flood relief

Just before leaving on vacation I participated in a flood relief distribution. It is rainy season here, which means it rains at least once per day. I enjoy the rain because for a short time it cools off and I stop sweating.

In one of the urban slum areas we are working they are experiencing terrible flooding. Granted, some of the homes should have been raised when built or the land graded. That didn't happen, but that isn't the biggest source of the problem. Actually, there used to be a canal that drained the water adequately. Then someone purchased land near the slum area. The canal was in the middle of his land and he didn't like it, so he filled it. Now the water has no where to drain and it just backs up in to the slum. We've approached him and asked him to clear the canal, but he isn't interested in complying with our request, nor with the impact it is having on over 100 poor families. We, with some of the community leaders, are taking our request to the government along. Hopefully they will be more compassionate or at least interested in "saving face" with the presence of an International NGO there. Here are some pictures from the flooded community.

Anyway, with the help of community leaders we identified 83 families in need of immediate relief from the flooding. We decided to provide some basic food supplies. Here are some pictures from the distribution.

This project was completely led by our national staff. I was proud of their organization and professionalism.

What have you been doing lately?

rested

Kenyon and I had a great vacation. This was the first time in years that I was on holiday and didn't think about work once. It helps that I am starting a new job and my responsibilities are still quite limited.

We went to an area near the coast known as Sihanoukville. It is quieter there than in the city - dogs barking and traffic noise are replaced by the calming sounds of water. We spent one day snorkeling, another day just lounging on Otres Beach. What a vacation!

When I returned to work on Monday one of my colleagues who I have worked with for over a year said to me, "Sheri, you look so rested. I don't think I've ever seen you so rested." I haven't felt so rested in a very long time.

Now that I am back, you should be hearing from me more often. However, my internet access is still limited so it may not be consistently.

What is the most relaxing vacation you have ever taken?

Pchum Ben

In the area where I grew up there is an anual celebration called La Muerte un Dia, translated Day of the Dead. The purpose behind it is to celebrate, honor, and recognize our ancestors. The practice goes back thousands of years to the time of the Aztec civilization.

Turns out Cambodia has a similar custom called Pchum Ben. This weekend is Pchum Ben holiday. Most of our local staff go home to be with family and to honor their ancestors. It is part of their Budhist beliefs. I am told everything in the city closes down. I took some fabric I had to Russian market to be made in to skirts and was told even the massive market will be closed for Pchum Ben. Kenyon and I are taking this opportunity to visit the coast. We have reservations to catch a ride on an airconditioned bus with a toilet (we paid extra for these ammenities). It will be a four hour drive to the coast where we have reservations at a local guest house. I'm really looking forward to a four day weekend and time outside of the city.

I will post again when we return.

perspective

Before moving to Cambodia I thought Kenyon and I lived a relatively simple life. Neither of us drove fancy cars - his was a truck over 10 years old with some of the inside parts duct taped together, mine was the blue ant. When I was selling the blue ant people would ask about the style of the vehicle, my response was, "if you are looking for a car as a status symbol, this is not the car for you. it is fuel efficient and will get you from A to B no problem." We lived in a basement apartment. We rarely spent money on clothes or shopping and we rarely dined out. The furniture we owned I have had for years. We had some camping stuff and Christmas decorations in a storage closet in our apartment, but no need for external storage of our stuff. We led a simple life by American standards.

In preparation for the move to Cambodia we liquidated our assets. Sold furniture. Sold our vehicles. Donated loads of stuff to Goodwill and fit what remained in nine boxes, plus six travel bags. There were a few special pieces of furniture that my friend Angela is storing, but it isn't enough to furnish a house of any size. When we return to the States, we will essentially be starting over. It felt like I had been peared down to the bare minimum of my possessions. It was an eye opening process for me as I believed I wasn't attached to stuff, but quickly realized how hard it was for me to get rid of my stuff - books were the worst, I really struggled in parting with my book collection.

It is amazing to me what a difference a few weeks makes. We have been in Cambodia for approximately three weeks now. I have the same amount of stuff - nine boxes and six travel bags. Here that amount of stuff is wealth beyond measure. I still have a closet full of clothes - clothes for work, clothes for exercise, clothes for play. Many of those around me have the clothes on their back. I have a bed to sleep in with pillows and a matress in a protected home while many of those around me don't have shelter, or live in shanties and sleep on the floor. I eat three meals a day and sometimes discard things because I don't like the taste, while others around me go hungry, or work long hours to make a small salary that is barely enough to feed their family one meal a day. Not only do I have access to books, but as a female living in America I was given an opportunity to learn to read. I am rich. I am blessed. I am privileged. What did I do to deserve such gifts? Nothing.

Over the years I have often been asked what I get out of this type of work. My answer, "perspective. I get a fresh perspective on my life and an appreciation for all I've been given."

What a difference a few weeks and a few thousand miles can make!

shopping for moto helmets

One of the primary modes of transportation in our new locale is motorbikes. It is cheap and efficient! I've always wanted to own my own motorbike, now I get to ride them almost daily. The ladies here ride side saddle on the back. We will be buying ourselves a moto to get around once we move in to our place. Neither of us know how to drive one, but we will learn. In the meantime, I am happy to sit on the back of one with a stranger.

Here it is law that we wear a helmet (though not everyone does). So, Kenyon and I went moto helmet shopping a few days back. It was a lot of fun. Kenyon chose a very manly looking black and white helmet with a dark visor. I chose a bright blue helmet with a white racing stripe down the middle and a cartoon character on the side that says, "Juicy Girl." The cartoon character is a girl on a moto with her ponytail blowing in the wind. I figured, why not? Where else can I get away with wearing such things in public?

If you were choosing a moto helmet, what style would you select?