Welcome to Cambodia, and….. – Charlie Dittmeier's Home Page

On the road again (Singapore)

Leaving Phnom Penh, I flew on Singapore Airlines to Singapore where I switched to United Airlines. I was surprised when Singapore Airlines served a meal using no metal or plastic utensils or dishes. It was the usual full meal but the utensils were bamboo and the containers were cardboard. It seems it’s probably good environmental practice and I suspect it’s cheaper also. On this trip Eva Airlines and United also used the bamboo knives, forks, and spoons.

On the road again (Phnom Penh 10)

The new airport, about fifteen miles outside the city, is so different from the old airport—located in Phnom Penh—I’ve been using the past 30 years.

The new terminal is large, open, and airy and all the local people, visiting for the first time want to have their pictures taken with the dominating Buddha statue.

The terminal is modern like the airports of many major cities but has only been open for seven months and is not yet handling large amounts of passengers.

One aspect of the new terminal that surprised and impressed me is the use of facial recognition for passport control. Cambodians and visitors with passports from 18 other countries do not need to show their passports to an official but just approach these automated gates where their photos are taken.

On the road again (Phnom Penh 9)

My last day in Phnom Penh was busy.

The day started with a mass for the Missionaries of Charity at their orphanage. The toddlers come too on most days and are a really positive addition to the celebrations.

Then it was back to my guesthouse to pick up my luggage. I had a rather simple room but splurged a little (it cost me $17 a night) to get air conditioning and a refrigerator.

Three of the staff from the Education Project of the Deaf Development Programme surprised me by showing up to take me to the new airport. This was the first time I have flown from the new site.

On the road again (Phnom Penh 8)

The best part of my trip to Cambodia was reconnecting with so many valuable people I had to come to know through work and the church and various activities.

One weekday lunch was spent with a group of former and present staff at the Deaf Development Programme. It was good to catch up with them.

One evening I ate with Fr. Bruno, a friend and colleague from the French mission group. We discussed some future plans.

On the Road Again (Phnom Penh 7)

The past ten days I’ve been on the city streets a lot, getting reacquainted with the scenes of Phnom Penh city life.

I’m not sure what they were cooking or whom they were cooking for but these two women were on the street putting something together for lunch today.

Perhaps the majority of Phnom Penh people live in what are called shop houses, a space for the business at ground level and living accommodations above. This example is just on a much larger scale, perhaps with apartments above the construction supplies.

Today was my last day at DDP before my return journey to the U.S. on Thursday and here I got together with staff of the Education Project to say goodbye.

On the Road Again (Phnom Penh 6)

A lot of my time here has been concentrated on meals when I was meeting with collaborators, church committees, employee families, and others. For the working people, lunch times or dinner times were often the only opportunities we had for getting together. The time for these encounters was really pleasant and encouraging.

On the road again (Phnom Penh 5)

After the consecration of the new St. Joseph Church yesterday, parish communities and ministers like the brothers and sisters and priests were invited to a lunch. I sat with the Missionaries of Charity. I had mass with them last Thursday and will again this coming Thursday morning before I leave. Eating with us is quite different from the sisters’ situation not long ago when they religious community rules would not allow them to eat in public with non-community members. It is wonderful now that they are more accessible to the whole community and their gifts and talents and faith are available to everyone. Next to me is Fr. Jeanluca, a PIME (Italian mission group) priest who is rector of the Phnom Penh seminary.

Saturday morning we had the consecration of the new St. Joseph Church building. Saturday evening we had the regular weekend mass in the new venue of St. Jude Thaddeus School. The English Catholic Community uses the covered rooftop of the school.

Most of my time here in Phnom Penh this visit has been meeting with people. I had a list of tasks to be accomplished but have not completed most of them because of so many meetings with individuals. Yesterday I met with Fr. Kevin Conroy, another former Maryknoll Associate Priest. He and I lived together at the previous Maryknoll office. I met him in his new room in the Tuol Tum Poung area.

In the background in the center of the photo is a 10-storey orange building which is the guesthouse where I am staying this trip. It costs me $15 a night.

Consecration of New St. Joseph Church

Before a Catholic church is used for worship, the building is blessed and the altar is consecrated for sacred use. On May 2nd the new church at St. Joseph Church was consecrated with a long ceremony.

The ceremony, attended by perhaps 800-900 people, began outside with a procession that would around the new church building.

Once inside, Bishop Olivier presided, accompanied by the other two bishops in Cambodia and a new bishop from Thailand who is a former missionary in Cambodia.

Before the altar was consecrated, Bishop Olivier inserted relics of saints into the top of the altar–a tradition from the early days of Christianity when masses were celebrated in the places where martyrs had been killed.

Next the top of the altar was smeared with holy oil and then pots of incensed were arranged on it during a special prayer.

Finally altar cloths were put on the altar and it was ready for celebrating the mass of dedication.

On the road again (Phnom Penh 4)

For most of the past 25 years I have had morning masses once a week for the Salesian Sisters in Tuol Kork and twice a week for the Missionaries of Charity (Mother Teresa’s sisters) at their orphanage. Now this week I have renewed those contacts. First I went to the Salesians and, blessed with an abundance of fruit from their mango trees, I went home with a box of sliced mango (my favorite fruit). Then the next day I had mass for the MC Sisters and they noted the occasion on their mass board.

The fork is a disposable bamboo utensil from my Eva Airlines (Taiwan) flight to Cambodia.

On the road again (Phnom Penh 3)

Today was a great day of engaging with colleagues and friends! The morning started off with a breakfast meeting with Colin Allen, the former president of the World Federation of the Deaf, who is now training DDP staff for the Deaf Leadership Training Project.