In 2018, I was excited to read in a news article that Cambodia had broken the Guinness World Record for the longest Dragon Boat. The Dragon Boat is named កម្ពោជិកបុត្តាខេមរាតរី or Kambojika Putta Khemara Tarei, which means Dragon Boat of Khmer Youth in Cambodian Territory. At 286 feet 5 inches it’s almost as long as…
Author: Charles
Stupas and Graves
The Khmer Buddhists who make up the vast majority of Cambodians generally cremate their dead and then inter them in stupas at local pagodas. Some keep the ashes in their homes or spread them at a significant spot, but most inter them in stupas. The most elaborate stupas are reserved for relics or royalty, such…
Briquettes from Coconut Waste
Last year, Charlotte was studying environmental enterprises at school and watched the video about a new business in Sierra Leone that transforms coconut shells into briquettes. This manages coconut waste, prevents deforestation, and provides a charcoal alternative that burns cleaner. In 2021, I wrote about Grilling on our Pot… What I didn’t share is that…
Flowers of Nepal 2023
We have Asia regional meetings in Nepal this week so we decided to come early and have a short family vacation here. I’ll write more about our explorations later but I’ll start with another entry in my flower series. This week is the Dashain festival so there have been marigold garlands everywhere and most Nepalis…
25 years later, Prey Veng is landmine-free.
Last year, a new sign went up on the Prey Veng Waterfront declaring that the province was officially mine-free. Prey Veng is the third most populous province in Cambodia but lacks an urban center with the population spread among rural villages. The fighting in Cambodia came to end twenty-five years ago when the final Khmer…
ផ្កាម្លិះ | Jasmine
Phnom Penh has no shortage of olfactory stimulation. Most of which might most charitably be described as pungent. Fermented fish, durian, open sewage systems, and garbage sitting out in the tropical heat are smells that were uncomfortable when I first came. Of course there are also many delightful smells – the scent of rain in…
Intersections: Disability, safeguarding, and inclusion in Cambodia
I was asked to write an article on Disability, safeguarding, and inclusion in Cambodia for the Fall 2023 edition of Mennonite Central Committee’s Intersections: MCC theory and practice quarterly newsletter. I’m sharing the text of the article below. As many of you know, I worked with adults with intellectual disabilities and autism for eight years before…
Bangkok’s Sanam Rat park
After our visit to the Cambodian Embassy to submit Caleb’s Visa application we visited the Sanam Rat park in Bangkok, Thailand. It’s a large park with a lot to see including ponds and a small lake, fountains, a beautiful conference pavilion, botanical gardens, and water monitor lizards. Charlotte was – as aways – thrilled just…
Visiting Oudong in 2008 and 2023
Oudong was the capital of Cambodia for almost 250 years until it was moved to Phnom Penh by King Norodom in 1866. Oudong was largely abandoned after the capital was moved but the monasteries, pagodas, and stupas remained in use. Only some 21 miles northwest of Phnom Penh, Oudong with it’s ancient structures and beautiful…
Anabaptist World: Following Jesus in Confronting the Climate Crisis
On September 19th at 7PM (EST), Anabaptist World is hosting a discussion on Following Jesus in Confronting the Climate Crisis. The discussion will be held on Facebook Live and Youtube Live. We highlight columnist Sarah Augustine, a Pueblo (Tewa) woman, lives with her family in White Swan, Washington. She is the Executive Director of the…