Offwego's Trip Report August 2006
Sep 12th, 2006, 07:31 PM
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Really enjoying your Siem Reap trip report and hearing how the contributions from the Ponheary Ly Foundation are being used...just wish that there could be enough resources to go around for each and every kid who wants to go to school...as Ponheary says over and over again, "education is the key for these kids to have a brighter future."
I applaud you, Lori, and Ponheary for all of your leadership, brains, and guts!! Just think what you've done in one year!! I applaud the rest of us for thinking beyond ourselves and continuing to remember the Cambodian people long after we all have returned home. And thank you to those who will be going there and who will give in whatever ways you are able!
Can't wait for the next installment.
I applaud you, Lori, and Ponheary for all of your leadership, brains, and guts!! Just think what you've done in one year!! I applaud the rest of us for thinking beyond ourselves and continuing to remember the Cambodian people long after we all have returned home. And thank you to those who will be going there and who will give in whatever ways you are able!
Can't wait for the next installment.
Sep 13th, 2006, 03:51 AM
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Amazing report -- moving and beautifully written. Incredible experiences. I just wish that instead of throwing the ring with the diamonds into the river you had sold it and given the proceeds to the orphanages, or a school in LP.
Sep 14th, 2006, 07:08 AM
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Craig the pictures of the secondary students from Kong Meuch are on the website
http://www.pbase.com/loricarlson/kongmeuch
http://www.pbase.com/loricarlson/kongmeuch
Sep 14th, 2006, 01:29 PM
#45
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The following morning we first went to the Primary School at Wat Bo. This school is in the town of Siem Reap across from the Wat Bo Pagoda on Wat Bo Raod. It is a "city school" so they have things like decent buildings, a library, teachers in uniforms, ELECTRICITY, bathrooms, etc.
This school is actually one of the best schools in the country. The headmaster is considered to be very innovative and ambitious. Earlier in the year, the PLF helped him build a new kindergarten there and this year he hopes to put in a small health clinic. He runs the school year round. The kids are only off for 3 weeks in the summer. The school is very well equipped and if a child goes through the 6th grade here, they will indeed have gotten a good education. This is where Ponheary was a teacher as well as her sister Marina.
It's a poor kid's dream to be able to go to school at Wat Bo. And this year, for the first time, 200 of them are going to do just that.
We loaded up all the supplies and uniforms and headed to the school. It was pouring rain of course and the school yard was a veritable mud pit but we got everything unloaded into the new kindergarten building. Rows of chairs had been assembled and the 200 kids were all there as were many of their parents. It was great fun going around and shaking hands with the parents. They were all beaming.
Ponheary and I called the names of each child one by one and they came up to get their bundles. At the end, they all cheered and we took lots of polaroids to give to the kids. The headmaster made a big deal out of showing us the plaque outside the building and there were many speeches and handshakes. We met with several of the teachers and as we were leaving the headmaster let us know that once word got out that someone was putting poor kids into school at Wat Bo, the parents started coming out of the woodwork and there were 400 more kids that had "applied" that we could not help. Next year we'll try to do more for these "city kids".
The pictures of the event at Wat Bo are here:
http://www.pbase.com/loricarlson/wat...view=slideshow
Later that afternoon we drove out to Kong Meuch School. This school is surely the most pitiful of the country schools that we are trying to improve. There is alot of construction going on at the schools (which is good) but there are only about 60% of all eligible children from the surrounding area actually going to school. Again, the problem is this $12 bundle of uniforms, shoes and supplies. This is the school that both Craig and Jodo had visited and made donations to. We got about 440 kids enrolled at Kong Meuch this year.
We met with the teachers and interviewed the kids who had graduated from Primary School and looking for sponsorships into secondary school. Again, it was hard to pick the kids. Ponheary gave basically the same speech she gave at Khna. The kids were enraptured with Ponheary. We gave the teachers some subsidies (teachers in the rural schools make between $20-25 a month) and met with them to determine what kinds of school equipment they had on their wish list.
We saw the teachers desks and chairs that jodo had donated last year and there was a guest book there. I signed it and noticed the name of a couple from my same town (Austin, Texas) What are the chances of that?
The Kong Meuch school needs the most work. I will be anxious when I go back in February to see how things are progressing once the construction is finished.
Here is a link to the students who want to go to secondary school from Kong Meuch as well as some shots of the school:
http://www.pbase.com/loricarlson/kon...view=slideshow
At one point during this day Ponheary and I went to the Muslim quarter in Siem Reap to look at more Oxen. Apparently you only want to buy the cows from the Muslims. I never really fully understood the reasons behind this, but it was all very serious so that's where we went. The boiling rain was coming down hard that afternoon and when we got to the muslim quarter we couldn't get the car through the mud. So we bailed from the car and walked. Ponheary and I both had on flip-flops which don't do well in 8 inches of mud so soon we're in bare feet with pants rolled up and an umbrella. Walking through this much mud is like moving through gluey quicksand and soon we're in tears with laughter trying to get through it. We get to this man's house and soon have quite an entourage along with us heading over to the oxen pens, through a narrow alley. We think we're going to stand in this alley and gaze into the huge pen at the oxen, but just as we get there, another man comes up the alley driving a herd of about 20 water buffalos. There's no where for us to go. I feel like I'm at Pamplona. We look at each other, shrug our shoulders and the Ox guy tells us to hurry and get in the ox pen. So we get in just as this herd moves past.
So I'm now standing in a lovely mixture of mud, rain, bugs and ox crap about halfway up to my knees. The rain is pouring down. It's about 120 freakin' degrees. I'm standing there surrounded by about 40 oxen thinking "this is hell's own incubation chamber--I am going to catch something dreadful in here" and then made a quick note to myself to get checked for all manner of parasites when I get home.
We did not have any luck at this ox pen. Turns out the really good oxen are kept out in the country and Ponheary and Dara will have to go there next week when the rain lets up as the road is not passable otherwise. By this time I need a beer. Or 5. Thank God there are no pictures of this little trip to the ox pen.
Tomorrow I will finish up with Tchey School and one glorious night in the lap of Luxury at Gloria's favorite hotel in Bangkok.
Oh yeah and the trip to the emergency room.
This school is actually one of the best schools in the country. The headmaster is considered to be very innovative and ambitious. Earlier in the year, the PLF helped him build a new kindergarten there and this year he hopes to put in a small health clinic. He runs the school year round. The kids are only off for 3 weeks in the summer. The school is very well equipped and if a child goes through the 6th grade here, they will indeed have gotten a good education. This is where Ponheary was a teacher as well as her sister Marina.
It's a poor kid's dream to be able to go to school at Wat Bo. And this year, for the first time, 200 of them are going to do just that.
We loaded up all the supplies and uniforms and headed to the school. It was pouring rain of course and the school yard was a veritable mud pit but we got everything unloaded into the new kindergarten building. Rows of chairs had been assembled and the 200 kids were all there as were many of their parents. It was great fun going around and shaking hands with the parents. They were all beaming.
Ponheary and I called the names of each child one by one and they came up to get their bundles. At the end, they all cheered and we took lots of polaroids to give to the kids. The headmaster made a big deal out of showing us the plaque outside the building and there were many speeches and handshakes. We met with several of the teachers and as we were leaving the headmaster let us know that once word got out that someone was putting poor kids into school at Wat Bo, the parents started coming out of the woodwork and there were 400 more kids that had "applied" that we could not help. Next year we'll try to do more for these "city kids".
The pictures of the event at Wat Bo are here:
http://www.pbase.com/loricarlson/wat...view=slideshow
Later that afternoon we drove out to Kong Meuch School. This school is surely the most pitiful of the country schools that we are trying to improve. There is alot of construction going on at the schools (which is good) but there are only about 60% of all eligible children from the surrounding area actually going to school. Again, the problem is this $12 bundle of uniforms, shoes and supplies. This is the school that both Craig and Jodo had visited and made donations to. We got about 440 kids enrolled at Kong Meuch this year.
We met with the teachers and interviewed the kids who had graduated from Primary School and looking for sponsorships into secondary school. Again, it was hard to pick the kids. Ponheary gave basically the same speech she gave at Khna. The kids were enraptured with Ponheary. We gave the teachers some subsidies (teachers in the rural schools make between $20-25 a month) and met with them to determine what kinds of school equipment they had on their wish list.
We saw the teachers desks and chairs that jodo had donated last year and there was a guest book there. I signed it and noticed the name of a couple from my same town (Austin, Texas) What are the chances of that?
The Kong Meuch school needs the most work. I will be anxious when I go back in February to see how things are progressing once the construction is finished.
Here is a link to the students who want to go to secondary school from Kong Meuch as well as some shots of the school:
http://www.pbase.com/loricarlson/kon...view=slideshow
At one point during this day Ponheary and I went to the Muslim quarter in Siem Reap to look at more Oxen. Apparently you only want to buy the cows from the Muslims. I never really fully understood the reasons behind this, but it was all very serious so that's where we went. The boiling rain was coming down hard that afternoon and when we got to the muslim quarter we couldn't get the car through the mud. So we bailed from the car and walked. Ponheary and I both had on flip-flops which don't do well in 8 inches of mud so soon we're in bare feet with pants rolled up and an umbrella. Walking through this much mud is like moving through gluey quicksand and soon we're in tears with laughter trying to get through it. We get to this man's house and soon have quite an entourage along with us heading over to the oxen pens, through a narrow alley. We think we're going to stand in this alley and gaze into the huge pen at the oxen, but just as we get there, another man comes up the alley driving a herd of about 20 water buffalos. There's no where for us to go. I feel like I'm at Pamplona. We look at each other, shrug our shoulders and the Ox guy tells us to hurry and get in the ox pen. So we get in just as this herd moves past.
So I'm now standing in a lovely mixture of mud, rain, bugs and ox crap about halfway up to my knees. The rain is pouring down. It's about 120 freakin' degrees. I'm standing there surrounded by about 40 oxen thinking "this is hell's own incubation chamber--I am going to catch something dreadful in here" and then made a quick note to myself to get checked for all manner of parasites when I get home.
We did not have any luck at this ox pen. Turns out the really good oxen are kept out in the country and Ponheary and Dara will have to go there next week when the rain lets up as the road is not passable otherwise. By this time I need a beer. Or 5. Thank God there are no pictures of this little trip to the ox pen.
Tomorrow I will finish up with Tchey School and one glorious night in the lap of Luxury at Gloria's favorite hotel in Bangkok.
Oh yeah and the trip to the emergency room.
Sep 14th, 2006, 01:40 PM
#46
Sounds like you've definitely earned some luxury! Hope the emergency room trip wasn't too serious.
I tried to access www.theplf.org and I'm getting "connection refused" - is this likely to be temporary? Don't know when I'll get back to Cambodia, but I'd like to donate something - I saw too many street kids when I was there....
I tried to access www.theplf.org and I'm getting "connection refused" - is this likely to be temporary? Don't know when I'll get back to Cambodia, but I'd like to donate something - I saw too many street kids when I was there....
Sep 14th, 2006, 01:50 PM
#48
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Well, now I'm on the edge of my seat waiting for the next installment...
What makes the Kong Moch school so much more pitiful than the others? Is it the percentage of students attending, graduating or just the condition of the school?
What makes the Kong Moch school so much more pitiful than the others? Is it the percentage of students attending, graduating or just the condition of the school?
Sep 14th, 2006, 02:06 PM
#49
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Craig
the condition of the school mainly; there's no community involvement. It has looked pretty trashy both times I've seen it. Also the kids just seem depressed as do the teachers....so many long faces...I just get this feeling of a general "funk" over the school.
I have high hopes that the new construction will help with the general beautification of the school and hope that the same thing will happen there that happened at Khna with the community getting more actively engaged.
Possible difficulties with the PLF site as I'm uploading to it; trying to get everything updated....sorry!
the condition of the school mainly; there's no community involvement. It has looked pretty trashy both times I've seen it. Also the kids just seem depressed as do the teachers....so many long faces...I just get this feeling of a general "funk" over the school.
I have high hopes that the new construction will help with the general beautification of the school and hope that the same thing will happen there that happened at Khna with the community getting more actively engaged.
Possible difficulties with the PLF site as I'm uploading to it; trying to get everything updated....sorry!
Sep 14th, 2006, 02:39 PM
#50
Kathie - thanks.
offwego - would you take a look at this site: http://wunc.org/thestory and consider volunteering to tell your latest Cambodian travel story on Dick Gordon's show? I think it's just kind of thing he's looking for, and it would be good publicity for the foundation.
offwego - would you take a look at this site: http://wunc.org/thestory and consider volunteering to tell your latest Cambodian travel story on Dick Gordon's show? I think it's just kind of thing he's looking for, and it would be good publicity for the foundation.
Sep 15th, 2006, 11:52 AM
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Yes, Bob, why are you falling off your chair?! From laughing so hard from the scenes that Lori has created for us? Wow, would I have enjoyed some photos of you and Ponheary in the rain, ankle deep in mud among the oxens! Wouldn't that be a hoot to include this scene in your photo album, Lori?! Guess some scenes will just need to be stored in the long-term memory box!
Loving your report...
Terry
Loving your report...
Terry
Sep 15th, 2006, 12:02 PM
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If I may interject on your speculations re: Bob. I believe he is responding to my comment that I am on "the edge of my seat" waiting for the next installment. However, now that you mention it, I have this vision of Bob (with sidekick Karen, of course) standing in a cow field knee-deep in sh--, a long way from the Bangkok Marriott Resort, for sure.
Sep 15th, 2006, 05:49 PM
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Craig, I was actually referring to Lori and Ponheary in that rain and mud...but now that you have visualized Bob in the mud, now that's a real hoot!...Bob, a long ways from the BKK Marriott and Jim Thompson House, etc. stuck in the mud, can you imagine?! And where's smart Karen? Why she's ditched Bob and gone shopping for gems (smile)...
Sep 18th, 2006, 07:31 AM
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Final installment:
Fodorites DebbieandSimon went in April to see Ponheary and they visited Tchey Primary School.
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34794946
This was the first time donations had been made to Tchey. After this visit, Ponheary was intent on adding this school to the roster for the PLF.
So, Ponheary planned an EVENT at the school for the last day I was in Siem Reap. For 2 days, Ponheary's sister made some huge vats of beef curry and we bought bags and bags of baguettes and sodas. We went to the market and bought yard toys for the school. And of course the supplies.
The day before this event, we walked through the village with the Headmaster from the school. He took us by foot through the rice paddies to meet some of the kids and the parents. Make sure everybody remembered about the "party" at the school the next day. I had about 10 frisbees in my day pack and played lots of frisbee out in the paddies with the kids. We visited many huts, met lots of people. It was very interesting seeing the living situation of these kids. Seeing how hard they work. How far they have to walk to get to the school; all the things they endure on a daily basis.
The day of the party, clouds loomed but we did not get rained out. I think it was the only day it did not rain while I was there. There were 445 kids there to get their supplies and they all brought their bowls along to eat lunch. After lunch, they tucked the bowls in their shirts and played all afternoon. Having this beef curry was apparently a big deal as these kids don't usually get to eat beef. It was a big hit, as were the sodas. After lunch, there was lots of playing. Again, the frisbees I brought from home being a big deal. There are no frisbees in Siem Reap just FYI. Seems weird to me, but there is no such thing. We used all the film for the polaroids taking pictures of the kids. They loved having a picture of themselves and Ponheary's niece loved being the photographer.
I loved spending this day with the kids, eating and playing and getting ready for school. After seeing them trudging through the rice paddies the day before, it was good to see them all excited about school and playing. Playing. Something they don't get enough of.
The headmaster at Tchey is a good guy. He struggles alot to get the school as equipped as possible and keeps the school grounds very well maintained. As we walked through the village I could tell he was very well liked and well known by the community. He knew everybody; knew everybody's story. I liked him and I was happy we were able to connect with these 445 kids and get them in school.
That night I noticed I was feeling kind of achy all over. Figured it was from playing with those kids all afternoon, but then I started getting a sore throat. Ponheary's sister gave me "the juice from a very young coconut" and that seemed to soothe it a bit, but by the time I sent to bed I knew something was getting on me.
The next morning we all said our very weepy goodbyes. I hated leaving Ponheary and the family. As Ponheary says "I rinsed my eyes out very well" when it was time to get on the plane.
I arrived in Bangkok again and was going to spend the night there before flying home to the US the next day. Got a room at the Oriental, checked in and promptly passed out. This is very unusual for me to sleep in the middle of the day, much less when I'm in Bangkok and on the last day of my vacation. But sleep I did. Then about 6pm Tong called and she was on her way. As chance would have it, Bella Bluebell was staying right across the river at the Pen and she came over and the three of us went to Somboon Seafood and had some dinner. It was very good, especially the crab curry. Was fun to chat with BellaBluebell and hear all about the wedding, etc. After dinner we went to Sirocco and had a drink and enjoyed the view.
By then I was getting quite a fever. Uh oh. By the time I left the next morning for the airport, I was wondering to myself if I shouldn't really be going to the emergency room, rather than getting on the plane. I hesitated but then got on, much to the chagrin of my seat mate, I'm sure. Good thing they weren't checking people's temperature at preboard like during the SARS epidemic.
Uneventful flight. Didn't eat. Didn't drink. Never got up from my seat. Sat with the blanket over my head in a delirious stupor. When I got home, I went immediately to the Emergency Room and said "I have a bad fever and I've been in rural communities in Cambodia". Well I was in a room very quickly but it was a while before they came to see about me and when they did, they were in full-on masks and gowns. It cracked me up. After lots of checking, turns out I had pneumonia so that was a relief after pondering all the things I could have had. Ponheary says that's what I get for standing in the rain.
This trip was an incredible adventure. Of anything I have done in my life, nothing comes close to the feeling I have there with those kids. To all the people on Fodors who have contributed to Ponheary's cause, I tell you I had you there with me. I'm already looking forward to next year and dreaming of the things we can get done. Please continue to spread the word about Ponheary's Foundation.
I am going back in February to check on the progress of the kids we put in school this year.
Thank God I had already explored Europe pretty thoroughly before I went to SEA for the first time.....I don't think I'm ever going to cross that pond again!
Fodorites DebbieandSimon went in April to see Ponheary and they visited Tchey Primary School.
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34794946
This was the first time donations had been made to Tchey. After this visit, Ponheary was intent on adding this school to the roster for the PLF.
So, Ponheary planned an EVENT at the school for the last day I was in Siem Reap. For 2 days, Ponheary's sister made some huge vats of beef curry and we bought bags and bags of baguettes and sodas. We went to the market and bought yard toys for the school. And of course the supplies.
The day before this event, we walked through the village with the Headmaster from the school. He took us by foot through the rice paddies to meet some of the kids and the parents. Make sure everybody remembered about the "party" at the school the next day. I had about 10 frisbees in my day pack and played lots of frisbee out in the paddies with the kids. We visited many huts, met lots of people. It was very interesting seeing the living situation of these kids. Seeing how hard they work. How far they have to walk to get to the school; all the things they endure on a daily basis.
The day of the party, clouds loomed but we did not get rained out. I think it was the only day it did not rain while I was there. There were 445 kids there to get their supplies and they all brought their bowls along to eat lunch. After lunch, they tucked the bowls in their shirts and played all afternoon. Having this beef curry was apparently a big deal as these kids don't usually get to eat beef. It was a big hit, as were the sodas. After lunch, there was lots of playing. Again, the frisbees I brought from home being a big deal. There are no frisbees in Siem Reap just FYI. Seems weird to me, but there is no such thing. We used all the film for the polaroids taking pictures of the kids. They loved having a picture of themselves and Ponheary's niece loved being the photographer.
I loved spending this day with the kids, eating and playing and getting ready for school. After seeing them trudging through the rice paddies the day before, it was good to see them all excited about school and playing. Playing. Something they don't get enough of.
The headmaster at Tchey is a good guy. He struggles alot to get the school as equipped as possible and keeps the school grounds very well maintained. As we walked through the village I could tell he was very well liked and well known by the community. He knew everybody; knew everybody's story. I liked him and I was happy we were able to connect with these 445 kids and get them in school.
That night I noticed I was feeling kind of achy all over. Figured it was from playing with those kids all afternoon, but then I started getting a sore throat. Ponheary's sister gave me "the juice from a very young coconut" and that seemed to soothe it a bit, but by the time I sent to bed I knew something was getting on me.
The next morning we all said our very weepy goodbyes. I hated leaving Ponheary and the family. As Ponheary says "I rinsed my eyes out very well" when it was time to get on the plane.
I arrived in Bangkok again and was going to spend the night there before flying home to the US the next day. Got a room at the Oriental, checked in and promptly passed out. This is very unusual for me to sleep in the middle of the day, much less when I'm in Bangkok and on the last day of my vacation. But sleep I did. Then about 6pm Tong called and she was on her way. As chance would have it, Bella Bluebell was staying right across the river at the Pen and she came over and the three of us went to Somboon Seafood and had some dinner. It was very good, especially the crab curry. Was fun to chat with BellaBluebell and hear all about the wedding, etc. After dinner we went to Sirocco and had a drink and enjoyed the view.
By then I was getting quite a fever. Uh oh. By the time I left the next morning for the airport, I was wondering to myself if I shouldn't really be going to the emergency room, rather than getting on the plane. I hesitated but then got on, much to the chagrin of my seat mate, I'm sure. Good thing they weren't checking people's temperature at preboard like during the SARS epidemic.
Uneventful flight. Didn't eat. Didn't drink. Never got up from my seat. Sat with the blanket over my head in a delirious stupor. When I got home, I went immediately to the Emergency Room and said "I have a bad fever and I've been in rural communities in Cambodia". Well I was in a room very quickly but it was a while before they came to see about me and when they did, they were in full-on masks and gowns. It cracked me up. After lots of checking, turns out I had pneumonia so that was a relief after pondering all the things I could have had. Ponheary says that's what I get for standing in the rain.
This trip was an incredible adventure. Of anything I have done in my life, nothing comes close to the feeling I have there with those kids. To all the people on Fodors who have contributed to Ponheary's cause, I tell you I had you there with me. I'm already looking forward to next year and dreaming of the things we can get done. Please continue to spread the word about Ponheary's Foundation.
I am going back in February to check on the progress of the kids we put in school this year.
Thank God I had already explored Europe pretty thoroughly before I went to SEA for the first time.....I don't think I'm ever going to cross that pond again!
