Here I am in Cambodia, in a rare moment by myself, wondering what to say about this visit. It is much more familiar and easy for me to navigate this time around, at least with those activities that I've already experienced. But I am often left wondering what I can and cannot say in various places on the internet. I am putting photo albums and short remarks on my facebook group page - it's called A Heart for Cambodia - and any of my interested friends and family are invited to follow that way if they are on facebook. Many of my Cambodian friends are also on facebook and I am sensitive to how they might feel about my descriptions of things in their country. I strive to be truthful and tactful and at times have trouble deciding which attribute will win out, when they are in conflict. And some reports need to go only to specific people in private emails. It is really a struggle to take the time to sit down and write when there is so much to do and so many people to be with.
Saturday, January 5, 2013
Tuesday, December 25, 2012
On to Cambodia, Day -1
These are my last few moments at home, in the quiet, wondering whether I'm ready. I packed clothing several days ago and I can't even remember what I put in the suitcase now. All the vitamins and medecine for the orphans are in one big suitcase that is giving me weight problems. If I put it all in it may be a couple pounds overweight and there is a big fee for that - much more than the products are worth. Some of it has to be ready to go in my carry-on luggage, but it can't be a liquid because all the liquids I'm carrying are in larger bottles than the permitted 3 oz. I'm just going to have to work it out tomorrow at the airport. Maybe their scales are different from mine. Maybe they'll let it pass if it's close. Are gummy vitamins considered gels? Maybe I can't put those large bottles in my carry-on either. I feel a little numb and wish I could go to bed now.
We just had a meal at the local Denny's, open on Christmas and every other holiday. I ate a sandwich that had turkey and stuffing in it. Bread in bread. Sounds real healthy, and the only vegetable was the french fries. Oh and the ketchup. I should have eaten smarter. But, like I said, I feel numb and that affects food choices as well as packing suitcases.
I am going to quit and go to bed. Anything I forget to pack I can probably live without. After all, there are people over there in Cambodia who live just fine on stuff they get there. I could do that too. I've found my glasses (pretty important), my driver's license that I'd misplaced (also important) and my passport and my money. So on to the challenge of getting some sleep before the arduous journey tomorrow. Hmm... wonder what movies they're showing on the plane?
We just had a meal at the local Denny's, open on Christmas and every other holiday. I ate a sandwich that had turkey and stuffing in it. Bread in bread. Sounds real healthy, and the only vegetable was the french fries. Oh and the ketchup. I should have eaten smarter. But, like I said, I feel numb and that affects food choices as well as packing suitcases.
I am going to quit and go to bed. Anything I forget to pack I can probably live without. After all, there are people over there in Cambodia who live just fine on stuff they get there. I could do that too. I've found my glasses (pretty important), my driver's license that I'd misplaced (also important) and my passport and my money. So on to the challenge of getting some sleep before the arduous journey tomorrow. Hmm... wonder what movies they're showing on the plane?
Sunday, December 23, 2012
Serious stuff about Christmas
It is getting scary close to time for going to Cambodia. This evening and the next two full days are all that is left and they are filled with work in the mornings and Christmas activities in the afternoons and evenings. It doesn't seem like I'm ready to go and I'm worried I will remember all kinds of things to do the night before. Panic may result.
Tonight we are going to see the documentary "Nefarious" which is about human trafikking. I might not have spelled that right. It might seem like a mood spoiler for the holiday season to be on such a sad subject but I'm told the film has a very hopeful conclusion. A good deal of it is filmed in Cambodia, in Phnom Penh, near a place I have visited called the Russian Market. In Cambodia it is not uncommon for poor families to sell their children to the sex industry. The children feel it is their duty to support the family. Many of the children in the orphanages I'm visiting would have ended up in this situation if they had not been rescued by Asia's Hope. There are some wonderful organizations helping young women leave the sex industry and learn new ways to support themselves. I would find it personally devastating and hopeless to be in the place of someone trapped in that life and I am wondering what God would have me do now that He has brought this to my attention.
I have really avoided making Christmas a commercial venture this year. I feel good about that. Well, I will qualify that and say that there are a few people I would love to help out with a gift, either because they need the encouragement or because they have many physical needs. Our renter next door went to the hospital in an ambulance yesterday and may not have long to live. My employer lost her mother last December and this is her first Christmas alone. I am praying and hoping that God will help me know what I can do effectively, since it doesn't seem I can do all the things I can think of to do. I never can. But I know God does not expect more than He enables me to do. I rest in that.
Tonight we are going to see the documentary "Nefarious" which is about human trafikking. I might not have spelled that right. It might seem like a mood spoiler for the holiday season to be on such a sad subject but I'm told the film has a very hopeful conclusion. A good deal of it is filmed in Cambodia, in Phnom Penh, near a place I have visited called the Russian Market. In Cambodia it is not uncommon for poor families to sell their children to the sex industry. The children feel it is their duty to support the family. Many of the children in the orphanages I'm visiting would have ended up in this situation if they had not been rescued by Asia's Hope. There are some wonderful organizations helping young women leave the sex industry and learn new ways to support themselves. I would find it personally devastating and hopeless to be in the place of someone trapped in that life and I am wondering what God would have me do now that He has brought this to my attention.
I have really avoided making Christmas a commercial venture this year. I feel good about that. Well, I will qualify that and say that there are a few people I would love to help out with a gift, either because they need the encouragement or because they have many physical needs. Our renter next door went to the hospital in an ambulance yesterday and may not have long to live. My employer lost her mother last December and this is her first Christmas alone. I am praying and hoping that God will help me know what I can do effectively, since it doesn't seem I can do all the things I can think of to do. I never can. But I know God does not expect more than He enables me to do. I rest in that.
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
Today's thoughts and feels
I can't keep up with how fast time is going! A somehow related fact - I've finished two Lindt truffles in the time it took to write that first sentence! Stress does this to me. That, and living with mid-level pain pretty much all the time. I do fall asleep at night and get a few hours reprieve. Between the neck thing, and the leg thing, and the hand/arm thing I don't know if I'll ever make that thru-hike on the Appalachian Trail. But I'm determined to get on the plane to Cambodia a week from tomorrow, aches, pains and all.
In one of my crazed moments I made an appointment to have a tooth repaired tomorrow afternoon. That ought to take my mind off anything else that hurts. What was I THINKING.
It's funny how small pleasures start to loom large when one is feeling a bit stressed. I was dreaming on the drive home today (this was post chiropractic treatment when my neck was feeling like it had been twisted off and replaced on crooked) about sitting at home and lighting a nice smelling candle. Just to sit in the presence of a candle and watch it burn. Ok, boring to most, but pretty nice to me. I never did it. By the time I got the groceries unloaded, listened zombie-like to the Verizon salesperson (real people do this door to door now), and read a couple chapters of my new AT thru-hike book, I forgot about the candle. It would have been so nice.
Right now I should be (going to bed) packing the suitcase of medical supplies for the orphanages so I can determine how heavy my suitcase is going to be. I've been able to collect probably 30 pounds of children's vitamins from various sources, plus a few antibiotics, and some thermometers and lice combs. I've discovered some interesting resources for this stuff this time and feel like I've made some headway into the supply chain. I've also gotten a number of generous donations so I can buy some of what they need when I get to Cambodia - some things really are cheaper to buy there than here. My nurse friend who takes care of the medical and hygiene issues for the orphanages friended me on facebook - turns out a lot of the Cambodians are on it. I have 3 of them on my friend list now and that makes communication so much easier.
My employer is trying to be matchmaker for one of her young musician friends... she's trying to get him together with my daughter Julia who is probably, and understandably, nervous about arranged meetings. This man plays a mean fiddle and travels with a pretty well known country band. I suppose he's kind of famous in some respects which doesn't really impress me. In fact it would probably make life for whomever he marries a bit lonely and insecure unless he really is a super wonderful guy. But it makes life interesting I guess.
In one of my crazed moments I made an appointment to have a tooth repaired tomorrow afternoon. That ought to take my mind off anything else that hurts. What was I THINKING.
It's funny how small pleasures start to loom large when one is feeling a bit stressed. I was dreaming on the drive home today (this was post chiropractic treatment when my neck was feeling like it had been twisted off and replaced on crooked) about sitting at home and lighting a nice smelling candle. Just to sit in the presence of a candle and watch it burn. Ok, boring to most, but pretty nice to me. I never did it. By the time I got the groceries unloaded, listened zombie-like to the Verizon salesperson (real people do this door to door now), and read a couple chapters of my new AT thru-hike book, I forgot about the candle. It would have been so nice.
Right now I should be (going to bed) packing the suitcase of medical supplies for the orphanages so I can determine how heavy my suitcase is going to be. I've been able to collect probably 30 pounds of children's vitamins from various sources, plus a few antibiotics, and some thermometers and lice combs. I've discovered some interesting resources for this stuff this time and feel like I've made some headway into the supply chain. I've also gotten a number of generous donations so I can buy some of what they need when I get to Cambodia - some things really are cheaper to buy there than here. My nurse friend who takes care of the medical and hygiene issues for the orphanages friended me on facebook - turns out a lot of the Cambodians are on it. I have 3 of them on my friend list now and that makes communication so much easier.
My employer is trying to be matchmaker for one of her young musician friends... she's trying to get him together with my daughter Julia who is probably, and understandably, nervous about arranged meetings. This man plays a mean fiddle and travels with a pretty well known country band. I suppose he's kind of famous in some respects which doesn't really impress me. In fact it would probably make life for whomever he marries a bit lonely and insecure unless he really is a super wonderful guy. But it makes life interesting I guess.
Saturday, December 15, 2012
Pain Chronicles
It's been a week with more than the usual amount of pain. Pain in the neck. I've heard that expression many times before but now it takes on new meaning because I know more about pain in the neck. The chiropractor came into the office on a day off just to adjust me and apparently I have a C2 out of place. The muscles around it are too tight and he couldn't get it to go back into place fully. He's going to adjust it again on Monday and he's looking for a definite "clunk", as he calls it, when it's back in it's normal position. He says I will know. I feel a little better just from what he did today, that and the ice pack I have strapped around my neck.
Julie is visiting this weekend. The vet students are on semester break and she was able to catch a ride to Bradenton with one of her friends. I was relieved she didn't ride her motorcycle down, at night, on the interstate. I have concern about people on motorcycles even though I know many travel safely on them. Of course the person with the motorcycle always feels they are being reasonably careful and I have never seen anyone get talked out of riding one, so I'm not going to try. I will accept and pray. This is life ( unless it is death, which unfortunately it sometimes is...). I enjoy Julie's visits even though she is usually pretty busy planning catch up visits with friends. We slept in, then had a wonderful breakfast of Pumpkin Ginger pancakes and some kind of honey/creme fraiche sauce with raspberries and blackberries. I would have posted a beautiful picture of it but I'm never good at getting food pictures before things are half eaten. They don't look so good at that point.
All for now. I don't think it's good for my neck to be in computer position. Besides this is pretty boring content... I'm just sayin'.
Julie is visiting this weekend. The vet students are on semester break and she was able to catch a ride to Bradenton with one of her friends. I was relieved she didn't ride her motorcycle down, at night, on the interstate. I have concern about people on motorcycles even though I know many travel safely on them. Of course the person with the motorcycle always feels they are being reasonably careful and I have never seen anyone get talked out of riding one, so I'm not going to try. I will accept and pray. This is life ( unless it is death, which unfortunately it sometimes is...). I enjoy Julie's visits even though she is usually pretty busy planning catch up visits with friends. We slept in, then had a wonderful breakfast of Pumpkin Ginger pancakes and some kind of honey/creme fraiche sauce with raspberries and blackberries. I would have posted a beautiful picture of it but I'm never good at getting food pictures before things are half eaten. They don't look so good at that point.
All for now. I don't think it's good for my neck to be in computer position. Besides this is pretty boring content... I'm just sayin'.
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
12/12/12
I couldn't resist writing something on this historic date when the month, day and year are all the same numeral. I guess it's going to be a long time before it happens again (would that be sometime in the year 3001, right?) I'm not sure what I have to write about that anyone else would find interesting. Most of the time now I'm either thinking about Scottie and how to serve her, or about Cambodia and getting ready for my trip - oh, and I think a bit about Christmas and how I feel about the whole holiday picture. I suppose writing about that would help me clarify how I feel and think.
I have a different perspective that's hard to explain to a lot of people because for years I didn't observe Christmas at all. That fact lets me know that observing it is not really necessary to my happiness or to my family tradition. I lived without it quite well and I could do it again. And in light of the commercial nightmare it's become in this day and age I would just as soon do without it. Never would I design a holiday where I have to give gifts to every friend and family member I didn't want to insult, all at the same time. That is purely a tradition started by the marketing devil. Spending money is such a big factor in the modern celebration that it takes the next six months for lots of people to recover financially, and it spells success or failure for lots of businesses. Seems like birthdays would be a more do-able way to schedule gift giving (unless all your friends and family were born in the same month, and what are the chances of that?) All this to say that I'm pretty much crossing shopping off of my December to do list. I feel the same way about Black Friday and Cyber Monday - pure avoidance is my goal.
There are certain naturally occurring things in December, associated with Christmas that I like a whole lot. I love poinsettia plants. Hmm ... I guess that's about it for Florida. But if I lived in the north I would like snow, and fir trees. I like pretty lights at any time of the year but since it's dark so early in December it's especially delightful (good word) to see them as decorations.
Now if people who believed Christmas was really Jesus' birthday and were celebrating that fact - if they wanted to keep it like they keep other birthdays, that would make sense to me. But it doesn't make sense to me that we basically teach selfishness and materialism to our children, as they make lists and think about what they want instead of what they might give to Jesus. What is really true about Christmas is that most anyone can celebrate it without even knowing anything about Jesus. How would we feel if everyone in the world came to our birthday party for the food, and door prizes and didn't even know who we were?
Another thing I kind of like - the fact that the days have grown shorter and darker and colder, and then the solstice occurs and the opposite starts to happen. That is very like the theme of Jesus' birth bringing light and hope to mankind in the darkest of times which is probably one of the reasons Christians celebrate the nativity at the end of December. It's also why others worship the sun at that time (to get it to come back) and I'd just as soon not get mistaken for one of them.
This is all I have time for - got to go, but I'm still thinking.
I have a different perspective that's hard to explain to a lot of people because for years I didn't observe Christmas at all. That fact lets me know that observing it is not really necessary to my happiness or to my family tradition. I lived without it quite well and I could do it again. And in light of the commercial nightmare it's become in this day and age I would just as soon do without it. Never would I design a holiday where I have to give gifts to every friend and family member I didn't want to insult, all at the same time. That is purely a tradition started by the marketing devil. Spending money is such a big factor in the modern celebration that it takes the next six months for lots of people to recover financially, and it spells success or failure for lots of businesses. Seems like birthdays would be a more do-able way to schedule gift giving (unless all your friends and family were born in the same month, and what are the chances of that?) All this to say that I'm pretty much crossing shopping off of my December to do list. I feel the same way about Black Friday and Cyber Monday - pure avoidance is my goal.
There are certain naturally occurring things in December, associated with Christmas that I like a whole lot. I love poinsettia plants. Hmm ... I guess that's about it for Florida. But if I lived in the north I would like snow, and fir trees. I like pretty lights at any time of the year but since it's dark so early in December it's especially delightful (good word) to see them as decorations.
Now if people who believed Christmas was really Jesus' birthday and were celebrating that fact - if they wanted to keep it like they keep other birthdays, that would make sense to me. But it doesn't make sense to me that we basically teach selfishness and materialism to our children, as they make lists and think about what they want instead of what they might give to Jesus. What is really true about Christmas is that most anyone can celebrate it without even knowing anything about Jesus. How would we feel if everyone in the world came to our birthday party for the food, and door prizes and didn't even know who we were?
Another thing I kind of like - the fact that the days have grown shorter and darker and colder, and then the solstice occurs and the opposite starts to happen. That is very like the theme of Jesus' birth bringing light and hope to mankind in the darkest of times which is probably one of the reasons Christians celebrate the nativity at the end of December. It's also why others worship the sun at that time (to get it to come back) and I'd just as soon not get mistaken for one of them.
This is all I have time for - got to go, but I'm still thinking.
Thursday, December 6, 2012
My Reputation Grows
The sweet little girl at the end of our drive hits me up a couple times every year. She fundraises for her school and I end up buying cookie dough, entertainment coupons, and magazines plus I always get to visit with her for a while. But today was a first time for a higher level. I came home from shopping and met her and a boy on a bike as they were leaving the drive in the opposite direction. A minute later as I was unloading the groceries, they were back and coming up to the house. The boy left his bike and I saw he was carrying the usual solicitation papers and a dog-eared book.
I always make them talk to me before I give them any satisfaction. Alissa, my little friend, bowed and waved her arm to present Nicholas, the boy, as I asked her who she was bringing to meet me. A little conversation revealed that she didn't know Nicholas before she saw him riding down the road and started talking to him. He lives several blocks away from us. She found out what he was doing and offered to share her "easy marks" with him. How nice of her.
As a result I have now helped sponsor someone to Jr. ROTC camp next week. He was a very polite and well-spoken young man and seemed like a good investment. He also asked for a drink of water which he downed in two gulps. He said it was "nice water" and thanked me. I find young people so refreshing. I hope he comes back to tell me how camp turned out.
I always make them talk to me before I give them any satisfaction. Alissa, my little friend, bowed and waved her arm to present Nicholas, the boy, as I asked her who she was bringing to meet me. A little conversation revealed that she didn't know Nicholas before she saw him riding down the road and started talking to him. He lives several blocks away from us. She found out what he was doing and offered to share her "easy marks" with him. How nice of her.
As a result I have now helped sponsor someone to Jr. ROTC camp next week. He was a very polite and well-spoken young man and seemed like a good investment. He also asked for a drink of water which he downed in two gulps. He said it was "nice water" and thanked me. I find young people so refreshing. I hope he comes back to tell me how camp turned out.
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