Cambodia (continue)

heading to the Catholic church at Tonle Sap

The first place we wanted to visit was the only Catholic church here at the great lake, since it was the only reason for our entire trip. Months ago, several friends aware of our charity mission trip so they sent us donation, including some typical home remedies, medical supplies and some clothing for the people lives here. We met a deacon name Tuan, who is a Vietnamese and can speak the local language, and after we introducing to each others, I explained to him the reason why I was there and hand over to Tuan the gift package, and feel the heavy load (pun intended) just lift off from my shoulder , because together it was about 1/3 of all luggage that we dragged around since the day I left America for this trip.

With deacon Tuan & his wife in front of the Catholic church

There was another gift envelop that I haven't give it to Tuan yet, but asked him later to take us to Father Heri, a priest and a father figure here, who currently resides in Siem Reap and come here every weekend to provide spiritual support for this community, including financial support for the poor whenever he can help them. We then took a tour to visit the floating village to see it in my own eyes on how these people live, whether what we could do in the future to help this floating community.

A floating school or tourist trap ?

The first stop we visited was the only floating school on this great lake, and within few minutes, I could say that this is not only a school but also a tourist trap for donation, which I hoped that it would be used to improve the life of these kids and this community, nothing else. Because even during a 'slow' tourist season, I saw every ten, fifteen minutes, there was a boat loaded with tourists stop by and get into the school, then after a short tour around the floating facility, taking few snapshot with children, many took out the wallet and drop money into the school donation coffer. Early in 2009, an NGO group from Canada and Thoi-Bao magazine in Texas - together organized and planned to build for this community a new floating class/school with a budget for $30k, but for unknown reason, the Cambodia government kicked them out of the country last December. Now, I've seen the tourist trap set-up from this school, time will tell whether any of the donation will remain to benefit this poor community or it goes somewhere else.

here is the only "General" floating store

a mobile floating "7-11" store

It was nothing new since last time I saw pictures from NgyThanh's Floating Misery gallery, back in 2007. Anywhere we went, I saw the same old, deteriorating sampans and boats, waiting to break up and sink at anytime, especially it's more vulnerable whenever a big storm passing by.


I could post many more images of a misery life at this floating village in Siem Reap's Tonle Sap lake, but I afraid that it may get you to feel numb or at least be distracted by the scenery that many of us never have seen it, which it gave me with an ironic thought that many tourists paid plenty of money to come to see a place that many people here just wanted to get out, or get away from it.

As I mentioned earlier, Bui Tuan followed me - well, actually go with us back to Siem Reap city, and he took us to the Catholic main office to see Father Heri, whom I presented to him an envelope with $800 USA dollars so he can do whatever he see fit, to help the community that he is like the father figure to them. I wasn't sure that because of my senile & feeble mind that I forgot to take a picture of us at out meeting (as I usually do) or perhaps, because I still remembered a recently event - when a priest at a poor community was angry enough to not allow any picture taken when a donation/gift was presented, since some so call "charity" groups has done it in order to generate publicity, thus more donation later on flowing in and then pocket most of the money but only gave the needy less than few percents as a token.
Anyway, after I left Cambodia and returned to Saigon, few days later I received an email from Father Heri, as he thanks me for bring in the gift and how he had spent it.

"From: HERIBERTUS PARDJIJO BRATASUDARMA

Sent: Thursday, December 10, 2009 1:20 AM
To: sanh.tran@comcast.net
Subject: THANK YOU

Dear Mr. Sanh,

Greetings from St. John's Catholic church. I hope this email will find you well. I am writing this short note to thank you very much for your generous donation of US $ 800 to help our Mission to bring the Good News to the poor in Siem Reap. The donation you gave us help us to help to poor in our parish. I plan to buy 200 blankets for the poor and 1000 kgs of rice for the poor in our parish to be given to them soon. 200 blankets will cost about US $ 325. 1000 kgs of rice will cost about US $ 500. Every year we gice gifts for the poor around Christmas. Christmas is a season to give and a season to share. God gives us His Only Son to share His Life with us. We share what we have with others. We have program that we call Christmas Charity Action. Your donation comes to us as a gift from God to begin Christmas Charity Action this year.

May God bless you abundantly.

With Gratitude and God's Blessings,

Heri

Of course, during our conversation I've mentioned about the gift was mostly from friends in the USA and I am just a messenger, to bring love from those with good heart & soul , to share with them a few moment of joy, as well as revive in them some hope in humanity during the Christmas holiday, a season to remind us a greatest gift from God.

With half a day left, we spent the rest to visit the famous Angkor Wat before heading back to Saigon, and here is some of the images that I took.

A couple Raiders of the Lost...wallet.

I took the above snapshot to show the abuse from tourists, who rubbed the breast of status, which ironically the similar status on the left was left alone intact.

The blessing monk

 

One of the photography's golden rule is taking landscape picture at either before sunrise or sunset, which they called it "golden hour" when the color cast is extraordinary quite glowing than the harsh daylight (or worse around noon time).

Philosophical speaking, I thought somehow (the rule) matched the typical of human life, that the best of our time happen during our growing up and retirement age. 

From this picture you see, I waited until the hot air balloon risen above the horizon, carried those young & young at heart with more courage and risk taking than me, a chicken and "older" man sitting safely from top of the ruin temple on top of the hill - taking picture of the sunset on Tonle Sap lake. Somehow I feel I was like the sun glowing out there, which soon quickly fading into the darkness - or to be exact - to the other side of the earth or world for that matter.