Another Visit

 

Me and two of my visitors from the University of Huddersfield Sue and Jan

My blogs are just like no.10 buses you don't see one for hours and then two come along at the same time but I must report to you my last visit from pals in the motherland
On the last Sunday in March I made my way to the Pavilion Hotel (a great little spot right in the heart of PP an old French Colonial building with lots of character and charm a great place to stay if ever you need somewhere in PP there I go digressing again) to meet up with Sue Julie Jan Graham and Ian from The University of Huddersfield they were on their way back from Kuala Lumpar where they had been presiding over graduation of students from their outreach top up degree there and were hoping to establish links with Cambodia very good news for me as I got to see some of my favourite academics show them my new world and catch up on all the gossip (Oh how I miss gossip!!!)
What great ambassadors for the University they were (That's if you exclude the rather unfortunate swimming pool incident!) after doing a bit of sightseeing around PP on the Sunday including my apartment The Royal Palace National Museum and the blue pumpkin and ta heir first Tuk Tuk ride through the city we got down to business early on Monday with Ian and Graham going off to do social work type workshop things and I took Sue Julie and Jan to PP's national training school for Nurses midwives and allied professions unfortunately as it was national final examinations week we could not have a tour of the building but were treated to a presentation from a very inspiratioal young nurse teacher about their new health academic learning centre a first for Cambodia and will be used to "train the trainers".
The following day I took Julie a senior lecturer in Midwifery to my clinic where both her practical and teaching skills were put to very good use we had a very good morning and I do not think that Julie will forget meeting those women and their babies in a hurry no one I have dragged oops! I mean taken there has failed to be impressed by the set up and commitment of the staff to the women and children who live in such poor conditions.
I cannot thank Sue and the team enough for taking time out to meet up and for all the things they brought for the clinic (and me I have enough deet to last me 20 years in Cambodia now) but most importantly I hope that "The Visit" leads to a long and sustained partnership supporting health and social care education in Cambodia

Sue Julie and Jan enjoying an evening boat trip on the Tonley Sap