Phnom Penh to Bangkok

Trip Start Dec 06, 2006
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Trip End Jan 06, 2007


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Saturday, December 30, 2006

Song of the day: As Long as I'm in this world (I am the light of this world)
01 Cambodia
01 Cambodia
From Saigon back to Phnom Penh for a few days, gathering our things and mainly to have dinner with Gary and Karen and their sons (Gary is the hospital director for Hope International in Phnom Penh). Dinner on the terrace - fajitas and salad - nice (serious) people, nice dinner, nice evening.

Hope International is different from the religious organizations I've encountered. (The past 6-7 years lead me to despise the term, "faith-based" - to the extent that I never say it or write it except now - "faith-based" in my experience is a faddish term to describe a perversion of faith and religion - but that's just me - 04 Cambodia
04 Cambodia
 - offended at the idea of using patients (not to mention Jesus) as a means to an end, i.e., personal, organizational, or religious gain VS. patients as the bottom line - but that's just me.)

Anyway, everyone we've met at Hope (Gerlinda, Rithy, Gary, Karen, Ian) seems strong - stand up guys - in the words of Jeff, who went to one of the toughest schools in the world (Leavenworth). The way I understand Hope is that it is that serving (loving) the poor and suffering is the mission. Period. In other words, agape. Oh, there's that word again! I was happy to be there.
05 Cambodia
05 Cambodia
That night we packed for an early morning departure. Right before we left at 0600 the woman from a couple of doors down (Chanmony's Grandmother) brought us each a silk kramar and ceremoniously put them around our necks and off to Bangkok.

An odd note: The Air Asia flight had the most aggressive, pushing, line-butting collection of Asians, Anglos and whatnot we'd seen in Asia. There was even a group of 10-12 very aggressive Thai nuns. When we landed in Bangkok I finally blocked the aisle and said, He's next, then she, then me, then you." Sheesh. Now we're back in Stephane's beautiful apartment - aircon, teak floors, hot water, ice, espresso, everything.

We're leaving early in the morning for Hong Kong. Hopefully I'll post from there. We'll see.
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