Hong Kong - 8 hours

9 appointments, 3 book readings, 4 dinners/lunches taken with friends, a bit of shopping: 48 hours at Hong Kong pace. The plane is taking off tomorrow at 8:00am.

In Hong Kong

Last part of my trip… I arrived in HK at sunset then dined “al fresco” (30C and 100% humidity). Upgrade: I’ve got free internet in my hotel room!

Haibao is also in HK!

My new office

The essentials: a socket, a desk and a chair. The plus: a cold coconut juice… my new office in Bangkok airport for a couple of hours.

The same plane as BKK-Siem Reap, nice fish!

Another Siem Reap

The locals' Siem Reap, the Siem Reap for tourists - the Europeans, the Chinese or the Koreans all have different hotels and different routes - the NGOs' Siem Reap - and there again citizenship is a big divide - I discovered a more hidden Siem Reap: a few minutes tuc tuc drive from the touristic night market stands the Muslim neighbourhood with its mosque. Apparently there are one million Muslims in Cambodia out of 14 millions inhabitants. They would originate from the Chams people who migrated from Vietnam. The interesting moment of the day was to strike a conversation with 2 words of Bahasa with one of the brothers near the mosque.

Last training day

After a very full last day, including a formal lunch together, the certificates ceremony and lots of laughter, the training is over. Now starts the implementation (for the trainers) and the follow up (for a+b=3).

Sunset picnic near Tonle Sap

The shops at the foot of the little mountain where the temple lays.

Dinner at sunset: quails and rice.

Special message for Oliver

Sophal thanks you very much for your maths book, it will help her teach Salabai students about decimals.

Lunch break

3rd training day

Back to my "new" office with free wifi. The hotel assistant manager came and chatted with me and the staff greeted me. I'm getting known here... Today the training participants were facilitating.

 Tough working environment...

Training

Wake up at 5am, training from 8am to 5pm and I'm now working on line in my "new" office: I'm not on holiday! The training is well attended: 26 participants from different organisations, in a real training room (not the usual open classrooms with fans). So far so good but language is always an issue. I need a Khmer trainer! There was nearly a riot when I said the lunch break would be 1 hour... from tomorrow on we'll have 1 hour 1/2, the Cambodian minimum (hey, far from the US standard!). I'll post photos tomorrow.
(just been asked by the local staff how to work out the internet connection- sounds like I am not the only one coming here to enjoy the free wifi!)

The other face of Siem Reap

So far, I had only been to local restaurants and cheap hotels (including with the boys in March who realised how tough life can be without air con!). Well, I am now discovering another face of Siem Reap: the luxury hotels!
There is one big thing about 5 stars hotel: wifi!! So I am updating my blog, and working (yes!), while enjoying a nice green papaya salad, a coconut/soya milk smoothie, mild aircon (not like the blizzard type one in HK),soft music and FREE WIFI - paradise! I can even practice my Mandarin (for free too): it is packed with Chinese tourists!

The funny thing is that at the same time I am also facilitating an online introduction course for this week's workshop: the participants must be a few blocks from here!

Siem Reap, Cambodia

Nice flight from Bangkok to Siem Reap in a propeller plane all painted with colourful fish and waves. That must be my 9th visit to Cambodia and 3rd stay in Siem Reap (I hadn’t put many numbers so far in this blog!): the same tuc-tuc driver as last March picked me up at the airport and the Salabai staff was there to welcome me. I feel home! The training starts tomorrow morning. So I have time to review, meet a few people and catch up with late work!

View from my bedroom 5:30am: Bangkok Airport

Beijing

A few pictures from Beijing: 

The banner

The first Financial Education meeting co-organised by a+b=3 in Beijing went fine! And what is most important in a meeting in China? The banner! No meeting without it!

in Bangkok airport

Well, I could not update my blog while in PRC... blogs are not allowed in China. After a long journey (and a cancelled flight), from Beijing to Bangkok, I am at the Bangkok airport now waiting for my flight to Siem Reap.

the blocked screen - not sure what answer is to "diagnose the problem!"

Back to the road!

The suitcase is packed with all kinds of training props in Khmer and training guides in Chinese (useful, isn't it?). About to leave for Beijing, then Siem Reap (via Bangkok) then Hong Kong.