We departed from the DDP office in Phnom Penh at 6:30 AM, a half hour late because the bus was late. Then it was a 5:45 hour trip south to the Cambodia coast in Kampong Som Province where the Catholic Church has a center which we can use inexpensively. We arrived, ate lunch, had an opening session, and then departed for the beach for a couple hours. In the evening after supper the staff sat around and chatted or danced in the meeting hall.
At one of the rest stops on the way to the coast, DDP staff ponder a selection of snacks to purchase.Every stop or event is the occasion for a photo and the young women decided they needed one together.Then someone decided the guys should have a photo, too, before getting back on the bus.When we got to the Catholic center, the bus couldn’t make the turn into the courtyard so we unloaded in the driveway.This is one of four meeting rooms used as dormitories. The staff don’t mind at all sleeping fifteen to a room on mats on the floor. The center also has sixteen individual rooms.Our meals for such a large group were in this open area in the residence building.Clean up after each meal was by an assigned group so that all staff shared in the housekeeping work during our four days together..After lunch when we gathered in the meeting hall, I noticed most of the women were wearing white. It seems they had coordinated their outfits for this first day. Why? I don’t know.Charlie gave a welcome to all the staff to set the stage for our work together. Here a staff from Kampong Cham Province answers why he is working for DDP.Then Lika, who shared most of the coordinating work for this retreat, explained what we would do this week.We had only a short introductory session and then piled back into the buses for a ride to Otres Beach. Here the staff, divided into teams, race to fill a soda bottle with sea water passed along a line in a sponge.After the game there was time for swimming and for eating some snacks we brought along.And of course there was always time for more selfies.In the evening after supper, we gathered in the large meeting hall for music and dancing and just talking.Some of the deaf staff got together to play some games.And as always happens, the group starts dancing. Here they join in a line dance which is easy for deaf people to follow. Then at 10:00 PM it was lights out.
