Glenn's Underground Cabin Update

[ben2go]

That's awesome. 

[glenn kangiser]

Thanks Ben.  I think we will take a half day at Angkor Wat as it is in the area.  Should be a blast. 

[ben2go]

You're  .

[glenn kangiser]

Time to get a winter garden growing... I may not be here all of the time to enjoy it, but hey... free food.  Let it grow.



Yes... I have a rototiller but this ground is getting built up enough that I can dig it with a shovel and besides... too fat... need the exercise... [ouch]

Troublemakers...


Got a call from the sheriffs animal control department... seems these two like to go visiting the neighbors down the hill....




Time for the little steer to go to somebodies freezer I think.  Guess I will talk to the neighbor.  The steer is a Houdini... walks through fences like they are invisible... teaching little sister... they always come back but can't have them causing trouble while I am away.... 

[Redoverfarm]

Time for a reality check Glenn.  Take about 5 minutes and walk through the meat section of your local market.  Talking about sticker shock.   Never thought I would see any beef product that wasn't served in a restaurant for more than $9 a pound.   If you don't have room for it all in your freezer then consider selling 1/2 off and keep a half.  Cattle prices are almost double what they were two years ago. 

[glenn kangiser]

Well, John, they all got out again led by the little steer of course.  Just ripped the old gate in half at the bottom of the hill worse this time.  The sheriff called me in Tehachapi at work 4 hours away and warned me of $350 per head fine plus recovery costs if I didn't get them myself... I got in touch with the lady who wanted them moved and told her I would be there in the morning.. they were ok for now.  I made the 4 hour drive home that night...   

They were nearly in the highway if not alongside of it.

I had to buy $75 worth of alfalfa and grain to chum them up the hill after a day of chasing them..... Whitlock helped me much of the day chasing and tracking them over hundreds of acres of brush and gullies... .. the nice lady, Crystal whose yard they were in helped several times tracking them to the highway and calling -texting their location.....Will the other 10 or more yard owners be so nice?

I called the butcher for the steer then thought about my trip to Cambodia and the Sheriff's warning that it was $1400 fine plus recovery costs... a team of cowboys and how many damaged yards and landscaping?   [bbq]

The butcher said how many are we doing ... 1 or 4?.... Hmmmmm let me think... maybe $6000 or more if they get out while I am gone...Or... everything I have for the rest of my life if one gets hit by a car and someone is injured or dies...... I think I will take the $1.80 per lb. on the hoof for grass fed beef.... [deadhorse]



I had about 8 tons of hay and grass is growing... but ... not good enough for Houdini.. He can melt through fences and is teaching the rest also.... no time or money to rebuild a mile and a half of fence....wouldn't stop him anyway unless it was solid no climb

[Windpower]

Well that didn't sound like too much fun

Hope you have a big freezer for all that great beef

I may re-think my plans for a beef operation next year

[glenn kangiser]

Yeah.. if I was going to be here all of the time it could be something else too... but -- all year almost, gone working away and planning to spend time in Asia doing a bit of teaching low cost home building for the poor people and sharing other skills in Myanmar so no time for bad behaving cows. 

Too much liability if I'm not nearby. [ouch]

[glenn kangiser]

Butcher arrived....  got the worst trouble maker... the steer.  [bbq]

The rest of the cows took a look... noted something else was about to happen and said we're outa here.

The oldest heifer jumped the fence first then the rest followed suit.  Hopefully they got the idea.  I fixed the fence below.  The young heifer was out again later but maybe they won't tear sown the fence again this time.  We will see....


[deadhorse]

Oh yeah... working Tehachapi Hospital again and got a bunch of extra work just as I was about to leave....repairing the union welder's welds.... yes... unions even protect the bad welders...

[glenn kangiser]

Had a wonderful trip to Cambodia and side trip to Thailand.  Got to spend time with the kids that call me dad... yes ... only adopted dad but they treat me like a real dad.

I love the power poles in these countries... The birdsnest of wire is mostly telephone lines I think but interesting to say the least...




Wonderful food of every kind... Care for Quail?





Or maybe Eggs...





Looks so delicious there in the steamer basket...

I was thinking about having one...

Until I was told it had a unhatched baby duck in it... timed perfectly and ready to eat just before it was able to get out...

I forgot to eat any of these before I came back home... maybe next time.... 

[Windpower]

Welcome back

I hope you are better at getting rid of jet lag than I am

When we were in Taiwan there were unusual foods -- duck tongues and boiled pork blood were a couple I did not try

 

[glenn kangiser]

Thanks, Windpower.

I  had the Jet lag a bit figured out on the way back so tried to sleep the normal night sitting up in the economy seat on AA..... yeah right... but I'm doing fair.  [ouch]

There were a lot of things I had not eaten before that were excellent and lots that were good.  Not really anything I didn't like.  I have become much better at eating spicy foods.

Lots of these guys hanging around.. seems to be something they really like....




How about entire bouquets of flowers made out of corn husks?  Sayorn is a pro at that.  I was showing them to a guy at the restaurant one night when he was talking to me and it turned out he was the hospital administrator in town.  He wanted to buy them for the hospital... so I got the information to the kids the next morning..... maybe something will come of it.

 

[rick91351]

Welcome back

I hope you are better at getting rid of jet lag than I am

When we were in Taiwan there were unusual foods -- duck tongues and boiled pork blood were a couple I did not try

 

To me coming back from that direction is the worst.  I am like in a walking comma for days.  They never in San Francisco are able to tell you the truth where your departure will be from until its time to grab everything and run two concourses away to the one they originally scheduled you to.  Just a couple of many issues I have......

By the way Glenn welcome home.....   

[glenn kangiser]

Thanks, Rick.... yes.. getting that day back really throws a monkey wrench into the works.

Last year I helped my extended family kids, (pastor and wife) get sewing machines to teach ladies to sew.  They live in remote areas and if they learn a trade they can support themselves.

This lady at the sewing machine passed her classes with flying colors and is back this year to help teach others to sew. She has since taken out a loan to buy her own machines and sew in her village.  As a reward I gave her a bonus.... a bit of cash to buy material so she can make a profit off of selling the material in her village too.  At this time all she can charge for is the labor.  She has to let her customers go to town to buy their own material so that is a hardship for them too.  She put out the effort to help herself... I would just like to help her to be successful...

[Gary O]

Well, looky here

wunner if he's got a list

[glenn kangiser]

He's already been very busy... He rented a house for some Cambodia kids to stay in so they wouldn't have to drop out of school. He got another sewing machine 







and 300 kilos of material for the sewing ladies as well as help fix a car and a motorcycle for ones who could not afford it.  he helped send a poor boy to mechanic school.  



(The kids had to go to Phnom  Penh about 10 or 12 hours away to get this material and machine and bring it back to help the poor.  They always do more than their share if I just give them a little boost to get up out of the hole... They have been self sustaining after my initial help for the most part.  They survive on about a $100 to 150 dollar per month stipend to support their family as well as their charity work and overseeing 4 to 6 remote churches.)

He taught the pastor how to do electric wiring, and he designed a leach field for the school sewer which they can get volunteers to build in the near future I hope. It had a very large tank under the restroom area but no leach field so it was constantly refilling and having to be pumped out.

He helped another person in the third poorest country in the world to expand their business and helped another one to be able to take a different job... Make that two of them. Yes yes yes he's been busy but he doesn't want recognition for it.

He would just like to see others do the same. Don't waste your money giving to US charities that steal 80% of it.. Find other ways to do it directly and get a hundred percent of your charity money to go to work where its beneficial. Not for ones who already have too much.  If you don't want to do it overseas like I do then you can find plenty of ones here in the US that need help too.

Love  is something you can give away and never run out. You always get more back in return.   While there I felt I was as much a part of the family as if they were my own immediate family.

...... Of course we have to look out after ourselves first... But once we have our daily bread, it doesn't hurt to share a little. There's more where that came from. Seems like the more I help, the more help I get

February or so he plans to go to Myanmar and see what he can do about exchanging information on water wells with the drillers there.

[ben2go]

That

is


AWESOME!

[Gary O]

S-o-o-o-o-o, that's it?

OK, serious.

Yer not Santy

Yer ....yer....an angel.

An Envoi

An Ambassador

a one man peace corps



Merry Christmas to you, sir.

[rick91351]

Yeppers - I have been there - well not there - but there.  So strange how a few to a lot of US dollars can change lives over there and give hope. 

Sad some ministries their administrative costs get away from them.  Their travel budgets get stupid.  They carry to many brother in laws on staff.  I would encourage anyone that wants to donate money to these overseas missions check them out.  Do not listen to them find out what it is costing them to operate and where that money is coming from and where it is going.  There are other ways to find out.   

I know one very well. I have worked with it over the years - have traveled with them - zero administration and travel cost charged off to the ministry.  Ellen has worked in the office and had to account for every dollar that came in for pastoral aid and help. Everything above board.  So they are all not the same. Not all are rip offs.

Heck I'll put a plug in for Glenn - He might not have a 501 C3 right now and you might not be able to deduct donations from you taxes.  But you would be pretty safe sending him a check now and then to help pay rent over there or help buy another sewing machine.  Help pay for a well or a pump. Help sponsor a sewing schooling or a student!           

[glenn kangiser]

You got it, Rick... we can't lump the good ones in with the bad ones.  For sure check them out.  Things change also.  Some that used to be good are not so good anymore... a major name I am thinking of here.... CEO greed?  Anyway, I also check them out.. just gave a bit to the Food Bank as it looks decent after I checked out use of their donations. 

Thanks so much, Ben and Gary.... but I'm nothing special.  Just reaping the rewards of appreciation from helping those willing to help themselves.  If I give them things, it will be gone right away but by supporting this pastor's family a little, I have someone I can trust to take what I give them and use it to teach others a self-sustaining trade. 

I have also worked with the teachers there a bit as they go out to help the poor on the weekends on their own time.  Generally a few of them and even the principal go out into the rural area to see what they can do to do the most help with $100 or so that I send via Western Union.  I handle all money transfers that way unless I go in person.  Last year I worked with Chantha Mao for 3 months -- he worked -- I sent a bit of cash, then when done he sent me a report.  I don't advertise these ... just show them to interested friends sometimes.  I am currently working with the new principal at the school and will see what he and the old principal work out with the $100 I left them this time.  They know the needs so I prefer to give them free reign and just sit back and see what happens.




...and another time....





To be successful at this you need to find trusted people on the other end.  I did it through international college students and building off of Facebook networking with their friends who contacted me.  Some people say that Facebook friends are not real friends if you haven't met them in real life.  I am willing to dispute that 100%.  In all cases it was as if we had known each other for many years.  Yes... there are scammers out there but you can get a feel for that.  I'll take my chances and the rewards. 

[glenn kangiser]

Yes Rick.. 501C3 as far as I can tell is just for things that benefit US charities whether legitimate or ripoff.  I prefer to give my way even without the write off.

To me benefiting a large corner of Cambodia is better than buying a new basketball hoop for the men's sports activity complex at the local church.  [ouch]

[glenn kangiser]

Injustices.....

Since I have been helping the group here for over a year my adopted family wanted me to go out and meet some of the church members in the remote villages... or nearly not even a village.  Rural land with the occasional few houses spread out in the middle of it.

This old fellow was a loyal church member living in this shed for a house. While he was gone his neighbors likely came by and burned his house down.  While there are a lot of Buddhists here, Vannak (adopted pastor son) said this may have even been people without any religion....



Sasiwan (Thai girl) was checking out his bruises and caring for him.  I helped her to repair her car but told her it was a gift so just help Vannak to help others... pay it forward some say.  She is already that way and though she speaks little Cambodian and no English, she is dedicated to helping her community.  She has her own fertilizer business and gave me a liter of her product to bring back - a foliar feeding organic product.  She is currently experimenting with a chicken raising project to help the poor to have a small self supporting business.  She says she just wants to help others to have work.  In about 6 weeks they can sell the chickens developing themselves a small income stream.





We went by to visit him and hopefully cheer him up a little.  His daughter was stolen and violated by a rich man with police and court contacts and influence.  The resulting child was sent off to an orphanage as the daughter couldn't afford to raise the child.  His wife strongly protested against the government action or inaction you could say so she was sent off to prison. 

He lives here by himself in this makeshift shelter though the other houses around are not a great improvement.  It gets cold sometimes when the wind blows and it rains so Vannak  took his money and bought the man a woven bamboo mat to wrap around the house to cut the wind.  The church members have very little but they want to help him so they collected almost enough money to have a house raising for him and they will donate their labor to help him.



They got some of the Eucalyptus trees from a failed Thai tree farming experiment milled for boards to build his house framing out of.  The soil here is sandy silt so not much use for cob.

They prayed for and with him that day and later and he has fully recovered from his illness.  He had bruises in many places on his body similar to what I have seen on leukemia victims though I don't know what his actual illness was.  I just think it would be very miserable to live in this shelter alone and be sick.

The man educates the village children for free teaching them reading and writing.... literacy skills Vannak describes it as, and whatever he can.  It is a 2 kilometer walk to drinking water.  Here is hoping things improve for him but with my adopted family looking out for him I know he is in good hands. 



The kids were a bit shy at first but taking a picture then showing it to them on the camera screen usually gets their interest enough for more and better pictures.   




After I got back a friend told me there were sometimes unexploded mines buried in these rural areas... ummmmm ...hey... thanks for the warning...

[ben2go]

  They get to see first hand who is providing a helpful hand for them instead of a corporate representative. 

[glenn kangiser]

I told Vannak to be sure the people understood that I am nobody special... just someone who can earn a little more and is willing to share with them.



Nice to have an inside connection I can trust to be sure what I give is used as I intend it to be. 





Yes... this is the house that supplies shelter in all sorts of weather.... rain, storm or sunshine...

Vannak says.... these country people... they see an American and all they want to do is touch... Auntie gave me a little shoulder massage as I was sitting there for the picture.... such sweet people. 



As the real people in other countries I have been in.... No George... they don't hate us for our freedom.   

[glenn kangiser]

Last month I was able to contribute to a friends efforts in Myanmar, (my adopted home country) as she returned home to visit her relatives and help the poor children from her village.  This was her first trip home in years, and now, after her wonderful experience,  she wants to get a better job to be able to help the children more.

I am going back to Myanmar next month to visit my friend, U Myo Aung Kyaw, and continue looking at improving water conditions by sharing well drilling techniques and doing something about low cost housing for farm workers.... the poorest people in the country and among the hardest working. 

Here are a few pictures from Thae Thae's visit to her village as she took the simplest of Christmas gifts to the children... things we take for granted but these kids were so excited they nearly broke down the foot bridge.....




Thae Thae said, "While the adults were listening to the sermon, the children started to queue for Christmas presents. Unlike the adults, the children were informed that they will be given presents. There was a queue starting from 9:00 a.m and the had to be told to go home and come back at 11.00 a.m. Despite this there queue started way ahead of the scheduled time."




Her comment ....  "Once the children were given the "green light" to come to a holding area, they rushed over. There was a lot of dust but fortunately no one was hurt. I was worried that the wooden bridge will collapse as it started creaking. Thankfully my fears were unfounded."




....  Distribution of presents. There were about 300 children. Sweets, exercise books, erasers, pens, pencils and slippers were distributed according to the age and needs basis.


She thanked me for my portion of the contribution to make this possible as well as God for his providence....



She invited me to come along if she can do it again, and I can fit it into my schedule for next year..... I think it would be great as her home town is also the hometown of my friend, U Myo.  We will see......If I can't make it I am resolved to sending her a donation again anyway.....   


Interesting to think... about 4 years ago these pictures would not have been possible.... the military had the country pretty well closed to the outside world.

This is another example of a place I can give to, and my gift is used 100% for the intended cause. 

I got a call the other day from an "American Veterans support group"... he said.  By the time I finished interrogating him about how they used the money, he hung up on me.... He did say they took no less than 10% of the donation.  When I asked him if that meant they would take up to 100% he would no longer answer me truthfully... just told me more about who they were affiliated with.... NO THANKS man... I'll continue to do it my way...