BonnieSphere Cambodia

Hello, everyone!

Again, a translation from the French version, so, again again, please forgive if my syntax seems a bit odd at times.

Today is my 48th birthday. I’ve never had a birthday quite like it… surrounded by warm, smiling people (oh, yes, THAT part I’ve certainly had the pleasure of experiencing!) who go about their business in the humid air, under the cloudy sky. We’re all hoping for rain, as the rice paddies are suffering from the dry weeks we’ve had recently. It’s ironic; everywhere I went this summer – Maine, Vermont, and even Paris, I hear – it rained incessantly. Whereas here in Cambodia, in the middle of the rainy season, the clay soil is turning to dust which blows away with the wind. Rain, please! That would be a lovely birthday present.

While we’re on the subject… I’m going to take blatant advantage of the fact that this is a special day for me to tell you that you could give me another precious birthday present. Make a donation to the center where I’m living among such wonderful people. While everything is going quite well at the moment, they still have a need for simple things like soap, lotion for their bodies so that their skin won’t get to dry and become more susceptible to the sores that often come to AIDS sufferers. A little extra money would also come in handy so that the children could eat meat and fruit more often.

Many of you made donations while I was in Paris, either during one of our benefit concerts or hand-to-hand. I’d like to tell you that, with your gifts, I’m going to be able to buy plates, cups and silverware for everyone, as well as a storage cupboard, so that the children no longer have to take turns eating or hide their (often unwashed) plates after meals in secret places where the rats come during the night to clean them off themselves.

But if you’d like to give a little extra, please don’t hesitate! Here’s the link: http://www.tsoham.info. The director, Wayne, will receive your gift directly in his own bank account.

Meanwhile, I’ve been spending a certain amount of time writing entries on my personal blog, in English (http://www.bonniesphere.com/blog) It’s easier for me, as English is the first language one learns here after Khmai – although medical students must learn French as well. As for me, when I try to communicate in Kmhai, often French words come slipping in. That’s not always a problem, since many Cambodian words are derived from the French – thanks to a hundred years of French occupation.

My apologies, therefore, to my French-speaking friends, for the lack of information in French. If you’re not intimidated by English, please come visit the other blog, and leave your comments. There’s already enough to read to keep you busy for some time!

I’ve posted some photos from my first days here on this site: http://picasaweb.google.com/bonniewoolley.

Since my arrival I’ve spent quite a bit of time getting settled in, trying to get used to new habits, customs, practices. The residents here welcome us with open arms; the difficulty lies more in adjusting to living conditions, which, while being quite sufficient to live a healthy existence, are very different to those we’re accustomed to in the West.

The children are currently on vacation, and school will start up again in several weeks. They’re enjoying their free time, doing lots of playing, of course, but some are also working. There are several projects underway on the site, one of which is the construction of a new fish pond. Adult workers are supervising the enterprise, but several of the children are participating, and will be paid by Wayne for their work, so that they can buy themselves some new shoes or school clothes.

Tomorrow a delegation from the Taiwanese Rotary will come inaugurate the site where they’re planning to build a new dormitory. Finally, all the children will have a bed, in a place made just for sleeping – and nothing else. At them moment many of them sleep in the main building, which was originally a hospital, during the time when people came to Wat Opot mostly to die. Wayne will be able to transform that space into real office space for the staff, and also create a clinic worthy of the name for patients from the center and from the surrounding community. For he is really the only health-giver available to most people in the area when someone is ill or wounded. I’ve already watched two “operations” – injuries requiring stitches, with neither the proper equipment nor medication on hand… which took place in the open air.

Otherwise, the days pass peacefully here. There’s always something happening, but nothing serious, nothing sad. At least for the moment. For I can’t forget that that many of the children (and adults) are already on second-line treatment for AIDS, and that, given the living conditions in this country, there’s no guarantee that they’ll be able to fight the disease forever. A new little boy arrived a few days ago, and Wayne is worried about him. He came because he was ill, and his parents weren’t able to care for him properly. We hope that he’s not come to this place too late.

It’s time for our meal (“haup bai!”) Thanks for reading, and I again invite non-anglophobes to come read my personal blog. And… please leave your comments – I enjoy reading your reactions to our adventures!

XOXOXOXOX

Bonnie

Tags: blog, Cambodia

Hello, hello everone!

I’m writing to you from a café along the riverside in Phnom Penh. I’m comfortably installed in a rattan armchair with fat cushions, my second double espresso sitting on the table next to me. No, this isn’t a vacation, it’s just a little “civilization break”.

(Note – this message is a translation from the French text, which I wrote first, so please excuse any linguistic weirdness. I’m too stressed about not getting an internet connection over the wifi to think much about language right now…)

If only the internet connection would actually function correctly, everything would be perfect. I’m doing what I can with the on-and-off moments I’m online, surfing between hope, victory, despair. (Sounds much better in French, all that.)

Anyway, let’s do an English adaptation of this message instead of trying to translate, ok?

I’ve realized that it’s going to be difficult to write long, detailed posts on both this blog and my personal blog. I’m going to have to give some careful thought about what to post on this one, which will be read by more people. (My English STILL sounds stilted… Maybe I’ll try in Khmai?)

For the moment, let me just say that all is well, I’m getting settled in, things are becoming more familiar / acceptable (smells, food, daily life) except for one thing… I’m not sure I’ll EVER agree to sharing my living space with Mr. Rat.

If anyone would like to read my personal blog, where I speak in detail of my experience here (in English) please let me know and I’ll send you the password and URL. If I ever manage to get access to my email, that is!

Otherwise, I shall try to post some interesting things here, mainly about my work with the kids, which is what interests you most, I know. We’ve already started working on a photo project – I have a strange impression of “urgency”, even though I’ve not even been here for a week yet!

I’ll also post photos, and examples of the work they do. It will take me some time to get into a rhythm, so please be patient.

Meanwhile, please don’t hesitate to make a comment or two on these pages – it would be nice if my friends chat among themselves on this site, even if I can’t get here to read it myself!

Kisses to all…

Bonnie

I’m testing a new plugin which will – hopefully – make this site easier to read (separating French and English entries.) Patience, please!

12 September 2008 – BW flies to Cambodia to stay at Wat Opot until June 2009 / 12 septembre 2008 – BW va au Cambodge pour séjourner à Wat Opot jusqu’en juin 2009

Tags: Bonnie, Cambodia, séjourner, stay, trip, voyage, Wat Opot

Just found these on YouTube. I have yet to determine who “Gooudj” is – but I suspect it’s a friend of one of the Gaudeamus gang. These are excerpts from two concerts we gave for Wat Opot, one in December 2007 and one in June 2008. Both concerts (given in our rehearsal space, a chapel at St. Marcel in Paris) featured Gaudeamus (young adult choir of the American Church in Paris) and Allucere (my intermediate adult choir), and the December concert also included my handbell ensemble, the Maîtres Sonneurs. Cool!

A little taste, just to encourage you to go to YouTube to hear the others… an excerpt of “Prayer of the Children” by Kurt Bestor:

Get the Flash Player to see this player.

Excerpts – Concert for Wat Opot – June 2008

Go Tell it on the Mountain (sung by Gaudeamus – soloists are Linda Benakli and Fernande Mboutou Ze) -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-x8Qmnx71aE

“Bring Back My Bonnie to Me” (Allucere – very special song, a surprise for me at the end of the concert… ) -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FLi-dzmKAC8

“Prayer of the Children” (Gaudeamus) –
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rkO3qL4kvVo&feature=related

“Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy” (Gaudeamus) -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w9FTfu-4fBg&NR=1

“J.E.S.U.S” (comp. M & J Akintunde ; Gaudeamus) -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FYcWEVAHrPo

“When I Fall in Love” (Allucere) -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fwXvUk9KpOo

“Tu es bon” (by M & J Akintunde ; Gaudeamus) –
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OqVm_Pix93c

“Lean on Me” (Gaudeamus) -
Part 1 – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eWwAuUi9g6w&feature=related
Part 2 – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=izdE441d7GE&feature=related

Excerpts – Concert for Wat Opot – December 2007

“Wolcum Yole” (Ceremony of Carols, Benjamin Britten ; Gaudeamus) -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EzX_i6n_tRU

“Joyeux Noel” (comp. M & J Akintunde ; Gaudeamus) -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m2nNZwOmhTw&feature=related

“Sing We Now of Christmas” (Maîtres Sonneurs, my handbell ensemble) -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M01PleJYLJ0

Tags: Allucere, concert, Gaudeamus, handbells, Maîtres Sonneurs, music, musique, Wat Opot

Just in – reports of Cindy McCain’s visit to Wat Opot in June 08.

It sounds like the visit was a positive experience for all concerned. It’s exciting (and also a bit worrying?) that Wat Opot is coming to the world’s attention. As more and more people (including myself, naturally!) learn about Wat Opot and learn to love what’s happening there, I believe the challenge will be to help in the RIGHT kinds of ways – give Wayne the support he needs to keep the kids happy and growing and learning – but in the ways that are right for THEM.

Below are links to accounts of the visit by Wayne, Meghan McCain and John McCain. Personally, I think Wayne’s description of the visit is the best… Probably because it’s the story from the “inside”. I love the “Nakometer” (love the Nak himself, too! )

• Wayne’s page on the visit: http://tsoham.info/index_files/cindymccain.htm
• The entry from Meghan McCain’s “bloguette”: http://mccainblogette.com/arcs/june29_jul09.shtml (Search for “Opot” on the page, and you’ll come to her entry on the visit.)
• John McCain’s blog entry: http://www.johnmccain.com/About/Travels.htm. Do the same search, “Opot”, to find his comments.

  Traduction française à venir…

  Cindy and Wayne in conversation at Wat Opot (photo from Wayne’s site, used with permission.)

  

Tags: Cindy McCain, photos, visit, visite, Wat Opot

Profile…

Frank Smith is the author (director, editor, etc) of the “Extreme Khmer” podcasts that have enlivened my futile efforts to learn Khmer for the past months. He spends his summers teaching at SEASSI (Southeast Asian Studies Summer Institute, in Wisconsin) and has lived, until recently, in Thailand – he’ll soon be relocating to Berkely, California, to pursue his professional career on American shores.

Frank is also a musician and a very clever guy. I wish that Middlebury would open a Khmer school so that we could (possibly) entice him to come spend the summer in lovely Vermont…

—

Tags: apprendre, Frank Smith, Khmer, learn

Rain Water Filters – Our first rain water filters have finally been installed. Visit the Wat Opot site to see photos! In a country where drinking water (even for locals) is “iffy”, these filters can help the center save money. Wat Opot buys drinking water for the center, and every penny not spent is a penny saved. Thanks to Sorya for helping make this project possible!

Tags: drinking, eau, filters, filtres, potable, water

A FANTASTIC program from NPR, thanks to Deb, who forwarded it to me, on Cambodian pop music:

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=19339460

The group is called Dengue Fever, and they’re based in the US. The instrumentalists are all American, but their lead singer is Cambodian – her name is Ch’horn Nimol, and she’s famous in Cambodia.

Info about the group

• Bio de Dengue Fever en français sur Planete Asiat.com
• Dengue Fever’s My Space page: http://www.myspace.com/denguefevermusic

Read more about Dengue Fever

• (In English) See/listen to the review of their album “Escape from Dragon House” on NPR: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4988059
• “Dengue Fever Keeps Things Hot”: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=18570235
• Another article in English: http://www.montrealmirror.com/2006/091406/music1.html

Albums

• Venus on Earth
• Escape from Dragon House
• Dengue Fever

Listen to Dengue Fever

Note: if you have an ad blocker active on your browser, the “listen” widget may not work. If you’d like to listen to Dengue Fever on this page, disable adblocking for this site…

Tags: Dengue Fever, music, musique

I’ve found a wonderful site about Cambodian classical music, from PBS.

http://www.pbs.org/pov/pov2003/thefluteplayer/special_conduct.html. Very cool flash presentations which show the instruments and let you hover over one of them so you can hear it – the recording goes on but the track for that instrument is amplified.

Also: Folklore, music: http://photo-optical.com/cambodia/folklore/folklore-music.html

Tags: khmer music, music, musique, musique khmère