New Camera.

Just picked up a Canon 1D Mk2. The Old 1D was my favourite camera up until now, the baby is amazing. http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/specs/Canon/canon_eos1dmkii.asp . Take a look..

Share the Health Cambodia

Not many people have the opportunity, or have the inclination, to help those less fortunate than ourselves, other than maybe a few dollars given to a charity of our choice. This is a story of two amazing people who took this one, two and three stages further and decided that they wanted to help in a more direct way.

Cara and James Garcia went to Cambodia for a holiday in 2008 with plans to see the normal things in the country, Angkor Wat, Phnom Penh and Sihanoukville. This they did, but they also saw past these things. What they saw was the poverty and lack of health care available to the poorest members of Khmer society. James is (or was) a paramedic in the US and his wife Cara an RN. After returning to the US, and I'm sure after much debate and soul searching, they decided to return to Cambodia and open a FREE primary health clinic in a rural area. They accepted that to do this would mean they had to sell everything they own, their house, their car and all their personal possessions. This cannot have been an easy decision as the have two young children, but make it they did. (Web Site)

This, in many ways, turned out to be the easy part, then all the applications and requests for support for this project began. They accomplished charitable status in the US and after many months gained initial support in principle from government officials in Cambodia and finally with the help of a Cambodian MP Mr. Thavy Nhem, found a suitable location to begin providing services.

Through the gracious assistance of Cambodian Parliament Member H.E. Thavy Nhem, we are operating the Chong Doung Community Health Center in Baray Distric, Kampong Thom province.

Cara, James and the kids arrived in Cambodia in early 2009 and after a lot of hard work have got the clinic up and running and are seeing many people everyday from as far away as 50 miles (it is the only medical clinic in the area).

These two amazing people have achieved a lot in a very short time but could do with our support financially, a few dollars would go a very long way towards the continued provision of this important service . They a not a big multinational care giver but two people who just want to make a difference for those who need their help in this small part of Cambodia. They are not in this to make profits ( other than the emotion and spiritual I suspect ). If you can PLEASE HELP, no matter how small (or large) everything will be put to good use I am sure.

KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK CARA AND JAMES

Share the Health Cambodia for the price of a couple of cups of coffee,or an icecream for your kids, you could save a life. If you have a PAYPAL account why not give a little today..

Health for CAMBODIA

Subject: Got an extra five bucks? By Ann-Marie Lindstrom

Five dollars can buy two dengue fever blood tests. Bet you didn't know that. I didn't. I don't even know what dengue fever is. So why do I care? I do know a paramedic from South Carolina who is living in the jungle in Cambodia. The blood test is important to him, because 80 people a day are coming to his free clinic from as far away as 50 miles. Right now he has an eight-year old patient with dengue and a fever of 104. He says all he can do is push IV fluids and hope the kid doesn't hemorrhage.

With all the grief and suffering we hear about every day, all over the world, maybe in our own neighborhoods these days with job losses and home foreclosures, this kid grabs me. Probably because I know the man struggling to keep him alive. Probably because a man, his wife and two young daughters--ordinary, middle-class people--gave up the convenient lifestyle we take for granted and moved to Cambodia, committed to spending two years of their lives to establish a free clinic. (OK,I'd guess the girls probably didn't have much of a say in that decision.)

They are doing this without governmental/organizational/church financial support. They don't have paid fund raisers. They don't have offices with executives making decisions. They don't spend money on advertising their efforts.

They are funding this endeavor with the proceeds from selling most of what they owned and donations.

He has invited me to come share the adventure. "Your life will never be the same." Yeah, I'm sure it wouldn't be. I'm equally sure I'm NOT going to the Cambodian jungle. If my own daughter had dengue fever in the Cambodian jungle, I'd have to hope there was someone like the paramedic and his RN wife to help her, because I am NOT going to the Cambodian jungle.

What I am doing is making small, periodic donation via PayPal. And I do mean small. I sent $5 today. I feel assured my $5 means something to the small clinic in the jungle. Much more than to larger charitable organizations that get mega-donations from corporations and governments.

Whether my $5 goes for two dengue fever blood tests or food for the two American girls yanked away from cable TV and trips to the mall (can't you just hear the older girl whining, "I didn't ask to be here in the jungle. I didn't even ask to be born. Why are you doing this to me?"), I am sure it will make a difference. I don't do very much in my every day life that feels like it "makes a difference."

Share the Health Cambodia's Web site is http://www.facebook.com/l/;www.sharethehealthcambodia.org. There's a DONATE button on the home page. Share the Health Cambodia has a FB page, but it isn't kept up to date. For some reason, the paramedic and his wife seem to spend their time doing other things. James D. Garcia has a personal page on FB. That's where the news comes from. And where the photos are.

Before the clinic even opened, Cara Garcia delivered a baby on the back of a tractor. Recently, they saved a cardiac arrest patient. James says that is unheard of in the Cambodian jungle.

I've read about people doing what I consider noble deeds. I've even known a few people who set out to do something to make life better for other folks. I've always admired them. From a distance. Without getting involved. Always thought "how wonderful that someone wants to do that." I repeat, I am NOT going to the Cambodian jungle, but for the first time I feel I can participate in spirit and support. Their project is small enough that my contribution can make a difference.

I invite you to participate, too. Remember that $5 can buy two dengue fever blood tests. That means even $2.50 can make a difference...it will buy one dengue fever blood tests. And if anyone knows what the heck dengue fever is, let me know, will you?

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COULD YOU HELP IN A SMALL WAY $5 OR $10 CAN GO A VERY LONG WAY AND MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE TO SO MANY PEOPLE.

Iraq 2003 - 2009

Just been watching a prog on TV about the British Soldiers killed in Iraq during the 6 years we were there. Really sad. I served in Iraq in 2004 and was surprised hpw many names I actually knew. I was part of one of the field medical teams and spent a lot of time with different units on the ground. Iraq was hot, dirty and dangerous but many of its people were glad that we were there and a small number were not so happy. I made many good friends as you do when your all in the poo..

Cambodia my second home.

What is it about Cambodia that I like it enough to call it a second home. Its dirty, run down and can be smelly and fly ridden, but apart from these small problems its a fantastic country, with wonderful history, friendly and generous people and from my point of view as a photographer it can be supremely photogenic with lots of stories to tell, some hard, some sad and some happy all of which need to be told.

Photographs of my SON

Rikky likes to come with me when I go out to take pictures and he is getting into taking some images himself. Rikky is original from Cambodia and was born in Phnom Penh its capital city. He was 4 years old when I adopted him as my son ( I was then married to his Mum) His mother an I are no longer together but I still see Rikky as my Son.

He is my little buddy and he is learning about photography very fast. He is currently using an old Samsung point and shoot that he seems to be able to handle OK. Good enough for now.

A Day Out

Took my son to see his first Castle a couple of days ago, he loved it. Nothing like this in hos home country of Cambodia, he was quite awe struck.

Stung Meanchey. Cambodia

The large Phnom Penh municiple Garbage dump is situated in a slum area of Phnom Penh known as Stung Meanchey. Close to 3000 people, men, women and children live and work on this dump . They collect recycleables,bottles,cans,pieces of metal or plastic and food stuffs, to sell for a few Reil in order to survive day to day. Many earn little more than a dollar a day.

Most of the rubbish pickers at Steung Meanchey are either from Phnom Penh or came to Phnom Penh looking for work and ended up in the slums. Many of the approximately 600 children have parents or relatives who also work on the dump and look after them. Some of them go to school, but most do not - at least not on a regular basis -, and it is safe to say that virtually none of them ever completes a primary school education. The school fees are too high and their families need them to collect rubbish to contribute to the family income. Adults earn, on average, 4000 to 5000 riels (US$1.00 to $1.25) a day; children earn on average about half that amount. A whole family working together can actually earn more money than they could in the rural village from which they originally came.

Travelling in Cambodia

Cambodia is a great place to see but travelling can be long and difficult to some areas of the country. The main roads are improving but many of the minor roads are in a sad state of disrepair and are better tackled only using 4 x 4 of off road motor cycle, especially in the rainy season. The buses are generally quite good and cheap but can be uncomfortable.