Cyclone, teeth and holiday!

As the new school year opening approached we were subjected to a cyclone. Ketsana, as it was named, wreaked havoc and left death and destruction in its wake as it traversed Vietnam. It lost much of its potency as it swept into Cambodia. However, it still killed eleven and caused extensive flooding in low lying areas before we were caught by the tail end of it. VSO managed to email us the day after (so we eventually found out as the service was down!) informing us of the coming maelstrom - not much use, nor very impressive.
The days passed and the weather was very, very rainy which meant no school visits due to impassable roads. We busied ourselves with various tasks and planning activities. Funds are now very restricted due to the demise of the former project and with it we have had our Volunteer Assistant support reduced by fifty percent. Another sagacious decision by VSO to save money. We have expressed grave concern to them and that such action really means that we are now effectively part-time also due to communication issues!
Two new volunteers, Jeltje (from Holland), and Chlarlotte (from the U.K, a replacement for Meg who finishes her youth placement early November) had arrived for their placement visit to join the rest of the resident VSO team
We had been invited to attend the ‘school year opening ceremony’. The weather the previous day was awful with copious rain - but no mention of alternative plans in case of bad weather (no surprise there then!). The day dawned heralding beautiful sun with a clear blue sky. I’m not sure how they do it but things tend to happen very last minute, very frustrating but they do - where’s the incentive to change?
The Provincial Office of Education was lined with school children, seating for the impending dignitaries dutifully laid out, microphone and PA system tested. Even the flag raising ceremony was subjected to practice, twice! One or two minor adjustments were made e.g. sending out via motor bike to fetch some petrol, subsequently delivered in a plastic bottle, to feed the industrial size strimmer. This was revved up and put into action near the seating area with dust, grass and stones being projected at great velocity at the assembling attendees, including yours truly. Meg, our youth volunteer, actually received a small piece of stone shrapnel to the face which required a comforting tissue to stem the flow of (a little) blood!
Soon after, the provincial governor arrived and walked with other dignitaries through the ‘pupil lined’ avenue to rousing applause. The flag was raised without a hitch to the sounds of the Cambodian anthem and all sat ready for the ceremony. We were entertained by pupils performing national dance routines and the inevitable speeches from the Provincial Governor and the Director of the Provincial Office for Education. These were about the right length and the whole episode most enjoyable. At the end most of the pupils scarpered home instead of attending school but………
One new venture this year is to convert one room in the local Secondary school into a science laboratory. Ambitious perhaps and definitely a challenge but that’s why we are here. So, I raised the idea with all concerned and they loved it but I’m also sure they had no idea what it actually meant and it would never match the abject luxury found in the U.K. The school director was delighted to be involved and made all the right noises re: support etc, etc. A meeting was called involving local community members, teachers, and pupils where I presented our ideas and an outline plan of what could be done. Since then despite a few irritations we have built over twenty desks and are in negotiations to upgrade lighting and install a few electrical sockets before we repaint the walls. We hope to use the lab for teacher training for both primary and secondary teachers but we will see……….
At the beginning of October disaster struck – one of my molars started to fall apart. For those that know me I’m not a great fan of visiting the dentist or molar mechanics, so the thought of visiting a dentist filled me with dread, so much so that it took me a week to tell Jan. However, I was comforted to some extent in that Jan had also received excellent (private) dental treatment in Phnom Penh. As I arrived the sign outside of a huge molar wrapped in a bandage did little to assuage my anxiety. The place was absolutely spotless. I was received by competent and well dressed reception staff then I was ushered into the treatment room. Now very anxious and hoping that there was an emergency exit to make a dash for it but alas not. What made me a little more nervous (if that was possible) was that one of the nurses stood blocking the door – arghh.
However, the Khmer dentist spoke immaculate English and after an X-ray, and some pain-free probing, announced that the tooth was beyond help and it would require a crown after some preparatory work Oh and some root canal work – What?!! I nearly fainted and my hear rate must have soared However, not wishing to highlight the fact that I’m a dentist phobic or woosie I calmly replied ‘No problem!’ He then said that I would need approx four or five visits to complete the treatment and to make an appointment for the next day. As I left I must have looked like a cartoon character on avoiding some rabid dog bent on attack, leaning against the door with the beast behind you! Composing myself I calmly walked to my luxury VSO transport and cycled back to bore Jan with the tale. When he needed to take a tooth imptression he said I had a very high gad reflex! I thought he meant that I was good at telling jokes but I then relised that it was because I nearly threw up every time he put this moulding devise into my mouth!
Five visits in total passed without issue and I am now the proud owner of a new crown (see photo) and without any discomfort. Oh I nearly forgot, I came away with the impression that the molar mechanic wasn’t too impressed by the dental work I had received in the U.K! There’s a turn up for the blog!
Whilst in Phnom Penh we made the most of the opportunity. We did some extreme market shopping at Oryssey market. It’s a bit wild and whacky but you can buy almost anything provided you can find it! We brought a few kilos of plastic fruit, narrow bore plastic tubing, marbles, balloons sulphuric acid and torches all for science workshops and a toaster for us. We also brought a box of syringes and thermometers from medical suppliers and lots of story books for some Primary schools. Why were we in Phnom Pen in the first place I hear you ask? It was a double whammy – one, for me to receive the dental treatment, and two, for us to meet Sophie who was about to visit but that is for next months’ blog!