Charlie Dittmeier's Home Page
If we needed any further evidence that the rainy season is upon us, a bit of confirmation was afforded last week when we returned to the Deaf Development Programme office after a four-day holiday. While we were away, these–and other–mushrooms sprang up from the wooden threshold board in the doorway of our upstairs balcony! Apparently the early rains indicated to some dormant spores that it was time to bloom!
Squat toilets are not unusual in Cambodia—in fact, they’re the norm–but a squat toilet with a water tank for flushing! Now that’s unusual. I don’t ever recall seeing a squat toilet with a tank for flushing before. Usually there is just a barrel of water or a reservoir for scooping pans of water to flush everything down by hand. Another different feature of this squat toilet is its height. Because it has to accommodate the incoming water pipe for flushing, it stands eight or ten inches above ground instead of being flush with the floor.
Kinda reminds me of the 60s and the Beach Boys and “It’s the little old lady from Pasadena! Go, granny, go, granny, go, granny, go!”
This is a ting mong or scarecrow-like figure erected by Cambodian villagers to scare away disease and evil. Read the article in the Phnom Penh Post to get an idea of some of the beliefs of less educated people in rural areas where proper medical services have been lacking.
This is the street in Kampot town where we were waiting for the van back to Phnom Penh. It was sad to see the stumps of seven huge trees across the street from us. I hope there was a REALLY good reason for cutting the trees down and it wasn’t just to make money for someone.
Today our group returned to Phnom Penh, Russ Brine and I in the morning, and the rest in the afternoon. Click here for final views from Meraki.
This was the second day of our retreat. Click here for pictures from the activities and from the beautiful surroundings.
“This is a person out of control…He is the Chief Law Enforcement Officer of the land. He encouraged people to lie for him. He lied. I think he obstructed justice. I think there’s a compelling case…that [it] would be better for him to leave office than stay in office. ”
~ Republican Senator Lindsey Graham (1999)
Today was devoted to some serious study of Buddhism and the practice of meditation but there was also time for just enjoying the beautiful surroundings. Click here for scenes from today.
Our Maryknoll Lay Missioners group in Cambodia has a retreat together each year and this year we went to a center in Kampot Province on the coast. Click here to see pictures from this travel day.