K.O.

I fell ill the evening I came back from Cambodia, felt bloated and giddy before I slept, and I vomitted almost all the food I ate on the plane in the middle of the night. The next day, I slept almost the whole day, and only woke up in spurts to finish up some work. Everytime I ate or drank, I vomitted. I felt so weak and incapacitated. Thank God that I am feeling better today! It reminds me of some time last year when I came back with food poisoning from Cambodia too! My tummy seems pretty sensitive.

I went to Siem Reap with a group of volunteers who are studying MBA in Singapore, and they are from different continents, including Europe, Asia, America. It was fun and interesting interacting with them, and learning from different cultures definitely. Told my colleague I like Europeans cos they hug a lot! I have gained much from hugging and affection. Asians are recticient, but you could say they think deeply before they express their emotions. I felt sad the night I was leaving Siem Reap, and the next day for Phnom Penh. Felt sad to say goodbye to the friendships built. SR gave me a very different feeling, because of its touristy nature, and most people could speak English. People came across as more open and friendly.

I arrived at Phnom Penh on Tuesday morning, and I was supposed to meet the driver at the airport. I waited and didn't see the driver. But there was a smartly dressed cambodian who approached me and asked if I needed help. He offered to lend me his phone. After using it for 2 phone calls, he said, "Excuse me, can you give me money? I have no money." I was sad, not because I didn't want to give him money, but because I had thought that this young man was here to help me, and I was sad that he had to ask for money this way. I took a taxi and reached the hotel, which was new to me as well.

I caught a glimpse of life as a missionary. Ofcos a missionary would go with certain organizations. But a missionary feels lonely.. feels discouraged on the field, when he meets with people he wants to help, but the people he wants to help try to take advantage of him. I had time alone staying in a single room for the few nights. And going to the villages reminds me of my previous work with GB.
I think it happens, that one starts to question his faith. Because he is surrounded by people of different faiths. And when one sees how unreached it is, one wonders if his faith is real.
In fact, many of the Europeans come from Catholic backgrounds, but religion has become a very minute part of their lives, and they tell me that it is not relevant as the world develops. Interesting that it is now a reverse evangelism, whereby asians are catching the fire, and the European churches are getting empty.

It was very nice that my ex colleagues helped me to arrange transport and they came to the hotel to meet with me. I was very touched to see them amidst the cold reception I had at the airport. It also dawned upon me that as a single person at the airport in a place like Phnom Penh, it was scary, and that I had always been privileged previously to have colleagues to arrange transport and lodgings for me.

I met up with some of our alumni for dinner, and they were all young professionals. It was a very different side of Cambodia that I met up with. I asked them about their view of poverty. 2 of them came from the province and said that it was up to the individual to make full use of his opportunities as they came. We talked about the governments, the people etc. I was heartened. In a way yes. Young Cambodians arise and contribute to their own economy.

I'm thankful for friends who sms and pray for me when I fell ill. "Friends" used to be used very loosely, but now "friends" means something deeper to me. . . That they could take my idiosyncracies. My mum sang chinese christian songs to me and cooked porridge for me.

Watching TV now..and there are two things that I caught..
First one - female protagonist says that, as long as you treat people with sincerity, they would also one day know your heart and reciprocrate
Second one - male protagonist encourages female protagonist - that she has too high expectations of herself, as long as she relaxes, she will be able to do well...

This is a pretty long post after a long time! I guess it is because...I feel like a broken recorder saying the same things all over, and I don't know if anyone still reads this. :) Do say hi if you are....