Fuck Cancer

As most of you know my wife recently passed away due to melanoma.  Having now being effected by cancer makes one view life differently.

I have two wonderful teaching colleagues, one in New Zealand, and one here in Bangladesh, who have had breast cancer.  They are both strong, inspirational women and great friends who have at present won their struggle with cancer.  They both have loving people around them and have been people who have been wonderfully supportive to me.  But from talking to them and reading their writings I know how their perspective on life has altered because of the impact of cancer.

Last weekend another person I know passed away from cancer.  I did not know him that well.  He was a parent of children from my school in New Zealand.  He and his wife were very supportive to me and I meet them most Saturdays on the the side of the football (soccer) pitch.  As English immigrants they were pretty keen on football and their boys weren't half bad players.

But cancer struck and through the wonders of Facebook I became connected.  The strength and character of people around him says so much about him and his family.

The death of this person really hurt!  Why, because cancer draws you in!  It effects everyone!  Near and far away!  Close and distant.

This post has been hard to write but it needs to be said.

"FUCK CANCER"

South East Asia - some thoughts.

Since the middle of May, I have spent time in New Zealand and Australia and then holidayed in Thailand,  Cambodia and Vietnam before returning to my home in Bangladesh.  My feelings about my journey in New Zealand and Australia has been told elsewhere, so this posting is about the three countries I visited in South East Asia.

I had the most enjoyable time in these three places.  They are interesting places with diverse cultures.

A few chillies

Firstly the food!  It is all amazing.  The food from little stalls on the side of the road, food from basic shelters in country villages, and food from smart restaurants in big cities.  It is always cheap and a Tiger, Singha, Angkor or Saigon beer is always available.  Though wine was a bit harder to get and always expensive!

I broke all the rules!  I had ice in my drinks, ate uncooked vegetables, ate street food and had meals where the food safety rating in New Zealand would be a D.  I ate unknown meals on trains and buses.  I did suffer occasionally but the enjoyment of the food was well beyond that.

Secondly the people.  I have always found Thai people friendly and wonderful to be with.  I have not always found them easy to do business with.  A run in with an immigration official when leaving Thailand was humorous and showed their unwillingness to compromise and make sensible decisions.  Both the Cambodians and the Vietnamese people are friendly and courteous.  They bargain but do it in such a civilised friendly fashion.  Everything is so cheap that you realise you are bargaining for just a few cents.  I loved the way they accepted you into their social lives.  Even though they see westerners as affluent they were still wanting to give you a meal or buy you a drink.

I found the Cambodians more laid back and friendly than any group of people I have experienced.   You could imagine that they do nothing and the economy should be a mess.  But GDP growth is spectacular in Vietnam (6%) and Cambodia (7%).  The last time New Zealand's growth rate (presently 2.4%) was above either was in 1999.  The infrastructure in both countries is poor (especially Cambodia) but the ability of the people to work around that is wonderful.

Siem Reap

Mighty Mekong river

All three countries have terrible histories.  More so Vietnam and Cambodia.  Vietnam has fought wars against China, France and Vietnam in recent history and has won all three conflicts.  Is Ho Chi Minh the greatest leader the world has ever seen?  As well they freed Cambodia from the tyranny of Pol Pot.  But even with this incredible military history they appear to have little desire for expansion and appear willing to live within their borders.

Bones and cloth on a path

Cambodia has lived with a 'non-war' against the USA and the atrocities of the Pol Pot era about which I have previously written.  When one walks the streets there are very few people of my age..  Those in their fifties and older.  They have disappeared!  The median age in New Zealand is 37 years, in Vietnam it is 28.5, while in Cambodia it is 23.5 years.  In 1995 at the depths of the Pol Pot regime the average age was 17.4 years.  Thailand which was close to Vietnam and Cambodia in median age in 1980 is now close to New Zealand.

Flags in Vietnam village

Thailand is the only country in Asia which did not fall under a colonial imperialistic power in the time when Britain, France, Portugal, Spain and others were expanding their empires.  In the depths of the cold war they were surrounded by supposedly expansionist communist states.  Thailand has been the football of western diplomacy for years.  They have had (and are continuing to have) insurrections on their borders.  They have had spectacular growth at times and also real downturns.  While only 1% growth now, 2 years ago it was 6.5%).  A roller coaster ride.

Rural home

The cities in all three countries are bustling and dynamic but the poverty in the country side is extreme.  So with the turbulent histories these three countries have had and the poverty why are the people so amazing and welcoming, and why are the economies doing so well.  All three have the right to be bitter countries and angry at the people from the west who have contributed so much negatively to their countries.

There seems to be several indicators pointing to us why these countries are so wonderful;

Thai temple

1. Religion - These three countries are Buddhist.  Overwhelmingly so.  Thailand and Cambodia are considered to be close to the most religious countries in the world with well over 90% of the population being Buddhist.  A taxi driver in Bangkok will remove his hands from the steering wheel and give a simple prayer and 'wai' when passing a temple.  The peacefulness of this religion seems to have passed down to all the people.
2. China - The historical influence of Confucianism from China through immigration and invasion seems to have been a major influence.  The important Confucian tenets of family and social harmony, I have observed on numerous occasions and seems to be an unwritten rule of living.



Cambodian temple

3. Democracy - None of these countries are democratic.  Cambodia and Vietnam have one party socialist states while Thailand has a right-wing military dictatorship.  All of the three leaderships of each of the countries seem to have a genuine desire to lead their countries for the betterment of all.  (Some would disagree with this, but it is my view).  The leaderships control the elite (even in Thailand), manage multi-nationals, ensure a level of equity.  The Gini coefficient (a standard measure of equity) indicates a more equitable society in Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand than New Zealand or Australia.

So these are great places to visit and my final thought is do we promote democracy to much?