Unfortunately I don't have the time right now to write the extensive entry on the conference I'd like to publish, therefore you'll have to be patient some more time.
In any case, it would be great to have some more feedback to my posts, so feel free to comment and ask questions!!
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Monday, September 21, 2009
Biking for Peace
Just a small message from Siem Reap. That's where I'm currently attending the conference "Youth together in Action for Memory Culture", which is the 4th peace conference organized by Youth for Peace. The next days I'll provide you with some more information on the contents (especially as I'm member of the report-team and therefore have to closely observe everything).
Today, after the opening ceremony everybody (about 200 younger and older people) took a bike to go "biking for peace" through Siem Reap.
While it's wonderful to see so many active, interested young (and also older) people, Siem Reap as a town is very touristic, which makes it annoying in certain ways; for example, I almost forgot how strenuous it was always to deny tuktuk drivers a ride, as in Battambang they're almost non-existant.
After the biking there was also an impressive art exhibition with art done by survivors of the Khmer Rouge era as well as some belonging to the younger generation.
Today, after the opening ceremony everybody (about 200 younger and older people) took a bike to go "biking for peace" through Siem Reap.
While it's wonderful to see so many active, interested young (and also older) people, Siem Reap as a town is very touristic, which makes it annoying in certain ways; for example, I almost forgot how strenuous it was always to deny tuktuk drivers a ride, as in Battambang they're almost non-existant.
After the biking there was also an impressive art exhibition with art done by survivors of the Khmer Rouge era as well as some belonging to the younger generation.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Back to Battambang
Just to give you an idea of the (smaller) contrasts of the country, here is one picture of my favourite internet-cafe (left) and one taken from Gecko Cafe which is situated on top of it and where I'll go now in order to have a "cafe k'daeu ot da sko" (hot coffee without sugar).
Housing and more
The Apsara dancer is one of the favourite symbols of the country, you can not only see it on electricity agencies but also, for example in the ruling party's (CPP) logo, which means at just about every street corner.
Wat Phnom, from which Phnom Penh derives its name, is a nice place to look at from the outside. However, I failed to understand the reward you are supposed to get for the entrance fee.
Some more Phnom Penh
At the Independence Monument (left), there is a great roundabout (3 lanes - not that anybody would care about lanes on a street used about 80% by motos).The special rules (like most traffik signs) have a rather symbolic meaning.
Tuol Sleng
I'm afraid, this is not among the nice issues about Cambodia, but among the most important. After having watched a play about the Khmer Rouge era and how it is or should be handled today ("Breaking the Silence") - an impressive play by a Dutch playwright performed in traditional Cambodian theatre style - we visited Tuol Sleng the other day.
This is a small selection of pictures from the Tuol Sleng genocide museum. The site, a former school, was in the Khmer Rouge era (1975-79) transformed into a central place for internation, interrogation, torture and murder, the S21 prison. Much of the place is still in its original state, like the cell in the last picture, with only some pitures and texts on the walls serving as information. In other rooms, there are exhibitions or texts of information.
As you may have noticed, this visit took place while we were still in Phnom Penh. Due to the fact, that only now I found a possibility to upload pictures I am now retelling some episodes from the Phnom Penh time, which I can now illustrate.
This is a small selection of pictures from the Tuol Sleng genocide museum. The site, a former school, was in the Khmer Rouge era (1975-79) transformed into a central place for internation, interrogation, torture and murder, the S21 prison. Much of the place is still in its original state, like the cell in the last picture, with only some pitures and texts on the walls serving as information. In other rooms, there are exhibitions or texts of information.Among the most impressive/disturbing experiences in the museum were the countless photographs of the prison's victims. When you see these faces, from children to elderly, you can be sure, that all of these lifes were destroyed.
As you may have noticed, this visit took place while we were still in Phnom Penh. Due to the fact, that only now I found a possibility to upload pictures I am now retelling some episodes from the Phnom Penh time, which I can now illustrate.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
TukTuks
A typical scene in Phnom Penh - wherever there is a Hotel or Guesthouse, you can certainly find a number of Tuk Tuks. This picture was taken right in front of our Guesthouse (The entrance is just in front of the first TukTuk on the right hand side).
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Adaptation Strains
The main reason this blog didn't get updated recently was myself not quite feeling able to compose anything. Having arrived in Battambang I would actually have expected to catch another flu in the Aircon bus. However, when I awoke the next day it was with some great headache and fever. It subsided over the next two days but was immediately followed by my first little diarreah. Fortunately, that one's over as well, but you can imagine that my urge to feed the web with impressions were quite diminished at the time. (And during the fever, they would anyway have been limited to the confines of my hotel room and the news from BBC).
In that hotel room I even watched some "Deutsche Welle" which currently seems rather exotic to me. (Despite the fact that most of the time, I am still very much surrounded by Germans).
I hope that one of these days I manage to remember taking my camera with me so I can share some pictures with you.
The only part of my body that still feels very much unadapted (except for my brain), is unfortunately my skin. A constant itching accompanies me just about everywhere. Tonight it also combined with a nearby wedding party to rob my sleep. One more reason to be glad, there's still some holiday ahead.
Only on the 20th will we leave for a 6Day conference in Siem Reap (Youth for Justice and Reconciliation) where we are co-writers of the report. Those will be our first days of work here.
In that hotel room I even watched some "Deutsche Welle" which currently seems rather exotic to me. (Despite the fact that most of the time, I am still very much surrounded by Germans).
I hope that one of these days I manage to remember taking my camera with me so I can share some pictures with you.
The only part of my body that still feels very much unadapted (except for my brain), is unfortunately my skin. A constant itching accompanies me just about everywhere. Tonight it also combined with a nearby wedding party to rob my sleep. One more reason to be glad, there's still some holiday ahead.
Only on the 20th will we leave for a 6Day conference in Siem Reap (Youth for Justice and Reconciliation) where we are co-writers of the report. Those will be our first days of work here.
Fast changing Scenes
The last Days in Phnom Penh just rushed past. For one and a half weeks I had looked forward to quit the huzzle and buzzle of the city and resettle to quiet Battambang. I spent the last half week regretting having to leave it. Something I will particularly miss is the variety of food you are offered there. Especially for me as a vegetarian the Indian and Nepalese restaurants near Sihanouk Boulevard are a paradise (Khmer vegetarian food is usually rather one-sided consisting of rice with vegetables and noodles with vegetables, both also avaiable as a soup).
In those last days it also got apparent that Friedrich had caught salmonellae and had to stay in Phnom Penh some more days together with Sophie and Philip, who couldn't leave for overflooded Kampot yet.
The rest of the Battambang crew (Simone, Jakob, Matze, me) and Monika, our 'Mentor' boarded the bus on tuesday. It was heavily airconditioned and provided the interesting, yet annoying possibility to gain insight into Khmer dreams via karaoke videos. These depictured almost exclusively countryside romances (without so much as a kiss as sexual interaction) and were shown almost the entire trip (7 hours or so) on high volume.
In Battambang we stayed the first four nights at the "Royal Hotel". In comparison with "Okay Guesthouse" in Phnom Penh it almost deserved the title (at the same price).
Yesterday we then moved to Phteah Teuk Dong (in English: Coconut Houses) a local NGO that provides homes and vocational training for street families. Jakob will work there and the Youth for Peace office is also located in the little settlement.
We now live with 4 Persons (Jakob, Matze, Friedrich and me) in a two-room wooden house on stakes, not sure whether it is an arrangement to last. For the moment, it has an idyllic appeal, but not much in the way of comfort.
In those last days it also got apparent that Friedrich had caught salmonellae and had to stay in Phnom Penh some more days together with Sophie and Philip, who couldn't leave for overflooded Kampot yet.
The rest of the Battambang crew (Simone, Jakob, Matze, me) and Monika, our 'Mentor' boarded the bus on tuesday. It was heavily airconditioned and provided the interesting, yet annoying possibility to gain insight into Khmer dreams via karaoke videos. These depictured almost exclusively countryside romances (without so much as a kiss as sexual interaction) and were shown almost the entire trip (7 hours or so) on high volume.
In Battambang we stayed the first four nights at the "Royal Hotel". In comparison with "Okay Guesthouse" in Phnom Penh it almost deserved the title (at the same price).
Yesterday we then moved to Phteah Teuk Dong (in English: Coconut Houses) a local NGO that provides homes and vocational training for street families. Jakob will work there and the Youth for Peace office is also located in the little settlement.
We now live with 4 Persons (Jakob, Matze, Friedrich and me) in a two-room wooden house on stakes, not sure whether it is an arrangement to last. For the moment, it has an idyllic appeal, but not much in the way of comfort.
The Food Chain: Lexus' - Tuk tuk's - Motos - me
Although I'm right now sitting in the Gecko's Cafe in Battambang, I'd like to share some more Phnom Penh impressions with you first (although they also apply to some extent to the situation here).
A very rewarding experience for me, was to rent a bicycle and cruise around the city, with the only purpose of taking pictures of some of the sights. Well, I did so, but I largely forgot about taking pictures, as it was such fun to take part in the City's traffik. As you can read in most tourist guides (I read quite a lot of them already), traffik is largely chaotic. It does not, for example constitute a problem to drive on the opposite side of the street or even to drive into a roundabout the wrong way. As long as you have mirrors and a helmet on your head, just about the only reason the police will stop you for is to collect some extra fee (as a police officer's wage is by far to high enough to support a family, this is very understandable).
The horn is commonly used to reveal one's own presence to anybody who could just potentially not have noticed you yet (in the consequence, it gets used a lot). The only rule that is almost universial is the rule of size. If you are big and your car fits through thew street, then you can usually drive, if you are small, you wait. By the way, there are some traffik signs, but those are almost completely neglected. The only traffik lights I've seen so far were on some major crossings in Phnom Penh (and were only partly observed).
All this might convey the impression of Phnom Penh's traffik being very, very dangerous. However, from my experience, this is not true. Let me give you some examples:
As a pedestriant, if you want to cross a street, you can just wait for a safe moment to start and then cross the street at a steady, determined pace (in most cases you don't even have to look right or left) - the motos, tuk tuks cars and other vehicles will simply evade you.
Also as bicycle-driver, you don't really get a feeling of danger or fear. This is largely due to the fact that trafik is pretty slow (it is rare to see someone driver faster than 4okm\h in the city). However, it is also due to the smoothness of traffik. It is almost like an invisible ballet, where everybody knows his part. A truly chaotic ballet, but a working one nevertheless, and beautiful in a special way.
A very rewarding experience for me, was to rent a bicycle and cruise around the city, with the only purpose of taking pictures of some of the sights. Well, I did so, but I largely forgot about taking pictures, as it was such fun to take part in the City's traffik. As you can read in most tourist guides (I read quite a lot of them already), traffik is largely chaotic. It does not, for example constitute a problem to drive on the opposite side of the street or even to drive into a roundabout the wrong way. As long as you have mirrors and a helmet on your head, just about the only reason the police will stop you for is to collect some extra fee (as a police officer's wage is by far to high enough to support a family, this is very understandable).
The horn is commonly used to reveal one's own presence to anybody who could just potentially not have noticed you yet (in the consequence, it gets used a lot). The only rule that is almost universial is the rule of size. If you are big and your car fits through thew street, then you can usually drive, if you are small, you wait. By the way, there are some traffik signs, but those are almost completely neglected. The only traffik lights I've seen so far were on some major crossings in Phnom Penh (and were only partly observed).
All this might convey the impression of Phnom Penh's traffik being very, very dangerous. However, from my experience, this is not true. Let me give you some examples:
As a pedestriant, if you want to cross a street, you can just wait for a safe moment to start and then cross the street at a steady, determined pace (in most cases you don't even have to look right or left) - the motos, tuk tuks cars and other vehicles will simply evade you.
Also as bicycle-driver, you don't really get a feeling of danger or fear. This is largely due to the fact that trafik is pretty slow (it is rare to see someone driver faster than 4okm\h in the city). However, it is also due to the smoothness of traffik. It is almost like an invisible ballet, where everybody knows his part. A truly chaotic ballet, but a working one nevertheless, and beautiful in a special way.
Note on Motodubs (called motos) and Tuktuks: These constitute the
public inner-city transport of Cambodia. Motos are usual motorbikes with a big backseat, where up to two big (not too big maby, about my size) or three smaller persons can be accomodated. Tuktuks are moto-drawn vehicles with two seats. The comfortable number of persons to drive with one is 4, while you can easily fit in 7 or even 8.In Phnom Penh, you tend to quickly develop a phobia towards drivers of such vehicles as they inviations for a ride accompany you everywhere. Logical barriers (you just descended from a tuktuk, so you are not very likely to ascend another immediately) don't hinder them, yet their questions can usually be satisfied by a dismissive hand gesture, mopst people quickly adopt. (Believe me, it is strenous to pronounce a "no" every third step).
Interruption
As some of you might have perceived, the flow of informations did cease for quite some time. I whish to apologize for this to those of you who do indeed have an interest in receiving new Impressions from Cambodia. The major reasons for this lapse (besides myself being lazy) can be found in the following posts "Adaptation strains" and "Fast changing scenes". I hope you enjoy reading anyway :)
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