Lost Luggage and Found…Managing Travel
December 13, 2018
How to keep track of your luggage
We decided to spend Christmas in Asia with our daughter this year. Rather than spend a long time in one place, we chose to spend a week in Chiang Mai, Thailand, 2 weeks travelling through Vietnam, then a final week in Bali. We selected one piece of luggage each and packed only what was necessary. When we arrived in Bangkok, both our suitcases were missing. Managing luggage before, during and after a flight whether lost or found, require a few planning steps.
Packing
Although we are travelling for 5 weeks, tropical countries don’t require the layers of clothing that Canadian winter does. We decided that a carry-on might limit space for things we might buy along the way since the countries we are visiting sell clothes in their markets for very reasonable prices.
I travel with my computer and camera equipment in a daypack so it is usually at its weight maximum once I add a few things I don’t want to be without on arrival. I chose a medium, solid side wheeled suitcase, and Peter chose a soft duffel bag with internal backpack straps. We knew that we had several flights and car rides to hotels every few days. We also had 3 people in a vehicle. Smaller seemed wiser. Compared to the 2 large and full bags I took to Cambodia last winter, this was a real downsizing for.
Carry on necessities
In addition to my camera, laptop and external drive, I include in my carry-on luggage anything I feel I wouldn’t want to replace. My contact lenses in their case come with me, but not the bottles of solution. The cleaner I use is not available in Asia so I pack big bottles in my checked bag. This is another reason that just a carry-on is too challenging for me).
Beijing, China was our layover on the way there and that airport is not very warm. My sister had to buy a parka for her layover a couple of year ago. I packed a fleece jacket, toque and gloves for our short stay there since it was December. I didn’t need the gloves, but the toque and jacket were very welcome. Most of the staff in the airport were in what we would consider “outside coats”.
The other items in my carry-on included my jewelry, my Kindle reader, a water bottle, a neck pillow for the plane and my noise cancelling headphones. Any medications would be advisable to include as well.
Of course I also bring along any travel documents, including my passport, boarding passes and my e-visa for Viet Nam. I usually take along a travel toothbrush when we fly for more than 12 hours, but somehow it didn’t make it this time.
You can really tell what you value most when you see what you pack in the bag that is going with you.
We’re in Bangkok…Our luggage is in Vancouver
We travelled from Calgary to Vancouver, Canada to Beijing, China to Bangkok, Thailand before carrying on to Chiang Mai, Thailand the next day. Our first leg was delayed while WestJet tried to sort out a mechanical issue. Eventually they put us on another plane to Vancouver where we arrived 40 minutes into our 79 minute layover.
It would appear that our bags never made that flight and were a day behind us all the way. After completing our time in the immigration line in BKK, the luggage carousel was pretty empty. Although we flew WestJet to Vancouver and AirChina the rest of the way, Thai Air was responsible for writing up baggage claims.
The agent not only wanted our baggage claims, but he also wanted all the boarding passes from our complete journey. I assumed that they served no purpose after you found your seat for each flight, but I was wrong. The baggage claim stickers were on the back of the first boarding pass. Usually I like to have them on the back of my passport so I know exactly where they are. I will check on that next time.
Lost luggage–Found!
The agent told us our bags had not made the AirChina flight to Beijing after only one quick phone call. Both suitcases would arrive at midnight the following day, about 24 hours after our arrival. As we would be in Chiang Mai by then, the agent told us they would be put on the first morning plane and be delivered to our hotel about 10am.
Montreal Convention 1999
We were not offered any compensation information and were told to contact the AirChina number written on the claim form. I looked on their website but missing luggage compensation was not described at all, except to say that a claim for lost luggage could be mailed to them. I am still not sure if the responsibility was actually WestJet’s.
The Montreal Convention 1999 is a legal document that protects passengers’s rights when flying. There are lots of good blogs explaining the details, but is essentially requires an airline to reimburse you up to about $1000 for items that you require between the time you arrive at your destination on an international flight, and the time your luggage arrives.
I only bought a couple of toothbrushes and some paste since I had everything that was important to me.
Amazingly, our suitcases were delivered right to our hotel within an hour of the time given to us. Both bags arrived with several RUSH tags affixed from each of the airports we had visited.
Plan ahead
Because we had all the paperwork required by the airline, and we had packed our carry-on with the things we cared about most, wearing the same clothes for a couple of days was not a big deal. Our itinerary was on our phones so we were able to start our next adventure without our luggage.
Volunteering for Empowering Youth in Cambodia…an afternoon in slum schools
April 12, 2018
Schools in the slums
When teaching in a private school in Phnom Penh, it is easy to feel disconnected from the people who live a very difficult life in much of this city. Last week I had the opportunity to visit and volunteer in slum schools and see first hand the work being done by Empowering Youth in Cambodia. It’s an NGO (non-government organization) we learned about from a yoga instructor we have been working with for the last several months. She manages this organization.
Our group for the day consisted of me and 2 other teachers from the Canadian International School of Phnom Penh, who also happened to be my colleagues at a school in Rocky Mountain House for a couple of decades. We all met at the NGO office to see a presentation on what this group does for the 800 youth and their 5 communities, before climbing into a tuk tuk and heading off to the Youth School.
Synoeun’s Story
Our guide was Synoeun, a well-spoken Cambodian woman. She told us her story about having to leave school at 16 to help provide for her family after her father got sick. She joined her mother in the garment factory with dreams of learning the skills she would need to become a tailor and work for herself. It didn’t take her long to realize that she was only learning to do one part of the clothing construction required in piece work.
She began attending English School with EYC in the evenings as a way to improve her opportunities in life. An American woman hired her part time as a housekeeper so she could finish her schooling. After completing high school, and a year studying in the United States, Synoeun began working with the group who supported her goal of a good education.
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Youth School Community
The tuk tuk dropped us off at the edge of the first community so we could walk the rest of the way to the school. It is respectful to let the people get to see you as you come up the street and not surprise them. Synoeun is well known and respected by the people living near the school. I felt completely safe.
The community itself was built in an old lake bed that had been drained for development. While waiting for construction, people began to build small tin buildings in this space. They appeared to be a tight community. People were all outside and working and talking together. Many people gathered in front of the very small homes. Groups of people were playing cards, or doing needlepoint. Large ornate-framed landscapes seemed out of place tacked up on the front of tin walls.
The challenge faced by this tight-knit group is the fact that the city plans to build a new road right through the middle of their homes to better serve the new developments erupting all around them. Strip malls with grass boulevards, office buildings and rows of condos surround this area. The paperwork that the residents hold for their right to live there may or may not provide for compensation when they have to leave. The Phnom Penh city government has not provided another place for these people to go.
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Youth School
The children we met in the Youth School did not seem deterred by the issues facing their families. Local Cambodian children only attend regular school for half the day, 6 days a week. They spend a couple hours per day at Youth School learning English and computers. The language is taught with a workbook series. There were about 8 computers available for them to learn word processing and typing skills. We met an American who volunteers every afternoon to help the children with pronunciation.
Volunteer Teaching
Part 1
We Canadian teachers had an hour to work with 2 classes. I started with the class of sixteen older students who were 12-16. They looked small for their age. Their classroom had tall tables and a long bench for several students to sit side by side. The world map was prominent on one wall.
We introduced ourselves. I showed them where I lived in Canada and they shared their name and why they came to school. They wanted to learn English. They wanted to be teachers or work in tourism. I felt very welcomed by the teacher and the students.
I had brought a cup, some water and some paperclips. We filled the cup to the very top, then I gave each student a paper clip and asked them to predict how many clips would fit in the cup before it overflowed. This activity is from the grade 5 chemistry unit I have been teaching at school. As I handed out the second, third and finally fourth round of clips, their excitement started bubbling over, even though the water didn’t. Over 60 paperclips fit in the cupful of water. The surface tension principle worked in Cambodia too.
After I had their attention, we played a math card game where they had to race their partner in identifying a number’s “double”. The giggles and shouted answers sounded just like kids anywhere.
I did the same activities with the younger group. There were about 20 children, aged 6-12 in the other room. The response was the same. Kids love to learn, and they love to play. Their smiling faces and enthusiasm were clearly evident.
Part 2
My partners sang “Goin’ on a Bearhunt” as a call and response song and acted out the story. The older children didn’t have any issues about singing and having fun. They also played a number fact game where they raced to cover the correct answer before their partner could.
We chatted with the teachers as the children changed classes. All were local Cambodians who work very hard for limited pay with limited resources. They want to help these kids have a better life. The school had clean water and a safe learning environment. It also provided some opportunities in music and sport as well as some dental care, health care and birth control information for families. The community is accepting the economic advantage. Less children mean that mom can work more, and there will be less children to look after.
As we left in the tuk tuk, there were lots of smiles and waves from the children. I felt so lucky to have been able to spend time with them.
Lakeside School
We made one more stop on our way back to the EYC office. After driving through more brand new construction, past sky scrapers and coffee shops, we arrived at Lakeside School. It is in a community that is right up against a new development. The little tin buildings look up at a cement tower and concrete wall. The companies with money want their development to continue right through where these people live. Compensation is not guaranteed as paperwork is vague or has disappeared. Even though these people live along a once active railroad track, it is theirs, and they want to keep it.
The Lakeside School had a classroom upstairs and the computer room downstairs. It also included a couple of small rooms that students who live in the countryside can rent or use when attending school. The classroom ceiling was covering in little origami birds and animals. The alphabet was posted on the front wall. It really did look like a classroom anywhere, even through the front of the building did not remind me of any school I ever worked in.
The pathways through the buildings were narrow with little drainage. One man had a small container of cement and was trying to fix a hole in the corner of his home to be ready for the next rain. As we walked through this neighborhood, we felt safe knowing that EYC and its representative, Synoeun, were well respected by the people here for the work that they do.
Impact School
We had a chance to see some other projects that EYC had organized when we attended an art show in February. A volunteer from Israel was visiting for a few weeks and taught the children in EYC schools. There were many very creative projects on display and we were greeted by many of the artists themselves. A music component was also part of this program. A group of older students sang a couple of the songs that they had written for the occasion.
The parents were not in attendance, but the children were so attentive to the music and all the thank-you’s to the volunteers. Again, I felt so lucky to be part of this occasion and learn more about the people trying to live their lives and raise their children in a city of the very poor and the very rich.
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What’s next?
It was a sobering afternoon in the slums, but also a hopeful one. I have been so blessed in my life and today reminded me to be grateful for that. It also reminded me to keep in mind what my role as a citizen of the world might be. Sharing these stories is where I plan to start.
If you would like to learn more about Empowering Youth in Cambodia or would like to offer support to a group that I believe is doing great work here, check out their website. eycambodia.org I do not receive anything in return from them, except maybe a thank you for sharing. Some teachers from our school are planning to meet with their teachers later in May to share some teaching strategies and resources that may be helpful to them.
A walk in Koh Pich, Phnom Penh… a neighborhood of contrasts
February 15, 2018
Koh Pich, Phnom Penh
I spent a couple of hours walking around my neighborhood last weekend. What a place of contrasts. You can see this area on the map in the side bar. I live on Koh Pich, Phnom Penh, which translates to Diamond Island. The school where I teach is on the island and a Canadian-Cambodian woman of Chinese descent owns all the land. My street is in a community of houses called Elite Town. There are some beautiful completed houses, several are still under construction, and there is available land waiting for a house.
Condo Construction
Outside of Elite Town, along the Mekong River, are rows of elegant-looking condos that are in various stages of completion. You see cranes everywhere along the skyline although much of the work is done manually. Some condos have shops on the main floor and the living accommodation in the 2 or 3 floors above.
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Many complexes have french names. The Elysee has a large “Arch de Triumphe” inserted within the building. The promotional posters show a large sailing ship in the water, although I’m sure a boat that big would not be able to navigate the Mekong. Our community has a statue that looks like Greek Gods surveying their realm positioned in the middle of a traffic circle and the streets are named after American Universities.
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Home Owners
I don’t know who lives in all of these homes. There are some enormous houses that I have never seen anyone in, or even any lights on. It makes me think of the early wealthy Americans who had “new money”. The homes built by the Rockefeller and Vanderbilt families were extravagant to show off their success. The homes I see in this neighborhood remind me of that.
My building is owned by the school/island owner and is divided into 6 apartments, as is the building next door. The building in back of me has one family living in a house the same size, but they (or someone) wash their clothes in tubs on the ground every day. I, at least, have a washing machine in my building.
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Island Facilities
Besides the Canadian International School of Phnom Penh, there is a swimming pool and golf driving range on the island. There is a theatre for live performances, an amusement park and an outdoor stage for live concerts. Coffee shops, restaurants and pharmacies are found. The convention center hosts displays of Thai products or political meetings, or whatever needs a large space. The Korean Embassy is also on Koh Pich
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Weddings
The outside of the convention center contains smaller rooms used for weddings with flowers and fabric decorating the front. There iwas a framed photograph or 2 of the wedding couple. I saw many photos of the various couples in traditional dress taken at Angkor Wat. Several also had a photo of the couple in the white dress and black suit displayed outside the door.
What seemed most unusual to me is that they were celebrating the wedding at 9 am on Sunday morning. People were all dressed up. Maybe the party has gone on since the night before, but people milling around outside didn’t look tired enough for that. I asked some people outside if I could take some pictures. The police said go ahead, and wanted their picture taken too. A man and boy wanted my picture taken with them. I’m not used to being the attraction.
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Contrasts in Koh Pich
The thing that is most difficult to adjust to is the people who are working in Koh Pich. They work so hard. I was out on a Sunday morning about 8:30 and there were several women out sweeping the sidewalks, streets and gutters. Construction workers were laying water lines, moving bricks, moving dirt, and pouring cement. Guards sit all day on street corners directing traffic around cement trucks, allowing traffic into neighborhoods, or just sitting on the corner keeping watch. These are people who could never even image living in more than a couple of rooms, let alone a penthouse condo.
They work long hours in often unsafe conditions. Many wear flip-flops but no gloves or hard hats. Some wore safety vests. Street cleaning women on our street lay in the hammock tied to the fence, but some lay out cardboard on the sidewalk for a resting place. I watched a family spreading dirt with hoes in a high rise site. They were barefoot, as was the man helping pour cement for footings.
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Phnom Penh is a city of extreme contrasts. The first world and third world are both clearly visible here and it sure makes me think about how much I have.
How to get around in Phnom Penh…living without a car
January 28, 2018
In North America, especially in rural areas, everyone has a car or a truck to get around. I’ve had to learn how to get around in Phnom Penh, living without a car. Most cities have public transit but buses are not even listed as an option in the city guide book. The most common form of transportation for the locals is a “moto” or scooterbut the most common form for visitors is a tuk-tuk. The most unusual thing I saw on the road was a scooter with a food cart. There was an open fire burning in the bottom.
Open fire in his cart as he drives down the road.
Rules of the Road
To the untrained eye, it would appear that there are not rules at all. Vehicles generally travel on the right side of the road, but it’s not uncommon to see a scooter coming down the wrong side towards you. There are a few traffic lights with turn signals and a few traffic circles, but most intersections have no lights or signs. Right of way is determined by what I call “critical mass.” When there are enough vehicles wanting to go, they go and everyone else stops. It is usually led by a bigger car or truck, and all the scooters follow. He who hesitates… I have seen a couple of scooters down on the road, but not in intersections.
Pedestrians have no rights. This is a challenge because sidewalks are in short supply. When you find one, there are usually trees planted all along the center, or scooters parked, or often cars parked right up to the entrance of a store. There was a wedding tent appeared on the sidewalk one afternoon and everyone just went around it.
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- wedding tent appears
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- another sidewalk disappears
I mostly have to walk along the edge and pay close attention. The sidewalks are not even and have lots of loose blocks and drain covers to navigate. If you are in a group, single file is the only safe option. When I cross the street, it’s important to move quickly but not to run and risk tripping. The vehicles pace themselves according to this premise. Again, hesitating is dangerous.
Luckily, my walk to school is only 400 m through a secure neighborhood. The street I cross in front of the school has several speed bumps so it slows vehicles down enough to cross pretty easily. The grocery store is another 400 m past the school so I can walk there easily. The mall with a larger grocery store, dollar stores (1.90 US actually), movie theatre and ice skating rink is about a 20 minute walk from here.
Other Transportation
School Van
The school has a van and a driver. For official trips, they are available. I used one to get to the clinic for a required health check up. It also took me to the bank to open an account. This van is available to all staff on the Saturday after payday to go to the bank, although I was the only one who took advantage of that yesterday. There are also school “buggies” that transport some of the students.
School buggy
Tuk-Tuk
This is the most common way to get around the city. You can wave one down on the street and tell where you want to go. If they don’t speak much English, you can show them on your phone map. They hold 4-5 people. For most trips, they cost $3 or $4 each way. Since there are usually 2-5 of us travelling together, it is very reasonable.
Regular tuk-tuk
Since arriving here, however, I have learned about PassApp Taxi It is like Uber for tuk-tuks and you book it on your phone. It shows you where the driver is. When you leave, the driver has the route on his phone so you don’t have to worry about explaining where you want to go. They have some set routes they have to follow, though. On a trip taken by friends last week, the driver took a different road and the police stopped him and gave him a $2 fine.
This is a cash society here so you just pay the driver what he tells you when you arrive. I have to remember to keep a stack of 1’s in my wallet for this. So far, it has been cheaper than what the negotiated rate would have been. You also get a bill on your phone and it tracks your trips so can select the same destination if you need to go back another time.
The PassApp tuk-tuks are small and a self-contained. Two people is comfortable but 3 is a crowd. We discovered this weekend that some of the taxis are getting in on this system and we can book a car for almost the same price. Five was tight, but if we have 4, it is great. Air conditioning and seatbelts are welcome.
Pass App Tuk-tuk
Shopping on a Scooter
I try to shop often so I can carry home in my backpack what I need. When I was first setting up my apartment, I did use a tuk-tuk to bring me home with my purchases. While at the Cambodian markets, I saw many examples of how creative the locals are at getting their shopping home on a scooter. I’ve included several pictures to give you an idea. It’s hard to imagine shopping for a family with only a scooter for transportation.
