Bits and Pieces about Cambodia Culture that we’ve been told about – believe it or not….!!
When buying a car, always go in pairs. If you spot a car that looks pretty good, don’t decide to come back another day to buy it, let one person stay behind with the car and the other person to go and get a mechanic and bring them back with them to check the car out thoroughly. This is so because apparently the car will be in great condition the day you first see it but if you decide to come back another day to buy it, the car dealer place is more than likely to change parts on
the car to those that are less than reliable!
FOREIGNERS + CAMBODIA = $$$$$$
A foreigner driving his car in Cambodia got pulled over by the police for apparently not stopping at a street sign. The police told him that he was fined US$10 for the offence. The foreigner only had a US$5 note and told the police this. After a bit of heated discussion, the police decided to let the foreigner off with just paying the US$5 fine. The foreigner drove off with a smile on his face thinking he was able to bargain with the police and get away with it! However when the foreigner met up with some of his local friends telling them the story and boasting of his bargaining with the police, his local friends burst out laughing telling him that by law, the offence for not stopping at a street sign is only 5000 riel (US$1.25)!
(NB. The irony of this story being told to us was that about a week later, Mark got a ride with a local Cambodian friend of ours and they got pulled over by the police twice about 5 mins apart and were fined two different amounts. Mark was adamant not to pay but our poor friend who was borrowing the motorbike from another friend was ‘strongly encouraged’ by the police to pay up or the moto would be taken away from him!)
More and more Cambodians want to learn English, recognizing that this a means to getting better jobs and thus better money. We have heard stories of staff members of
English training schools stealing the answers to tests so they can give them to their friends to pass (even those that are Christians)!
As a foreigner living in Cambodia because it is assumed you have much money, it is also assumed that you have a cook and/or cleaner. We have heard a number of stories of when you are able to find a good cook/cleaner/security guard and a relationship of trust is been built, they are often tempted by their families or friends and this is how many expats find their places robbed of their belongings! We just heard recently that this also happens to Cambodians who can afford help.
Cambodian logic – the further you live away from Cambodia, the cheaper the phone call via internet, i.e. a call to Vietnam costs more than a call to Australia and a call to the States costs less than a call to Australia. However to send a fax, you are generally charged US$3-4 a page or charged depending on how long it takes for the fax to get through, so too bad if you have to try several times before the line is free and you get connected!
In 2005, the number of landmine victims in Cambodia was 862, over 55% of them from the western provinces.
This is a brief article in a local magazine (Bayon Pearnik):
Prison break ends in firefight
Civil society and law officials on June 22 lashed out at Chhay Sovann,
the deputy chief of Battambang Provincial Prison for banning relatives
of the nine dead prisoners, from taking the corpses away for funerals.
Chhay Sovann reasoned that some of the killed criminals were sentenced
to 30 years in prison. So, if the relatives want to hold a funeral, they will
have to wait until the sentence is finished.
“We cannot allow any dead bodies to be sent to their relatives because
those criminals were sentenced to 30 years in jail, so we will keep the
corpses until their sentence is finished,” he was quoted as saying.
The corpses of the criminals were buried in the compound of the provin-
cial prison soon after the incident.
This seems to be linked to the Buddhist way of thinking. As the reporter comments at the end of this article in his own words ‘seems logical in a Cambodian kind of way.’
For those who haven't been here before, these are the conversion rates:
Riel (Cambodian) = US$
200 riel = 5c
1000 riel = 25c
2000 riel = 50c
4000 riel = $1
Google Earth Map of Cambodia
This map shows some of the main provincial city centres
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Monday, January 29, 2007
Postscripts from Phnom Penh (Jan 07)
Hi and Happy New Year to you all! We can't believe we have been in cambodia now for near on 5 months...it feels like a year already!! Well...not that bad..but sure feels like longer than that. So, what have we been up to? Well...read on:
From Mark...
Hi, well, since our last update in December we've definitely moved forward in terms of feeling more at ease in living here..with adjusting to the culture and climate, etc - which has helped us to settle in. We still have our usual (almost daily!) frustrations of noise, traffic, wading through layer upon layer of khmer people's mindsets and behaviours, etc - but we are both going well and finding our place here in terms of work and ministry.
In the last couple of months we've been focusing on three main areas of planning for this year, building relationships and starting language learning. We are looking to start a pilot training program for a small group of pastors and church business people that will aim to build trust & capacity, and provide teaching on building sustainable church & business organisations. We are looking to have this supported with mentoring relationships formed with local expats in business here. So, we're really looking forward to seeing this started shortly (hopefully in March all things going to plan). We have another pastors conference coming up later this month in Feb with a team from our church coming over again - so, that'll be great and will be really nice to hang out with some of the gang from cccw again! Last time, we had a ball with the team..lot's of fun and great laughs..so, we are very much looking forward to that!!
We have also started our language learning with a tutor coming to our house....and let's just say..this is gonna take some time! We are going right back to basics in learning the khmer vowels and consenants and working at reading the khmer script as we go through. No small task - I might add! (Read: HELP!!). There are just some sounds in the khmer language that we don't have in our english...so, I've had to resort to some helpful prompts to remember the sounds. For instance, there are two vowels that remind me of burping noises...so, obviously I find these easier to remember than Jo..(not sure why that is>?!)..and others, well...one is kinda like a dog yelping (so our khmer tutor tells us!)..so again, this helps in remembering the sounds. Ahh...tis all fun..it will be slow, but hopefully rewarding in the long term!
So, some funny stories: Well..let's see...we attended a local khmer friend's wedding recently which was full of laughs and definitely an experience (Jo will talk about this one though!). We also, have enjoyed hanging out with some of the local expats and hearing their stories. One which comes to mind is a classic....this is from an Aussie who is working with a local NGO (Note: this happened several years ago now): The NGO had just recently had to demolish some building areas as part of renovation works and had a pile of timber and rubble to get rid of....so, one day, as the project supervisor, he told a group of his khmer employees to load up the rubbish and timber in the work truck and take it down to the rubbish tip and burn it. Well, our expatriate friend was somewhat dismayed to find later that day that his khmer staff had taking his instruction literally, and simply driven the truck full of timber to the tip and torched the whole lot, truck and all!! Again, just one example of how communication can sometimes be lost in translation and the cultural setting! What a classic - eh!.
From Jo...
Happy New Year Everyone! Well, it’s been a very busy Dec/Jan for us! Christmas sneaked up on us so quickly, particularly as Christmas as we know it is not celebrated here, as the majority of Cambodians are Buddhists and a smaller number Muslims. Therefore Christmas Day here basically does not exist, no Christmas trees or lights or constant carols in shopping centres (a blessing in some ways..that one!) and people still work, like every other day. Although what’s ironic is that there are about 26 public holidays here, mainly afforded to those who are wealthy or in government positions – so you can see a lot of work gets done with all the siesta’s in between (however the majority who are still very poor have to work each day just to survive)!
We went across the border to Laos to spend Christmas with my brother, sister-in-law, my two nephews and one of my other sisters who are currently working in Laos. My brother and his family have lived/worked there for nearly 5 years and my younger sister is there for a 12 mth stint. It was great to spend 10 days with them, and particularly since my brother and his family have recently decided to move back to Melb. Laos is much quieter, less dusty and crowded and colder than Cambodia so it was a really nice change, although some of the scenery is the same!
Arriving back in Phnom Penh, we instantly hit with a heatwave, despite this time of year being considered ‘cold season’. The temperature has varied between 28-35C. April is supposed to be the hottest month at about 40C and where the locals have about 3 showers a day, so we’ll soon find out how many we’ll be having!
We have also had Leanne, a medical student from Melb Uni come and stay with us for the month of Jan, doing a placement at the Pediatrics’ Hospital, which has been nice to have an Aussie with us.
Some other little bits and pieces:
- We attended a local Cambodian wedding after arriving back from Laos. Money is given instead of presents and you also pay money for the cost of the dinner plus extra if you want to bless them. The wedding started about 6.30am until about 10pm, starting off with traditional Khmer ceremonies. The more ‘Western’ service started about 11ish where the actual vows were said. The dinner at 5ish was very elaborate. Apparently this local Cambodian couple’s families are relatively well off and that showed with the over 600 guests who came to the reception. The wedding was like going to the Logies, the bride changed about 10 times throughout the day, the groom several times and even the guests changed at least twice! Breakfast, lunch and dinner were served for all who attended. Interestingly though, only about 200 people or so attended the actual ceremony but everybody came to the reception.
- We have also attended an engagement party, which again was like going to the Logies. The engaged couple looked like they were getting married!
- One great thing about Cambodia, you can get clothes made cheaply – just have to hope that you someone who can sew straight!
- Some more food stories: I have now witnessed a shop that sells dog meat, with all the dogs’ heads on platters (I thought my friends were pulling my leg)! At the wedding we were served a salad with chicken feet and duck feet! Along with crunchy fried spiders, we have also seen fried crickets and frogs!
We have been trying to meet a number of local pastors from different denominations and to gain a greater understanding of the Cambodian churches and their needs. Whilst trust comes through the building of relationships we are constantly challenged with the expectation from the general culture, including some even within the church expecting money with the view that all foreigners have lots of money! On the other hand, many Western churches and NGOs (non-govt organisations) often like to give money to help Cambodians, which is necessary. However from what we have observed and as another expat here has stated it: 'Cambodia and Western countries often exist in a 'codependent relationship'', that is, unhealthy dependency with each other, instead of being interdependent. Interestingly, we have also been told that one of the local Khmer pastors has stated that 'the problem with Cambodia is that it has too much money'. The impression is that there is more of a need now to teach Cambodians how to manage money better rather than giving another hand-out. Please help us pray into this situation of knowing the balance between when to give money and the teaching of managing it more wisely. On a spiritual level, the church is still struggling to get revelation knowledge that God is their provider and will often resort to relying on their own strength or going to fortune tellers and so on, when pressures of life arise (which happens to us all!)
A quick note from Leanne………
I have been the blessed recipient of Mark and Jo’s generosity; after only meeting them on occasion, this couple offered me a place to stay while I undertook my medical elective here in Phnom Penh. It’s been a great experience to be an almost adopted daughter/sister, with warnings of not staying out too late, frequent home
cooked meals and thorough explanations of the odd habits of Cambodians!
Life in Phnom Penh with Mark and Jo has been a truly memorable experience! It has been a great opportunity to experience life in a developing nation, and to meet some fabulous Cambodians. It’s also been really encouraging to see how God is working in Cambodia to bring people to himself.
I am really thankful for my time here in Cambodia, and for Jo and Mark making me feel so welcome.
Anyways, thanks for taking the time to read our update. Look forward to connecting at some stage soon! Here are some recent pics. Hope you enjoy!!.....
Heng Hak, our cambodian staff member....enjoying a typical day in the office!
Mark with nephew Kobi (Jo's brother Ben's youngest son) while in Laos over Christmas and NY 07...and yes, Mark is wearing Kobi's Bob-the-Builder cap!
With some friends after a meal together (Leah and Mara Cassidy-Kong, with their girls Naomi and Anna, Mara's parents, and another expat couple from the UK, Jez and Jacqui)
At a local cambodian friends wedding.....think lots of karaoke and really extravagant dresses!
The girls night out (at the wedding!) L-R: Leah Cassidy (and Naomi her daughter), Chek, Narelle & Jo
Pic of us with the newly wed couple (Pisit and Saha). The typical wedding day starts at 6:30am with guests involved in the many traditional ceremonies (ie. fruit carrying) and sharing meals together. The brides apparently can change outfits up to 10 times throughout the day...(just think though, this is bearable considering that weddings in previous generations used to run between 2-3 days long - imagine the outfit changes for that!!)
From Mark...
Hi, well, since our last update in December we've definitely moved forward in terms of feeling more at ease in living here..with adjusting to the culture and climate, etc - which has helped us to settle in. We still have our usual (almost daily!) frustrations of noise, traffic, wading through layer upon layer of khmer people's mindsets and behaviours, etc - but we are both going well and finding our place here in terms of work and ministry.
In the last couple of months we've been focusing on three main areas of planning for this year, building relationships and starting language learning. We are looking to start a pilot training program for a small group of pastors and church business people that will aim to build trust & capacity, and provide teaching on building sustainable church & business organisations. We are looking to have this supported with mentoring relationships formed with local expats in business here. So, we're really looking forward to seeing this started shortly (hopefully in March all things going to plan). We have another pastors conference coming up later this month in Feb with a team from our church coming over again - so, that'll be great and will be really nice to hang out with some of the gang from cccw again! Last time, we had a ball with the team..lot's of fun and great laughs..so, we are very much looking forward to that!!
We have also started our language learning with a tutor coming to our house....and let's just say..this is gonna take some time! We are going right back to basics in learning the khmer vowels and consenants and working at reading the khmer script as we go through. No small task - I might add! (Read: HELP!!). There are just some sounds in the khmer language that we don't have in our english...so, I've had to resort to some helpful prompts to remember the sounds. For instance, there are two vowels that remind me of burping noises...so, obviously I find these easier to remember than Jo..(not sure why that is>?!)..and others, well...one is kinda like a dog yelping (so our khmer tutor tells us!)..so again, this helps in remembering the sounds. Ahh...tis all fun..it will be slow, but hopefully rewarding in the long term!
So, some funny stories: Well..let's see...we attended a local khmer friend's wedding recently which was full of laughs and definitely an experience (Jo will talk about this one though!). We also, have enjoyed hanging out with some of the local expats and hearing their stories. One which comes to mind is a classic....this is from an Aussie who is working with a local NGO (Note: this happened several years ago now): The NGO had just recently had to demolish some building areas as part of renovation works and had a pile of timber and rubble to get rid of....so, one day, as the project supervisor, he told a group of his khmer employees to load up the rubbish and timber in the work truck and take it down to the rubbish tip and burn it. Well, our expatriate friend was somewhat dismayed to find later that day that his khmer staff had taking his instruction literally, and simply driven the truck full of timber to the tip and torched the whole lot, truck and all!! Again, just one example of how communication can sometimes be lost in translation and the cultural setting! What a classic - eh!.
From Jo...
Happy New Year Everyone! Well, it’s been a very busy Dec/Jan for us! Christmas sneaked up on us so quickly, particularly as Christmas as we know it is not celebrated here, as the majority of Cambodians are Buddhists and a smaller number Muslims. Therefore Christmas Day here basically does not exist, no Christmas trees or lights or constant carols in shopping centres (a blessing in some ways..that one!) and people still work, like every other day. Although what’s ironic is that there are about 26 public holidays here, mainly afforded to those who are wealthy or in government positions – so you can see a lot of work gets done with all the siesta’s in between (however the majority who are still very poor have to work each day just to survive)!
We went across the border to Laos to spend Christmas with my brother, sister-in-law, my two nephews and one of my other sisters who are currently working in Laos. My brother and his family have lived/worked there for nearly 5 years and my younger sister is there for a 12 mth stint. It was great to spend 10 days with them, and particularly since my brother and his family have recently decided to move back to Melb. Laos is much quieter, less dusty and crowded and colder than Cambodia so it was a really nice change, although some of the scenery is the same!
Arriving back in Phnom Penh, we instantly hit with a heatwave, despite this time of year being considered ‘cold season’. The temperature has varied between 28-35C. April is supposed to be the hottest month at about 40C and where the locals have about 3 showers a day, so we’ll soon find out how many we’ll be having!
We have also had Leanne, a medical student from Melb Uni come and stay with us for the month of Jan, doing a placement at the Pediatrics’ Hospital, which has been nice to have an Aussie with us.
Some other little bits and pieces:
- We attended a local Cambodian wedding after arriving back from Laos. Money is given instead of presents and you also pay money for the cost of the dinner plus extra if you want to bless them. The wedding started about 6.30am until about 10pm, starting off with traditional Khmer ceremonies. The more ‘Western’ service started about 11ish where the actual vows were said. The dinner at 5ish was very elaborate. Apparently this local Cambodian couple’s families are relatively well off and that showed with the over 600 guests who came to the reception. The wedding was like going to the Logies, the bride changed about 10 times throughout the day, the groom several times and even the guests changed at least twice! Breakfast, lunch and dinner were served for all who attended. Interestingly though, only about 200 people or so attended the actual ceremony but everybody came to the reception.
- We have also attended an engagement party, which again was like going to the Logies. The engaged couple looked like they were getting married!
- One great thing about Cambodia, you can get clothes made cheaply – just have to hope that you someone who can sew straight!
- Some more food stories: I have now witnessed a shop that sells dog meat, with all the dogs’ heads on platters (I thought my friends were pulling my leg)! At the wedding we were served a salad with chicken feet and duck feet! Along with crunchy fried spiders, we have also seen fried crickets and frogs!
We have been trying to meet a number of local pastors from different denominations and to gain a greater understanding of the Cambodian churches and their needs. Whilst trust comes through the building of relationships we are constantly challenged with the expectation from the general culture, including some even within the church expecting money with the view that all foreigners have lots of money! On the other hand, many Western churches and NGOs (non-govt organisations) often like to give money to help Cambodians, which is necessary. However from what we have observed and as another expat here has stated it: 'Cambodia and Western countries often exist in a 'codependent relationship'', that is, unhealthy dependency with each other, instead of being interdependent. Interestingly, we have also been told that one of the local Khmer pastors has stated that 'the problem with Cambodia is that it has too much money'. The impression is that there is more of a need now to teach Cambodians how to manage money better rather than giving another hand-out. Please help us pray into this situation of knowing the balance between when to give money and the teaching of managing it more wisely. On a spiritual level, the church is still struggling to get revelation knowledge that God is their provider and will often resort to relying on their own strength or going to fortune tellers and so on, when pressures of life arise (which happens to us all!)
A quick note from Leanne………
I have been the blessed recipient of Mark and Jo’s generosity; after only meeting them on occasion, this couple offered me a place to stay while I undertook my medical elective here in Phnom Penh. It’s been a great experience to be an almost adopted daughter/sister, with warnings of not staying out too late, frequent home
cooked meals and thorough explanations of the odd habits of Cambodians!
Life in Phnom Penh with Mark and Jo has been a truly memorable experience! It has been a great opportunity to experience life in a developing nation, and to meet some fabulous Cambodians. It’s also been really encouraging to see how God is working in Cambodia to bring people to himself.
I am really thankful for my time here in Cambodia, and for Jo and Mark making me feel so welcome.
Anyways, thanks for taking the time to read our update. Look forward to connecting at some stage soon! Here are some recent pics. Hope you enjoy!!.....
Heng Hak, our cambodian staff member....enjoying a typical day in the office!
Mark with nephew Kobi (Jo's brother Ben's youngest son) while in Laos over Christmas and NY 07...and yes, Mark is wearing Kobi's Bob-the-Builder cap!
With some friends after a meal together (Leah and Mara Cassidy-Kong, with their girls Naomi and Anna, Mara's parents, and another expat couple from the UK, Jez and Jacqui)
At a local cambodian friends wedding.....think lots of karaoke and really extravagant dresses!
The girls night out (at the wedding!) L-R: Leah Cassidy (and Naomi her daughter), Chek, Narelle & Jo
Pic of us with the newly wed couple (Pisit and Saha). The typical wedding day starts at 6:30am with guests involved in the many traditional ceremonies (ie. fruit carrying) and sharing meals together. The brides apparently can change outfits up to 10 times throughout the day...(just think though, this is bearable considering that weddings in previous generations used to run between 2-3 days long - imagine the outfit changes for that!!)
Saturday, January 27, 2007
Postscripts from Phnom Penh (Dec 06)
Well….here we are…. almost three months into the journey and we’re both still sane! Amazing really!! – given the frustrations along the way. But thankfully, we’ve really been blessed with a bunch of great things happening over these few months since we last wrote. We’ve tried to capture the essence of this journey to date – so, we hope you enjoy the read!
From Mark….
Hi there, or in khmer…‘arun sus sei dei’ (which kinda sounds like “aroon –sauce-a-day!”) …I’ve found it’s helpful to think of word pictures with some of the khmer words so obviously a meat pie with sauce always comes to mind with this khmer greeting! But don’t be fooled in thinking we’ve got a grasp of the khmer language – cos we still haven’t started the language learning yet!~ we do hope to find a good tutor in the near future - so that at least we can get started with the basics of learning khmer.
Anyways – we’re both going pretty well and seem to be adjusting to life here ok in particular physically – I think we’re feeling a lot more settled than when we first arrived. Though, we definitely aren’t at the point of buying our meat down at the local (flea) markets as yet! – so, we still live to a fair extent with ‘foreigner’ comforts. Mind you, in spite of this – we’ve still managed to get the occasional bout of gastro which seems fairly hard to predict or avoid even if eating from trusted restaurants. Anyway – enough said on that front.
Since we last wrote a lot has happened. For the most part our attention the last month and a half has been on coordinating efforts for a conference for pastors, leaders and church businesspeople that we hosted here in PP only two weeks ago. It all went really well. The conference speakers included our senior pastor Pete McHugh and a team of nine from our church in Melbourne (mix of pastors, business people, board members and other brilliant tag-alongs!). We had between 40-50 khmer attendees – who were clearly really blessed by the teaching and encouragement given in the conference. As the training was really practical - focusing on the role of the pastor and the businessperson in church life plus defining the role of governance in churches – we found that it’s really given us a spring-board to launch into all the economic development work that we’re looking to start here. So, that was great.
It was also fantastic to have all the CCCW team here – and to connect with them and ‘chew the fat’ over good company and good food! Also – just being able to talk aussie-to-aussie was incredibly refreshing. As we’ve been used to talking to all manner of foreigners since we’ve been here – getting back to talking in “real” english was fantastic!! (+ having people who actually understand our sarcastic sense of humour!)
In the midst of all the “business” stuff, we managed to sign a rental contract for a house (single level apartment style) which has worked out great. The house is in a good location and our landlord is a local “commune leader” – which means he knows the police and government contacts (which helps with many “issues” let’s just say that!)… though he does live right next door, so we can’t really play up which is a abit of a bummer! We are still however in the slow (read: incredibly painful!) process of furnishing the house as there was basically nothing in it when we moved in. We’ve been told by local expats that a rule of thumb is to allow up to 4x what it would take back home for normal daily living tasks – so this has at least helped us in normalizing our frustrations in finding the most simplest of items and furnishings for the house!
Also, we bought a new motorbike (100cc) a couple weeks ago which means at least now we have some form of transport (Yah!!). I’m also looking to purchase a 2nd hand dirt bike so that we can at least get out to the province/rural areas to have a look as well (gotta be that country boy thing coming out again – I spose!)
From Jo…
it’s been about three months that we’ve been here now; at times it seems we’ve been here much longer! The last few weeks have been pretty hot although we are supposed to be coming up to the ‘cold season’ (if there is such a thing in Cambodia at ~30C)! The hottest month is apparently April where basically very little work gets done, so we have been told.
Moving into our own place has been absolutely fantastic! However, the process of furnishing it is a different story – everything just takes sooooo long here! We were told by a number of expats that if you get two things done on your ‘to do’ list each day then that’s really good! I think we previously mentioned about the quality and costs of things here, e.g. to clean the house, we had to buy a mop – the mop handle broke in half after mopping just one room; I bought a pair of shoes to wear for the conference and it broke after about 2 wears; our bed base was hammered and sawed into shape so it could fit together (this meant it was a very tight fit to get our mattress to fit the base), and so on. We were also told to expect things to fall apart each week (so encouraging) and did we ever find this to be true!! e.g. our fridge had to be repaired only a few weeks after moving in, (although it is 2nd hand), a number of light globes have blown in different rooms, our shower head holder broke, our bath tub cracked (it is plastic – so no surprises here!), etc, etc. Basically, each item that we have bought has a story behind it, from buying a vegetable peeler that peels/cuts chunks out of the vegetable, to buying a ‘brand new’ motorbike that has to be checked out that it is not a stolen bike before it can be registered.
We have got a water filter so we don’t have to buy bottled water to wash and cook our food in and brush our teeth with, but for whatever reason, it just doesn’t quite have the same taste of our water back home (and this has completely nothing in relation to Mark having worked at Melbourne Water before we left)!!! We are slowly getting used to this but again, it takes time to cook (nearly the double the time back home) whilst trying not to pour down with sweat! We have had a number of blackouts as well but fortunately the electricity has come back on during the night when we use the air-con to sleep! Most locals get up at about 5am and are in bed by about 9pm, basically when the sun rises as many do not have electricity and it also means getting most of the work done such as going to the markets to get food, before it gets too hot.
Ahh, all in a day’s work in Cambodia.
Please, don’t let me put you off visiting – it really is a lovely country with beautiful people, very cheap food and clothes (in particular local places) and lots of yummy mango shakes and seafood!
Of course, having the team from church come over was such a blessing to those who attended the conference but obviously very much so to us. The team were a great group of people who got along really well with each other and also met and built some good relationships with the pastors/business people who attended the conference and were also able to share at different churches on the Sunday. Whilst the teaching was practical and very invaluable and very needed in the churches here, I believe the way our team displayed unity, love and respect for each other and much fun gave the local Khmers at the conference more than a glimpse of what relationships are really all about. Again we feel really blessed and proud to be part of such a fantastic church.
Well, thanks for sharing the journey with us – we value all your support, encouragement and friendship! Missing you all heaps and we look forward to hearing how your journey is going too!
Lots of love from Mark & Jo
PS. GO Aussies in the cricket!
From Mark….
Hi there, or in khmer…‘arun sus sei dei’ (which kinda sounds like “aroon –sauce-a-day!”) …I’ve found it’s helpful to think of word pictures with some of the khmer words so obviously a meat pie with sauce always comes to mind with this khmer greeting! But don’t be fooled in thinking we’ve got a grasp of the khmer language – cos we still haven’t started the language learning yet!~ we do hope to find a good tutor in the near future - so that at least we can get started with the basics of learning khmer.
Anyways – we’re both going pretty well and seem to be adjusting to life here ok in particular physically – I think we’re feeling a lot more settled than when we first arrived. Though, we definitely aren’t at the point of buying our meat down at the local (flea) markets as yet! – so, we still live to a fair extent with ‘foreigner’ comforts. Mind you, in spite of this – we’ve still managed to get the occasional bout of gastro which seems fairly hard to predict or avoid even if eating from trusted restaurants. Anyway – enough said on that front.
Since we last wrote a lot has happened. For the most part our attention the last month and a half has been on coordinating efforts for a conference for pastors, leaders and church businesspeople that we hosted here in PP only two weeks ago. It all went really well. The conference speakers included our senior pastor Pete McHugh and a team of nine from our church in Melbourne (mix of pastors, business people, board members and other brilliant tag-alongs!). We had between 40-50 khmer attendees – who were clearly really blessed by the teaching and encouragement given in the conference. As the training was really practical - focusing on the role of the pastor and the businessperson in church life plus defining the role of governance in churches – we found that it’s really given us a spring-board to launch into all the economic development work that we’re looking to start here. So, that was great.
It was also fantastic to have all the CCCW team here – and to connect with them and ‘chew the fat’ over good company and good food! Also – just being able to talk aussie-to-aussie was incredibly refreshing. As we’ve been used to talking to all manner of foreigners since we’ve been here – getting back to talking in “real” english was fantastic!! (+ having people who actually understand our sarcastic sense of humour!)
In the midst of all the “business” stuff, we managed to sign a rental contract for a house (single level apartment style) which has worked out great. The house is in a good location and our landlord is a local “commune leader” – which means he knows the police and government contacts (which helps with many “issues” let’s just say that!)… though he does live right next door, so we can’t really play up which is a abit of a bummer! We are still however in the slow (read: incredibly painful!) process of furnishing the house as there was basically nothing in it when we moved in. We’ve been told by local expats that a rule of thumb is to allow up to 4x what it would take back home for normal daily living tasks – so this has at least helped us in normalizing our frustrations in finding the most simplest of items and furnishings for the house!
Also, we bought a new motorbike (100cc) a couple weeks ago which means at least now we have some form of transport (Yah!!). I’m also looking to purchase a 2nd hand dirt bike so that we can at least get out to the province/rural areas to have a look as well (gotta be that country boy thing coming out again – I spose!)
From Jo…
it’s been about three months that we’ve been here now; at times it seems we’ve been here much longer! The last few weeks have been pretty hot although we are supposed to be coming up to the ‘cold season’ (if there is such a thing in Cambodia at ~30C)! The hottest month is apparently April where basically very little work gets done, so we have been told.
Moving into our own place has been absolutely fantastic! However, the process of furnishing it is a different story – everything just takes sooooo long here! We were told by a number of expats that if you get two things done on your ‘to do’ list each day then that’s really good! I think we previously mentioned about the quality and costs of things here, e.g. to clean the house, we had to buy a mop – the mop handle broke in half after mopping just one room; I bought a pair of shoes to wear for the conference and it broke after about 2 wears; our bed base was hammered and sawed into shape so it could fit together (this meant it was a very tight fit to get our mattress to fit the base), and so on. We were also told to expect things to fall apart each week (so encouraging) and did we ever find this to be true!! e.g. our fridge had to be repaired only a few weeks after moving in, (although it is 2nd hand), a number of light globes have blown in different rooms, our shower head holder broke, our bath tub cracked (it is plastic – so no surprises here!), etc, etc. Basically, each item that we have bought has a story behind it, from buying a vegetable peeler that peels/cuts chunks out of the vegetable, to buying a ‘brand new’ motorbike that has to be checked out that it is not a stolen bike before it can be registered.
We have got a water filter so we don’t have to buy bottled water to wash and cook our food in and brush our teeth with, but for whatever reason, it just doesn’t quite have the same taste of our water back home (and this has completely nothing in relation to Mark having worked at Melbourne Water before we left)!!! We are slowly getting used to this but again, it takes time to cook (nearly the double the time back home) whilst trying not to pour down with sweat! We have had a number of blackouts as well but fortunately the electricity has come back on during the night when we use the air-con to sleep! Most locals get up at about 5am and are in bed by about 9pm, basically when the sun rises as many do not have electricity and it also means getting most of the work done such as going to the markets to get food, before it gets too hot.
Ahh, all in a day’s work in Cambodia.
Please, don’t let me put you off visiting – it really is a lovely country with beautiful people, very cheap food and clothes (in particular local places) and lots of yummy mango shakes and seafood!
Of course, having the team from church come over was such a blessing to those who attended the conference but obviously very much so to us. The team were a great group of people who got along really well with each other and also met and built some good relationships with the pastors/business people who attended the conference and were also able to share at different churches on the Sunday. Whilst the teaching was practical and very invaluable and very needed in the churches here, I believe the way our team displayed unity, love and respect for each other and much fun gave the local Khmers at the conference more than a glimpse of what relationships are really all about. Again we feel really blessed and proud to be part of such a fantastic church.
Well, thanks for sharing the journey with us – we value all your support, encouragement and friendship! Missing you all heaps and we look forward to hearing how your journey is going too!
Lots of love from Mark & Jo
PS. GO Aussies in the cricket!
On the back of a moto on the way to the Water Festival (the city swells to 2-3 million people over the 3 day festival!)
Jo with the Water Festival fireworks in the background
The cccw team on a tour about the city on moto's
One of the sessions of the pastors conference
The cccw team at the infamous Foreign Correspondents Club (FCC) for the after conference celebrations...a great night had by all!
Postscripts from Phnom Penh (Sept 06)
Hi everyone - from the humid morning haze of Phnom Penh city!
We've been here for just over three weeks now and are both going really well. Since arriving we've been staying at a hotel and are still in the process of looking around for a place to live and trying to get set-up for life here in Phnom Penh. Rental costs here are surprisingly quite high relative to Australia – so it has proven to be a bit of a challenge finding a place that we can make into our home and that has the right layout to set up an office space.
When we flew in on 5th Sept, the view from the air definitely gave the impression the rains had come. Right now it’s in the middle of the (hot) wet season. Check out the photos on the last page – these are from the flight in and show just how wet this place can get!
Anyway, we hope you enjoy reading of our journey so far!
From Mark….
Well, since arriving it’s certainly proven to be all that we were told to expect (and more!). In spite of the constant haggling of tuk-tuk, moto & cyclo drivers, adjusting to the heat, humidity and that Cambodian smell (you know the one – for those that have been here before!), and learning not to get too frustrated with the pervading “yes” culture (Cambodians will say yes to most things even if they have no idea what you’re asking for!) it still has been a good start to our journey and we’re looking forward to getting settled in. However, we are still learning to lower our expectations and “go with the flow” to limit the frustration factor.
I had my first go at riding a moto around the city the other day and found it a bit of a challenge to start with, but I got there by the end of the journey!...only having one close encounter with the front end of an impatient toyota along the way and fortunate to still have the kick-start pedal in tact after a few false starts (followed by a few more!). Alas, having to get used to handling the bike was a challenge for me (and yes, this too from a country boy!!). Jo is keen to show me up though, with her riding prowess when she gives it a go hopefully in the near future (stay tuned on that one!).
We have started looking around for a car or motorbike to buy. Apparently most of the cars for sale here are actually damaged/written-off vehicles shipped in from overseas (generally from the USA) and receive panel-beating and repairs here in Cambodia. Ensuring you get a car that won’t fall to bits after a drive over the many potholed roads though seems to be the ultimate challenge!
Some interesting experiences so far have included dining out at several restaurants only to have a humungous rat or two scuttle past our table leg (really inspiring stuff while eating asian food in dim lighting…) and trying to get understanding into the deep spiritual culture that exists here. For instance, just last weekend it was fascinating to note the Cambodians celebrated a four day public holiday with the sole purpose of making merit & giving offerings to the spirits of their ancestors at local Buddhist temples all over the city and in the province areas. There are so many layers to this culture –it’s clear we need much wisdom and discernment as we take this journey.
From Jo…
As I’m writing this, it’s a bit overcast outside disguising the humidity! The first few weeks for me have been trying to get used to the weather – I was having siestas without meaning too, so my aim is to last more than two days in a row without having a siesta!
Looking for places to stay as been a bit more of a process than expected – many places only have a kitchen with one basin and tap with cold water (i.e. no pantry, no stove/oven or stove tops are like camping stoves attached to a gas bottle) and each bedroom is likely to have a bathroom attached to it where the showers just have cold water and have no recess, just the shower head coming out of the wall so the toilet is likely to get wet whilst having a shower. However if lucky you may get a Western toilet that actually flushes! One of the biggest things is about security – getting in and out of a place is like Fort Knox as most places have two locked gates to get through before you even get to the front door! Every door from outside to inside the house is locked with a big padlock.
We are yet to find ourselves a language teacher to teach us Khmer (as would like to get settled into a place first) but are learning bits and pieces like ‘please, can we have the bill’ and probably the most important one ‘no thank you’ (for Mark it’s just plain ‘no’) to all the tuk tuk and moto drivers who love to hassle you as soon as you step out into the street!. Also, I’m still continuing with my studies in Christian counseling and family therapy (although it is hard to motivate myself at times) and was able to get a month’s extension on all my assignment – thank God! They were all due the day we left Melb. I will be glad when it’s all over!
Overall we are doing really well and have been praying more fervently when it comes to asking for God’s blessing over the food we eat and for safe travel (we feel quite comfortable now in walking across the road without being run over in spite of some moto driver’s still thinking that they’re in a Grand Prix!).
Well, that’s about it from us for now. Thanks to all for your continued prayers and support! We feel so blessed to have such wonderful family and friends who believe in a great God who is able to do the impossible! Missing you all heaps.
Lots of love from Mark & Jo 
We've been here for just over three weeks now and are both going really well. Since arriving we've been staying at a hotel and are still in the process of looking around for a place to live and trying to get set-up for life here in Phnom Penh. Rental costs here are surprisingly quite high relative to Australia – so it has proven to be a bit of a challenge finding a place that we can make into our home and that has the right layout to set up an office space.
When we flew in on 5th Sept, the view from the air definitely gave the impression the rains had come. Right now it’s in the middle of the (hot) wet season. Check out the photos on the last page – these are from the flight in and show just how wet this place can get!
Anyway, we hope you enjoy reading of our journey so far!
From Mark….
Well, since arriving it’s certainly proven to be all that we were told to expect (and more!). In spite of the constant haggling of tuk-tuk, moto & cyclo drivers, adjusting to the heat, humidity and that Cambodian smell (you know the one – for those that have been here before!), and learning not to get too frustrated with the pervading “yes” culture (Cambodians will say yes to most things even if they have no idea what you’re asking for!) it still has been a good start to our journey and we’re looking forward to getting settled in. However, we are still learning to lower our expectations and “go with the flow” to limit the frustration factor.
I had my first go at riding a moto around the city the other day and found it a bit of a challenge to start with, but I got there by the end of the journey!...only having one close encounter with the front end of an impatient toyota along the way and fortunate to still have the kick-start pedal in tact after a few false starts (followed by a few more!). Alas, having to get used to handling the bike was a challenge for me (and yes, this too from a country boy!!). Jo is keen to show me up though, with her riding prowess when she gives it a go hopefully in the near future (stay tuned on that one!).
We have started looking around for a car or motorbike to buy. Apparently most of the cars for sale here are actually damaged/written-off vehicles shipped in from overseas (generally from the USA) and receive panel-beating and repairs here in Cambodia. Ensuring you get a car that won’t fall to bits after a drive over the many potholed roads though seems to be the ultimate challenge!
Some interesting experiences so far have included dining out at several restaurants only to have a humungous rat or two scuttle past our table leg (really inspiring stuff while eating asian food in dim lighting…) and trying to get understanding into the deep spiritual culture that exists here. For instance, just last weekend it was fascinating to note the Cambodians celebrated a four day public holiday with the sole purpose of making merit & giving offerings to the spirits of their ancestors at local Buddhist temples all over the city and in the province areas. There are so many layers to this culture –it’s clear we need much wisdom and discernment as we take this journey.
From Jo…
As I’m writing this, it’s a bit overcast outside disguising the humidity! The first few weeks for me have been trying to get used to the weather – I was having siestas without meaning too, so my aim is to last more than two days in a row without having a siesta!
Looking for places to stay as been a bit more of a process than expected – many places only have a kitchen with one basin and tap with cold water (i.e. no pantry, no stove/oven or stove tops are like camping stoves attached to a gas bottle) and each bedroom is likely to have a bathroom attached to it where the showers just have cold water and have no recess, just the shower head coming out of the wall so the toilet is likely to get wet whilst having a shower. However if lucky you may get a Western toilet that actually flushes! One of the biggest things is about security – getting in and out of a place is like Fort Knox as most places have two locked gates to get through before you even get to the front door! Every door from outside to inside the house is locked with a big padlock.
We are yet to find ourselves a language teacher to teach us Khmer (as would like to get settled into a place first) but are learning bits and pieces like ‘please, can we have the bill’ and probably the most important one ‘no thank you’ (for Mark it’s just plain ‘no’) to all the tuk tuk and moto drivers who love to hassle you as soon as you step out into the street!. Also, I’m still continuing with my studies in Christian counseling and family therapy (although it is hard to motivate myself at times) and was able to get a month’s extension on all my assignment – thank God! They were all due the day we left Melb. I will be glad when it’s all over!
Overall we are doing really well and have been praying more fervently when it comes to asking for God’s blessing over the food we eat and for safe travel (we feel quite comfortable now in walking across the road without being run over in spite of some moto driver’s still thinking that they’re in a Grand Prix!).
Well, that’s about it from us for now. Thanks to all for your continued prayers and support! We feel so blessed to have such wonderful family and friends who believe in a great God who is able to do the impossible! Missing you all heaps.
Lots of love from Mark & Jo
Some pics of the journey so far....
View from the plane flying in to phnom penh. The amount of flooding was just amazing to see from the air!
Jo in one of the local markets
Mark asking how much for the market meats...hmm tasty!!
Our favourite billboard since arriving in phnom penh!
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