Privileged existential month

A toddler boy became the focus of my last day before getting to Kep. He led to some healthy and proactive existential angst within my writers retreat. On Tuesday in Phnom Penh I did my usual errands of pay my phone bill and get cash out but also some unusual errands such as printing some hard copy photos and booking tickets.

The toddler was nearby an enormous high school in centre of city. I was walking by looking forward to a lime juice or similar once at café near guesthouse. He caught my eye as he played in a filthy gutter, naked, with his ‘car’. All that remained of the toy car was the black chassis and one single wheel. There was no sedan part of his toy. Yet he played with the ‘brmmm, brmmm’ motor noises and swung his car about enthusiastically.

How privileged am I to have this time and budget for my dream of writing. There is no answer to this rhetorical question. There is such sadness everywhere, not just on that street in Cambodia. Everyday I am here in this location to rest and write I am grateful for where I was born, the family, education and opportunity given to me. It could have been me who was ……..

Instead I am here in this exotic location immersing myself in this existential moment

More lipstick please!

The commonly used Malaria medicine is called ‘lipstick’. Well at least, in Khmer language that’s what the product name sounds like to me. In a meeting of 9 district health centre chiefs, hospital managers, non-government and government staff, it was a giggle for me to continuing hear the male managers asking for more ‘lipstick’.
Unfortunately it means the usual increase in Malaria has happened during the wet season and so they need to stock up on medicine but instead I am smiling a little, at the accidental joke ….
In the meeting the issue was dealt with professionally and medicine stocks will be replenished; with no cosmetics included in the deliveries I am sure

"Decapitating flowers" a crime?

In September strict laws about ‘social animals’ comes into effect. My new job, I think, should be an inspector of aquariums to make sure there are no single goldfish. Check out the details of the law at

http://www.onlineopinion.com.au/view.asp?article=7364

Quoting; There is also a discussion paper about the dignity of plants. In due course its astonishing conclusions could become law. Among them is that "decapitation of wild flowers at the roadside without rational reason" is essentially a crime. In fact, the committee was unanimous in its agreement that any "arbitrary harm caused to plants [is] morally impermissible".

So 'decapitating' flowers means to pick a flower. Think of all those people who take 'cuttings' for propagating, who would need to prove that the benefit of new plants outweighs the killing of the original plant!