After swimming in Nai Harn beach for several hours, this little fellow (who happens to be my godson) didn't run out of energy and insisted we also take a dip in their swimming pool. It lasted more than two hours. Mum and Dad could only smile, as this cute little rascal showed off his swimming skills to his Ninang (godmother) Z.


He calls it the Kung Fu jump, one of his many crazy jumps shown to me on that afternoon.

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See more Wordless here.

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Isang tulog na lang!!

One night to go and we're off to Phuket.
Weeeeeee!!!

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This is how the people of Thailand say "welcome". And like our very own mabuhay, it also connotes a host of other meanings mostly for wishing people well.

So by now you have an idea that I am in Bangkok for some business matters. I'll be in PP soon. To those who come and visit this blog from time to time, please excuse me for not being able to post or visit your blogs regularly. I have so many things on my mind and a lot more to do that blogging has to take a backseat for now. But I do promise to resume blogging when I have completed my tasks.

See you soon and kap kuhn kah (thank you):)

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Hello everybody!

Thanks for dropping by even if I have no updates.
I slipped out of Cambodia and in to the Philippines quietly. I am here for matters concerning my health. I do not wish to divulge details about it as I do not want to dampen everyone's mood but let me just say that after some tests, there is no immediate cause for concern, thank God.

From my end, I am enjoying my time here at home in Roxas City, eating home-cooked meals that I sorely missed. A close friend based in Norway commented on my non-existent gimik schedule as biglang natahimik, as opposed to my being a curacha when I was in Phnom Penh where I was almost always out of town doing something in the community.

I must admit though that after a couple of days here in Roxas, I kind of miss Cambodia already. I miss my husband (he still has work - school holiday is two months away), and thanks to modern technology, we exchanged sms and talk through YM almost every night. I still have to stay for more tests but for now, I'll just sit back, relax and enjoy the vacation while it lasts. I am spending time with my parents (who are looking older everytime I come home) and my siblings and their brood - a nephew and nieces - who (except for my nephew) I haven't seen since they were born.

I have been enjoying my holiday and soon it will be over, but let me just show you where I've been spending most of my time:

In one of our family outings, we went to this not so known beach resort in Barangay Basio, in Ivisan town, about 36kms away from the capital city of Roxas. It was such a surprise to see white sand and clear waters comparable to Boracay without going out of Capiz at all! I was even more surprised that only a handful of visitors go there... mabuti nga iyon, we had the beach all to ourselves lang.

Let the pictures speak for itself:







Beautiful, isn't it?
It is still pristine, untouched by the claws of commercialism. I would definitely come back to Basiao with my husband next time.

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My husband Rob and I are currently in retreat in the coastal town of Kep to get away from the madness of the capital, Phnom Penh. Kep town was, in another era, a tourist centre for the wealthy from Phnom Penh, who enjoyed its beaches, fish and sea breezes. Now, the municipality as a whole is impoverished and relies on inshore fishing and small-scale agriculture. There are a couple of family-run fish sauce factories, and about 1,000 hectares of salt basins providing employment for about twenty family enterprises and seasonable employment for perhaps sixty more.Kep has always been our choice for weekend getaways because, compared to Cambodia’s other beachtown, Sihanoukville, it still has a “remote” feel to it and there is still a small number of tourists coming in. Besides, Kep has a special place in our hearts, having lived here in 2006 when I started IDRC's rural ICT project here.

Our visit this time has another purpose – for my husband to turn over the brand new computer set with sound system and copier-printer-scanner machine to the monks of Wat Kampong Tralach where he used to teach while we lived here. The money used to purchase all of these was collected from the sales of the Cambodian CD maps, plus, the donation from his family in memory of his deceased grandmother and grandfather. The happiness on the faces of the monks was undeniable, and the excitement of the kids was contagious when they saw the computer games they could play with. Apart from computer operations, we spent half a day yesterday at the wat with Rob teaching the head monk, Ven. Pring Phoeun, how to operate the three-in-one machine: photocopying, scanning and printing documents. The photocopy machine is very useful to them to reproduce their lesson plans and exercises for the students, and also for designing and printing signs and leaflets for the wat. The classes are of mixed ages and abilities, and some travel by bicycle from as far as halfway to Kampot for free English classes. These are children of farmers and fishermen who are eager to study the language, but do not have enough resources to go to a private language school. If anybody would like to donate materials, such as books, educational CDs, or similar, Cambodia Maps CD now has a post office box address:
Cambodia Maps CD
P.O. Box 576, Phnom Penh
Cambodia

**
For more information on the Cambodia Maps CD, please click here.

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Although we did not do anything special on the night of Valentine’s as R had a class and I worked late, we decided to spend our weekend on a Valentine’s holiday in Siem Reap. We stayed home that night, ordered pizza, and planned our trip. Yay, after so many attempts, we quietly disappeared for the weekend. Just the two of us, and none of our friends knew about it.

With only the Lonely Planet as our guide, we spent our time exploring the lesser known and less visited temples in Angkor Wat. As expected, we brushed elbows with tourists, competed with them for the best view or best spot. Most of them arrived in busloads after busloads after busloads. We would sneak and blend in with some tour groups to hear the tour guides explain more of the history behind the temples. I know, we’re cheap, hah.

I’ve been to Angkor Wat many times already, but man, I am still amazed every time. And who wouldn’t be? The structure and architecture is truly a world wonder and the religious symbolism stands as a reminder of the once-great Khmer civilisation. Exploring the temples, I learned, requires the patience of a pilgrim (queueing for pictures) and the agility of a mountain climber (climbing and hopping from one temple to another).



We had only each other to take our own pictures. We took turns, we raced with other tourists for the best spot. It was fun. We wanted to have a picture of us together and we solved this little snag by setting the camera on self-timer and placing it on any safe place we could find. Talking about need... necessity is indeed the mother of invention! The results weren’t that bad, see for yourself (below). More pics in my Flickr album.



One kind tourist, an Australian, saw our antics and was amused at what we were doing. He probably had us mistaken for honeymooners, and kindly offered to take our picture. Hah, good one, eh?

Next time we go back, we will visit Khbal Spean’s underwater stone carvings and the mysterious Phnom Kulen. Kaya abangan ang susunod na kabanata. Watch out for the next episode.

*Side note: The temples of Angkor are a source of pride and nationalism to the Cambodian people. Rightfully, the Cambodian government is spending millions to preserve these precious treasures for the next generations of Cambodians to come to and for tourists to see. However, isn't it disgusting to see how some thoughtless and irresponsible tourists leave their trash behind? I know, garbage is a problem in Cambodia, especially in touristy Siem Reap but could we at least show some restraint and dispose of our garbage in its proper place no matter how tiny it is?

Also, if you think the temples of Angkor deserve it, please add them to your list as you vote for the new seven wonders of the world. It's disheartening to see that the rice terraces of the Philippines are not included in the list. What happened?

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I could have opted to stay at home in our apartment in Phnom Penh and indulged in watching cable TV like I always do at the end of the year.

I didn't want to go to Krong Kep... again. My first time there proved to be, well, a disaster of sorts. There were few guesthouses, and unfortunately, where we stayed there was no electricity and the bed was infested with dust mites so badly that when I went back to Phnom Penh I had skin allergies.

The thought of that happening again made me cringe.

However, this time it is different.
Rob and I would be together to greet the New Year. And the thought of R and me together in this sleepy seaside town tickled my fancy, especially since we would be witnessing the last sunset of 2005.

After batting an eyelash, I said yes to R.

Guidebooks, travel websites and magazines dub Kep as Cambodia's forgotten beach. Kep used to be the resort town from the 19th century till the 60s in Cambodia. Seaside resorts and villas used to dominate Kep's landscape in the old days. Now, these structures are left in ruins and disrepair as a reminder of its golden days. Kep now is more known for its array of fresh seafood, than its beaches, which are stony and not quite as pleasing as the beaches of Sihanoukville.

To me, the beach of Kep is not enticing.
I'm used to the pristine beaches in the Philippines, but Kep is a nice place to go, the kind of place where things are still left untouched by the claws of commercial tourism. Unlike Sihanoukville, there is a "primitive and unyielding" feel to Kep.

3-4 hours away from Phnom Penh, Kep is 24kms from the town of Kampot, 49kms from the Vietnamese town of Ha Tien, and surrounded by the Gulf of Thailand . Small in land size, Kep is swallowed by its neighbor Kampot. Several hills dot Krong Kep on one side, where the vegetation is still thick and green. Leading to the crescent-shape beach that is frequented by local visitors, the road zigzags along the coast. On one side are the hills, and on the other side is a magnificent view of the sea.

Distance: 172kms from Phnom Penh

Travel time: 2.5hours (our drivers to and back transformed into madmen once we were out of the city limits and on to the national highway).

Private taxi rental, there and back. The better you haggle, the lower the cost of the taxi - $53

Hotel No 4, Le Foit Rouge, a double room, ensuite toilet and bath, with fan and 5 local channel-TV (huge black spiders, crickets and other bugs free lodging in the toilet)- $15


For all meals during our stay we ate fresh seafood caught locally (includes softdrinks and water)- $20


Motobike rental- $3





2 Bicycles - $2
____
Grand total $93

What we found:

Kep's muse



Behind the sunset



Last sunset of 2005



My man and the sea

P r i c e l e s s.

For everything else, there's mastercard.
*mastercard logo here*
(Except there are no credit card facilities in Kep)

Ooops... take 2...

For everything else, there's greenbacks.
*picture of a dollar*

More Kep photos in my photoblog.

Have a great year, everyone. May we make/blog lots of good memories, enough to last a lifetime.


***
The idea of spending the weekend/end of the year in Kep was an idea I could not let pass for two reasons. One is that this was the first time that Rob and I went out of town together for more than a few hours. Great for bonding time.

There is a superstition, or whatever you call it, that whoever you spend the New Year with, you will be with for the whole year. Isn't it sweet? Finally, after 5 years of quiet (or the absence of) Christmas and NY celebration, I had someone special to celebrate it with.

Second, our aim was to assess the place. Before the year ended, I was offered the possibility of a new job in a new place, Kep. It may uproot me from Phnom Penh and transfer me to this seaside town. More on this later.

Rob and I decided that we should see the place first, have a feel of the town and the people, and then decide later. So we went around town, exploring the area, asking questions and getting some valuable answers which will help me in deciding whether to accept the offer or not.

*I was told that the project needed some re-negotiations with the relevant government ministry, and so is not expected to start 'til the start of summer (April).
So stay tuned.
:D

Originally posted here.

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... barely surviving. Trying to stay focused on the task of revising a multitude of proposals and editing end-of-the-year project reports. Plus, there's the added work of staff recruitment for ABE.

But I am happy to tell you that on the last weekend of 2005, Rob and I escaped the maddening Phnom Penh to the beachtown of Kep. Faraway from the hustle and bustle of city life (and work), we forgot about Phnom Penh for awhile, explored the town, and enjoyed the sceneries. What we discovered was fantastic! Read here.

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Finally… home! And guess who met me at the airport? My nephew Joshua!
First meeting didn’t go well. He was just looking at me blankly with crossed eyebrows and big eyes, as if to say “who the heck is this strange woman with lots of hair talking to me?”.

It has been over four months since Joshua was born and he is now the epitome of little boy charm and cuteness. Four months and he has now acquired a lot of skills. He can roll over by himself, crawl backwards, raise his head up and down while lying on his stomach (reminds me of a turtle :P), scratch his face on the pillow and wiggle his legs, blow bubbles, and is showing early signs of potential talent in gymnastics (pulling and putting his toes in his mouth – oh, very flexible). He has an ample supply of saliva and skillfully blows bubbles out of it. One time Popsie was cooing to him and he spit a mouthful of bubbles to Popsie’s face. Haha. Way to go Josh. He’s teething now as well.



At night, he couldn’t sleep early. He stays up midnight playing and cooing and peeing and playing and cooing and peeing until wee hours in the morning. Every night. And it’s making his mom, my sister, frustrated. And the rest of the household half-awake at daytime.

I have lots of nephews and nieces already, but they’re from cousins, not from my siblings. And so with my parents, being a first time ‘real’ grandparents, I have a feeling that my nephew is being spoiled by them. Every little sound Joshua makes, my parents squeal in delight. My mother would run to Joshua’s crib everytime she hears something. My two brothers rush home from school and work to play with him.

So during my mini-break from work, I spent much of the time looking after this little guy so his mother could do something else, and I could not help but look at him closely, examining his every move or facial expression, trying to figure out which parts of his body he got from our side and which parts he got from his father’s side. The nose is undeniably ours. Hahaha. Joshua looks exactly like a light(er)-complexioned boy version of my sister :D :D.

I watched him make faces, smile, frown, or look confused with those huge eyes. I made faces, raised my eyebrow and stuck out my tongue at him to amuse him and waited to see if he would imitate me. I get delighted when he would do something similar to what I did. And when he did, I told myself that this little guy is smart like his Aunty :P. I may never had the chance to see him grow up since I am far away from home (for now), but it was a special moment for me having seen and held him, even for a very short time.

Ahhh. Geez. The joy of seeing and holding one’s nephew when they’re still tiny. Methinks I’m a very doting Aunty. Oh well, let’s wait till he turns from baby to toddler to pre-school age. I wonder if he will turn out to be a charming little rascal just like his Pareng Jake (the Jake-zilla). That’s another story worth blogging about.

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Finally Bacolod at past 11noontime! From Roxas, we left at 7am, taking an L300 van that would take us to Iloilo City. Then we transferred to a jeepney that took us about 15mins to Muelle Loney St., where the pier is. After the usual hassle of getting tickets and bag inspections, we boarded Supercat, a fast-jet that would take us to Bacolod City in less than an hour. Years ago, when I was still in university, it took 2 hours via slow boat to get to Bacolod. So now it’s fast eh? Great. At this day and age, people are rushing to do things, to reach their destinations, even young people rushing to grow up. What's the rush?

Trip was good. Sun’s out, perfect for this boat ride, but bro Jeck and I were a little motion-sick after the fast-jet docked in Bacolod just under an hour. Sat down at the terminal for a while before calling Doc Sharon who was expecting us. The Banago port improved a lot, cleaner and more organized. No more of the obnoxious porters around.

Sharon was still taking a shower when we arrived; just finished her shift. Got the chance to look around the pediatric section of the hospital. Typical government hospital. Lots of patients at the free ward, sick children sharing beds. At least the ward is clean. Old, dilapidated buildings, some abandoned, others still used. There were also under construction, Lindy, the Pedia section secretary, told me that the constructions were started last year, before the elections, but apparently the candidate associated with the hospital lost, and thus, the unfinished buildings. A little later, Sharon emerged! You’ll never recognize her as doctor at a quick glance, especially when she’s not in her doctor uniform. But she’s every inch a doctor when you see her attend to her patients. Over a hearty lunch of inasal na manok (grilled chicken)and garlic rice at one of Bacolod’s manukan houses (chicken-houses which Bacolod is so well-known for), we talked about university life and beyond. Who got married, and who married who, who’s dating who, who worked where, what happened to our crushes, teachers, enemies, etc. In between bites of chicken leg, we laughed and giggled. She’s the same Sharon I know: determined, funny, and full of optimism that someday her prince shall come. The last time I saw her was in 1997 (7 long years!) when she was still in medical school in Cebu City. I, on the other hand, was working for ABS-CBN Naga City.

Sharon and me. Then and now.

Anyway, Sharon was my roommate for almost 4 years, aside from being classmates in most GE (general education) subjects in UP for the first two years of our college life. We lived, ate, shopped together, borrowed money from each other, exchanged notes, gossiped, shared secrets, heartaches, as well as successes big and small. Doc Shao has been my confidante for quite some time now, and I thank her for that. Religion did not come in between us, she, a Baptist, and me, a Catholic. We respect what the other was and could not. But what drew us together was the desire to achieve something. This stemmed from the fact that her two older sisters were already degree holders (one a law student, now taking the bar exams as of this writing, and the other a CPA)when we were studying, and me, being the eldest in the family and trying to set an example for my younger siblings. Our parents became friends as well even after our university days. Despite not seeing each other for 7 years, thanks to modern ICT, we have maintained contact through email and text. But both have the same sentiments for snail mail so we send mails from time to time. Actually we’re perfect for each other, perfect 10! Right, Shao? She promised she’ll be my future children’s doctor. So what’s the point of this seemingly senseless blog? Wala lang. Just that, real friendships last. You can make new friends, and keep the old. Someday they might be useful to you. Bwahahahaha. Seriously, madamo guid nga salamat, Sha, sa pila ka tuig naton na pag-amigahay. Life in UP would never be the same without you.

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Okay, at this hour the room is a mess and I am still packing. It's about 6 hours before my flight. hah. In state of panic now. In two hours or so, I need to finish packing, tidy up the house and catch some sleep. Seems like a tornado hit the room and everywhere is messy :D.

I need to put R's package (for Momsie)in the luggage. But before I do that, look,R, postmarks still intact, as per your instruction. :D . Momsie would be pleased, that means a thousand pogi points in your favor. Lekat, sandamukal na katanungan na naman ito ni Momsie. Sino sa mga kaibigan mo ang nakapunta sa France? Bakit naman nya ako bibigyan? Ano mo ba siya, boypren? Hay, inangkupotalaga. Ayaw ko pa naman magsalita kasi kina-calculate ko ang moves ko no.

What else?? Passport... check. Tickets... check. Wait, asan ang ID ko? Ngapala, it's in my waistbag, together with some spare cash. Whew, buti na lang! thought I was going to go through my stuffs again, one by one. After a few more rounds of combing through the stuffs, I decided everything's packed and the day is done for me. Tomorrow, holiday starts. Sleep is now calling me... in a few hours, I will be in Manila... lie haoy, Cambodia... mabuhay, Philippines, here i come!!

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The clock is now ticking loudly to the day that I will be … well, home!
Exactly 2 days from now. So let me see… I really need to check my to-do list before I go home. Here goes:

1. Finance situation for 2005 (chart) (done)
2. Set up meeting with Canada Fund (done)
3. CFI proposal letter (revision of budget) (done, with positive result)
4. Canada Fund concept paper (all projects in one)
5. Fundraising activity outline
6. Make sure the Annual Report is sent to everyone in the list (partially done)
7. TMA2 Media survey (maybe finish at home)
8. Buy silk cloths for Momsie, polo for Bigboy, Cambodian tshirts for Lab
9. Pay house rent and electricity and phone bills
10. See Kunthea, my Khmer language teacher, before she leaves for India (one-year study)
11. Pick up the softwares CDs from Ate Susan (to send to Davao City thru LBC)
12. Call up Badette (about her padala for her parents, but not the VCD player puh-lease!)

***
I saw Mao Vy today. She’s gained weight, and she looks happy. I didn’t get to talk to her that much because I was riding the cyclo (see picture) and she was on her moto probably on her way home. Just enough to say soksapbay (how are you) and lie haoy (goodbye). Mao Vy used to be the finance officer in the office (Mlup Baitong). She was efficient and rather good at keeping Mlup Baitong’s finances in order, but her bad attitude overshadowed her good work performance. She’s younger than me but looks older because she’s masungit and definitely has no person-to-person skills, which is a must if you are an NGO worker. Every single staff, from the cleaner to the Project Officers and to the Coordinator, is at odds with her. That’s why she has no friends at the office. Nobody asked her to go out and eat or hang out on Friday nights. No one invites her to any lunch outs during weekends. Poor girl. Anyway, I think she’s happier now that she’s not working with us anymore. Months after leaving MB, she got married to an American (huh!) and I heard she’s only waiting for her visa to arrive so she could join her husbie in USA. Good for her. By the way, the girl in pink in the picture is Mao Vy. Amanda took this while we were on our way to a wedding. All prettily made up and riding a cyclo to a wedding. Hah.

***
Borrowed from MizBelle’s blog:
“Don’t go for looks; they can deceive. Don’t go for wealth; even that fades away. Go for someone who makes you smile because it takes only a smile to make a dark day seem bright. Hope everyone finds the one that makes them smile.”

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Last April 13th, I celebrated the Thai New Year at my friends' (Keefe and Hiroko) Bangkok apartment. The year here is 2547, that is 2,547 years since the enlightenment of the Buddha when he reached the state of nirvana. Songkran is the term for the Thai New Year event in which the sun moves from one zodiac sign into the other. When the sun leaves Pisces to be in Aries the occassion is described as Maha Songkran, or a grand Songkran. Traditional Thais use this heavenly phenomena to mark the beginning of the new year. Anyway, what this means now is a big fuss and a one-week holiday for the Thais. For most Thais, the use the opportunity to travel to be with their families, as many people work in Bangkok but come from other provinces in Thailand.

While Bernadette (my friend who is a VSO Volunteer) was up north (Chiang Mai), I stayed in Bangkok where the new year is celebrated with a 3-day water fight. From about 10am to 10pm (or even later) everyone throws water on everyone. I did my best to avoid the dirty canal water as I didn't fancy dead rats thrown on me-- eeewww! It was heaps of fun and with it being a big tourist attraction , turns out to be the tourists versus Thais competition of throwing water on each other. People spend all day for 3days driving around with pick-up loads/tuk-tuk loads of people and big rubbish bins full of iced water. Thankfully it was so bloody hot (it averaged 40c for 3days straight) that being drenched with water is a relief!

Everyone is a target during Songkran-- you simply cannot stay dry. You soon learn that if you can't beat 'em, might as well join 'em. But it's so much fun why wouldn't you want to? So all in all, it was a lovely week of water, sun and Songkran... I am now back in Cambodia, shuffling papers in the office...

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