Catching Up

What better way to spend a lovely, lazy Sunday afternoon than catching up with friends? And that is just what we've been working on ( it cetainly is a work in progress.) Though long over due, it is about time we share with you a little more about our trip to Cambodia, Vietnam and Hong Kong.

The turbulent past that continues to haunt Cambodians will not soon be done away with. Inspite of those hardships there is a deep and resiliant beauty that is often seen in their gaze. Many warm days were spent exploring the culture and history of a people nearly fogotten by the world. We poured over books and asked lots of questions. People are willing to talk, believing that as they share their story we can learn about the pitfalls of human nature, those things that need not be repeated. In sharing their stories they gather strength to realize their value as human beings, and slowly their confidence grows. We are thankful for the brave men and women that allowed us to see their innner workings so we could learn to be better people. We left Cambodia with a strong sense of responsibilty to share what we experienced. It is in the following entries that we hope you will get a taste of just that.

The entries will be posted as they get finished in the very near future...

The Coolest Organization In The World

from November 6, 2008 ...

I just received an email asking me what Tabitha is. For the last year as we've described the Cambodia portion of this trip I have wondered that very question myself. I thought our time with my aunt Janne would clear that up. Funny enough the very first night we were together she said it was hard for her to describe the organization.

She has been a way at a silk fair this past week. Turns out the people (a large majority are ex pats) in Singapore are crazy about the silks products the families here make. So twice a year she goes to answer questions/do presentations as well as display and sell the hand made silk items. The successful goal for this year was to raise $150 000. But how does this money get back to the people, the poorest of the poor?

There are 4 main areas of out reach: community development, cottage industry, house building and wells. The first two is run by locals to get them back on their feet, to regain their pride and sense of worth that was lost beginning in the Pol Pot time. The second two promotes donations from international communities and allows them an opportunity for hands on work. We were able to see the operations in motions and help build houses too.


The community development is a huge part of what the local staff support. They currently work in 10 provinces in Cambodia. Families who are wiling to have a dream, big or small, can join the savings fund. A Tabitha staff worker visits the community on a weekly basis, collecting money from the participants. They then hold on to the money and together they keep a written record of the money, until the family has saved up enough money to buy their dream. Maybe it is a bag of rice, a bike, medicine, a mat to sleep on, supplies to send their children to school. At the end of each dream cycle ( 10 week period) they receive 10% interest on their savings. With renewed confidence and pride they beginning to make their lives better. Those from Tabitha that come along side the poor are usually involved and supporting the families for about 6 or 7 years, at about $20/family/year. So let's keep those donations coming.


The Cottage Industry is a fancy term that describes employing and empowering women so they can support their families. The handmade items are a big hit around the world; from linens to ornaments to purses to children's toys to silver jewellery, plus the special orders. Many of which are made from pure Cambodian silk, one of the best in the world. They are crocheted, knitted, woven, sewn, or carved. It is up to the individual to determine how much time and energy they'll invest towards the work, as the raw materials are provided and through piece work they are paid a fair price. HIV is prevalent and this impacts people's quality of life and ability to make an income. Tabitha's method of do what you are able is a saving grace for many families. Some of the the women work at the shop/show room and others have been able to buy a sewing machine with their savings and bring the machine home with them.

Where are you right now as you are reading this? There is a good chance that you are at your home. Imagine if you didn't have a computer, a bed, a reliable roof over your head, a kitchen table. How would you feel? It is a little different as Cambodia is tropical. But imagine if your house was just a few boards thrown together, a bent piece of tin or cardboard supported by bamboo and thatch. Safe and secure are not the first words that come to mind.

So that is where the community from abroad helps out. The donations of time and money are received by those who need it most. Together the communities decide who the recipients will be. Tabitha choose communities where over 75% of the people make less than $2/day. The elder is often a liason person, but the individuals take ownership of the decision making and the projects. Whether it be for wells or a house the recipients must raise a small portion. This can take many months and years. Tabitha monitors participants to ensure that they are committed to making the best use of the resources. They are encouraged to share water with those around them. The wells provide families with a source of income and more time to work towards their goals. Over time people can grown their own gardens and build extensions on to their homes.

Not many people can say that they have a aunt in Cambodia. And few people are able to proudly say that through family they can more clearly see how one person can make a difference in the world. Together we can and do bring about the changes in the world that we wish for and dream about.

There and Back Again

This little note will focus more on the "back again" aspect of life....

So for us it feels like we hit the ground running. After waiting for months to return to Canada we felt this growing unease about actually embarking on the last plane that would return us to our home, to winter weather, to family and friends, to routine, to less diversity, to organization. As the day to leave Cambodia approached we both second guessed our decision. Why were we returning to cold Canada? Jay had a job lined up for mid January, so we knew that money would soon begin to flood our bank account, but even that was not quite enough incentive to bring us back. Experiencing the Christmas cheer with family and friends was certainly a primary motive. Travelling, being on the move constantly and having no roots leaves you feeling exhausted. We were tired. Perhaps it really was time to take what we had accomplished ( many feats and adventures) and put it into some greater framework. To try to use it to change the world and ourselves as we make a difference where we are. Yeah that is no small calling!!

The flight home was decadent, so luxurious on it's own accord. You're going to have to be in the air for between 14 to 16 hours straight anyways. As we flew over the Arctic I awoke and had a pasty, dry mouth. It was disorienting to wake up and forget where you were and feel so strange. But before long the stewardess had been rung and was delivering us each a chocolate ice cream bar. The service we received was award winning. When the coldest hours of the day rolled in the ladies served a cup of noodle soup ( you know the ones where you pour boiling water over hard crunchy noodles, leave them as the heat works its' magic.) We even had a menu that outlined what our meal options were going to be. They had unlimited numbers of snacks. Our group of three seats was for just the two of us and so I was able to sprawl out and fall asleep. Jay spent the majority of the time watching movies. Who knew that there was over 50 choices of TV shows, 100 music selections and the most recent movie releases? Really what do you do with that many options?

Our 36 hour day involved flying from Phnom Penh to Hong Kong ( where we weren't charged extra for being a little over weight)to Toronto to Ottawa. The longest hours were those we waited in the Toronto airport. You are so close and yet those miles that separate you can only be diminished by waiting for yet another plane. As good Canadians we spent a good three hours in Tim Hortons sipping hot chocolate and catching up with our journaling, trying to distract ourselves. We had arrived at terminal 3 and needed to catch our flight in terminal one. A free train service transports you back and forth. As we stepped into the train there was a blast of cold air. It was the most unwelcome sensation, but also a poignant reminder of where we were. So many things to be discovered awaited us and the cold air was just the beginning. There was no visible snow on the ground.

Since we had cleared customs in Toronto it was torturous to wait as Jay went to use the bathroom. My family waited for us as at the bottom of the escalators. They were so close now. We'd used that very same gate a month and a half earlier when we had left for Cambodia. There wasn't too many tears, but certainly a few choked conversations. Dutifully my sister had brought us some warmer clothes. By the time we left the airport I had on a huge down filled 3/4 length coat. Jay was wearing snow pants and ski googles. Even still we commented on the weather and about being cold. Our family reassured us that this was warm compared to just last week. It was of very little comfort.

We slept in our own bed that night. Jay's sisters, who had last cared for our house, had done an excellent job cleaning the house and more importantly decorating it for Christmas. We spent a short time enjoying homemade Christmas treats with Laurie and Ben( sister and bro. in- law.) before being dropped off at home. I started the holiday season off right by trying a bit of every one. The tea we drank warmed us from the inside out. We were so glad to be back. The cozy atmosphere, filled with warmth and family was an excellent beginning. That is what we had longed for many times while we were away. That was one of the many things that brought us home.

We are still in the process of discovering the many others. Here are a few other things that we've discovered we love about our home, Ottawa and Canada. We'll hold off on the things that have irked and challenged us for another entry:0) A fully loaded kitchen with all the spices I can dream of. Ohh and I know where to find the sharp knives and a cutting board. The ease of public transportation. NO wait ... the bus drivers were on strike and the driving was terrible. Being so close to the river and starting to run again because there are tonnes of places that are close by and safe. Having a lap top computer which we can install with the programs we want and use. Picking up our phone and dialling friends and family. There are no extra numbers to dial, you can make yourselves comfortable or do something else at the same time and you can hear each other very clearly. Friends who change their plans to accomodate us. Talk about feeling special! Celebrating my birthday with a house full of people who know and love us.

A White Christmas

Merry Christmas Everybody!!!!!!!

I just wanted to put up a really quick little Christmas note.  No, we haven't forgotten about this little 'ol blog, but we have been a bit otherwise occupied.  We had a fantastic time in Cambodia, and Janne, Miriam and Tuit were better hosts than we could ever have dreamed of!  We arrived back in Canada early on Dec 16 and spent the better part of the following week trying to get over the jet lag.  Angela did really well, but I spent several days waking up at 3:00AM, wide awake and ready to go.  Thankfully now we're both pretty much adjusted to this time zone.

Though the cold has been taking some serious adjusting after being in relatively warm climates for essentially the last 2 years, we are really enjoying having a white Christmas.  And above all, being able to share this very special time with family and good friends is just incredibly fantastic.  We appreciate that gift so much more after having spent so much time separated from those closest to us for so long.  We've been blessed with some great time with each of our parents and siblings.  We've also been able to catch up with many aunts, uncles and cousins.  We are so thankful to see most of our grandparents - and are looking forward with great excitement to when we will be able to see grandma and grandpa Ritskes (who we won't get to see this week) sometime after the holidays.

The culture shock of being back in Canada, the wierdness of having a house, a car and more than 2 sets of clothes, how are we adjusting to it all.... this will all have to wait for a later day.

But for now, it is:

Merry Christmas 

[and in the words of Charles Dickens' Tiny Tim] 

"God Bless Us, Everyone!!"

pheom phen ... what's that you Say??

So it is now mid Feb. and I am looking back on what we've experienced. We spent about a month in Phomn Phen (PP.)

Learning to Be Thankful

So you learn about a war, how does that make you feel? Does if matter if it is close by or far away? I think it does. Will you be impacted differently if you know some one, if there is a face put to it or memories recollected? I think it does. Can we learn from those expereinces and try to be a better presence in this world? I hope it will.

We visited the genocide museums of Cambodia. And I am thankful that we don't have such a thing at home. Though I suppose the closest thing would be the War Museum. The stories and history that accompany these places is eery and speaks of the utter destruction of lives, culture,art, religion and community. Perhaps this was all made even worse because the damage was done by and to their own people.

In an attempt to level the playing feild and create their version of a perfect society the leaders of the Khmer Rouge gave the command to kill all skilled people and their families. To simply kill them was too easy, instead they created the worst and most terrible way to interrogate and torture them first and then equally devasting ways to end their lives, often in the presence of those they loved.

If you were not murdered it was quite possible that you might have wished that you were. The people were forced to leave the capital and return to their home villages out in the country. Hard, physical labour was demanded from everyone. Long working hours were expected with very little food. People were given jobs such as digging water canals and rice farming, but they didn't know how to do them and few were left to teach them. Anything even vaguely perceived as disobedience was not tolerated.

Have you ever been to a place where you feel or sense something so great? In the high school turned prision, the laughter of students was cut short and is now replaced with the emptiness. As you wander through the classroms turned into cells, the photographs of the prisoners do much to iluminate the conditions there. In the space known as the Kiling Fields only birds and local traffic break the silence there. The grassy mass graves are slowly being filled in by the rain and years of erosion - but not before the remains of bones and clothes have been removed, to be used as the focal point for the huge monument there.

Hearing the stories of friends of my aunt has put a very personal touch on the recent tradegy (late 70's). Each day as we drop my cousin off at school we travel streets where people beg, have no clothes, sniff glue etc. These are not the back street either, it is the main road. The faces of the people express a mix of emotions from fear and distrust to the occasional glimmer of hope.

There are two ways one can take what is seen and heard; to withdraw and see no value or joy, or to take hold of the faint ray of hope. The examples of moving forward are found in those that grasp for the hope that tomorrow will be a new and different day.

Memorials of Khmer Rouge Genocide

Hong Kong

They say that beauty is in the eyes of the beholder. Does that mean that the definition of beauty is always changing? If that is the case there are many beautiful sites to behold in this strange and wonderful place. A place that has so many ironies, wealth, organization and flair.

We have enjoyed the surprise meals that we've been getting. It is definitely a culinary experience here, made a bit more complicated by the fact that less people speak English here then we were expecting. Feeling a little out of sorts with the language helps us appreciate again how great it was we spoke basic Spanish. Being able to interact with the average Latin American in their own language meant some really great people experiences. There is a certain air of formality about how things are to be done, a set of established rules that are not necessarily obvious to travellers; how to drink your tea, eat with chopsticks, climb the stairs, use the subway. They have thought of many details and it is all very organized around here. It is encouraging that we find ourselves easily adapting to uncertainities. The food is very yummy and flavourful.

Our first day we got acquainted with the neighbourhood by wandering around (we were staying in the Kowloon Peninsula part of Hong Kong). We also went to the flower, bird and goldfish market. It was so orderly as everyone had there own shop with a real roof. We thought of all you flower lovers out there and had a good laugh when we saw tulips and lilies in boxes being unloaded, bearing the name DeBoer and Hilverda from Holland. There is a little bit of everything you could possibly imagine.

We were able to use this time to the max. Yesterday (Oct 31st) we spent the day on a guided bus tour around Hong Kong Island. It was a very diverse taste of religion, markets, and the local geography. We rode a tram to the highest peak in the area and Jay visited his first Buddhist/ Taoist temple. We bought my first set of pearl jewellery. It is even handmade! We thought it would be the perfect accessory for tea and chocolate cake at a fancy hotel ( The Penisula) where there is a dress code. We took an old fashioned boat around the remnants of the floating Aberdeen fishing village, which will soon be demolished to make room for an amusement park. We saw the famous Jockey Club and a beach that had all if its sand imported from Australia. We wandered around Stanley market but held off buying anything until Cambodia, which we are assuming will be a lot cheaper. The evening was spent watching the daily light show, which involves over 50 different buildings and is recorded in the Guiness Book of World Records.

Today ( Nov. 1st) we took a cable car on Lantau Island to the biggest Buddha statue around, Tin Tan. We climbed the 268 steps to stand near the 34 m, 250 tonne bronze, outdoor statue. Everything is very lush, green and a live. It was a little bouncy on the way home as the wind had picked up. We also floated across the harbour on the Star Ferry, not to be confused with the very prestigious Star Cruises (maybe next time!). A final great experience was discovering flamingos, parrots and the mandarin duck in the Kowloon park near our hostal.

All in all it has been a very different experience here in Hong Kong than anywhere we've been on our trip so far. It was a real eye-opener for me (Jason) being in my first big-crowded Asian city, where there is so much wealth, but certainly lots of poverty that is pushed to the edges. We saw everything from $500,000 1ft tall statues for sale in a shop near the harbour, to the condemed Aberdeen fishing village where everybody lives on a tiny fishing boat in an out-of-the-way corner of the island. We are very glad that we took the opportunity to spend a little time here on our way to Cambodia, it has been WELL worth the 4 days. Enjoy the photos!

Kowloon Peninsula

Hong Kong Island Tour

Lantau Island