2019 JFK Cambodia Program

Oh, rats!

Written by: Payton, Dennis, and Angel

Today we visited APOPO which stands for Anti-Personnel Landmines Detection Product Development. When we arrived at the center, our tour guide Sambath informed us on the origin and impact of landmines in Cambodia. Decades of conflict and chaos between the four political parties caused the placement of landmines throughout the country, specifically along the Thai border. In addition, foreign bombing and civil war left many undetonated throughout the country.  In present day, these landmines continue to wound and take innocent lives. It took $3-7 to produce and plant each explosive but $300-1000 to remove each one. However, APOPO introduced African giant pouched rats into Cambodia 3 years ago, which can detect landmines with their sensitive sense of smell. This significantly lowered the price and time for mine removing. This method is more effective because sometimes mines can be made by plastics, which cannot be detected by metal detectors. The rats are more precise when it comes to locate mines, as it only takes the rat thirty minutes to clear a field that will require a metal detecting team four days to clear. To give us a demonstration, Sambath brought out the rat P. Derr and showed us how the rats are trained to help removing mines. At the end of the tour, we watched a video on the impact of landmines on farmers and the aftermath of their removal.  We were really impacted by the insane statistics about how many bombs are throughout the country.

We then started on our eight-hour bus ride back to Phnom Penh. On our way, we stopped for lunch, where three of us were surprised to be chased by a girl with a tarantula in her hand.  We learned from Yut that the place we stopped for lunch is a region well-known for farming crickets, tarantulas, and other critters, originally to use them for medicine.

After another three hours of bus ride, we arrived at the Star Wood Inn.  After for a few hours break, we took the bus to our final dinner in Cambodia at “Friends,” which helps empowering the youth by providing them with the opportunity to learn special skills in order to apply for jobs later. This was by far one of our favorite dinners—just to make your mouth water, we had duck spring rolls and tasty eggplant with pork. When we got back to the hotel we all met in the lobby for a reflection. Reflection was set up a little different this time. There were islands with questions or statements that we were to answer, reflecting on our time in Cambodia. Some were pretty easy to answer and others really challenged us, based upon our individual experience.  We all realized how close we have gotten to each other after hearing each other’s response and how much this trip has shaped our personalities and perspective on our lives.

Angkor Whatttttttttttttt?! 

Written by Ethan, Chloe, and Sandy

Today marks the earliest morning start since we have arrived in Cambodia. Everyone had to get ready and meet in the lobby at 4:45 a.m. We loaded up in the tuk-tuks for the ride to Angkor Wat which took about twenty minutes. We stopped a few times along the way to let the guards check our ticket and to make sure we were wearing appropriate clothes. Finally, we raced to the library of Angkor Wat to watch the sunrise. Watching as the sun peeked behind parts of the temple was truly astonishing. Words cannot capture the true beauty we witnessed (make sure to take a look at the pictures Mr. Davis took). Once the sun came up, the wildlife animals started their day. We saw monkeys rummaging through the trash cans for food, birds chirping and flying out of the temple, and a horse in the distance grazing on the grass. We then headed to breakfast at a small restaurant on the border of Angkor Wat and everyone was eager to get their first taste of caffeine for the day. Breakfast was very calming and we had the best view—we could all see the temple from where we were sitting.

After everybody was filled up and ready to continue, we started our tour by walking on the left side of the temple. The carvings began with the story of Rama Yana, who trying to save his captured wife from a demon with ten heads and a lot of arms (not sure about the exact amount). We then made our way to the center of the temple and we were able to get the blessing from a monk. During the blessing, the monk sprayed us with “holy” water and it was very refreshing. We then continued through the temple which depicted carvings of the king of Cambodia during the time it was built, around 1,000 years ago. It displayed him being fanned by many servants which symbolized how rich and important he was because the more servants a person had, the higher status they held. We also noticed carvings that showed the stories of Cambodia at war with other countries.

Inside the walls of Angkor Wat, we climbed the flights of stairs that led up to the tallest point of the temple which also marks the highest point in Siem Reap. The steps themselves were very steep so that someone going up them would have to climb pretty much “on all fours” so that their head was shown first because the Khmer believe the head is very sacred. At the top there were multiple Buddha statues where you could pray with burning incense sticks. When we looked out of the stone windows at the top we could see the surrounding green jungles and other temples for miles in the distance. We also saw the concourse, bridges, waterways, and libraries in the Angkor Wat courtyard where we watched the sunrise earlier in the morning. It was a truly jaw-dropping moment. The stairs going down were much more intimidating than the ones going up. To make sure one doesn’t fall, people would have to walk sideways to keep their balance and hold the railing.

From there we exited from the right side of the temple to get coconut water right from the coconut (as in we were given the fruit with a straw), and to have a bathroom break.  Afterward, as we left Angkor Wat, we passed by a family of monkeys who stared at us as we walked by—not sure who was more on display. We crossed the moat surrounding Angkor Wat on a floating bridge and got on our tuk-tuks to go to the next destination: Bayon Temple.

Bayon is known as the temple of all the heads. Even though it is much smaller than Angkor Wat, it’s still a really big temple. Once we entered it, we had to walk through a small maze before climbing a steep set of stairs to get to the top. When we got up there, our eyes were caught by the detailed carvings of the faces on the pillars. The faces represented the king of Cambodia during the transition from Hinduism to Buddhism and he wanted to be seen as god. There are a total of thirty-seven pillars but there used to be fifty-six pillars representing all the provinces of Cambodia. Yut said the Cambodian people believe the temple was still in construction and not finished yet.

Our third and final temple was Ta Prohm.  The temple is under construction right now to be repaired and restored after the four hundred years of being abandoned and hidden under the trees. The trees also started to weave themselves within the temple. During our time in Ta Prohm, VPlas, Harrington, Davis, and Devin “got lost” because they were cut off from us by other tourists so we had to “sticky-rice” with Yut. While we were with Yut, we got to see where the movie, Tomb Raider was filmed as well as see the carving of dinosaur. We also saw the giant trees with bee hives and they all have enormous roots. It was truly incredible to see. We then reunited with the other adults to head to lunch.

After lunch, we took a 6-hour break to take a nap, journal, swim, and relax. We then went to a vegetarian restaurant for dinner and took a tuk-tuk to the circus. The show started at 8:00 p.m. and it was performed by students who graduated from the circus school in Battambang that we had our lesson (Phare Ponleu Selpak). The performers needed to have at least 8-10 years of studying at the circus school to be able to perform in the circus in Siem Reap.

The show is called Khmer Metal and it represents the urban life of Cambodia. In order to tell the story, they performed different stunts such as flips and tricks. They would balance on each other, on other objects like barrels, chairs, table, etc. It is impossible to describe by words so again, check out the pictures taken by Mr. Davis. Through the performance, we could see how the young adults in Cambodia try to make a living by many various methods, even in a devious way. At the end of the show, everyone was sad that it ended and wanted it to continue. However, we were able to take pictures with the actors and talk to them which made up for the show ending.

While typing this, we are back at the hotel to pack for tomorrow to get ready for our long back to Phnom Penh. It is our last night in Siem Reap and tomorrow we get to see the life-saving rats of APOPO.

 Domestic, but Not Gentle 

Written by: Pearl and Lizzie

We started off our morning by traveling to the port of the Tonle Sap Lake, which is the largest lake in Cambodia. We boarded a medium-sized motor boat (disclaimer: a little scary due to the fact it was so close to the water). Once we were settled in and comfortable, the engine started rumbling and we were off, embarking on our two-hour journey to the floating village of Prek Toal. On the way, we spotted many different attractions – water buffalo, endless forests and vegetation, naked children playing in the murky water, and speed boats whipping by us. We took a minor pit stop to observe the first floating village we spotted in the distance. Our tour guide explained more about the way of life in a floating village and what to expect. About an hour or so later, we stopped once more to discuss the eco-system and how it benefits the residents. We talked about the different components of the environment – the fish, the birds, the snakes, and the people, all dependent upon one another.

As we grew closer to our end destination, we came to the discovery that all of our assumptions about the floating village were incorrect. We thought that there would at least some type of land connected or even close by to the houses, but we quickly noticed that the houses are isolated in the middle of the lake. We emerged from our first boat, to then crawl into little canoes navigated by women of the village. The women operated their boats in a seemingly chaotic, yet joyful manner; they were singing, talking and laughing, and sharing smiles with each other (even though we had no idea what they were saying, it was amazing to watch). They dropped us off at our first stop, which was the crocodile farm. We expected to see a couple of crocodiles, but to our surprise there were over one hundred in each one of the two enclosures. The woman who maintained the crocodiles explained why they keep them, and their intentions for the future. They raise the animals in order to make a profit off of the skin and meat. This is a way of sustainable living for the families, so it is important they take care of their crocodiles. They even had babies, which we were fortunate enough to hold. We adored the little two-year-old babies and got to cuddle up with them for some pictures (check that off of our bucket list!).

We boarded our little boats again and the women took us to lunch. After we ate, we went next door to visit the women who worked on weaving merchandise, such as baskets, hand bags, coasters, wallets, bowls, etc. Here, we were lucky enough to sit in solidarity with them and learn the art of weaving. The women guided our hands and smiled along with us even when we made mistakes (which was often – these people are professionals). As an end result, we were able to take our creations home and we could not stop showing off our coasters. These products are created out of dried reeds from the excess of water hyacinth that fill the lake, making it difficult to navigate through for it gets caught in the propeller of the boats. They gather these reeds and set them out in the sun for about two weeks. Not only is this a way for them to make a profit, but also a way to make use out of something that would usually give them a problem.

We then got back on our first boat to make our way back to shore. We were gliding through the water at such a great speed that the mist sprayed our faces. We were forced to whip out our rain coats for the first time in hopes to avoid getting drenched. While we travel passed various other boats, we saw nothing but smiling faces full of happiness. This reminded us of how Cambodians live through community, and open welcoming arms.

During reflection tonight, we chatted about observations from today.  Here’s our bullet-pointed list:

• Taking nothing and making it something …the water hyacinths to create weaving business
• There’s a whole community / village on a lake …not just individual houses
• How patient the teachers (women) were to share their craft, combined with recognizing the physical toll that that work is on their bodies
• That lifestyle is so fragile …dependency on the environment (positively and negatively)
• Shared responsibility with everyone working together …women were in the village doing all the jobs and men were fishing
• How much they have to adjust to their environment …need to move their houses during rainy season
• No control over factors that control their lives, such as upper Mekong River damning

Then, we were challenged to reflectively answer the question, “How does this change me”:

• Don’t need everything we think we do …what is a want vs. a need?
• Analyze access to, and excess of, food and not taking it for granted
• Fulfilled needs equals joy. The homestay was the most fun we’ve had on the trip and we had the least.
• We need to manage our time wisely …we miss opportunities when we procrastinate
• Accepting a situation can lead to contentment—it’s on us to accept and adapt
• More appreciative of conveniences
• Cultural humility: put yourself in their shoes first before asking others to put themselves in your shoes
• Interconnectedness of all communities …we must give back to actually get out of it
• Find the good before naming the bad/problem
• Choose optimism; choose joy; choose to smile
• Simplicity is the best way to happiness …not always looking for the best thing
• Prioritize human interaction with others over stuff/technology
• We take basic resources (utilities/water) for granted
• We are all stuck behind our screens …we use them to hide and avoid and judge and waste time
• We all hit the birth /life lottery.  We have the incredible opportunity to choose what we want in life …we choose our hobbies
• We get the incredible blessing to be able to go to school

Through our insightful reflection we decided to begin incorporate these realizations daily, starting the moment we touch down again in Seattle. We have learned and soaked in so much here!  Tomorrow is an early one—sunrise at Angkor Wat!

Butterflies, waterfalls, and spiders …oh my!

Written by Mara, Mason, and Grace

Today was an “early” morning with a 7:15am start. We had breakfast at the hotel restaurant like yesterday. After breakfast we drove to the ticket office to get our tickets for all of the temples, including Angkor Wat. They took our picture for our temple pass and we were on our way to our hike to the first temple.

The hike was rocky, sandy, and full of bugs of many sorts. Despite the heat, it was totally worth it. At the “top” of the hike was the temple, Kbal Spean, from the early 11^th century – carvings around and in the river bed. Yut explained to us that the temple was dedicated to Vishnu, the Hindu god of Creation. After looking at the carvings we walked a bit farther down to the waterfall where there were hundreds of butterflies flying around us. There were all different types of butterflies, some were blue, orange, black, or white with an orange spot. People were describing it like a scene of a movie. We spent a lot of time taking photos or cooling off under the water, and then we started our way back down the hike. It only took about 20 minutes, but there was sweat pouring down everyone’s face.

Lunch was a struggle for most, as many of our peers were already exhausted from the 2 hour hike that was just completely conquered. Mason was one of them, as he almost fell asleep at the table while eating some rice with sweet and sour vegetables, chicken, and cashews. The view from the restaurant was absolutely gorgeous and looked like it could be on a postcard.

After lunch we went to the Angkor Centre for Conservation and Biodiversity where we got to see all sorts of animals like cute little monkeys and leopard cats. The conservatory is helping rehabilitate injured animals and trying to save endangered species by educating the community about the dangers of having wild animals as pet and/or using them for ancient medicinal practices. While we were there we also saw many GINORMOUS spiders that scared just about everyone. It was a really great experience to see the animals and what the organization is doing to help them.

On the bus ride back everyone slept the whole way to the hotel and once we got there we had a three hour break. Most people took a napped, showered, or both. At 6:30 we met again for dinner at a Khmer restaurant for another amazing meal. The fried chicken was a huge hit with everyone, especially Mason. Some of the group went to the market across the street for a “quick” purchase. We finished the day off by getting two more beads for our bracelet. One was a wooden bead representing artisanship, and the second was a bead with a wave carved into it representing our hike to the waterfall. We are all looking forward to our boat trip to the fishing village to meet the alligators!

Spreading the Love

Written by Robby, Kateri, and Griffin

It was one of our only mornings that we could sleep in…yasssssss. We went down to our breakfast buffet at the hotel. It was filled with French toast, eggs, very very humid cereal, toast, watermelon, dragon fruit, fried vegetables, and coffee. We ate together while VPlas read aloud the first round of parent emails. (The rest were read throughout the day.) Thanks so much, parents!!!

From breakfast, we embarked on our first tuk-tuk ride to the social enterprise school, PEPY Empowering Youth. We met a group of amazing local Khmer students. After listening to a presentation about the logistics of how PEPY operates, we played some games with the students. We used some very basic Khmer words when talking to them, and they spoke to us in very good English. As we partnered up with the Cambodian students, we discussed our families, what we like to do in our free time, favorite subjects in school, and dreams for the future. Then, it was game time! Kimsru, the program manager, split us into groups, equally Khmer and American, and we played a quite large game of rock paper scissors. We also played a round of ghost, girl, and monk which was very similar to a game we all played when we were young. We loved our time with these PEPY students, are were left in awe of how hard they work to achieve what they have/do.

After a tuk-tuk ride through town, we ended up at a local temple, and we did an activity which challenged us to define who we are. In partners, we had the opportunity to challenge one another to explain and define how we understand ourselves. Wrapping this little segment up, we then had an opportunity to wrote letters to our future selves which we will receive in three years. These letters contained our current feelings and emotions as well as our hopes for our future selves. Many of us hoped that we would continue to stay in contact with people from our group as we have all become far closer than when we had started this trip. It was a pretty powerful experience!

After our quick hotel break, our group gathered for reflection during which we wrote affirmations to each other in everyone’s journals. This was very comforting when paired with our parents’ notes which made us all feel so loved. We finalized the night with a trip to the Siem Reap Night Market. Many people engaged in fish pedicures which involved immersing our feet into a tank of hungry fish which ate the dead skin off of our feet, making them ever so smooth! While in the market we also partook in active bargaining for lower prices. Overall, people were satisfied with their purchases on the tuk-tuk rides back to the hotel. Tomorrow we’re off on a hiking adventure!

Goodbye “Dad and Mom” …hello Siem Reap

Written by Dennis, Angel, and Payton

The bright sun shined through the window alongside the morning announcements as Banteay Chhmar woke us all up. In less than two days, we became accustomed to our homestay life and were well adjusted. Leaving the village was a bitter-sweet moment since all of us were attached to our host family and were very sad to say goodbye. Not only were they hospitable and welcoming, they filled us with so much joy. Each host treated us as if we were a part of their family. This came to a shock to many due to our own fears and hesitations before our experience. It’s pretty clear to all of us that this once in a life time opportunity has shaped our perspective on the importance of human interaction. So little is needed for real connection to happen—openness, empathy, and authentic smiles.

We each reflected on our experience in our own ways as we transitioned to our next adventure in Siem Reap. The bus ride was two hours and thirty minutes. On the bus ride we were all pretty tired, but we still kept our spirits up and made friendship bracelets, journaled, all while listening to music. We were able to take a short intermission in the journey by visiting and touring a silk farm, where we saw the whole process of how silk products were made. It all starts with the silk worm, then ends with the actual fabric being woven into intricate designs. The steps and intricacy in the process was incredible to learn about! Then we got a chance to go into the gift shop and see the final products (and were able to purchase them).

Then, we finally arrived at our amazing hotel, and the employees greeted us with cold towels and juices! We then had free time to do as we pleased—most everyone did some combination of going to the pool to swim, hanging out, napping, journaling, or doing laundry. We spent this time mainly to regroup ourselves and prepare for dinner. We bussed to Old House Restaurant where we had authentic Cambodian food. It was so good!

As we always end our day with a reflection, and we debriefed our experience at the homestay, sharing our experiences and our overall takeaways. We then discussed different forms of service, and what we thought the definition was. This reflection helped show our growth, from being in a state of fear to gaining life lessons about human connection. An example of this is discovering that the language barrier isn’t really a problem because we can express so much with our body language, smiles, and laughter. We also learned that being present with people is more important that speaking with people. Some talked about a special experience of sharing their family pictures with their host family, and although they were speaking two different languages, both sides were fully able to grasp the importance of family. Overall the day was a great mix of self-discovery and connection.

“A Whole New World” …what da’ heck?! (Sandy)

Written by Ethan, Sandy, and Chloe

The sounds of roosters, dogs barking, and the speaker from the center of the village combined together became the perfect alarm to wake everyone up today. After getting ready, we walked with Yut who helped us navigate the 15 minute-walk through the narrow dirt roads to the Community Center. Besides Devin’s group who stayed furthest away from the Community Center, Yut stopped at all the homestays to pick everyone else up so we could walk together to the breakfast. Even though it was only 7:30 a.m, everyone in the village hd already started their day, and they waved at us when walked pass them. It was quite a sight with all of us together, but it was a cool experience to “pick everyone up.”

Over breakfast, everyone talked about their first night and we talked a bit about the bucket shower experience. We all agreed that although there was a language barrier in communicating with our host parents, we feel very welcomed and the bucket shower helped us feel refresh after our bus ride from Battambang. For breakfast, along with rice, fried pork, and eggs, we had hot tea and instant coffee to substitute for the “café teuk-doh-go teuk-kok” (iced milk coffee) we have gotten in the cities. Afterwards, VPlas asked us to put the dishes together to make it easier for the cooks to clean up. We then stood outside to chat while waiting for the tractor to get ready for our next activity.  Everyone seemed in good spirits.

Our next activity was traveling to different temples around the village. To do this we traveled via tractors known as “mini oxes” to the people within the village. Riding the tractors was very fun because it was much slower than the bus so we were able to take in more details of our surroundings. Before traveling to our first temple we stopped at a local farming area. We were all shown a large field consisting of cassava. Our tour guide, Peng, explained that Cambodian farmers are starting to switch from growing rice to growing cassava due to the lack of water, and they get more profit from cassava plants. They sell most of their crop as exports to Thai consumers and businesses. After visiting the cassava plant farm, we rode the tractor to the first temple which we couldn’t get close to due to the plants and grass growing in the rainy season. Peng was unsure of what types of animals or insects could be in the area so we had to stay farther away which also made it difficult to see the temple. We then headed to the second temple. Unlike the last one, we were able to get really close to the temple. Although a good amount of it had fallen apart, it still looked beautiful and truly magnificent. The temple had four sides and all four sides had a smiling face on it. The face on the temple resembled the king during the time it was made. We believe it symbolized how he watched over the east, west, north and south. We were even able to get a group picture there! The final temple we traveled to was the most sacred temple of the three. We stood from a nice vantage point across the water from it as Peng explained that it is very popular and the locals visit it often to meditate and relax.  He also entertained us with some great stories!

After we all got back to the village Community Center after visiting the temples we had time to relax before some of the elders came in for a Q&A session. Since there was a language barrier, Peng acted as a translator. We went one by one asking questions we wanted to know about the community and why they choose to be host families. They told us that by tourists coming in and staying in the village is creates awareness for their community, and that the money they spend while visiting goes directly back to the people and is distributed evenly. One of the woman elders gave us a life lesson to stay in school and to not give up throughout our struggles so that we can be successful in life and earn money, so we can return to the village later in life. This made everyone laugh and allowed for the connection of humor to be shared between us all. Another member of the village told us that he loves to host us in their homes because they can share their culture and way of life, of which they are very proud.

We then went to the Temple of Banteay Chhmar, which is across from the Community Center. Bantey Chhmar Temple originally had a total of fifty-six towers and there are now only nineteen of them remaining. Although most of them are under construction, we could see the carvings on the wall. While we were looking at the carvings, four Thai girls were taking pictures and spotted Ethan and Mason. They quickly asked the boys to take pictures with them. They seemed to be having the time of their life which was very entertaining to the rest of the group.  Then, the girls then asked others to take pictures as well, they also really liked Lizzie and Grace. After taking pictures we had a quick tour through the temple and Peng told us a myth about Rama Yana. Afterward, we spent time playing games at the Community Center and went back to the Temple to have dinner. It was a magical experience. The table was set up right in front of the temple and the musicians played live traditional music for us without looking at any music sheets. Yut taught us the dancing of the seed-to-the-tree-to-the-branch-to-the-leaf and the Saravan dance and the villagers said we did a really good job (curiously, the musicians were laughing when they watched us dancing).

Once we were done with our dinner and dancing, it was time for bed so we all headed back to our homestays. While traveling in the bus to the homestays you could hear so many people laughing their heads off, having so much fun together.  Group by group went to their homestays, excited to see their homestay moms and dads and to go to sleep after a long day of interactive activities.  We love it here!

Hello from the Homestays!

Hi families! The group has been real troopers during this homestay portion of the program, which is always the toughest since we are really out of our comfort zones. We do not have good wifi connection out here in the rural area, so we apologize that is has been a few days since the photos have been updated, but tomorrow when we head back to Siem Reap you will be able to see for yourself all the awesome things we have been up to. For now I leave you with a blog from the students highlighting some of our most challenging yet rewarding experiences thus far.

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A Rough Day for Everyone

Written by: Pearl and Lizzie(ish)

Today was a rough day for everyone—it got real. Many of us woke up feeling kind of sick or with stomach issues from adjusting to the different types of food, the climate, and the travel, etc. Because of that, when we went to breakfast and it was a relatively quiet meal. Later, we went back to the hotel to prepare for the upcoming home stay that would be our home for the next two days. Yut and Devin distributed sticky notes  for us to express our fears vs hopes about the experience of a new place, in a rural village, and staying in a stranger’s home. The common categories of fears were centered around hygiene, insects, and the language barrier. In contrast, we then talked about our hopes—to make friends, connect on a personal level, and understand a different way of living. Despite our conversation, many were still nervous of the homestay. We then packed the bus for our journey to the community of Banteay Chhmar. Our bus driver was generous and stopped numerous times to let people get some fresh air if they were feeling sick or use the bathroom if they were having stomach issues. Devin and Yut blessed the group with some Western/American food because we were feeling a little homesick. We happily ate pizza and fries, but then mostly sat in silent thought, slept, or chatted for the rest of the bus ride.

After we arrived in Banteay Chhmar, we ate dinner at the local community center and dispersed to finally meet our host families. Once I met my host mother I completely fell in love. She is the sweetest human with the biggest smile on her face at all times. She showed us around the house and although we did not speak the same language we understood everything she was trying to tell us. We sat with her in the living room for a couple of hours watching a show in Khmer (we obviously had no idea what they were saying) and we could tell our mother was happy to share her home and that our presence was important to her. Since it was a long, draining day of travel we went to sleep early in preparation for a day of adventures tomorrow.

Sticky Rice

Written by Mara, Mason, and Grace

Today was either the best or the worst day so far for most people. A quick overview of what we did today: We had a later wake up today and met at the roof at 7:45. Yut taught us more Khmer words like “What is your name?” or “My name is…” We practiced our new words and phrases for a while and then walked to the breakfast place where we ordered our own meals in Khmer. Afterwards, we got on the bus and headed to the Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies’ Peace Museum where we were greeted by the sweetest group of Buddhist Monks.

They introduced themselves and gave us an educational and reflective tour of the museum. The first section of the museum was about the landmines that were placed during and after the Khmer Rouge (until 1999), and how they injured and killed many civilians while trying to seek refuge in Thailand. They then showed us all the steps of how Cambodia is removing them to ensure the safety of their citizens. We also walked through a room that had information for the people on why guns and weaponry are dangerous, and why a sense of harmony is good by contrasting them through artwork. We saw a bench that was made from melted guns, and it made us wonder why in America we can’t do the same, especially where innocent people are killed by guns almost every day.

In 1998, Cambodia created the “Win-Win Policy”, in which the four parties of Cambodia came together to make a compromise for the people and the good of the country instead of their own political or group agendas. This brought the end to the radical communist rule of the Khmer Rouge, and introduced reconciliation to Cambodia. This has led to remarkable forgiveness, peace, and growth throughout the country. Learning about the “Win-Win Policy” made me feel a little shameful to live in the U.S.A, because in America our society is competitive in nature – either you win or you lose. In order to achieve global peace, we would do best to follow the example of the Cambodian people.

We all went to lunch afterwards and ate with the monks. Grace and Lizzie had a conversation with them about their pets back home, and Grace tried explaining how her dog is so ugly that it’s cute, but they didn’t really understand.

After taking a short break at the hotel we visited Phare Ponleu Selpak, a fine and performing arts school and center. We participated in a workshop focusing on circus arts. We did gymnastics (shout out to our gymnast pro Payton) and tricks with a juggling tool that looked like a bigger yo-yo. We also got to go on a professional trampoline and met some of the kids who go to the school. VPlas, Davis, and Yut, along with some of our peers, joined in a community soccer game with younger kids. Mason, Grace, and Robby also took this time to walk around the school and see some art, along with classes that were held in modern looking classrooms.

Also, people powered through our first bumps and bruises. Robby and Sandy felt sick (but are totally fine thanks to Pepto Bismol), and Mara scraped her toe and knee (shout out to alcohol wipes and band aids). Although we had some draining times throughout the day, things remained positive and fun. Our dinner tonight was very lively and talkative, and for the rest of the trip we think we should all end the night on a positive note to keep everyone in good spirits.

We’ll leave you with Yut’s newest term: Sticky Rice. He used this throughout the day as instructions to our group for us to physically get closer together when we started spreading out too much at the museum. We like this metaphor, may we all be a bit more like sticky rice – getting closer to work and move together.

Hittin’ the streets and meetin’ the people… like champs

Written by Griffin, Robby, and Kateri

We are a little loopy tonight, but have many things to say! After waking up for the first time in Battambang, we refreshingly felt the blow of the cold AC over our beds. It took some of us a little bit more than the time allotted to get ready, so we were running a bit late. A little groggily, we walked to the first restaurant of the day for breakfast. It seems like everyone also had an iced coffee. We’re still not exactly sure how it’s said in Khmer, but believe it’s something along the lines of “coffee takatoka.” Trying to say it to a waiter/waitress, they laugh and say “iced coffee with milk.” We are trying…

One of the most illuminating things about Khmer language, and in extension Khmer culture, is their construction of language—there is no actual way to say “iced coffee with milk.” “Coffee takatoka” literally means “coffee with the water from the cow’s breast with frozen water.” The Khmer language really is confusing, especially with how much meaning is packed into so few syllables (takatoka). A group of us migrated to the bathroom after eating breakfast, and were surprised to find only a porcelain indentation in the ground…our first “squatty potty” adventure.

Anyways, after eating breakfast, we boarded our bus to go to the rural outskirts of Battambang. There, we found a line of 20 bikes waiting for us to ride. Before mounting our bikes, we visited the house of an elderly couple who has been making rice paper (the wrapping on spring rolls) for the past 25 years. It is a recipe that has been passed from grandparents in every generation. It was truly humbling to see how these people live. They work for 12 hours a day (yes: 4 am to 4 pm) laboring to make these thin sheets of edible paper. After we boarded our bikes, we visited another house, booth, and market that specialized in making Cambodian specialties. One made banana products, one Cambodia rice noodles, and the market that sold fermented fish. The people at each one of these places experienced their own hardships. The rice paper makers only make seven dollars in profit a day. The only thing that they can afford through that is food. Nothing else. One of the women in the house sits in the most extreme squat imaginable for hours on end, making the rice paper. Because of this, she required to have surgery on her back due to the damage sustained by this painful position. They cannot support their children who are attending university, so they have to work multiple jobs to exist. The fermented fish market smelled like nothing that any of us have ever experienced… ever. We could not cover our noses as it would be disrespectful, but the workers there have to spend their lives working in this market.

It was also a very exciting time for Sandy, who rode a bike for the first time. Maybe she fumbled once or twice, but she got up each time with the biggest smile on her face, ready to finish the last leg of the bike ride, which was going to lunch at a local family’s home/restaurant. By the time we’d arrived at lunch, we were all very tired, but excited to share in that meal together. We also go to learn more about Soksabike, the company that led our bike tour. It’s a social enterprise that works to develop relationships with the families in the area and help tourists and travelers see more of the real Cambodia. It was an incredibly powerful experience.

Then, during the bus ride back to the hotel, Dennis promised to sing to all of us. We are all very excited to hear his baritone voice. When we got to the hotel we received great news that we had three hours of free time to do anything we wanted. Most of us immediately changed into our pool clothes and hopped in even though the pool feels around fifteen degrees hotter than the outside air. Others used their time to catch up on journaling, hang out, or reflecting on our earlier Soksabike experience. We finished up the day with a fun and challenging (and anxiety-inducing) scavenger hunt through the town market. You could liken it to an outdoor version of Target with individual vendors ready to help you take care of all your shopping needs—literally anything from a haircut to clothes to fruit to fermented fish to a hammock to jewelry, etc. Our big takeaway was how many of us have acknowledged many of the barriers we are working on overcoming. Being aware of this will help us continue to make this experience one that impacts us far longer than two weeks.

A New City – Arriving in Battambang

Written by Pearl, Payton, Chloe, Mason, Griffin

After waking up in Phnom Penh, we went up to the roof top and had a lesson in Khmer, the native Cambodian language. Yut taught us how to count by providing us with dance moves to help memorize the numbers. Along with that, we also learned how to say common phrases, such as “Hello, good morning,” or how to order food. To put it to the test, we walked over to breakfast with the task of ordering our own meal. It was amazing to see how pleased the servers were with the group when hearing the Khmer we just learned, especially when they tried to help us pronounce it if we needed a little bit of clarification. When we finished our meal, we went back to our hotel and gathered our belongings for our long bus ride to Battambang. During the bus ride, we all talked to each other, and we sung karaoke at the top of our lungs. Our backs were sticking to the chairs, as we were all very, very sweaty. It was hot. We stopped at the side of the road and ate a very delicious lunch. Some of us had the educational experience and balancing act of using a squatty-potty for the first time!

After arriving at Battambang, we managed to get a few breaths of fresh air. The difference between Battambang and Phnom Penh is striking. Phnom Penh is littered with garbage, and packed with people and chain businesses. Battambang, on the other hand, is filled with people living their lives. The first thing that we did was attend an outdoor aerobics class next to the river. It was very fun exercising with the local Cambodian grandmas, and we were all very sweaty. They really beat us, as we all dipped out long before any of these very active grandmas. While at aerobics it started off slow, and we were all pretty shy. Once we warmed up it was the best time. We all were able to laugh at ourselves and get really into it. The locals were inviting and loved seeing us dance, which made the experience very impactful. They have also been so interested with our group, that they have stopped some of us to take selfies.

Once we finished aerobics in the park, we walked over to dinner. While walking to dinner we were able to see lots of different types of buildings in downtown Battambang, and learned some new facts about the construction. Yut informed us that there are old French buildings that remain in downtown Battambang from the 100 years of French colonization. This was interesting to see because it almost looked like it did not belong there, yet it looked beautiful and was an interesting combination with the modern Khmer design.

We ate at a small Chinese dumpling house that serves a variety of different foods integrating noodles and different flavors of Chinese culinary tradition. Dennis was excited to share more about his culture with us, recommending Pork Noodle Soup to the people. Dennis then demonstrated how to eat the noodles and soup with chopsticks: pick up the noodles, lean down, and slurp them. This style of eating turned out to be both efficient and effective. While we are getting better at eating with chopsticks, there are still table manners/customs that we are learning. It was also really cool to be able to watch how the food was being prepared in front of us all. The dough was prepped, then flattened, and placed in a machine that would separate the dough into noodles. It was amazing to see firsthand how their culture deals with various foods and how it is important for the food to be fresh.

After we finished eating, we walked back to the hotel and debriefed over a nice dip in the pool. Again, we shared our favorite part of the trip so far and took turns reflecting about how we feel overall.

Don’t Pee on Today

Our second day in Phnom Penh was a day filled with emotions and new experiences. The group took a look in the passed and reflected on how we can apply this to our present and future journeys. Today’s installment of our blog comes from the collective voices of Mara, Dennis, Ethan, Kateri, and Lizzie.

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Day Two: Don’t Pee on Today
Written by Mara, Dennis, Ethan, Kateri, and Lizzie

Today we visited the Choeung Ek Genocidal Center/Killing Fields. It offered us a time to reflect and truly understand what happened during the brutal Khmer Rouge reign from 1975-79. As we were preparing for the emotionally heavy day, Yut, our Khmer guide and guru, said to keep in mind the concept of “No hatred, just compassion.” During our time at the Killing Fields, we were astounded by how that place represents the legacy of what was the terrible reality for so many people. The guided audio tour that we all had helped us to learn and process because it was supplemented by real stories of both survivors and perpetrators (Cadre).

After lunch, we visited the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum (S-21) which was a former high school transformed into a prison, place of torture, and death camp for so many during the Khmer Rouge regime. In fact, of the nearly 20,000 estimated “enemies of the state” imprisoned there, only 12 are confirmed to have lived. Twelve! Again, the audio tour helped give life to our experience walking around the barbed wire-lined prison cells and torture rooms (all converted former classrooms). While we spent time at the school, it was extremely impactful to see a few survivors—just a small portion of those affected—and the conditions they lived in. It helped put a face to the scars left on this culture which we have been learning about over the past year.

The dehumanization present in the structures such as the detention centers and the killing fields is so saddening. We walked the path and with each step we saw the dignity and identity of these people slowly be stripped away and disappear. The anger residing in us eventually turned to frustration, asking, “Why? How? WTF?.” We kept asking ourselves, what turns those Cadres into emotionless, killing machines. At the same time, we also realized how important connection and understanding between people are.

We ended the afternoon on an incredible boat ride on the Tonle Sap and Mekong Rivers. Debriefing the experiences we had at the Killing Fields and at S-21, we took time to reflect together on the themes of justice and healing. Although there was unexpected lightning and thunder present, we were able to take in the whole experience together. A common theme within justice that was frequently talked about was the idea of finding humanity within the perpetrators. Yut further challenged us to think about what kind of healing the perpetrators also need, and how often we imprison people around the world and do nothing to help them heal from their trauma. In the words of Dennis’ grandfather, “Justice may be late, but is never absent.” We believe part of our responsibility as people who have witnessed this part of Cambodian history is to be “keepers of memories,” fighting for eventual justice and compassion of all. We each had an opportunity to share, and it really set a powerful tone for our group and the rest of the trip. We were reminded and challenged to have both feet in today, because with one food in yesterday and one foot in tomorrow, one ends up peeing on today. Don’t pee on today.

It also needs mentioning that at dinner, Mara ate a cooked tarantula. Then a bunch of us tried a leg here, or an abdomen there. Yes, you did just read that.

The food is yummy, an out of mouth experience only described as a “Mouth Euphoria.”

P.S. Ethan’s suffering from happiness over here

Day One: Fight or Flight

Hello from Cambodia!

It has been quite an eventful day. Yut and I (the Program Leaders) have had a wonderful time getting to know the group so far and showing them the city of Phnom Penh. Before coming, “V-Plas” and the Cambodia Class organized teams to send daily blogs. Below you can enjoy the day thorough the tired eyes of Angel, Grace, Robby, Sandy, and Adrien. It’s been a wonderful start to our amazing adventure. Our “Paparazzi” for today was Lizzie, and this is Day One through her lens. We can’t wait to share more soon!

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Day One: Fight or Flight
Written by Angel, Grace, Robby, Sandy, and Adrien

Before our flight, we were all having fun enjoying each other’s company. Although the atmosphere was filled with laughter and optimism regarding our trip, there were feelings of nervousness. Each of us had varying experiences while on our flights. During the plane ride to Taipei, which was twelve and a half hours long, some people slept the whole time while others tossed and turned. Once we arrived at the Taipei Airport, we were a little disappointed because most of the stores and restaurants were closed. About half an hour later, these stores opened, and the airport transformed into a lively environment filled with travelers.

Ever since we began Cambodia Classes in the fall, Mrs. VanderPlas told us about the amazing dumplings at the Taipei Airport. Fortunately, we all had the opportunity to finally try these dumplings and they exceeded our expectations. Following the three-hour layover in the Taipei airport, we were one step closer to arriving in Phnom Penh. Once we arrived in Cambodia, we had to obtain our visas. The process was frustrating due to the lack of organizations and hectic nature, but we got through it rather quickly.

The first thing we did in Cambodia was meet our tour guides for the trip, Devin and Yut. They were both very welcoming and sweet. We drove through the city, which is dense yet large and vibrant, and then came to the hotel. Afterwards, we went to a Buddhist temple and received a blessing from a monk. We then went to the Independence Monument and had to time to relax. We also navigated through the hectic streets, which do not have cross walks, to our Vietnamese dinner destination.

Overall, it’s still surreal that we’re actually in Cambodia. Bottom line, we’re super exhausted but excited and promise our next blog will be better!