Tiger Balm will cure everything.....

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According to the Cambodians, Tiger Balm will cure everything. If you have mosquito bites, use Tiger Balm. If you have a cold or sinus issues, use Tiger Balm. If you have any pain, anywhere, use Tiger Balm.....it’s a miracle cure-all .............apparently. Not surprisingly, we all have pots of Tiger Balm in our kits now, as it really does ease the itch of mozzie bites. Talking mozzies, the nasty little suckers creep up and draw gallons without you feeling them attack, all you get is the nasty red lumps as their calling cards. Oh, and the mozzies thumb their noses as Aeroguard, so am ditching that for something with more DEET. I love the instructions for the use of Tiger Balm........one of the things it’s supposed to be good for is flatulence, and the instructions say to rub the T.B on gently to affected areas.......no one is prepared to give that one a go though – hmmm, can’t imagine why!!

The more I get to know about the other projects on offer up here, the more I’m glad I chose teaching. Well, at least when it comes to the Care programs. I think they would have to be up there with Marie’s volunteering to save animals in Sulawesi – way tough, emotionally. I haven’t experienced the Care programs first hand, but from what I can gather from chatting to the other volunteers, the conditions are pretty tough in the places they work. The kids are often disabled, poorly looked after, in average health, and often times, don’t speak English. There is not enough money for nappies of any kind, so kids that aren’t yet toilet trained, wear nothing from their waste down, so the carers have a pretty messy job. They also assist in feeding and bathing the kids, and some are expected to somehow throw in some basic teaching, which they’re not really prepared for. The staff working in the institutions, are low paid and therefore don’t tend to put in a lot of extra effort, and the kids suffer emotionally and rarely get kind human touch. Many of the volunteers spend a lot of time giving hugs etc. I would find these placements really tough, as my heart would be broken by the tough life these kids have and I would find it almost impossible to walk away at the end of my time here. At least with my teaching placement, I’m seeing some results and I can interact with the kids. We may not be able to communicate really well in English, but we get by and have fun, and smiles can communicate so much when speech fails.

One of the really popular placements up here is the Dive program. The volunteers live on an island off the coast and do research on the reef to see what condition it’s in, and to record the various species in the area. So far, I’ve only met volunteers heading out, but really looking forward to catching up with some of them when they return, to find out more about it. There are also journalist placements, and at the moment one guy doing dentistry at one of the hospitals. So a fair amount of variety between us all.

We were chatting over dinner last night about how quickly the volunteer landscape changes. Two weeks ago, Mel and I were the new kids on the block (yep, I’ve been here 2 weeks today – it’s gone fast, but it really feels like I’ve been here a month already), and now people are leaving for home and we have quite a few newbies around. All of a sudden, we’re the old hands and there are new faces at the dinner table with a very noticeable “shell-shocked” look on their faces. The first day or two are the hardest.........you arrive in Phnom Penh, which is a major confrontation to your senses at any time....then you arrive at the apartments to a gaggle of people who appear to have been best friends forever, and you do your best to try to take it all in. Mostly people sit with their eyes very wide open and mouths slightly ajar.......we do our best to welcome everyone and let them know we understand, but no matter your efforts, they still have a glazed expression in their eyes. Two days and it lifts, and smiles arrive on their faces, and they regain their ability to form sentences ....it’s fascinating to watch. I really feel for the Europeans that have never been to an Asian country before....they arrive from cool climates, with orderly cities, to PP with it’s heat and humidity, and cars, trucks, tuk tuks and motos that drive on whatever side of the road that has the least congestion, even the footpath if necessary....you get used to it though and it becomes normal and you fit in.

I was a little homesick on Friday, despite it being a busy day, full of lots of various adventures, and I was just now reflecting on how much easier the internet makes life and how it can break down the distance between friends, and make homesickness bearable. Modern technology is great .....mind you, I was mulling over these facts as I was hand washing a pair of my cotton & linen shorts and then making sure I didn’t squeeze too much water out of them, so that they would drip dry with as few creases as possible. Why? Well, apart from not having a washing machine in our apartment, I’m pretty sure we don’t have an iron either. We also don’t have a microwave, an oven, and our cook prepares all of our meals on a 2-ring gas burner. Life is so basic here.

Even though it’s basic, there are certain daily occurrences that are strangely reassuring that life goes on as normal. I guess everyone likes a certain amount of ritual, or Same Same as they say here, in their lives. I remember that I got so used to the “call to prayers” at 5am in Turkey, that when I left the mornings seemed somewhat empty. Here it’s the bread seller that starts his walk up and down the streets every morning soon after 5am, calling out something that I cannot comprehend, but it’s basically letting everyone know that he has a very large basket full of fresh baguettes for sale. One day I will race down in my PJs and buy one – probably scare the life out of the guy at the same time. There’s also the old lady that pushes her old, wooden cart down the streets, blasting out noise on her squeaky toy, letting people know to bring out their recyclable rubbish items. She seems pretty selective though, and it appears to be mainly large cardboard cartons or large plastic containers that she collects. She appears to be quite elderly, and she goes up and down the streets for hours each day, dragging the ever heavier cart. I would imagine she’d love to put her feet up and retire, but she needs to eat, so she works...no pension here.

When I finally return to Oz, I’m sure you will need to make allowances for me when I finish every sentence with “do you understand?”. I’m dealing with so many different nationalities here, and I’m getting really good at speaking slowly (really, I am...), and many sentences are finished with the above question. I’m sure I’ll also shock many a shopkeeper when I ask them if it’s their “best price”. These are all part of my day to day vocab now.

Ok, time for me to get off the terrace, have a nice refreshing cold shower, and head off to the cooking class we’re doing today (originally planned for Saturday).......(PS. have now done it and it was great).

Have a great day everyone.......lots of hugs from Cambodia
Rob

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Comments

[Sylvi]

Hope you're getting lots of mail
Hey Robyn, hope lots of your blog followers are sending you emails and comments to keep you going. It really does make a difference when you get communication from home. It's great following your blog as I now feel more part of your life by reading what you get up to on a regular basis. It's Fiona's birthday today (2nd oct) and I sent her an ecard which I know she's opened. It's also my idiot brother's birthday and I've done the same thing to see if he opens it. For about 3 months I'd heard nothing from him, not even on my birthday. But according to mum he has continued to email and did in fact send a birthday email so I guess he's been using our old tpg email which we've cut off. Must away and check if our laundry is dry, If you're not there the second the machine finishes to open the door, it closes down and everything is locked in there. I am continuing to be challenged with the different machines where ever we go. At least I'm not hand washing so count my blessings. Take care, have fun, be safe and enjoy going back to school (I assume your extra long week-end is coming to an end today?!). Sylvi xo