09/30/2024
John-Paul Dau: A selfless comrade, wonderful father of four and husband and son. At age 46, much too young to depart. John-Paul Dau in his profession, which was gold exploration and management, was one of the best country managers I have seen on the ground (many Cambodia tours with J-P) -- for Angkor Gold. He showed me the distinct culture of SE Asia and took our family and our friends into his family's world in Ban Lung, in Phnom Penh City, Cambodia-- his wife and best friend Vee Wathana Sok, their four children and his mom, Susan Dau.
J-P's motorcycles, his friends, his easy going and seeking spirit (as in, eat anything, including grilled ants and scorpions Khmer style) -- his knowledge of the ground, the geography, the geology, the roads of the country, his favorite luscious and freshest roadside fruit and vegetable and lunch stands (mangoes!) -- gifted us so many fabulous memories.
In the six or so years of tours of the Cambodia gold sites, and of course visits to Siam Reap and along the Mekong Delta, and the weeks-long soccer camps he assembled for the Ban Lung school kids, J-P was a shining star.
Re the adventures, he knew how to book on his bikes, motorized and mountain, and the trucks that took us up to SE Cambodia and Ratanakiri Province's gold fields from Phnom Penh. Book, as in, in 2010 or so when I first toured with J-P and his team, the drive to Ban Lung from the city took about 7 hours. He whittled that down, safely, and never driving at night, to 5 or so hours (not counting roadside stops and points of interest along the way).
He evolved his swiftly expert driving style to suit any first-timers to Third World roads and customs. Ditto for cuisine, comfort, communication, hiking, trekking, temple visits -- you name it. He served the sangha, the community, just as all Zen practitioners do.
Many of his Cambodia colleagues in Ban Lung , this week some six months after J-P's departure from our world, including Ma Samath & Viseth Keo, considered our Alberta-bred lad their professor, their friend, the best 'boss' they ever had. Always missing you, man. xo xo Thom and Maura and Skylar and Gemma
