Back in Phnom Pehn

Sosdai !  I returned to PP yesterday night by minivan from Siem Riep.   Today and tomorrow are free days.  I was supposed to visit the Angkor Borei archeological site in the South but the trip was cancelled.   I'm a bit upset but that's life, I suppose. 

I met with Sister Regina today from the Maryknoll Sisters.  I took a tuk-tuk to Wat San Sam Kosal for my appointment at 2 pm with the Sister.  I wanted to tour the centre where they care for orphened kids and kids touched by AIDS.   The first case of HIV/AIDS in Cambodia was officially identified in 1991 through screening of blood donors, although HIV had been detected in Cambodian refugees in Thailand two years earlier. Sex workers and men seeking treatment for sexually transmitted infections were among the first groups to report high levels of HIV infection. Today, with an adult prevalence rate of 2.7 percent, Cambodia, one of the region’s poorest countries, has the highest infection rate in Asia, with an estimated 170,000 persons living with HIV/AIDS in 2001.  check out the following sites for more info: 
http://www.usaid.gov/our_work/global_health/aids/Countries/ane/cambodia.html
www.youandaids.org
www.cdc.gov/nchstp/od/gap/countries/cambodia.htm 
www.census.gov/ipc/hiv/cambodia.pdf

I went to the bank yesterday to change some travellers cheques.  It was a modern, well-lit and airconditioned bank branch just like those in any Western country.  I've been also working on my OU Psychology project which is due on July 4th.  I have to find a place here in PP which I can use to send my document to my tutor in the UK.  That should be fun !  I heard about the thwarted bomb attempt at Picadilly in London.  It's so frightening.  LSE, my school, is not too far from there.

Yesterday, I took some toys to the kids with HIV or who have lost their parents.  This time, I went back with three othe students from my group.  We presented the toys (colouring books, crayons, stickers...) to the Cambodian woman running the half-way homes for the kids. They were really wonderful.   So happy it seemed despite their predicament.  Sister Regine said that these kids actually are relatively healthier than most Cambodian kids because they are eating every day and have access to good medical care. 

So you must be curious as to what a 'tuk-tuk' is, right ?? Well,  it's the SE Asian version of a vehicle known elsewhere as an 'rickshaw' or 'cabin cycle'.  Here in Cambodia, the term 'tuk-tuk' refers to a motorcycle with a cabin attached to the rear. Tuk-tuks are one of the most common forms of urban transport.  Phnom Penh tuk-tuks are by contrast one piece. They are the front end of a motorcycle comprised of steering, tank and engine/gearbox with a covered tray mounted at the back. The power is transferred by chain to an axle mounted to the modified rear fork which drives the two rear wheels. Suspended upon the rear fork is an open cabin with an in-line seat on each side. This arrangement can carry 6 people at ease, with their luggage in the leg space. You can usually see these common Cambodian vehicles greatly overloaded, especially in outer suburbs and around markets.  sometimes up to ten people cram on in !!  Here's a photo for you:

 
Today, we finally visited our respective villages where we will conduct our research starting this Monday.  My village name translates into "the vulture egg" village.  I'll have to make some queries as to how the village actually got this name!  We presented a gift basket to the main monk.  It is common custom to do so when you will work or do something in the village.  My monk was on a ladder fixing his tiled roof when we pulled up in the minivan !  He casually climbed down and went into his quarters to put his orange monk robe on so as to properly greet us.  Dr. Ledgerwood said that it is common for monks to do minor repairs around the temple.  We actually did the presentation in a former primary school building.  This was the monk's quarters and he deemed it convenient for him to meet us there.  I'll see the 'vihear' later next week.  We have 8 monks, 2 'achar' (a ritualist) and a few nuns to interview.  We will be conducting what is called 'semi-directive'interviews and one life history with various village people, monks, novices, nuns and Achars.  The monk was concerned that we had not received the appropriate green-light from the 'commune', so we had to ride for 20 minutes over a very bumpy and muddy backroad to present our permission document.   It took just five minutues.  Sometimes I think that the officials here don't even read the document presented.  they are just impressed or maybe even intimidated by the ominous government seals and just say  'ok'to almost any request.  It helps to have people like Dr. Ledgerwood and her Cambodian grad assistant who speak Khmer.  I'll tell you more later next week and I'll post some photos of my research village. 

We climbed the steps up to a temple at Udong today.  An ancient capital from the latter stages of the Khmer Empire and crowning site of the king.  It's located atop two parallel ridges 40 km north of Phnom Penh. Udong offers spectacular views of the surrounding country and the innumerable sugar palm trees that punctuate the countryside. King Ang Dung, the great grandfather of the present king; King Sihanouk, was crowned here and many locals and foreign residents alike picnic here on weekends.  I climbed the 509 stairs to the top !! Pictures will be forthcoming...

Big hugs to my readers !  Come back again to read my hopefully interesting Cambodian travel & study blog !!

   charles