Also I feel better to go into the hospital, because instead of teaching unwilling staff about how to do nursing documentation properly, I did an audit with the nurses about it. The outcome will be put into analysis and diagrams and Setyll can use it for his next meeting to encourage about the documentation. And that audit was really good. I also put Channa in charge, so that he gets experiences with that and can add that to his CV.
In a conversation with the director of the RTC I also found out, that students shouldn’t do certain activities like giving iv- drugs or im- injections on their own without observation. He told me to write an incident report about that. Which made me quite happy. That shows, that things like that shouldn’t actually happen and there can be something done about that. This incident form needs to be developed first though. So I suppose I get one from the UK and adapt from that.
Today in the hospital I met again very poor sick people, and then at the end we were in AandE and there was a very sick looking girl. Five people in white around her, fiddling and laughing. One of them fiddled with her hip and I just saw that he gave her an im- injection. Not to the right place. So I was furieous and asked, if there are nurses. No, all students. So I went into the staff room where 3 nurses where watching TV. I made a fuss, and this will be my first incident report. I think AandE hates me now. Channa told me later, that it was the same student nurse, who gave him the im-injection when he had malaria. After that injection, Channa couldn’t walk for 2 days. He also told me, that this student nurse is only in his first year, so they didn’t even have injections in school….

Delia’s mum was here for a week from Australia, which was really nice. She is also a very generous person and brought and bought so many presents for the people here. Unfortunately, she’s leaving again tomorrow.

When I had my English class at Vanny’s tonight, a little dark kitten fell down 10 steps of a staircase. It looked very very skinny and underweight. The hair is quite grown already but from the fragile walk and apathic look it looks like it’s nearly dead. It is also so tiny and light and very smelly. I just felt so sorry for it, and Vanny and her family have already 3 dogs and 4 cats, so they don’t mind at all what happens with it. The mother cat had 3 kittens and 2 are already dead. So she is the only one left and I think the mother cat stopped feeding her or something. Peach actually doesn’t like it and wished it was dead. I just couldn’t do anything else and decided, to take it home with me to try. Vanny looked at me and said: but it doesn’t eat rice! Apparently all other animals eat rice here.
So on my way home I bought some thick sweet ‘kondens’ milk and tried to feed it. It wouldn’t take from the bowl, so I put some on my finger and it licked a little bit off. I also went to Delia and borrowed some cat food. Will try that out tomorrow morning, because at the moment she seems very tired. I put her on a blanket on the floor and since then she stayed there. I used the parcel, I sent my books over with, to make a toilet for her, because right at the beginning she peed into the corner of my house. I just hope she gets better. She can’t really walk. Her belly is so bloated. Maybe tomorrow I give her a bath. She is very smelly.
She is very cute though. Although the face is so skinny and the eyes look very tired, she has an interesting pattern in her fur. I think I call her Bella.

06.09.09, Tuesday

Bella was very critical over the weekend and gave me sleepless nights. She passed long worms and had fever. I contacted Hor to see if there’s a vet in Stung Treng and he referred me to one. I thought this vet might have only the name but not the skills, but I was completely wrong with that assumption. When he came on Sunday morning, she had diarrohea. He gave her 2 Injections, Paracetamol and Vitamins, and prescribed Water borbor only for her. Borbor is a local dish, it’s rice with meat and salt cooked for a very long time and from that the water. He also left a syringe to feed her. He promised to come back on the same day in the afternoon. He seemed concerened about her. Unfortunately, maybe because of the drugs or I don’t know why, she jumped of the balcony down 1 and a half meters. Fortunately onto a plant, which was under the balcony. But I think she hurt herself and broke her right wrist.
On Monday, she was sleeping more or less all day. She had 5 ml of water borbor every 2 hours. The vet even called to ask if she is better.
And she is better actually. She looks slightly more perky, crawls around more and looks more interested in things. She looks more like a kitten now, not like a sick starving hook. Although she hates the feeding procedure. No more diarrhoea. The vet said if she hasn’t got a poo, he will even give her a supposotory. The funniest is, that he also prescribed tiger balm to rub onto her bloated belly. I’ve never heard of that. But I do it and hopefully it works.

The other thing that happened is, that Sareth moved in with me. Well, temporarly. She is with me since Saturday night, mainly to have piece to learn for her forthcoming exams. She sleeps in my spare room and it is nice to have company. She also helps me with Bella and feeds her, when I am at work. And she persists to cook. Which I enjoy actually. Yesterday we had noodle for breakfast, noodle for lunch and noodle for dinner. But I don’t mind anymore. She is lovely and we understand each other although her English is not brilliant. But it’s getting there and she learned already a few new words. Otherwise she would be in the student accommodation where everybody is panicking at the moment because the whole school has exams. So she enjoys it and has her own space and piece to learn. And we get to know each other.

I went for my first run on Monday morning with Delia for 30 min. It was lush at 6 am in the moring, the sunlight so gentle. I really enjoyed it and did better then I thought. Today I can feel it in my legs and Delia texted me already if I want to run again tomorrow morning. Well want, I actually want something else at the moment, but I do it. For the shape and condition. And afterwards I felt better.

07.10.09 Wednesday
We went for a run again this morning and the flooding fades slowly.
Then I went to work and refined my proposal. The students have exams at the moment and all teachers are very busy.
When I came home for my lunchbreak, Bella was dead. She was lying very stiff and cold on her blanket. I felt so sad.
I burried her under a coconut tree.

11.10.09 Sunday
Without Bella and Sareth, the house feels empty. Sareth went back home to see her family, after her exams had finished. She was so sad to leave, but I’ll see her and the other two girls next week, before I go to Phnom Penh. They will stay in my house during my In-Country-Training for 2 months.
Last night I gave a party. There are not enough partys going on in Stung Treng. So I invited everybody that was in my phone list and alltogether, 6 people showed up. First we ate, I made a curry and salads, then we played a game and then we danced a little bit.

Yesterday morning, Delia, Louisa and me went for a photo-shooting.

getting ready for the phot shoot

Louisa got great hair

post photo shoot, Delia in the dressing room

Happy Birthday Regina!!! Where are you? Keep in touch, want to know how you are!

14.10.09 Wednesday

I’ve just about recoverd from the inauguration party from the RTC. Gosh, I’ve never been to something like that. First of all, Delia and me had our run at 6 in the morning, and that day I felt really tired, was looking forward to my lunch break nap. The announcement was to have the party after lunch, so I was saving my dress for the afternoon.
At 10:30, we were suddently invited to come upstairs to the meeting room to join the party. That is typical Khmei, unpredicted and completely out of the blue. So we went upstairs and there was so much food, haven’t seen so much nice looking food for a long time.. I wanted to sit with the other teachers, but the director invited me to his table, together with the vize director, the director of the Provincial Health Departement, the Chief of this and the Chief of that. Important people. It was ok, but boring. The party was going on next to us on the big table. I saw that they were all drinking beer, well actually binging it. So once one had a glass filled, they were drinking to each others health and the new building and to the King and Queen and then everybody had to empty the glass. Usually Cambodians don’t drink or at least only very little. But this was like a booze-up. I was sticking to Fanta and Coke, because I just wanted to see what happens and not to embaress myself.
At 2 pm, everybody was drunk, including the director and all the important people. I asked Mr. Chann Vann, a teacher, if it’s time to go home now, because I felt so tired and just wanted to go to bed. But he said, this will go on now for a long time, and I also had the feeling that nobody was allowed to leave really. So the tables and the floor looked like a mess. Cambodians throw bones, tissues, everything onto the floor. They also spit out whenever they like onto the floor.
I changed my place and laughed so much about the drunk teachers. Also suddently there were so friendly to me and I had the longest and best conversation ever with Dr. Tat Sovann, who is the Director of the technical office and who is usually very tight lipped. That’s when I started drinking as well. I’ve learned ‘Bottom empty’ and I taught one teacher to say: would you like to dance? So the time passed and yes, we were drinking, messing around with food, at the end a little bit dancing and chatting away until it was 7 pm. Most of the teachers were completely wasted by then and so some 3rd year students were invited to finish off the beer and food. I got myself out of it after having huged and kissed the director, vize director and Mr. Tat Sovann. So funny…

For the next day I had arranged to have a meeting with Mr. Tat Sovann. He was there, and I think everybody had a very bad hangover. I went through my Annual Work Plan with him. I was very happy when the day had finished.

Today I feel much better, had a run again this morning and I saw fog over the river. It just looks so lush so early in the morning. And then I am very thankful to be here.

15.10.09 Thursday

Happy happy Birthday, David Pilz! Am thinking of you and hope you are well.

This Friday, I am going to Phnom Penh for my ICT. The new group of health volunteers will arrive today from all over the world. That will be finally MY batch, I was waiting for, for 5 months now. So I am looking forward to meet new people, spend some time together and most important, learn the language properly. We’ll have language training every day for 4 hours, including Saturdays. At some point we will move to Kampong Cham, where a guest house provides for us accommodation for nearly 2 months. The ICT will be finished on the 12th of december. I have no idea if they will have internet connection there but I hope they will.
During the placement visit week in mid November, I am planning to take some leave to go to Japan.

Will keep you all up to date. I hope you are all well. As I heard, you have autum now. Here, the rain has stopped more or less and it is hot again every day and the sun shines and I feel good. Take care everyone, you are always in my thoughts. Lots of kisses from your Katja!

written by  katja-horsch on October 13 from Phnom Penh, Cambodia
from the travel blog: VSO experience in Cambodia
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Also I feel better to go into the hospital, because instead of teaching unwilling staff about how to do nursing documentation properly, I did an audit with the nurses about it. The outcome will be put into analysis and diagrams and Setyll can use it for his next meeting to encourage about the documentation. And that audit was really good. I also put Channa in charge, so that he gets experiences with that and can add that to his CV.
In a conversation with the director of the RTC I also found out, that students shouldn’t do certain activities like giving iv- drugs or im- injections on their own without observation. He told me to write an incident report about that. Which made me quite happy. That shows, that things like that shouldn’t actually happen and there can be something done about that. This incident form needs to be developed first though. So I suppose I get one from the UK and adapt from that.
Today in the hospital I met again very poor sick people, and then at the end we were in AandE and there was a very sick looking girl. Five people in white around her, fiddling and laughing. One of them fiddled with her hip and I just saw that he gave her an im- injection. Not to the right place. So I was furieous and asked, if there are nurses. No, all students. So I went into the staff room where 3 nurses where watching TV. I made a fuss, and this will be my first incident report. I think AandE hates me now. Channa told me later, that it was the same student nurse, who gave him the im-injection when he had malaria. After that injection, Channa couldn’t walk for 2 days. He also told me, that this student nurse is only in his first year, so they didn’t even have injections in school….

Delia’s mum was here for a week from Australia, which was really nice. She is also a very generous person and brought and bought so many presents for the people here. Unfortunately, she’s leaving again tomorrow.

When I had my English class at Vanny’s tonight, a little dark kitten fell down 10 steps of a staircase. It looked very very skinny and underweight. The hair is quite grown already but from the fragile walk and apathic look it looks like it’s nearly dead. It is also so tiny and light and very smelly. I just felt so sorry for it, and Vanny and her family have already 3 dogs and 4 cats, so they don’t mind at all what happens with it. The mother cat had 3 kittens and 2 are already dead. So she is the only one left and I think the mother cat stopped feeding her or something. Peach actually doesn’t like it and wished it was dead. I just couldn’t do anything else and decided, to take it home with me to try. Vanny looked at me and said: but it doesn’t eat rice! Apparently all other animals eat rice here.
So on my way home I bought some thick sweet ‘kondens’ milk and tried to feed it. It wouldn’t take from the bowl, so I put some on my finger and it licked a little bit off. I also went to Delia and borrowed some cat food. Will try that out tomorrow morning, because at the moment she seems very tired. I put her on a blanket on the floor and since then she stayed there. I used the parcel, I sent my books over with, to make a toilet for her, because right at the beginning she peed into the corner of my house. I just hope she gets better. She can’t really walk. Her belly is so bloated. Maybe tomorrow I give her a bath. She is very smelly.
She is very cute though. Although the face is so skinny and the eyes look very tired, she has an interesting pattern in her fur. I think I call her Bella.

06.09.09, Tuesday

Bella was very critical over the weekend and gave me sleepless nights. She passed long worms and had fever. I contacted Hor to see if there’s a vet in Stung Treng and he referred me to one. I thought this vet might have only the name but not the skills, but I was completely wrong with that assumption. When he came on Sunday morning, she had diarrohea. He gave her 2 Injections, Paracetamol and Vitamins, and prescribed Water borbor only for her. Borbor is a local dish, it’s rice with meat and salt cooked for a very long time and from that the water. He also left a syringe to feed her. He promised to come back on the same day in the afternoon. He seemed concerened about her. Unfortunately, maybe because of the drugs or I don’t know why, she jumped of the balcony down 1 and a half meters. Fortunately onto a plant, which was under the balcony. But I think she hurt herself and broke her right wrist.
On Monday, she was sleeping more or less all day. She had 5 ml of water borbor every 2 hours. The vet even called to ask if she is better.
And she is better actually. She looks slightly more perky, crawls around more and looks more interested in things. She looks more like a kitten now, not like a sick starving hook. Although she hates the feeding procedure. No more diarrhoea. The vet said if she hasn’t got a poo, he will even give her a supposotory. The funniest is, that he also prescribed tiger balm to rub onto her bloated belly. I’ve never heard of that. But I do it and hopefully it works.

The other thing that happened is, that Sareth moved in with me. Well, temporarly. She is with me since Saturday night, mainly to have piece to learn for her forthcoming exams. She sleeps in my spare room and it is nice to have company. She also helps me with Bella and feeds her, when I am at work. And she persists to cook. Which I enjoy actually. Yesterday we had noodle for breakfast, noodle for lunch and noodle for dinner. But I don’t mind anymore. She is lovely and we understand each other although her English is not brilliant. But it’s getting there and she learned already a few new words. Otherwise she would be in the student accommodation where everybody is panicking at the moment because the whole school has exams. So she enjoys it and has her own space and piece to learn. And we get to know each other.

I went for my first run on Monday morning with Delia for 30 min. It was lush at 6 am in the moring, the sunlight so gentle. I really enjoyed it and did better then I thought. Today I can feel it in my legs and Delia texted me already if I want to run again tomorrow morning. Well want, I actually want something else at the moment, but I do it. For the shape and condition. And afterwards I felt better.

07.10.09 Wednesday
We went for a run again this morning and the flooding fades slowly.
Then I went to work and refined my proposal. The students have exams at the moment and all teachers are very busy.
When I came home for my lunchbreak, Bella was dead. She was lying very stiff and cold on her blanket. I felt so sad.
I burried her under a coconut tree.

11.10.09 Sunday
Without Bella and Sareth, the house feels empty. Sareth went back home to see her family, after her exams had finished. She was so sad to leave, but I’ll see her and the other two girls next week, before I go to Phnom Penh. They will stay in my house during my In-Country-Training for 2 months.
Last night I gave a party. There are not enough partys going on in Stung Treng. So I invited everybody that was in my phone list and alltogether, 6 people showed up. First we ate, I made a curry and salads, then we played a game and then we danced a little bit.
Yesterday morning, Delia, Louisa and me went for a photo-shooting. It is the kind of thing every volunteer does, it is just so typical Khmei. It is about looking like a Khmei princess, all dressed up and with lots of make-up. So we went to the photo-shop at 9am and at 11, our make-up was done. It was amazing, what they can do actually. Then we choose dresses and for the second shoot, an Apsara costume. All that bling! It was an amazing experience. Am looking forward to the developed pictures…

On Friday, we moved office in the RTC. The new building, which took around 3 years to build is now finished and it is now the office building. So all teachers and the director sit in there. Also our VSO office. We share it with the director of the technical office Dr. Sovann and another teacher, Mrs. Sophany. It even has air con!
On Monday afternoon there will be a little party apparently to appreciate the new space. The old building will be from now on only classrooms, because the number of students being recruited increases gradually.

Happy Birthday Regina!!! Where are you? Keep in touch, want to know how you are!

14.10.09 Wednesday

I’ve just about recoverd from the inauguration party from the RTC. Gosh, I’ve never been to something like that. First of all, Delia and me had our run at 6 in the morning, and that day I felt really tired, was looking forward to my lunch break nap. The announcement was to have the party after lunch, so I was saving my dress for the afternoon.
At 10:30, we were suddently invited to come upstairs to the meeting room to join the party. That is typical Khmei, unpredicted and completely out of the blue. So we went upstairs and there was so much food, haven’t seen so much nice looking food for a long time.. I wanted to sit with the other teachers, but the director invited me to his table, together with the vize director, the director of the Provincial Health Departement, the Chief of this and the Chief of that. Important people. It was ok, but boring. The party was going on next to us on the big table. I saw that they were all drinking beer, well actually binging it. So once one had a glass filled, they were drinking to each others health and the new building and to the King and Queen and then everybody had to empty the glass. Usually Cambodians don’t drink or at least only very little. But this was like a booze-up. I was sticking to Fanta and Coke, because I just wanted to see what happens and not to embaress myself.
At 2 pm, everybody was drunk, including the director and all the important people. I asked Mr. Chann Vann, a teacher, if it’s time to go home now, because I felt so tired and just wanted to go to bed. But he said, this will go on now for a long time, and I also had the feeling that nobody was allowed to leave really. So the tables and the floor looked like a mess. Cambodians throw bones, tissues, everything onto the floor. They also spit out whenever they like onto the floor.
I changed my place and laughed so much about the drunk teachers. Also suddently there were so friendly to me and I had the longest and best conversation ever with Dr. Tat Sovann, who is the Director of the technical office and who is usually very tight lipped. That’s when I started drinking as well. I’ve learned ‘Bottom empty’ and I taught one teacher to say: would you like to dance? So the time passed and yes, we were drinking, messing around with food, at the end a little bit dancing and chatting away until it was 7 pm. Most of the teachers were completely wasted by then and so some 3rd year students were invited to finish off the beer and food. I got myself out of it after having huged and kissed the director, vize director and Mr. Tat Sovann. So funny…

For the next day I had arranged to have a meeting with Mr. Tat Sovann. He was there, and I think everybody had a very bad hangover. I went through my Annual Work Plan with him. I was very happy when the day had finished.

Today I feel much better, had a run again this morning and I saw fog over the river. It just looks so lush so early in the morning. And then I am very thankful to be here.

15.10.09 Thursday

Happy happy Birthday, David Pilz! Am thinking of you and hope you are well.

This Friday, I am going to Phnom Penh for my ICT. The new group of health volunteers will arrive today from all over the world. That will be finally MY batch, I was waiting for, for 5 months now. So I am looking forward to meet new people, spend some time together and most important, learn the language properly. We’ll have language training every day for 4 hours, including Saturdays. At some point we will move to Kampong Cham, where a guest house provides for us accommodation for nearly 2 months. The ICT will be finished on the 12th of december. I have no idea if they will have internet connection there but I hope they will.
During the placement visit week in mid November, I am planning to take some leave to go to Japan.

Will keep you all up to date. I hope you are all well. As I heard, you have autum now. Here, the rain has stopped more or less and it is hot again every day and the sun shines and I feel good. Take care everyone, you are always in my thoughts. Lots of kisses from your Katja!

written by  katja-horsch on October 13 from Phnom Penh, Cambodia
from the travel blog: VSO experience in Cambodia
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Today I wore a skirt, it wasn’t a long one but over my knees, and everybody was staring at me.

Nary, please notice the print on her t-shirt!

Nary and me, sometimes my only student

The last English class with the rather good speaking bunch of teachers was really fun.
I prepared a short amusing story for them where they had to guess the last line of the story and a game. Well, you know that game where you have to pick a famous person everybody knows and then you write that name down on a little note and stick it on each others forehead. Then the person has to ask questions and the others are only allowed to answer with yes and no. So we were 5 people altogether and the funny thing was at the end, that instead of having 5 different famous persons at the end, we had 3 Christiano Ronaldos and 2 Britney Spears. During the game I just couldn’t stop laughing.

another one in my collection for 'weird creatures in and around my house'

In preparation for our trip to PP, the girls sleep for one night at my place so that we can go together on Friday morning to the Bus station. Also they escape one more night in the crowded RTC student accommodation. So I had to get some more pillows from Delia and another bed sheet. She is also exited for us and gave me $10 to buy a meal for all of us once we are there. Bless her. She is so thoughtful and has such a big warm heart.

Apparently, hair loss is a common complaint of female volunteers, whether they are taking antimalarial drugs or not. Usually it is hard to identify a specific cause, and it may due to the change in environment, a new diet, general stress, lack of sleep and changes in the menstrual cycle. Some volunteers don’t get their period for months. For myself the only change I can think of is the new diet I am having. I am eating really only basic food, mainly rice and noodles, very little bread and if then it’s made out of coconut I think, I have no butter, no cheese, no chocolate, only a little bit of milk in the morning with my tea. Otherwise I have mainly fresh vegetables I fry and fresh fruit of course. Especially ripe papaya. Most of the European food is just not available in ST. But when I go to PP, I’ll buy me some cheese. I am craving for it, really.
If I think of what I ate in England, baked beans, fatty sausages, lots of cheese with buttered good brown Botley bread, chips and kebabs, frighed mars bars and stews and I drank much more alcohol then I do here. Sometimes I feel a craving coming up and then I buy for myself a box of Pringles. They are available here. Sometimes that is my dinner. Then I have to think of Doerti and our ‘Chips Abende vorm Fernseher’.

28.09.09
Oh, we had such an amazing time. So the girls and me got a moto dop to the bus station on Friday morning and took the bus to PP. Of course the bus broke down for 2 hours on the way, but finally after nearly 10 hours, we made it. On the way we were nibbling Cambodian sushi and I had my first fright beetles which weren’t so bad.
In PP, we went to the VSO Programme office and made ourselves comfortable. It was late already and we cooked something and then Sareth and Srey-mom wanted to hit the nightlife. Parim had a headache and wanted to stay in. So the rest of us visited two clubs fairly early (for nightlife), but I introduced them to Tequila ( they had a quarter, Cambodians usually don’t drink), and they were first time in proper, real night clubs. They were staring at those girls who did wear tight minidresses and high heels.

On Saturday morning, we went with the tuk-tuk for 2 hours outside PP to see Parim’s mum, who visited her sister. Because of the Phchum Ben season, we went to a pagoda.
( Bonn Dak Ben and Bonn Phchum Ben - It’s also called the Spirit Commemoration festival which is held for the spirit of the dead, Bonn Dak Ben- the offering of food to the Buddhist monks, lasts for 15 days. The full moon is called Bonn Phchum Ben, means the collection of the beans (offering). During the celebration, if the departed souls do not find their families making offering at a Wat ( Pagoda), it is believed that the souls are cursed and will bother the descendants through out the year.)
So I thought we would go into a Pagoda, but suddenly there was the most impressive stone temple, I’ve ever seen. A little bit like the Ankor wat temple, only in mini size. Inside was a Guru with long black hair and bright red lips, elevated on pillows, praying. In front of him a group of people, deeply praying. So we also sat down and I basically did what the others did. Folding my hands and from time to time touching the floor with my hands for three times. This temple inside, it wasn’t very big, but it was full of Buddha statues and giant pictures of himself in glorious costumes. I felt like being in a different world.
After half an hour or so, my legs just started to get numb, the group of people disappeared and the Guru gave me an inviting smile of black teeth and made me understand to come closer. So the girls and me sat in front of him, and while he was chewing his Beatle nuts and spitting them out occasionally, ‘Father’ gave us a blessing. Then he sprayed some perfume onto the palms of our hands and I followed the others, rubbing it into the hair. Then we gave a donation and went out.

Then we had a look around the temple, and they don’t only have a monkey, they also keep in a cellar a real big anaconda. It was amazing.

After lunch with Parims family, we were asked, if we want to have a water-blessing. It was 35.000 Riel, which is nearly $9. And that is a lot and was probably the only money they had with them. But they persisted to do it for religious reasons I suppose.
So we undressed naked under a piece of cloth in front of the temple and were waiting for father. Wrapped up, full anticipation and excitement, we waited for around 40 minutes for Father to bless us again. Parim was the first. She was sitting on stairs with the back to father, who purred a stone jug of water over her, while he blessed her. Then he smashed the jug onto the floor and it broke into thousand pieces. She then stood up and had a ‘flower shower’, thrown by a few monks. It’s a nice procedure. Afterwards we tried to get back into our clothes under a wet piece of cloth. During our final blessing back in the temple, I felt the petals itching in my underwear.
We got another spray and I got my first Cambodian little red piece of string, you were on your wrist. It was an amazing experience and on the way back to PP on the back of an open pick up I thought, life is good.

Back in PP we had dinner in a Khmei restaurant and I had my first Tom Yam and Parim liked it so much, that she wanted to go to that restaurant the following night as well.

Later we all went to hit the night life again. First we saw life Cambodian Karaoke on a stage, and then we went to my favourite club in PP. It’s called Pontoon and it is a ship, you dance on. Sareth and Srey-mom really like dancing, Parim I found out, is actually quite grown up already and very serious some times. She preferred to sit all night, while we had fun on the dance floor.

On Sunday morning, we cycled to the hospitals. The first one was amazing. They couldn’t believe how clean it looked and how well organized it was. It was a normal hospital, nothing special, but it was much better then everything I’ve seen so far in the north-east. So after we went to different wards and spoke to several people, we got the address and phone number, so that they can contact them maybe next year, when they finish their training, to apply for a job there. The other two hospitals were not very impressive and it was good I think, they realized the difference and what it can make.
After lunch at the PO, we went to see the National museum. They were also fascinated by it. In the evening, we walked along the River side and enjoyed the sunset at a big public park in front of a Casino. We went in and it was even breathtaking for me, to see all that glamour there.

On Monday morning, I brought them to the bus station to make sure, they are safe and waved them goodbye. They were very sad to leave, but me too. I had a wonderful time with them and I also felt, they improved their English speaking skills enormously. At the end they spoke so much more fluent then at the beginning. And I know them also better now. Each one has a different personality, which is very interesting. In reflection, they liked the hospital visits most and the nights out.

After having made a very spontaneous decision on Monday, I went to the beach. During some snorkelling there, I stung my foot on a spiky black sea star and fortunately it wasn’t poisonous. My big toe was numb for nearly 3 days. I met really nice people on the way. It could have been the perfect trip, if not my handbag got stolen.

Suddenly 3 boys on a moto turned out of nothing, grabbed my handbag and drove off. And people who know me, know that I have a lot of things in there. So my camera with all the precious pictures from the girls and me, is gone now, my phone, my purse with ID and credit card of course, my USB stick and most valued my diary. I never knew how somebody feels who just lost that, but it feels pretty shit, I know now. Without money for a few days, I managed to borrow some and went back to PP. There I got some ID from the PO and managed to block my account and ATM card and ordered a new credit card. VSO also gave me $100 in advance instead of next month, so that I got a new phone at least, a taxi ticket back home and I got my running shoes, training starts in 2 days…

That experience was a good eye opener for me actually. I was quite gullible and trusting so far, maybe I need to change that a little bit. I also felt betrayed by the Cambodians, I am here for. But at the end of the day, there were only material things.

To talk about something more cheerful, on Saturday morning, I had my first paddle practise for the dragon boat race in November and that was real fun. I met a few other volunteers and we went with a ferry to the other side of the Mekong and drove to a village, who provided the boat. They are tiny, those paddles, and it is exhausting. Around 40 people fit into that boat. We were only 20 then and paddled 6 times altogether up and down a maybe 2 kilometre length. Next paddle exercise is in 3 weeks I believe. Back in the PO I met Claire and Holli, who wanted to go out that night. Before I went with them, I met Delia with her mother for dinner and was embarrassed, that they had to invite me.
Claire, Holli and me went first into a really cool small club, where a Cambodian band played live western music, and they were really good. Then we went again to Pontoon and danced the night away until 3:30 when Helen called me, that the taxi is on the way to pick us up.

Back in ST, I have the feeling that I need to change a few things in my life. I really want to concentrate on volunteering and make most of the time, I am here. But somehow it feels suddenly quite overwhelming, all the things I want to do. And I also don’t have much time left, until I have my 2 month ICT- in country and language training, then I will have visitors.

Hor told me a sad story. His neighbours son who is 13, got ill. He got tested for Malaria and treated with antibiotics for it. But they didn’t help. He got tested again and it is not Malaria he’s got, but Dengue fever. Apparently he is so ill, day 5 today, he has dengue haemorrhagic fever, which can cause deathly bleeding. Apparently any transfer to another hospital or PP can kill him, because the ambulance can’t provide the material to keep him alive in case of an emergency. His stomach is very swollen and he is severely ill. But they can’t do anything for him, except praying. I feel so sorry for the family. And I can’t do anything.

30.09.09

About the little boy, they found out that he has now both. Malaria and Dengue. He is still critical in Stung Treng hospital and the praying for him continues.

Last night, me, Helen, Delia’s mum, Louisa and Sambath were invited to a wedding of a colleague from the PHD.
Before we went I had a phone call from VSO PO to inform me about the weather. I didn’t know that there we had a Typhoon. I was wondering why it was heavily raining all day and night with strong winds. So VSO advised volunteers from the province next to ST, to move from wooden houses into brick stone houses.
When I had a look at the weather forecast in TV, they said it’s coming from Vietnam, over Laos and will enter Cambodia, then it will move along the Mekong.
So today again, rain all day and last night there was a heavy storm keeping me awake. I felt slightly scared.

Louisa and Delia

Louisa, Delia and her mum

Helen and me after the shower from above

dancing around the table

the beautiful bride

the handsome groom

the boy behind me was very keen to dance with me

written by  katja-horsch on September 30 from Phnom Penh, Cambodia
from the travel blog: 16.09.-30.09.09
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Yesterday I started to give the teachers in the RTC lessons for the first time. I do that now every day from 16:30 – 17:30. We have two groups, one group for Baby-English, one for advanced English. So far so good. It’s really fun. I really like it very much. The groups are not big and that is nice, so it is very participatory.
I like to prepare the lessons and when I develop a photocopy, I put a picture of England or Germany on it.

On Thursdays and Fridays, I also teach my neighbours girls English from 18:30 –19:30. I really like that and I have the feeling, I give something to individuals who benefit from it hopefully at some point.

Otherwise my days are a little bit dull. Getting up early in the morning, sitting in the RTC from 7:30 – 11:30, then going home for lunch, shower, nap, back to work at 14:15 –17:30, then usually home, shower, dinner, DVD, shower, bed, reading, lights out at 22:00. Because I’m on my own it is just uneventful. I never thought it would be like that, but it is. Well, we have nearly September and in October, my ICT starts and I’ll meet more new volunteers and that will hopefully give me new energy.
I think, that live is so much more worth if I can share moments and experiences with somebody else.

On the other side it is good to spend so much time in the RTC. I have the feeling to be on top of things and also that I’m doing what I can at the moment.

09.09.2009
Well, generally I am over my low point now, I think.

On Saturday, I usually have my 3 student nurses at home around lunchtime. One weekend I cooked my very famous Thai curry and the other weekend, they said they will bring something around. So they did. And we had a feast of Khmei soup and we had a small party and invited Delia as well. It was fun. Then after lunch we usually watch a DVD on my laptop, of course action film, and then they have to go to study.

Srey-mom, Delia, Sareth and Parim

Sareth, Parim me and Srey-mom

On one Sunday I asked Chantra, to show me the place where you can spot Dolphins here in ST. So he took me at 8am in the morning to a place, in fact a school, where he taught in the past. It was a beautiful morning, lush green forest apparently with monkeys until a few years ago, and so we waited at that little beach at the Mekong river for them.

students at work

wooden art, it took around 10 days

Chantras farm

Chantras pond for growing fish

poor things

they smelled delicious

Otherwise the rainy season has fully started now. It rains nearly all day at the moment and that is inconvenient with white trousers, cycling to the RTC. Fortunately I got those ‘Crocks’ like shoes before I left and they are worth gold now. The water for washing clothes and flushing toilet I actually save in buckets at the moment. So less to pay water bill.

my favorite Cambodian animal, the waterbuffalo

a maybe pregnant Waterbuffalo

What else?
I spent a lot of money on a few shopping trips over the past weekends in Stung Treng market. I bought 4 blouses there

my new blouse

Balloons seller at ST market as well as a sugar cane seller behind it

on my balcony

With Delia I meet up usually on Saturday mornings for breakfast at the market and then we have our toenails painted at a special place where I get to know the people already slowly. I’d never thought of doing that in England, but here it is just something, people do. Women walk in their pyjamas in daylight on the markets and have their nails done. And it is a very good business. It’s supporting Cambodians and getting to know them and the other way around of course. Even very little children sit in the little stalls, have their toe and fingernails painted red.

Delia and me, having iced-coffee after the nails got painted

In the RTC I am doing ongoing supervision with the teachers and they seem to be ok with it now. Lately, I observed one of my favourite teachers, Mr. Sokhouen, in class, demonstrating a practical skill, ‘Indwelling Catheter insertion’. The problem was, that although the RTC has dummies, they don’t have enough material like catheters or sterile gloves. So they have to improvise and that is sometimes tricky. After his demonstration, some students take the used gloves out of the bin, re-powder them for the next demonstration. They re-use every single thing until it’s completely not useable any more. Then they start to practise.
Afterwards I gave Mr. Sokhouen feedback about his performance and also suggestions, how he could improve his teaching.

The English lessons for the teachers are a success and even if there are only a few people, I think it is still worth it to teach them. And the ones who come are very enthusiastic and keen and they actually learn something.

11.09.2009
8 years after the New York Ground Zero.
Yesterday I finally had my 3 month review.

the evening Daniel came, all volunteers ate out

me, Daniel, Hor and Channa at my 3 month meeting

13.09.09
Having had severe hair loss and maybe worms, I am still alive.
Talking about health, I would like to share some information with you:

The 2008 population of Cambodia is approx. 13.3 million, about 80% of whom live in rural areas. Although still very much a least developed country, economic growth over the 1994-2004 period averaged 7% per annum and the proportion of people living below the poverty line declined from 47% to 35%. As a result of a massive ‘baby boom’ from the 1980 through the mid 1990’s, the country has an extremely young demographic structure, with almost two thirds of the population under the age of 30. The first wave of ‘baby boomers’ are now in their early 20’s and generation a second, smaller ‘boom’ as they marry and start families. Consequently, despite a steadily decreasing total fertility rate, the crude birth rate is a high 25.6 per 1.000.

a empty house in Stung Treng

Although the level of education is low by international standards, it is significantly higher than in the recent past. 57.8% of 15-19 year olds have completed primary school, a more than 20%age point increase over the age group immediately ahead of them, and a huge difference when compared to less than 10 percent of persons aged 40 and over.
Equally important, this gain is basic education has been equitable and a formerly pronounced gender gap is rapidly closing. For the age group 20 to 24 years the female: male ratio for completion of primary school is 0.68, whereas for the age group 15-19years it has risen to .92. These trends seem certain to continue; the net attendance ratio for primary school is at an all-time high and the gender parity index for primary school attendance is now 1.02. Although males still outnumber females with respect to secondary schooling, that gap has significantly narrowed in recent years as well.

a department for ? in Stung Treng

Fertility and infant and child mortality decreased significantly in Cambodia between 2000 and 2005, along with a noticeable improvement in intermediate indicators as child immunization and contraceptive prevalence. However, at 84/ 1.000 live births, the under 5 death rate is still one of the highest in Southeast Asia, and maternal mortality has shown no improvement at a very high 472 deaths per 100.000 live births. Progress has been made in curtailing new transmission of HIV but the epidemic is far from over and transmission from mother to child remains a neglected area in terms of prevention.
Tuberculosis remains hyper-endemic, affecting approx. 225 per 100.000 of the population.
Dengue fever is endemic with major outbreaks occurring every 2-3 years.
Malaria is endemic in the more remote, forested parts of the country. The population remains vulnerable to unpredictable out-breaks of other infectious diseases such as SARS, avian influenza ( AI) and other respiratory infections.

Public Health System

The Ministry of Health (MOH) administers health services through 24 Provincial health Departments (PHD) and 76 Operational Districts ( OD). Within each OD is a network of Health Centres ( HCs) designed to provide primary preventive and curative health services known as the ‘Minimum Package of Activities’( MPA). Although the HC’s each cover a catchment area of only about 10-15.000 people, roads are poor and distances can be considerable. Consequently, immunization and other key preventive services are provided on an outreach basis, which is supposed to occur monthly. HC’s vary in how reliably they follow this schedule and tend to perform best in areas with technical/logistical support from NGO’s or other external agencies.

a patient in the hospital corridor, in front of A+E

Supporting the HC’s is a ‘Referral Hospital’ (RH) which provides inpatient care and an expanded set of services known as the ‘Complementary Package of Activities’ (CPA). Development of the RHs to their officially designated CPA status is still a work in progress; many RHs lack surgical and blood-banking capacities and, by extension, the ability to handle obstetrical emergencies.

Weaknesses in the public sector service delivery
system include:

- inadequate financing and erratic provision of essential drugs and equipment
- Health provider incentives do not reward quality service delivery and performance; the health systems suffers from overlapping, counterproductive payment and incentive schemes and low public sector salaries leas to simultaneous practice in the private sector..
- Inadequate (numbers and skill-level) human resources at the service delivery level and inappropriate allocation of available human resources, especially midwives
- A general lack of accountability and transparency, and an organizational culture which is not merit-based or performance-oriented
- De facto autonomy of multiple vertical national programs; while this has, in some cases, been helpful in ensuring rapid action in response to specific public health needs (eg the HIV epidemic), it creates a considerable obstacle for needs that cut across administrative program lines, eg PMTCT and diagnosis/ treatment of HIV/ TB cross infection

Overall Government Hospitals perform poorly, especially in rural areas. Both service statistics and the CDHS indicate very low levels of utilization. While the previously described limited range of services available in many of the hospitals, as well as poor quality of care ( both technical and interpersonal) undoubtedly plays a role, there is data to support the common belief that financial barriers are paramount. The median health expenditure for treatment in a government hospital is $26.63 for an illness of moderate to serious severity, slightly higher than the median expense found in private hospitals. Most importantly, all but the highest socio-economic quintile experience problems in meeting this expense, as indicated by the percentage who report having taken a loan or sol an asset to finance it.

-Cambodia, Secondary analysis of the 2005 CDHS, unpublished-

some very young monks doing cleaning work at a pagoda

I miss you all very much, take good care and keep in touch.

Yours Katja

written by  katja-horsch on September 13 from Phnom Penh, Cambodia
from the travel blog: end of August, beginning of September 09
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Stinka is the prettiest cat from Stung Treng

Part of her diet are also gekkos, grashoppers and flies

a cow sleeps in the middle of the road, why not?

my hairdresser, me with new highlights and she gave a good head massage

On Monday, we had a meeting with all the Health Volunteers from Kratie with their VA’s and Stung Treng Health Volunteers with VA’s.

eating pirianha for lunch

Stung Treng - Kratie Volunteers & VA's on my balcony

girls round

At work, I am just trying to prepare for Daniel’s visit in September. We have to develop the Annual Work Plan with planned activities, expected outcomes and evidence of change. We then will meet together with the director of the RTC, the RCN, 2 teachers from the RTC and Hor and me. This is a basic thing volunteers have to do. Proof of evidence that I am doing what I am supposed to do. Which gives me also a clear guideline and aims.

20th of August
As agreed with the RTC, I’m now every Friday in our hospital. Trying to strengthen relationship between hospital and RTC. Also for me it is a good opportunity to see, what’s actually going on in there and I get closer to the preceptors and also to the regular staff and they know me now and are very friendly to me. So in the morning I went with Channa and met students, preceptors and chatted to them and promoted Nursing documentation, showed them how to fill out an Observation chart and a Drug chart. They just don’t know how to do it, so they rarely document anything. It’s pathetic and so frustrating. In the afternoon, we were on the paediatric ward, seeing students there. I noticed, that one of the students went out of the staff room with a syringe. When he came back I asked him, what he had done. He said he gave an IM injection to a child. I asked him if he had documented at all what he gave and when, and he said, the preceptor will do it when he comes back from the lunch break. I didn’t agree with that and made him write a new drug chart for the actual day and tick the box with the time and sign for it. I asked him to report to the preceptor and let him countersign later.
Next I saw a female student, also 2nd year, fiddling with a syringe. I asked her, what she is doing and she said, she’ll give also an IM injection to a child. I asked, who told her so and who will observe her. She said nobody, the preceptor said to do so once the drugs arrive from pharmacy. I asked her if I could observe. So we went to a little boy, max. 3 years old. When he saw her coming, he started crying. Cambodian nurses are very cold. They never try to calm down or take away fear. They just go ahead and do what they are supposed to do. I just couldn’t believe it, seeing a second year student giving an IM injection to a child without any qualified staff around. And the boy was so much crying. The needle was thick and I sat next to the boy, holding his hand and try to calm him down. She gave the injection into his thigh, not very confident though but she found the right spot. I just couldn’t help myself and cried together with the boy while calming him down. I tried to pull myself together but when children cry, I just can’t help it.
Afterwards I asked her, what she gave. She didn’t know and had to look it up from the drug chart. It was Paracetamol. I asked her, if she checked the temperature at all of the child before she gave it, she said, it was last checked yesterday. How often is it prescribed? Three times a day. I nearly started crying again when I found out that the doctor had been already, only comes back the next morning, this boy gets everything else orally and he has to get those bloody painful injections maybe three more times by unqualified staff until somebody comes around to change the prescription. I was really upset and just needed to leave the place.

Nurses here don’t think independently. I even think, they don’t think at all. They don’t care and usually have no background knowledge. They just go ahead, following any order from somebody in white uniform, if they give the wrong injection, tablet, nobody will know, because it’s not documented. If somebody dies, it’s just another one of so many. Nurses here don’t know how to care, to sit down with a patient, having a friendly chat or even holding hands, none of it happens. They don’t even know how to follow the nursing process. They just do the absolute minimum, no cleaning, no tiding, they don’t give painkillers before they change a wound dressing. Patients have to be very tough here, and they are. I’ve seen women after caesarean operations, so weak and pale, they do anything themselves because they don’t get any help from the nurse. All the dirty stuff is usually done by relatives, like going to the toilet or cleaning up afterwards. Nurses here don’t wash patients either. The nurse gives tablets or other meds whenever they arrive from pharmacy, probably they don’t even know about side effects or pre cautions.
It is shocking and I feel that I can’t do anything. And I struggle with that.

On Friday afternoon, Delia and me drove with our motos fortunately to Kratie and that was a good time to take a break from all those things and enjoy Cambodia. It took 2 and a half hours and it was a good ride, because the road was done only a few years ago. Apparently 10 years ago it was still unsafe to go that way because of soldiers and rebels, but now a days it is very safe.
We stayed at Emily’s and it felt like a proper girly weekend. On Friday evening we went to the birthday party which was actually Roger’s and Carl’s B-D-party. Karl is German and is a Chief Technical Advisor, IP-consultant. Works for IP and GOPA. Although he celebrated his 58th birthday, he swung me around with his Latin salsa skills and we had a proper party actually. Half Khmei, half ‘Barangs’, as they say. Barang means foreign, actually French. Also Roger played the Saxophone and Karl the Muntamonika, don’t know the English word, and they had a cool 30min Jazz session.

they gave everything

Tommi, Suse, Delia, Emily, Karl and me

Remnants of the Birthday party

On Sunday Delia and me went home around midday, trying to spot some dolphins on the way back, but again, no luck for me.
In the evening I did my washing and packed my bag one more time to go back to Chhlong, passing Kratie the next day, to do Supervision with the Regional Chief Nurse.

Chhlong is a very small, very basic town behind Kratie, passing through it on the way to Phnom Penh. We saw a lot of flooding around that area, which effects harvest and already poor people. I wasn’t aware that the flooding was so severe, but the river is high and maybe there will be also flooding in Stung Treng.

Flooding in Kratie Province

Breakfast in Chhlong

Channa, Sophany and Sethyl enjoying their eggs

The supervision was interesting. It is not easy to make preceptors learn new things.

during Supervision, preceptor next to me

Wat in Chhlong

During a student assessment, I realised, that another student struggled with a drip of a patient, next to where we were standing. She had a syringe with a needle and tried to inject the drug into the giving set of the drip. Completely on her own. Of course I went there and looked closer what she was doing there. She fiddled with the drip and liquid suddenly purred out. She wasn’t sure what she was doing, but eventually she managed. Afterwards I asked her what she gave and she didn’t know. I asked her who ordered her to give it. She said she was a Primary Midwife student ( equivalent to a Healthcare assistant in the UK and they only have one year training here) and a 2nd year student nurse ordered her, to give that IV drug to a patient. I thought, I need to explode.
So after we gave feedback to the preceptor, who didn’t have a clue what she was doing, I ordered all the other preceptors into the staff room.
I asked them, how come, a 2nd year student can give instructions to a primary student to give an IV drug to a patient, but the students are not allowed to go to the patients and do Observations ( Blood pressure, Pulse, Temperature, RR) on their own.
That just so upset me but I really tried to stay calm and not get carried away.

The preceptors looked at me and found excuses. They had told them to do so, they were around all the time, there is no time to check Observations and so on.

It just didn’t make sense to me. I asked the clinical instructor from the RTC why primary students are allowed to give IV drugs, although they only have one year training. Apparently they do the same as a nurse, but get played even less. I just don’t understand that.

While looking more closely what the other students were doing, I saw them inserting Venflons on their own, mixing IV antibiotics, giving injections, all on their own and to all age classes. Children or Adults, it makes no difference. And they just do it, nobody looks or checks. The nurses are usually not bothered. They also send the students instead of doing stuff themselves.

So how can I live with that. I feel so powerless and want to change things, but I think I just can’t. It is very very frustrating and I feel very sorry for the patients. But they seem to accept it, although they are generally afraid of students.
It is really a complete different world with so different rules and assumptions. I thought I was over the culture shock but now I feel, I am in the middle of it again.
At the moment it feels difficult to accept things like that, because it is against everything I have learned and taught in my home countries.
I feel like I can’t do anything here, it’s like blowing hot air, nothing happens. And it breaks my heart, seeing all those people in pain, babies and children crying, nobody takes real action or good care of them. It’s not good and I’m sitting at the RTC in front of my laptop, trying to train the teachers here who are not interested at all.

Budda at Pagoda

But I want to try and hang on for a bit longer. At least a year. That’s when I should know for sure if it’s worth it or not.

Today, Thursday the 20th, I will give 4 girls from the neighbourhood English lessons. I agreed that at the beginning of the week with their mother, who owns a little restaurant around the corner from my house and I went there a few times now and she speaks good English so we can communicate. I am looking forward to that. A new challenge for me though. But a good experience I hope. We’ll see.

Roundabout in Kratie

Helen gives health education about respiratory desease at the hospital

sunset over the Mekong

a visitor at night

Another thing for me to look forward to is that my beloved mum and sister will come next year in January to visit me for 2 weeks. That is soooooo nice and I can’t wait. I feel so happy that first Carmen comes and then my family. So exiting!!!

To all my friends, who have clothes or material, anything that can be used but isn’t in use, instead of throwing it away, please give it to my friend Carmen in England – Oxford or to my mum in Germany – Guestrow. Everything is needed here and poor people appreciate everything. So collecting can be started now. Especially expired hospital material or teaching equipment. Even English books would be great!

Thank you! Hope you are all well! Lots of love, yours Katja

Wat in Chhlong

In general it is Cambodia’s premier beach town, sporting miles of sandy beaches, uninhabited islands and warm tropical waters.
The main city area sits on a beach lined peninsula jutting into the Gulf of Thailand. The pace of life is very relaxed and unhurried. The beaches offer umbrellas, thatched roofed eateries, bars and lots of restaurants, pubs, bungalows and an range of hotels, all making for a laid-back, beachy atmosphere and a great little tropical getaway. It is also a place to unwind by the beach, enjoy the fresh- from- the- ocean seafood , pary at the bars and happenings, take in island excursions or scuba trips and generally slow down, lay back and chill out.

So far so good, little guidebook, but how is it in reality?

I was very lucky to stay in a wooden bungalow at the beach with a wonderful sea view and hearing the waves at all times.

I met up with a few other volunteers and we explored the 5 main beaches. Victory beach, which is apparently the ‘Ibiza’party beach

at Serendipity beach

When the weather was nice we stayed at the beach and chilled,

fresh grilled sea squid

little boys selling cake rolls

There was lots of sextourism going on. In the evenings, the young Khmei girls hooked up with single foreign males, those ones who are unattractive and old and you know that they only come there for one thing. Cheap entertainment.

at Serendipity beach

empty during the day, full in the evening

When we were walking along Otres Beach, I saw a crowd of people standing in the distance and was asking myself, what’s going on there. A party? Coming closer, I saw a man lying in the sand and a white woman over him doing cardiac resuscitation. But far too slow. And the crowd standing around them, a guy doing mouth to mouth resus.
I couldn’t help myself but jumping in and I’m not sure if I pushed the woman away, but she didn’t do it right, so I took over and then realised, that that man was already so blue and so I asked while doing the compressions, what happened. They said he was found around 30 minutes ago floating in the sea. They tried to call the ambulance but their reply was that after such a long time it was too late and he is probably dead anyway. To be honest, I didn’t try long. I gave maybe 3 or 4 more compressions together with the breaths from the guy, felt his aorta for a few seconds and declared him dead. His arms were stiff already as I realised when we turned him over to roll him onto a mat to carry him into a shack to cover the corpse. He was a heavy fat white foreigner and I can imagine he had a heart attack while being in the water or something like that. Also the waves were quit high all week and the stream strong. Nobody knew him but fortunately a guy came on his moto and said that this man rented a moto from him, so he had his passport. At least something. Later on the police arrived and I don’t know what happened then because I had to leave the scenery. It was quit a shock.

On the last day I was there, I did a boat trip to 3 islands, as they advertised it beforehand. One of them was the famous ‘Bamboo-island’. The trip was $14, including breakfast and lunch.
So in the morning I got a lift to the breakfast place and had a baguette with jam and a cup of tea. Then we went to the beach where the boat was already waiting for us. We were a group of people of 7. 3 couples and me. It took more then an hour to reach the first island over the open sea and the waves were sometimes a meter high. So we really had to cling to the boat not to fall out. But once we arrived, we had the opportunity to snorkel in shallow and calm water.

snorkeling on Island trip

Next one was Bamboo- island.

there are around 1000 little islands around

more tourists on Bamboo-Island

jungle feeling on Bamboo- Island

Bamboo- Island

I was swimming so much that afternoon.

ready for the next island?

on Bamboo-island

on the way back to main island

stuck but happy

I just felt sorry for the guys. I mean, what do people expect when they are here? At the end of the day it is still a developing country they are in but it’s easy to forget when you stay in one of the big posh hotels along the coast side .

So I will definitely return, the landscape is just so beautiful and I love the sea. I also got a good tan, haven’t been that brown for a long time.

and this is not fake!

Back in PP I’ve witnessed ‘Cambodian autumn’ in a park with lots of kites and wind.

PP kites in the wind with Independence monument in background

of course I also got one!

written by  katja-horsch on August 10 from Phnom Penh, Cambodia
from the travel blog: my trip to the beach
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the VSO office

my room, nice and humid

I also met a few other volunteers, one is actually here with Dengue fever, her name is Noel and she is a Health Advisor in Kratie. She felt this aching pain three days ago and couldn’t see properly. So she was advised to come to PP VSO office to have treatment and people around. A few people from different placements from Cambodia were here yesterday because they went today to different places. On Monday starts a puplic holiday so people are using this time to travel using the big airport in PP. Corine is going to Malaysia, Pam and her husband are going to Vietnam, Meghan is going to Laos and Eric is going to Bankok. I would have gone with one of them, but it was too short notice. So I’ll be all on my own with Noel over the weekend.

After I slept yesterday all afternoon ( not very well), I woke up very hungry. There is a supermarket just next to us, so I went there. It’s one of those posh ones, they sell basics there, but no fresh fruit or veg. So I bought a bottle of wine, some crisps, some instant noodles for dinner and some bread and tea and milk. So I had dinner, there is a little kitchen next to my room, and had some wine to help me to get tired. I talked to other volunteers which was very helpful and they said that they all came in a bunch of at least 20 people and they explored the area from day one and could help each other. They gave me really useful insight information and felt sorry for me. I hadn’t thought about that by then and I’m still ok with the situation.

This morning, I had a nice cup of black tea with milk and bread with cambodian marmelade. When I looked closer at the bread I could see, that it was starting to get mouldy. I was hungry and thought, give it a try where it’s not so obvious, and it was tasty. But then, just in the middle about my briefing about security and logistics with my country director Alice, I felt really sick and vomited twice. So I went back to bed for another 2 hours. I woke up feeling hungry and decided to find something else then in this supermarket next door. I must have looked really down, because Jean was still here and asked me what was wrong. I explained to her that I’m really hungry but I don’t know what to eat and where to get it from. She was so kind and said, no problem, I show you around a little bit. So she showed me good places and I had a relly good beetroot salad with walnuts for luch. I also bought some good bread.

After that, we returned to the office and I had a really useful meeting with the programme manager for health, Daniel. He’s origianally from Ethiopia and really nice. I had a good overview about the health programme and my role. I was shocked to hear that women who just gave birth don’t start breastfeeding straight away because they think it’s not good for the baby. They wait for 10 days and give newborns water from a bottle, which is usually not properly cleaned. As an induction method for pregnant women, they press on the belly and start the process pushing it out.
Patients have to pay one ‘over the table’ fee in the hospital to be seen and then another ‘under the table’ fee to the doctor himself. Corruption here is bigger then I thought. But apperently, things are improving a little bit thanks to money donors and dedicated people.

I’ll stay here in PP for another 5 days only, then I’ll travel by bus to Stung Treng with all my belongings. The journey apparently takes around 7 hours. I’m looking forward to that.
Meanwhile I’m supposed to have 3 hours language training per day, but the teacher didn’n know, so he’ll arrive on Monday. So I have now the weekend ahead of me and I’ll try to explore PP a little bit more. It feels a little scary on my own, but apperently it is kind of save. They sometimes do bag-snatching and I’m advised always to wear a helmet on a motorbike.They are lots of european looking people around.

The rain season started shortly before I arrived and it is such a relief, to have the rain around in the afternoon/ evening. There was a thunderstorm yesterday. So I don’t think I have to be too careful with water at the moment. Yesterday I had 3 showeres…
I had a mango earlier on from the mango tree in front of the office. Absolutely delicious. Very sweet and juicy.
I’ll go out now to find a Sim card for my mobile phone to be available and to take some pictures. I might also find something for dinner.

getting filtered drinking water from the office kitchen

written by  katja-horsch on August 5 from Phnom Penh, Cambodia
from the travel blog: first entry from Cambodia/ PP
tagged FirstEntry
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the most amazing sunset I've seen here so far

absolutely amazing

On the 6th of July it was a sad day for Cambodia because the wife of somebody very important died. So all flags were only half up and everybody was in mourning.

On the 7th of July it was a happy day for Cambodia. It is a celebration day because of a temple in Preah Vehir, which lies close at the Thai border. This temple was finished building last year and it has something to do with the conflict Thailand-Cambodia.
So we had a van here at the RTC who blew up balloons. At 11 am everybody had to stand in front of the RTC, teachers and students and then we sang the national anthem. There were even cameras and people who took pictures. After the singing one was shouting: Preah Vehir! And everybody shouted with raised arms: Preah Vehir! Then clapping and giggling and then they released the balloons into the sky. It was quit nice. In Phnom Penh they have a big celebration with live concerts and so on for a few days.
Even one day later we have the telly on in our RTC office all day where we can see the concerts.

Daniel came also up to see all Health Volunteers in Stung Treng. He is the Senior Programme Manager from VSO Programme Office, based in Phnom Penh. It was very good to see him. I also invited him and Channa, Delia and Louisa for dinner into my house. I cooked Thai Curry. It was nice. That reminds me of mice. Catch regularly again. Anyway. To talk to Daniel was like a brainstorm which I definitely have to do more often. He is very good in what he’s doing I think and he knows a lot about development and budgets and all that. He gave me more good ideas to work on and encouraged me to pick up on old ones which I thought couldn’t be done anyway.

Hor has a bad time at the moment. First his uncle died last weekend, so he had to go to Phnom Penh. Then now his grandmother died and he’s going back to Phnom Penh. Those journeys are all long and exhausting and I feel sorry for his loss. He has applied for a better job in PP where his family and daughter are. It is also with VSO but he’d be in a better position and would earn more money. I hope he gets the job.
Then is the question what happens here in ST when he’s gone. Daniel asked me if his position could be covered by Channa, to use the money we could save eg. to build toilets. Initially I said that I can’t imagine Channa taking over Hor’s job. He is only 21 and just got promoted in his English school, where he teaches. He is a very hard worker, but it might be too much for him. Although I could do most of Hor’s work maybe, I am not familiar at all with all that finance business. But maybe I could learn from it. The project most likely finishes in 2 years and there won’t be more significant changes I think. And once the new volunteer arrives we might can share responsibilities. Her name is Caroline and she’ll arrive in October this year and will work with me taking over the role as Preceptor Advisor. I cover this role at the moment, together with the TDA role.
The reason of thinking so hard about it is, that we really need the money.

So because of Hor’s absence and Channa has some holiday, I am on my own for 3 days in the office, surrounded by all those men.

Another man came to visit Stung Treng for a 1 week workshop here. My good friend Eric Otieno.

hello Oti

yes, it is a mermaid!

On Monday, the 13th of July, my little 9 day adventure started. I got up early at 3:30 to take a minivan to Kratie to have two days of supervision in the hospital there. It was a weird moment then, because the minivan was just about to start when a woman said, that she had an Insect in her ear and she couldn’t get it out. It must be normal here, nearly everybody in the van had then a try to take it out. One was holding a torch and another one had a toothpick or something and I couldn’t watch but they were fiddling with her ear about 10 minutes without success. A woman suddenly got some liquid out and persuaded the woman with the insect to put this liquid into her ear. Just then another man was at the ear and the woman was obviously in pain. Fortunately they decided to call a Doctor and we drove with the minivan full of people to that doctor, at 4 o’clock in the morning. After another 10 minutes she came out and the insect was gone. So we drove for 2 ½ hours to Kratie where I met Channa, the clinical Instructor and the Regional Chief Nurse, Sethyll. We had breakfast together and then went to the hospital.

me and Channa at work with our selfmade VSO batches

Supervision in Kratie

eating brown bread with cheese! at Emily's

Emily got soap bubbles out

shower in the rain

still smiling, although no dolphins seen

In the evening, we went to see Joe. Joe is the owner of a restaurant in Kratie and he is originally from Chicago, but now in Cambodia for over 11 years. He cooks brilliant food and usually drinks during the day. But he is a lovely guy. So we had great fun that night.

at Joe's, he is at the back with greyish hair

On Wednesday morning, we got picked up from the minivan with all the other Health volunteers from Stung Treng inside. We were on our way to Siem Riep to attend to the Health Sector Workshop. That is for all VSO Health volunteers from Cambodia. It was twice a year but now that there are financial crisis’s at VSO too, they reduce it to annual. It was organized by 3 other volunteers. Attended volunteers work as Dietician, Nurse Advisor, Hospital Management Advisor, Health Advisor, Behaviour and Communication Advisor, Midwife Advisor and me, the only TDA and PA.
We all stayed at Smilyes Guesthouse

Siem Riep is a great place.

Traffic in Siem Riep

me and Mary

Louisa made it, next one is Lucky

Go Trisha, Go!

Limbo- Helen

Susan, Emily and Noel

a live band in SR! were really good!

a little girl, dancing to the music on the street

Noel buys fruit

me, Emily, Susan and Noel

Fancy crocoskin ?

Taxi driver with passenger on his seat, another 2 next to him and 4 at back

fish playing wit a ball that looks like the earth

a famous silver statue

22.07.09

After having had my first day back at work, I feel also good, although I didn’t want to come back first. But I had a successful meeting with the promoted Chief of Clinical Office Dr. Sovann and he gave me promising feedback and he also will work fast on my suggestions. So I have the feeling it’s rolling again.

a rather pale budda

I also have my first visitor coming! Hurray! Carmi was brave enough to book a flight from London Heathrow to Seoul and from Seoul to Phnom Penh. She’ll arrive on the 21st of December and will depart unfortunately again on the 2nd of January. But at least we’ll spend Christmas and New Year together. So much looking forward to that!
But still too little time. Whenever you want to come, try to plan at least 3 weeks. Because it is a struggle with the jetlag and a lot to take in once you arrive. So two weeks exhaustion and one week enjoying. But I can’t complain, I’ve got a visitor!!!

family shrein

I want to finish this rather long blog again with some gentle remainders. If you want to do a fundraise and don’t know for what, let me know. If you want to give a donation but don’t know for what, let me know. Even little amounts can help and you’ll see for what because I can document each step where the money is going to.

Also if you want to send something to me in particular, I need again Mosquito repellent and everything else you might think I need. I live with the minimum and am happy about everything now. Music, Books, Clothes, Stationary…
Thank you for following me up and thinking of me. Keep in touch! Katja

written by  katja-horsch on July 23 from Phnom Penh, Cambodia
from the travel blog: 06.-23.07.09
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I am in my second month far away from you and familiar environment.
So far I can say that it is great and I’m really enjoying myself.
The language is still a problem though, I need to crack on and find a teacher or learn myself. I can go to the market and understand numbers and am able to have a conversation with hand and feet, but it is still too little and some people who know me now a bit find it quit frustrating not to be able to communicate properly.

hello my handsome

Cambodian style bedshapes

Today, Thursday, one teacher wanted me to help him performing a class demonstration on Friday, on wet-to-dry dressing. Yes that’s how it is called.
This one skill performance, as they teach it in the RTC to the students, is from America and has been translated into Khmei language by the RTC teachers a few years ago. There are 27 of those Checklists and the teachers train the students how to do it and how to follow from those checklists in the RTC first. Then the students have to transfer those skills into the hospital. The preceptors responsibility is to make sure, that the student follows always the guideline/ checklist with whatever they do.
Those checklists have a very high standart.
The problem is, that the RTC teachers are actually not quite sure about what certain things mean on the original. So some points are very unclear translated and the result is dodgy teaching and make the students confused.
The next problem is in the hospital. Because the checklists involve a lot of material use, the ward can’t provide that material because it’s just not available. So the students can’t perform the way they should and get bad marks or even fail on assessment. Also some preceptors have never done some procedures as the checklist instructs so they are confused about it.
I discussed that problem with some teachers and they can see the problem but don’t know what to do about it.
I talked through the wound dressing procedure whith the teacher and clarifyed all unclear points. Then I demonstrated the dressing on a pillow on top of a dummy with some teaching material from the RTC. I asked him beforehand if no other teachers did it before and he said, yes they did but they are also not sure how to do it following the checklist.

promotion van passing by

my great alarmclock, but always too early!

nice view from the bridge

Yesterday on Sunday we’ve celebrated Delia’s Birthday one week earlier because she is going to Austria in a couple of days and won’t have her Birthday here. So we organised a surprise party for her, actually Helen did. Everybody brought great food and Helen even made an ice-cream chocolate birthday cake

the pre-B-D girl

The plans for this week have changed. I’m not going to Kratie anymore due to no Clinical Instructor is available. So one more week in ST and the RTC. The following week I might also not go to Chhlong, but defenitely to Siem Riep for the Health Sector Workshop.

I am exited to know that there is a family reunion in France this week and I wanted to let you know that I am strongly thinking of you and will try to contact you this week.
Hopefully we will be able to skype with camera and all that. Wished I could be there.

Take care everyone! Yours Katja

cycling on top of the bridge again

My week started by going straight back into another Hospital to do supervision of preceptors. This time in my home hospital in Stung Treng together with Channa, his first time we were officially doing something outside the RTC.
It felt ok, due to my previous experience in Ratanakiri. Together with also a new clinical instructor Mr. Vann, we struggled through two and a half days of observation and talking.

observing preceptor with student

checking Respiration rate

tald to preceptor afterwards with Mr. Vann and Channa

Delia and Sambath at work with a patient

Today I was even a vet, giving “Stinki” , Kathy’s cat who is now at Delia’s, an i.m.- injection for not getting pregnant. She was a very brave cat and I love her already.

Otherwise not much is going on, housework, reports to write, catching mice…

great light

Thursday
Actually it hasn’t rained for the last three days. Everybody is longing for it. It is very hot and sticky at the moment. I am sure then when it comes, then properly.

This morning I had breakfast with Helen and Delia and Queeni, who visits Delia from Kratie and is also a nutrition advisor. We met at the Vietnamese noodle place and it was as always very tasty.

Then Delia and me went to the hospital again. She wanted me to check a Blood sugar measurement machine. It didn’t work. Needs replacement unfortunately. There are two of those machines, both broken. The whole hospital is now without. It is unbelievable. Patients need to have a proper blood test now to know how their blood sugar is. It’s pretty bad. When I compare to the UK how many Blood sugars we take and so easily without thinking about where to get supply from and who repairs the machine. There are lots of hidden diabetes patients here. Even I can see that.
And we actually don’t know who will pay for replacement…

Then I went to the RTC and unfortunately Hor didn’t feel well and went home. He felt very sleepy and had a headache. I hope he hasn’t got Dengue fever…

In my lunch break I got a little surprise, because in my bathroom sink was a Scorpio sitting. I panicked a bit and then called Delia. She calmed me down and we were thinking how we could kill it. I was nearly going to crush it with the other end of my floor brush, but I just couldn’t do it. So she asked if my landlady wasn’t around. I went out to see and there she was. I must have looked a bit out of order, because she came running. When she saw it she laughed at me, got a piece of wood from outside and killed it for me. Then she took it with her. I was relieved.

nasty little thing

When I arrived at the RTC a bit earlier then usual, some students were there, talking to me. Because of the English classes they know me now and also from the visits at their accommodation. Two in particular are very interested in me and always talk to me. One is a very shy boy, I should know his name by now but am to embarrassed to ask again. The girl, her name is Sareth, always smiles at me and is very curious about me. Last night, when I had just my washing finished and also cooking, I was quit sweaty and was just about to throw my vegetable waste over the riverbank. Everybody does that, the cows will have it later when they stroll along. So I looked a bit not so good. And then those student nurses where on their bicycles, standing there on the road waiting for somebody. It was coincidence that it was her as well and she started of course a chat.
So today she asked me if she could come and visit me in my house. I thought that was a lovely idea. So on Saturday at 12.00 and they would like to eat English food. What shall I cook? Maybe spaghetti, maybe beans on toast? Got a holy tin from PP for special moments. Or maybe potatoes and veg and meat? Well, I decide later.

So after Sareth asked me for my contact details, everybody else wanted them. I only gave it to 4 other girls and the boy. They said they all want to come and visit me. So I better be prepared for that. I thought I’ll make a party one day and invite them all.

In the afternoon I was fairly proud of myself because I found out how to do a slide show with window power point. All by myself I prepared a presentation via slide show. I think would have never found out like that, but here is enough time.

And Mr. Vann told me that I am bossy. We laughed it off.

Did I tell you already about the fire? There was a fire in town near the market today. At least 5 houses burned down. I went to see it after work and it was shocking.

5 houses missing after the fire

In the evening I enjoyed brown rice, which I brought from PP with mixed veg and sauce. I watched a DVD – Charles Wilson’s war- which I somehow liked because of the actors ( Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts) and then I got a long SMS from Sareth. Which sounded like this: hi what are you doing? Are you going to have holiday this year? Are you doing anything this weekend? Tomorrow you go to a party. Do you like Khmer music? Do you like Khmer food? When do you get up? Where do you normally go for holiday? What do you eat tonight? When do you go to bed, I hope you sleep very well. From me sareth.

I just hope that all the others who have my number now will not bombard me in the same way. So I answered that I will try to answer all her questions on Saturday when she comes around.

Louisa’s b-dparty was great.

Queenie, Delia, Evic, Louisa, Helen and me

lovely cake!

Helen and Chantra having balloon conversation

and now everybody down, down

yes, no touching allowed

and now clap your hand above your heads

and freeze!

khmei dancing

sooo long.

freeze!

my sweet Channa

Queenie and Evic

funny how I dance

"dancing queen..."

On Saturday morning, I met first Delia for breakfast at the market at 8 am. We had those tasty cold noodles with chilli. Then we went and had our toenails painted, as it is common here.

fancy turquise toe nails?

Then I went shopping in preparation for the student girls from the RTC, who wanted to be at my house by 12 noon. When I arrived at my house at 10:45, there they were sitting already! Sareth, Parim and Shry mom. So they came in and asked me, if they could help me with the cooking.
First we chatted a bit and I gave them some of the magazines, Carmen sent me. More and Closer. They really liked them and looked at everything very close and wanted explanation.
I decided on Spaghetti with Tomato sauce, so I explained first that it is an European dish, coming from Italy. They never heard of Italy.
Unfortunately I couldn’t get real spagetti, so I used some Khmei flat egg noodles.
For the sauce, I somehow had in my head to make the sauce smooth - I need to grate the tomatoes through a sieve. So I first boiled the tomatoes as seen at Sheila’s, then peeled them and rubbed them through a sieve into the wok. Together with onions and garlic, s&p, it simmered a bit and then we added fresh basil, which I love here.
We ate on the balcony and when I asked if they wanted some chilli sauce, they all put lots of it onto their portions. They found the dish delicious.
I didn’t know for how long they wanted to stay, but then they wanted to watch a DVD. I asked what kind of film they like, love storys or something like that? No, action films. I borrowed some DVD’s from Delia and had only “Get smart” and “Tropic Thunder”. So we watched first “Get smart” until it stopped working and then “Tropic Thunder”. Yeah, and then they disappeared after 4pm.
They were very nice and I hope we can come together another time. I really would like to teach them some more English or just I don’t know, be there for them.

In the evening I got an invitation from Delia to come along and have something to eat.
There were also Queenie, Louisa and Evic. We had Gin and Tonic! Wow, that was a great treat. The bottle came from Delias mum, when she visited her last year. It was a great chill out dinner and Delia and me had quit a good chat.

Today, Sunday

I really wanted to sleep long today. But at 5:30 the rooster woke me up, then some people started hacking some wood and then somebody else was making noise from the street. Because my bedroom has only a thin wooden wall I can hear literally everything. I stayed in bed and read until 9. Then I got up and I didn’t have any water from the taps nor from the shower or toilet. Great. My landlady wasn’t there but a bloke helped me to figure out the water pump at the house.
Then I made a lampshade for the kitchen from the cans we had last night.

lampshade extraordinare

And then Internet- café and blogging! Takes always quite a time until all pictures are uploaded and so on.

Tomorrow I try to finish my proposal for a French aid organisation who wants to support Cambodia with $ 40.000. Cross fingers that we get the money!
I really want to try to get a new building for student accommodation.
Nevertheless, I still count on your support and maybe that you consider some fund raising ?

Antji and John, got your parcel. The mosquito repellent is perfect! The chocolate was half eaten by mice and very melted…. Thank you so much!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am still nameless, please give me a name!

written by  katja-horsch on June 28 from Phnom Penh, Cambodia
from the travel blog: ST end of June
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