If only everyone could spend time in Cambodia....

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No matter how bad our days can be (and I understand that it's all relative), I know for sure that everyone of you reading this blog will finish the day knowing that you have a roof over your head, food in the fridge, clothes to wear, and a car to drive. Sure, you will have the stress of paying your rent/mortgage, and perhaps school fees, or saving for your retirement etc....but you know what? Each and everyone of us are truly blessed to know that we have the ways and means to face and conquer these matters....and sometimes we forget this - me included.

Last night as I was having a shower and getting ready to go out for dinner with the other volunteers, I heard some kids arguing out in the street. In Cambodia, households leave their bags of rubbish on the street, and I've yet to figure out who collects them, but last night I watched a boy bullying a girl (his sister perhaps) into rummaging through the bags of rubbish across the street. She was obviously reluctant to do so, and he was hitting and yelling at her, and she ended up obeying him and picked through the rubbish. I was really disturbed to be watching this....I felt so helpless and they had gone by the time I came downstairs, so could do nothing to assist. I can't help but wonder if they live in one of the really run-down houses in the streets around us, or on the streets. Some people here live in some truly appalling conditions, and I honestly do no not know how they cope - but somehow they do, I guess, what choice do some of them have?? This is where they are born, and this is the only life they know..... I know I'm using my life as my line in the sand of judgement, so that's perhaps not fair, but again, my life is really the only one I know (despite my travels).

Yesterday morning I was in my local cafe, using the free WiFi - it's become a favourite sanctuary to escape the noise, so go there most days for an iced coffee (black, sweet, over crushed ice - pretty average but getting used to it - milk is rare here). Anyway, Melanie (room mate) joined me and we ended up staying a couple of hours and as we were drinking coffee, ended up needing to use the bathroom (yeah, yeah, almost too much info I know, but there's a reason for me telling you). When I went to the bathroom, one of the waitresses was sitting, "relaxing"on the floor under the sink. Not great I agree, but worse still was the girl that obviously cleans the cafe after hours, and she was actually asleep on the floor of the toilet cubicle. I can't imagine too many things more demoralising than having nowhere to sleep but the toilet floor of my workplace. Sadly, due to the poverty in Cambodia, this sort of situation is not so rare.

And then there's the fact that I had my toenails painted in the afternoon at a Revlon shop, and it only cost me US$1. Yeah, bargain for me, but I was there for around 15 mins, so that means that the girl that did them, earns maybe US$4/hour for the shop, so what does she get paid?? I've heard that most Cambodians earn around US$1-2/day.......so it cost me to get my nails painted, what some people here earn in a day !!!

Sober blog, but maybe a reminder for all of us to appreciate what we have..........we forget at times that we really are very fortunate.

Hugs from PP
Rob

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