’ve been waiting for the computer school to finish working on them. The owner Bunly (pronounced “boon –lee”) was away because his wife was having a baby. They still have their children at home in this culture, not in the hospital. That’s a place to go if you have a problem, not if you’re healthy.

Each location where I teach is different, so I essentially have to tailor three different lessons. The first place is the Ellohim mission center. Those kids are becoming pretty advanced since they have 4 PCs (2 are working at the moment), a teacher who volunteers on weekends, and a benevolent Korean owner who makes sure things are in good order. For example, those two broken PCs will get fixed when he arrives about a week after I leave. For them, I’m teaching Publisher. I would like to move on to Photoshop next, but we’ll see.

The second location is the home of Mr. Sok (pronounced “Sock”) in Bos Kralanh. He’s the host of the solar panel setup from last year. It was apparently a fantastic success, even doing well during rainy times. He had lots of pictures of people using the computer and learning basic skills. Unfortunately, the computer wasn’t has hardy as the power source. We tried hooking it up after repairs, but it wasn’t working again. Back to the computer shop!

Sok was nice enough to give me a copy of his music CD. He’s quite good with traditional Khmer instruments. This was a collection of songs for New Years. Oh, and all proceeds go to people disabled by landmines. Wow.

Khnar Thmei is the village where I first started working 4 years ago. Those kids are sharp. My driver Prem doesn’t even translate much anymore. Since both their computers were out at the repair shop, I started the first science lesson with the infamous combination of Diet Coke and Mentos. And no, it wasn’t just for fun (but that helps). We reviewed the ingredients and talked about reactions, catalysts, and nucleation. I even drew the chemical composition of caffeine on the board.

We had an excellent lunch at a new American Café called Common Grounds. I ate way too much and tried to balance it with a small dinner. The food here is just way too good. If I weren’t sweating all the time I would gain weight immediately.

Today classes were more in line with a normal routine. Ellohim continued with Publisher, and we still don’t have a computer for Bos Kralanh (but we now know it’s waiting on a replacement power supply).

After morning class and lunch we stopped by the computer shop. Bunly was back, he had pictures of his son on his very nice cell phone. The PC was not recoverable with a shorted out mainboard. I guess 10 years is about the end of life in a third world country. We’re lucky to get 3 in the US just because of new software. So, I bought a replacement. A newer Compaq with 2.0GHz Celeron, 15” flatscreen, 256MB RAM, 40GB HD, and all the software your heart desires. All this for the low, low price of $235. If it breaks, his people will fix it for free or cheap.

Class at Khnar Thmei was good after installing the new machine and briefly reviewing how to care for it. I’m teaching volume, density, and pressure. Since I didn’t have time to get materials for a science lab because of the computer, it will happen tomorrow. I’ll try to float an egg between water and salt water. Even after I explained it, the kids are somewhat skeptical but in a good way. They’re excited.

Dinner, a show, and viruses

2008-07-14T07:26:00.003-05:00

Last night we decided to try a new restaurant. Several have popped up in the last couple years and are gaining excellent reputations. This one was decent, but a limited menu. However, the highlight of the evening was learning a bit about how the authorities operate.

In the evening, the police block off some of the more popular tourist streets so motorbikes and cars can’t enter into the areas where visitors aren’t paying attention while walking in the middle of the street. It actually works quite well and they have expanded the number of blocks they reserve in subsequent years since I’ve visited.

Our driver caught sight of one of these checkpoints the police setup, and recognized one of the officers.

“Oh, that’s Mister Wayne!” As I soon found out the Khmer word for “tall” or “long” sounds like Wayne. This guy had to be about 6ft, a giant among regular Cambodians.

“Mister Wayne, he’s a really good finer. He’ll stop a lot of people tonight to take the money.”

We asked, “Oh, like traffic tickets?”

“Oh yes, but he keeps the money and the police split it up at the end of the night. That is how it works. Watch.”

Sure enough, there were some folks driving in the area that was blocked off. They likely had parked there before the street was blocked off, but the law is that you have to walk the motorbike out before you start driving. He had them stopped in no time. One group spoke to him for a little while then had to leave their bike. Another gave him something and headed on.

“You see,” he said, “If you talk to him only a little bit, then he doesn’t have time to find other things wrong and raise the price. Maybe you only pay 5000 riel ($1.25) if you go fast. Those people probably didn’t have money so they have to go get some and then pay more, maybe 15000 riel ($4.25). Mister Wayne is a really good finer, everyone in Siem Reap knows him. He’s even been beaten up a couple times.”

So there we sat, eating a lovely dinner and watching officers take bribes. Remember, these guys earn about $50 a month. This is essentially supplemental income, and they aren’t enforcing laws that don’t exist. It was good to see them stopping people who frequently go the wrong way down one of the one-way streets on our intersection. That is after all dangerous. You should see the gigantic tourist buses trying to turn there. It’s frightening. However, it would be nice if that money could go to the general fund instead of arbitrarily gained by certain police. But hey, at least you know where the money is going. Can you say the same for what you pay in taxes in America?

This morning I held one class and tried to coordinate getting new PCs and PC repair. They’re in rough shape this year. I guess we’re running out their lifespan. It’s incredible how well they have held up anyway given the conditions.

I wanted to try to focus on using the PC in new ways this year, not just teaching Office. So, I was preparing my lesson this afternoon in my hotel. They have 3 PCs setup for internet, but it’s generally not reliable. Oh well, my task was simple. I wanted to print out a periodic table of the elements to start teaching some basic chemistry and physics. Why not!

I couldn’t get the PC with the printer to work on the internet since it was riddled with viruses. Instead, I figured I might as well plug in my laptop and the printer and just get it done.

Immediately, my anti-virus software lit up like a fire alarm. Apparently this little network of 3 machines is in bad shape. The guy working on the one mentioned “Oh yeah, all of Siem Reap. I think last week the entire town got hit bad with viruses”.

Lovely. I disconnected from that ugliness and went back to my room. It started raining pretty hard so I probably wouldn’t have any students show up to class anyway. Maybe this afternoon I’ll go to an internet café and use their PCs to print.

If I see Mister Wayne, I’ll tell my driver to go another way.

Corruption, Elections, Missionary Work, and Free Pizza Delivery

2008-07-13T02:06:00.003-05:00

This year I noticed a lot more political advertisements. It’s not unusual for a family to proudly display a blue sign with their party of choice, or to see the occasional political party office. But this year something was different. The amount of media blitz was something I had never seen before.

Naturally, I asked my driver, “So what’s going on with all of this?”

“It’s election time. Every 5 years they have elections, so all of the parties are trying to get votes. You know, they promise that if you vote for them, they will build roads where you live, or help you find jobs or services. Then after they get elected, they can’t seem to keep their promises.”

Sounded eerily familiar. I guess the big news this time around is that Funcipec, the 2nd largest party has been fractured into two groups. Apparently one of their key backers left and formed his own group because of a basic policy difference. Now they are trying to regroup. Plus, there are a couple new parties that have sprung up that seem to be gathering quite a few votes. One is called the Human Rights Party. Their biggest difference I have heard is that they had an election primary, so people could actually choose the person, not the party they are voting for.

So then my driver (Prem) adds: “You’ll see a lot of signs around, parties, and things. They also go to villages and give them gifts. Do they do that in America?”

I sheepishly answered, “Not exactly. Giving gifts to people for votes is illegal, but they find other ways to make promises. It’s a lot harder to see the corruption in America. Here you can see them handing out things. In America we can only read about how money is given from one person to another. Maybe the Cambodian way is somehow less corrupt”.

Prem insightfully added, “It would be best if they just did their job. Cambodia people don’t like to talk about politics. No results, just talk. We’re too busy thinking about doing our job or family.”

Today I got to enjoy what you might call political ads. I go with Deanna to the Church in Khnar Thmei on Sunday mornings for the service. Just after finishing the second song at the start, I hear this deafening roar of audibly mangled Khmer speech. It sounds like a carnival loudspeaker. The congregation looked slightly irritated, and even the pastor commented that it was “a bit loud”. I asked Prem, and he said it was a tape recording for Funcipec trying to convince people to vote for them. It stopped about 30 minutes later, and seemingly started again. I figured they had changed tapes and began to tune it out. Prem then leaned over, “Ah, now it’s CPP.” Cambodian People’s Party, the largest and the one in power, apparently follows the other around and blares their recording after others. Certainly worse than TV ads.

During the service, a lady got up and was showing off a plastic bag full of some kind of food. I couldn’t quite tell what it was, but I had to guess something like a doughnut twist or biscotti. Deanna explained that this lady was the head of the Women’s Group for the church and was offering to teach the ladies in the congregation how to make these next Saturday. Why? Because they are raising money for mission work. Yes, people in Cambodia who are living in one of the poorest countries in the world are raising money to give to those less fortunate. I couldn’t help but think of that when putting in my offering. And by the way, the twists were excellent. A little crunchy and sweet. I ate 3.

After church, we stopped by a ceramics shop that is new in the last couple years. It’s headed by a Frenchman and his son. They do some incredible work there and are teaching local people this lost art. They even had some sample pots they use as artistic guides that where over 1000 years old.

If you think your job is bad, then remember the guy stoking the 2000 degree kiln in the middle of summer in Cambodia. That’s the picture.

Last, we stopped by the new “shopping mall” for lunch. We ate at The Pizza Company and ice cream at Swensens. This was surreal. I felt like you could have dropped this place in the middle of any American city and it would have fit in. It was nice to get out and dodge motorbikes in the street. On the way out, we verified that they do indeed have free pizza delivery. There were a couple motorbikes parked in the back with special containers. Strange.

Recon Day

2008-07-11T05:02:00.003-05:00

After a hard sleep, I woke up around 8 or 9 in pretty good shape. My phone seems to be confused about what time it really is. I don't remember this being an issue last year, but somehow Daylight Savings is a real puzzle for it I guess. Oh well.

We visited the three locations with computers and did an assessment. One just had an issue with the BIOS and video settings, so I will get that fixed tomorrow. I couldn't quite remember that F8 will get you to Safe Mode. At least I got the hard drive to recognize. This is the Solar PC we setup last year. Incredibly, it worked well the entire time, even in the rainly season. I think it was very well cared for, and that made a huge difference.

At Khnar Thmei, both computers were non-functional. Apparently one was working the previous day, but their fix for a previous issue was to remove some RAM. Interesting. I wouldn't have gone with that as my first attempt. Both have already been dropped off at the computer shop and we're awaiting a quote.

Ellohim Center has 4 PCs, and is all setup by a Korean man and his family that run the entire building. A couple of theirs are down, but the caretaker said that the owner was already planning on bringing replacements.

Finally, we stopped by the Hospital. It goes without saying that they were a little surprised by the volume and quality of the instruments. I'll write more about this in a future post. I want to grab a couple pictures off the camera first and email them.

75% There

2008-07-10T03:50:00.002-05:00

I'm in Korea now, the local time is 5:51 pm, July 10th.

My adventure started today with a chatty shuttle bus driver. Apparently she is REALLY into antiques and similar craft fairs. She wants me to call her when I get back with any silks since she might want to buy some. It's hard to think business at 4:00am.

Checking in with American is always a thrill. They do an OK job, but you never know what you might get in today's air travel climate. I've had them charge me for bags sometimes and not others, wonder where my destination is, and the like. Today I got a slightly surly lady. Not really in a bad way, since she knew exactly what was happening and zipped me through the process, but I could tell she was distrustful. Probably of more than just customers. No tinfoil hat, but I bet there might be one in her car. Plus, I didn't have to pay any bag fees. I'll take surly over hard dollars any day!

Flight to Dallas was quick and uneventful. A tad late, but that's normal now. Dallas connection was also no big deal. I even had time to finish watching a movie I had started on my laptop.

The Dallas to Seattle flight was just fine, right up until the end...

"Good Morning everyone, this is your captain speaking. Looks like we have a warning light on up here. We've already spoken to maintenance and control on the ground, and we all feel this won't effect our landing. However, you will see that we're greeted by firetrucks when we land. Thank you"

So, after the flight attendant made a rather emphatic statement about getting our seatbelts "Low and Tight", we had a perfectly smooth landing. Seattle's finest were there to wave.

That little excitement made me more late for my connection to Korea. I had to sprint to the other end of the airport, and as I approached my gate, the agent was calling for me over the loudspeaker. No issues, they just wanted to make sure I was checked in and OK. Pretty much the opposite mindset of the US based carriers. No tinfoil hats.

10 and 1/2 hours later, here I am. I've already indulged in my annual Seoul Airport Burger King Luncheon. No time for a shower, my next flight is just over an hour away. I guess I get to arrive into Cambodia with a little bit of funk.

Oh, and I just got first hand experience with the falling value of the US Dollar. I think I paid about 20% more for my Whopper than last year.

Off I Go

2008-07-09T03:35:00.003-05:00

It's a lovely 3:36 in the morning as I type this. Everything is ready to go, now I just wait for the shuttle to pick me up.

I get the feeling that this year will be full of changes yet again. It's striking how much growth happens there in just 12 months. I expect some new hotels, a couple more paved roads, and perhaps a few less beggars. But with these positive changes also comes the negative. It sounds like gambling and alcohol are rapidly taking off as the new primary challenges in Cambodia. I can see how people would want to grab any opportunity for entertainment after decades of war and suffering, but simple weekend fun appears to be strangling their fledgling country.

I'll have plenty of time for reflection on this as I sit on planes. I should touch down in Siem Reap around noon on Thursday (Central Time).

Packing Bags

2008-07-07T08:30:00.003-05:00

I got all of the instruments into my larger suitcase. Since these items are expensive and somewhat fragile, I bought some of the grey packing foam from a shipping store. I highly recommend that if you get any sent to you, keep it. That stuff is actually rather expensive.

After a couple of attempts at weighing the bag, I estimate that it's about 65 pounds. The airlines have gotten really stingy on weight limits. It used to be a 100 lb limit, now it's 70 lbs.

News from the folks in Cambodia now is that the computers at Khnar Thmei are definitely out of order. I've also heard that the solar power computer is having hard drive problems, but it may have done quite well overall.

I just took my first Malarone. No burning sensation!

Pesky Mosquitoes

2008-06-30T10:28:00.003-05:00

Every year I get a travel checkup at the doctor. Unfortuantely, my "honorary degree via typo" isn't enough to let me get my own prescriptions.

I'm probably one of the most up to date people when it comes to vaccinations. Nothing really exciting, just the following:

Diphtheria
Tetanus
Whooping Cough
Hepatitis A
Hepatitis B
Typhoid
Measles
Mumps
Rubella

Unfortunately, there’s no vaccination for Malaria. So, I normally take a pill once a week to prevent it. This year I guess they changed the recommendation to another type that is once a day: Malarone. Oh well, perhaps this one won’t burn my throat when I swallow it. Plus, it’s not supposed to trigger hallucinations like the other medication. Too bad I never got that entertaining side effect.

Goals for 2008

2008-06-25T13:52:00.006-05:00

It looks like this is going to be a pretty good place to record things. Setup was quick and easy.

So, what does Sam have planned for 2008? I've already received some emails from Pat and Deanna. They have been working in Laos for a little while, and arrived in Battambang some time ago. It looks like a couple computers will need some service, no surprise really. The big fun this trip will be delivering surgical instruments.

Last year there were epidemic outbreaks of Dengue Fever. I decided to stop by the local hospital to see if I could be of any help. It turns out that they have a very well documented list of "things we need" in case people ask. The one part that caught my eye was the need for surgical instruments. I have contacts from years past that still work in the medical device industry. Even though it took longer than I thought it would, I was able to get over 300 devices gathered up!

So, we'll see how Cambodian customs reacts to my luggage. Luckily, I have a very nice letter from the hospital to help me get through. I especially like how I was given an honorary degree.

First Post!

2008-06-25T13:41:00.000-05:00

I'm setting up this Blog to make it easy for friends, family, co-workers, acquaintances, enemies, and anyone else who wants to read about my 2008 Cambodia trip. Let the blogging begin!