Lenny, There is no system in place to safeguard environments or to enforce public health issue. Cambodians just throw garbage anywhere they please. They urinate or take a dump at any space they want and left it unburied. Most households don’t have any kind of “outhouse” available. You just have to watch you don’t step on their droppings in their backyards. Try to eat lunch or dinner without being devoured by flies and other kinds of insects. Then, you wonder why nearly all Cambodians are somehow unhealthy.
I don’t think it is because of poverty, I think it's just plain carelessness, laziness and the lack of law enforcements. Where I live, I would be served with plenty of summons, if rubbishes are found around my home. No still water can be left in the back or front yard. You will lose your shirt if you are found urinated in public. It’s a shame for me to say all of this, because I am one of Cambodians, too. Cambodians have to seriously change a lot of things; this issue is one of them. Regards, ======== On May 19, 5:52 am, Len Graceffo <rosedalepa...@hotmail.com> wrote: > Dear all. Thanx for bringing up the "garbage in the back yard". I forgot to > mention that. I notice it every time I go there but haven't had the courage > to say anything about it. I just can't understand why parents wouldn't clean > the mess in their own back yards whether it was theirs or not. Stagnant water > and garbage is no enviornment to raise children. With the money I've given > them they could of easily drained the land and kept it clean whether the > garbage is theirs or not. I just assumed that when your so poor and beaten > down you just stop giving a shit. Several of my Surin/Burriam Khmer friends > said the same things you people have; they're just lazy. What a learning > experience!!! Keep it comin', Lenny G > > > > > Date: Mon, 18 May 2009 19:35:11 -0700 > > Subject: Re: My Cambodian foster daughter > > From: timothych...@aol.com > > To: camdisc@googlegroups.com > > > Hi KC, > > > Thanks for sharing. It is good that you can laugh away your > > innocence. > > > I have heard a case with a political leader who was given > > contributions to help dig water wells for certain villagers. Many > > donors thought he was a decent man. Recently, one of the donors went > > to check that particular village to look for the wells promised by > > this politician that the wells would be dug, but to her > > disappointment, the wells were nowhere to be found. > > > She came back to the U.S and laughed at him, too. I am sure, however, > > that politician was lauging all the way to bis bank. :-) > > > I have tons of story like this to tell. It could be written as > > historical books. > > > Have you ever sent any more money after that? > > > I hope not. > > > Thanks again KC. > > > ======== > > > On May 18, 6:46 pm, kourk_chh...@yahoo.com wrote: > > > Bang, here's my story, > > > my family had collected monies to help a relative overthere, for that > > > money he said he would buy a motorcycle, use it to buy and transport pigs > > > to sell in the city so they 'll make profits...2 months later, they sent > > > another letter, the motorcycle was broken, need money to fix it, month > > > after that another letter came, he said in the letter he got in an > > > accident, the motorcycle was totally lost. He got another idea, he asked > > > to help him start a motorbike washer business, so we collected money for > > > him again...a few months later one of us went their to visit and wanted > > > to see how his business doing, guess what they saw... everybody was in > > > melee, they told that the man in trouble because his wife was chasing > > > after him with "Kambett Paing Tor" because he had been spent monies we > > > sent him with young girls from one to another and his wife sell Nom Banh > > > Chok everyday to feed the kids while this man had fun of his own....after > > > hearing this story we all > > > just couldn't help ourselve laughing... > > > Khoar Chev ( Made in Cambodia ) > > > > --- On Mon, 5/18/09, TSC <timothych...@aol.com> wrote: > > > > From: TSC <timothych...@aol.com> > > > Subject: Re: My Cambodian foster daughter > > > To: "Cambodia Discussion (CAMDISC) -www.cambodia.org" > > > <camdisc@googlegroups.com> > > > Date: Monday, May 18, 2009, 3:08 PM > > > > Hi KC, > > > > When I told my relatives that I had to plant flowers and vegetations > > > in my living room, family room and in the kitchen, they were laughing. > > > Perhaps, thinking that I was lying to have them plant things in the > > > same fashion. > > > > Inspecting their lands around their home, I knew I could do a lot of > > > things with the kind of soil that my relatives have. I bought them > > > seeds of all kinds of vegetable and gardening flower and asking them > > > to grow them. Many month later, I went back to check to see if they > > > had grown them. They told me that there was not much rain to grow > > > anything. I told them that I had dug nice wells for them to use the > > > water for such purposes. They told me that it was too hard to water > > > the plants with well water. Meanwhile, they rather asked for more > > > money to go shopping for things that they could grow themselves and > > > had the nerve to complain that those things have gotten more > > > expensive. > > > > On the other hand, most Vietnamese and Chinese are working real hard > > > for their money. They work hard from collecting cans, fishing, growing > > > fruits and vegetables, selling all kinds of products and they don’t > > > expect any handouts. They would risk their life to come into Cambodia > > > for such an opportunity to work the land. Many of these individuals, > > > except the newcomers, were in the same Pol Pot regime and yet they > > > have managed to rise from poverty quicker than most Cambodians. > > > > We need to change their mentality from being sluggish to energetic and > > > stop depending on others to feed them forever. In this competitive > > > world we cannot have both free time and money at the same time unless > > > you were born with a silver spoon in your mouth. Cambodians can > > > become self-sufficient like any other people in the world, but they > > > must work. Maybe it’s time for the world, country of donors and > > > politicians to stop “giving them fish, but teach them how to fish”… > > > and let them fish or be starved. Somehow I feel that many of them are > > > being spoiled! > > > > If you don’t work, you don’t eat! > > > > Thanks KC > > > > ======= > > > On May 18, 2:20 pm, kourk_chh...@yahoo.com wrote: > > > > > Bro Tim and all, > > > > Bang Sothon, I can't agree more. I've never been in Cambodia for 30 > > > > years, but keep hearing the same thing from different people returned > > > > from visiting relatives in Cambodia that their relatives there today > > > > are so lazy ( Sorry I said what they told me ), everything they have to > > > > buy from the market even vegies such as mint, peppers, lemon grass etc > > > > , for most of us here even we don't own a house we still be able to > > > > grow them in container or planter ...don't know why they are so spoiled? > > > > > KC > > > > Khoar Chev ( Made in Cambodia ) > > > > > --- On Mon, 5/18/09, TSC <timothych...@aol.com> wrote: > > > > > From: TSC <timothych...@aol.com> > > > > Subject: Re: My Cambodian foster daughter > > > > To: "Cambodia Discussion (CAMDISC) -www.cambodia.org" > > > > <camdisc@googlegroups.com> > > > > Date: Monday, May 18, 2009, 10:44 AM > > > > > Hi Lenny, > > > > > Thanks for your reply. > > > > > Working doesn't mean that one must be employed. I have been to Kralanh > > > > and Samrong and I know that the people are destitute, there. But, many > > > > people have so much free time that they can turn your contributions > > > > into gold with a little effort, if they want to. > > > > > However, many people chose to sit around and do nothing, not even > > > > planting some household vegetables to feed the family. They would > > > > rather go to the market to buy things that they can produce themselves > > > > with little effort. Some don't even clean their home, backyard and or > > > > front yard and they rather sit around with garbage all over the place. > > > > Many would rather spend time playing card and singing Karaoke in the > > > > nearby shop. That is what I call abuse. > > > > > I used to do the same thing like you do by funding monthly money to > > > > support my siblings, nieces and nephews; but much of the funds had > > > > been gone with the wind. I stopped! Realizing that they had no choice > > > > but to work for the money, then everyone started to work harder and > > > > now they are self-reliant and I will only help them when they can > > > > prove that they want to help themselves first. > > > > Here is a link of some picture of a road to Samrong > > > > >http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I-639wS4f6k > > > > > Have a great day. > > > > > ============== > > > > > On May 18, 12:53 am, Len Graceffo <rosedalepa...@hotmail.com> wrote:> > > > > Dear TSC, > > > > > Thank you for your feedback. I needed to hear that. I'm so ashamed > > > > > of Canada for being a puppet of the U.S. and sitting back while the > > > > > U.S. bombed the shit out of Cambodia. We're responsible for the KR's > > > > > atrocities by allowing them to stay in power as long as we did. My > > > > > hope was that maybe not the parents but the children would recognize > > > > > the spiritual principle of generousity and incorporate that into > > > > > their lives as they grow older. Planting a small seed might bear > > > > > fruit down the road. Among people 40 and over trust seems to be an > > > > > issue amongst themselves. When I started this 2 years ago I told the > > > > > family I would do this until Srey Mach was 18. I've also told Srey > > > > > Mach that I will send her to University with room and board if she > > > > > wants/qualifies. Just her. I'm aware that if she chooses this I will > > > > > have to put controls in place. You're absolutely right about the > > > > > values of hard work but are there any jobs in the rual villages > > > > > besides sporadic > > > > > farming? Many people seem to be unemployed. Aside from the bustling > > > > markets and the older people who seem to be busy its the 18-25 year > > > > olds who seem to have a lot of time on their hands. Maybe I am doing > > > > more harm than good. I work a minimum of 60 hour weeks in the oilsands > > > > of Alberta, Canada. I know the value of a dollar. Thanx again. Regards, > > > > Lenny G > > > > > > > Date: Sun, 17 May 2009 08:35:00 -0700 > > > > > > Subject: Re: My Cambodian foster daughter > > > > > > From: timothych...@aol.com > > > > > > To: camdisc@googlegroups.com > > > > > > > Hi Lenny, > > > > > > > You are caught in the never-ending support to these people. $100.00 > > > > > > a > > > > > > month falling from the sky is very helpful for any family, > > > > > > regardless > > > > > > of its size. Many people are breaking their back for $50.00 (of some > > > > > > 60 hours/week hard-laboring work) in a factory. > > > > > > > While I appreciate your good intention, I think you do more harm > > > > > > than > > > > > > help by not teaching these people the values of hard work. I doubt > > > > > > that you can get this $100.00 from a Canadian tree; you work for it, > > > > > > don’t you? > > > > > > > Cambodian society now is > > ... > > read more »- Hide quoted text - > > - Show quoted text - --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Cambodia Discussion (CAMDISC) - www.cambodia.org" group. This is an unmoderated forum. Please refrain from using foul language. Thank you for your understanding. Peace among us and in Cambodia. 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