Finger nails and heart break

It is now a week since I got back from Cambodia and I have been putting off blogging about it because I don't know where to start. The background for those of you not in the know was that my mum and I decided to go and do some volunteer work at His Child, an orphanage just out of Phnom Penh that a couple from my church run. Not that we knew too much about what we were going to be doing, but it seemed like a good way to 'give back' and also have some quality mother/daughter time.

On arriving in Phnom Penh I quickly discovered that my teaching skills were not the ones that were going to be called in to play, instead I became a temperature taking, finger nail cutting, small children bathing, balloon twisting machine.

Our first two days with the orphanage everyone was involved in a medical initiative. A team of doctors and pharmacists from Singapore were there, and we went out into the communities (day one was a community that survived off the local rubbish dump) and met as many medical needs as possible. The first day the 4 doctors saw over 200 people, providing them with the necessary drugs and medical advice for medical issues ranging from diabetes and HIV/Aids to headaches and throat infections. This was all done in the extreme hot, 35 degrees and at least 95% humidity - and before you say "Kirsty, you live in temperatures like that all the time!", let me point out that there was no air-con, anywhere!

Two of the faces from the village

Once the medical team left we started helping out with the 'bus'. This bus goes out to different locations in the city and is met by large groups of street kids waiting for their weekly visit. The two hours that the kids spend with the bus is a chance for them to just be kids. When we would arrive step one was finger nail cutting. Yes, finger nail cutting. The kids loved this, I think it was just the one-on-one attention and physical contact - but it meant they were less likely to get infections and store quite as much gunk under their nails. From there games were played with water bombs, simple tiggy/cat and mouse type games, and generally lots of laughter and hilarity. Whilst this was going on the younger kids would be taken onto the bus that had showers and given a chance to get clean. It is hard to describe the feeling when you are having to bathe little 3-year olds that arrive butt naked all by themselves, or if they are lucky with a big brother or sister - it just breaks your heart. Once everyone is clean and had some fun the serious stuff starts and some of the local staff teach basic khmer and hygiene to the kids before they are sent off with some food. On one occasion I tried to teach 40 odd kids to make balloon flowers, it wasn't that successful but it was a lot of fun!

Mum on fingernail cutting duty

Fun with the balloons!

How can you resist those eyes?

I quickly learnt while I was there that the kids in the orphanage were really the lucky ones. Whilst all 42 of them had ended up in the orphanage from crisis situations they knew where there meals were coming from everyday, went to school, and most importantly were protected from the streets. As so many other things that week taught me, our western perceptions, such as those 'poor orphans' can be very wrong.

Some of the orphanage kids off to school

I could go on for ages about how it felt to hold a little kid 's hand as you cut their nails knowing the life they live on the streets - absolutely heart breaking. But at least I feel like I did a little bit to make a difference, and I know that I don't want this to be the last time.

Painted Cuties

Aren't they just adorable! Livvy, Kayla and Hollie all painted up.

A different view of Manila

A couple of weekends ago I got to go and hang out for a few days with some good friends in Manila. I know Jo and Nigel from high school and youth group days, and hanging out with them and their girls is just like being with family.

The weekend was very low key, mainly due to the fact that Tessa was just 3 weeks old, and the entire family were still recovering from the newest arrival and the trip back to Manila from NZ. Low key was also great for me, as I had just been on camp for three days with 4th graders. So mainly the weekend was catching up, sleeping and eating.

What was nice was to see a slightly different face to Manila than the one I think most of us imagine. That dark, dirty and extremely poor face is definitely a big part of Manila, as people begging at car windows when you stop at traffic lights makes clear. However, parts of Manila - like the waterfront area, are definitely seeing change. It's nice to know that there is hope!

Looking across to downtown from the water front.

Emily and Zoe checking out what is going on in the water.

It's all too much for little Tessa.

Sunset on the water.

A conscience is a terrible thing.

As many of you know one of my joys here in Asia has always been the shopping. In fact it hasn't only been my joy, but also that of the many recipients of the importing of handbags to NZ when I fly home. This week a terrible thing has happened - my conscience has got in the way. Now I have always known that I was ripping off big movie producers (fake dvds) and fashion houses (fake handbags - sorry original copy handbags) but that thought never moved me to tears. However I have just read an article in Harper's Bazaar that talks about the use of child labour in the production of fake handbags, and the links between fakes and drug cartels. So it is bye, bye to cheap handbags, dvds and sunglasses - a sacrifice I am willing to make, but still sometimes your conscience really messes with shopping fun! Luckily there are lots of amazing bargains that aren't fakes - the credit card isn't safe yet.

Reunited!

After a long and painful separation I am finally reunited with internet access at home. First it was the internet account moving away, or more accurately the next door neighbour's account that I used moving away, then my less than 9 months old laptop had a battery melt down. It has taken 4 weeks, but tonight I am sitting at home on my computer again - bliss!

A glimpse under the sea

A few of my underwater snapshots from the diving. The colour isn't great, but it gives you a bit of an idea of what was below the sea at Pulau Perhentian.

Jenkin's Whip Ray (a couple of meters long, and no I didn't try to ride it!)

Giant Moray

Blue spotted ribbon tail ray

A family of brown bamboo sharks

A school of yellow fish (OK, so I don't remember their proper name!)

Shaggy scorpion fish (yes, it is a fish and that is its name)

A young box fish hiding behind coral

Nudibranch

Another blue spotted ribbon tail, on the move this time.

A big eye and coral

Phyllidia nudibranch

Coral garden

Hermit crab

Beautiful and poisonous lion fish

Perhentian Paradise

Top 10 reasons why I love Pulau Perhentian


1. No roads, and no cars
2. Naps in the afternoon
3. Togs and sarong are the dress code all day long
4. Roti canai and strong Malaysian coffee for breakfast
5. Boat rides to dive sites with the sun on your back and wind in your hair
6. Being surrounded by a multitude of languages all speaking diving
7. The sugar ship wreck
8. Fresh seafood for dinner each night; rock lobster, calamari, prawns...
9. Eating 3 meals a day with the sand between your toes
10. Hanging out with the fish at least twice a day, and the odd shark, ray or eel!

And yes, if it sounds like all I do there is eat, sleep and dive, it is because that is all I do. Gotta love island life!