Patchwork Services • Victoria • BC • Canada

Life At Work

  • 23 years with BCTel originally as outside plant construction. (this is their terminology for ‘Cable Splicing’) before moving inside into network monitoring.
  • Patchwork Services began as a consultant vehicle for home and small office computer services. Training, trouble shooting and website development.
  • Originally all webwork was html coding with Dreamweaver. With the growth of mobile accessibility to the internet, WordPress quickly became the logical solution.

Life After Work

Upon my retirement in the winter of 2003, my wife and I embarked on a journey through Southeast Asia, marking the alternate phase of our life, distinct from our life in Victoria, Canada. We had been engaging in this annual migration for approximately three decades, assuming the role of snowbirds with a unique perspective.

During our stay in Cambodia, we endeavored to identify an opportunity for volunteering that would leverage our combined experience in the telecommunications industry. However, we encountered a series of obstacles. The historical challenges involving inappropriate access to young Cambodians by certain individuals had made non-governmental organizations (NGOs) increasingly cautious about the intentions of some expatriates. Consequently, the vetting process became protracted, laden with bureaucratic hurdles, and most opportunities required a minimum commitment of six months, which further complicated our aspirations.

Recognizing the potential for contributing positively, we conceived the idea of constructing no-cost websites for struggling entrepreneurs. Since then, we have continually sought out new opportunities each winter, enabling us to give back and pay it forward. Small businesses across Asia have benefited from improved online visibility, considering that tourism plays a pivotal role in the regional economy, with modern travelers increasingly relying on the internet for making travel-related decisions. A well-crafted website conveys professionalism and trustworthiness, and our aim is to assist in this regard.

And so, here we are, committed to our mission.