unexpected meeting in Bangkok

I really enjoyed the people I worked with in my last job - loved them really, miss them still. When my dad came for a visit we had planned to spend a couple of days in Bangkok - his favorite city on earth and one of our old haunts when we would travel together to India a few times a year. I thought it would be great to be together again in Bangkok.

To my surprise I got an email from a colleague from Kenya who, by providence, would be in Bangkok around the same time as his wife had a work conference there. Fabulous! We made a plan to get together for a dinner. I couln't believe my luck!

This is Grace and Patrick. They have two boys (who were still home in Kenya) - Solomon and Ethan. This family is very special to me. You may not have known it, but he was a subject of many earlier posts here and here most recently.

We met up at the night market. Ate in the food court and then went shopping. In my opinion, Bangkok has the best shopping in the world. I've been a lot of places and each place has something unique to offer, but I've yet to find better shopping than Bangkok. I think Grace and Patrick enjoyed it too. At least I hope they did.

We had a great time catching up and making new memories. At the end of the night we put them in a tuk and sent them on their merry way. Until next time friends...when we meet up again somwhere in the world.

streets of Phnom Penh

Did you see the Amazing Race this season? They visited our new town - Phnom Pen, Cambodia. Or as one of the teams referred to it - Sean Penn, Cambodia. I got an email from my brother shortly after that episode (episode 3 in case you missed it) and he was so excited when he saw the city we are living in - he said he kept telling everyone, "that's where my sister lives!" True that! So, I've been snapping photos around the streets of Phnom Penh. Here is a couple of typical sites:

A loaded moto. This basket happens to be empty, but I have seen them before full of something like bananas. I've seen live chickens hung by their feet and strapped to the handle bars, beaks dragging on the asphalt. Recently, I was three giant pigs on the back of a moto. Sometimes a moto is so loaded the driver can barely fit on the bike with everything. I don't know how they drive in those instances...it certainly isn't the safest option but I am often impressed by the ingenuity!

Motos, motos everywhere! When driving a car, these really are the hardest things to keep track of. I might be backing up and they will come right up behind the car with no regard for the harm it might cause them. I could have my blinker on to turn right and they will come right between me and the curb (in a very small space) on the right hand side while I am in motion. There is supposed to be a moto lane, but like all other road rules here, these are simply a suggestion.

Street vendors. I've mentioned these before as they were the source of the cotton candy we bought. The only other thing I've bought from a street vendor is roasted corn. It smelled so good, I couldn't resist. Usually, I don't recognize what they are selling so my interest level is pretty low.

Child labor. This is something I see far too often along the streets of Cambodia - young children who are working. These boys are selling some roasted oyster shells.

commiserating with a 4 year old

Kenyon and I had been invited to carpool with a co-worker and her family to the scheduled family day activities. They are a family of four with a baby boy on the way - the mom is from America, the dad from Cambodia and there are two little girls ages 4 and 6 years old. The family had just come back from a visit to the States. The 4 year old, Anna, hadn't recovered. As we were driving around she says, "I really like America."

To all of our surprise, Kenyon says, "I do too."

A: The food in America is really good.

K: Yeah, I agree.

A: The streets are smooth and clean.

K: I hear you.

A: In America, it isn't so hot and there is air conditioning.

K: I feel you're pain.

It went on like this for a while. The whole car was listening and trying not to laugh. At the end of the conversation Kenyon says, "I really like you. You can come over any time."

We all lost it. Laughter by the rest of the adults. We still laugh about it, but Kenyon and Anna have formed a special bond over their affinity for America. Every time he sees her he says, "that is such a smart little girl, she is just brilliant!" It is pretty amazing that a four year old could verbalize such contrasts and emotions. I like her too, she tells the funniest stories!

Family Day

Once a year we get our staff together for a fun activity called "Family Day" - a Saturday away from work with their spouse and children. This year we rented out a local resort and used the pool, the billiards, and set up a seafood barbecue. Here are some photos of the recent event.

I love seeing our staff as daddies.

It's hard for ladies in Cambodia to go swimming. It is a very modest culture, which translates to no swimsuits. If a lady gets in the water it usually involves a t-shirt and long shorts. Our ladies spent most of their time sitting on the sidelines.

A different kind of pool - often called "snooker" or "billiards" here.

I passed on the seafood BBQ. I'm not a big fan of calamari or squid. I also have all kinds of public health fears about eating seafood that hasn't been cooked well.

Christmas in Asia

This picture was taken from a recent visit to Bangkok with my good friend and co-worker Lesley. There were all kinds of gaudy holiday scenes set up when we visited. In typical Asian style there were many people posing for photos among the lights and sets. We couldn't resist! When in Asia....

Kenyon and I are spending our first Christmas in Asia. No trips home for the holiday. I am actually pretending the holidays don't exist this year. It's been rather easy since the weather is still warm like summer (we are in the dry and sunny season now - they call this winter. Christmas day it is 95 degrees and 87% humidity). I am also in a Buddhist country that doesn't acknowledge Jesus birthday in any way and living in the developing world where they haven't quite mastered the art of marketing - let's be real, there is almost zero holiday marketing with the exception of a couple of shops catering to foreigners.

I spent Thanksgiving day working on a grant proposal for UNICEF. Christmas Eve was (not) celebrated at a large, annual AIDS meeting that I attended at a hotel in Cambodia. It was a lot of pomp and circumstance, as these meetings usually are. Today, I did buy tickets for us at a nice hotel in town that is serving a large buffet lunch and giving all day access to the pool. I packed Christmas decorations and shipped them across the ocean. Why? Because this is my favorite holiday, but I am just not in the celebrating spirit this year so I haven't unpacked any of the decorations I packed.

I did receive a couple of Christmas greetings worth sharing. One of my colleagues (an Australian living in the UK) sent an email that was unexpected, but so appreciated. The portion that I liked best reads:

For those of you that are staying in country during the holiday season- I know how hard it is for you to be away from loved ones at Christmas- but this as well will be a time that you will remember all of your lives. I know what it costs to be working in your circumstances, and so at this time, I hope that you will really know that you are thought of and honored for the sacrifices that you have made on behalf of the work.

What a thoughtful note sent through email by someone who understands my current experience. The second holiday greeting worth noting was a text message I received from our favorite pizza joint. Cambodians love, love, love to text. It's cheaper than calling and an easy form of communication. Anyway, this text was basically wishing us a Happy Christmas. I appreciated the gesture, it made me smile.

So, Happy Christmas to all and to all a blessed new year!