Travel Notecards

Wednesday, 23 May 2012

Adelaide, South Australia; a city of great wine and food

I am leaving Australia in a few weeks, and have many things to accomplish before I step onto the tarmac; all of the above are my excuses for having been a little tardy with my posting lately! So here is a quick and easy one!

Adelaide is my post today; a city in the south of Australia known for its churches (however, to this day I have never worked out why exactly), and more understandably for its wonderful food and wine. Here are some of the restaurants I enjoy when I am there.

Chianti Classico

For some of the BEST Italian you will find anywhere in Australia, and impeccable and warm service

160 Hutt Street

Adelaide

2 mins from the CBD

Assaggio

More fabulous Italian food

92 - 94 King William Road

Hyde Park

5 mins from the CBD

Parisi

Italian again!

A more casual option than Chianti or Assaggio

138 King William Road

Hyde Park

Grimaldis

375 Greenhill Road

Toorak Gardens

7 mins from CBD

Stirling Hotel Restaurant

In gorgeous Stirling (Adelaide Hills)

52 Mount Barker Road

Only 15 minutes from CBD

Not much is far from the CBD of Adelaide as you can tell!

Bon Appétit

Millie x

Tuesday, 15 May 2012

Do's and don'ts of Laos (and Australia)

Cultural differences can mean that when we travel in a foreign environment we can easily offend our hosts without even knowing we are doing so.

I still cringe when I remember my friend Gai's words on her arrival in Luang Prabang (two days after my own), 'you do know you cannot touch a monk or his robes, don't you'?.......I had realised this by the time of her arrival but her confirmation just reiterated the faux pas I had unintentionally made.

I'm positive some of you are saying to yourselves, surely anybody would know this, you don't go slapping your local priest on the back at your first or second meeting!

Let me just say, these were not big bear hugs of a mistake (and they don't need to be to offend), but a simple touching of my friend Monk Sichanh's robe while speaking of it, or a slight brushing of his arm as we chatted together. They were at the time innate human responses of mine to a friendship that was very new and growing, but they are definitely on the list of DON'TS, and need to be respected.

Only seconds after having done one of the 'dont's' I realised that it may not have been the 'thing' to do, but it was done, and to this day I am still apologising to Sichanh for any discomfort I may have caused him. He just smiles sweetly, knowing there was never any ill intent or disrespect on my behalf.

The following are some cartoon images of do's and don'ts for Laos, I found them in the Lao airlines inflight travel magazine 'Champa Holidays'. (I imagine they would stand you in good stead in other southeast Asian countries as well).

The Lao word for Hello is 'sabai dee' usually said with a smile. Touching or showing affection in public will embarrass your hosts.

Lao people traditionally greet each other by pressing their palms together, although it is acceptable for men to shake hands.

Kissing and hugging in public is
impolite. Please be discrete.

Remember, your head is 'high' , your feet 'low', it is polite to gently crouch down when passing someone who is seated. Never, ever step over someone in your path.

Coyright unknown, image taken from Champa Holidays

In Laos your head is 'high' your feet 'low'. Using your feet for anything other than walking or playing sport is generally considered rude.

Lao people speak softly and avoid confrontation. Please do not shout or raise your voice. Before you take a photo of someone ask if it is ok.

Touching someone's head is very, very impolite. Lao people appreciate clean and neatly dressed visitors.

Please do not distribute gifts to children as it encourages begging, but give to an established organization or village elders instead.

Bathing nude or in bathers in public is impolite.

Try eating delicious Lao food whenever you can, it helps local business and Lao farmers.

Monks are revered and respected in Laos. However women should not touch a monk or a monk's robes

Please help keep Laos clean and beautiful by not leaving litter. Picking up rubbish sets a good example for Lao youth.

Please show respect and dress neatly while in temples and when taking photos. There are many other sacred items and sites in Laos. Please don't touch or enter these places without permission.

Laos loses a little of its heritage every time an antique is taken out of the country. Please do not buy antique Buddha or other sacred items. Instead, support local craftsmen by purchasing new, quality handicrafts.

Fellow Australians (and others), you may be interested to read below some of the do's and don'ts that I found published on the internet for foreigners visiting our shores.

The following are pretty much all news to me!

They are from the Travel Taboo Guide

Do not be offended being addressed by your first name. In Australia, first names are used both in personal greetings and business correspondence. Professional titles are not prominent in Australian business culture, and are sometimes dismissed as pretentious.

Do not touch, pat or hug other men in public which is considered socially unacceptable.

Do not visit without an appointment. Unannounced visits are not part of Australian culture, always make a call before you wish to meet the people.

Do not blow your nose in public, it is socially unacceptable.

Do learn some knowledge of major sports and how the local team is getting on if you want to associate with Australian males. Sport is supreme in Australia.

Do feel 'at home' when invited to an Australian house. Australian hospitality tends to be very informal,and you will be encouraged to serve yourself.

When I read the first piece of advice from this list I immediately thought of an incident which happened many years ago in the Channel 10 green room in Melbourne.

One of our guests for Good Morning Australia that day was a Mr Ocscar de la Renta (I'm sure you have all heard of him).

Now I think I can safely say that Mr de la Renta would never be greeted by 'Hi Oscar' in either Spain, France, or New York (well at least not by people he has never met before and certainly never by someone younger than himself to boot), but that is exactly how he was greeted in the green room on this particular day...with a 'Hi Oscar'!

When I heard this, I held my breath and waited for the reaction, none came....he's a gentleman (and a very handsome one at that), but in that split second I was terrified for the young segment producer.

Familiarity can be very disconcerting for many visitors to Australia and often considered rude, in this particular case I would have to agree (although I'm sure it was not intended to be).

As for me, I clearly need to brush up on my sport, keep my hands to myself, stop hugging men in public and remember to sniff not blow!

Have a great Tuesday

Millie x

Tuesday, 8 May 2012

Instinct, your best travel partner. It's midnight in Paris...

I feel I have an angel watching over me, however I won't continue to push my luck!

It's midnight in Paris and I'm walking home on a cold January night when a cough behind me takes my attention. I turn to see who is sharing the dimly lit and deserted street with me.

I make out a male figure in a dark jacket with a hood pulled tightly over his head, he’s 20 meters behind. As I reassure myself there is no reason to be afraid I quickly take out the gate keys anyway and hope that this will be the one night I won't be forced to wrestle with the lock.

I have only just put the key in when it's clear that I'm not going to make it. Some sort of weapon is shoved rudely and violently into the small of my back and I feel a prod like instrument pushing forward, it makes a loud clicking type noise and my muscles experience a tightening and weakening at the same time. The 'charmer' repeats his attack again and again into my back. I fight back as best I can and let out a shrill and persistant scream, this seems to infuriate him further and so he takes his weapon and forcefully jams it into my head, twice.

I am sharing this, one of my not so pretty Parisian experiences, to emphasize the importance of listening to one's gut instinct and using it to stay safe wherever you are in the world.

Had I listened to my instinct that night I would not have taken the metro line that I took, I had always and purposely avoided it at night as it meant a longer, darker and more deserted walk than the alternative metro line.

I remember vividly the words I said to a friend I was with that particular evening.....'I don't usually take that line....but ok, just this once then'.

Even though I didn't feel good about my split second decision I went with it and took the less safe option.

I do not know exactly what this guy wanted with me, it is possible he may not have simply wanted to take my bag. My screaming saved me, it alerted my neighbour who was putting her cats out for the night, she yelled and the 'courgageous' man ran like hell picking up my bag on his way out and leaving me bloodied and sprawled on the ground.

There followed a visit from the police, followed promptly by the ambulance, hospital and a bunch of stiches, a police station visit and even a home visit from a couple of detectives the next day. Unfortunately in my struggle I never got to see the perpetrator's face and so he is left to roam the streets freely and dangerously.

Up until very recently I had no intention of sharing this story on my blog, however a recent experience in Laos changed this. Once again I ignored a gut feeling and found myself in a very tense situation with an inebriated and clearly irrational man in a very isolated part of the country.

Had I listened to my intuition I would never have found myself in the frightening position I was in, and to this day I am not entirely sure why I didn't, although it could possibly have something to do with a stubborn streak, and the fact that when I set my eyes and my camera on something I become focused to the exclusion of all else, including my personal safety.

I will not go into the details of my experience, I will be eternally grateful for a spot of luck which saw two other tourists able to get me out of what was a drawn out and very scary situation.

Neither France nor Laos are dangerous countries, either event could have taken place in my home country of Australia. Having said this, I do want to emphasize that there are cultural differences and less stringent rules and regulations in developing nations such as Laos so it is important to understand and recognize this.

Instinct is one of man's most primal responses. It exists for a reason and should be trusted and acted upon. I certainly feel I have learnt some important lessons and have vowed to never again override what my 'gut' is telling me.

In the coming weeks I will be adding a page of travel and safety tips and I hope they can be of some use.

Please stay safe and don't doubt for a minute your primal and most important of responses, instinct.

PS In relation to my opening words.... it really was dead on midnight in Paris....I'm not stealing any movie title I promise!

Millie xx

Friday, 27 April 2012

Chatting with Jimmy from Siem Reap, Cambodia

In my previous blog post here I spoke about Jimmy Chan Sarath and the incredible work he does at the English school for children (Jimmy's Village School) that he founded and runs in Siem Reap, Cambodia.

I mentioned also that because of Jimmy's incredibly busy life we hadn't had the opportunity to sit and chat in more detail about his work, his school or his students.

I was intrigued by this young man who gives so much of his life to help others and naturally wanted to know a little more about him and the children...Jimmy very kindly gave me some of his precious time to answer these questions via email.

How did Jimmy's Village School come about and what were your initial objectives for the school and its students.

I wanted to help underprivileged Cambodian children with their education. The education system in Cambodia still requires a financial contribution from the parents and many of the poorer children are unable to afford to complete their schooling. I was helped by my family and tourists to convert the front of the house into a school room.

How important is it for the children of Cambodia today to learn English?

I'm sure you understand that English is a universal language in commerce, science and engineering, not to mention tourism, and will be very important for the children's career prospects.

You mentioned to me that you also teach other subjects other than English to your students, what are these other subjects?

I try and teach them about things outside of Cambodia. General knowledge; such as culture, geography, history,...etc.... about the world around them.

Students having fun while waiting for their class outside school

When I was at your school one day you mentioned to me that currently students in the school system are not being taught about the Khmer Rouge period of Cambodian history, why is this and do you think this will change in the future?

The recent history of Cambodia is no longer a taboo subject and from this year onwards it is to be gradually introduced into the school curriculum.

What sort of background do most of your students come from?

They are poor children from villages. Their parents are typically farm workers, cleaners, waitresses or street vendors - they live very hand to mouth lives.

Boys at Jimmy's school ready to learn

How do the children enroll in your school?

They just turn up! They hear by word of mouth.

Are children in Cambodia taught English in the mainstream schools?

Yes they are.

What is the percentage of children receiving an education in Cambodia?

About 45% to 55 % of children do not get an ongoing education as they live in rural villages and have no transportation to get to school.

What are your future plans for Jimmy's School.

I would like to construct a new school building in the village on a new site. When I am able to get an overseas scholarship i will open an international school after my graduation.

How can others help you in achieving this goal?

They can help with cash donations and advice.

The children I met at your school were incredibly warm and receptive and appeared very motivated to learn, are most Cambodian children as receptive?

They are probably just like children of any other nationality – although I expect more eager to better themselves. Furthermore, we educate them more about morality.

oops... turn those fingers the other way around guys!

They also appear to be very respectful and polite which is so beautiful to see..... in general how are children brought up in Cambodia, is it a very traditional upbringing?

Yes, in Cambodia children are very deferential towards their elders – it is a Cambodian tradition.

How would you describe life in Siem Reap?

Depends on who you are. For tourists its a pleasant destination. But I'm sure you will have noticed on the streets there is a big gap between the rich and poor.

How can future visitors to Siem Reap help out at Jimmy's School.

Through cash donations, their time and advice.

Do you have a website or an email address for interested people to visit and learn more about the great work you are doing?

I am on Facebook “Jimmys village school”.

Telephone number: 855+(0) 92 847 265.

Email: jimmysvillageschool@ gmail.com

Angkor Wat is breathtaking.

Just to change the subject matter a little and to give future visitors to Siem Reap an inside tip... can you share with us your 5 top things to do in Siem Reap?

Angkor Wat
Bakang mountain (You can see Angkor Wat from here)
The floating Village
Koulen Mountain
Visit Cambodian villages in the countryside

Outside the lovely Golden Banana Hotel in Siem Reap (which I can highly recommend).

Thank you so much Jimmy for your time and for all that you do for the children in Siem Reap.

Millie xx

Monday, 23 April 2012

Jimmy's Village School, Siem Reap, Cambodia

There is no greater joy nor greater reward than to make a fundamental difference in someone's life

Mary Rose McGeady

The happy and industrious scene from the street with Jimmy at the whiteboard

Jimmy from Jimmy's school in Siem Reap, Cambodia is doing just this...making a huge difference to hundreds of Cambodian children's lives and doing it every day of the week.

One evening as I was walking the streets in Siem Reap I couldn't help but hear and notice a very happy sounding group of children sitting at school desks in the front yard of a house. Very hard to miss!

I love to poke my nose in when I am traveling (no point leaving home otherwise)! and it looked like everyone was having a great time, so I stopped to find out what all the FUN was about.

I'm happy I did.....Jimmy, bounced up and introduced himself and his school 'Jimmy's Village School' and I learnt that this particular group of children were one of three groups that come every evening of the week and Saturday mornings to learn English (as well as other subjects that Jimmy feels are important for the children).

Jimmy serving lunch for a Saturday afternoon party at the school.

Jimmy is Cambodian and himself from Siem Reap. He founded and runs the school single handedly (with some help from volunteers when possible), and as I watched him that night with the children in each of his three classes I quickly realised that Jimmy was certainly not your ordinary kind of guy.

While we never had much time to chat about the work that he is doing, he is visibly passionate about his teaching and has plans for future expansion of the school. I can certainly testify to how much these children adore and respect him, you don't have to spend too much time at the school to get an appreciation of their special relationship.

I returned a handful of times to the school to help with a few of the lessons and to interact with these beautiful children. My favourite class to watch was the 7 steps of hand washing as recommended by the World Health Organisation. When Jimmy asked me to take this session I embarassingly had to admit to not knowing them. The kids however certainly did and they made the whole ritual of hand washing a lot more fun than it has ever been before!

If you are in Siem Reap please stop by Jimmy's school and help out where and when you can. You'll love seeing Jimmy in action with the children and if you are lucky enough you will get to be involved in a lesson or two (its up to you how many). These kids are clever, funny and loving (you'll never get so many genuine hugs at the one time again)!

Even if you do not have enough time to stop by and help out teaching you can still pop in (from 5pm to 8pm) with stationery, clothing, dental items or a cash donation. All of the above are very much needed and very much appreciated.

To locate the school; I don't have the exact address but it's very easy to find. Cross over Sivatha Boulevard from the Old market and head away from the river, it's the first little street on the left, walk maybe 50m and you'll find it on the left. (The Golden Temple Villa is located on this same street if you need a landmark).

If you would like to get in touch with Jimmy's Village School join them on facebook or you can email Jimmy at; jimmysvillageschool@gmail.com.

Whenever I feel there is little hope for the world and its problems I think about people like Jimmy, they are the real heros of this troubled but still beautiful world.

Thank you to all of these incredible people.

Millie xx