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These are some economic indicators that were published recently. Note the 6.9% economic growth. Cambodia has averaged more than that for the past decade. Unfortunately the money does not flow freely through the economy but ends up in the pockets of the government officials and business tycoons. Notable also is the low median age and the low average income.
Pchum Ben is an extremely significant festival, holiday, and celebration in Cambodia. It is their lengthened celebration of what in the West would be All Souls Day, a period for honoring their deceased ancestors and relatives. It is a two-week celebration but only the last three days are observed as holidays. This year that will be September 27, 28, and 29. Much goes on in the period before the holiday. The scene above is at a major wat (pagoda) in Phnom Penh. The Buddhist flags are up, cars are delivering people to the ceremonies, the standing man is selling special flowers to those arriving, and the food cart is hoping to attract anyone coming or going.
Part of our celebration of International Deaf Week is our own Deaf Day activity at the DDP office grounds. We put up some tents for protection against sun and rain and our staff prepares a variety of activities for deaf people from all over. Click here to see some of the goings-on for the day.
There is at least one fire hydrant that works in Phnom Penh. I have seen four or five of them in the city but they are very few and far between–and there’s no assumption that they work. Because they are almost non- existent, reports in the newspaper of fires indicate how many fire trucks were involved. It doesn’t refer to how many individual trucks responded to a blaze but rather how many trips the trucks made to a fire hydrant or other water source. I saw in the newspaper yesterday that they made 35 trips to get water for a fire. Given the horrendous traffic congestion here, you can imagine how efficient the fire fighting is.
One aspect of life in Cambodia that I find particularly disturbing is the high percentage of people who make their living handling trash, either collecting it for recycling or for disposal.
The poverty of the poor is not a call to generous relief action, but a demand that we go and build a different social order.
~ Gustavo Gutierrez
Today the Disability Action Council, a section of the government’s Ministry of Social Affairs, had a Deaf Day celebration in connection with International Deaf Week that is observed around the world at the end of September.
The good points: [1] the speaker encouraged all the television stations to add a sign language interpreter on screen for their broadcasts; [2] he said only certified interpreters should be used.
The bad points: [1] on a day ostensibly to recognize and honor the deaf people, there was not one deaf person on the stage, just two rows of government officials; [2] deaf people need to sit near the front so they can readily see the sign language interpreter and catch the nuances of facial expression, etc., but the first four rows of the theater seats were filled with more government people and the deaf were moved towards the rear of the hall; [3] a speaker from the ministry stated that sign language is “universal,” meaning there is one sign language used every where (that’s not true); [4] the wording on the back of the purple T-shirts given to the participants said in Khmer “deaf and dumb.” Deaf people are not dumb and that phrasing is offensive to them. [5] At the end of the ceremony, the government officials and invited guests were taken downstairs for a reception with tea and coffee, fruits, cakes, etc., and provided with photo opportunities. The deaf people were kept upstairs in the auditorium and given a bottle of water and a box with a sandwich, croissant, and some fruit.
Last week we initiated a formal break time for the DDP staff who work in the main office in Phnom Penh. We hoped that getting all the staff together would build camaraderie, improve communications, and strengthen a team spirit. Things got going slowly last week, but today it clicked! This was the scene at our morning break when we had our teachers, interpreters, cleaners, guards, directors–everybody–together. We are fortunate that our “new” office building has this wonderful upstairs porch for a break area.
St. Theresa of Lisieux is one of the most popular saints in the Catholic Church and her parents are also official saints. The relics of the parents–Louis and Zélie Martin–were brought to the Saturday evening liturgy of the English community by Bishop Olivier. Click here to see photographs from this visit.