Wanjira is teaching a new holding class (pre cert). It started today (Tues) and will be on Mon, Tues and Fri. Rooms: Mon J011, Tues and Fri J002 (just in case other staff have been using those rooms for conversation groups).

On Thursday we have a practice evacuation drill – please refer to your instruction sheet.

The new AMEP counsellors website is up and running :http://www.nceltr.mq.edu.au/counsellors/index.html

And now for Mary’s latest news from Vietnam and Cambodia:


Hi everyone,
Thanks very much for your emails and news. It was so good to hear news from home while going through Cambodia, as I found it rather grim.
When we went to the Viet Cong tunnels out of Saigon, I decided to go through the 40 metres section which has been enlarged so that western tourists can get through. Even so we had to crouch down and duck waddle though, or crawl on hands and knees. There were some very seriously gruesome booby traps on display, which the South Vietnamese soldiers and the allies would have to have avoided to stay alive. I found it all very confronting and horrible.
After the general pleasantness of Vietnam (Viet Cong booby traps excluded), Cambodia was a complete shock to the senses. There were some wonderful buildings and temples. The best by far is the famous ancient temple of Ankor Wat. If it's not one of the wonders of the ancient world it should be. It was built in 30 years during a king's rule in the 6th century I think. When you see the size, precision and great beauty of the many buildings comprising the vast temple complex, you really wonder how the workers with only primative tools could have completed such magnigicent structures so quickly. Some of the scenes of Raiders of the Lost Ark were filmed there. I remember thinking what a wonderfully surreal setting they'd managed to fabricate with one of the tombs, but in actual fact it's one of the temples which has "giant" banyan trees intertwined amongst the structure with an incredibly eerie effect.
The part of Cambodia, that was an absolute shock to all the senses, were the museums showing the atrocities of the 1970's, when Pol Pot, the leader of the country, killed over 2 million Cambodians. We saw a High School which was converted to an interrogation and torture centre. It was all horrific beyond belief. There were endless boards of photos of the victims who were tortured and killed. There were seven foreigners who were killed including a good looking young Australian man (maybe a journalist). His photo was there amongst the others. We then visited one of the 16 known sites of the killing fields. The clothing and bones of the murdered people still protrude from the earth, and every wet season more rise to the surface! It seemed incredible that the Kmer Rouge could have gone on such a brutal, mindless killing spree.Our guide was fantastic... inspirational even, as he and his family were victims of the times and atrocities. He and his brothers and sisters were separated from his parents who disappeared during the Pol Pot era, and were sent to hard labour and reeducation camps in the countryside. He said that about 15% of the current Govt ministers were perpetrators of the Pol Pot regime, so people mistrust the current Govt. Quite a few of us on the tour felt as if there was an underlying sense of grief and tragedy in Cambodia. People are lovely and generally getting on with life, but the almost suicidal drivers on the roads gave me the feeling that there's a superficial layer of order, but if that goes there'd probably be chaos. A lot of rebuilding is going on in Cambodia, as the Govt has a target to increase tourism by 20% each year. There's still a lot to be done about land mines and the victims. Many land mine victims are beggars. Buidings can be replaced but missing human limbs continue to be a very sad reminder of Pol Pot times.
I've had the flu for about 3 weeks which hasn't given me the rosiest of outlooks! For the first time today, I had a club sandwich which I could just taste, as I haven't had a sense of taste or smell for the last 10 -12 days. I think it's probably the combination of relentless high temperatures and humidity, being run down from being constantly on the go, and the effects of air conditioning which in many places is absolutely freezing! Fortunately I had some anti-biotics with me which I think have helped me turn the corner finally.
We leave for northern Thailand tomorrow night on an overnight train. I haven't been up there, so am really looking forward to seeing the remote hill tribes. We have to do quite a bit of trecking to get there. I've lost a lot of fitness since I've been sick, so I'm probably going to find it hard going.
I had a wonderful Thai pressure point massage today to stretch out all my muscles and tendons. You wouldn't believe how strong the girls are. At one point, my masseuse was under me supporting my weight and body with her feet and legs as I lay back with my arms and legs dangling to stretch out my spine, back muscles and joints. I did think about her occupational health and safety, as she seemed to be quite a bit smaller, although probably a lot stronger than me! It was a really fantastic work out and great to have after having been sick and lethargic for a few weeks.
I'm sure you'd love cycling in Vietnam Andrew, but yes pick a cooler time of year! Thank God they don't have Bilharzia here. I've never forgotten Helen Farrington's tale of her husband coughing up a large worm after a trip to Vietnam. Every time I have a big cough I half expect to produce a worm! Thanks very much for passing on my email to Claire, Carol. Glad you're enjoying the book... it sounds interesting! My love to Anna!
Loved hearing all the news Tom and Anne. The two kids sound super charged and living life to the full at the moment! Wish Jo a very happy holiday from me. Hope the rains have arrived in north and south Tammin... and that all's well with you Pat. Hope things are progressing well in the north for you Jan.
Great to hear your trip to the music festival in the East went so well Ellen.
As I haven't heard, I'm guessing you may be in New Guinea now John?
Cheerio for now!
Love and best wishes to all, Mary C