Deaf – Page 12 – Welcome to Cambodia, and…..

Exciting Day for the Deaf

After the students had eaten and it started to get dark, the musicians took the stage. There were three music groups who performed for 2+ hours.

First on stage was Musica Felice who presented songs from the musical *Les Miserables.*

During that first set, the deaf people–who could not hear or understand the vocals of *Les Miserable*–gathered together to talk and enjoy this different venue.

When Musica Felice had finished their performance Miwako came down to be with the students and a lot of selfies were taken.

Then Sea Wolf, a prominent rock group in Cambodia, took the stage and our students got energized by music they could feel even if they couldn’t hear it. Some of them jumped up on the stage to dance.

The third group to perform was Kai, from Thailand, and they were well received, too, and brought out the dancers. This was probably the first rock concert the deaf youth had ever attended and the setting was perfect for them to get an experience of exciting music.

Musica Felice held their most recent concert–an event to benefit the Deaf Development Programme–at Exchange Square Mall in Phnom Penh, a change of venue from the usual 5-star hotel setting. It was quite a new experience for our deaf students in various ways.

Our students arrived early in order to have time to eat before the music started. The outdoor venue was a parking lot of Exchange Square fitted out with a music stage and various stalls for food vendors.

Miwako Fujiwara, the concert organizer, gave each of the students $10 so they could buy their own food at the various stalls. That was a BIG deal for them, to have that much money and the chance to try Mexican or other new foods. Here Oula, our teacher, gave out the money.

There were several food options available from different countries but a lot of the deaf students stayed with the Khmer food they know best.

Hamburgers and quesadillas for this group.

Musica Felice Donation

Yesterday Musica Felice held a benefit concert at Exchange Square in Phnom Penh to help the Caritas Deaf Development Programme. In October DDP also benefited from a previous Musica Felice concert and this week Miwako Fujiwara presented the proceeds from that event. Thank you, Miwako! Thank you, Musica Felice!

Exciting Day for the Deaf

Today Musica Felice, under the direction of Ms. Miwako Fujiwara, organized an outdoor benefit concert at Exchange Square Mall in Phnom Penh, with the Deaf Development Programme as the beneficiary. It turned out to be quite an evening and at one point, as Sea Wolf, one of the premier bands of Cambodia was playing a song, a group of our deaf youth spontaneously ran up on to the stage to dance with them.

Human Rights Celebration

This is the 75th year since the UN’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights was promulgated and this evening the local Office of the High Commission on Human Rights had a reception at a big hotel. Our Deaf Development Programme works a lot with OHCHR (I have a meeting with them at 9:00 tomorrow morning) and I was invited.

It was quite a production and a nice meal at the end. It was good to note some of the achievements in the last 75 years but disheartening to see how little we have progressed. There’s still much to do. [The sign language interpreter on the right of the stage is one of my staff.]

Hong Kong Trip

Departure

Today I returned to Phnom Penh from Hong Kong. I have more photos to show from the trip but i ran into multiple problems when I came home and needed to reinstall some apps and that took up too much time. For today, this is a view at 7:00 in the morning on the way out of Hong Kong city across a new bridge, heading out to the airport built on some islands.

Hong Kong Trip 3

Pastoral Center Anniversary

December 4 was the anniversary celebration for the pastoral center in Homantin for people with disabilities. Because the center is not so large, the mass and dinner were held at a high school.

Judy Wu Man Ha came to Rosary Church where I am staying while in Hong Kong to take me to the venue for the celebration. On the way she pointed out these gift baskets bunched on a sidewalk and explained that the culture dictates that the groom and his groomsmen give these gifts to the bride’s family. Apparently a wedding celebration was taking place there.

Judy and I arrived at the church early and had a chance to meet some of the deaf people, also early birds.

It was most pleasant to see Fr. Kam Po Wai, now the vicar general of the Hong Kong diocese, at the celebration. He was in Cambodia for several years and we got to know each other well. Good man!

Ophelia Chan and Judy Wu. Ophelia is one of those people who gets things done in professional and government circles.

Fr. Po Wai incensing the altar to begin the liturgy.

A group with an enlarged photo of the pastoral center. It was built in the early 1950s as a refugee center for people fleeing the Communist takeover of China and coming to Hong Kong.

After mass we went to the high school auditorium for a joyful meal together.

Hong Kong Trip

Catholic Deaf Gathering

Tomorrow will be a gathering of all the disability groups to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the center but today the deaf people gathered in the afternoon. It was wonderful simple event that was one of the most affirming days of my life.

When most people had gathered, we had a simple meal together, really informal.

It had been about six years since I was last in Hong Kong–thanks to Covid–and it was a really joyous reunion between me and the Catholic deaf community.

We made a picture with all the men present.

And then we invited all the women into a group photo.

And then we recognized the “volunteers” (really, ministers in my way of thinking) who have basically been with the Catholic deaf community for 20+ years.

Here, I am thanking the deaf community for their welcome, their coming together that evening, and for the gift of money they offered to support deaf work in Cambodia.

Hong Kong Trip

Travel Day

On Sunday the Hong Kong Catholic center for people with disabilities will celebrate its 30th anniversary. I helped to set up the center in what used to be a refugee center for people fleeing mainland China so I was invited to the anniversary and flew to Hong Kong two days in advance.

I was surprised at the Phnom Penh airport to be greeted by one of our deaf community. He was flying to Bangkok on the same flight with me, going to visit his deaf friends. I am very pleased that he has succeeded enough in life to have disposable income to use like that.

I had a five-hour layover in Bangkok. Before Covid, there were several direct Phnom Penh-to-Hong Kong flights, but not any more. I was flying AirAsia, a budget airline. Their tickets are considerably less expensive but they charge $62 for a checked bag and even had a fee of $36 for buying the ticket with my Visa card!

Now that the Maryknoll priests have sold their Hong Kong center house, I had no place to stay so I arranged to stay at Rosary Church in the touristy Tsim Sha Tsui area of Kowloon. It is an old historic and elegant church and many people want to get married there. The church has four to six weddings on a weekend. Here a bridal party takes photos before their ceremony.

Human Rights for the Deaf 4

The training for judges and prosecutors working with people with disabilities was organized by the Office of the High Commission on Human Rights (or UN Human Rights). It was held at the Angkor Paradise Hotel which seemed to have five or six UN and NGO meetings going on while still accommodating hordes of tourists come to see Angkor Wat.

The Angkor Paradise Hotel is a beautiful facility but much of its beauty comes from its (over) use of luxury woods native to Cambodia, one of its treasures.