Triumph, tragedy and err.. traffic.

"Ohhh... nearly bang!" remarked the softly-spoken local Pastor Timothy as we observed a yet another traffic accident near-miss as we weaved our way through rush-hour traffic in the tuk-tuk on the way to my English lesson at his church. We did actually go on to witness an accident on the trip there and then on the return journey, on the back of someone else's motorcycle, I witnessed another collision.

It's always eventful on the roads here; as I rode my pushbike to school this morning, a bike in front of me stopped suddenly because his pillion needed to answer his mobile! I nearly ran straight into the back of him but then again if you negotiate traffic here expecting the unexpected (cattle wandering into the road etc;) then you'll be fine. I have to say that the uniformed local traffic policeman I saw parked up at the side of the road last night would probably have been little use in the event of a traffic accident anyway seeing that he was openly swigging a can of lager.

Last week wasn't the best – I spent it recovering from a chest infection which took me out of action for a while. Pastor Timothy brought me a round couple of big bags of exotic fruit including rabatan, apples and dragon fruit which were appreciated. He shared with me how his son has asthma and that when he's a bit older, he'd be eating a gecko (lizard) as this is an apparent cure. You may be interested to know that I, personally, have decided to give this a miss.

Watching TV I've watched as the Koreas have taken aim at each other, seen the mining tragedy in New Zealand unfold and also graphic news coverage of the awful happening here in Cambodia during last Monday week's water festival disaster, during which over 400 people were killed during a stampede on a bridge linking Phnom Penh with Diamond Island on the Tonle Sap river.

During one of the news reports from Phnom Penh a lady, beside herself with grief, said that her whole family were virtually wiped out by the Khmer Rouge and that the only family member she had, a son, remained unaccounted for.

Utterly tragic and reminded me of the Hillsborough disaster all those years ago. There are many rumours flying around as to what happened here but I won't entertain those, just to say that this event has shaken this nation, the worst event of its kind since the genocide thirty years ago. The international fellowship here in Siemreap have partnered with Trans World Radio and are sending support packs out to those in the over-crowded hospitals and clinics in the capital.

To add to this, 14 people were killed by a land mine when their vehicle took a shortcut on rural land in another province. Land mines are still a menace here, left behind by the Khmer Rouge and Vietnamese occupation. Here in Siemreap it is sometimes hard to imagine what this country has been through as there are now few reminders; it is only when you read stories like this that one realises that there is still much work to be done here but reassuring in the knowledge that God is in the business of rebuilding and drawing this nation unto Him.

On a personal note, I'm pleased with the way things are unfolding; my lessons have been going well and the response from the students, both from the Vietnamese school and the Khmer church has been positive. However, it is so easy to over-do things here due to the climate so I'm mindful of what I agree to do.

If you'd have told me six months ago that I'd be teaching up to 30 Vietnamese kindergärten kids whilst disciplining them in Vietnamese I wouldn't have believed you. They are beginners so the lessons are basic but very active - we begin and end the lesson in prayer and then they all troop out, politely saying, “goodbye teacher!”. I've seen how they live with my own eyes. They have nothing. Most scavenge the streets, their families often live eight people to a room and yet they seem so content. It is an honour to contribute to their education and to bring them the hope that will help them to forge a future as exiles here in a land that won't recognise them.

The evening class at the Siemreap Church are at intermediate level so there's quite a gulf between the classes. I usually take a tuk-tuk for the 7km journey just as the sun is going down. Then we usually study outside and it's quite an experience trying to teach the present perfect tense with sweat pouring off you whilst at the same time being bitten to death by mozzies. The students here are very bright, many attend the church but the English classes are open to all, so many come from the surrounding villages which is a great witness. The Khmers I've met are the most patient, innocent, kind and respectful people imaginable - this is their culture, from which so much can be learned.

Ok, so everyone knows that I need to work on my Khmer language skills. Apparently my pronunciation, for a barang (foreigner) is pretty good but my vocabulary does let me down. Last night I managed to order the following for dinner:

Chicken and vegetable curry with steamed rice and a bicycle.

Just as you may remember that there's a similarity between the words for 'home' and 'frying pan' well, there's an apparent closeness between 'bicycle' and 'coconut'. When I eventually look back on my time out here at least no-one can say that I haven't given the Khmers a good laugh.

I attended a seminar the other week which taught on Matthew 5 as Jesus gives the Sermon on the Mount. Ok, now I'm no Biblical scholar but then Jesus's teachings were not merely intended for an educated elite few. In this world, there is pressure to succeed and to 'be someone' and to be a winner. But just who does Jesus say are the real winners? We discover that Jesus turns the form-book upside down - it is the marginalised, the poor and the weak.

There is hope for this land.

Chum reap lea.