Money changers are a fact of life in Cambodia where the U.S. dollar is legal currency along with the Cambodian riel. Many workers, e.g., the Deaf Development Programme staff, are paid in dollars and then will change some or all of that to riel for small transactions. The rates change daily and one must be observant to choose a money changer that gives a good rate. Click here to look at the process.
Cambodian Government:Corrupt, Incompetent 2
The scale and pervasiveness of corruption and incompetence in the Cambodian government is really staggering. The Kingdom of Wonder indeed. An outsider would have a hard time understanding 
how bad things are. To help such an outsider grasp the enormity of the situation here, look at these selections from articles in two editions of The Cambodia Daily this week. To me it is really interesting that the government seems to ignore what the Daily prints. The government regularly intimidates, threatens, imprisons, beats, shoots, kills critics and opposition people and yet the English newspapers seem to get away printing some really strong—truthful–articles that paint the government in a most obvious bad light.
Wednesday, 9 August 2017
Thursday, 10 August 2017
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Neighborhood Watch
It’s mid morning and this granny surveys the street from her front gate.
Cambodian Government: Corrupt, Incompetent
The scale and pervasiveness of corruption and incompetence in the Cambodian government is really staggering. The Kingdom of Wonder indeed. An outsider would have a hard time understanding how bad things are. To help such an outsider grasp the enormity of the situation here, look at these selections from articles in two editions of The Cambodia Daily this week. To me it is really interesting that the government seems to ignore what the Daily prints. The government regularly intimidates, threatens, imprisons, beats, shoots, kills critics and opposition people and yet the English newspapers seem to get away printing some really strong—truthful–articles that paint the government in a most obvious bad light.
Wednesday, 9 August 2017
Thursday, 10 August 2017
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Pineapple Time
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The fruits sold on the street indicate the season of the year–in the absence of changes in temperature, plants, etc.—and now it’s pineapple time!
A Small Number of Giant Birds
The giant ibis is Cambodia’s national bird but it is not always respected. Rather it is the victim of deforestation, illegal hunting, and human encroachment. There are only about 200 adult ibises left in Cambodia and so researchers were pleased recently when they discovered nineteen ibis nests in two wildlife sanctuaries in the north near the Thailand border. There is a program to hire community members to guard the nests until the eggs are hatched, protecting them from predators and poachers.
One-size-fits-all Insurance
Under the new law–which probably will not be passed and implemented for at least five years–motorcycles would pay a premium of $17 per year, small cars $70, and large cars $80. If there is an accident with injuries, there will be a payout of $580. If there is a death, $3,000. That’s about all that has been proposed so far and leaves many questions, for example, what if there is an accident with no injuries? No payout?
Topics: Morning Rituals
Every culture has its traditions and rituals and so does Cambodia. Cambodia’s morning rituals may be a little more obvious, though, because so much of Cambodian life is lived on the streets, not inside houses or behind closed doors. Click here to see some early morning activities as the sun rises.
Motorcycle Loads #232
Sometimes backwards is best. When you’re carrying something really bulky on the back of a motorcycle sometimes the only way is for the rider to ride backwards with the load in her or his lap. I had to do that once when I was carrying a new monitor in a big box to one of our offices.
Siobhan Miles
Siobhan Miles died unexpectedly a year ago and today there was a simple ceremony dedicating a library in an NGO in Phnom Penh in her honor. She and her husband Glenn and their daughters Zoe, Hannah, and Sarah used to come to our Maryknoll Wednesday liturgy and dinner until they moved back to Wales. While here, Siobhan worked with the NGO Chab Dai which seeks to strengthen protections for children at risk.
