In Cambodia alone there are thousands of hammocks slung between trees on the shores of the Mekong. I see them all the time, many positioned in fairytale-worthy locations. But there’s always poverty. I am sure it gets boring hearing this from the First World where I am well aware how difficult it is to envisage … More Hammocks on the Mekong
When Minnie picked me up at Dili Airport in October 2012 and drove me to their home near the centre of the East Timorese capital I was agape the whole way, at the sights of overcrowded vehicles, casual road rules, animals in traffic, etc. I kept pointing things out to her in case she hadn’t … More Being Barang
In stark contrast to the realities of desperation in poverty, I read this article in the New Yorker which is also worth sharing. Moaning Moguls James Surowiecki July 7, 2014 The past few years have been very good to Stephen Schwarzman, the chairman and C.E.O. of the Blackstone Group, the giant private-equity firm. His industry, … More Moaning Moguls
The amount of unaffordable debt that I hear about here, is staggering. Very many Cambodian families go into debt in order to pay for health care, which is usually unavailable unless the charges can be paid, but with so many people living on or under the poverty line, paying bills is not possible unless a … More Vulnerability
People have to decide whether they live in an economy or a civilised society. Unfortunately too many First Worlders have chosen the former. ~ My friend Steve I like Steve’s quote a lot. He’s a difficult guy for me to have a conversation with because he says it succinctly and I rarely find anything to … More Kindred Connections
As I left home a few moments ago on my bicycle the thought crossed my mind, “whenever I leave home without my camera I regret it”. It didn’t stop me from leaving home without my camera. So now, as I sit at the open doorway of a riverside restaurant with wi-fi, ceiling fans and a … More Watching Workers on the River
About a month ago an Australian friend sent me money for the express purpose of purchasing a bicycle for Paint’s daughter. He is the disabled carpenter building his own home out in a remote village an hour or so from town, whose adopted daughter died from TB early this year. On Thursday we (me via … More Pulling The Wings Off Insects
A couple of months ago I was in Siem Reap for my third visit. One morning my usual tuk-tuk driver Rav, drove me out to Angkor Thom, the ancient walled city of temples. He parked near Baphuon Temple and explained where he would be when I walked out at the other end. I went into … More The Mortification of Many Sweats
These guys changed my world just by being there! University of Texas (UT) graduate, Admiral William H McRaven of the US Navy Seals, gave an inspirational commencement address to 8,000 Class of 2014 UT graduates on 17 May this year. You can watch the speech at this link, which went viral after it was uploaded … More What Starts Here Changes The World
Although it’s exhausting, the best times in my week are spent teaching English to a group of 15 children. This takes place at a home for HIV+ children which was established by local colleagues who worked in the medical field with families of the children, the parents of whom have either died or are not … More Notes on Voluntourism
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