When I first met Paula and her family, her father invited me to visit their village with the offer that he would take us out on his fishing boat. Now that I know them well, he lives in Malaysia in order to earn enough money to continue paying off the family’s debt, incurred throughout the … More Far Flung Fishing Friends
Balancing two boxes of mangoes on her head, a complete stranger greeted me gregariously as we came face-to-face around the same corner this morning. The only word I understood was “American” but I recognised a sales pitch and turned her down as graciously as possible. Lifting my parasol to dodge the roofs of tuk tuks … More Pearls of Maternal Wisdom
Coinciding this year with Easter, Cambodians are celebrating Khmer New Year, one of the most important celebrations on the local calendar. Festivities commemorate the end of harvest, giving farmers a chance to frolic and relax before the Wet Season begins. Contributions are given at pagodas before the ensuing paltry months when the monks take a … More Little Houses in Rice Fields
It is much more difficult in Phnom Penh, to find the impetus to write. My accommodation is a fifth floor apartment overlooking rooftops for as far as the eye can see. This removes me from community life somewhat although I’m slowly starting to recognise the neighbours beyond our apartment block. We recently relocated our office … More Standing On The Outside, Looking In
As a kid I was fearful and timid. It stemmed in some part, from being overly sensitive to the negativity of others. Thankfully I grew out of that. I became braver over the years, to persist with blogging as something that I get enjoyment from, regardless of who may or may not approve. When I … More My Dolores Umbridge of Writing
It is estimated that 230,000 Australians are infected with Hepatitis C virus. In Cambodia the estimation is somewhere between 300,000 to 750,000 people. In late 2015 a number of new Direct Acting Antiviral drugs (DAAs) which cure Hepatitis C in 12 to 24 weeks with few side effects, became available via at least three different … More Injustice in Health Part II
At about 23 years old, in the pub one night I announced “politics doesn’t interest me”. A friend replied “when you start nursing you’ll become political because you’ll be concerned for your patients”. This was a true prediction, but what it missed was an equally true unfolding interest in human psychology, not so much from … More Injustice in Health Part I
Friends in Alice Springs live on a rural property where they breed their own poultry and the occasional larger animal. Oneday last year I was standing in their chicken coop, a glass of wine in hand and about 50 chooks at my ankles, when my friend approached me holding a bedraggled cockerel. “Do you think … More Resolutely Carnivorous
Getting to Kampong Cham after work on a Friday night is not very easy. The last bus from Phnom Penh leaves mid-afternoon. Everyone with a car is a taxi in Cambodia, so I assumed that I could get a ride but it was more hassle than I predicted. Turning up at the market place and … More Heroines and a Kape
Traffic accidents are the leading single cause of death in Cambodia. In 2015 there were 2,265 deaths by traffic accident and 15,000 injuries, 40% of which were serious. Knowing the health care that is available here, I dread to think how much cumulative serious suffering these thousands of injuries cause each year. I think of … More Traveling as a Team
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