Dispatch from Cambodia

3 December 2005 Siem Reap. My trusty med student Roy and I set off on our ladies bicycles into the jungle this morning in search of the ancient temples of the great Ankhorian empire. Once encompassing the whole of Thailand, Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia the Ankhor empire built some of the great temples this world and Angelina Jolie have ever seen. Engaged in a virtual war with Dengue-carrying mosquitoes, monkeys, torrential rains and the constant cry of "Sir, you want cold drink?", "Sir, you want something to eat?", "Sir, you want to buy guidebook?" (said, of course in the most unapologetically politically incorrect stereotypical Asian female tone a la the famous "me so horney, me love you long time" from Good Morning Vietnam and Miami's own 2 Live Crew). We were awestruck by the scope of not only the temples, but of the shear volume of sweating we were doing during our nine hour adventure. Looking at my puffy hands at the end of the day I only wondered how soon it would be until I start seizing from hyponatremia.

A couple of other thoughts about Cambodia:
1. I mentioned monkeys earlier. We saw a bunch while we were visiting the temples. As some of my college friends know I find nothing funnier than monkeys in diapers - nothing, expect maybe joey when he's on a roll. That said, the monkeys in Cambodia, like the infants and toddlers of Cambodia, don't wear diapers. Not so funny.
2. BOOM BOOM - So the many questions that the average Barang (foreinger) faces on the streets of Cambodia include the aforemetioned ones as well as "Where you from?", "Sir, you want to buy postcard?". Sometime just after nightfall, if you are a gentleman, as I am, you get another question "You want boom boom?". Okay, so here's how it works. Say you are a white guy, originally from DC but currently residing in New England. And you're walking down the street minding your own business when another gentleman on a motorbike rides up next to you and asks (you know what's coming) "You want boom boom?". Then after a polite no thank you from said white guy he continues to ask "You want boom boom?" and then for effect adds "She nice girl". Well, when you put it that way.

Everything at the hospital is going well. I spend the first half of my day seeing kids in the outpatient clinic with the help of an interpreter. In the afternoon I spend time with the "junior doctors" or pediatric resident equivalents in the inpatient wards, ER and ICU. Things are done really differently here so I am trying to make small suggestions at the appropriate time without seeming like some asshole know it all doctor. But if these junior docs don't start laughing at my jokes soon, heads are going to roll - luckily the two American and one Australian docs I work with on the inpatient service throw me a bone or two.

It's Shannon's 32nd birthday today, so please wish her a happy birthday (spaeder@nais.org). If you're around Renaissance City be sure and and swing by and say hello to her and the little man. Finally, a big thank you to all of you leaving comments on the site - especially Chris D. (nilbog), Cliff and Mike O. It's nice to laugh out loud at Kiss Me Internet (my internet cafe) and scare the German tourists. Until then...mike