Author: Charles Dittmeier

What’s their story?

There are always so many stories around me in Cambodia, stories that I will never hear. I see a family(?) like this sitting on the street with all kinds of carved wooden objects which are very popular in Cambodian culture. Did they make them? Are they traditional craftsmen and women? Or are they just uneducated people who sit all day with the objects made by others and just get paid a commission? Where are they from? Is this a craft from another province? How much money do they make? Do they make a living at this?

The Riverfront

Phnom Penh could be a city known for its watercourses, lakes, flood plains, and its relationship to water. Unfortunately the near-sighted government sees the lakes and flood plains mainly as prime real estate when they’re filled in, and of course guess who will benefit from selling public lands to private developers. Hint: not the people of Phnom Penh.

One asset the public still has access to is the waterfront along the Tonle Sap River in front of the royal palace. Recently when I was on the way to the Ash Wednesday service I passed the waterfront at sunset (a time when I normally am not near there) and was pleased to see the activities taking place.

The open area between the palace in the river is attractive
to all sorts of people in the evening.
The pigeons love it, too.
Families with children come to enjoy the openness and the grass.
The more well-to-do who can afford pets–and leashes!—
make a walk in the park part of their evening activity.
And not fully appreciated until you see them in action are these men enjoying a game in which they kick a ball or shuttlecock–but only with their feet when the ball is behind them!

Corruption or Incompetence? Or Both?

This is a headline from February 21, 2020 in which the newspaper reports that there are no ghost workers, i.e., people on the government payroll who don’t actually do any work.

This is a headline from February 24, 2020 in which the ghost workers are admitted. Given that the prime minister’s “official” salary is $4,000 per month (Ha!), recovering $1.7 million seems to indicate there were a LOT of ghost workers.

The country of Cambodia is good, the people are wonderful, but the government is corrupt and incompetent.

Promoting Sign Language

Today Save the Children had an event to publicize and promote their project in Pursat Province in which they are encouraging school teachers of hearing students to learn Cambodian Sign Language and to use it to make education available for deaf students in the remote areas. They have produced some good materials, and just the fact that they are now an ally in promoting the use of sign language in Cambodia is a real boost.

Impulse Eating

In the US, supermarkets put tabloids, chewing gum, and other items along the check out lanes so people might be tempted to buy these things on impulse while they’re waiting to check out. Here in Cambodia they have impulse food, like this cart full of small mussels from the Mekong River. You can be riding by on your motorcycle, see the cart, pull over, and without even getting off, you’ve got a bag full of shellfish to munch on.

Querida Amazonia 11

Pope Francis has published his apostolic exhortation Querida Amazonia. I will post some of the highlights from the document in which Pope Francis focuses on four dreams.

The Ecclesial Dream

I dream of Christian communities capable of generous commitment, incarnate in the Amazon region, and giving the Church new faces with Amazonian features. (7)

11. “In a synodal Church, those women who in fact have a central part to play in Amazonian communities should have access to positions, including ecclesial services, that do not entail Holy Orders and that can better signify the role that is theirs.” (103)

Making do….

Sometimes we have leftovers when Russ Brine and I eat dinner together and then I try to take them to DDP for lunch the next day. I dump some rice in a plastic ice cream tub and dump the leftovers over it and put it in the refrigerator at DDP when I arrive. Then about 10:30 or 11:00 AM, I take it out of the fridge and put it out in the sun to warm up a bit. We don’t have a microwave at the office so this is the best I can do and it usually gets a bit above room temperature.

Big mistake!

Last weekend, because our parishioners are used to going to World Vision for all our evening services, I made a special point of emphasizing in the announcements that our Ash Wednesday service would NOT be at World Vision and that all must go to the Korean Diakonia Center instead. And then this evening, when I sent out our newsletter with details about Lent, I mistakenly said that the Ash Wednesday service would be at World Vision. Duh… That is NOT correct! Please, do not go to World Vision on Ash Wednesday. Got to the Korean Diakonia Center at 6:30 PM! Sorry!!!

Querida Amazonia 10

Pope Francis has published his apostolic exhortation Querida Amazonia. I will post some of the highlights from the document in which Pope Francis focuses on four dreams.

The Ecclesial Dream

I dream of Christian communities capable of generous commitment, incarnate in the Amazon region, and giving the Church new faces with Amazonian features. (7)

10. “It is possible to take up an indigenous symbol in some way, without necessarily considering it as idolatry. A myth charged with spiritual meaning can be used to advantage and not always considered a pagan error. Some religious festivals have a sacred meaning and are occasions for gathering and fraternity, albeit in need of a gradual process of purification or maturation.” (79)