Down and Dirty...Part 5 – Kingdom of Wonder! - Phnom Penh

Currently waiting on the plane for an hour and half delay out of Guangzhou airport back to Shanghai. China Eastern Airline is known for it's terrible delays...but they usually figure it out before they board everybody!

Coming back from a week and a half in Cambodia. It was really an amazing experience. The very first thing you notice upon arrival is the contradictory immigration laws. I bought my visa for $25 when I landed, and it took all of one minute for them to process it. You don't even fill out any form...just pass them your passport and the cash. Immediately you go through immigration, this being the first time I've ever had my fingerprints taken. It seems a little strange to let everybody in without question and then think that taking their fingerprint will make them behave themselves.

The director of the CWEF office in Phnom Penh picked me up at the airport when it landed at 1.30am, and I was very thankful for that. You're immediately bombarded by people yelling “Hello, lady! You want taxi!?” and young men trying to take your bag away from you. Even though it was clear that I had someone to pick me up two guys put my bag in the back of the car thinking I would give them money for it. Suckers.

I learned a lot from the director about Cambodian life. First off, women are the ones that inherit the family fortune, mainly because they are the ones that are expected to take care of the parents in their old age. It's the exact opposite in China. I also found it interesting that Cambodian men aren't the type to sit around to smoke and drink, like you find in a lot of poor and developing countries. The men are out working, as they are still expected to support their family even though they won't inherit anything. I also asked about the prevalence of violence against women, and it seems that's not such a big issue either in Cambodia. The biggest issue it seems facing the country is problem foreigners. Child and women trafficking is the one social ill that seems to be worse than other places.

My first full day in the country I went to Choeung Ek, or the Killing Fields. This was one of the sites of the Cambodian holocaust under Pol Pot during the Khmer Rouge in the 1970s. I didn't take any photos of the place out of respect for the dead, but I can tell you that the place is haunting. It was so strange to me to be on such a beautiful piece of land and to know what had happened there. Cambodians that were 'Western' were murdered and buried in mass graves. Basically anyone that knew a foreigner, had an education, or wasn't Khmer enough was put on the list -- this included children, because the Khmer Rouge wanted to avoid the children growing up and avenging their parents' deaths. There are so many graves that the workers just gave up on uncovering all of them. On our walk through, I actually saw some clothing and bones coming out of the ground from graves yet unearthed. Apparently that happens a lot during the rainy season...Just take a second to think about how you would react to that. If you want to know more, do a Google Image search.

Despite the somberness of the place, I actually really enjoyed seeing it. If I can use that word...Either way it helped me to understand the Khmer culture as the week progressed.

Under the reign of Pol Pot, almost ¼ of the population of Cambodia was killed (around 2 million out of 8 million). Because of that, there are very few elders in the country. Some of the village elders that CWEF work with are only 35 years old. So it was especially sad when a 90 year old man two doors down from the office passed away while I was there. The funeral was very much an experience, with the monks in orange robes and everyone else strictly in black and white. The songs and chanting over the megaphone lasted for three full days, and I'll tell you it made teaching a database class rather difficult. Here's a short video to give you an idea of how loudly I had to talk.

Thankfully my experience teaching in China in the past, with construction happening above and below you at all times, prepared me well for projecting my voice.

Seeing so very many foreigners around, I asked what was bringing them all there. Apparently, they ALL work for NGOs. While it's great that there are so many people working to help Cambodia pull itself back together after the Khmer Rouge, you can imagine what a mess it is. A lot of NGO projects create dependency, few of the organizations work together, and some people couple aid work with mission work, which can get messy if not done right.

The staff and volunteers of CWEF were amazingly hospitable. The retired volunteers from the States took me out to dinner and we got to see traditional Khmer dancing.

After four days of interviews and training, I took a long weekend to go up to Siem Reap and meet a fellow traveler friend. More on visiting the ancient temples of Angkor in the next post!

Down and Dirty... Part 4. Trains.

Now to highlight the “dirty” part of my internship.

Trying to reach the best fruit

Took the overnight train to Guangdong Province in June to work out of the office in Guangdong for a few days and train the two staff members there (Dolphin and Lynn) on how to use the new CiviCRM. It was quite effective and they gave me great ideas for how to improve the training for the staff in other offices. I got loads of information to analyze in terms of work and communication flows and am really starting to understand how the China offices work together. Looking forward to writing the report for the director on recommendations.

The Guangdong office of CWEF is in a third-tier city called Jiangmen (江门－translates to River Door). They focus all their attention on scholarships for the villager children out in Guangdong. Parents that have lots a limb and can't work, children that have been abandoned, etc. It's really heartwarming to read their letters thanking their donors.

The office is in a really nice apartment complex, so it was surprising to see so many chickens in a residential community. You definitely wouldn't see that in the States (What would the neighbors think!?), but I haven't seen something like that in other parts of China either. The other interesting bit was the amount of fruit trees. Dolphin and Lynn insisted that nobody would care if we picked fruit off the trees, and they both got very excited with my height and monkey arms. I could reach some really high fruit. I came back with loads of green mangoes and what we all decided to call “red mystery fruit”. Turns out that it's called “wax apple”. Tastes like bland star fruit. If you see it in a market, it's probably not worth the money.

Red Mystery Fruit

You may be wondering, “What so dirty about fresh fruit?” Well, nothing actually.

I decided to take the 18-hour sleeper train rather than fly for the experience of it, and to save the 40 USD. Bad idea.

I've taken plenty of trains in China before, and yea, it's not great. But doable. You see the scenery and get to sleep a lot. The problem is when you come home and two weeks later you realize you've picked up skin-eating and blood-sucking parasites. Two different kinds...at the same time. I should have known better when I saw the cleaners just fold the used blankets and put them back on the bed before I got on.

The curséd train

Taking care of these little buggers didn't prove too easy, either. In the States you'd wash all your clothes and sheets in hot water or put them in the dryer on high, vacuum, and basically call it good. In China you boil water on the stove and carry buckets from the shower to the washing machine every time you want to put a load on. Since there are no dryers, you pull out the steamer and steam your duvet and pillows, leaving them on the balcony and sleeping without blankets until the problem is solved. You also have to go out and buy a vacuum and spend a whole week attempting to buy a product on the Chinese Ebay what is readily available at Home Depot (It's called diatomaceous earth, or 硅藻土 guī zăo tŭ). Because you're not a Chinese national and internet banking here is basically impossible, you have to go to the post office to send the seller the money for the order, which is then cancelled for some unexplained reason. You mop your floor in vinegar and leave out bowls of soapy water overnight. You cover everything you own in baking soda...I felt like a 18^th century Irish housewife. Having to stay in my room the entire time was the worst part of it, as I risked infecting other people. Had to cancel a trip and couldn't sit on the couch in the living room. My sanity was maintained by the wealth of inherited DVDs.

I was super glad for the international student health insurance, though. Had to go to the dermatologist twice...but it was all covered! Thanks, WDI, for making me buy that!

After three weeks, the problem was finally taken care of. When I travelled to Yunnan, I most definitely took the plane. Off to Cambodia on Sunday!

Down and Dirty...Part 3. Migrant Streets

CWEF - Shanghai works with the migrant population in the city, and so it makes sense that they have their office down a migrant street. Before I get into what I see everyday on my way to the office, a word about migrant workers. Shanghai is a hub for people from all over China to come and try to etch themselves out a living. Some collect plastic bottles and sell them to the recycle centers on the edge of the city. Some have a fruit stand that they sleep in at night. Some have food trucks that they sell street food from - mostly illegally, and if they haven't paid their bribes they will get beaten up. These people aren't beggars, they're workers. Beggars are usually collected by the police and shipped out to the country side. 

The lonely puppy

It would be typical for a household monthly income to be somewhere between 1000-2000rmb/ month. That's about $150-$300. (To give an idea of the disparity here, I currently pay 2000rmb/ month for my sublet.) A lot of these people send most of the money back home to their parents or their children in the countryside, but some families are lucky enough to live together in a run-down building. Even in one of the shiniest and brightest cities in Asia, there's a whole slew of the population that doesn't have running water in the home. 


For these families that remain together, a huge choice is made. Obviously it's better for children to live with their parents and for the grandparents to be taken care of by their families. But this also means that the children cannot go to regular schools. Chinese are given a sort of ID number called a Hukou, and you can only get a Shanghai Hukou if you are born in Shanghai. If you don't have a Shanghai Hukou, you can't go to Shanghai schools. Shanghai schools are generally regarded as the best in China, but migrant children that live down the street from them cannot go. 


The government up until very recently has left these children by the wayside, but there is movement towards building migrant schools. The government will cover the cost of tuition to these schools, but things like uniforms, insurance, and lunch aren't covered. Even the cost of these things can be prohibitive for most families, and so CWEF - Shanghai provides scholarships to cover those costs. The schools are still very lacking in amenities and quality teaching, but it's better than nothing.

Migrant street

So, now back to this street. It's still very close to the center of town, but the entire street has to share one restroom. Bathing takes place late at night from buckets in the street. Young children crawl on the dirty ground. It's not a great life for these people, but the sight of this puppy chained up every day still makes me sad. I've only seen him taken for a walk once, and he's usually panting from the bright sunlight or struggling to reach the leftover rice his owners have given him to eat. As you can see, it's a very short chain he's on. I almost get hit by cars and motorbikes on a daily basis, and with the narrowness of the street I can understand. 

Down and Dirty with Data in Asia - Part 2

From 16 June 2012

My first “China” Day

When you spend enough time with foreigners in Shanghai, you will most definitely hear the phrase “I'm having such a China day” and today was my first of the summer...probably of many. China days are days when you need to get something done, but the systems and bureaucracy in place just make it impossible. Read on for clarification.

Example of Registration Form.

Being a good international citizen and abiding by the laws of the People's Republic of China, I went this morning to my local police station to register my address. This is common practice, and is required within 24 hours of arrival in any city in China. You have to prove how long you've been in the town (via train or plane ticket stubs), have your passport complete with up-to-date and valid visa on hand, and your original lease for your apartment. Every time you leave China you have to re-register, and every time you go to a new city in China you have to register with the police in that city. This is why the hotels and hostels always ask for your passport when you check in. 

Nobody tells you this when you arrive. It's not stated when you get your visa in your home country, getting on the plane, or going through immigration once you land. Usually you only find out you have to register when you want to renew your visa. At least that's how I did three years ago. In addition, nobody ever knows where you're supposed to go to register. The closest police station usually isn't the right one. You have to ask your landlord or roommates and just hope that they know where to go, cause if you show up at the wrong station, you can't get anything done. You also have to hope that the official working on the desk that day is in a good mood.

It always makes me nervous going in to a police station, as you hear horror stories of people being charged $1500 for registering late or being carted off to jail if their company didn't renew their visa on time. I was registering a few days late as my roommate couldn't find the lease, but risking a slap on the wrist was much better than the alternative if the police showed up at my house and I didn't have my papers. This does happen, and China is currently in a 100 day crackdown on illegal foreigners. A popular bar street in Shanghai was "raided" a few weeks ago, and people that had overstayed their visas were being carted off in the paddy wagon. Some people cry foul, but I say "Don't be stupid! You're not a Chinese citizen! Have a valid visa!"

So I mosey on up to the desk and wait patiently with my paperwork, and the policeman did his thing. He asked if the lease I had given him was the original, and then told me I needed to make a copy of it and of my passport photo and visa pages. He pointed me in a direction and told me to come back with the copies. I was surprised because every time I registered before they just made the copies right there in the police station. Guess he just wanted to be lazy...what government office doesn't have a copy machine!?

With his broken English and my pitiful Mandarin, there was most definitely a communication problem with directions....

I love the tea ceremony.
Especially with oolong tea!

I wandered around the French Concession for about two hours looking for a copy shop. I would have taken my bike, but they're always so inconspicuous it's better to walk and peek into every store window you pass to see if they have a computer on display. Even if I had known the characters for 'copy', there's usually such sensory overload that I never look at the signs anyway. I walked up and down all the streets in the area and must have passed about ten tea shops and innumerable restaurants and electronic stores, trying to find this place. It was like being forced into a scavenger hunt with no hope for a prize at the end. Finally I went in to a electronic spare parts shop and asked where it was, and thankfully the man knew was I was asking, as I didn't know the word for "copy" in Mandarin.  The man politely told me: “Wan qian zuo”. Just up ahead.

When I arrived....nobody was there. A tiny door, two computer screens, a phone, and a dirty old Xerox in the back and no one to make my copies. I wonder if this person leaves their expensive equipment unlocked often.  I could have just made the copies myself and left a few kuai to pay for the paper, but the stress of the day probably kept me from it. Walk a little further, and I saw an old woman in a room with a computer screen. I walked in and asked if they make copies, and success!! She called over her son and I got what I needed.

Go back to the police station, and the policeman I was working with before is gone. Go through the whole process again with someone else. Finally I have my paperwork sorted.

Then I decided. The best cure for a China day is to head home for some tea.

I lost.

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In other news, today (May 5th on the Chinese calendar) is Dragon Boat Festival. The one co-worker I have in the Shanghai office forgot, and I assumed that as we're a multi-national organization, we weren't taking the day off. Even though the entire building is empty, we're both working today. 

On the bright side he did show me a really cool Dragon Boat race I could have on the homepage of the Chinese Google, Baidu! You just hit the drum with your mouse to make your boat go. Try it out!

Down and Dirty with Data in Asia - Part 1

So I've been in China for three weeks now and am finally beginning to settle in. I moved in to my flat last night in Shanghai and I no longer have to sleep on an air mattress in my friend's living room...meaning I can finally go to sleep when I want!

My summer internship is with a small charity called Concordia Welfare and Education Foundation (CWEF). They work in areas throughout China (Shanghai, Guangdong, and Yunnan provinces), Hong Kong, and Cambodia to help alleviate poverty through improved education, health, and service. In Shanghai they provide scholarships to the children of migrant workers so that they can attend middle or elementary school, and also to girls in Guangdong province for high school and university. In Yunnan they have a lot of health projects such as building latrines and wells, as well as training small children on how to wash their hands and brush their teeth. One of the largest projects in Cambodia is providing animals such as goats and pigs to widows so that they can begin to make a wage for their family. I've volunteered with CWEF in the past hosting large fundraising events in Shanghai, so I'm very, very happy to work with them again and use the skills I've learned at the School of Information to help them again.

My internship is to train all the staff in all the various offices on how to use their new online database, CiviCRM on the Wordpress platform. CiviCRM is an open source Constituency Relationship Management system designed specifically with non-profits in mind. With so many different projects in so many different areas, it's been hard for head office in Hong Kong to keep up-to-date on what's happening, and a lot of the regional offices feel like they don't have much connection with the work in other places. By implementing this system to easily share information, the organization can become more efficient and communicate their impact more readily. In addition, by collecting data on their projects on a regular basis, CWEF can analyze and visualize their impact in more interesting ways. In terms of consulting, I will be looking into their workflow and communication flows to determine areas of improvement, and will develop a how-to guide for hosting a fundraising event. I'll also be looking into how they can use their civiCRM to connect to their donors in more meaningful ways.

Students collaborate on a creative project during a CLA training

My second week I had the chance to sit in on one of CWEF's programs, the Concordia Leadership Academy (CLA). This CLA training took place at Jinshan No. 3 Middle School, about an hour south of Shanghai, a city many migrant workers move to. The children of these migrant workers will most likely not continue on to high school, and so CLA is there to teach them some soft skills like teamwork, leadership, and communication, that will help them once they enter the workforce in a few years. From an American perspective, courses like this aren't that exciting, but this is actually quite unique in the context of the Chinese education system which focuses on memorization and passing exams. The teachers were all quite excited to be a part of it, and one told us that she noticed one student in particular made drastic improvements in expressing herself and sharing her ideas with the class after taking part in CLA.

Last week I went down to the CWEF headquarters in Hong Kong to meet with the director. It was great to have my hostel in the same building as the office, but that also meant that I was stuck in the center of Tsim Sha Tsui – one of the busiest and most crowded parts of the city state. I got to have lunch with an old friend, though, and got some great photos of the Hong Kong skyline during the daily light show.

Hong Kong island seen from Kowloon - Batman jumped off that tall building in the Dark Knight!

After my initial meeting with the director, I now have a plan now for developing strong lesson plans for training the staff on their CiviCRM. What's struck me so far as being the biggest challenge in training the staff has been determining protocols and procedures for the use of the CiviCRM. The director of service learning had a lot of questions for me about how they are supposed to use the database, and I realized that this is something I will have to work on very hard in concert with the director of CWEF.

I spent this last weekend in Shenzhen, which is only an hour away from Hong Kong in southern China. I stayed with my brother who is an English teacher there, and we had a couple interesting nights killing some of the largest cockroaches I've ever seen...that's a U.S. quarter next to that thing. These guys are crazy fast, and they fly. Eeeeek!

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If you'd like to know more about how non-profits can use data, check out DataKind, or the events page of the first annual A2 DataDive from this February.