It was Joseph Mussomeli, the American ambassador to Cambodia in 2005, who gave this warning to all visitors to the country:

“Be careful because Cambodia is the most dangerous place you will ever  visit. You will fall in love with it and eventually it will break your heart.” 

Upon reading this, my mind flew back to four years ago when I met an American at the Atlanta Hotel in Bangkok who poured out his heart over his disenchantment with teaching in Cambodia. His problem wasn’t with the students whom he found to be respectful as all Cambodian students are to their teachers, but it was the corruption within the system from the top down to the teachers and even the students themselves. Every one seemed to be “on ‘the take” from the Education Minister who was a directly appointed by Hun Sen, the Prime Minister, to the department heads who accepted bribes in the way of new cars and big houses, the teachers who demanded money from their students to supplement their meagre incomes, and even the students who fought to find money to buy copies of their exams and in some cases their results. The losers in the system were the students whose parents couldn’t afford to pay the teachers’ demands, and the students who really learned nothing since most of their time was taken up with getting those good results. How can a country move ahead when its educational system is in such disarray?

This is a good example of how the country has been run since the days of Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge. From the powers that be at the top, to the teachers and doctors and, yes, even some of the many NGO’s that have invaded this country, corruption lurks and is mostly responsible for the poverty that is seen throughout the country. I hesitate to blame it all on corruption or the big “C”  as there is the aftermath of the trauma left by the massacre of over two million people. Yet on second thought, perhaps even this would not have been so devastating if there had been more money put into mental health to give the population the necessary tools to deal with their demons. Instead,much of the money that has been allocated by the donor countries has unfortunately gone into the pockets of the government officials. The incredible fact of the matter is that natives and ex-pats, including some NGO’s, are all well aware of what has been going on, but most are reluctant to talk about it let alone do anything about it … until quite recently. From what I’ve read and can imagine from such a system that if you are honest and speak out against it, you might have your heart or some other part of your anatomy broken, but if you are a fearful sort, you will most probably close your eyes to it all. Unfortunately, the great majority of the people in this country have fallen into the latter category which isn’t surprising given Cambodia’s brutal recent history along with the ancient Khmer class system of king and slave.

The big C issue is not just peculiar to Cambodia, it hovers over most of SE Asia. Since December, we’ve been witnessing the protests occurring in Bangkok for the same cause as the protesters are fed up with the corruption they see in their present government. The same is happening in other places around the world – the Ukraine, India, and Pakistan to name a few. It is so easy for those in power to be corrupt and just as easy for us who aren’t to simply ignore it or pretend it doesn’t exist. However, I think many of us are willing to take the risk and say enough is enough, even in countries like Cambodia where there is the all too likely risk that you can be shot down by a motorbike whizzing by in the dark of night. The people there will tell you about at least one incident or more that they know of where this has happened.

After all I’ve learned through my reading and talking to native Cambodians and foreigners who work there, I do have some faint feeling of hope that the past and present way of doing things will change but ever so slowly. I have seen Siphon and Mach at the Meas Family Homestay trying to make a difference slowly but surely. They are strong believers in getting their community to keep the good part of their culture such as the weaving and the working of their land, but at the same time endeavouring to bring the changes which will matter to their community if they are to rise up and make life better for themselves. Doing what they want to do and not buying into the game of bribery, they are beginning to gain the respect of their community. Their after school program is a good example because here we saw an eager bunch of kids coming to their school voluntarily to learn, not just English, but a good example of how their lives could go if they choose. Then there is, Rotah and Sithan, the young couple running the Learning Centre at the garment factory on the outskirts of Phnom Penh, who worked diligently for ten years to get their NGO status the legitimate way and not the old way which is to hand over more money to get more quickly to the top of the list. They are very proud of what they are doing and trying to pass this on to their students.

Finally, there are the street protests by the garment workers that took place in January. Unfortunately, six were killed and over 100 were thrown into jail and still to be released. However, they are not giving up and are planning further protests. It remains to be seen how the government will deal with this in future. About a week or two before we arrived in Phnom Penh, the garbage collectors went on strike. They were actually given a small raise, just enough to keep them quiet, but they were not able to get medical compensation which is what they desperately need since they aren’t paid enough to pay for the bribes many of the doctors demand to compensate for their low salaries. In spite of all of this, it’s encouraging that Cambodians are beginning to stand up for themselves for the first time. It’s about time, but they will have to do it with small steps and low expectations when dealing with a government that says it’s concerned about the state of the country’s affairs but shows little action to prove it.

On our last day in Phnom Penh, my husband and I squeezed in one final thing to do which was a visit to L’Institute de Francaise for an art show that our journalist friend told us about over breakfast that morning. We are so thrilled that we took the time to go because here I saw another hopeful sign from not only the paintings hanging on the walls, but also the dancing that we were fortunate enough to see as some of the artists rehearsed for an upcoming show. Actually it was these paintings below that inspired me to do this piece on corruption or the big C as I prefer to call it. To me corruption is like cancer: it can ruin a country as it can ruin a person if we allow it, but with a little bit of  help and a change in our thinking it can be beaten.

If you read my previous post Soaking up Phnom Penh, you might remember that the best part of this complex country for me is the beautiful people who live in it. It amazes both my husband and I, and just about every traveller we have met in the past few weeks, how the Cambodia people have managed to come through the terrible killings of the Pol Pot regime in the ’70’s not to mention the hardships since then, yet still welcome all the tourists who are discovering their country with smiles and what appears to be genuine hospitality.

However, I shall begin by relating some of the highlights and the people we met in the past few weeks as we headed down to the south and the beaches of Kep. From time to time we have heard travellers repeat this mantra: “You have to go to quiet, laid back Kep before it changes into just another tourist resort.” With these words ringing in our ears and a desire to just be a typical tourist at the beach for a while away from the dirt and noise of the cities we had been in over the past two months, we  booked ourselves into the Q Bungalows for ten days.

This little resort is owned by an older couple from France and Italy who have chosen to fulfil their dream of running a guest house which just happens to sit on an ideal piece of land sitting at the base of a small mountain facing the Gulf of Thailand. Our weather was perfect with hot days tempered by cooling breezes from the ocean with surprisingly clean water. As an added bonus, our place had one of the best swimming pools around. Close by was the Crab Market where not only crab but many other fish are caught giving rise to a dozen or more fine restaurants offering delicious fish dishes. The secret to the great cuisine we sampled is the yummy Kampot pepper sauce made from the peppercorns grown in this region.

Not only did we do much reading, swimming, and eating, we also managed to take in a couple of sight-seeing trips. One of them was a boat trip out to yet another about to be developed place named Rabbit Island, which still has that really rustic look. It offers a limited number of small bamboo huts for accommodation, a few restaurants offering happy hours starting at eleven o’clock in the morning, a lovely beach, and about five hours of electricity a day. It’s still the perfect place to escape to for now, but probably not for long.

Our next stop was the nearby town of Kampot for which the peppercorns we had been eating in Kep are named. Kampot lies on an inland river making for a pretty setting and was once the centre for the French colonials who lived and worked there when Cambodia was a protectorate of France in the mid 1800’s. Today many of their mansions are just crumbling remains but some are being restored to their former glory by wealthy foreigners. Kampot has a certain charm and definitely a very laid back atmosphere which seems to be growing on foreigners from Europe, the US, and Canada at a growing rate evidenced by the many who choose to live and set up a business there. We have heard some say it’s the next Chiang Mai as a choice for ex-pats to retire to.

From Kampot we took a bus up to a the Meas Family Homestay mid-way between there and Phnom Penh. This family homestead and farm has been in the Meas family for three or more generations and is now run primarily by a wonderful couple, Siphon and Mach and other family members, who survived the Pol Pot years. Both are teachers who are supplementing their meagre teacher’s salaries by opening up their home to tourists like us, running an after school program for young students who want to improve their English, and setting up a weaving centre to provide employment for the very poor women in their area. We spent two days there not only helping out with the|English class and buying scarves woven by the women, but also eating delicious Khmer home cooking. This dynamic couple is certainly an exception to the norm and are a good example to us and other Cambodians that they can heal and begin to move forward.

Now, we are back in Phnom Penh rounding out our final days in Cambodia with a visit to the Choeung Ek Genocidal Centre, one of the 300 killing fields that blanketed this country during the rule of the Khmer Rouge, and the Toul Sleng Museum which was the S-21 prison. These two sights are memorials to the over three million people who were killed under this cruel regime which ruled from 1975 to 1979. The horror of this period is sometimes just too much to even comprehend but it did exist, and those Cambodians who are responsible for making these sites available for us to see did so that we might all witness what took place and be aware that this sort of madness has not only happened in their country but in many others, and that we must always be vigilant.

We also had the good fortune to visit one of the many garment factories here in Phnom Penh, thanks to my husband’s ability to easily strike up friendships in some of the churches he visits in our travels. A Canadian couple who live and work here are involved with a centre which has been set up by another enterprising young Cambodian couple at one of the sites. This couple has worked long and hard to establish a school on the premises of one of the garment industry complexes where they used to work themselves. The school teaches English and computer skills to the workers who attend in the evenings or after their work shift. They have also got a card making business up and running to help some of the workers make a little extra money. Their wages from the factories, even though they recently got a raise, are still very low so many of them are looking for ways to supplement this by taking on extra work. It’s really encouraging to see them take advantage of such opportunities to get ahead.

Not one to just be a tourist taking in the sites, I wanted to know more about Cambodia’s history and hopefully learn more about them as a people. I was particularly curious as to why most of them are so accommodating to us tourists, and why we are always greeted with such lovely smiles when we know that their past has been so violent and unsettled. Shouldn’t they be sad and perhaps be working hard to get as much money from the tourist as possible?  After all, not only have they suffered so much, but they are still one of the poorest countries in the world. How can they appear to be so happy and satisfied with their plight? To get some answers I read an eye-opening book titled The Curse of Cambodia by Joel Brinkley, a former New York Times reporter, editor, and foreign correspondent, who covered the demise of the Khmer Rouge in 1979. My curiosity was sated, but I was saddened to learn that much of the population is still suffering the after effects of the genocide carried out by the Khmer Rouge with probably more than a third of those who lived through this era suffering from PTSD (post traumatic stress syndrome) where depression, insomnia, and passive behaviour are the norm. Even those born since that time are exhibiting similar behaviour since studies are showing that the symptoms are being passed down to the children. So, the smiles we see are born of a feeling of resignation in many cases which could erupt into anger. Fortunately, we have not witnessed this, but we are hearing reports of tourists having their bags snatched by motorcyclists, and the NGO workers will tell you about the many incidents of family violence.

In spite of all the monetary aid from donor countries around the world, the work of the numerous  Not For Profit Organizations, and the peace keeping measures of the United Nations, there is still much healing to be done. This will have to be done now by the Cambodians themselves. I am hopeful that this is happening judging by the people we have met such as, Siphon and Mach, Rota and Sitan, and our Canadian friends who work here.

Phnom Penh has a way of slowly creeping up on a first time tourist like me. My first impressions of the city weren’t too positive but after four days, I’m starting to like this city which is the capitol of the Kingdom of Cambodia.

We arrived early Saturday evening by plane and had our first introduction to the city’s traffic with a tuk- tuk ride from the airport to our hotel in the centre. Like so many of the South East Asian cities the traffic is often chaotic with Phnom Penh being no exception. We were amazed at how relaxed the drivers on all types of wheels appeared to be as they weaved themselves in and out of the haphazard flow to find the easiest way possible to get through the dense traffic. To us it seemed that cars, motorbikes, and tuk-tuks were coming at us from every direction but to our amazement no one hit us, and we arrived all in one piece.

The next day we had to brave this traffic in order to reach the sights we had chosen to see and found that we were able to cross busy streets with relative ease. The most difficult part for me in the walking was trying to dodge all the debris and garbage on the side walks and in the streets. We found out later that there had been a garbage strike last week so that explained some of it, but, unfortunately, I’ve heard since that PP (Phnom Penh) has really never been known for its cleanliness.

Another upsetting observation for me is the disparity between the rich and the poor which is evident everywhere one goes. I have visited Laos, Viet Nam, and Myanmar (I am leaving Thailand out as it’s not really considered as a third world or undeveloped country any more) but never found it to be quite so visible as it is here in PP. One can be walking along a street and see huge homes hidden behind ornate gates and right next door is a run down house or shop or even people who appear to live on the street. The construction of what appears to be high-end hotels and condos is also a part of the scene. Maybe life is improving for some Cambodians,but many are suffering because as this development takes place the cost of living is going up and, of course, we know who is going to bear the brunt of all this. Another effect of this rampant growth and disparity is the protesting from the garment industry workers that has been going on here and making the news. Cambodians are finally getting upset enough to speak up and it’s about time since they have suffered through one of the most corrupt governments for years.

My first impressions were enhanced primarily by the filth and the disparity, but it hasn’t taken me long to get past all of this to discover the true spirit that prevails in this little country that has suffered so much over the years. The Cambodian people are quite simply very nice and gentle people. They always seem to have ready smiles and can have a wonderful sense of humour especially the tuk- tuk drivers who just laugh when we refuse to take them up on their offer of a ride which happens to be but a block or so away. The city has no lack of tuk- tuk drivers. We are hearing stories of teachers taking up the profession because the pay and stress of being a teacher here is so low. I’ve also found the people I’ve had the opportunity to speak to can be quite open and easy to get to know.

Although PP is a fairly new city architecturally, it does have a long history with ties to the famous Khmer people of the north who have given us the beautiful temples of Angkor in Siem Reap. Having been under the control of the French for almost one hundred years ending in the 1950’s, there are many beautiful buildings reminiscent of their rule – the most famous being the Royal Palace and the National Museum both of which we visited. The museum has the largest collection of Khmer artifacts in the country, and the Royal Palace still serves as the official residence of the King and for various court ceremonies. The present King has no political powers at all and from what we can gather doesn’t make many appearances other than to perform some Royal duties. The present Prime Minister wields all the power and has been for more than 15 years which according to many Cambodians is far too long, hence some of the protesting that has been going on. The Palace and the grounds are stunning and also boast of harbouring the famous Silver Pagoda which derives its name from the silver tiles on the floor. It also houses an Emerald Buddha.

Other sites a tourist needs to see, and we will do so when we come back here in three weeks is the Killing Fields and the Genocide Museum both legacies of the horrible era of the Khmer Rouge and Pol Pot which will be very sobering.

On a more uplifting note, no description of what this city has to offer to the tourist would be complete with out some mention of the many restaurants, cafes, and bars. We are not interested in the night life other than to find a good restaurant where we can have delicious food at affordable prices, and we have found that in PP. We’ve had Khmer food, Vietnamese, Indian, Italian, and all good. I am also thrilled with all the great cafes serving delicious coffees and pastries in the French tradition. Many of them serve lovely lunches with an emphasis on healthy salads and sandwiches. All our meals have been in a price range of $3.50 to $7.00 per person which is a bit higher than what we would pay in Thailand  because here in Cambodia we pay for just about everything in American dollars instead of their local currency.

As I mentioned at the start, Phnom Phen has a way of creeping up on anyone who comes here whether as a tourist like me or someone who arrives to work on some kind of humanitarian project. There are many Non Profit Organizations and Christian churches working here helping the Cambodians to improve not only their education and health, but also their ability to rebuild their country after its near devastation from the Khmer Rouge in the ’70’s. It’s hard to believe that PP was almost totally devastated by the time the Vietnamese came in and took it over from the Rouge. Apparently the city was a shambles and had to be almost completely restored from scratch so it’s quite astounding at what has been accomplished since then and continues as we have witnessed with the construction that seems to be flourishing everywhere. One can only hope that it doesn’t get out of hand which it seems to be doing now that China has entered the scene. Let’s hope that the resilience of the Cambodian people and the humanitarian efforts of the NGO’s will continue to prevail and help the country to achieve the independence and prosperity they so deserve.

Sundays have always been rather special days for me, and the ones I have been so fortunate to spend here in Chiang Mai have been just that. Is this an innate thing because I happen to celebrate my birthday in the zodiacal sign of Leo, ruled by the sun, which makes this day more special to me than the others, or is it connected to something external, such as environment or everyday circumstances? I will not attempt to explain why I think it’s more likely due to the former theory because I am spurred on to write this post simply wishing to let you in on what this Sunday has been like for me.

My husband and I have actually managed to carve out some kind of routine since we arrived in Chiang Mai with Sundays morphing into the day when we take a break from each other. He sets off early for his church activities, while I set about doing all those things I never seem to get done when he’s around. As I walked down the street to ‘Good Morning Chiang Mai Coffee’ for a delicious Western style breakfast of eggs, bacon, whole grain toast, and an americano coffee this morning, I was struck by all the things I could write about this colourful city (if I had the time) and felt an overwhelming urge to get another post done. So typical of this country and particularly this city which is becoming like a second home for me, as I turn down the little soi to reach my destination, I am greeted by friendly waves and “Sawadeekas”. I quickly note just how much I love these people as each year I get to know them better. The Thai are basically quite reserved and conservative compared to the Vietnamese, whom I also fell in love with, so it takes longer to get to know them, at least this is my experience.

After my breakfast which didn’t disappoint, I managed to get my blog started and visit a nearby park where I caught up on some reading and some sun. This park attracts all kinds of people, both Thai and farang (Thai word for foreigner), who want to practice and quite possibly show off their talents ranging from singing, playing an instrument, practising complex Hatha yoga postures, or carrying out some healing modalities. With so much going on it, I found it difficult to get any real reading done. Additional items of interest were cute Thai toddlers and their families whose main past time is to eat and make sure the pigeons get their fair share,too.

Later on in the day, Graham and I met up with some friends from Holland over dinner at a little and cheap Japanese restaurant in our neighbourhood. For the past few weeks we had been crossing paths with this young couple, so we thought it was time to get to know one another a bit better. We both agree it’s a treat to talk to young people and get their perspective on travel and what they hope to achieve in life. They have been travelling throughout South East Asia for over four months and have no firm plans for ever returning to Holland. Meryn is what is becoming known as a ‘digital nomad’ eking out a living by writing on-line. He has already written a couple of books on poker and gambling and is now setting his sights on writing a book on meditation. Rosalie has plans to write a book but is having some trouble with her motivation. She is being distracted by the many yoga and meditation classes at her disposal in Chiang Mai. It is truly amazing how this city is fast becoming a magnet for all the ‘digital nomads’  like Meryn and Rosalie who are taking and using their skills wherever they travel. It’s part of a new generation.

 

For seven years straight I’ve been escaping the Nova Scotian winters to come to Thailand using Chiang Mai as my anchor or base. Why Chiang Mai and not one of the many beautiful islands in this diverse country? Well, of course the warm and sometimes very hot climate is one reason, then there is the culture and the friendly people, but I have to admit another plus is the fantastic markets here and you know what that can lead to? Yes, it means lots of SHOPPING!

Since I’ve retired from full-time work, I am always on the look out for projects that are not only fun, but will make me a little extra income. After my second visit to Chiang Mai, I decided to use some of the experience I gained many years ago as a business owner in retail. Since I love buying and have a fairly good eye for colour and display along with a pretty good sense of what people like to spend their money on, I realized I had to seize the opportunity to bring home some of the beautiful bags, scarves, and jewellery I was seeing in Thailand. Hence, my little import business was born.

Although every year I travel to at least one other country somewhere in SE Asia, I always manage to do most of my buying while I am in Chiang Mai because there are so many markets in this city which just keep growing more and bigger each year. When I first came seven years ago, there was the Sunday Walking Market and the Night Bazaar which were the main venues. Then along came a Saturday Walking Market to rival the Sunday one and now there is the Anusarn Market right next door to the Night Bazaar. Interspersed with all these are numerous street vendors and stores selling their products not only to tourists but to buyers like me looking for wholesale prices. The old idea of driving a hard bargain for all it’s worth is slowly disappearing which makes it easier for both the buyer and the seller. There will always be those who like nothing more than to beat a person down to the lowest price ever who will no doubt miss the thrill of it all, but not me. There are simply too many people dependent on our business trying to make a living and supporting their families in an economy which at the present time is booming but at the same time causing a hefty rise in their cost of living. Many of them need to receive a fair price for not only their beautiful handiwork, but also their incredibly hard work.

Chiang Mai is undoubtedly a buyer’s delight often making the choice of what to buy somewhat daunting. However, my efforts are paying off, and I have found some exciting stuff which some of the following photos will reveal. Have a look and just maybe some of you will be lured into coming to see more at the Mason’s Hall where I will again be located in Annapolis Royal at the Farmer’s Market.