tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30977479627847309282024-03-06T03:02:12.067+07:00Cambodia Starts to Knit...the adventures of starting a business in CambodiaMonika Nowaczykhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02413455368950915096noreply@blogger.comBlogger96125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3097747962784730928.post-56507973598755777392010-04-30T14:38:00.004+07:002010-04-30T14:57:38.264+07:00Good-bye Blogger<span style="font-family:verdana;">It's time to say good bye to the original home of the Cambodia Knits blog and move into the new home at the CK <a href="http://cambodiaknits.com/blog/">website</a>. This was my first experience in blogging and it's been a very positive one. We've made a lot of great friends and fans here and I hope all of you keep checking in at our new home to see what we're up too. There is no way to 'follow' us at the new site, but you can subscribe as easy as 1-2-3 for an RSS feed to keep you up-to-date.<br /><br />Thank you everyone for following us, checking in, writing comments and supporting us so many different ways! We couldn't have done it without you!<br /><br />There's a new post already waiting for you <a href="http://cambodiaknits.com/2010/04/a-day-of-learning/">here</a>. See you there!!<br /><br /><br /><br /></span>Monika Nowaczykhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02413455368950915096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3097747962784730928.post-57255919983278659852010-04-27T20:58:00.003+07:002010-04-27T21:00:43.527+07:00Our New Website!!!<span style="font-family: verdana;">I can't believe I neglected to blog here about our new website!! </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">Thanks to the genius of Yumi Ichida, the patience of Yeng and the tweaking of </span><a style="font-family: verdana;" href="http://www.house32.com/">House 32</a><span style="font-family: verdana;">, we're up and running. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">Have a look at </span><a style="font-family: verdana;" href="http://www.cambodiaknits.com">www.cambodiaknits.com</a><span style="font-family: verdana;"> and tell us what you think. </span>Monika Nowaczykhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02413455368950915096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3097747962784730928.post-52997107761499746812010-04-21T12:12:00.002+07:002010-04-21T12:20:11.461+07:00CK on Twitter<span style="font-family: verdana;">I finally broke down and signed us up for Twitter. Twitter still doesn't make all that much sense to me. I understand how it works, but the idea of being bombarded, on your phone no less, by constant, sometimes banal, updates from around the world, seems odd. I'm still trying to work out the benefit over the annoyance.<br /><br />To this end, CK is on Twitter. Find us and follow us <a href="http://twitter.com/CambodiaKnits">here. </a><br /><br /><br /></span>Monika Nowaczykhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02413455368950915096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3097747962784730928.post-14150974062814935622010-04-14T12:36:00.002+07:002010-04-14T12:38:40.444+07:00Help CK Grow!<h6 style="text-align: center; font-family: verdana;" mce_style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:130%;">We're growing to a new stage and we need your help to get there!</span></h6> <p style="font-family: verdana;">Cambodia Knits is excited to announce that we'll soon be working with <a href="http://www.caritascambodia.org/" mce_href="http://www.caritascambodia.org/" target="_blank">Caritas</a> in Toul Sambo to set up a full knitting workshop right in the community. Caritas are building new housing and community spaces, and there is room for a CK workspace! This means we'll now have an on-site dedicated space to assemble our products to completion.</p> <p style="font-family: verdana;">Currently, CK has to purchase unfinished knitted parts from Toul Sambo, then assemble them together in the Phnom Penh office. With the new workspace, knitters will now be able to earn more by making completely finished products!</p> <p style="font-family: verdana;">We're thrilled with this opportunity, so to get the space running we're asking for a small funding infusion.<br />Our immediate goal is to:</p> <ul style="font-family: verdana;"><li>fund the knitters' new training for assembly, and</li><li>afford travel to the community during training</li><li>purchase equipment and materials to create a safe and healthy work environment</li></ul> <p style="font-family: verdana;">Your donations will also go towards:</p> <ul style="font-family: verdana;"><li>setting up a contingency fund for staff; a set reserve that staff can borrow from, with no interest or advance</li><li>signage, brochure printing and advertising to raise awareness for and promote CK</li><li>business registration fees</li></ul> <p style="font-family: verdana;">Because we're not a registered charity, we can't issue tax receipts — however, donors will receive a heartfelt email of thanks, and a mention on our Donor Wall of gratitude.</p> <p style="font-family: verdana;">Every bit will help CK get through this challenging stage. Please donate today via Paypal by clicking the button on the right hand panel.</p> <p style="font-family: verdana;">Thank you!</p> <p style="text-align: center; font-family: verdana;" mce_style="text-align: center;">Donations are fully secure using the PayPal system.</p> <form style="text-align: center; font-family: verdana;" mce_style="text-align: center;" action="https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr" method="post"><a href="http://cambodiaknits.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/graduation1.jpg" mce_href="http://cambodiaknits.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/graduation1.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-137" title="CK Graduates" src="http://cambodiaknits.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/graduation1-300x200.jpg" mce_src="http://cambodiaknits.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/graduation1-300x200.jpg" alt="" height="200" width="300" /></a><br /></form>Monika Nowaczykhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02413455368950915096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3097747962784730928.post-27314836663271522012010-04-10T14:12:00.003+07:002010-04-10T14:22:58.573+07:00CK in Australia<span style="font-family:verdana;">Canberra to be specific.<br /><br />Last month when we were en route to Sydney, (and nearly missed our flight because we forgot that Singapore was one hour ahead and while happily checking emails using Singapore airport's free wireless service at what we thought was 6:45pm with lots of time until our 8pm flight and Yeng's name got called over the PA and we both immediately realized our mistake and ran, ran, ran to the gate...) I got an email from a woman who runs a baby products store in Canberra, interested in our toys. It was serendipitous because we planning to be in Canberra only a few days later! We managed to meet Emma at Brindabella Baby and are more than happy to supply her shop!<br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">She's just moved her shop to a new location in Canberra, </span>Rodney's Nursery, 24 Beltana Road, Pialligo, and had the opening last week. We didn't get to see the new shop but from the photos below it looks lovely and inviting. Emma has been running the business for a few years, selling eco-friendly, fair trade products for the under 5 kiddies. She started doing this out of her house, but as the business grew and she found more and more great products from around the world, she eventually opened a shop. She focuses on products that are fairly produced and help the communities in which they are produced, a true ethical consumer. You can read more about Brindabella Baby and see more photos <a href="http://taniamccartney.blogspot.com/2010/04/brindabella-baby-has-moved.html">here</a>.<br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdThvgCmqmkc5N7ENaA2Qoq9u40xenWUDZEXFnLhb0pVwGO2d9zqoh1lGKxI2QyScPQTLnX0iD6fhF_BID5jAwC4kGay-ItHtu_o9q2RR-frwX7AHYSOni_ZVuO4JlCzlNqFm7lOH9B8s/s1600/DSC_0403.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 269px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdThvgCmqmkc5N7ENaA2Qoq9u40xenWUDZEXFnLhb0pVwGO2d9zqoh1lGKxI2QyScPQTLnX0iD6fhF_BID5jAwC4kGay-ItHtu_o9q2RR-frwX7AHYSOni_ZVuO4JlCzlNqFm7lOH9B8s/s400/DSC_0403.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5458404956216018226" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQMFMTpeEe1yrJLvI78v2jgTwBR8iB7Nj_R8kP5tSzlgtyBWF-4nVToVxJk1QleR38AEbxKSqY0zbf7VhvDOarQyBYbP80Mn28O9Ww3iRXmwCEV6KclWy0YMx5ATKH9HwSfJFslNol6KA/s1600/DSC_0398.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 269px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQMFMTpeEe1yrJLvI78v2jgTwBR8iB7Nj_R8kP5tSzlgtyBWF-4nVToVxJk1QleR38AEbxKSqY0zbf7VhvDOarQyBYbP80Mn28O9Ww3iRXmwCEV6KclWy0YMx5ATKH9HwSfJFslNol6KA/s400/DSC_0398.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5458404935063836786" border="0" /></a>Monika Nowaczykhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02413455368950915096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3097747962784730928.post-41213133357361193772010-04-08T11:46:00.003+07:002010-04-08T11:57:36.723+07:00More new stuff!<span style="font-family:verdana;">Since the beginning I have been thinking about how to best display finger puppets for sale. Way back when, I did a search for finger puppet displays and one that looked great was the chopsticks in vase options which we have been using since. It's a cheap, easy option and kinda cute. Not the best for shopping though as they tend to get messed up and it's sometimes hard to have a good look the bunch without tipping the display over.<br /><br />So for the past few months, I've really wanted to improve on the display and since Phnom Penh is a great place to put idea into practice at any variety of small scale wood, metal, plastic workshops I thought it would be snap. Not so. Well, yes so, but you need to have the right person to do the legwork for you. Luckily, CK has Chariya who is not only a great translator, but a Sherlock Holmes when it comes to tracking down any variety of un-simple requests I have. Thanks to her, in less than three days we have our puppet stands!<br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW5ENnxegTdKNmxLdyrb9zZ2JObngZ4Q4-fRQ05lQ6qHOLfZLPR2IU3kWmZWfOfULX-6fKnC06p6meQK-lxS8dSLDiHYmb9-V46VrVCk0lX-MeHGQtYlSh5CxTM__gPVR4cKJxHKBXMHA/s1600/puppet+stand.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW5ENnxegTdKNmxLdyrb9zZ2JObngZ4Q4-fRQ05lQ6qHOLfZLPR2IU3kWmZWfOfULX-6fKnC06p6meQK-lxS8dSLDiHYmb9-V46VrVCk0lX-MeHGQtYlSh5CxTM__gPVR4cKJxHKBXMHA/s400/puppet+stand.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5457624983993880786" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /><br /></span>Monika Nowaczykhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02413455368950915096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3097747962784730928.post-26932900391747630742010-04-07T10:42:00.003+07:002010-04-07T10:46:54.257+07:00New Price tags<span style="font-family:verdana;">We're getting more and more settled into the new space. Next step is to formalize the retail area in the front, but the knitters recently moved forward from the back of the room because the fan is better there. And I can understand! With the daily temperature hitting above 40C, it's painfully hot! We'll need more fans installed I think. <br /><br />We're preparing some products to go to Monument Books today and we're debuting our new price tags. These will include the name of the knitter. The knitters were very excited about this. The website is almost ready for (go and have a peak, but there are few tweaks still to be made) public consumption. It's looking fantastic! <br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOG8t4hH4DaigXLqD0LqLvZNgLTdnbOO6TbvT13usA9ajLBvTdMg0MZz-tIxArzUtJCkBHIrFyMt83D08XNEpojvoGcHYhFsrkX3gQ1R8x4ldFfTiKd-UBpqU1FLFigndypSAGSDkcSZI/s1600/new+tag.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOG8t4hH4DaigXLqD0LqLvZNgLTdnbOO6TbvT13usA9ajLBvTdMg0MZz-tIxArzUtJCkBHIrFyMt83D08XNEpojvoGcHYhFsrkX3gQ1R8x4ldFfTiKd-UBpqU1FLFigndypSAGSDkcSZI/s400/new+tag.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5457236051750900690" border="0" /></a>Monika Nowaczykhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02413455368950915096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3097747962784730928.post-46603874721954459892010-03-30T14:42:00.004+07:002010-04-01T17:25:15.083+07:00The new office<span style="font-family:verdana;">Oh la la! It's been a long time coming, but finally, here are some photos of our new office/workshop. Apologies for the long absence, but we've been too busy to post anything here until now. That doesn't mean we're not busy at the moment, but I have some time to indulge in the blog.<br /><br />So the new office is a great space for us to grow into. The knitters are more comfortable, there is more storage space and we can prepare a small retail area at the front. The main purpose of the space remains a workshop and office, but it will be nice to be able to showcase our products to guests, visitors and potential buyers.<br /><br />The first photo is looking in. This is a standard one and half floor sized Khmer 'pteah laveang'. The room at the bottom is about 4m by 10 meters with a decently sized kitchen/eating area and bathroom in the back. The front portion of this room has a high ceiling and, overall, the room is quite cool even in the hot season. The back half, where you see the CK staff working, will be the work area.<br /></span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh041E25Hn9hR6ocyA2rjijJSYChkoImMS7tB0wVwSPi7Ro38tKOIwqhyYTglsDorlYZ3451sUyKUxZEIavmSTsslG7x6NENNFze65IbN8IK521ie5bT9_hKCNnR-BkAMMPm7UzCgEU2h4/s1600/looking-in.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh041E25Hn9hR6ocyA2rjijJSYChkoImMS7tB0wVwSPi7Ro38tKOIwqhyYTglsDorlYZ3451sUyKUxZEIavmSTsslG7x6NENNFze65IbN8IK521ie5bT9_hKCNnR-BkAMMPm7UzCgEU2h4/s400/looking-in.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5455110566106056146" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">The front area is where we'll set up some displays, photos and information. This is a work in progress and we've got some way to go. Within the next month we'd like to have it ready for visitors though. </span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr5vgrr77ydoxP3wv_0k1tOEPs9N4WhtGgq0FWdYiwW8pJ4k12nMbHGWqeFR5zVY9_UeQfqrL-qGlb-7Vc0qYL0zn9IA5p9IoQTA7iyXukfl3uLiTvqW5OkCSt0UQlF4McRJ4ryS9j3Yk/s1600/looking-out.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr5vgrr77ydoxP3wv_0k1tOEPs9N4WhtGgq0FWdYiwW8pJ4k12nMbHGWqeFR5zVY9_UeQfqrL-qGlb-7Vc0qYL0zn9IA5p9IoQTA7iyXukfl3uLiTvqW5OkCSt0UQlF4McRJ4ryS9j3Yk/s400/looking-out.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5455110556539622018" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:webdings;">A tiny staircase leads up to this small, half room. It's bigger than most of it's kind and works really well for a small office. With only three of us in here, its spacious really. Again, we need to spruce it up and personalize it a bit, but all in due time. </span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1JLENIdk6x3qoeKrYUehb0QyPJNbh5ra6gvX-9FmNLwnlqovF1kEwR1njYh-xrq5U5JlWSKdmuCgTrPxb5sRM9cSkrsX399ezgYlxOUV9A40F0dxwI9S04wE95hej06lADn-iji6ZdHw/s1600/upstairs-office.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1JLENIdk6x3qoeKrYUehb0QyPJNbh5ra6gvX-9FmNLwnlqovF1kEwR1njYh-xrq5U5JlWSKdmuCgTrPxb5sRM9cSkrsX399ezgYlxOUV9A40F0dxwI9S04wE95hej06lADn-iji6ZdHw/s400/upstairs-office.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5455110550145447218" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">We're all really happy with the space and I'm happy to have a commute to work again that is further than my dining room. I agonized about the colour for a while, but in then end stuck with the colour orange despite all the nays (they thought I was loco). I think it looks great, comfy and friendly!<br /><br />So if you're in town, come for a visit. We're at House #146D, Street 376 just off street 113 in BKK3.<br /></span>Monika Nowaczykhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02413455368950915096noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3097747962784730928.post-509231536956737862010-03-08T21:38:00.002+07:002010-03-08T21:42:57.198+07:00Australia Bound<span style="font-family: verdana;">Sorry for the silence the past couple weeks, but its been busy. There is lots to write about, but I'll start with our upcoming trip to Australia.<br /><br />We'll be flying into Sydney on March 18th, heading to Canberra area for a wedding on the 20th and then finish off the final few days in Sydney. During that time I'll try to do some presentations on Cambodia Knits in Young, Canberra and Sydney so if you are in those areas, stay tuned for more info (or email me for details). And, if you're in Australia and have ever wanted to get your hands on some of our products, send me an email at orders@cambodiaknits.com and I'll send you a catalogue. <br /><br /><br /></span>Monika Nowaczykhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02413455368950915096noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3097747962784730928.post-89730650067559693852010-02-23T08:04:00.008+07:002010-02-23T11:48:20.884+07:00Silk making<span style="font-family:verdana;">As we are hoping at some point in the future to knit with local silk yarn, I 'investigated' the silk making process at the fair in Siem Reap a few weeks ago. There were two booths set up that sold locally produced silk, one which displayed the silk making process and the other, the silk weaving process. Just because it's really interesting, I'm posting the wormy photos here with a brief explanation of what's going on.<br /><br />First, very little, tiny, tiny worms. So tiny you can't really see them, but I promise they are there.<br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirZr1kxhLEK-wwYZOQs3RiLvnwdELOjukTTNa_w5GftXWiai4BVwG5xFjICXt3F6iorBEjBrtrxPPaZ9ZokQog9TpAejM9b_0ugFR-R_dpr-pKpqWHAD9AOxyDID1KLI2vPBly29e17VA/s1600-h/worms1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirZr1kxhLEK-wwYZOQs3RiLvnwdELOjukTTNa_w5GftXWiai4BVwG5xFjICXt3F6iorBEjBrtrxPPaZ9ZokQog9TpAejM9b_0ugFR-R_dpr-pKpqWHAD9AOxyDID1KLI2vPBly29e17VA/s400/worms1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5441239175360901250" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">The worms eat and eat and eat mulberry leaves and get bigger.</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_TsXm8VsUcBHbANerkkQbgwMDPY-bpJiZ3SiDoDNUKDNafl14sIMu7bTjkhQrS5Lv6f6Cb8zk1E3Fyyuq5hUi4lpAGIFAR-kC2ZJbLEds5r6QqzM5ETiuIAbBefqU5B2O0LWVTRVCdxc/s1600-h/worms2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_TsXm8VsUcBHbANerkkQbgwMDPY-bpJiZ3SiDoDNUKDNafl14sIMu7bTjkhQrS5Lv6f6Cb8zk1E3Fyyuq5hUi4lpAGIFAR-kC2ZJbLEds5r6QqzM5ETiuIAbBefqU5B2O0LWVTRVCdxc/s400/worms2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5441239192204500578" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">They keep gorging and get bigger and juicier. Yum, big juicy silk worms. </span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVe3SOS76wI0LGZ1B3vsf4Qcba6Sly10cyGEsCR6lO6xQRuc84QynVA7obQGpQe3ylOSfP4ugv6xocg7kShm1ykowvB6_kekoi2Iexzt3Eh11Jbum5s9pS_REttO78xIsJ7bgRHRLLbdA/s1600-h/worms3.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVe3SOS76wI0LGZ1B3vsf4Qcba6Sly10cyGEsCR6lO6xQRuc84QynVA7obQGpQe3ylOSfP4ugv6xocg7kShm1ykowvB6_kekoi2Iexzt3Eh11Jbum5s9pS_REttO78xIsJ7bgRHRLLbdA/s400/worms3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5441239200377184226" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">After a few weeks of non-stop eating action, the silk worms decide it is time to move onto the next stage in life and hide themselves in a cocoon of beautiful, golden silk.<br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsA__6aRk-VAClDcIVSeHpHxJjicBcpNt8LMm3BrBQc7T3JEuQYzzZTR6PheNmr1Plgpf8QmQFLxtIN6oN9vdxx2IA1MaIXRLHVO3kFmJPY-eMFj2TwwgzLdn3A33ReWl7VG3bjlvU99A/s1600-h/cocoons.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 268px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsA__6aRk-VAClDcIVSeHpHxJjicBcpNt8LMm3BrBQc7T3JEuQYzzZTR6PheNmr1Plgpf8QmQFLxtIN6oN9vdxx2IA1MaIXRLHVO3kFmJPY-eMFj2TwwgzLdn3A33ReWl7VG3bjlvU99A/s400/cocoons.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5441239214001958418" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br />Unfortunately, for the silk worms, humans love silk and the only way to get it from the cocoon is to boil the unsuspecting worms alive. Silk is not vegan-friendly. </span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicHkaSZ9r96wjhXWtv54-kaY0pPLERFCbKqCmTRZmfUGOeMmy0LI-By50MZv0S5-vip9eLLv0zRshP68Dl8ixrmUMY28yBR2X-75-5L1goPx52-7SiCRbNeWRScmUll15Xl3NyRTtF6cM/s1600-h/boiled+cocoons.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicHkaSZ9r96wjhXWtv54-kaY0pPLERFCbKqCmTRZmfUGOeMmy0LI-By50MZv0S5-vip9eLLv0zRshP68Dl8ixrmUMY28yBR2X-75-5L1goPx52-7SiCRbNeWRScmUll15Xl3NyRTtF6cM/s400/boiled+cocoons.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5441239233281424658" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">The threads of many cocoons are spun together into a single thread. Slowly each cocoon is unraveled back to its origin, a now expired silk worm, which like anything organic, can be eaten. </span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEissk6O3FEf1YQDY5Nn2iEvOuSVhjvZv6oIwZ_V1be2zwbQ2Ie-P1XHTeb4PTQhq_xTBJoVs7DtW5b_ny4nFenfhgLp5KxqMFqCeRAUzOPy45oFCtABfJIcjFGurAA2m3OqYEGEFNdDKWE/s1600-h/spinning+silk+thread.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEissk6O3FEf1YQDY5Nn2iEvOuSVhjvZv6oIwZ_V1be2zwbQ2Ie-P1XHTeb4PTQhq_xTBJoVs7DtW5b_ny4nFenfhgLp5KxqMFqCeRAUzOPy45oFCtABfJIcjFGurAA2m3OqYEGEFNdDKWE/s400/spinning+silk+thread.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5441240877395683986" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">And finally, after dying using local natural dyes, from bark, leaves, indigo, the finished product: silk. </span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix-XcMbYou3xEBtDxyZlBqUStzl6wxAN4tumv6-soMnnoygijoMl6HCA8eLSrBQh2mOg4RB9bnJM1IEUo2VK9AnD06GUwdSaoRLzhYUDjLAvKRIo_zVecIFMqMzCJOfoBeDFy7bRfJIxU/s1600-h/finished+product.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix-XcMbYou3xEBtDxyZlBqUStzl6wxAN4tumv6-soMnnoygijoMl6HCA8eLSrBQh2mOg4RB9bnJM1IEUo2VK9AnD06GUwdSaoRLzhYUDjLAvKRIo_zVecIFMqMzCJOfoBeDFy7bRfJIxU/s400/finished+product.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5441240888592811330" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">Unfortunately, like so many things, silk production was all but decimated under the Pol Pot regime and has yet to recover. There are a couple organizations working to help revive the industry, but it's a slow process. Most silk products sold in Cambodia are made from imported silk which is then dyed and woven in country. If we are ever able to source local silk yarn, it will be in very small quantities and only for exclusive, small lines of products.<br /><br /></span>Monika Nowaczykhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02413455368950915096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3097747962784730928.post-6730844801525580762010-02-22T14:29:00.004+07:002010-02-22T15:26:17.209+07:00Cinderella<span style="font-family:verdana;">And now, for our fourth and final sales location in Siem Reap: Cinderella. The shop is located near Red Pizza in the Old Market area of the city.<br /><br />Samneang, our accountant (shared with NETPRO-Cambodia, but I always joke with him that working for us is so much better), is heading to SR this weekend to change all the tags to the updated ones and put kramas on all the animals that used to have bows. This way he gets to meet the store owners, finalize our consignment contracts and answer any questions. And he gets a trip to SR which he is very excited about.<br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIm84uZUqc_mLNpiG1hm6U5SKsJWlwWwaJeYol5qt9kseYfp9HQrDyGAIPzduTjgVdMJFhFetjw-f19uI9pbduUBnyXmrK2SUNHXOvi4T6EkAMdDfQHql3bpTsDi2mDcAogchXVyph00Y/s1600-h/cinderella2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIm84uZUqc_mLNpiG1hm6U5SKsJWlwWwaJeYol5qt9kseYfp9HQrDyGAIPzduTjgVdMJFhFetjw-f19uI9pbduUBnyXmrK2SUNHXOvi4T6EkAMdDfQHql3bpTsDi2mDcAogchXVyph00Y/s400/cinderella2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440967223970697186" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">The shop looks really cute! I didn't get a chance to visit when I was in SR, so this is my first look at it too. The multi-tiled wall is lovely and colourful and I like the overall look of it. Will have to drop in next time I'm in SR. </span>Monika Nowaczykhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02413455368950915096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3097747962784730928.post-75666811979261637422010-02-15T16:54:00.002+07:002010-02-15T17:04:41.635+07:00Joe-to-Go Cafe<span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">Another location where you can find Cambodia Knits products in Siem Reap is at Joe-to-Go Cafe. The cafe is located near the Old Market and serves tasty food and delicious coffee. It's the business of The Global Child, an NGO working with street children in Siem Reap, ensuring they have access to education and a path out of poverty. More about the organization </span><a style="font-family: verdana;" href="http://www.theglobalchild.org/">here</a><span style="font-family:verdana;">. </span> <span style="font-family:verdana;">Mony with our display in the boutique above the cafe:</span><br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO2Hx5KI8NwGtVLASbugkiWS6JhXNn9GqhMtBEfNOKYWnYx5hHJzmFLjnctFXEyjOwNyhgTCyLqrwj0KjJQ9Wnm8-ilFvGRSm1n5R-CRHuQqGfn3IOiP-YOWyGp5Kam-caAnHicoh2Kuc/s1600-h/Joetogo.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO2Hx5KI8NwGtVLASbugkiWS6JhXNn9GqhMtBEfNOKYWnYx5hHJzmFLjnctFXEyjOwNyhgTCyLqrwj0KjJQ9Wnm8-ilFvGRSm1n5R-CRHuQqGfn3IOiP-YOWyGp5Kam-caAnHicoh2Kuc/s400/Joetogo.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5438408784867239938" border="0" /></a>Monika Nowaczykhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02413455368950915096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3097747962784730928.post-56763984129090212542010-02-14T13:55:00.001+07:002010-02-14T14:01:40.165+07:00Finally, after much delay: the mama monsters!!!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD6XWMRw2MZqPufC3GKwvhowlTACiCh68M16Ywhy8wuFe0jmbKcOhDJu9-gF8NaNkF1DgD8IJnX07O6szOjS0-ynA206IT43mT65wxO1RbkknQLTqyioqePUKOK78Vw7YcS8qDkEtRKjs/s1600-h/mamamonsterslow.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD6XWMRw2MZqPufC3GKwvhowlTACiCh68M16Ywhy8wuFe0jmbKcOhDJu9-gF8NaNkF1DgD8IJnX07O6szOjS0-ynA206IT43mT65wxO1RbkknQLTqyioqePUKOK78Vw7YcS8qDkEtRKjs/s400/mamamonsterslow.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5437990656782791362" border="0" /></a>Monika Nowaczykhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02413455368950915096noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3097747962784730928.post-19973212432392463422010-02-08T14:02:00.003+07:002010-02-08T14:10:34.167+07:00Soria Moria<span style="font-family: verdana;">I don't have any photos of our products on display, but the second location where you can find CK in Siem Reap is at Soria Moria. Soria Moria (an unforgettable name) is a boutique hotel with an emphasis on sustainable tourism. It's a lovely, quiet place near a Wat, with nicely appointed rooms and very, very friendly staff. This is likely the result of the very fair treatment staff working here get in terms of training and benefits. It's the kind of hotel you can stay at, knowing that you're giving back to the community. A recent article in the Phnom Penh Post stated that less than 5% of the population in Siem Reap benefit at all from tourism and that despite the millions of annual visitors, Siem Reap remains one of the poorest provinces in the country.<br /><br />To learn more about Soria Moria visit their website <a href="http://www.thesoriamoria.com/">here</a>.<br /></span>Monika Nowaczykhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02413455368950915096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3097747962784730928.post-47258475543053268002010-02-06T13:02:00.004+07:002010-02-06T13:31:56.765+07:00CK at Circle Boutique<span style="font-family:verdana;">So while in Siem Reap last week, I arranged to have CK products on consignment sales at three locations. The first is Circle Boutique, a recently opened shop on Alley West, an up and coming area of Siem Reap near Pub Street. Circle is the collaborative effort of Lauren Iida and Rachel Faller, two amazing designers, both of whom are using their talents and energy for good. The <a href="http://www.phnompenhpost.com/index.php/2010012231000/Siem-Reap-Insider/fashion-boutique-lends-a-hand-to-the-less-fortunate.html">opening</a> was just a few weeks ago and already the shop is proving to be popular with local expats and tourists.<br /><br />We're happy to have our products in such a lovely spot.<br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk1vtl4RBc-8Z5tLHL62CDGLjUBrK3FT6mH9NIoL0SWrqxLc29dI0mLv3eVrp5gEeIKpKctqY8U0hD7VMUp6Bjp_Yh7DIwqgMwf_qcPAUthGOdCsFUjRaRnsTVC_WpytuJXpui9K9Xjjc/s1600-h/circle2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk1vtl4RBc-8Z5tLHL62CDGLjUBrK3FT6mH9NIoL0SWrqxLc29dI0mLv3eVrp5gEeIKpKctqY8U0hD7VMUp6Bjp_Yh7DIwqgMwf_qcPAUthGOdCsFUjRaRnsTVC_WpytuJXpui9K9Xjjc/s400/circle2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5435011806300352386" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi76ZWmfHmJ53FHf8Zb6qawJkXU9KZVRg_LNpnP1TWZZuMr-eF8eHiDcQY6LSIlsBDblUyGFaDEsn7l9ttaqflf_7pJSBrVsSoP_iET5fV1z1KxkTUvUsvKU6rzYCZJmDox7HuuD1XNL38/s1600-h/circle1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi76ZWmfHmJ53FHf8Zb6qawJkXU9KZVRg_LNpnP1TWZZuMr-eF8eHiDcQY6LSIlsBDblUyGFaDEsn7l9ttaqflf_7pJSBrVsSoP_iET5fV1z1KxkTUvUsvKU6rzYCZJmDox7HuuD1XNL38/s400/circle1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5435011791246780194" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPDE6M4NFlChMv19JcmkjrMGynAaBegGUMMI39LI3AJdvC7BTVc-0eTFXccAr0rE6JFh0Fyl3EzYD5AYz1S_KLcOHwVcH_PTpFdlRL8IkeNg89Yrbg38HsvKTjzfPEZH7vMs6yZR3NRIY/s1600-h/circle3.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 268px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPDE6M4NFlChMv19JcmkjrMGynAaBegGUMMI39LI3AJdvC7BTVc-0eTFXccAr0rE6JFh0Fyl3EzYD5AYz1S_KLcOHwVcH_PTpFdlRL8IkeNg89Yrbg38HsvKTjzfPEZH7vMs6yZR3NRIY/s400/circle3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5435011818691665682" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">To learn more about the work of Rachel and Lauren, read and follow the links below.<br /><br />Circle is a social enterprise which employs young at-risk women from impoverished rural areas of Cambodia. Circle provides a safe and healthy workplace, fair wages, Khmer & English literacy classes, clothing design training, and a variety of ongoing projects promoting self-confidence and creativity. You can read more about the project <a href="http://circlecambodia.wordpress.com/">here</a>.<br /><br /></span><span style="line-height: 22px;font-family:verdana;" class="style" >Keo Kjay</span><span style="font-family:verdana;"> is a social enterprise that was established in Cambodia to train and provide jobs for women living with HIV in Phnom Penh through creating handmade items out of their homes. We sell accessories, clothes and gift items, all made of recycled and sustainable materials, and we follow Fair Trade principles in all aspects of our business. More info <a href="http://www.keokjay.org/file/Home.html">here</a>.<br /><br /></span>Monika Nowaczykhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02413455368950915096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3097747962784730928.post-588617236841218002010-02-04T11:51:00.003+07:002010-02-04T12:02:44.467+07:00Kitchener Stitch<span style="font-family:verdana;">When in Canada over the holidays, my <a href="http://jacknlukemamasliff.blogspot.com/">seestor</a>, a knitting whiz, had a close look at our products and made some suggestions/recommendations for improvement. One thing she recommended was to bind off the tops of the monsters using kitchener stitch instead of a three-needle bind off. Kitchener stitch looks seamless so I decided it might be a good thing to teach the knitters. They are always quite keen to learn more, so Rony and MatKeo, who usually work from home came in for a day of training.<br /><br />It's been a bit of a headache for some. Rofi caught on right away and slowly the others are catching up. I think by the end of the day they'll be semi-pro at it.<br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPVcu3mwUIrVYMhhAcvnSUQF1flQxlisWO-yZQcBsH7YZJ4EoH769OJ9JuiuPifL3MY772z-irfH1bfLOg0mcjEKAEIsVZozkmTZ1leQsYCXZ5TyljzA7Isk_Mf5gBlfgCrnRnAuGKTrs/s1600-h/kitchener2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPVcu3mwUIrVYMhhAcvnSUQF1flQxlisWO-yZQcBsH7YZJ4EoH769OJ9JuiuPifL3MY772z-irfH1bfLOg0mcjEKAEIsVZozkmTZ1leQsYCXZ5TyljzA7Isk_Mf5gBlfgCrnRnAuGKTrs/s400/kitchener2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5434248491812588354" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR6LMXgXE2vtO4fC3yqe8f985U1FiqfJHnzT173W6U6wUVN29YR4fuUS2jCYWn1KbIqFFJhpZQer9W4UDvQZdS7lBdFmA_jtXDbNxPEt1E9Buuq_ii0DCrBAjzPBtgGynm9QLY1gBi6Ys/s1600-h/kitchener1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR6LMXgXE2vtO4fC3yqe8f985U1FiqfJHnzT173W6U6wUVN29YR4fuUS2jCYWn1KbIqFFJhpZQer9W4UDvQZdS7lBdFmA_jtXDbNxPEt1E9Buuq_ii0DCrBAjzPBtgGynm9QLY1gBi6Ys/s400/kitchener1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5434248483736588514" border="0" /></a><br />We're also going to start knitting the mouths into the monsters instead of gluing on felt mouths. That or we'll start stitching them on. The glued on version is not ideal as quite a few of them end up getting frayed off...Monika Nowaczykhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02413455368950915096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3097747962784730928.post-3437689753416787622010-02-03T14:44:00.005+07:002010-02-03T14:58:42.877+07:00Mama and Baby Monsters<span style="font-family: verdana;">I realized that I had not yet posted the photos of the completed Mama Monster and Baby Monster monsters that we were asking for advice about in a previous post. So, here they are: <br /><br />Oh no, the picture is not here. The reason for this is rather long. Smoke came out of my computer today. My lovely Powerbook G4 that has been with me for 5.5 years and that I hoped to keep using for another 5. I don't believe in staying up to date with the brightest, shiniest, fastest, wowest technology and preferred to keep a perfectly good computer out of the landfill for as long as possible. But, as I watched the light wisps of smoke emanating from the computer, that dream slowly died. <br /><br />Yeng asked/told/commanded me to backup my computer last night. I said, 'nah, let's just watch the movie, I'm tired'... All is not lost as my clever husband regularly sneaks onto my computer and backs it up for me. I'm still going to try the Mac techs at UniYoung and see what can be done. I have not given up hope that I can continue my relationship with the G4 for at least another year. I feel like I am cheating right now using Yeng's MacBook Pro....<br /><br />Pictures tomorrow, I hope.<br /></span>Monika Nowaczykhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02413455368950915096noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3097747962784730928.post-67353657310354987582010-02-02T10:56:00.003+07:002010-02-02T11:13:56.632+07:00Monsters with kramas<span style="font-family:verdana;">Small-major change of plans is in the works!<br /><br />I caught up with a friend that I worked with in PP 10 years ago. We did a lot of catching up and when talking about CK, she made a simple suggestion: instead of bows, maybe the monsters can wear kramas. It was a slap-self-in-forehead moment and I've been shaking my head, wondering why I didn't think of it. Thank you Shiela!<br /><br />I walked around the other booths at the fair to see if anyone can make mini-kramas for us. I bought a few large size ones in 100% cotton to test out different sizes. We cut and sewed some yesterday. This is ok for figuring out the size, but if we can have them woven to size it would be much better as we can get the fringe on both ends.<br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ8XqOd6MszTPSaA9v-mqdJqY2WNwVkEprovx4I-FTefKvtkYs7deQ5DYKNXp-rDigbIuxtpkkmGUFdCdZze6KkPczb3IUDrQLa2fXkjSusN7fNZhpqDPJKDJVqRHgFvLlzMUiotMcUEk/s1600-h/krama+monsters.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ8XqOd6MszTPSaA9v-mqdJqY2WNwVkEprovx4I-FTefKvtkYs7deQ5DYKNXp-rDigbIuxtpkkmGUFdCdZze6KkPczb3IUDrQLa2fXkjSusN7fNZhpqDPJKDJVqRHgFvLlzMUiotMcUEk/s400/krama+monsters.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5433492272357636930" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">'What is a krama?' you might ask (if you've never been to Cambodia). Well, a krama is a multi-purpose, checkered cloth used by all and everyone for just about anything and everything. A krama can be used to cover the head, the face, as a skirt, as a towel. It can be used to carry a baby, rice, fruits, goods to and from the market. It can be a table cover, something to sleep under, something to wipe the table with. And now it is used to decorate monsters. <br /><br /><br /></span>Monika Nowaczykhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02413455368950915096noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3097747962784730928.post-58526999471579101652010-02-01T13:25:00.007+07:002010-02-01T14:08:07.994+07:00Our booth<span style="font-family:verdana;">So finally here is a photo of our booth at the AAC Craft Fair from last week:</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWCggl966E_gJANgFMrqTKwD5TrDVNZwUm2A8qY61hcyLMlUQtcs6mWdhfBeO70z5n50jTetkjvfHtOI3mxazlhNcwF3dM-5KylYlsJI2B_EpERYwC46DcZpfrnvCynqBSQqRIsHdkswo/s1600-h/our+booth+.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWCggl966E_gJANgFMrqTKwD5TrDVNZwUm2A8qY61hcyLMlUQtcs6mWdhfBeO70z5n50jTetkjvfHtOI3mxazlhNcwF3dM-5KylYlsJI2B_EpERYwC46DcZpfrnvCynqBSQqRIsHdkswo/s400/our+booth+.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5433160771895117442" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:verdana;">And another photo to show you how <span style="font-style: italic;">not</span> busy it was:<br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY-9NKFStVEnIv_xUyT33Te2jOaMlQK9Qw4WxpsUf8VCxyMLxn6-Ai1Hzgtt7vD5ehnD_uCEnaPWqIMeWnIIcYH0IY9-eKpGmYqlOS7aQ9bZWcr-ypdM9JDGcv39NlrqstEgA2O7fWsug/s1600-h/not+busy+at+all%21.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY-9NKFStVEnIv_xUyT33Te2jOaMlQK9Qw4WxpsUf8VCxyMLxn6-Ai1Hzgtt7vD5ehnD_uCEnaPWqIMeWnIIcYH0IY9-eKpGmYqlOS7aQ9bZWcr-ypdM9JDGcv39NlrqstEgA2O7fWsug/s400/not+busy+at+all%21.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5433161160361475874" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">Now the evenings were somewhat better, but most of the people coming out in the evenings were Cambodians out for an evening stroll. Nothing wrong with that, but for the majority of the businesses and organizations at the fair (all of which paid big bucks for the booth), this does not represent the target market. The organizer's promised 10 000 visitors over the 5 days but I'd be surprised if there was even a quarter of that. I also think they failed to advertise properly since there were no adverts in any of the free local booklets that every tourist to Siem Reap pours over and uses to plan their activities. Sure there were a lot of posters and banners, but posters and banners are not that effective at bringing people in, apparently.<br /><br />Oh heck, while I'm at it, let me just complain about one final thing: gem dealers at the fair. AAC is the Artisans Association of Cambodia, meant to promote local artisans and especially promote fair trade practices. Gems dealers are the antithesis of this! Gem mining that takes place in Cambodia is environmentally destructive, often uses child labour, is underpaid and often done in conditions that are unsafe to the workers. In the end, what the person who finds a gem gets paid and the price it sells for retail is ridiculous. There is nothing Fair about any of it! There were several booths selling gems at the fair and the organizers said this was because they are Cambodian products. I was very disappointed.<br /><br />...<br /><br />And now for something lovely. I asked Mony and Navy to take some monsters and my camera to the temples and get some product shots. At first I was worried there might be something inappropriate about posing monsters against ancient Angkor temples. I also thought they might be embarrassed to wander about with a handful of monsters. Neither of those things were a problem and after a short lesson on the SLR, they went off quite excited and eager. My final worry was that the camera would be too complicated and the photos would be blurry or not so well framed. What they came back with was amazing!!! Have a look:<br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6PLn752B3JYlpsRZyTpMosvCQ5t0HRZkY1U_K0yUaz-uftit0X82Phbe4wxl1LaUyJE_uzkSwWZ5nMoX7n0gYAvlc0fGfTjepqBK9PQG1k5UdWAuvHvqbi6dKvCnqxHFclB196pvVT24/s1600-h/angkor+monsters6.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6PLn752B3JYlpsRZyTpMosvCQ5t0HRZkY1U_K0yUaz-uftit0X82Phbe4wxl1LaUyJE_uzkSwWZ5nMoX7n0gYAvlc0fGfTjepqBK9PQG1k5UdWAuvHvqbi6dKvCnqxHFclB196pvVT24/s400/angkor+monsters6.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5433165865368086066" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmhbjWwdkUisVPWun4tDuEariEYiizG2-1SWUeuJ5d2a2m04b8obU2a4mov-c2JB01uRuKtToc25ikvOMjiLJEtMVPxlMP6vDD-yETYjn1aM8U4L1pWVgjy4WvvCfxnAOUU6GSsCTt_9k/s1600-h/angkor+monsters5.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 268px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmhbjWwdkUisVPWun4tDuEariEYiizG2-1SWUeuJ5d2a2m04b8obU2a4mov-c2JB01uRuKtToc25ikvOMjiLJEtMVPxlMP6vDD-yETYjn1aM8U4L1pWVgjy4WvvCfxnAOUU6GSsCTt_9k/s400/angkor+monsters5.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5433165861751877778" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSz2MAT1iI_ZymdTR46UaTEKsMOOqmxhNtCaqVMZQREi-DQj1IadXeSXJPwGOcWxggkqmQK2C39gF8QCYs7PxlmorbxEpa40RKH7HvEMPgy1ra1HJETn0DvTyqj9E0E_xL8KwtGR65xQg/s1600-h/angkor+monsters4.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSz2MAT1iI_ZymdTR46UaTEKsMOOqmxhNtCaqVMZQREi-DQj1IadXeSXJPwGOcWxggkqmQK2C39gF8QCYs7PxlmorbxEpa40RKH7HvEMPgy1ra1HJETn0DvTyqj9E0E_xL8KwtGR65xQg/s400/angkor+monsters4.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5433165854364323618" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1UdwYKCjFD6jTRt2zEi6YvgIhFL11YTq_H8__M408CMkEBPGDbdJ3xxQrS5N2dFqgX8KtbD96FbxS_oLdN9nu7vm1lZQvLnN216nWswCXedVTAjyydhU0Zju7A5VsV8LPo1zWnF8IToA/s1600-h/angkor+monsters.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1UdwYKCjFD6jTRt2zEi6YvgIhFL11YTq_H8__M408CMkEBPGDbdJ3xxQrS5N2dFqgX8KtbD96FbxS_oLdN9nu7vm1lZQvLnN216nWswCXedVTAjyydhU0Zju7A5VsV8LPo1zWnF8IToA/s400/angkor+monsters.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5433165834851594402" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsCuhHc_lxRhyFxblAxslhWVINe-3sXWdHYGAcrG1OFYuggFe4q-QMWrnpCZX-DLmkmlnEyAoUHV7N92Jax0NrKGMIeTu4wv9dq3D9hJL38ZVs2j3KoMaSHbWprwKcIjuoLR5Bl5TwdGE/s1600-h/angkormonsters2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsCuhHc_lxRhyFxblAxslhWVINe-3sXWdHYGAcrG1OFYuggFe4q-QMWrnpCZX-DLmkmlnEyAoUHV7N92Jax0NrKGMIeTu4wv9dq3D9hJL38ZVs2j3KoMaSHbWprwKcIjuoLR5Bl5TwdGE/s400/angkormonsters2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5433167420499313458" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX4tGHoXAyB6F-XBAjT7QAxwmoqq3tLQ2pRszf4-1wlzxVOk9F5LczFLlo1Lp8U8_fcKdD3OBfEvvtrSVlcZRSyP-O2Js8FWcWVHHRSr58XTXe8mrOeN1mD62x5V15D5xvLRdyh1mYAbI/s1600-h/angkormonsters.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX4tGHoXAyB6F-XBAjT7QAxwmoqq3tLQ2pRszf4-1wlzxVOk9F5LczFLlo1Lp8U8_fcKdD3OBfEvvtrSVlcZRSyP-O2Js8FWcWVHHRSr58XTXe8mrOeN1mD62x5V15D5xvLRdyh1mYAbI/s400/angkormonsters.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5433167417765762178" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">This one is my favourite:<br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpilp1Vmc6bP_Pdt518yiRUIEmG46w6rAAxju2CO9un6WzIgICYa2CzdPZJVs7ijC7AbTMjwrZKLiQvv4NS_1BKJ_OFJjF6RziQDN7c8g6Ha1VDsIkLuOgJYOW0jkgaU9lVvj3-kr6OO8/s1600-h/angkor+monsters3.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 268px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpilp1Vmc6bP_Pdt518yiRUIEmG46w6rAAxju2CO9un6WzIgICYa2CzdPZJVs7ijC7AbTMjwrZKLiQvv4NS_1BKJ_OFJjF6RziQDN7c8g6Ha1VDsIkLuOgJYOW0jkgaU9lVvj3-kr6OO8/s400/angkor+monsters3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5433167403241778610" border="0" /></a>Monika Nowaczykhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02413455368950915096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3097747962784730928.post-623295903710667312010-01-31T16:06:00.003+07:002010-02-01T08:55:59.070+07:00A look back...<span style="font-family:verdana;">So, sales have not been good at all, almost completely because of the poor advertising of the fair, bringing in next to no tourists to the site. There are several things I could complain about, but won't right now. It was not only us who suffered these past five days, but just about every other organization that shelled out the high rates for the booths. I think most of us will be lucky to break even and many booths have already closed up.<br /><br />More on that later. For now, a picture that is an amazing 'fail'. All around Cambodia (and must of Asia) personal vanity is looked upon favourably. All youngsters who can afford it, get dressed up in their funkiest, coolest gear, get all made up, go wild with their hair and subject themselves to hours in front of a camera at the local photo studio to get hot, funky photos of themselves. They pose. They posture. They make love to the camera. The poses are stereotypical. The make-up is extreme. The hair is just fabulous.<br /><br />After the photo shoot, the best pictures are chosen and photo-shopped for hours. Bodies are cut out and backdrops range from fashion week at Milan to Hello Kitty parlour scenes. To make the photos even cooler, sometimes random phrases in English are added. Unfortunately, no one checks that these make any sense or contain any obscenities. It doesn't matter. Cool doesn't need spell-grammar check.<br /><br />Samples of the photos are usually hung around the photo shop to entice new customers. The results are often amusing for those in the know of the English language.... have a look:<br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVe8T0dgBym_OXnI-8i4ageg-5UA4NzYa34lHNSpqIa14bDSFCUu3nlBc1JFQHo2JHlN7qm-JHknlusDxbIrXKh-Drl7P8Z1NFxAQ92_MqXY3JoiTIr9xorfg6I_YTpiUg5WBeo0Tt1Cg/s1600-h/genitals.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVe8T0dgBym_OXnI-8i4ageg-5UA4NzYa34lHNSpqIa14bDSFCUu3nlBc1JFQHo2JHlN7qm-JHknlusDxbIrXKh-Drl7P8Z1NFxAQ92_MqXY3JoiTIr9xorfg6I_YTpiUg5WBeo0Tt1Cg/s400/genitals.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5432830956346082658" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br />After discussing this with Yeng, it seems that spell check might be to blame. He thinks they might have been going for 'gentle' and ended up with 'genitals' instead...<br /></span>Monika Nowaczykhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02413455368950915096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3097747962784730928.post-64318415342450365762010-01-25T13:34:00.003+07:002010-01-25T13:39:07.667+07:00Getting ready for Siem Reap<span style="font-family:verdana;">Things are completely out of control busy right now. Writing this short blog post will be my 'down time' for today...<br /><br />My amazing friend, regular partner in crime and artist extraordinaire designed this banner for us. She is also the mind behind the logo which is plain and simple, wonderful. For those of you not in-the-know, the hands are in the position of an Apsara dancers hands. More are this in the future when there is more time. For now, admire our banner:<br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJsZsD-C4gqbePK9vE-CXyU_E4YRM8y5_rGnShvm2BS1QXKWNo_r7goSuo0fRUIzxTFK-QiZUbJVDPO-Gd2krU84Np94or0iUP0dpjYbbZIiVehGmZfe5ASAamUSVJLg7qojOnGKfE_k0/s1600-h/banner.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 268px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJsZsD-C4gqbePK9vE-CXyU_E4YRM8y5_rGnShvm2BS1QXKWNo_r7goSuo0fRUIzxTFK-QiZUbJVDPO-Gd2krU84Np94or0iUP0dpjYbbZIiVehGmZfe5ASAamUSVJLg7qojOnGKfE_k0/s400/banner.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5430562970896701698" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">I hope to have some time in the evenings to post photos from the craft fair. Our very cheap (7USD a night) hotel has free Internet so I hope I'll have enough energy to keep in touch....<br /><br /></span>Monika Nowaczykhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02413455368950915096noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3097747962784730928.post-20917975471757108562010-01-22T14:41:00.003+07:002010-01-22T15:01:00.561+07:00Photo Shoot<span style="font-family:verdana;">Yesterday, friend and supporter of Cambodia Knits, the wonderful and talented Ali Sanderson, came by the workshop to take product shots and photos of CK staff in action. We both expected it would only take a couple hours, but she ended up staying with us the whole day and handing over several GBs of data at the end! We had a quick look at the photos and there are some beautiful shots, including one of all the staff in the workroom, fingers full of finger puppets. They need some editing so I'll post them in the coming days once I go through them but here's one photo of Ms. Sanderson in action:<br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8s1VtQrCSPncF4SN-SG3NitmOXyM1DXjDdHoJMhXUbDdOrY9speuxqCUMCeD3kO-4dxgc3ZI-vdW9FxLKRap1DubBBrQqwlq-YalAjZWN-P9clntK9RM_PQ2-mzP60IaX8GuDEMDodkM/s1600-h/ali+action+shot.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8s1VtQrCSPncF4SN-SG3NitmOXyM1DXjDdHoJMhXUbDdOrY9speuxqCUMCeD3kO-4dxgc3ZI-vdW9FxLKRap1DubBBrQqwlq-YalAjZWN-P9clntK9RM_PQ2-mzP60IaX8GuDEMDodkM/s400/ali+action+shot.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5429467305424792050" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">Ali has been working with Alexandra Cousteau (yes, the granddaughter of Jacques) over the past year to highlight water issues around the world. As a member of the <a href="http://www.goodmorningbeautifulfilms.com/">good morning beautiful films</a> crew, Ali traveled last year to places like Botswana, Israel, India and the US to document critical water stories and to bring attention to the issue. More about <a href="http://www.alexandracousteau.org/ali-sanderson">Ali</a> and the <a href="http://www.alexandracousteau.org/expedition-blue-planet">expedition</a> if you follow the links.<br /></span>Monika Nowaczykhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02413455368950915096noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3097747962784730928.post-7976794720276495662010-01-20T12:57:00.003+07:002010-01-20T13:27:39.829+07:00The workroom is full<span style="font-family:verdana;">Only a few more days until the the Artisan's Association of Cambodia (AAC) sponsored Craft Fair in Siem Reap. Vyrak and Koun are working with us for the week to make sure we have enough products to display in our booth. Koun has recently bought a moto, which is fantastic because it not only means it's easier for him and Vyrak to come to PP, but because it means he's earning enough to be able to get a moto! What could be a better indication of our success than that? However, Koun is among the knitters who caught on really quickly and who knits incredible amounts each week. There are others who are not as fast and are not earning as much as he is. He also works with his wife and together they make quite the production team. Once we get into more shops, especially in Siem Reap, we'll need to revisit our piece rates and consider other ways to ensure everyone is earning a livable wage.<br /><br />Back to the sale. It will be held outside the Angkor National Museum on the road to Angkor Wat. We'll have a small booth among 70 others representing other craft producers and artisans from around Cambodia. The organizers are expecting about 10 000 visitors to the fair over the 5 days it is running. Our super designer is working on posters and banners and ideas for making our booth irresistible and we're just planning the logistics of getting there, setting up and spending a week in SR. I've promised staff enough time off to go visit the temples, so I hope there is enough down time during each day for them to do that.<br /><br />Here are some earless pigs being prepared for next week. They look silly without their ears...<br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxIVidfer02ca-RCuOLtBc7VkQcagIRMG0zit3XgwvvpG7iwdB591CGd9sajAJhgkrqlr6D9xqlcv87Te16Qk4_vjqStvp9_gafj8azXN6U3kin_wqkQJS-1c3idqBJEu0Ayew11MC280/s1600-h/earless+pigs.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxIVidfer02ca-RCuOLtBc7VkQcagIRMG0zit3XgwvvpG7iwdB591CGd9sajAJhgkrqlr6D9xqlcv87Te16Qk4_vjqStvp9_gafj8azXN6U3kin_wqkQJS-1c3idqBJEu0Ayew11MC280/s400/earless+pigs.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5428704767862807410" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /><br /><br /><br /></span>Monika Nowaczykhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02413455368950915096noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3097747962784730928.post-86061687959693453872010-01-15T08:01:00.006+07:002010-01-15T08:39:13.655+07:00Knitting Advice on Stripes Needed<span style="font-family:verdana;">So we're starting a new and very wonderful pattern from Danger Studios, a stripey monster with a baby monster, <a href="http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=38522432">Daphne and Delilah</a>. We've done some stripey things in the past and had a lot of problems getting it right. I studied the tutorial on how to stripe at <a href="http://techknitting.blogspot.com/2007/01/jogless-stripes.html">Tech Knitting</a> (which is excellent and if you knit, it's really helpful) and explained it carefully to the knitters. They always take what I've taught them and within a few hours, do it better than I could ever hope to do it myself. Except for the stripes. I have no idea what we're/they're doing wrong or how to correct this.<br /><br />So I'm posting some photos here of what they've knit so far. If you're a knitter and can offer any advice on how to improve what you see below, fire away.</span><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4PgpEC60Ulr6qBsjo9Uz6y0EuLRwlQlN9jaIp8xcJKCCy0GzoUdTKKS53cb5oslZI4LHkBTwzb8ZgHroDA7Aj2SYLK5OVLPPCPGcagokXno1bvB0RY729gZPFgWmt1hdDW1sU59x8e7w/s1600-h/stripes3.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4PgpEC60Ulr6qBsjo9Uz6y0EuLRwlQlN9jaIp8xcJKCCy0GzoUdTKKS53cb5oslZI4LHkBTwzb8ZgHroDA7Aj2SYLK5OVLPPCPGcagokXno1bvB0RY729gZPFgWmt1hdDW1sU59x8e7w/s400/stripes3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5426772527503136386" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEJW2Bo7p8u3NzT1KfbrukATbgAc_CdSY6DN8i1swPF1JbncQa78brBGXBtYJWurgg1-mSEL8HITqU78aHQ7HekWxfsgYpY5S9j7QRfib30WUo2c54jov-gHQNBLyn7CS0YDSGUD0hQNg/s1600-h/stripes2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEJW2Bo7p8u3NzT1KfbrukATbgAc_CdSY6DN8i1swPF1JbncQa78brBGXBtYJWurgg1-mSEL8HITqU78aHQ7HekWxfsgYpY5S9j7QRfib30WUo2c54jov-gHQNBLyn7CS0YDSGUD0hQNg/s400/stripes2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5426771330197456130" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">The one above is Tyna and I think it's a jog, plain and simple. </span><br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUQGJlJXCEltFWIvVAVRbUV12PXXprVB1I4MKwFWXr_I5jPZgrZRQFMn3bwpHm4XnjodX5Jc7ThD9-Z3TQl8zLrnIskNSZgXZUF_Vq7mzw6c6bh6Lv18MAd7aeST7tV2z9gnn0fXfzrkA/s1600-h/stripes1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUQGJlJXCEltFWIvVAVRbUV12PXXprVB1I4MKwFWXr_I5jPZgrZRQFMn3bwpHm4XnjodX5Jc7ThD9-Z3TQl8zLrnIskNSZgXZUF_Vq7mzw6c6bh6Lv18MAd7aeST7tV2z9gnn0fXfzrkA/s400/stripes1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5426770114277341954" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /></span>Monika Nowaczykhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02413455368950915096noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3097747962784730928.post-13070455669660244212010-01-14T07:27:00.004+07:002010-01-14T09:02:48.378+07:00Haiti<span style="font-family: verdana;">As you know, Haiti has been hit by the biggest earthquake in 2 centuries and thousands are feared dead. The living have the immense task of rebuilding after the devastation. And many of us are thinking of ways to help. After the tsunami in 2004, millions of dollars were raised and sent to affected areas, only to be found to have been wasted. When Nargis hit Burma last year, many of my friends were asking, 'who do we support? How can we be sure donations aren't wasted, that they get to the people in need?' These are difficult questions to answer.<br /><br />In times of emergency, aid is more likely than usual to be diverted away from the people who really need it. Food, medicines, supplies need to be distributed fast and this prevents necessary checks being put in place to ensure support is going to those who need it most. Haiti scores lowest in the annual Corruption Perception Index released each year by Transparency International. This will make it even harder to aid agencies to do their work on the ground without the risk of diversion by the powerful. It's an unfortunate reality. <br /><br />This does not mean that we shouldn't give Haiti as much support as possible. It just means that you should do your research when giving. Give to organizations that are already established and have a history of operating transparently and effectively in-country. These organizations and their people on the ground have already built relationships and know their way around. They can quickly establish fair channels of distribution and get your donations to where they need to go most.<br /><br />Personally, I would avoid giving to any UN agency. That's a personal bias, based on my experiences in Cambodia and from anecdotes from elsewhere. UN agencies are large, bureaucratic, slow and already very well funded. They don't need small donations. I'd try to find a locally founded and based organization that focuses on the country, is run by locals but with sustained outside support. One such organization in Haiti is the <a href="http://www.restavekfreedom.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=cms.home">Restavek Foundation</a>. They are already in place, working directly with schools that they have been working with for years, ready to get assistance to those in need. Go <a href="http://www.restavekfreedom.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=cms.page&id=1061">here</a> to read more about their post-quake situation.<br /><br />The other organization I would donat<span style="font-family: verdana;">e to in any emergency situation is </span>Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF). If anyone knows how to get help to people in emergencies, it's them. They already have clinics set up in Haiti and like Restavek are able to distribute aid through already established channels. <br /><br />From the early reports it looks like Haiti is going to need a lot of support, immediately and in the coming months. Give what you can, but give where it will help the most. <br /></span>Monika Nowaczykhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02413455368950915096noreply@blogger.com0