My shrine really works

About three weeks ago, a friend sent me an e-mail saying she was having trouble finding a job. I wrote back saying that I would put a special offering in my shrine and light incense on her behalf. Last week, she sent me an e-mail saying "your shrine really works!" She had been offered a job.

Yesterday I took a local taxi to Phnom Penh for a meeting, a three-hour trip on a narrow two-lane highway, with bicycles and motos along the edge mixed with a lot of very large trucks. On the way down the driver drove a little faster than the usual Cambodia speed. He also made several questionable maneuvers, passing on curves and when he could not see if the road was clear ahead, and not shifting down to pass so it took a long time to pass.

On the way back he crossed the line between Cambodian crazy and truly insane. There was heavy rain with a lot of water on the road, and severely reduced visibility. He was driving way too fast for such conditions.

In a blinding downpour, the driver pulled out into the oncoming lane to pass a long line of cars, although he could not see to the end of the line. While attempting to pass, he received a call on his mobile phone and looked down at the number on the phone, then took the call. As soon as we cleared the line of cars and were back on the right side of the road, I told him to either slow down, or pull over and let me out. That slowed him down for a little while, but as soon as we made it through the rain, he resumed his fast pace.

As soon as I arrived home, I made an offering to my shrine and thanked if for its efforts.

Yesterday my shrine saved my life—again.

I was about 300 meters from work and had just started maneuvering to make a left hand turn. Whoosh--a moto raced by me on the left; I could feel the breeze as he went by. Another meter into the turn, and I would have been in a very bad accident. It is my fault, I was making a left hand turn from the right hand lane, no one does that in Cambodia.

I will made an extra offering to my shrine.