Author: Charles Dittmeier

Still Going Strong

This old man collecting rubbish to recycle has been part of the Phnom Penh street scene ever since I arrived. In those twenty years, he has always dressed the same: shorts, flip-flops, and a hat. Never a shirt. I mean literally…NEVER a shirt. He must get something out of his endeavors because he keeps collecting.

Farewell to Lika

Today DDP had a little gathering to say goodbye to Bolika, our Deaf Community Center coordinator who is leaving the Deaf Development Programme after fourteen years. She started as a teacher in Kampong Chhnang Province and has kept adapting and using her skills in various positions. She is an extremely competent staff and we are going to miss her.

Lika (2L) chatting with three of the deaf staff and Julie Lawler (2R) as Julie shows in sign language where she is from in the United States.
The deaf and hearing Phnom Penh staff and a couple of our students listen as Lika speaks about her long time at DDP.

Seminary Reunion

2020 is the 50th anniversary of my class’s ordination to the priesthood and I was looking forward to seeing the guys again at the alumni reunion in Baltimore last week. But thanks to COVID-19, such was not to be. Instead a bunch of us got together for a Zoom reunion online, and it turned out to be an interesting and enjoyable experience.

Changes

With the new distancing regulations for classrooms because of COVID-19, we needed a larger classroom and decided to trade this meeting room for the old smaller classroom. As part of the trade, we had to put an outside door in the new classroom and also an awning to create a sheltered space outside
Inside the biggest change was removing a bathroom in the back corner to give more space.

Happy Birthday!

Today was Russ Brine’s birthday and the staff presented him with a cake for the occasion and a subsequent mini-party to provide a little merriment and good wishes. In Chinese culture it was an auspicious occasion, marking five times through the Chinese zodiac cycle.

Flood damage

The recent flooding–still continuing–has caused a lot of inconvenience to people forced to move, and disruption to people going to work and school. It has also caused a lot of physical damage to the streets. The Cambodians have never actually caught on how to properly pave a road–the usual 1/8th inch of asphalt over gravel doesn’t work so well–and the repeated submersion in water has taken its toll, with many streets now well potholed.