Welcome to Cambodia, and….. – Page 172 – Charlie Dittmeier's Home Page

Donald Trump is an evangelist of white nationalism and white supremacy and his message must be rejected on grounds of faith by responsible Christians around the world and here in the U.S. ~ Sojourners

Having a Dream Center

Boy with cochlear implant (above his ear)

Korea Telecom sponsored a center for Cambodian deaf children to receive a medical device called a cochlear implant to help them hear some sounds by bypassing the part of their ear that does not work. Click here to see photos from the opening of the center.

Launch of ACCESS

This week saw the launch of the Australia Cambodia Cooperation for Equitable and Sustainable Services (ACCESS) to which the Maryknoll Deaf Development Programme was invited.

Several officials spoke and there was a panel discussion on how this program can impact projects to address gender-based violence and the needs of people with disabilities.

DDP brought several of its staff to the event
and also provided the sign language interpreting (right).

Seven members of a dance troupe (many of them former DDP students) from Epic Arts offered a performance with performers both with and without disabilities.

Color on the Streets

I’m not sure what kind of shop this is selling what I think of as Filipino Christmas stars. I’m guessing it’s an electrical shop but whatever it is, it sure has a colorful presence on the street.

Power Cuts

My digital clock and everything else was off this afternoon as the recently started daily power cuts continued. The power cuts alternate between morning and afternoon: yesterday the electricity was off for 5.5 hours in the morning and today it was off for 5.5 hours in the afternoon, returning at 5:30 PM. The government knows better than to cut power at night when everyone is at home.

The power situation has been bad throughout the almost twenty years I have been in Cambodia. It improved a bit a few years ago when power transmission lines were erected to buy power from Vietnam. But now it is the worst it has ever been. The prime minister keeps blaming climate change and lack of rain, but that’s just to avoid owning responsibility for the power shortage. After all, he has been in power for 32 years. Either he didn’t see the power problems coming, or he did see them and didn’t plan for them. Either way it reflects rather badly on his leadership.

Notable Quotes

Forgetting God in the recipe of a solid, sacramental marriage is like ignoring or forgetting a key ingredient in a recipe – it simply doesn’t turn out as well as we expected.

Let’s Chat Interview

Today the Khemerican online interview program featured a deaf woman from the United States who is in Cambodia to explore her roots and her Khmer family heritage.

(Photo: Khemerican, Inc.)

Give me water…

All day long this man sells sugar cane chunks to chew and suck on. Sugar cane juice is a most popular natural drink that is squeezed on the streets by vendors pushing their carts. Confronted by sugar cane all day long, though, this man, when he really gets thirsty, pulls out a thermos of water from underneath his cart.

ANM – 4

On this last day of the ANM, we had a blessing ceremony to pray in the Buddhist and Christian traditions for protection for the students and staff of DDP and for a good learning and working environment. Click here to see some photos from the blessing ceremonies.