Reaching Out to CARE

It's the first time I had been away for Singapore for more than a week. My longest time out of the country yet.

No regrets having signed up for NTU Hall 12 OVE 2011.

This remains my favourite photo from the entire trip.. It shows how we're so excited and eager to go out there and do our bit for Cambodia, how we're all prepared and good to go.

Credits: Candice

I could not help but notice the stark contrast between the level of development of Cambodia and that of Singapore. It just made me wonder what's wrong. Why are they still living in such... kampong-type of houses? Why don't they have a proper drainage system? Why are living conditions so much worse than what we have now? Is it because of the inefficiency of government (Cambodian People's Party made sure everyone including the tourists knew who they were by planting signboards everywhere), or the fact that Cambodia is primarily agriculture-based?

After we left Siem Reap for Phnom Penh for R&R, again we saw how different the two states are. It was hard to believe that such major income and infrastructural inequalities exist within the same country. When we passed the hotels and went for buffets (2 dinners 1 lunch), it always made me ache, because after seeing life at Siem Reap, I simply could not absorb the fact that people were living in such poor conditions with such simple meals while we lived like the rich, (again) all within the same country. 

More grateful for what I have now? Yeah, of course. 

Medical help was not exactly accessible... and tourists, unfortunately, get charged with higher consultation fees. At least that was what Chak Mun (our host at the Boys' Brigade Learning Centre, BBLC, at Pouk Village) found out. Marcus decided that I should be taken to the clinic after my body temperature kept rising and remained above 39 degrees on our 2nd last day at BBLC. At first it was at the 37 range, then it increased by at least 1 degree after the absurdly strong wind and rain after lunch, where Shing Kwan walked me back to BBLC and gave the Silk Farm visit a miss. I simply couldn't rest properly that afternoon... so I went out to join my class at their farewell despite the high fever. Bad decision, because my body temperature then rose above 39deg. Ziliang had bought ice for me earlier that day, so that I could be closely monitored sponged (by many friends, it was quite appalling) after that. This happened despite my cries for them to stop. It was that bad, the cold... The tuk tuk ride to and back from the clinic made it worse, my whole body went numb from the cold, such that I couldn't move at all :( Chak Mun and Li Qiao went with me. 

I'm supposed to continue the post....