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Published: December 24th 2007
MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!
I hope you are all feeling festive?!
Sorry for not having written for AGES! We have been in Battambang visiting the Catholic Parish there and seeing the work they are doing for the poor and landmine and Polio victims.
We had quite a schedule that kept us from the internet!
We are now back in Siem Reap for christmas and i think the plan is we go to a floating church about 1 1/2 hours boat ride away, tomorrow. There we will have a christmas party with the families that live surrounding the church and have mass and cook rice soup for the children and celebrate christmas!! They are BIG on their dancing out here and loud music and we have been roped into dancing a lot whilst in Battambang...more of that to come!
We left for Battambang last Wednesday and were not quite prepared for how bad the roads would be - we were thrown about over ruts and dips and mini hills - it was hot, dusty and tiring.
Battambang in a lot less touristy than Siem Reap - there was one tuk-tuk waiting at the bus station (and he was a tuk-tuk driver than we met again and would often see around!)
We got to the church to be warmly welcomed by Father Totet and restored after our journey by the lovely Lyn's delicious cooking (we will miss it!!) and serenity of the Parish House. (Though we had been booked into a hotel near the church as the Parish house was full - much smarter accomadation than we are used to...be had a shower cubicle, rather than a wet room - it was special!)
The church is in beautiful green grounds with a very elegant Parish House and several buildings that form a social centre for the children that live around as well as the Aruppe Centre which provides accomadation, education and medical care for children who are victims of Polio and landmines. They were fantastic kids and put on a great evening, acting out the Nativity, singing and dancing performances, followed by a meal and dancing. (the ''Macarena'' is a firm favourite!) Much to our horror and pain of those watching we were asked to come up and sing a traditional english christmas carol. We did, im afraid do a terrible job and sang Jingle Bells poorly (not exactly a carol...we were unprepared!!) Oh the SHAME!
Thinking the road to Battambang was bad it was nothing compared to a road we used to visit a community in Prey Thom. The church bought some land - removed mines and built 4 houses where four families have been relocated to be taught to farm the land and become self sufficient selling vegetables at the market. The drive was about 1 1/2 hours and 1 hour and twenty minutes of this was spent literally being thrown around the truck. It couldnt really be called a road, it was a rut filled track. It was unbelievable. But it was also impossible not to get the giggles as we just missed hitting heads on several occasions.
Eventually we arrived. With us was Javvy a guy from Spain in charge of the Prey Thom project, a cambodian nurse and Jacob - a visitor from Sydney, who is training to be a doctor. The villagers (slowly over about 3 hours) visited us as we sat under a wooden shelter and described ailments to Jacob, through the cambodian nurse - they only had multi-vitimins, iron tablets and paracetamel to give out, so help was limited. In such a remote place though the villages were greatful of any medical attention.
It was fascinating watching and hearing the problems unfold - mainly due to such basic problems like poor diet and not enough clean water.
The next day we visited another not quite so remote village. We arrived to find 40 people had collected to see Jacob and hearing that there was a doctor, more arrived as we were there. Jacob did only come to visit Cambodia and he is still training,...he was unaware his medical skills were going to be called upon so much! It just shows how much basic medical care is needed out here. Cordy and i with no medical expertise, hung out with the gorgeous children that were at the school near the "medical building" and explored the surrounding area in very fetching hats (photos will be posted!)
They are just a few stories...we also had several christmas parties - nativity plays - we saw a wedding (where the tradition is to change dress 3 times!!) - visited a ladies house as her first western visitors and so she laid out the most amazing spread of fruit EVER for us and insisted we ate a lot of it! We saw a Romeo and Juliet type story performed in traditional dance and later got dragged up to try traditional dance for ourselves and planted a tree! And we have met some wonderfully welcoming people who were devastated we were not staying for christmas day where the celebrations are on an epic scale in Battambang with a fun fair, singing and dancing performances, fireworks etc etc...
In has been a truly unique insight into Cambodian life and we feel SO lucky to have seen it!
Still 4 more days of Christmas fun here in Siem Reap and then back to Bangkok.
We will get more photos on here after christmas.
Wishing you all a very HAPPY CHRISTMAS DAY tomorrow!!
Love Issie x and Cordy x x x
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michelle
non-member comment
wow
hey girls it sounds truly amazing what you are doing - cant believe how much you are fitting in! so would have loved to see the jingle bells rendition!! will write message soon love you merry christmas miss youxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx