Silent Night?
on Carol and Geoff in Cambodia (Cambodia), 20/Dec/2009 11:07, 34 days ago
Hello everybody,We forgot to mention Angkor Wat in our last post. We were there in early December for the annual marathon which raises money for land mine 'victims' and those affected by HIV/Aids. There are several events and VSO was represented in two of them. Spectators need to leave Siem Reap at 5.30 with the runners in order to avoid high entry fees to the temples but you are rewarded with a beautiful initially misty setting and sunrise over Angkor. Races began promptly at 6.30 and were well organised, with participants from 47 countries. I`m pleased to say that a VSO volunteer from Glossop won the 10k race for women. Perhaps we'll walk briskly round next year! Its whetted our appetite for templing again when friends come to visit in the New Year.At last there has been a whiff of Christmas in Samraong. Soroth, the son of our landlord, invited us to the service in his "church." There are no churches in Samraong yet so we congregated at the house of the pastor which was decorated with balloons of all colours and shapes. We sat outside in the compound under the house.Although we did not recognise any of the carols it was a delightful afternoon with many familiar features. The pastor prayed, the youth choir sang, the small children danced (Khmer style, mainly with their hands) and American evangelists preached with a Khmer translation provided. I was asked to introduce Carol and myself so I made my first speech in Khmer. It was warmly applauded, but whether that signified approval or relief that I had stopped I do not know. There was, of course, a lot of local colour. Small children,toddlers,babies,chickens and dogs wandered bemused among the performers and at the end of it all trestle tables were erected and the worshippers were treated to a wonderful meal. Khmer hospitality at its best!Speaking of dogs,Khmer people do not have pets, but all families seem to have dogs. They do not name them, train them or walk them. They feed them but do not interact with them. The dogs rarely leave the vicinity of the compound and at night they bark and howl. Sometimes, (full moon?)you think that every dog in the village is howling. Nobody ever tries to shut them up.Last night was a case in point. The dogs barked and howled from 3.00 for a good half hour. When they stopped the cocks began to crow, 2 hours too early. Then a baby screamed. Finally at 4.15 day 2 of a nearby wedding began. They play music through speakers that a large gymkhana would be proud of, and continue to play it till late at night. You can hear wedding music 200 yards away - it`s a sign of wealth so we're told, that the families of the bridal couple have sufficient resources to enable them to party over several days!So Carol said, "Do the blog today, call it Silent Night." And I did.We're packed and all ready to 'escape' to a very different Asia and can't wait to see Nic and the family over Christmas via our new toy, Skype. Mincepies and Christmas cake will hopefully come back for a Samraong Christmas tea. I'll forget about our funding problems for a few days and we'll return refreshed and enthused for a new year here! I've found a lovely Phillipino guy with lots of experience of proposal writing who has offered to help me, so it won't quite be the blind leading the blind. On that optimistic note , we'll close. Thanks for all your Christmas greetings. Have a lovely time, wherever you are, and good health and fun in 2010.Our love and thoughtsCarol and Geoff xx