Today was Cambodia’s official celebration of the International Day for People with Disabilities. The UN-designated day was 3 December but the government here transferred the celebration to today. The annual event is rather a charade. No person with a disability spoke or had any role in the planning or enacting of the celebration. No person with a disability was even on the stage except for Mr. Veasna, in a wheelchair, who is head of the National Center for People with Disabilities. We were required to be in the hall 1.5 to 2 hours before the starting point, the deputy prime minister spoke for 1.5 hours, they gave $1.25 to each person with a disability, and that was it.
Author: Charles Dittmeier
Musica Felice 2018
Musica Felice (Happy Music) is a choral group organized and directed by Ms. Miwako Fujiwara, a professional keyboard player and music teacher. Many members of the choirs at our two English churches are musicians and singers with Miwako. Last Sunday they presented a first-ever outdoor concert at a five-star hotel, along with the 9th Harmonics, a male filipino choral group, and a jazz group.
ADCC — Day 5
Friday morning I was at the conference and then in the afternoon I went back to Manila and then caught a 6:00 AM plane back to Phnom Penh. Click here for some photos from the day.
ADCC — Day 4
Today was spent away from the Maryridge center, on a tour to the small town of Taal that is full of Spanish and Filipino history. Click here to see where we went during the day.
ADCC — Day 3
This was the first working day for the Asian Deaf Catholic Conference. Click here for photos from the day.
ADCC — Day 2
Actually today was the main travel day for most of the group. They gathered in Manila and then took buses to the Maryridge retreat center in Tagaytay City southeast of Manila. Click here to see today’s activities.
ADCC — Day 1
This week saw a gathering of Asian Deaf Catholic people in a retreat center outside of Manila in the Philippines. Today was a travel day for those, like me, who had to make an overnight trip of it. Click here for a few photos from the journey.
Off the Radar Screen
Greetings…. I just arrived back in Manila from the second Asian Deaf Catholic Conference near Tagaytay City outside of Manila. It turned out that the wi-fi there didn’t work–the signal was just too weak–and even my data connection on my smartphone wouldn’t work in that remote area. I have now arrived at the hotel in Manila and am using their wi-fi so I can send this preliminary message and then get to work. I just downloaded 247 e-mails to respond to from the last four days of no connection. If you sent me something, I’m getting to it! Please be patient!
Welcome to the Philippines….Not
I’m in the Philippines for an Asian Catholic deaf conference. The trip was rather routine and even enjoyable until I actually got here. More about that tomorrow when I start documenting the trip. Getting through immigration was a trip and then the taxi couldn’t find the hotel. But I’m here now and because it’s so late, I’m going to bed. More in the morning.
Water Festival 2018 #5
The Water Festival is over for another year and now the cleanup is in full swing. Click here to see more photos from along the riverfront.