Finances and updates

Financial Update

A new bank statement is out, we get one every six months,  you can check them all out here if you are so inclined.

I have also streamlined all the financial information and put it in one location.  You may have noticed a new link in the title bar called "Finances" some of the more switched on among you will have twigged that's where the Financial Information is. ... a little Khmer humor there, I don't get it either !

More updates

We decided to help out a little with this family that lost their mother and father a couple months ago, the one where the Grandmother is looking after the four kids as well as working to support them.  We spent a little of the Funds money; bought them 1/2 a bag of rice, some tinned fish (no electricity and no refrigeration of course), cooking oil, some toothpaste for the kids (Grandma's teeth have completely fallen out and they can't afford dental services of course).

Donated funds spent helping a destitute family.

They were incredibly grateful and thanked me profusely, so I am thanking you guys at home for your donations, without them we couldn't help out over here.  Of course this is but a tiny sample of the many people in similar circumstances.

You may have noticed the little "raised" veranda out front, nearly all homes have them as in the wet season, the ground is muddy as hell, so this gives them a dry place to sit out of the rain and mud. It's often also the equivalent of a lounge/dining/sitting room in western households.

Sok Mong's Family

Mong's Dad arrived back from Phnom Penh, he can move his arms and legs and urinate, none of which he could do before he left, so we're hopeful of a recovery.  Having to pay a full years wages for medical care has put a dampener on things of course.  We chipped in using the Donations to pay for the initial visit to the local clinic (US$165) but feel we don't have enough funds to spend much more helping out.  We are trying to talk them out of selling their old scooter, Mong raises money for the family when he is not at school by being a "moto taxi", as well as using it to get his Dad to work and to buy supplies from the market etc  they currently have a short term loan from a "loan shark", few options are available.

We also decided that seeing Mongs family have had to spend an entire years salary on his Dad in hospital we would help out in the very short term and bought them some food to help them get by, 

(L) Sok Mong and his mother. 

they still have to pay rent, buy food etc and the main source of income (Dad is laid up)... such is life in Cambodia.

Blessing the kitchen

Monk getting prepared

Monks were asked to come and bless the new kitchen. For some reason that I didn't understand they didn't actually do it in the kitchen, but upstairs on the veranda.  The Cambodian version of Buddhism seems very anamist,  so I suspect this was simply a ceremony to ensure there were no "bad spirits" about.  I suppose this is not too far removed from the Christian traditions of having various items blessed by a clergymen and as in the West, some take it more seriously than others.

Monday was, apparently, a fortuitous day, so over they came.  Via an interpreter it was discussed that I was allowed to video the blessing, so I did. Here's the video

For  those of you that receive this update via email, the video will not be embedded, so you should go to the blog and view it there