Farewell

Judy Santmire has been a regular member of the small group of people who join the Maryknoll Cambodia community for the mass and dinner each Wednesday after our Maryknoll meeting. Today was the last day Judy will be with us and so we presented her with one of our Maryknoll T-shirts we give to our special guests.

A Home-cooked Meal!

The lady who cleans the Maryknoll office and does some cooking has been in the hospital for more than a week so tonight the Maryknoll sisters had mercy on Fr. Kevin Conroy and me and invited us for dinner. It was a special treat to have a baked potato and meat loaf, good ol’ American staples I haven’t had for years. Thank you! [L-R: Kevin, Sr. Mary Little, Charlie, Sr. Regina Pellicore, Sr. Ann Sherman]

Sweeping: A Must

If you judge by their driving habits, Cambodians are an undisciplined group. With many coming from remote areas with dirt roads where cars can’t even go, the idea of following driving laws is novel and not easily accepted. There are many other areas of life, too, where modern practices–and requirements–of city life don’t resonate with people who grew up in a small bamboo house next to a rice paddy.

One exception to the lack of discipline, though, is sweeping–sweeping your street, your property, your house, your school, whatever you have. Sweeping is a MUST. Basically every business and household has someone sweeping in front of their building every morning. It’s just something Cambodians do….

Sweeping at home. Notice the car in the living room.
Sweeping at home gives you a chance to chat with the lady collecting recyclables.
Then you sweep the street out front.
And then you sweep the floor of your advertising business.

City Landmark

One of the landmarks of Phnom Penh is Central Market (arrow), an art deco structure that is quite distinctive. You really note its design when you can see the outside, especially from above, although once you are inside it looks much like any other crowded city market.

A little iron-y….

Sometimes things that surprise me the most about life in Cambodia are simple domestic scenarios. For instance…we have a lady who cleans our office and washes clothes a couple times a week. We needed a new iron so we told her to pick out one that she was comfortable with.

The clunker she bought weights 5.5 lbs.!!! I’m guessing the thinking of the manufacturer is that weight is more important for pressing out wrinkles than heat. And notice it’s NOT a steam iron. God forbid! Asians generally have an extreme sensitivity to “bad” air…and the steam from an iron is in that category. The woman ironing for us, even before Covid, would always wear a face mask when ironing to block breathing the steamy air because she had to dampen the shirts and pants at least a little before ironing them.

Notable Quotes

“Do not so quickly condemn the man who no longer believes in God: for …perhaps your own coldness and avarice and mediocrity and materialism and selfishness … chilled his faith.

Thomas Merton