What is travel without a bit of adventure?

  Dear Friends and Family, Good Morning from Phnom Penh!

    What is travel without a bit of adventure? Typically, my adventures are totally unplanned and are more like mishaps or "uh oh" situations.  I have a long-time friend, CeAnn, who is following my time over here and I can already hear her snorting and wiping the tears from her eyes, and I haven't yet written anything.  That is because she has often had a front row seat to 24 years’ worth of my adventures.  So, CeAnn, this entry is dedicated to you, my friend. 

    When I come to Phnom Penh, I like signing up for a sunset cruise. It is a nice way to pass a couple of hours and see the beauty of the city and life on the water without all the noise and congestion. They are very affordable, typically $12-20 and include a meal/ beverages.  For several years, Lee and I or just I would be the only one(s) on a small cruiser. However, that was pre-COVID and most of the small operators went out of business during the pandemic due to the absence of tourists, leaving only the larger charter operators. Last summer, Lee and I signed up for a sunset cruise and we were the only ones on the boat, despite a capacity easily for 60-75 people.  The captain was gracious and took us anyway, honoring the fee we paid, and it was a great way to celebrate my promotion at the college. I've shared a picture from that evening in July 2023.

    This time I scheduled a Sunset Cruise with BBQ on the Mekong Magic Cruise. 
The vast majority (as in all) of the cruise boats dock near the Sisowath Riverside Park (see picture below from the water in 2023).

  Do you sense something coming? Yep. BIG Mistake- I did not verify the location of the boat beyond that it was out of Phnom Penh. So, when I went about planning what time to leave my apartment, I pulled up the location on my phone and was rather distressed to see it located waaaaayyyy down on the south side of Phnom Penh.  There is actually a ferry a few blocks away from my apartment on this peninsula that I am located that drops off "near" that location, but I've never taken the ferry before, and I wasn't sure just how "near" it was to the Mekong Magic Cruise.  So, I went by car giving myself 75 minutes.  Good thing too.  

    In the typical way of things here, my driver suddenly looked frustrated when we and everyone else came to a screeching halt, faced with a blockade on Preah Sisowath Quay, a main thoroughfare across the city that runs parallel to the river.  Why? Who knows?  Not an uncommon incidence.  It could be an official enjoying dinner or drinks on the riverside, or it could have been a horrible accident. Anyway, we and 18,000 other cars- motos- bicycles- tuk tuks- and hand pulled carts all jammed into the teeny-tiny side roads that web their way across the city.  Left- right- right- left- left and so on.  Oh- and there are very few traffic lights in Phnom Penh.  So, it is every man for himself ploughing one’s car through intersections with lots of honking.  FINALLY, we made it back onto Preah Sisowath Quay,and made our way towards the boat.

The tourist area quickly fell away, and the neighborhoods began to be more industrial with local housing, small Cambodian businesses designed to serve local residents as well as large commercial buildings which were closing for the night.

          Uh-oh, I’m thinking.  I had planned on using the Grab app (Cambodian Uber) to get a car or tuk-tuk back to my apartment.  1- It will be full dark when I get off the boat. 2- I do not speak Khmer. 3- I had a strong hunch (past experience) that it was quite unlikely any of these businesses would show up on my Grab app as a pickup location.  Oh gesh. Well, I wasn’t going to turn around now. Deep breath Karen, Let out slowly. Enjoy the evening.

          But then… sure enough, my driver stopped, looked at his GPS, looked around, looked again at his GPS and then just turned around and looked at me.  In front of us was a strip mall of stores with names all in Khmer, except a Smart store (telecommunications), and a small amusement park set up in the parking lot. No evidence of Mekong Magic Cruise office. I could see that behind the strip mall was a restaurant and beyond that there was railing, indicating the river.  Well, the boat had to be on the river, right? But where?  The driver, bless him, did not look comfortable dropping me off and using hand gestures, I thanked him and said I would be okay. The price for this trip was to be $5, and a normal tip is typically .50-.75 cents, but I gave him $7. It was a comfortable car and it shielded me from most of the cacophony of car honking and screeching of brakes, long past their prime throughout the ride across town.

What should have been a 30-40 minute drive had taken the entire 75 minutes. At this point, the last thing I wanted was to miss the cruise. So, I waved good-bye to my driver who hesitantly drove away (Bless him Lord!) and I walked past the strip mall and could see a free standing open air bar/ restaurant.  There was a Western European man sitting there enjoying a beer. Side bar: I’ve become rather proficient in being able to generally identify if someone is German, British, Australian, or American. There are just nuances in body posture and movements that give me an idea of who I am approaching before we even speak. Kind of a game with myself.  Did I get it right?  I pegged this fellow as German and I approached him in the vain hope that he too was waiting for the same cruise, I asked… “Mekong Magic Cruise”? He looked confused, shook his head, and said “No”. Great. Not really, but I was right.  Definitely, a German accent.

The boardwalk and railing were ahead of me and sure enough.  Way… way….way down there.  All by it’s lonesome….across a dirt track…. was the boat. Laughing (and thinking of you CeAnn), I approached the boat and was welcomed. 

       

As is the norm of things in recent years on these trips, I was the oldest person on the boat.  I wound up taking the cruise with 6 other passengers, all of whom were British or Aussie students backpacking around SE Asia before starting/ returning to university.  All but one were young men. 

One of the main attractions for these dinner cruises is that includes all the beer you can drink. For my fellow passengers, they concentrated on the liquid portion of dinner rather than the small but very tasty buffet the boat staff had laid out.  I was looking forward to a cold beer myself, but the “free” beer was a brand name Krud. 

Not the most delightful of names for a beverage.  That is where my age (and my tax bracket) comes to my rescue.  Rather than accepting one of the free beers, I purchased a very nice Indian beer for $3.

   I love looking at life on the water. These are hard working people who eat, sleep, raise their families, and work on small boats called sampans. These boats dot the wide Tonle Sap and Mekong Rivers and compete for space for their fishing nets with the huge tankers that churn the water and threaten to swell over the low riding fishing boats.

Some people work on even smaller boats and have homes on the banks of the river, but the housing is fragile at best. Pieces of corrugated metal, tied together to make walls. People do not own the land and when the land is sold, they are forced to relocate. It is moments such as these that I appreciate the opportunities that I have had in my life and the gifts of

opportunity that I’ve been able to give to my daughters. Truly I thank you Lord and seek out opportunities to demonstrate my appreciation.

          The air grew dark and a bit cooler and slowly we returned to our original spot along the Tonle Sap. As I walked across the metal gangplank, I felt a big...fat…drop of rain splat on my face. But as I continued up the steps, the intermittent splats of raindrops did not hinder the families eating dinner on the boardwalk along the river.  Children raced about, mothers trying to encourage them to eat, men talking with other men about the things of the day. Brightly lit food carts lined up looking like small carnivals themselves.

          But then, what I had feared earlier became reality.  The others from the cruise were quickly picked up by pre-arranged tuk tuks because they were staying in hotels/ hostels.  However, my apartment was on the other side of the river and thus not eligible for this service.  The angry splats of rain grew closer together as I walked in front of one business and then another in hopes it would show up on my Grab app.  Then, I got a break.  A heavily tatted man was getting out of a tuk tuk and he was clearly bi-lingual, speaking to the tuk tuk driver in Khmer.  They both looked rather surprised when I appeared and I showed them the business card with the address of my apartment. Another side bar: when traveling, I always have at least 2 business cards of the hotel/ apartment where I am staying on my person, even in the US. It has helped me get back to my location more than once.

It wound up that the man was Aussie, and bi-lingual English/ Khmer.  While there were other tuk tuks present, I knew that I had to make this one work given the lack of a Grab. Anyway, this lovely, lovely young man graciously took the tuk tuk driver’s phone (as the driver was horribly confused as to the purpose of the business card) and using the Khmer alphabet (SERIOUSLY impressed now!), typed out my address.  It popped up and the driver nodded.  Waving away my thanks, the young man walked off into the night.  As I got into the tuk tuk, I made the motion, How much? He finally made clear it would be $7. Just as I nodded, he jumped out and he motioned to me to help him lash down the plastic drop doors on either side of the tuk tuk as the rain began in earnest.

          As you move forward with the next bit of reading, you may wish to pull up some background music on You Tube.  We are now in the rainy season of Cambodia.  The rain comes down in turbulent sheets and the air crackles with the sharp retorts of thunder and lightning and the air smells of ozone. Ride of the Valkyries' is the perfect choice for the ride that came next:  https://youtu.be/hQM97_iNXhk?si=ebBsUGZsUc5g9brw 

Because that is exactly what the trip back to my apartment felt like.  The tattered plastic doors did little to stop the flow of rain and my poor tuk tuk driver was soon soaked as he had driven off without putting on one of the ever present rain ponchos these drivers carry and he was on the moto portion of the tuk tuk, completely exposed to the elements.  The traffic was beyond miserable.  It made my earlier trip look like a walk in the park.  I guess there is a shortage of brake pads over here as I lost count of the number of near misses as we slid across streets with ear splitting screeches (well, maybe that was me) to prevent from hitting another vehicle. Again, with the left- right- right- left and so on. The roadside businesses were a competing blur of smeared colors through the tattered plastic sheeting turning the trip into a crazy carnival ride that you are more than ready to get off. 

Then… we were at the base of Japanese Friendship Bridge.  My “golden gate” across the river and just 5 minutes from my apartment.  Never have I ever been so happy (Well, there was that one trip to Stung Treng- shudder.) to be back at my place of residence. 

The tuk tuk driver obviously had not had a passenger over here before as he looked rather amazed at my building and in gratitude for his efforts in slaying the dragon, I mean traffic, I gave him a $10 bill.  A huge tip but given the once-again-one hour trip, I felt it justfied. Maybe he bought some new brake pads with it!

While I drug myself up the apartment, more than ready for a shower, I gave myself a mental shake.  I get to go get a shower and some dry clothes.  What about those families who are poorly sheltered on the river’s edge or those souls out in the elements trying to pull in enough fish to sell at the morning market? It doesn’t take much to find gratitude here… or an adventure.

Hugs, Karen

My Cambodian Body of Work- The Highs and the Lows and the What Next

   Good Morning Friends and Family from Phnom Penh,

        It 8:45AM Wednesday here and I have a great deal of work to do before Saturday when I catch the 7:45AM bus on Giant Ibis bus lines to Kampot, Cambodia, about a 4 hour bus ride away.  Kampot, Cambodia is on the SW coastal area of Cambodia and a place my husband I hold very dear.  It is where I worked and we lived for 10 months during my time a US Fulbright Scholar 2013-2014.  

       So, why am I here in Cambodia this time for 2 weeks? Unfortunately, due to COVID and some personal situations (my mom's illness and another foot surgery for me), there was a 5 year gap between visits in 2016 and my return in 2023. Nursing education is relational, so last summer, while I worked on part of a WHO sponsored project with the Ministry of Health (thanks to a grant from the University of Florida for my expenses), I also sought to rebuild relationships and assess the current state of nursing in Cambodia in a post-COVID world. The project did not go as anticipated, due to the lack of some critical data and conflict on what the end goals should look like, so with my husband's support, I have returned with the intention of wrapping up that project as well as determining the status of future work in Cambodia. 

     My trip here this time is different than last summer in that the majority of the trip is self-funded (further detail below). Yep. Actually, across the 10 trips that I've made to Cambodia, I've received some level of support for just 4 of them.  The rest of the time House of Reed has foot the bill. That is something we have to consider given our ages and that one day we will retire and need to be fiscally responsible for that future. So, here are some lessons that I believe are worth sharing if you are interested in international nursing.

Lesson #1- Unless you are working for an international NGO, have a grant, work for the US State Department or the US Department of Defense, there are very few revenue lines that will support a nurse working internationally in a low-income country. There are high- income countries that will hire RNs from the US and in some settings, it is a rather lucrative career opportunity. 

    I remember back in 1988 when I first taught at our College of Nursing, I was asked to vote on providing funding to a faculty member whose body of research was in Scandanavia.  The vote was to provide something like $250, which even back then was a drop in the bucket for an international trip! I naively asked what the faculty member was going to do about funding the remainder of the trip and the response was If you want to make it happen, you will pay for it. As the young mother of two little ones at the time, I could not even begin to comprehend personally funding such a trip. Now? I get it. You either really want to do this type of work or you make other choices. We each have our own walk and there are seasons in life. My life in my 20's and 30's was not one that would have fit well with international work, but now, it does. 

    In the effort to be transparent, the cost of our 8 weeks this summer is $16,250.  Additionally, Vin University (Hanoi, Vietnam) is providing me with air fare from Cambodia to Vietnam and then housing and in-country taxi service for 6 weeks while I collaborate with them. Air fare from the US to SE Asia alone is costing us $8,800. We have made the decision that we cannot spend this level of personal funds again.  

Lesson #2- You have to decide if you are commiting to an area for the long-haul or if your skill set is best used in one or more short-term trips in different countries/ areas or with different organizations. As previously noted, nursing education is very relational.  It took me 2 trips and 5 years before I was able to secure a volunteer opening to teach at a nursing school during my 3rd trip.  Cambodian  nursing program administrators could not believe that I didn't have some personal financial motive for teaching. It was through the introduction of another US nurse working in Cambodia that opened that door for me and Gabi will always have my heart and gratitude. 

    My husband I decided that Cambodia is where we wanted to make a long-term impact as educators.  The benefit of developing in-country relationships is that I don't have to come here as part of an organization.  I reach out to the people I know, tell them when I am available, and we work out a body of work. I have developed a positive reputation that has been a long time in development and required patience and flexibility.

Lesson #3- Know when to cash in your chips and walk away, believing that you have done the best that you can do, but the project or your body of work has come to an end. I share the following with true grief in my heart and my eyes brimming with tears as I write this because I really love this country; however, this is likely my last trip to Cambodia for the foreseeable future. I believe projects must be sustainable and demonstrate traction. Unfortunately, I have come to the decision that my work here is like throwing buckets of sand into a sink hole, expecting my actions to fill the hole. Now, I know that I have made a difference in the lives of individual Cambodian nurses here. I have directly taught over 800 nursing/midwifery students and 100 professional nurses over the years. Plus, the English Medical Terminology course that I designed back in 2014 is now a part of the Cambodia's national nursing curriculum.  So, I am proud of the work that I have accomplished.  It goes back to funding and demonstrating traction. Personally and Nationally. Personally, we cannot keep spending these large sums of money to travel here when there are no long-term funding options available to us, despite our reputations and demonstrated commitment, as well as to what end? When we leave, what has changed on a broader scale? It is important to me and to my husband that we are contributing to a larger picture, a unified goal (traction). 

    Nationally- It is difficult to unpack this topic further as I never, ever wish to disappoint my Cambodian colleagues. But what if dozens or hundreds of individuals had buckets and were also throwing sand into a sink hole. While it would take time, that hole would fill. What I am seeing in Cambodia is the country's officials wanting one thing without the structured effort, long-term planning, and necessary funding to support its development and implementation. I've been told that Cambodian officials want their nurses to be eligible to take the NCLEX exam; however, English is not a required language. Taking English Medical Terminology is not enough.  There are wonderful donations of textbooks made every year to Cambodian nursing programs, but the majority of nursing students cannot use them because they cannot read/ speak English. There are no textbooks in Khmer (Cambodia's language) for the students leaving Cambodian students lagging behind their global counterparts.

    I know amazing Cambodian nurses and look forward to the day that the Cambodian nursing profession successfully advocates for the necessary changes across all levels of education so that Cambodia can become a significant partner in the ASEAN (Association of SE Asian Nations) and global nursing community. As for now, I am making the most of my time here.... and making memories.

Wishing everyone peace,

Karen

The Daily Grind- Life in Cambodia Part 2

 This will actually be a short entry but I suspect people are curious what my apartment looks like.  I will shoot some outside pictures later today and add them to the post.  So, circle back around. 

    I have a one bedroom apartment at Bellevue Serviced Apartments (Yes, a "d" on the end of Serviced). https://bellevueservicedapartments.com/  The website has a video and it is just that lovely. 

It is a truly beautiful apartment building on the penisula of Phnom Penh with the Tonle Sap River along one side and the Mekong River along the other side. My apartment has a wrap around terrace on two sides, so I can walk out of the living room or my bedroom to enjoy the view.  There is no outside furniture but I pull a dining chair out there now and again. 

View from the Bedroom Terrace- An Elementary School; What a delight to watch the children. 

I am on the 9th floor and have a bathroom with a washer/ dryer combo (though I have never figured out the dryer), kitchen with a microwave that is in Chinese characters- so nope to using the microwave (and I brought popcorn to snack on! I'll get someone to help me.), living room, office area (and yes, I have two computer screens set up), and bedroom with lots of storage.  The bed is super firm but not as hard as some I have experienced.  Again, because I am here only 2 weeks, I'm not going to invest in purchasing a pad.  Oh, and I have air con in both the living room and another unit in the bedroom.  Very efficient. 

  

 

Below are pictures from the terrace.  The air is a bit hazy this morning, but you can see the main part of the city. The building has long vines growing up the side of it to soften the hard lines and promote a garden feel.

  

Let me know if you have any questions!

Peace- Karen

The Daily "Grind"- Life in Cambodia Part 1

 Dear Friends and Family,

    First, you may wish to go back and check out the other posts as I've uploaded more pictures. It always takes me a couple of days to get my writing and pictures sync'd but no more back loading :-)

    I'm dedicating a series of posts to daily life in Cambodia and later, Vietnam.  I use the word "grind" not in a negative connotation but in recognition of the fabulousness of Cambodian and Vietnamese coffee! If you were to trip and fall on a Cambodian sidewalk, your body would be stretched out in front of 2-3 coffee houses.  Now, in Vietnam, it would be a combo of tea and coffeehouses.  

    So, Saturday morning, I awoke at 4:50AM after getting a reasonable night's sleep but the minute my eyes opened, my brain screamed "COFFEE"!!!  Oh, but I was prepared to take care of this. Here's the situation... I am in Cambodia for 2 weeks and Vietnam for 6 weeks.  Neither apartment that I am staying in provides a coffee pot, just an electric kettle. In preparing for the trip, I had to choose one of 3 doors....Door #1:  Purchase a simple Mr. Coffee which runs $50 in Cambodia and $60 in Vietnam.  While a reasonable option for Vietnam, not so for a 2-week run in Cambodia.  Slam the door. 

    Door #2: Pack or purchase a French press.  I have 2 at home but wasn't thrilled with packing the glass and they run $12-15 each here in SE Asia. Plus, there is that irritating feature that the coffee does not stay hot. Close that door.  Leaving me Door #3!  

    Now, it is time for a sidebar. A kind colleague and friend at the College of Nursing gave me her small Keurig probably 3 years ago as she is a tea drinker. I have packed that Keurig for trips to Nevada, Georgia, North and South Carolina, and of course within Florida.  It has been the little engine that could. So, I packed my Keurig and 2 weeks worth of  Community Coffee k-cups for my time in Cambodia. My plan was to purchase bulk Cambodian coffee and use the filter basket after arriving in Vietnam. Notice the past tense?  Spring back to Saturday morning and Door #3.

     My brain cells are craving caffeine and I'm rather jauntily plugged in my Keurig and getting my cup ready for that first sip.  The water heated, the machine burbled, and.... nothing.  Hmmm.  Tried again.  And again.  And again. NOOOO (Do you hear the funeral dirge filling the air?). Alas, it is true.  My Keurig was toast. 

    Back to Door #3.  I am a rather resourceful person. I have an electric kettle and a ceramic tea pot with something of a built-in filter. Thus, I dumped the contents of a K-cup into the teapot while the water boiled super quick and then poured it into the teapot. Once that first cup was poured, yeah, there were some grounds but I could spoon them off and it was well worth it.  At least when I met with my Executive Associate Dean via zoom at 5:30AM my time, yes... in my PJs, robe, and my hair sticking up like Alfalfa of Little Rascals, I could put nouns and verbs together.  

    While that worked for Day #1, I knew I'd quickly find those coffee grounds tiresome. Hmmm. A priority on my Saturday to-do list was to go to the Smart communication store in Sorya Mall and reactivate my Cambodian phone number and get cell/ internet service going on my Cambodian phone. Yep, I have a phone specifically for SE Asia. Oh, $8 USD for one month of internet/ cell service.  How do you like them apples?! Next to the Smart store, a woman has a rather good sized home goods kiosk and I found exactly what I needed.  While a bit large, it does the job quite nicely.... a strainer! $3 USD. There we go. Coffee K-cup contents into the teapot with hot water, steep and then strain into my cup.  Door #3! 

 My coffee set up  Breakfast!

    I rather like tuk tuks unless I am dressed up.  It then becomes difficult to keep ones hair in place when you are in an open air cart.  For years, and I mean years, I used the same tuk tuk drive- Tom Mab.  I was brokenhearted last year to learn that he had died.  He would not let me go anywhere that he thought unsafe and once upon returning to the tuk tuk, I discovered he had taken a needle and thread and repaired my straw hat that had a split in it.  He was also rather aggressive in negotiating Cambodian traffic, which is ncessary unless you want to sit in a jammed up intersection.  Here are a couple of pics during my first tuk tuk ride for Summer 2024. 

  

    I'll wrap up this first post with where I ate lunch on Saturday.  Lee and I LOVE Elia's. BEST Greek food you can imagine.  They have two restaurants but I like the one down the "Bassac Lane".  They are both open air, so it was stinking hot but the fans kept the worst of the heat at bay.  Oh, I left out who owns the restaurants.  A brother and sister from.... Finland.  So, this US citizen, loves eating Greek food in Cambodia at a restaurant run by Finish siblings.  It is rated #22 out over over 1,000 restaurants in Phnom Penh on Trip Advisor. I have been looking forward to this lunch for some time.  I ordered the vegetarian gyro:  zucchini fritters, lettuce, tomato, red onion, tzatziki sauce. It did not disappoint though the picture does not do it justice. 

  Elia's Greek Kitchen  Bassac Lane

Vegetarian Gyro w/ Awesome Fries Given the heat, a cold beer was perfect!

Peace to All,

Karen

Reuniting with Amara

Dear Friends,

 I do not share tonight's story braggadociously but simply and straightforward. Lee and I have been putting a number of rural Cambodian children through school for 10 years now.  Without our support, there would be no school at all for a number of them and a limited education for the others. 

Three years ago, a Cambodian nursing colleague contacted me and asked me if Lee and I would help support a young woman attend nursing school.  She told me any amount would help. The young woman's mother died of COVID and she now lives with her grandmother who has very limited means and just try and imagine what that means in Cambodia.  My Cambodian colleague is herself an amazing nurse who makes miracles happen everyday on a national basis for Cambodian health and the Cambodian nursing profession.  It made no sense to me that she would spend time sending out emails, following up with everyone, collecting the money, and paying the tuition for 4 years.  So, I asked her, How much for a year?  $850. $850 USD will purchase a year's worth of tuition towards a life of improved economic opportunity and the ability to even have a family. Lee and I had a "micro" discussion about it as he knew what I was thinking and was totally on board as we read the email together. 

"Amara" (not her real name) is attending a nursing program where she will earn her BSN so we knew this was a 4 year comittment.  Last summer, Lee and I met Amara for the first time along with a friend (We did not want Amara feeling outnumbered and encouraged her to bring someone.) and they both are a delight. Tonight, I have just returned to my apartment after having dinner with the two of them again.  Though the English language took some navigating, we did fine.  They are currently in a clinical rotation that is 6PM to 6AM, 3 nights a week. Yep, their clinicals are 12 hours and you will rotate days/ nights. Amara (on the right below) is starting her senior year this summer.

    We ate at Color Cup- Riverside which is definitely, most definitely a total Cambodian experience.  Next to no one speaks English and it is the very, very rare occasion that I see anyone who look anything like me (as in one time, one person). I let my guests order and other than the fish with tom yum sauce (my favorite), I have no idea what was ordered but they ate with zest and I made sure the take-away boxes (Cambodian version of "to go") were full.

Stir Fried Frog w/ Lemon Grass and Crispy Sweet Corn with Salted Egg Yolk.  Gotta say that crunching on the frog bones was not my fav!

 Mixed Seafood Fried Rice w/ Omelette

Deep Fried Fish w/ Tom Yum Sauce 

I did not want anyone sad, but I did share that it is likely 2-3 years before we return to Cambodia. I thought it only right. So, our farewell hugs were just a little bit fiercer, the tears a bit larger, and the good-bye waves a bit more dejected as the two of them took off on their moto into the Phnom Penh night. 

My life is richer for the Amaras that are a part of it and I know that their futures are brighter and now full of possibilities. And that's good enough for me.

Peace,  Karen

First Day Back in My "Heart Home"

 My 4th flight went without a hitch, but I must say that my LAX to Taipei stretch (14 1/2 hours) was not nearly as relaxing as I would have hoped.  I just could not sleep!  I probably dozed off/ on for 3 hours, so by the time I landed in Phnom Penh, my brain was fried. That said, I got to binge watch Season 2 of Golden Age and listen to some terrific Asian musicians. 

 

3 flights down and 1 to go!                Phnom Penh Airspace

 

    I really do enjoy Phnom Penh. There is such familiarity when I land here- the sights, sounds, smells, uniquely Phnom Penh, once known as the Pearl of Asia. But it is the end of May so when I walked out the doors, I was body slammed with a wall of 101 degree heat, steaming pavement from an earlier rain,and humidity that made the air sauna-like.  Well, at least my skin and hair will stay moisturized! 

    My driver was there waiting for me and he wasted no time efficiently bundling me into his very nice SUV and getting my large bags into the back of his car. Once I checked into my apartment, while I really wanted (and needed) a shower, I knew that I needed to go ahead and make a market run.  Fortunately, Lucky Market (an international chain) has a store just a mile from the apartments where I'm staying.  The apartment van took me there and I grabbed a tuk-tuk back. 

    THEN, I could take that long overdue shower and I grabbed a two hour nap.  Though I could have slept longer, I know from experience that isn't wise.  Plus, I didn't eat much on the plane trips and was getting a bit hungry.  Fortunately,a young woman, probably 17 or 18, we met last year still sets up her pizza cart every night at the apartment entrance.  She even makes the dough.  So, for $5, I enjoyed a delicious ham, pepper and onion pizza with my feet propped up watching the river traffic on the Tonle Sap River from my roomy living room.  By 7:30PM, I knew it was time to get some proper sleep and that was it 'till a few minutes before 5AM. 

    So, I did have a humorous moment when checking into the apartment. I had emailed the manager a couple of days ago asking if a 5-gallon water bottle could be placed in the apartment for me, in anticipation for drinking water.  No problem.  Right!  Well, not quite.  I thought it very strange that just one water bottle and deposit would be $33 but that is what I paid him.  However, when I opened the apartment door, I was greeted with FIVE water bottles.  Each bottle has 12 litres (yes, the French spelling).  So, my "5- gallon" came across as 5 bottles.  Given that I am here just 2 weeks, I wonder what he thought about such a large water order!!! They quickly took 4 of the bottles and returned a majority of my money. It gave me a chuckle though and a reminder to "think" metric. 

Peace to All,

Karen

Love Actually

 Dear Friends and Family,

    I actually love airports!  That is probably one reason that I enjoy the movie “Love Actually” as much as I do.  Friends and families and colleagues exchanging farewells and enthusiastic greetings.  I am currently close to the 12 hour mark of the 32 hours it requires to fly from Gainesville, FL to Phnom Penh, Cambodia.  I am in LAX at the Star Alliance Lounge (a first for me and quite nice) awaiting the call for a 12:50AM flight from LAX to Taiwan and then Flight #4 to Cambodia.

 Made a big mistake and overpacked my backpack and carry on. The weight was horrible having to roll/ carry the two pieces through GVL, then LAX, then TAIPEI, and finally PHNOM PENH. Nope, need to rethink that.  But I do have a lot of electronics. Sigh.

   Now, during this trip, I was amazed at the opportunities God gave me to do small acts of kindness for my fellow passengers and even an Eva employee. While at the Gainesville Airport,  I was on a College of Nursing zoom meeting, sitting at a table when two different older passengers came up to me and asked me to help them find their gate.  Now, there were quite a few people around me but they came up to me. It was a simple task and a pleasure to reduce someone else’s stress and anxiety with little effort on my part.  While on the zoom meeting, a CON alumni came up and hugged me and after the call we caught up with one another. 

    Atlanta Airport is rather fascinating.  I landed at the C concourse and needed the T concourse which is alllllll the way at the other end.  Since today is filled with a good bit of sitting, I walked the distance to my next gate.  I enjoy reading the murals about the history of Atlanta and love the hall where the ceiling now resembles a tree canopy. 

Architectural Landscapes of Atlanta by a Construction Company/ Architect

Concourse  Ceiling 

 Atlanta Sculpture   Hx. of Atlanta

    I seriously lucked up with my seat mate on the 5 hours flight from ATL to LAX. The lovely lady is originally from India and was a landscape architect until COVID hit.  She has a great love for cooking and her family in India owned restaurants.  She has written 7 (!!) cookbooks, primarily Indian cuisine.  When I shared with her the Indian dishes that I make, she was delighted and the flight passed quickly learning about one another’s very different lives, yet how we enjoy many of the same things. She warmly embraced me as we went our separate ways. 

    At LAX I changed over to EVA Airlines and it required getting my boarding passes there.  Tonight represents my 9th trip on Eva to SE Asia.  I have to leave the terminal in which I arrived, walk about 10-15 minutes to the Tom Bradley International Terminal and pop…. I always feel like Alice in Wonderland, who fell down the rabbit hole.  I am quickly a minority in that terminal. The groups of international flight attendants wearing culturally designed uniforms in a cacophony of colors and styles, the swirl of languages and dialects seasoning the air, the female Buddhist nuns with their shaved heads and long grey or burgundy robes, tranquilly gliding by with a small bag in tow, imperious to the organized chaos around them. I think if I lived in the area, I would rather like hanging out in this terminal to just people watch. 

  

I get excited walking towards the          International carriers.              Where my line STARTED tointernational terminal.                                                                          get my boarding pass. 

  

The line for dropping off the bags           Can you imagine? Over 250 gates

if I had pre-checked in was just as           in one terminal!

long!

    But of course, then came reality. Eva is a MAJOR air carrier to Asia.  Though it was 8:30PM at night, there were easily 200 people ahead of me to get their boarding passes and the line to drop off pre-checked luggage was nearly as long. But peace is an attribute that requires practice and lots of it.  So, my turn came and I efficiently presented my paperwork and passport.  I asked the young woman how her night was going and she asked me if this was my first trip to Cambodia.  I told her no and she sighed and said she looked forward to when she would one day get to travel abroad.  Can you imagine how many hundreds of people she checks in every day and yet, she has not yet traveled but then…. As Paul Harvey would say…. Here’s the rest of the story. I shared with her that it was not a vacation but that I teach nursing there.  Her entire countenance brightened.  She enthusiastically told me after years of saving, she was applying to a BSN Program and was taking her A+ HESI this week. Oh my goodness.  I was in the perfect line.  I held open my two hands to her and she placed her’s in mine, to which I warmly squeezed them and wished her well. Of course, giving her my card and telling her to give me a shout and let me know how things go. 

    Thanks to my Global Entry, security is now a breeze! One of my daughters encouraged me to pay the $75 fee to enjoy the Star Alliance Lounge (Eva is a member of this group.) rather than sit at a gate for 3 hours.  Oh-FYI- it took me a solid 45 minutes to snake my way up to check in!  

  I don’t know if I will do it again, but it has definitely been relaxing and it is a lovely spot.  I think I’m going to try and find a quiet spot for a quick nap before my flight is called. So with that…. “See” you on the other side of the globe. And yes… I really do like airports and Love Actually is my favorite holiday movie.

    Here are some pictures of  the Taipei International Airport, my FAVORITE airport ever.  Due to time limitations, I did not get to take as many pics of the various gates (they call lounges) as I wanted.  Will try upon my return to the States. 

 Freshly made custard creams.  I had just one, but seriously amazing.  Like a thick pancake with custard in the middle.

  How would you like this to be your gate?

 That is real greenery. The airport is filled with live plants to promote clean air and relaxation during one's trip.

Yep, another gate but anyone can spend their 

layover sitting there watching Asia movies!

 Hooray!  Last stop to Cambodia. In Taiwan, Chinese is primarily spoken, though many older people also speak Japanese. I know maybe 3 Chinese characters!  

 Map from LAX to Taipei

 EVA flight attendants.  Pink is for the novice flight attendants, then a light green, followed by the most senior of attendants in red.  The first "two" levels of flight attendants where aprons of corresponding colors when serving the meals.  The most senior, known as a "captain" is always walking about to see that things smoothly proceed during the flight.

 Entering Phnom Penh airspace

The land surrounding the city

  The Pearl of Asia

Where the Tonle Sap and Mekong Rivers converge  

           My apartment is on the pennisula between them.

Peace to All, Karen