As my project with Medecins Sans Frontieres draws to a close, reflections about the year laid out behind me prevail. I am only leaving Cambodia briefly but my departure and the end of my work commitment here have me feeling very philosophical about this beautiful and catastrophic nation and the incredible experiences I’ve had here. … More Dealing with DRTB
We only have what we give ~ Isabelle Allende This morning I cycled into Shackville en route to work and the mother of my little amputee friend called to him that I was there. In a flash at high speed from around the corner of their shack he appeared and sprinted up a small hill to … More Ghosts and Giving
This week I met a new patient who was unable to control quiet tears every time any of the staff walked into her isolation room. That’s not especially surprising, being diagnosed with two stigmatising diseases (HIV and DRTB) in a country where the majority are already consumed by poverty-related stress. I knew that as the … More Unequal Exaggerations
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
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
Everyday I marvel at the colours of Cambodia. It is difficult to believe that the carrot coloured robes of Buddhist monks, glossy gold and tangerine tiles of temple roofs, dusty bright orange dirt roads and vivid flowers of Poinciana trees in bloom are not deliberately coordinated. White storm clouds strike impressively against deep blue skies … More Hope in a Colourful Country
There are many bicycles in Kampong Cham, even moreso in Cambodia, which carry large sacks shaped around frames positioned over the back carrier and suspended beside the back wheels, used for collecting recyclable cans and plastic bottles which generate a small income. This morning on my way to work, an old woman dressed in rags … More Cutting Cambodian Corners
Despite the amount of poverty that pervades my observations here, there is a charisma to Cambodia which is steeped in characteristics such as humour, dignity, respect and sense of community. Recently, in three separate visits, I spent a chunk of time in the bustling centre of Cambodia’s tourism hub Siem Reap, observing the world. My … More All of the Village Chickens
This has probably become the most often quoted proposition of my life, courtesy of both the fact that I rarely get propositioned, as well as the flood of multi-lingual tuk tuk drivers vying for foreign custom in Siem Reap. Rav was waiting for me this afternoon in a sea of tuk tuks calling to me … More Tuk Tuk, Madame?
We woke today to news of the death of Gabriel Garcia Marquez. Columbia’s President has described him as the “greatest Colombian of all time”. This is surely thanks to his ageless and captivating writing, celebrated by millions of ordinary readers and the Nobel Academy alike. His prose has been described as Magical Realism, which combines … More Magical Realism
alicespringstomind 