Title: Oly's Cambodia Blog (
Cambodia)
Status: Active
URL:
http://olyscambodiablog.blogspot.com/
All Posts Cached via RSS
Holocaust Memorial Day - 26/Jan/2014 19:01 - 3966 days ago
Normal00199156494711693711.1539000Today is Holocaust Memorial Day. This is a short speech I gave at the small event in Uppe...
A new life? - 14/Sep/2011 22:06 - 4831 days ago
Betweenus, Katja and I volunteered for over 4 years in Cambodia. We wanted to do something, howevermodest, to help people ...
The Road - 08/Sep/2011 13:59 - 4837 days ago
Justbefore I came to Cambodia my friend and football teammate Jules gave me a bookcalledThe Road. It’s about the struggl...
The Noble Art? - 02/Sep/2011 12:01 - 4843 days ago
The evening of June 8th1985 is clear in my mind for two reasons.As we gathered excitedly round my granny’s telly, Barry McGuig...
Free the bears! - 27/Aug/2011 10:36 - 4849 days ago
“How we treat our animals reflects how we treat each other”.So Ghandi got there before me, butI’ve always believed that ho...
Preah Vihear is our temple! - 19/Aug/2011 11:17 - 4857 days ago
TemplesI have now seen many, but never before have I been led through the ruins with an armed guard.Holding my hand.Preah Vihear...
A Deadly Cambodian Crime Spree - 06/Aug/2011 15:49 - 4870 days ago
I was shocked– horrified – baffled – on my arrival at the hospital this morning.Unbelievably, we seemed to have been attac...
Let's talk about sex! - 04/Aug/2011 04:15 - 4872 days ago
A young western guy comes toCambodialooking for kicks, and– along with drugs and guns – he gets them from hooking up with a ...
London, it's the new Phnom Penh! - 30/Jul/2011 10:01 - 4877 days ago
I knew something was odd as soon as we landed inLondon.It wasn’t just the tropical heat, or even the unusual scent of jasmine....
Thank you for smoking - 20/Jul/2011 14:40 - 4887 days ago
These are challenging times for those of us who love and profit from smoking inCambodia.Happily this country remains one of the ...
Go To Jail - 18/Jul/2011 05:36 - 4889 days ago
Ever played Junior Monopoly?For children, It’s a great introduction to the famous game:properties have become themepark rides,...
Who needs electricity? - 01/Jul/2011 09:44 - 4906 days ago
What happens if you don’t pay your electricity bill?Well your mail from United Utilities may turn a bit red.If you’re not ca...
In praise of… A Great Volunteer! - 01/Jul/2011 09:02 - 4906 days ago
Like your family, you can’t choose your colleagues, but some of us do get extraordinarily lucky.This was the final week for my...
Red Lights and Green Lizards - 21/Jun/2011 13:34 - 4916 days ago
My friend and colleague Dr Jerker recently kind gave me a copy of this beautifully-written book by Liz Anderson, a VSO volunteer...
Are Cambodians Lazy? - 27/May/2011 07:22 - 4941 days ago
We’ve all thought it – so why can’t we just come out and say it?One of the main frustrations of being a volunteer in a cou...
Climb any mountain - 25/May/2011 17:58 - 4943 days ago
As a student I had the good fortune to read philosophy for a year at Burgundy university, back in the days when the British taxp...
Your move - 11/May/2011 23:59 - 4957 days ago
I have a modest competitive streak, which, together with my black and white view of events and my passive-aggressive tendencies ...
Cash quiz! Win big! - 06/May/2011 09:13 - 4962 days ago
1.The market lady charges you“3” for a couple of limes.Do you…a)shrug as this seems a bit dear, and hand over $3b)realize ...
O Brother - 29/Apr/2011 06:50 - 4969 days ago
When me and my big brother squabbled as kids we poked and jibed and wound each other up.Sometimes one would overstep the mark (m...
What’s love got to do with it? - 24/Apr/2011 09:06 - 4974 days ago
I never thought I would write an article about food. But now I think about it every day!I don’t want to lecture or sound like ...
Sharing our roads - follow the Cambodians? - 17/Apr/2011 06:38 - 4981 days ago
Happy Khmer NewYear! No ropeyresolutionsor blighting of Burns. In their place, bathing buddas and bolting back to your birthplac...
Crossing the Mekong - 05/Apr/2011 04:08 - 4993 days ago
The chocolaty Mekong oozes its way throughCambodiatowardsPhnom Penh, supporting riverside communities and picturesque boats.It i...
Should I be happy? - 30/Mar/2011 14:56 - 4999 days ago
In my village…Should I be happy that the kid with Down’s syndrome is not abused and joins other children’s games, even tho...
Nation, Religion, King - 27/Mar/2011 20:24 - 5002 days ago
Three words are emblazoned on the top of every official document, the defining words for Cambodia:Nation, Religion, King.How dif...
A Life In The Day - 18/Mar/2011 02:55 - 5011 days ago
06.00Most people hate being woken by their alarm, but I love it– it’s proof of an unusually good sleep.More often I’ve alr...
In praise of… the BBC - 11/Mar/2011 16:08 - 5018 days ago
Britain once led the world (albeit by raping and pillaging jonny foreigner), but things have changed. Our only empire now is a v...
The Beautiful Game? - 03/Mar/2011 07:03 - 5026 days ago
How many countries can you name where football isnotthe national sport?Ok, this is the best I could come up with.In the Caribbea...
A man for all seasons? - 21/Feb/2011 06:10 - 5036 days ago
During a stay inTokyoI was proudly informed by my hosts thatJapanis the only country with four proper, well-defined seasons.I wa...
Infection Control Drive! - 16/Feb/2011 01:00 - 5041 days ago
Just why are we doing this again?A perfectly normal question once you’re past the initial, enthusiastic stage of any project.O...
Pumpkins, Pagodas and Politics - 08/Feb/2011 05:02 - 5049 days ago
“Pumpkin custard is off the menu”, the waiter at the smart restaurant in Siem Reap whispered confidentially.I settled for a ...
They lift you up your mum and dad - 04/Feb/2011 00:55 - 5053 days ago
“We don’t get to choose our parents, but some of us do get extraordinarily lucky.I’m one of them”.So says Dr Andrew Thom...
Will more private healthcare help the poor? - 02/Feb/2011 10:22 - 5055 days ago
VSO is great. It aims to make life better for the poorest people in the world. And an important part of a better life has to be ...
Why I hate Khmer food - 26/Jan/2011 03:00 - 5062 days ago
The delicate art of flavouring has been replaced by monosodium glutamate and piles of sugar.The proud tradition of tasty vegetar...
Why I love Khmer food - 16/Jan/2011 09:58 - 5072 days ago
I love Khmer food.The country is blessed with fertile land on which grow a wonderful range of fruits, vegetables, cereals and nu...
Flicks in the Sticks - 07/Jan/2011 03:56 - 5081 days ago
The Flicks has to be one of my favourite places in all of Cambodia.Tucked away on street 95, a jump-cut from the bustling Monniv...
How Not To Be A Role Model - An Apology (Of Sorts) - 04/Jan/2011 07:43 - 5084 days ago
So my last blog caused a bit of a stir.Sorry about that.Well, sorry if it was a bit too polemical, sarcastic, holier-than-thou...
New Year's Resolution: How Not To Be A Role Model - 03/Jan/2011 15:01 - 5085 days ago
You can do no wrong.Really, as a rich Westerner in a poor Asian country, pretty much anything you do is seen as good, based on n...
Christmas Stockings: In praise of socks... - 28/Dec/2010 09:54 - 5091 days ago
It hasn’t taken long to establish that my main role isn’t to help the poor people access better healthcare. Rather, I provid...
The 12 Days of... - 15/Dec/2010 12:43 - 5104 days ago
On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to meA partridge in a pear treeTwo turtle dovesThree French hensFour calling bir...
The Unbearable Lightness Of Being... A Volunteer - 13/Dec/2010 16:01 - 5106 days ago
It’s not what I imagined.Offering two years of my life to work in a developing country is a leap into the unknown. Admittedly...
It makes you think - 08/Dec/2010 10:51 - 5111 days ago
The tragic crush at this year's water festival made Cambodia headline news across the world. Just days ago at the time of writin...
My Favourite Run - 29/Nov/2010 02:16 - 5120 days ago
I am reliably informed thatRunner's Worldhas a regular column entitled‘My Favourite Run’.I don’t know for sure, as until r...
A Health&Safety Nightmare? - 23/Nov/2010 11:22 - 5126 days ago
It’s nothing short of hilarious for the crowds liningPhnom Penh’s riverfront for the annual water festival.Amongst the beaut...
The Birds - 14/Nov/2010 00:11 - 5135 days ago
Collecting my new binoculars from the shop in Denby Dale, I casually mentioned the purchase was for a trip to Cambodia.Knowing t...
A rubbish blog - 01/Nov/2010 00:45 - 5148 days ago
Cambodiais a beautiful country.The streets of every village are lined with houses on stilts, smiling people, busy cycles and mot...
Good morning Vietnam! - 13/Oct/2010 10:38 - 5167 days ago
Hanoiis celebrating 1,000 years as the capital ofVietnam.My knowledge of the country was essentially limited to the‘Namof war ...
Compare and Contrast - 09/Oct/2010 08:36 - 5171 days ago
It would be a mistake to overlook this former francophone colony in favour of its bigger, better-known, English-speaking neighbo...
That was the week that was - 30/Sep/2010 15:59 - 5180 days ago
Monday:As the one white guy in my village I provoke curiosity and / or hysterics; by tomorrow there will be eightbarraings.It’...
Silver Belle - 27/Sep/2010 00:33 - 5183 days ago
Last weekend inPhnom PenhI had no less than 3 dance experiences to remember.Most impressive by far was a performance at the beau...
Today the world came to my village! - 22/Sep/2010 07:39 - 5188 days ago
I live in a small, remote corner ofCambodia– few people visit.In fairness it’s hard to get here – the grandly named Nation...
Phnom Penh, the old and the new - 12/Sep/2010 09:45 - 5198 days ago
When I need a break from my rural backwater– and as long as I feel up to the 10 hour shared taxi plus moto plus bumpy bus jour...
Who let the dogs out? - 07/Sep/2010 11:07 - 5203 days ago
Strange that my first encounter with death here was not in the hospital but in my own home - thoughmaybe the deceased being the ...
I’m Not Here For Your Entertainment - 26/Aug/2010 00:53 - 5215 days ago
If my main role is to provide entertainment to the locals, I’m doing great.As soon as I cycle out of my village, the children...
Let's be CLEAR - 23/Aug/2010 04:55 - 5218 days ago
You will have noticed EAR across ASEAN nations, including in NGOs here in the KoC.VSO is affected: during my ICT at the VSOC PO ...
A New Flagpole! - 11/Aug/2010 01:30 - 5230 days ago
Whilst maternal mortality is important, and the trial of Comrade Duch stirs memories locally, what isreallyimportant in my hospi...
Wet and wild! - 08/Aug/2010 19:40 - 5233 days ago
Before I’m flooded with questions – this is about the ebb and flow of my relationship with water.The good news is that it’...
Reducing child and maternal mortality? - 29/Jul/2010 09:34 - 5243 days ago
What do you know about the Millennium Development Goals?To my shame I knew next to nothing until a few weeks ago, despite them b...
Enemies of the People - 27/Jul/2010 09:23 - 5245 days ago
He looks like a decent man: a kind, soft face, deep brown eyes, avuncular wrinkles. In fact to me he looks like a maths teacher...
Kep, naturally - 08/Jul/2010 05:11 - 5264 days ago
Natural beauty is abundant in Cambodia, despite the history of destruction under the Khmer Rouge and the more recent ravages of...
World Cup fever, Cambodian-style! - 24/Jun/2010 11:35 - 5278 days ago
It’s June, it’s the World Cup, and the dusty streets of Sisophon are, well, exactly as they were before.Whilst the eyes of t...
I want to ride my bicycle... - 23/Jun/2010 13:43 - 5279 days ago
The revolution is two-wheeled, andAsiais the hub.I love cycling here, and it’s still by far the best way to get around.Today, ...
Hospital Spot Check! - 07/Jun/2010 07:16 - 5295 days ago
This has been my best week in Cambodia.And also the worst.When the Director of the modest provincial hospital at Thmar Pouk aske...
Moral Dilemma 3: Do You Copy? - 27/May/2010 17:02 - 5306 days ago
From KFC (Khmer Fried Chicken) to my genuine Tushiba-branded fan, copying is not just an artform but also a way of life here. Ju...
The French Connection - where anglophones fear to tread? - 18/May/2010 09:36 - 5315 days ago
I arrived in Cambodia, the old heart of colonial French Indochina, having previously spent the summer volunteering in Rwanda, on...
Creepie Crawlies - 08/May/2010 00:46 - 5325 days ago
Say for some reason you're not so keen on your home country all of a sudden so you up and go off to the other side of the world....
Peaceful Laos - 04/May/2010 09:39 - 5329 days ago
Arriving just over the border in Laos, I was astounded to find that it is actually possible to be more laid back than Cambodia.A...
Happy New Year! - 20/Apr/2010 04:44 - 5343 days ago
This is the most important week of the year in Cambodia - the start of the khmer new year. So Happy New Year! Good luck for you!...
You know you’ve been in Cambodia for 6 months when… - 11/Apr/2010 07:40 - 5352 days ago
Half a year already– here’s how you know:• By 6am you’re wide awake; lunchtime is for napping; 8pm is a late night• Yo...
Moral Dilemma 2: Do volunteers do any good? - 02/Apr/2010 11:39 - 5361 days ago
"Sharing Skills, Changing Lives” – that’s what I’m here for, and VSO’s strapline certainly had me hooked. For a libera...
Moral Dilemma 2: Do volunteers do any good? - 01/Apr/2010 02:49 - 5362 days ago
“Sharing Skills, Changing Lives” – that’s what I’m here for, and VSO’s strapline certainly had me hooked. For a libe...
Moral Dilemma 2: Do volunteers do any good? - 31/Mar/2010 08:28 - 5363 days ago
“Sharing Skills, Changing Lives” – that’s what I’m here for, and VSO’s strapline certainly had me hooked. For a libe...
Let's Dance! - 27/Mar/2010 05:07 - 5367 days ago
Many things in Cambodia seem temporary– the wooden houses, mud roads, not to mention shaky hospitals, they don’t really feel...
A blog about blogging... - 16/Mar/2010 09:12 - 5378 days ago
Why blog? For me, it’s for two (quite different) reasons.Firstly, selfishly, it’s for me. My blog is my diary, a record of s...
Fridges, Hitches, Pictures - Just another ordinary weekend in Thmar Pouk village - 15/Mar/2010 05:09 - 5379 days ago
The weekend begis well– on the Friday I travel the 45kms up the bumpy, dusty track from Sisophon town with my nursing colleagu...
Moral Dilemma 1: Begging - what would you do? - 03/Mar/2010 15:00 - 5391 days ago
I’m sitting in a restaurant in Siem Reap – though this applies to the bars of Phnom Penh and no doubt the beaches of Sihanou...
What Awful Weather! - 22/Feb/2010 02:33 - 5400 days ago
I do apologise - really, awfully remiss of me.Terribly un-British as it is, I havn't yet found time to talk about the weather.So...
The Passive Genocide of Children in Cambodia... (In Praise of Dr Beat Richer) - 18/Feb/2010 03:19 - 5404 days ago
“Every year more than a million children receive first class medical care in one of the world’s poorest countries, and it’...
Boat Trips! - 31/Jan/2010 09:03 - 5422 days ago
Just before I came to Cambodia, my wise and much-travelled uncle sent me a copy of an old map of Cambodia.The original, printed ...
Love and marriage, Khmer-style - 27/Jan/2010 08:29 - 5426 days ago
Weddings are great, aren’t they? As we head into February it’s marriage month here in Cambodia, and we’re truly mired in m...
The Animal Kingdom - 21/Jan/2010 08:17 - 5432 days ago
One big advantage of living and working in the rural north west of Cambodia is that I’m right in the middle of beautiful count...
First day at work: stick to Plan A? - 14/Jan/2010 09:24 - 5439 days ago
1. You pitch up promptly for your first day at the hospital at 07.30 as instructed. It’s deserted. You find a little cupboard ...
Angkor - what all the fuss is about... - 06/Jan/2010 09:49 - 5447 days ago
The gods and demons are churning an ocean of milk using a giant serpent, trying to produce an elixir to make them immortal. But...
Welcome to my house! - 31/Dec/2009 07:21 - 5453 days ago
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Birthday Tea! - 12/Dec/2009 05:08 - 5472 days ago
My second day in Thmar Pouk, December 8th, was my birthday.Looking around my bare-walled house I decided I needed birthday treat...
Home Stay! - 30/Nov/2009 07:57 - 5484 days ago
Pha is 58, looks like a weathered 68, but bounds up the wobbly ladder to his wooden house-on-stilts like a sprightly 18 year old...
Sport in Cambodia - anyone for flipflop petanque? - 22/Nov/2009 14:11 - 5492 days ago
So what do Cambodians do for sport then?Most people here work in the ricefields all day, so sport is probably a low priority. Ho...
A glimpse of what's to come: military funding, static ambulances, external fixators - 13/Nov/2009 04:44 - 5501 days ago
Health is the key focus of my time in Cambodia. Over the last week I've had the chance to visit a few facilities in NW Cambodia,...
Water Festival in Phnom Penh - 04/Nov/2009 14:18 - 5510 days ago
Cambodians take their public holidays very seriously (all 24 of them), and none more so than the annual water festival.The Bonn ...
Let's speak Khmer! - 29/Oct/2009 13:39 - 5516 days ago
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Getting serious: Tuol Sleng genocide museum - 28/Oct/2009 09:09 - 5517 days ago
Whenever I mention Cambodia to anyone their immediate reference point is the killing fields and the Khmer Rouge.I hope intime th...
Culture shock - 20/Oct/2009 15:21 - 5525 days ago
The most fun– and the most risky – part of running off to somewhere completely foreign has to be the colourful clash of cult...
Second thoughts? - 20/Oct/2009 14:56 - 5525 days ago
Good news– in a sudden and unsignalled turnaround of which even Phnom Penn tuktuks would be proud, I’m now the most popular ...
First Impressions - 19/Oct/2009 06:14 - 5526 days ago
Two days in Cambodia and I’m already the most unpopular member of the party - I slept all the way and completely avoided jetla...
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