HERE, EAT THIS

AUGUST 1 - We arrived Siem Reap Town from Preah Vihear temple about 6:00 p.m. I invited Mony, my driver, to dinner...his choice. That meant traditional Khmer food...which is what I'm eating daily anyway except for my morning yogurt with daily vitamins. Traditional Khmer food is based largely on sour or fermented fish, soup, vegetables, rice...except for the largest portion of the diet which is steamed rice for every meal.

Mony selected a sidewalk Khmer restaurant for carry out which we set up on one of the tables in the restaurant area of Siem Reap Riverside Guest House.

Steamed rice came out of one plastic bag and was piled onto our two plates. Meat with leaves (Khmer refer to as "vegetables")--contents of another plastic bag were dumped into a bowl. Small, small plastic bag gave up lemon sauce with red chilies. Another plastic bag emptied of fresh green papaya salad.

I picked up my chop sticks and began adding to the top of my steamed rice the one thing in the meat bag I could identify...chunks of pig intestines. Within a nanosecond Mony plopped other looking chunks on top of my steamed rice saying, "here, Deanna, take this, it's good; pig's nose, tongue and ears...it's good meat! Here, eat this!"

I did...all.

P.S. Passing on the pictures this time.

PREAH VIHEAR - THE TENSION

AUGUST 1 - There are tens of thousands of troops on the Thai-Cambodia border at Preah Vihear Temple--more Thai than Cambodian. At some points the Thai and Cambodian soldiers are face to face. My Cambodian friends tell me the Thai are better armed and outfitted than the Cambodian troops. This has been the situation since before UNESCO declared the temple a World Heritage Site more than a year ago as the Thais lobbied and demonstrated against the declaration that the temple belongs to Cambodia.

Fortunately talks between Thai and Cambodian diplomats and high officials continue. I tell my Khmer friends that as long as talks are going on, there is hope for a good result/agreement ultimately. Stop talks--bad sign.


Very few tourists today...about ten including me and my driver. All from the Cambodia side because the border crossing here is closed. Visitors from Cambodia side used to be able to walk across the border for a day into the Thai markets and visitors from the Thai side were able to walk across the border for the day into the temple and Cambodian markets.

Another difference is the thousands of soldiers--everywhere...on the temple, in the temple, around the temple, road up to the temple, along the border. There are foxholes with guns and rockets positioned towards Thailand.

On this day a delegation of high military officials and judges was inspecting the situation here. Soldiers stationed here and the visiting inspectors were all friendly. I was able to exchange greetings, short conversations and get pictures.

Did you see the soldier in camaflouge against the temple wall?

CMAC -- Cambodia Mine Action Center deminers are working to broaden the areas that are free of landmines and unexploded ordinances around the temple and along the border on the Cambodian side so the military can maneuver safely. CMAC is an organization of Khmer deminers -- trained by France and funded by France and Germany.

ON THE WAY TO PRASAT PREAH VIHEAR

JULY 31 - Tension is high on Cambodia's north border with Thailand at the site of the Khmer temple Prasat Preah Vihear. It's just a year ago July that the United Nations declared Prasat Preah Vihear a World Heritage Site, about 5 years after it ruled on the long-standing border dispute between Thailand and Cambodia about whether the ancient temple belongs to Thailand or to Cambodia.

In fact, I hear more about this on the news here than about the Khmer Rouge trial due in part to Cambodia's national day of celebration of 1-year anniversary of the temple being declared a World Heritage Site. The UN setting the border about 6 years ago and declaring the temple a World Heritage Site a year ago means that Cambodia can list Prasat Preah Vihear on its country's list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites and Thailand cannot make this claim. Nevertheless the infrastructure in Thailand is very good, with a paved road to the Thai-Cambodia border for easy access to the temple.

I heard that the road to Preah Vihear is good now...yes, of course, to provide supply line to the Cambodian troops stationed there. I could not resist the chance to go to Prasat Preah Vihear, in my mind easily the most spectacular location of a large Khmer temple. I have been there 3 times before always on bad roads...a 2-day trip minimum.

By 2 pm I was on my way with water, munchies and overnight clothes. The road between Anlong Veng and Siem Reap is paved now with mile markers and road signs. Driving time about 2 hours on good road now instead of 5 hours on a terrible road. On the other hand, the road from Anlong Veng to Preah Vihear, while improved, is good only if not raining since it is not paved, but graded and sections are clay not yet with red topsoil. No rain, driving time is 2-1/2 hrs; driving time goes up as the road deteriorates with rain. And of course, there is construction equipment along this stretch with which we must share the road.

The village picture is the village at the foot of the Dangkrek Mountains that form the northern border of Cambodia with Thailand and Laos. Prasat Preah Vihear sits on the mountaintop.

It's 4-1/2 hours between Siem Reap Town and Preah Vihear now absent rain...a 1-day trip! Amazing.

I shot some pictures along the way. Enjoy!

KOK TA CHAN VILLAGE PIGS - KIDS' POWER

JULY 30 - The couple proudly led us to the pig pen where I saw 4 pigs. Typically we place 2 piglets to a pigpen, but one pigpen is not completed. Four beautiful pigs! It's mid day...hot. Mostly they are lying in the shade of the roof and rouse for a picture only when my sound and movement around them provokes them.

I ask about the health of the pigs, if they had any sickness or any or any problem to take care of. No problems...no sickness at all. They are fed and watered three times a day...and showered from time to time to cool them off. This is not hard because the pigpen is built at one side of the well for near access to the water.

We usually place 8 pigs each year, but this year 10 pigs have been sponsored. On April 19 I went to speak about the Cambodia Project to Brodhead UMC and was surprised by the amazing Sunday School children with a check for more than $350 and the story of their months of saving their money to buy a pig. What fun they had "building" pig after pig piece by piece as their money accumulated and anticipation mounted. I heard there were pigs on the walls everywhere to watch how the project was going and to help everyone remember the project. Their big and successful efforts buys 7 pigs!

7 precious pigs for 7 families...a life changing event for Khmer family. The family can raise the 2-3 month old piglet on rice hulls and vegetables for about 9 months, then sell at market for $600-$900 (depending on the market season). This gives the family enough money to buy a piglet or two more and money for food, medicine, school fees for children, clothes for family.

Thank you, amazing Brodhead UMC Sunday School, for your generous hearts and long efforts to raise money for 7 pigs for Khmer families...changing lives in a big way for poor people.

KOK TA CHAN VILLAGE - WELL AND TOILET

JULY 30 - More precious gifts from Wisconsin people to poor families in Kok Ta Chan Village. I leave the car and walk the pathway from the road into a cluster of houses greeting people along the way. Children always curious gather round and follow me; I must look like the Pied Piper! I don't hurry, being careful to acknowledge everyone I pass and not to miss any opportunity to be a good ambassador. My adrenalin runs even as I try to calm myself for what I'm about to encounter. Will our precious gifts be well taken care of? What will I meet in this place? Always these questions!

It's not long and I can clearly see the colors and shapes of a well and toilet. They're beautiful. As you can see for yourself, they're loved. The family that greets me--as others are working in the fields this morning--are gracious and elegant. Khmer are a gentle people. So stark a contrast to the horrific Pol Pot Regime.

After greetings, I "examine" the well and toilet. I thank the people for taking good care of the well and toilet and tell the families that the People of Wisconsin wish for them that the well and toilet will provide safe cool water for them for many, many years and long lives for all of them!

The families say many, many, many thanks to the People of Wisconsin for thinking of them for a well and a toilet. They express their highest thanks by saying they wish the God will give good health to us, that we make lots of money for more wells and toilets for Cambodian people, that Wisconsin people are honorable to make such gifts to Cambodian people, and that God will give us long lives.

The families bring us fresh green coconuts, one end sliced off, straw inserted, as a cool drink. Jungle villages have lots of coconuts! They can gather them immediately, open one end, insert a straw and offer a cool beverage to visitors. These families in addition offered us lunch as we sat under a cool thatch roof and sipped green coconut water!

KOK TA CHAN VILLAGE WELL AND TOILET

JULY 30 - Our stop after Kok TaChan Primary School is a well with VN6 model pump and a toilet for a group of families. They hear our car doors and meet us as we walk the pathway from the road to the well through the cluster of houses. Everyone is greeting with traditional Khmer "chim reap suar" and "soxabai" simultaneous with hands raised palms together and bowing. Then begins the many, many thanks. I take this all in, paying attention to each person, and respond on your behalf, Good People of Wisconsin.

This year we are building 1-room toilets, otherwise same design and construction materials as 2-room toilets in prior years. This is a modification we're making because of the resistance of several or more Khmer families to cooperate fairly in the cleaning and maintenance of toilets over the long term. Even with training and followup to education, the cooperative model is difficult to "sell." We ask the Khmer families not to use their usual tools for cleaning of sticks, stones, sand, but rather to use the brush, broom, pail and dipper.

If you look closely in the picture of the well, you can see the toilet beyond.

When we arrive this morning, the well and toilet are spotless. There are flowers and herbs planted around the perimeter of the well.

Side picture of the toilet lets you see the settling tank and the concrete foundation to elevate the toilet from flooding and critters. The water tank provides water for flushing the toilet, washing hands and cleaning the room.

The toilet is a sanitary and safe place for families, especially women and children. Without a toilet, people must walk away from their houses, dig with sticks, then cover afterward...leaving this to dispersion in the frequent Cambodian rains...accessible to tracking around even farther by people and animals. Especially at night, it's dangerous for women and children when scorpions and snakes are about.

With the wells and toilets come domestic hygiene and sanitation training and health kits for all families on the well. We do this to promote a safe environment for children to grow up in.

KOK TA CHAN PRIMARY SCHOOL - KIDS' POWER

JULY 30 - I was up early preparing for an 8:00 a.m. meeting with our well driller and water resource consultant, Mr. Chea Phan, at Teuk Sa'at Organization office north of Siem Reap Town.

We spend an hour going over the details of the 2009 project. One good thing about so little rain this rainy season -- Teuk Sa'at Organization is far ahead of schedule on the progress of the project. Originally scheduled for work from March through early December 2009, the project is 85% completed. We review pictures of the project sites, the stages of construction, formation of maintenance-repair and cleaning teams, quality control issues, and compared budget and actual costs. We decide to do some upgrading of the 10 sinks that we installed at Kessararam Primary School in May 2009. Otherwise the quality and design of our work and structures are excellent!

Our plan for this morning is to go to Kok TaChan Village, a village where we began developing basic infrastructure in 2004...step by step: wells first, domestic hygiene, then toilets, sanitation and trash containment, nonhybrid seeds, and pigs.

Those are the nuts and bolts of the story. The real story is the many, many special and generous people of USA and Canada who make this possible. I am a messenger and representative and I carry with me the message to the Cambodian people that many people in Wisconsin, Canada and Stockton, CA give money to make this possible. But as Chea Phan said to me one day when I was protesting my picture on the signs at some wells, "You are the face of the Wisconsin people here." I never forget the responsibility this is. This is going to be an emotional day. No matter how many times I visit our villages, energy is high, people are so grateful and I can scarcely take in all that we accomplish.

Our first stop in Kok Ta Chan Village is the primary school, recipient of a clean water well funded by the students of Clairmont Elementary School, Stockton, California. These amazing students fund a charitable/humanitarian project each year. They located the Cambodia Wells project on the web, researched the project, and selected it to fund one well for a Cambodian school. They prepared... clearly lots of prep because in their 2-week fundraiser, they raised enough money for 3 wells: 2 Afridev model pumps for high volume use ($1200+ per pump), and 1 VN6 model for ordinary volume use ($875) plus 2 sinks.

I cannot see this little school building so far from the main road. The picture is taken from the entrance gate to the school grounds. It is the only primary school in Kok Ta Chan Village. It was given by the Nagoya Naka Lions Club of Nagoya, Japan, in 2001. It is school to 268 students and 6 teachers. By mid July exams are underway and only a few students and teachers are at school. I spend time talking with the teachers and students, visiting their classrooms, asking students about them and complimenting them...going between Khmer and English to coax some of their English from them.

Included with the well are 4 health kits: plastic bucket with lid only for carrying water from the well, metal kettle with lid only for boiling water for drinking, rake and hoe to help with trash containment. A health kit is officially presented to each of 4 teachers.

This is an Afridev model pump on the well, suitable for high-volume use. A laminated color picture of the beautiful students and teachers of Clairmont Elementary School will be laminated, then placed under the plexiglass at the upper left of the sign at the well.

We'll be adding a hip-high wood fence with a couple openings around the outside perimeter of the well area. They've already planted flowers and herbs around the perimeter.

The teachers and students say "thank you very much" for this well, for the clean water. I wish you could hear their voices and see their faces and bright eyes as they say thanks many, many times for this gift of life...wonderful clean water for the students and teachers at Kok Ta Chan Primary School from the Clairmont Elementary School students in Stockton, California.

There is now clean, safe water for the children at the school. Some of these students go home to go home to families served by our wells. Now the teachers and students can practice healthy hygiene habits day and night whether at school or at home to reduce sickness and disease and promote a healthy long life! disease and promote a healthy long life! Way to go, fabulous Clairmont Elementary School!

CAMBODIA STYLE

JULY 30 - It's easier getting an extended visa these days. Until a couple years ago, I could only get it by going to Phnom Penh. Now a few tourism agencies in Siem Reap Town can do this for me in the same amount of time it would take me to do it myself in Phnom Penh. Today, I stopped by Tourex Asia, who did this for me last year. They can arrange a 1-month, 3-month or 6-month extended visa. But to qualify for an extended visa you have to know that your original visa cannot be a $20US 30-day tourist visa. Your original visa must be a $25 30-day business visa. (I learned this the hard way and it cost me a lot of red tape and delay in Phnom Penh one year.) Within 10 minutes I was on my way. I had left my passport and paid $47US for a 1-month visa extension. No forms to fill out. My passport with extended visa will be ready for me to pick up in 3 days. Yes, Sunday...businesses have regular hours 7 days a week except government offices, banks, schools and some nongovernmental aid-humanitarian-development organizations which are closed on Sundays.

When I awoke this morning I was eye-to-eye with a gecko on my pillow. I'm not sure what attracted the little fellow to this spot. Must be a "toddler" stretching his horizons and hasn't learned the rules...stick to the walls, ceilings and windows!

Music outside this morning. Hmmm, not funeral music...not wedding music. Does not sound like the music for the pagoda candle ceremony...

A storm galed through town...first rain in days. I happened to be back in my room at the guest house after afternoon classes to shower and eat when I heart a whomp! against the building. I looked outside at the bent trees and black clouds. A few minutes later it was raining cats and dogs! We do need the rain. A gentle rain would be helpful so as not to swell the Siem Reap River too quickly and flood houses along its banks. It rained most of the night...next morning, water everywhere and flooded houses on east bank of Siem Reap River.

SIDEWALKS ARE NOT FOR WALKING

JULY 29 - In several years past, I've written about Siem Reap sidewalks. There is no limit to their uses, and seemingly no ordinances to control.

Many Siem Reap sidewalks, as well as streets, have been improved in recent years and they would be really fine--and safe--for walking now.

However, their use has remained largely the same...for displaying wares and parking vehicles. Walkers must navigate the edges of the streets while dealing with beggars and sidewalk hawkers and avoiding bicycles, motorbikes, tuk tuks, cars and trucks. This is where a picture is worth a thousand words! Check out both sides of the street.

Pat Lyon was the original author of the email title and the idea some 7 or 8 years ago. It continues to fascinate me that Khmer haven't caught the idea that their beautifully tiled sidewalks could be safe inviting walkways for tourists as well as their own children and families.

KHMER SHADOW PUPPET THEATER

JULY 29 - The German Peace Center is located on National Highway 6 just west of Siem Reap Town. It was established to promote peace, literacy and self help for Cambodians.

It hasn't changed since my first visit 9 years ago or so and the same lady still manages it. A shop selling fair trade items made by Cambodians is just one aspect of the Center. I make it a point to check out the Center whenever I'm in Siem Reap. Usually there are a few items I can't resist buying...and because it's fair trade, I do!

Cambodia is trying hard to recover its traditional arts. The Center is one of the places teaching the art of traditional Khmer shadow puppet theater. These are nonarticulated puppets made of leather openwork in various sizes to as large as 2 meters high.

Dating from before the Angkorian period, shadow puppet theater along with the Royal Ballet and mask theater is considered sacred and used to take place only on specific occasions 3 or 4 times a year, such as Khmer New Year, the King's birthday or the veneration of famous people. After the fall of Angkor in 1431, the shadow theater evolved beyond a ritualistic activity to become an artistic form while retaining its ceremonial dimension.

The puppets are made from a single piece of leather in a special ceremony for each character representing gods and deities. The hides are dyed with a solution made from the bark of the Kandaol tree. The artisan draws the desired figure on the tanned hide, then cuts it out and paints it before attaching it to 2 bamboo sticks enabling the dancer to control the puppet.

Performances traditionally take place at night outdoors beside a rice field or pagoda. A large white backdrop is held between 2 tall bamboo screens in front of a large fire or, nowadays, projectors. The shadows of the puppet's silhouettes are projected onto the white screen. The puppets come alive with precise and specific dance steps. The performance is accompanied by an orchestra and 2 narrators. Inspired from the Reamker, the Khmer version of the Ramayana, the performances stage scenes of this epic, which may last several nights and require up to 160 puppets for a single presentation.

Many of them were destroyed under the repressive Khmer Rouge regime which almost annihilated this sacred art. Since 1979 shadow puppet theater has been gradually revitalized thanks to the few surviving artists. So far, 3 shadow theaters have managed to rise from their ashes transmitting the knowledge and skills related to puppet making.

When I visit the Center I think I'm just going to look around at the fair trade items. This day when I arrive when artisans are in various stages of preparing puppets. When I see the painstaking hand work of the artisans, I can't resist taking pictures even though I have many pictures from prior years.

I hope you enjoy them as much as I do for the remarkable patience, steady hands, number of steps, hours and precision required to bring one to life!