Author: Charles Dittmeier

Lunar New Year

This coming Saturday is the Lunar New Year celebrated by the chopsticks countries. It’s not an official holiday in Cambodia—but everyone takes off for 3 or 4 days or a week. The stores and shops are already showing off their decorations.

Some commercial establishments take a low-key approach like this cable TV company.
These two hotels add the vertical hangings beside the door and some lanterns.
This electronics store tries to make it a little more festive.

Find My Phone

This is an autorickshaw (as they are called in India, their country of origin) that has become the main mode of public transportation in Phnom Penh now. I used one to go to St. Joseph Church this morning and violated my own rule: Never put my phone down on the seat. I did just that and in the hassle of getting out and collecting my stuff and paying the driver, I walked off and left the phone. The beauty of this online hailing system is that the autoricks are called from a phone, and so the passenger’s phone number, time of pick-up, and destination are all recorded. When I got home I called the company, named Grab, and a very helpful young woman called the driver for me and he had the phone. She then gave me his number and I had our guard call him to explain in Khmer (better than I could!) how to get to the Maryknoll office. Within an hour the man above appeared and I was reunited with my phone, and he went away happy with the remuneration I gave him.

Deaths of Two Sisters

Sr. Myrna Porto worked with Maryknoll Fr. John Barth at the Takeo Eye Hospital, and she became the director of TEH when it was turned over to Caritas. She returned to the Philippines two years ago because of ill health and then died at the beginning of January. Her memorial mass in Phnom Penh was set for yesterday, Friday, 17 January. Then in a sad turn of fortune, another sister of the Daughters of Charity, Sr. Adelfa Siega, died during Thursday night at their house in Takeo, and the memorial mass was changed to include both of the sisters.

Maryknoll in Hua Hin #10

Every year Maryknollers from various parts of Asia travel to southern Thailand for an annual retreat and meeting. Click below for news of each day’s activities.

• Tuesday (7 January 2020) — Travel Day

• Wednesday (8 January 2020) — Retreat Day

• Thursday (9 January 2020) — Retreat Day

• Friday (10 January 2020) — Retreat Day

• Saturday (11 January 2020) — Retreat Day

• Sunday (12 January 2020) — Final Retreat Day

• Monday (13 January 2020) — Maryknoll Mission Gathering

• Monday (13 January 2020) — Evening Talent Show

• Tuesday (14 January 2020) — Charism Meetings

• Wednesday (15 January 2020) — Travel Day

Maryknoll in Hua Hin #9

Every year Maryknollers from various parts of Asia travel to southern Thailand for an annual retreat and meeting. Click below for news of each day’s activities.

• Tuesday (7 January 2020) — Travel Day

• Wednesday (8 January 2020) — Retreat Day

• Thursday (9 January 2020) — Retreat Day

• Friday (10 January 2020) — Retreat Day

• Saturday (11 January 2020) — Retreat Day

• Sunday (12 January 2020) — Final Retreat Day

• Monday (13 January 2020) — Maryknoll Mission Gathering

• Monday (13 January 2020) — Evening Talent Show

• Tuesday (14 January 2020) — Charism Meetings

Maryknoll in Hua Hin #8

Every year Maryknollers from various parts of Asia travel to southern Thailand for an annual retreat and meeting. Click below for news of each day’s activities.

• Tuesday (7 January 2020) — Travel Day

• Wednesday (8 January 2020) — Retreat Day

• Thursday (9 January 2020) — Retreat Day

• Friday (10 January 2020) — Retreat Day

• Saturday (11 January 2020) — Retreat Day

• Sunday (12 January 2020) — Final Retreat Day

• Monday (13 January 2020) — Maryknoll Mission Gathering

• Monday (13 January 2020) — Evening Talent Show

Maryknoll in Hua Hin #7

Every year Maryknollers from various parts of Asia travel to southern Thailand for an annual retreat and meeting. Click below for news of each day’s activities.

• Tuesday (7 January 2020) — Travel Day

• Wednesday (8 January 2020) — Retreat Day

• Thursday (9 January 2020) — Retreat Day

• Friday (10 January 2020) — Retreat Day

• Saturday (11 January 2020) — Retreat Day

• Sunday (12 January 2020) — Final Retreat Day

• Monday (13 January 2020) — Maryknoll Mission Gathering

Maryknoll in Hua Hin: #6

Every year Maryknollers from various parts of Asia travel to southern Thailand for an annual retreat and meeting. Click below for news of each day’s activities.

• Tuesday (7 January 2020) — Travel Day

• Wednesday (8 January 2020) — Retreat Day

• Thursday (9 January 2020) — Retreat Day

• Friday (10 January 2020) — Retreat Day

• Saturday (11 January 2020) — Retreat Day

• Sunday (12 January 2020) — Final Retreat Day

Maryknoll in Hua Hin: #5

Every year Maryknollers from various parts of Asia travel to southern Thailand for an annual retreat and meeting. Click below for news of each day’s activities.

• Tuesday (7 January 2020) — Travel Day

• Wednesday (8 January 2020) — Retreat Day

• Thursday (9 January 2020) — Retreat Day

• Friday (10 January 2020) — Retreat Day

• Saturday (11 January 2020) — Retreat Day