The language mystery deepens

Back to childhood - we use a kids primer as the alphabet intro. The vowels are on the left page, and are written either above, below or alongside the consonant. Easy ...

Today Susie and I entered a deeper level of the marvel of learning Khmer - the Khmer alphabet. Up to now our learning has been in conversation. However, one of our (very many!) frustrations has been in the pronounciation department. We are constantly revisiting words that we thought that we had down pat - only to discover that the 'ch' is a 'j' or the 't' is a 'd' (there's a bunch of words anglicised as 'dt' or 'bp' - and they can cause pain!

Anyway, we are now on a mission to learn the 23 vowels and 33 consonants as represented by mysterious wiggles and squiggles. There's one sound that we just cannot get - the 'ng' that I reckon I'm saying just like Nimol, and she reckons is another barang who gets real trouble with this one. Nimol makes us feel better by telling us stories about the Korean folk who just cannot get 'rro' - it comes out as 'lo' every time! We'll figure this 'ng' thing - all in getting the tongue flat at the bottom of your mouth as you say 'n' (figure that out!)

The consonants - 'small' (in red) and 'big' (in blue). When a vowel follows a 'small' consonant, the vowel has a different sound to when it follows a 'big' consonant. Do the maths - it makes for a lot of sounds!

Another interesting thing we now learn is that what is written (for example, in a dictionary) very often is not what is pronounced, as the Khmer love dropping off the last sound. So, when the dictionary says 'mork' the pronounciation is 'mor'. That goes a way to explaining why what we have been learning does not always line up with the pocket dictionary!

Always take the weather

April is reknown for being the height of the hot season in Cambodia. It is a bit of a survival mission - or alternatively, the time when many ex-pats choose to exit the country for a break. The heat is really draining, with the temperature sitting around 36-38 degrees. Normally, the wet season (monsoon rains) come in late May/early June, helping to pull the temperatures down a bit and bringing a welcome relief to the high humidity.

Happily, it appears that we are entering the wet season early. The usual chain of events has clouds gathering, then a sudden wind blowing, quickly followed by a good downpour for half an hour or so. We've been experiencing that the last few days, with rains in the late afternoon, then more rains with thunder and lightning at night. The temperatures are still pretty high but at least the humidity level is coming down.

Sunday night - a good electrical storm with a lot of rain, at last

ANZAC Day in Phnom Penh

ANZAC Day is commemorated here too. The Australian Embassy hosts a dawn service followed by a breakfast. Susie and I attended this morning - and also met up with many of our friends.

Phnom Penh is a very different city at 4.30am. No hustle and bustle - just a very pleasent cruise from our house in the south of the city, through to the Ambassador's residence over the road from Wat Phnom (the hill overlooking the city, and historically the founding centre of this city). Sue took a liking to her place - complete with lovely garden and a serious lap pool.

The service was very well attended - perhaps 250 people who registered and came.

ANZAC dawn service - Phnom Penh

Lok's left

We took Lok out to his little village last week and met some of the locals. The village lies off the main road about 10 km north of Wat Phnom. Prior to being hospitalised, Lok had been couch-surfing among the folk there - minus the couch. The Vietnamese villagers are extremely poor. A Hagar worker tells us that their main income is from selling their daughters.

We had Pastor Mara from church come to our place before Lok went to share the gospel clearly with him. Lok should be back among his family in Vietnam now. This was his greatest wish - to return to his people. We are grateful that he can return in much better health and carrying the truth of the love of God.

Thrice bitten ...

Incredible but true ... these miniature ants have taken a distinct liking for Sue's lips! The cunning little blighters can get into plastic containers even. The good news is that Sue appears to be getting a lippy tolerance for them - third time around there was no Donald Duck manifestation - just a bit of swelling!

Lok and Lurrlng

Lok was released from hospital yesterday, but had to go back today for a bit to sort some stuff out. He lives like 15km or so away, so rather than return to his slum, we took him home for the night.

This morning we had arranged for an interpreter from Hagar to meet us at the hospital and also for his daughter to be brought in to see him. This was beyond special - Lurrlng, his 16-year-old girl, coming to see her dad. She's incredibly sweet and hugged Sue like a long-lost mum.

From the discussion with the interpreter, we understand that, more than anything, Lok wants to return to his parents and family in Vietnam. We are working on this now - getting him back to say 'goodbye' to the folk where he has been living tomorrow, and then getting a bus sorted for Saturday.

So tonight, dad and daughter get to spend together on the second floor of our house. Hagar have allowed Lurrlng to stay the night here with him which again is beyond special. Sitting over the table and watching Lurrlng bow her head as we said grace, I could not wonder if it was not the prayers of this little lady that had resulted in us getting involved in Lok's life.

One of the indicators that Lok is doing well is that his appetite is like a teenagers'. He announced that he was hungry early in the evening, and took over in the kitchen. He's pretty accomplished there too - and was sooo happy that I had bought a couple of fish to cook for dinner.

Lok and his daughter Lurrlng (yep, that is not easy to prononunce!) getting dinner sorted.

Twice bitten ...

Susie, as you know, has a wee weakness for lollies. She spied a new variety in the supermarket the other day. Unhappily, she left them in a cupboard after opening them - so upon her return to the little packet, she discovered too late that the anties had also been visiting.

For the second time since we are back here, I have a wife who looks to be a relative of Donald Duck. Second time round also means that she makes her debut on the blog as botox woman ...

Walking with Lok

We continue our daily visits with Lok, the Vietnamese man in a local hospital, who has HIV. He is actually doing a lot better, both physically and emotionally. The swelling in his feet has decreased, he is eating much better (tho' still complains of a sore stomach) and the infection in his throat has almost gone. Best of all, he is now keen to be prayed for on each visit, shutting his eyes and soaking in everything we ask the Lord to do on his behalf.

There are two other people in his room, a mum - perhaps in her late 40's - and a young guy. The young guy has his mum there constantly, caring for him. He is very thin and weak. HIV/AIDs is continuing to rapidly increase here - as in so many parts of the world.

Sue putting a variety of food together for Lok. We were giving him money for food each day, but with Khmer New Year upon us, the liklihood is that the food-stall people will not be around for a week.

Tis the season ...

We are now in the heart of the hot season. It is, unsurprisingly, hot. Around 38 degrees - closer to 45 degrees I reckon when we wandered into the market today for veges and stuff.

This season has its distinct advantages. For example, low power bills. That would be because it is pretty regular to not have any. We actually are doing OK on this side of town. Mark and Jo wisely got an aircon installed in their lounge about 10 days ago.. The day of installation marked the day of their daily power cuts, often kicking in 8am to 4.30pm. They are really pleased with their aircon. They say that it looks very nice.

This is also the season of Khmer New Year. Phnom Penh has been emptying steadily this week, with the real exodus happening after work today. Zillions of people head to the provinces for the week.

The lead-up to Khmer New Year is party time. Remember, bigger and louder is always better out here. We have some folk a street away who have, I believed, hired their sound-gear from Parachute Music Festival. Their stack of speakers has been wound up to distortion level and released over our neighbourhood 4x this last week. I called in to say 'g'day' on night 3. I used my very best Khmer to explain the situation. Unfortunately, my well chosen words, together with the skin on my face, kind of peeled away under the power of watts beyond measure. The dozen or so boys did not look too friendly tho'. Happily I could not see any machetes lying around.

Which brings us back to power cuts. Oh happy day (or happy night, as the case was) to come back from a prayer meeting Tuesday night to dark streets; a torch silhouetting the Parachute Stack and not a Makarina to be heard.

Resort la Bonnevie?

We've returned to Phnom Penh to find a lot of progress on the development behind us. What it is, is still a mystery to us but we have two houses under construction and a whole lot of palm trees getting planted. But - that leaves a great deal of open space. An olympic swimming pool, perhaps?? A park?? Watch this space ...

Houses 1 to the extreme right, rear of the big development area. A twin-sister house is simultaneously going to the extreme left rear.

Kangakiwi in town

For those Kiwis who remember David and Margaret McCracken, pastors in Manurewa many years ago - their son Steve has been at our church this week. The McCrackens hopped the Tasman 15 years ago to Melbourne.

Steve McCracken (right) with Jesse translating. Jesse is the best when it comes to translation - very switched on and able to grasp concepts and expand/clarify on them as he translates.

Steve is here with his mum and his 15-year daughter, doing a week (Sun-Fri, every night thru' the week) of meetings. He speaks like our Melody - a tragic mix of good Kiwi and Aussie-isms. He's an excellent fella despite the verbal defaults to 'fantasteek' and is putting good stuff into the church here. I've got to Monday and Wednesday and will get along tonight also.

Road safety

Enjoy the title - it is an oxymoron in this nation.

We were heading to church this morning, and got behind a very large truck making a turn. I wondered why it was going so slow, until I saw the boys on top, fending off the maze of overhead power lines.

On the trip home after church, I had to giggle - there was a bit of a sag in a wire now, like at about moto-eye height. It is only a matter of time until there is a bit of a power cut for at least one house (hopefully not the block, as Grahame and Sandra's place is just down the road from here).

Spot the wire - the trick is to keep your chin below the rice sack ...

Boys and girls time

Saturday mornings are semi-sacred to us out here. There is a bit of a routine that we usually keep, that includes coffee and catch-up time.

This Saturday morning had an added blessing - the once-a-month mens breakfast. It was held at Grahame and Sandra's childrens' home - where Sandra led her girls in cooking up a most amazing feed for all the guys who came.

Sandra, you are a multi-talented legend!

Guest speaker was none other than the lovely Patrick Kelly. Patrick hooked into the magnificent subject of living out of a positive attitude. Good stuff, Patrick!

Patrick keeping his blog up to date!

Following the breakfast, it was back to the familiar stomping place of 'Coffee Corner', just a few streets from our place. In a country where coffees are almost always disappointing, a latte here gets a Kim-rating of 3 out of 5 - on a good day. But then, we are here for the people, not the caffeine ...

Spot the Pom - it was all girls this Saturday (apart from the guy taking the pic) - Sue Hanna and Sue Taylor (Te Awamutu girls, working in Hagar's child rescue program); Pam the ... English girl, finally back in Phnom Penh after returning to the UK on furlough and then getting sick; Susie, and Colleen from Tauranga, working here with Asian Outreach.

Encountering God weekends

Every six months the church that we are part of here, New Life Fellowship, runs a camp for people who have more recently become Christians. Called 'Encountering God Camps', they focus into areas of freedom from past hurt.

About 100 people were away at camp last weekend, when we arrived back into Cambodia. This morning a couple of young guys spoke about what God did for them at the camp. Forgiveness is a constantly recurring theme. Time and time again these young people speak about the hurt they have experienced in their upbringing - how much this pain has festered into anger and bitterness - how they never could really forgive - and how something tangibly changed for them while they were at the camp.

These issues of anger and bitterness are huge in this society. How good it is to see that there are true life answers to be found in the love of God!

One of the young guys speaking at church today. That's Jesse. the pastor, on the right.

No guns please

Each day we are going to a local hospital to support a man who has AIDs. A friend from Hagar has one of his children in care and we have been asked to give some help in building up his health again. He's just in his early 40's with a lovely shy smile.

The room that he is in is remarkably clean and tidy. This part of the hospital has just had a revamp thru' funds donated by Medicins Sans Frontieres. They have put up a nice sign outside the ward that I thought you may appreciate ...