Tuesday, 07 July 2009

  • Listening Prayer... and remembering the welcome...

    Dear One,

    I not only watch over you, I am closer than your next breath. As you stretch your heart and mind to find a fit in this place, I am with you. You are wholly mine. The path I have set before you is unique to you and your story. Your life and the ways you love others are a gift to them. Your life and love are precious to me. Through them you are my heart and hands and mind. You are able to love and to do and to thoughtfully be present as others journey deeper into my kingdom... a kingdom of Peace, a kingdom of Justice and a kingdom of Truth. Like Deborah of old, your words will heal and knit together the broken places in hearts, in cities and in nations. Rest in the garden of my Word, be cleansed by My Presence and go out daily with an open heart, an open mind and open hands to both give and receive from my Abundant Love. Amen

     

    I will ride a bike home from the school tomorrow... the lock for it was $2. I will try to have some one take a photo of me looking less than confident with this bit of the adventure...

    Yesterday I met Bonnie, I hope we're able to coffee soon. She is an adoptive Mom of one Cambodian young man and fostering four more teenagers who are cousins and siblings. She is the school counselor and seems a kindred spirit. She's lived here nine years if I remember correctly.  I'm still looking forward to meeting Marie Ens, we've been messaging back and forth. This Saturday Annette of "A New Day School" and I hope to meet at Cafe Fresco. I'm hoping to ride the bike!

    Did I mention how the school had a little used Nokia phone waiting for me? I'm trying to become proficient at texting...

    These are details of the Asian Hope welcome basket too! Thank you Danielle and Tom!

    From Arriving in Cambodia 2009

    now finishe

    From Arriving in Cambodia 2009

    I've finished the Pepperidge Farm "Sausalito" cookies... and of course the kilo of lychee was gone in the first few day. The basket included bottled water (handy to add the electrolyte powder to), two city guides and a 2006 map (yet maps and using them don't seem to be a priority here), a box of Twinings English Breakfast tea, papers with key school dates and contacts, a package of Nescafe individually wrapped instant coffee singles, three instant noodle cups, Lux soap, Herbal Essence shampoo, Colgate toothpaste mini, a spoon and a fork... and finally a roll of toilet paper. Seems the french influence has lead to a more bidet like approach to personal hygiene.

    Currently
    Green Eggs and Ham
    By Theodor Seuss Geisel
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Monday, 06 July 2009

Sunday, 05 July 2009

  • Thinking about Church Family...

    I've been to the church three doors down from the town house twice now. This is a Shalom Church affiliated with Action International there are some great picts here... the room the church meets in is the lowest level of the house with blue plastic chairs for about 40-55. There are three fans: two are wall mounted and a green floor model. At the front of the "sanctuary" which is about the size of a one car garage is a 5" high Cross covered with red fabric. The stage is covered with the same. On the Stage is a Yamaha synthesizer and a music stand with two mics for the worship team of two and then later for the pastor and his notes. To the sides of the room are two amplifers giving the worship a bit of a karaoke feel. If you sit toward the front of the sanctuary shoes are removed but on the other side of the opened secondary security gate shoes are kept on. I've found it important to bring a bottle of water to stay hydrated... others do as well.

    The service opens at about 9:12 with soft music "I worship You..." and then the order of service is as follows: Welcome newcomers, Bible reading, Prayer with background music, Worship team about 4 songs (some translated from English like "You're Altogether Lovely"), the Offering is next ("We Bring a Sacrifice of Praise" plays as the collection is taken up with a red bag with opalescent sequins in the shape of a cross on the side), The Message is brought by the pastor, Prayer at 10:21 a.m. to close.

    This Saturday I attended a "Love Feast" at the church... and was the food ever good... "num chak menh" it was a sort of fresh spring roll affair... if you've had Vietnamese eggroll it is similar yet different.  A turmeric spiced and very egg-y crepe is made... and instead of flipping it a filling of 2/3 cup cooked minced chicken, bean sprouts slivered onions and shred carrots is put in and steamed a bit then flipped in half like an omlette and put on a tray with others separated by a banana leaf... it is brought to the table where a colander of lettuce and a tray of three different herbs and sliced cucumber is wait... a leaf of lettuce is taken, on it is laid a cucumber slice and leaves of the herbs then a bit 1T. of the crepe/omelette/springroll and then this is dipped in a sweet and sour sop with crushed peanuts and shredded carrot... and, wow, is it tasty! I've found a recipe and pict! I hope I can learn to it for a crowd... but like crepes, or "Thin Pancakes" it's labour intesive for the cook!

    Report on the spaghetti dinner... It was a success... the only trouble was that because I thought I would be making it on my own I started way too early... 3:30 and it was ready at 5:00 rather than the 6:30 or 7 p.m. that the family usually eats at... The Pastor had some be for going of to play soccer/basketball? and The Grandfather said it was chingai nah = delicious and the Pastor's wife said it was just like a restaurant, if I understood her correctly she had craved it during her pregnancy and went to a restaurant once and made it at home once. This was her third time to have spaghetti.  I was pleased that the Patriarch liked it as I am so far removed from the expectations of a woman's life in Cambodia. 

    The family Saing is rather pioneering though, the Pastor's older sister is a Bible teacher and now returning to Singapore to continue her studies in Christian Education.  Please pray for her and her two brothers who are Pastors. These people are truly mindful of the role a church can have in providing a social safety-net for the most vulnerable... there is truly much being done for widows and orphans but the churches here.  In this place without the social safety nets we enjoy in Canada this seems to be a good thing, a very good thing.

    Here are a few more picts of Princess S on the swings at school:

    Currently
    Pride and Prejudice (Penguin Classics)
    By Jane Austen
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Thursday, 02 July 2009

  • A week and two days...

    I've been in Phnom Penh for just over a week now... I'm am grateful for the friend and family who have been sending so much love and many gentle prayers for my "landing" in this exotic place so different from home.  I don't think the transition is complete by any means yet this first while has been a gift of grace. I feel cared for before I can even anticipate a need.

    Besides leaving my "eagles aerie" apartment, one of the things I thought I wouldn't have in Cambodia is popcorn... and wonder of wonders yesterday Bonika made some for lunch dessert... and not only was it made old school style with oil... she candy coated it with a butter/sugar carmel...

    Tomorrow I'll be cooking 4th of July supper for my "family"... They asked for spaghetti. I hope I can make something they like... I'm going to make it with a bit of ground beef and ground pork... I bought a can of spaghetti sauce but will add the meat, onions, garlic, grated carrot, shredded zucchini/courgette and a bit of butter to finish... I thought of making a browned butter garlic oil to spread on french bread, which is here in abundance.  I'll take pictures! Honestly, I'm a bit intimidated by the idea of cooking for them, yet, if I can keep it simple, I think all will be well.

    Did I mention there is a quilting co-op I may be able to go visit? I bought a meter of a silk blend when I went to Olympic Market it inspiring my inner quilter...

    Currently
    Great Expectations (Penguin Student Editions)
    By Charles Dickens
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Wednesday, 01 July 2009

  • Photos of the Logos School Grounds and Celebrating Canada Day!

    From Logos School Grounds July 1, 2009
    Exerpted from a letter to G:
    I'm trying to stay hydrated... yet I'm feeling a little naughty for all the water bottles I'm creating in a non-recycling realm... I've got an aluminum one I'll start using! I am so happy to have A/C in my room... I don't think I could do it otherwise. I may not need to take cooking classes as my family's diet is wonderfully varied and I am becoming friends with "the cook" My helmet is a dodgy affair but the police require it... and of course the fine for a foreigner is inflated:) The school is about a 10 min. scooter ride from my home. I'm very directionally challenged here... few street signs and numbering is not linear but based on "lucky" numbers! I'm beginning to anticipate the next turn yet not with confidence.
     
    Yesterday I started at the school and then back home for lunch. Bonika and I then went  by tuk-tuk to the Psai Olympic... or Olympic Bazaar for a few more house things... a small mirror, tissue, bug spray, scotch tape and $10 fabric... a silk blend... in a peacock blue with green and gold ...The seller said it was cotton but I think it's synthetic. The Cambodian silk is enchanting... beautiful on so many levels... and the weaving is brilliant... I'll be cooking spaghetti for the Saing family on Saturday so Bonika took me to the Sovanna Mall it has a western style "grocery" it's a micro-grocery but has all the basics at a price, definitely not a Waitrose affair! I'm a bit shy about cooking for them yet it is one way I can hopefully give back some love...
     
    I had some Canada flag pins and stickers which I gave to the family to celebrate "Canada Day" yesterday.  My way to celebrate Canada's "birthday" I took Bonika for an ice cream sundae at the Mall... at Swensen's. Mine was Turkish Coffee and Almond Praline... Ice cream is a beautiful way to beat the heat!  We pretended we were confident "city girls"!
     
    The friend I sent the above to sent me this photo of encouragement... a bit morbid yes but had me laughing out loud!
    19-09-06_1434
    Currently
    The Horse and His Boy
    By C. S./ Baynes, Pauline (ILT) Lewis
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Tuesday, 30 June 2009

Monday, 29 June 2009

  • First Impressions... are wonderful!

    IMG_0849 Here's a picture of my first meal in Phnom Penh at the school cafeteria... very tasty... a wonderful foodie adventure... I'll put all picts so far into a slide show at the bottom.

    The first pict are of Vietnam... a not to Brenda's lovely farewell poem... and then the river photos are as the plane approach Phnom Penh... then there are picts of my empty-ish room... and then some of the purchases made shortly after arriving...

    then the feast is from the church farewell party saying good bye to the Pastor's sister who is on her way to Singapore... did I mention how wonderful the food is??? It's hot lunch everyday... the family's slow cooker is a huge cauldron type affair over coal fire... the stew for the party took 3 hours to prepare all the fresh herbs and spices and flavours then about 20 hours of cooking... the beef (?) melted in my mouth like butter... and the bread a very light french baguette... a legacy of French colonization.

    I've been learning how to text on the used nokia cell phone I was given... slow going... I've enjoyed having my Khmer pronunciation corrected by a 5 year old... go Selina go... oh for the confidence of a happy child!  She is very gracious when I correct her English and is a very motivated and enthusiastic learner. 

    Yesterday on the scooter ride home I saw something remarkable. There was this "recycling" rickshaw, I don't think there is recycling here, none the less this hand drawn covered mesh bin on wheels was full of empty tins and bottles. Suddenly I noticed a wee passenger... a hammock was strung under the cover and a tiny naked baby was napping.  Her granny must have been caring for her the best she knew how.  I'll keep trying to hold these moment for you and share them... pray with me this place will know an ongoing just peace and that my heart may also know this same serenity.

    Happily today Sheryl Roberts called and had some Khmer study books for me to work with.  This window of time before the school year starts is so precious... I hope to make the most of it. If I can learn the "alphabet" I'll be well on my way to making meaning of the wonder of this language!

    Please pray for my swollen fingers and feet... I'm working hard at staying hydrated... yet sometimes I get a bit nervous about our water filter and if the freshly cleaned cups are dry enough to be safe for drinking. There is this wonderful drink called "Royal D", another treat which Sheryl and John Roberts introduced me to, what a great way to amp up my electrolytes.

    Currently
    The Magician's Nephew
    By C. S./ Baynes, Pauline (ILT) Lewis
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Sunday, 28 June 2009

  • My letter to the Coolinator...

    I'm here and wow is it every zany... I saw fried crickets for sale to eat... no, I did not have any! and I saw 6 huge pigs in cages on the back of a very small pick-up... I think each pig could have filled the bed of the truck yet there were six! you'd love the adventure of motorbiking here... it's unbelievable... scooters (which I have been on) will drive in the oncoming traffic lane and then slide over at the last minute... the heat is amazing... like a sauna... everywhere... I am so pleased my room has Air Conditioning... I keep it at 27-28 and my room is the Chillzone!

    The food is outrageously delicious! rice or noodles with every meal and the best stir fries you can imagine... my favourite had lotus flower stems in it yum yum! The family I live with has a 4 month old baby boy named Bonyamin and a 5 year old girl named Selina... I like to play Uno with her even though we haven't quite figured out the rules. The Mom's name is Samphos and the Dad's name is Chhinho. The Grampa is Mr. Bon and there is a niece who is Bonika and she is the cook, a student and on the worship team at church... There are two girls, named Ryo and Nhganh, they help with the kids and household chores. 

    Yesterday, after church, there was a party for Chhinho's sister who will be going to Singapore to continue her studies in Christian Education.  The stew they served was the best I ever tasted and there was french bread to dip into it... a delicious "Beef Dip" with fresh herbs.

    I hope to get a lot of pictures up soon... I'm at the school today in the very chilly 22 degrees Computer Server Room.  I hope I don't faint when I go back to the hotter rooms.

    This is a note I sent earlier today to a great friend and cousin's son which I thought I'd share with you. 

    I have seen much the road ways are remarkable... shops and stalls and stand for each and everything item one can imagine... the carved furniture and doors, hardware shops, rattan shops, food stalls galore... the smells are not as bad as I expected... Life is lived largely right on the road ways... I will try to capture some of these images... today a brother was holding his baby sibling and playing with him by running his finger over his lips... it was a tender image and there faces were about a meter away from me sitting on the back of the scooter-taxi.

    The family I live with are so very clean... they bathe the baby three times a day... this could be to bring down his core temp yet it seems it's mostly around cleanliness.  The bathrooms are very clean completely showered down once or twice daily... The day here starts at about 5:30 or 6:00 a.m. and winds down around 9:00p.m. with breakfast tea at about 7:00 a.m. and lunch at 12 and dinner about 7:00 p.m.

    Each family story is touched by the unspeakable tragedies of the past... I pray for strength to be able to "bear witness" to these words.
    Currently
    Earth Song
    By Michael Jackson
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Friday, 26 June 2009

  • Thursday, Friday & Saturday in Phnom Penh

    33°C
    Current: Cloudy
    Wind: W at 11 km/h
    Humidity: 55%

    I was picked up at the Phnom Penh airport by Sheryl and John who took me directly to the school, I was given a welcome basket, a cell phone and a bunch of paper work was handled... and lunch was served... stir fried noodles with veggies and oyster sauce sort of... Then I was taken by John and Sheryl and their friend and associate Daren Beck to the home of Pastor Chhinho Saing and his extended family... (I'm still working on the names) I believe there is now 10 of us in the town house... yellow with white and stainless steel rails and bannisters... I'll take picts soon too! I have a fully tiled room with the only air conditioner... and I must say I can't sleep without it yet... The room also came with a bed/hard foam mattress/sheets and two pillows and a fan.

    Sheryl and John took me on a three-hour shopping spree: silver motorcycle helmet, rattan desk and chair, large turquoise floor mat, laundry basket, washing basin & brush, small broom and dust pan, small green garbage can,
    royal blue towel/blanket, large bolster pillow, blue sheets with bolster cover... Their energy gift of transportation and negotiating prices at every shop means very much to me, as they have 8 kids at home and have many ways to spend their time.

    I came back to a dinner of rice and pork/squash stir fry yum

    An early night after playing ABC book and Uno with 5 year old Selina Saing.

    I slept through to 1:30 then turned on the A/C... at 7:30 got up to make a cup of tea and had lychee fruit... I'm out of time at the internet cafe so I must go... but I'll continue the story soon with pictures.

    I am happy!

Saturday, 20 June 2009

  • Angkor Wat

    This article about Ankor Wat... is turning my mind and heart completely toward Cambodia.

    http://socheata.com/2009/06/secrets-of-angkor/

    especially the pict of the elephants in the gateway...

    When I was a girl of about nine Auntie Donna gave me a silver charm of an elephant... I am glad I have that memory.  A foretaste of this adventure.  In fact this auntie and another in Japan are the ones that turned my heart toward cross-cultural Otherness.  I enjoy discovering how many ways a cup of tea can be made... each variation is "a thing of beauty, a joy forever".

    this song is carrying my heart tonight... Delirious "Did You Feel The Mountains Tremble"