Tuesday in Phnom Phen

This blog has been brought to you by Mr Fowler, with the assistance of Mikelah, Shalea, Emma-Jane and Mrs Pond.

Following an appetising breakfast, featuring outstanding omlettes, the group met for our daily devotion before proceeding to our bus, to go to the Tabitha Centre. At the Centre, we were warmly greeted by Janne Ritkses, the founder of the Tabitha Foundation. We proceeded to the rooftop where we participated in an orientation session alongside a group from Alfred Deakin High School ACT, where Janne provided us with a riveting snapshot history lesson on Cambodia. The students were horrified to hear some of the accounts that she shared of the atrocities of the genocide that occurred during the reign of Pol Pot. Janne also told us about what we would be doing during our house building days and provided us with a list of rules that we must abide by while visiting the village. Some of the rules included not holding babies under the age of two otherwise parents would think that you want to take the child as payment for the houses, don't take their money or eat their food, leave your belongings on the platform provided for the group and they will not be touched by the locals - anywhere else, it is considered community property, don't react to any injuries but seek very quiet attention from an adult of the same sex, boys should not touch girls and vice versa as only people who are married touch people of the opposite sex, etc. Following our briefing session, we perused the impressive collection of silk items that had been produced at Tabitha and a number of purchases were made.

We then alighted the bus to brave the traffic as we made our way to Toul Sleng S21 Museum, a former high school that was converted to a secret prison to detain those who were thought to be traitors of Pol Pot. 22,000 people were executed at this prison. The High School was closed because Pol Pot insisted that education cease. The Khmer people needed to undertake physical work and this did not require education. We were able to view rooms where prisoners were kept and row after row of the photos of people who were detained and executed. There were signs around the buildings that you are not to smile or laugh while visiting the museum. There were also a number of information panels on the current trials taking place under the international war crimes act, where four former Khmer Rouge leaders are facing trial. This was a very sombre occasion for our group, but gave an important link to the state of poverty that still exists for so many in Cambodia.

Time for lunch and today we visited the FCC, Foreign Correspondents Club, on the riverside. This was a restaurant and meeting place for journalists during the lengthy periods of unrest in Cambodia and still operates today as a public cafe. We were able to sample a range of items from their menu.

The highlight of our day was, without a doubt, our visit to the Sunshine Centre. Our College has been supporting Sunshine Cambodia for many years now and our visit to Phnom Penh provided an opportunity for students and staff to see first hand the operation and wonderful work of the centre. As we were arriving, the rain started to bucket down. It was so heavy, that it was not possible to talk to the children, who were sitting in straight lines in their main meeting area. The rain was not going to let up, so the staff found a PA system to set up. Mr Conoulty led a short devotion on the lost sheep (adapted for the local audience by changing the animal to a lost cow). Our students played the role of cows and Owen became our lost cow. We then sang songs with the children and played some games with music. Following this, we then presented the gifts that we had brought them from our Service Week program along with the ample supply of skipping ropes and extensive stationery supplies. They were delighted with these gifts which will be put to great use. Our team greatly enjoyed the opportunity to play games and dance with the children. It was certainly a wonderful opportunity for them to think about how they can bring happiness to the lives of other people.

Due to the downpour, some roads were a bit flooded as we were leaving Sunshine, and we had to jump a number of very large puddles. From there, we visited a supermarket to buy some lunch and snack supplies for our house building day. Back to the hotel and then off to another restaurant for dinner. This time, we we dined at the Tamarind restaurant which served a combination of middle eastern and local cuisines. We also had a table on the rooftop of the restaurant and were joined by Ms Hetherington as Mrs Pond had tag-teamed with her at the hospital.

A speedy return to the hotel with our very friendly tuk tuk drivers brought the evening to a close. All ready for an early start for our house building day.