Another interesting and rewarding day.
We were up at 0630 this morning and followed the usual routine, though I am not sure if there a usual routine living with Davie as we spend most morning and evening falling about laughing at the Hotel; a comedy series in the making. This morning after risking our lives adding water to live electric cables in the bathroom (this is quite normal in Cambodia, your not awake if your not risking your life) and after putting on the sun lotion we were away. Example of the wonders of Cambodian Hotel - when Cherry popped back get something from her room and she found the staff on her bed, watching TV and eating fruit, lucky she was quiet so they didnt miss any of their show.
The journey to the Outreach event was short though it did involved walking through a village that was rotting before our eyes. The smell and signs of disease were everywhere.
There were 60 children waiting for us. The games, bible stories, balloon shaping and paper cutting that followed clearly struck a chord and you could see the pleasure and joy in their eyes.
There were a few things that stood out. We started to play a game that involved the children running around then climbing through the legs of the other kids. When we started this game very few got involved. Alastair was told that they didn't like crawling on the floor so the game was changed and they flooded off the mat to play. Perhaps the syringe I found on the floor just after that had a bearing on their thoughts.
I am sure that the other blogs are full of stories of Cholera and I will not add anything further other than to say that life here is so close to the abyss that episodes like this seem to be part of life and yet they shouldn't be. A safe assured water supply - no Cholera, simple. Again I stood back and thought how can we allow this to happen and I mean us in the West. Of course 10 minutes back at Gatwick and I will have forgotten all thoughts of how I could change the world. I will be too busy gulping down beer and complaining about the trains and the weather and the price of petrol and working hours and funding shortages in the Navy etc etc etc etc etc.
A little girl cut her leg acting out the story of the lost sheep. I got the medical kit out to put a plaster on the cut but it was only when I looked at it that i realised that the wound was old and had a lump of glass and pus surrounding that. I did my best to clean it up (don't worry Nicole I put gloves on) and get antiseptic on it, but how I wish I was trained and knew what do.
Oh well this blog is acting again, for my own self-serving need to get my frustrations out. Be assured I am having a fantastic time and can't believe it is nearly over.
Stu
We were up at 0630 this morning and followed the usual routine, though I am not sure if there a usual routine living with Davie as we spend most morning and evening falling about laughing at the Hotel; a comedy series in the making. This morning after risking our lives adding water to live electric cables in the bathroom (this is quite normal in Cambodia, your not awake if your not risking your life) and after putting on the sun lotion we were away. Example of the wonders of Cambodian Hotel - when Cherry popped back get something from her room and she found the staff on her bed, watching TV and eating fruit, lucky she was quiet so they didnt miss any of their show.
The journey to the Outreach event was short though it did involved walking through a village that was rotting before our eyes. The smell and signs of disease were everywhere.
There were 60 children waiting for us. The games, bible stories, balloon shaping and paper cutting that followed clearly struck a chord and you could see the pleasure and joy in their eyes.
There were a few things that stood out. We started to play a game that involved the children running around then climbing through the legs of the other kids. When we started this game very few got involved. Alastair was told that they didn't like crawling on the floor so the game was changed and they flooded off the mat to play. Perhaps the syringe I found on the floor just after that had a bearing on their thoughts.
I am sure that the other blogs are full of stories of Cholera and I will not add anything further other than to say that life here is so close to the abyss that episodes like this seem to be part of life and yet they shouldn't be. A safe assured water supply - no Cholera, simple. Again I stood back and thought how can we allow this to happen and I mean us in the West. Of course 10 minutes back at Gatwick and I will have forgotten all thoughts of how I could change the world. I will be too busy gulping down beer and complaining about the trains and the weather and the price of petrol and working hours and funding shortages in the Navy etc etc etc etc etc.
A little girl cut her leg acting out the story of the lost sheep. I got the medical kit out to put a plaster on the cut but it was only when I looked at it that i realised that the wound was old and had a lump of glass and pus surrounding that. I did my best to clean it up (don't worry Nicole I put gloves on) and get antiseptic on it, but how I wish I was trained and knew what do.
Oh well this blog is acting again, for my own self-serving need to get my frustrations out. Be assured I am having a fantastic time and can't believe it is nearly over.
Stu
I am pryaing for you all. If needs be, bring the 2 children home and we will bring them up here in Cornwall. love you all so much xxoxoxox
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