January 9, 2010, A day on Tonle Sop

We met Mieko and Jon Morgan in town at 7 am and drove 1.5 hours up to Tonle Sap which is the largest lake in SE Asia. There were 7 of us: Jon, Mieko, Rikki (their 7 yr old daughter), Beth and Kevin, scientist from Mass, and us. Jon is the former head of Angkor Children's Hospital and is now head of his NGO: The Lake Clinic. Jon's program, TLC, provides free health care to 7 communities living in floating villages 2.5 hours on the Tonle Sap. Our mission today was to participate in the testing of bio-sand filters in one village, and to see if the villagers are following the guidelines in maintaining their water filters. Mieko, Jon's wife runs one of the largest labs in Siem Reap that tests water for ecoli and other bacteria born diseases. The boat was two story, kitchen, bath, with five staff that are on the lake 3 days one week and 4 days the following week. We had so much time to talk about life in Cambodia for expats, NGOs, water, film, making a difference, Cambodian culture, friendships, and after a great deal of beer and wine, our personal stories came out. I have been very blown away by the Canon 5D in its quality and reliability. I have shot alot of video and am learning more about what it means to shoot video. I did a long interview with Jon about his experience in Cambodia and wish I could share some of that on this blog, but because of the slow connection, it seems impossible. When we arrived in the village, we tied up to the chief's boat and there were warm welcomes all around. They were in the midst of repairing fish and there was a community of about 10-12 people. They knew Jon and crew very well, and the chief's boat is used as the clinic when the boat arrives each week. Mieko set up her water testing equipment, while Paul and I interacted with the extended family. This village moves 8 times during the year depending on the rise and fall of the Tonle Sap. The change in water levels is very dramatic, and now they are half way through the dry season. By March, they will have to go out even further to still stay afloat. This makes travel to them impossible for 4 months of the year. The day on the water was magical as we tried to imagine life here. We returned back to the mainland in the late, afternoon light with no one around. It seemed as if we were floating off to the horizon and would just disappear forever, but it was so peaceful and warm. Driving back through the villages in the early twilight, we watched children playing in the last light of the day. We all felt very connected to Cambodia, our friends, and the landscape. By 9 pm, Jon, Mieko, Rikki, Paul, and I found ourselves in a restaurant near Angkor Wat owned by a 60 year old Matthew who has been living in Cambodia since the late 80s. The food, music, and wine were all very French, and we even had extraordinary warm baguettes. For a moment we thought we had been swepted away to a fantasy place far away from Cambodia listening to Edith Pilaf. The best part was being with Jon and Mieko and understanding their life in Cambodia. Our day once again felt full and real and seemed to move us closer to our purpose of putting together our story. Paul has been great in reminding me to just take everyday in, and not to worry about having it "all together." We drove home under the cool evening breeze in an open tutut. Lauren