Alison finishes VSO
on So Now It's Cambodia (Cambodia), 01/Jul/2011 13:42, 34 days ago
 I can't quite believe I'm sitting here writing this but as I've dismantled and boxed my electric piano I don't have the distraction of tinkling the ivories!Alison had her last day as a VSO volunteer today. It has, of course, come a bit earlier than we planned as Alison has a new job at the International School in Phnom Penh starting on 1st. August. We should have been here until December but then faced the prospect of a return to England in the middle of winter! It was sheer chance that the job came along and gave us the opportunity to try something new.It has felt strange doing so many things round here "for the last time"  - I even think the market lady who sells me salad every day knew we were going and gave me an extra lovely smile to remember her by. We haven't been here much this month as Alison's brother (John) came out for nearly 3 weeks and we met him in Bangkok before giving him "the tour" of Cambodia. We ended up with another 3 nights in Bangkok before he flew home. Like so many others, he too was captivated by Cambodia and wants to come back. Not surprisingly, he particularly loved the Pavilion Hotel in Phnom Penh where he was very impressed by their wonderful caring attitude (not to mention their chocolate cake!).Much of my blogging has been about life here and our travels and other adventures. I have written little about the volunteering work that Alison has done as I know she has written individually to people to tell of her exepriences and I don't experience them first hand.However, I did a final tour of her Mongkul Borei hospital today and was amazed by the new Eye Unit they have built since we have been here. It does look very modern and impressive. There's also a new nurses training building and accomodation plus a new laboratory and blood bank with up todate technology. These are due to the inspirational work, vision and drive of the remarkable hospital Director Alison has worked with for the last 18 months. He is a unique character here and Alison is a big fan. He deserves all the support he can get but he manages very well anyway. Sadly, this is now the end of VSO's support for this hospital.The director is a keen gardener and he spends hours after work landscaping and planting things himself. The gardens looked amazing when I visited today including plants on boats and carts to make it look Cambodian. It surely has to be a better environment for patients than a litter strewn pile of rubble! I have photos and will try to send them another time.....We were priviledged to enjoy his hospitality at a leaving dinner he held for his IT volunteer some months ago (for which we cancelled a pre-booked night in Bangkok!), so it is in typical Cambodian fashion that he has just asked us to attend a similar dinner in honour of Alison leaving! This means we have had to change all our plans for hotel bookings and transporting our stuff to go a day later! But I'm sure it will be worth it. He was very hospitable the last time and made a point of coming to my end of the table to include me in every toast!The volunteer experience has been a team effort. I'm sure we will all remember the training and meeting the other volunteers in our group and developing those friendships over the last 18 months. Alison has worked very closely with Oly Shipp who has been the Management Advisor based in Thmar Pouk but who has also shared work in Mongkul Borei. I met Oly in our training course in Birmingham and I was impressed by his self effacing manner and sense of humour.We got on well  - the first comment he made on our course was to compliment our tutor on his excellent jazz trumpet playing as he set the atmosphere for the first evening - which was a view I shared. It seemed extraordinary that after our Indonesia let down (due to visa issues) we ended up in the same place and that he has worked so closely (and obviously so well) with Alison. An additional coincidence is that Alison had attended a different training course and met a German volunteer nurse called Katyia. They had kept in touch by e mail and she ended up in our language group, as she had missed some of this due to the timing of her placement.Rather romantically, her and Oly have ended up being very much an item and Katyia - now having finished her placement - is now living with Oly in Thmar Pouk where she will carry on Alison's work alongside Oly. Alison went out there this week to say goodbye to the staff at the hospital there (and to "hand over" to Katyia) - she really has become very fond of them and -  due to their willingness to learn - they too deserve all the help they can get.So for the VSO health team in Mongkul Borei and Thmar Pouk this is, sadly, the end of an era though fortunately for us, not the end of our time in Cambodia. Alison said tonight that it was a life's ambition achieved  - so what next???!!!I'm sure we will keep in touch with VSO and will return to visit this area. We have made good friends and have grown to love the Cambodian people we have had the priviledge to meet and work with. I too went to the University in Sisophon this week to say goodbye. The Dean made a lovely little speech and seemed so grateful for the small amount that I had done. I wish I could have done more but it was still a good and useful experience. I met a couple of students I had worked with - they were so polite and grateful - which is just so typical here - I hope they do well because they deserve to.Alison's colleague, Oly, has obviously been reflecting on this end to an era as well. He has written an excellent blog which is popular with the volunteers out here. He has an eloquent way with words (for an Oldham supporter!) and has delighted us many times with his insights. I have copied in his latest blog for you to enjoy as it gives his view and experience of working with Alison for the last 18 months. He says it better than I can so I leave you with his tribute to Alison - his best colleague ever!http://olyscambodiablog.blogspot.com/2011/07/in-praise-of-great-volunteer.htmlPS. Some volunteers finish their blog when they return to their home country. I will continue to blog about our experiences in Cambodia and we will by flying to England on Friday 8th. July (and returning on the 25th.) - so we look forward to seeing some of you then.