A flipped computer, language training, and gender equity

I am finally updating this note while spending a leisurely afternoon in the Freebird Bar which is a wifi and American type bar. I am drinking gin and tonics and while the internet is free I am rapidly going into chronic debt drinking and eating the spring roll appetizers at the final calculation of probably $6 or $7 dollars. God, life can be so tough!I am very sorry about the delay in updates, but I have been going through a series of adjustments due to the loss of my computer. Not the actual loss, but an “oweee” inflicted by a maid during my workshop in Kampong Chnam. I thought I was being clever by sliding my computer under a pillow to keep it out of sight but when the maid came in to clean the room I am sure she just grabbed the sheets and flipped them. Of course my computer got flipped as well and that night when I returned I could not get it to power up. I tried and tried but nothing.

Later in the week I returned to Phnom Penh and went to a computer store to see what they would tell. I was not hopeful, as a matter of fact I was pleased that I had as much backed up as I did since in previous episodes I had lost everything. The fellow at the store was helpful but he said it would possibly be better to go to another store on the riverfront since it was a Mac. I did, and to make this long story a little shorter, they worked on it, sent it to Singapore and this weekend it was returned to me safe and sound.

The purpose of this long discourse is not to burden you with the routines of computer repair but to emphasize the psychological impact of losing what has come to be a very important part of my life. My music is here, my financial accounting is here, and all of my thoughts and correspondence is here. Granted this time I had a backup but even still, I was a loss without my laptop. I was actually depressed. I am aware that it may only have been the trigger for other issues but since I am not in psychoanalysis yet, I am not sure what those other issues are yet. My distance from home and loved ones, a strange and challenging country, and a ton of other factors could all play a part but I was focused on my computer. So now, all is better if not perfect, and I am a happy pilgrim again.

This week I begin language training. This is a serious point in my stay in Cambodia and hopefully it will allow me to become more effective in my daily work. I have some phrases and vocabulary that I depend on a great deal but I would surely like to converse with people even at a low functional level. I don’t think I have a very good aptitude for languages. I did enjoy Latin in high school, Spanish in college and personal efforts at learning more Spanish since school. Tagalog was a disaster since I basically blew it off after learning that everyone spoke English in the Philippines and while they said they would help me with Tagalog they always keep speaking English. So, now I am in a country that basically has been exposed to their own native language, Khmer, but also Vietnamese, Thai, Russian, and now English. The nationals know that the one constant is Khmer and if they are going to be understood, the barang (foreigners) are going to have to speak Khmer.

I have been involved in several workshops during my short tenure in Cambodia. I have been a observer in Kampong Speu for Accelerated learning, a semi-involved observer in Kampong Chnam for Accelerated learning again, and last week, a participant in the reviewing the Child Friendly School Policy in Sihanoukville, where I had had my annual conference for VSO two weeks before. This last one was my most active participation since I arrived and while I was pushing for more involvement of children with disabilities, particularly physical disabilities, I seemed to have received a reputation for advocating for gender equity. In one small working group, I had mentioned the need to focus on the recruitment for more girls in the school population, especially disabled girls. I also mentioned that the focus could not just be limited to girls in school but also on women in the teaching and administrative ranks, hopefully women with disabilities. There has recently been a letter from MOEYS (Ministry on Education, Youth and Sports) stating that it was no longer permissible to deny women with disabilities teaching jobs because of their disabilities. But time moves slowly in Asia and in a Buddhist culture everything is explored at depth and repeatedly, even government communiqués. During a summary session where all of the discussions of the small groups were collected, Mr. Richard was mentioned at least twice as advocating gender equity and most people nodded wisely at this radical idea. The fact that it is a key component of the UNICEF and World Bank programs in education did not seem to diminish its wisdom.

That is it for now. I am happy to back in the communication links with all of you and hopefully my future notes will be a little more interesting. For the time being I remain your loyal and loving far eastern companion.

City scenes

I have promised no more downers in my reports so while various interpretations may relegate some of my news to such, I assure you it is not intentional. Life is very good and I am very positive about what I see. I realize I am in Asia and as such must try to interpret events and behaviors in a context that is not judgmental not critical nor impatient. I confess that this is a foreign process to me and to some of you out there (you know who you are) a practice of such monumental proportion akin to Sisyphus rolling the rock up the hill.Today I visited a school that only works with the handicapped. The Marist brothers run it. I had always considered them an Irish Christian sort probably because so many of the South Side Irish either went to Marist High School or Brother Rice who definitely was an Irish Saint. My apologies to all of the Barrett youngsters who matriculated in fine form from MHS and I was corrected. Brother Terry is the head of the school and he has done a fine job. Under his tutelage land was purchased, grants obtained, recognition of the school obtained (with no money allowed by the government for incidentals) and a kind of training of teachers conducted. They are doing great work and one of his protégés has gone on (down the road, literally) to begin and develop a vocational school to accept and further train the graduates of Bro. Terry’s institution.

One of this protégé’s projects is named Villa Maria because a Catholic benefactor from Italy had given them a grant. The degree of physical handicaps is awesome and range from lost limbs from land mine explosions to leprosy to tuberculosis of the bone to an infinite assortment of other ailments. The wheelchairs and other prosthetic devices range from the homemade (a plastic chair bolted to a frame on wheels) to some rather sophisticated stuff. They certainly could use a guy like Jack Dauber over here, (can you share this with him, Tony?).

Anyway progress is being made in this land for the handicapped. It was not too many years ago that handicapped teachers were not allowed to be hired. No one could believe that they could teach and even if they could why should anyone want to look at them. This practice is supposed to have been overturned by a government “black paper” and sent to the provinces, but some provincial offices of education have claimed to have never received it or – having received it continue to do what has been traditional. In some areas this practice is being overturned and in a country where they cannot get teachers, handicapped teachers are being utilized. Like I say, progress.

Traffic! I thought I had seen everything in the Philippines but Phnom Penh beats everything I have ever witnessed. I remember describing traffic in Manila as comic or cartoonish. Traffic that had little or no regard for others and seemingly hell-bent on achieving a goal or place regardless of any consequences. I also found a grudging admiration for a system that seemed to work despite all of the evidence to the contrary. At that time I was not completely aware of the serious and deadly accidents that occurred so often particularly in Manila. That brings me to Cambodia. This country is riddled with mines and they cause incredible harm and damage. America dropped more bomb tonnage on this country than they did in all of WWII.

But, the leading cause of death not counting malnutrition or other virulent diseases like Dengue fever is traffic. It is literally mind-boggling what the traffic is like. They go in all directions, on both sides of the street, at cross-purposes to any rational sense of order and discipline. They never get mad (the Cambodians) and the Europeans get crazed and no one pays them any mind. It is not as though they are unaware; true, no eye contact gets made, but they weave in and out and swerve and dance around like a choreographed ballet.

And, there are accidents. Lots of accidents. In one day’s time I saw a motorcycle crushed under the front of a super sized SUV. I saw a guy on a bicycle bumped by a motorcycle and he just simply jumped off and then picked up his bike, looked it over and carried on. I was riding on the back of motorcycle and my driver bumped another vespa-like bike and I jumped off and no harm. All of this within hours. I had originally considered taking one of the bikes that VSO offers free to everyone, and biking around the town, but not now. I am literally totally intimidated by the traffic. The streets are beautiful and wide and built like Paris with big roundabouts. I won’t even begin to try to describe the chaos that is routine at one of these roundabouts. I am impressed that everyday the population is not reduced significantly.

The other side of the pendulum is the food. It is magnificent. Every culture is represented. Khmer food itself is very good with mild spices and lots of vegetables. Often Chinese influences seem to be blended in. One restaurant is predominantly Pakistani and another is English/Irish. Every beer is represented including Guinness, but I haven’t found Smithwick’s yet. I look forward every day to breakfast, which is restricted at the moment to one of two places only because I haven’t explored more. One, “THE SHOP” has great omelets or poached eggs with the usual sides. The toast that comes with these main features is wonderful. There are also many other offerings but I generally am unimaginative and stick with my two poached eggs and toast. And of course, the coffee. I think Cambodia must do very well in coffee making. Or maybe it is Laos. But wherever the coffee comes from, it is glorious. Strong and black as night, and with condensed milk; a desert that would delight the Gods.

The other breakfast nook I like (love?) is the Freebird. This is a bar/restaurant that never seems to close. Its menu is similar and the coffee comes in larger cups and is also very good. What makes it unique is that it is wireless and I can bring my own computer and catch up on my overdue emails and correspondence. I can also find out that the White Sox continue to rank only above the lowly Kansas City Chiefs. I don’t have to use my flash card and depend on the Internet shops. I don’t save much money but any is a plus and I love the environment.

Additional comments:
Because of my inability to get to an Internet or to use the wonderful place I have just described, I find myself adding on to my general report. Evidently the Freebird Boar and Restaurant is a sometimes thing. I went there last night without my computer but one of my mates did. He couldn’t get his computer to connect with the Internet and like me he is very impatient so he stopped trying rather quickly. I figured it was because he was just impatient and it seemed to me that I had had a rather trying time to connect but I did and it all worked out. Tonight I went back and tried. Sure enough I tried and tried and even tried the direct dial connection which was supposed to be the end all of connections. Nothing! So, I guess it works sometimes and sometimes it doesn’t. There was another guy on the Internet so I knew it was working but maybe it can only handle one or two at a time. I will try again on Sunday and see what happens.

On the same note as frustrating events, the apartment I had hoped to get with the monstrous balcony is not going to happen. When my administrative assistant went to check on it, the price had gone up. I don’t think I would have minded the increase but since it was a little far from work and it felt like I was being scammed, I decided to just start over. Today I went to look at a few more and there are two I am definitely interested in. One is a three bedroom and is big and clean. It faces a canal, which gives me a little pause but what the hell; typhoid is no longer a serious ailment, right? It is near Mao Tse Tung Boulevard and is not too far from work. The other is a two-bedroom and looks as though it might be perfect. Nice and high, not too near any large bodies of non-flowing water, all tile. They didn’t have a key today but I will return tomorrow and take a look. If it matches my expectations they will have a renter. I also think I can move in now which pleases me no end. (ps: went back – loved it and signed a lease. Will move in on the25th)

Enough for now. I need to read some more of my socialist bible in the guise of a novel. It is called the Ragged Trousered Philanthropists. It is by a guy named Robert Tressell and was printed in 1904 or thereabouts. For decades it was considered the socialists best-written story. I am thoroughly enjoying it and for its age it still captures the ideas of today and why the world is still screwed up.