"Soo-a S-day" (or hello in Khmay!)

Hello!! So, here I am, back in Japan! I decided to take a nap yesterday evening, but it turned into a really long night's sleep. My stomach is still a little wacky (stayed strong til the end...almost made it with nothing!), but I am feeling much better after getting the rest.

Readjusting in J-land
I am at school right now and today is the day that all the teachers are moving to their new desks for the new school year, which starts this week. Remember there is one staff room for all teachers, people sit with the grade they teach in and move locations each year with the grade levels always being in the same locations and teachers staying with the same students for 3 years... so 60 people packing and moving drawers is a bit nuts. Lots of commotion and ruckus this morning, but I am pretty pumped. I really like the new people I sit by and there are two new women my age (one in biology and the other in Japanese), who also sit really close to me. I have been using my limited Japanese with them, so I am not sure how their English is, but they seem really nice.

It has been easy to slide back into life in Japan after vacation. I remember coming back from Thailand (my first big international trip while living here) and being happy to realize I had a place in Japan. That feeling is still present, but it's evolved to the point that I don't think about it anymore; it's just coming back home. The airport, the transportation, greetings upon arrival: everything is familiar. I will admit the weather is a bit of a let-down after 2 weeks in an 80-degree paradise, but I am still being spoiled here compared to the snow and freezing temps back in Minnesota... so I'll keep the complaints to a min. Crazy to think that three days ago Tam was complaining that our room was way hotter than the hallway (really was, had trouble sleeping) and now I'm tempted to escape outside for some sunlight because my teeth are chattering in the cold staff room, though. The sakura (cherry blossoms) are starting to bloom, so it's a good day to get out nonetheless!

I've also gotten some really big, really exciting news since I got back. I can't go into all of it here and now, but I got some good news from my top choice grad school and about a national post I ran for in the organization I have been doing charity work for this past year. Life is amazing.

Anyways, that's enough about Japan for now.... I've been doing a lot of reflecting about the trip since I got back yesterday and want to should share before too much time lapses :)

A Little Behind... Gomen!
As mentioned, I arrived at Kansai Airport at 6am yesterday morning and went straight to work, so I've now been back for about a day. I haven't been able to get on the net for a few days, however, so there is a lot to catch up on. I did find internet when we were in Kratie (small town in northern Cambodia that we spent 3 nights in) and other regions (even though the Lonely Planet said it didn’t exist – aha!), but the keyboards were funny and one post that I spent a long time on wouldn’t copy and then disappeared when I tried to save it... so I gave up.
That being said, I was it was amazing to me that you could walk around the streets of Cambodia (or Laos), down bumpy dirt roads lined with garbage, passing people without shoes and missing limbs from landmines (with an estimated 6,000 still remaining in Cambodia & they kill or injure about 30 people a day), and find your way to an internet cafe were the experience is essentially the same as it would be surfing the web at your desk anywhere in the world. I guess my experiences with not being able to post the blog shows that it's not always perfect-perfect, but is it anywhere? Technology moves fast, but unfortunately, leaving the cafe and seeing how much need there is outside in the real world reminded me of why I was giving my time and money to this cause... and how lucky I was to be there.

Cambodia and Beyond
I'll talk about PEPY and the experience at the school soon (more detail but in another post to spare you the length!), but first I have to tell you about my solo time and Siem Riep. I think Sunday was one of the best days of my life!!

I said my goodbyes to the group from PEPY over dinner (and then some more over beers afterwards) on Saturday night and left Phnom Penh (the capital city) at 6:45am on Saturday morning. When I arrived in Siem Riep about 40 minutes later, I proceeded to the airport Lost and Found office, who I convinced to watch my pack for the day. I couldn't believe they actually agreed to do it (score!), but the staff was really easy to work with, partially because it's such a small place. Best service I've ever experienced, though, from checking in onwards. Both the Siem Riep and Pnom Penh airports are really new and modern, which also helps, but the one thing that did always get to me is the crowd of taxi drivers waiting outside to hound you as soon as you leave the air conditioned safety of the terminal. In Thailand, it was the hotel owners waiting for the boat, in China the hotels. Just a warning if you're going to Asia - brace yourself! They can be persistant! Anyways, I manuevered my way past the taxi crew and found a tuk-tuk driver who agreed to take me to Angkor Wat at a reasonable price ($10 for a day). I really wasn't feeling well in the morning (think the food finally got me on the last day - almost had to use the little paper bag on the plane) and was worried about the bumpy ride with a tuktuk, but with a plain coke to coat the tummy, a little medicine to stop any worries and my ferver and excitement about visiting the temples to keep me going, I was actually fine after not too long.

Angkor, you say?
So pretty much anyone coming to Cambodia visits Siem Riep to see the nearby temples at Angkor Wat. Everyone recommends the 3-day pass, so I was originally really bummed that I only had one day at Angkor Wat. I hate rushing through things like this, but since it was one day or nothing, I was excited to sign up and actually have the opportunity to go at all (more to see next time, right?). For those of you wrinkling your nose right now, wondering what Angkor Wat (or rather, the temples at Angkor) is - and why the heck everyone goes there - I'll slow down for a bit and explain.
Angkor Wat is basically an area of over 100 temples that were slowly constructed by over 19 different kings over the course of over 600 years. It could be said that the "golden age" of the temples ended in the 13th century when the Khmer Kingdom (Khmer is now the word for Cambodians, too) moved the capital to Pnom Penh after the death of King Jayavarmn III and to escape increasing attacks by the Siamese (Thai). The temples lay abandoned for hundreds of years (except for an instance of granduer - about 50 years - in the 16th century) and were almost swallowed by the jungle until they were "rediscovered" by the French colonialists in the 20th century... and along with the archeologists and restoration came a new golden age of tourism to the area. There are records of other explorers stumbling upon the temples before the French, even one Japanese man in the 18th century (who mistakingly reported the site to be in India in hindsight), but being able to visit them again is a relatively new thing. There were some dark years of Cambodia's recent history (the "civil war" and astrocity of the Khmer Rouge in the 1970s) when the temples were again off-limits, but the temples survived the war virtually unscathed (ok, with only a few bullet holes and headless statues - far LESS damage than expected) and are truly a treasure with seeing if you ever get the chance. The movie Tomb Rader was filmed here, and it really looks like it does in the movie - a mystical environment where nature (jungle) meets man (man-made structures) and tells a beautiful story of our world history and religion that you are still free to roam at will.

Arriving at Angkor
So I grabbed my driver, we got some gass (previously thought the glass bottles on the side of the road were alcohol - not petrol - about $3 for a tank isn't too bad but makes me wonder what they are burning...) and then drove for about 25 minutes before arriving at the south enterance to the temples. I hopped out to buy a day pass, bought some water for my driver and I and we took out a map to figure out our game plan. My wishlist for the afternoon was to be able to see Angkor Wat (northern reflecting pool, bas reliefs and sanctuary), Ta Prohm (Tomb Rader site with huge trees in the jungle) and Angkor Tomb (including Angkor Thom, the Bayon - stone heads as enigmatic as those on Easter Island! - and the elephant and Leper King Terraces).

Angkor Wat
We arrived around 8:30am, before the crowds, and decided to head straight to Angkor Wat. My heart skipped a beat when I saw the temples over the trees. You stop in sort of an open-market, tuktuk parking area (with hordes of little girls pleading with you to buy something from them) and there is a long stone bridge leading to Angkor Wat. I stopped to watch bridal couples taking pictures and observe a monkey pacing about 5 feet from me, but knowing I didn't have much time, pushed on. I realized soon into the journey that I should have hired a guide (most people have them for the day and you need to book one before you come at a hotel, etc), but I luckily made a friend in a french guy as I was reading a sign outside the libraries who let me walk around Angkor Wat with him and his guide. I learned a lot about the bas reliefs (mostly Hindu designs) and hallways and statues, but the info was a little too much (and the explanation was taking a really long time...I only had a day!), so I gave the guide a tip, said my goodbyes to both men and explored the temple for about another hour (and grabbed a baguette on the run from a snack shop inside the temple) before heading back to meet Yon, my tuktuk driver.

Angkor Thom
The temples span an area of over 400 km (according to a sign I saw), so you take these winding roads through the jungle driving from site to site. Feeling the warm breeze and zooming past ancient, stone temples on the way to and from the ones I wanted to see was nothing less than spectacular. My next stop was Angkor Tomb, the ancient walled, royal city (fyi - Buddhist, 12th century). We passed through the southern gate, lined with elephant statues (me gasping at each one and already exhausting both the words "wow" and "sugoi" from my vocabulary at this point) and drove onwards to Bayon to see the giant faces. We visited several sites in the city, stopped on the road to see the terraces (where the palace once stood), before pushing on to Ta Prhom.

Ta Prohm
When I got to Ta Prohm (where Tomb Rader was filmed - carvings and temples subsumed by trees) and discovered there weren't many people around, I realized I was experiencing how the early explorers who re-discovered the place (true exploreres!) a hunred and fifty years ago must have felt.

I left Yon in the parking lot, making agreements to meet at the opposite gate, and wandered around for a while, taking in the ambiance and listening to the soft whisper of the trees. I stopped to chat with the young boys guarding the front enterance (mostly about them seeing Angelina Jolie...haha), and thinking nothing of it, I made a friend in one of the old guards that worked inside the temple when I stopped to say hello as I passed his post. Well, he must have been watching me and noticed I was really interested in the overgrown trees (cradling the stone structures because not long after, he beckoned me to leave the designated tourist path with him and follow him into the restricted areas.

OK, I generally have my guards WAY up when I am traveling alone (especially after reading all the warnings about single women traveling in SE Asia), but since it was a pretty open temple (other tourists or guards would always be close), the old man seemed nice and he didn't move too fast (had a limp), I decided to take him up on the offer and follow him. And I am SOOO glad I did!

Before I knew was happening, the guard (never got his name) had showed me some of his favorite spots around the site, where he has worked for 7 years and visited throughout his life. We’d climb over the rubble that was once the dance hall (carvings still intact, but the walls were less fortunate) and he’d instruct me to stand in one place that would give me a very different view or reveal some hidden carving, scenery or landscape that I might have otherwise missed. I was very lucky! I tried to give him money as I was leaving, but he didn't take it...so we merely said goodbye, but I will always remember that kindness. Check out the pics when I get them up for a photo essay (which I promise will accomplish way more than words can manage, and not because I am a talented photographer).

Tonle Sap Lake
I glanced at my watch once we had finished going through all the sites I had outlined for the day, and was shocked to find it was only around 1:30. Most of the other tourists had cleared out (they go back to their hotels for lunch, resuming their tours at 3pm), so I contemplated heading out to Banteay Srey, another Angkor temple about 25 km away. I took out a map and talked to the driver, who had brought over some other driver friends, about the plan. The friends were really funny and told me Banteay Srey was a "must see" but when I asked them about the floating village (a recommendation from my friend Taj, but which I had accepted that I would have to miss), their tune changed to that being a much better use of time. They told me I could still make it to Tonle Sap Lake and take a boat out before I had to catch my flight, so I decided that was a better route (giving myself more "priority" temples to see if I ever return to Angkor Wat) and headed out with my driver.

The roads were bumpy and it took over 30 min to get to the lake (passing through central Siem Riep), but the trip was well worth it. When I heard floating village, never did I expect to be able to charter a boat ($15 for an hour and a half...all the time I had) and visit the floating suburbs on the murky, vast lake water. It was incredible - a whole village of neighbors living relatively normal lives over the body of water. They used small boats to get around and some had even constructed areas to garden (don't have to worry about the drought before monsoon season). At one point, we stopped at a restaraunt (almost like a roadside reststop on water) and saw about 15 alligators in the water. I played with a batch of puppies inside, grabbed a brochure about the local catholic church (yes, on water!) and then went to a museum to learn about fishing methods on the lake. I was totally blown away.

I would have liked to stay longer, but time was ticking, so we headed back to town. I asked Yon to stop along the way and got one last cheese and veggie sandwich and fruit shake (since I knew it'd be my last) on the way to the airport... smelling of sweat from running around all day... but I c0uldn't have been better.

Why do strange things always happen only when I am alone?
The rest of the trip home went well. It was characterized by a lot of strange events, including a chinese lady that entered my bathroom stall (I swear it was locked!) and dropped her drawers as I was changing clothes (telling me not to worry about it and keep changing) at Siem Riep airport, the middle-aged Cambodian men who teased the guy sitting next to me about sitting by a cute girl (um, and I could hear)and then played a boombox at dinner, almost missing my flight to Japan when we taxi-ied the runway in Bangkok for 30 minutes and then sitting next to a bodyguard on plane with his film crew (had a gov't tag so I think the main man was in first class on business to Japan). Oh, and then there was all the questioning-about-drugs business at the airport in Osaka, but I made it back saftely and am so happy with this trip!

PEPY and the Volunteer TRIP (I'll TRY to keep it short)
As for the volunteer trip, my real reason for going to South East Asia, I had a fantastic time. PEPY (Protect the Environment, Protect Yourself) was definitely a very good program that does turn the idealistic idea of helping local people into a reality... but more to come in the next post.

Thanks for reading this far! (to be continued)

Back in Japan

Just got back, but have been on the go (literally, 7 hour bus ride and three planes) for the last few days so I'm gonna crash for a bit!

I probably need it. I got in at about 6am and headed straight to work from the airport. Despite the fact that I put my hair up, added a little gloss to the lips and changed into a more work-appropriate outfit at the airport (ok, the clothes were warmer and clean), I was detained by customs and asked about marijuana use and drug possession for at least 20 minutes this morning! They didn't understand why a young lady traveling alone I would go to India, Nepal, Cambodia and especially Laos for sightseeing and this "volunteer stuff." The officer made me dump out my purse and then proceeded to go through my bags, but he seemed surprised to find nothing. Funny..

Ok, more later! xo

Last Day on PEPY

Crazy today. Our trip to the orphanage was cancelled (big disappointment), but we're having a farewell din together tonight and I'm leaving for the airport at 4:30am! Have already said our goodbyes to two other people and it's strange to think I'll be in Japan in just a few days.

Tonight we did visit CLA, an arts center in Phnom Penh. We got to sit in on a dance class, and I was BLOWN away by the young dancers and traditional music dancing. The artist community is being forced to relocate with the construction of several large hotels and businesses along the Mekong, many families in metal shacks. We made several visits, but had a bit of a traumatic situation when Tam saw a little boy smash a kitten onto the ground and then a dog bit a boy's arm while we were watching a performance. Getting good use out of the medical kit this week, but such bad luck.

Anyways, I have to go. Time has flown by, but we've also done so much in the last week. More later after Siem Riep.

Shocking Ending to a Relaxing Day

Today is our last official day on the PEPY tour as tomorrow will mostly be spent traveling back to Pnom Peng, a 7 hour bus ride I'm not totally looking forward to. I am almost done with a book about the Khmer Rouge called First they Killed My Father), want to read another I bought about Sex Slaves that has a lot of information about both Cambodia and Japan and am still looking forward to finishing the second book of the Dark Materials trilogy (Golden Compass), which I have put on hold. But beyond the worlds between the pages, the real world has definitely been providing its share of ups and downs... today is no exception.

I don't have time to write a real post and am still a little shaken by a big bike accident we witnessed tonight, so I am going to keep this in bullet points (might update later). Sorry for the format and bland lack of comments... no time today :-P

Later start (9am)

Breakfast of omelet, french bread and coffee with sweetened condensed milk


Not long before kids arrived, bought sugar cane juice (ground while you wait, served in a plastic bag with a straw - tastes like orange julius)

Went to CDPT -saw projects, inspiring female speaker who spoke Khmer but from US, kids really listening (takes a lot for middle school kids to find something interesting and take notes)

Talked a lot about fuel offsetting - carbon control, hopefully could offer more funding for projects but serious reality; need staff to prosper but not seen as efficient cost by these corporations taking this route


Went to lunch with assigned "buddies". My buddy, Sony, was quiet but learned how to count in Khmer and tried singing with him, lots of high fives and laughing without being able to understand each other

Took bus to dolphins, $5 to watch/$5 for boats (one price if you take the boat or not to keep locals out)

Took wooden boat to small island, couldn't jump in because of my toe, most kids did in clothing (improper to wear swimsuits in Cambodia)


Said gooybyes and kids left (wanted to see market and Budhist mt), rest of PEPY gang went on boat to large sandbar

I didnt bring suit b/c I'm not supposed to swim but gave in

Jumped in with tank and skirt, used the rocks to slither against the rapids and sat in the warm Mekong water, rapids massaging back


Watched the sunset and went back. Wandered around town alone. Bought Khmer music (drew a crowd but had fun talking with some people),


Dinner that night was good, had amok again (traditional Khmer dish with fish) with curry

Geckos looked like wall paper, so numerous

THE ACCIDENT

Doing "roses and thorns" with the group (each person sharing ups and downs from the day) and heard large crash like a bomb

Saw a motorbike go flying about 25 feet on the street where our table was and suddenly a man was lying, face down, in the middle of the road

We all stood up, entire table stunned

Daniella (PEPY staff) ran over, checked for basic CPR, but the man was alive. First one on the scene. Suddenly crowds formed

Peppi (PEPY staff) hopped on a bike and got the medical kit - man was alive, crowds moved him (our group was upset about it, but couldn't stop the large crowd)

The day before, Lucky (Cambodian guy traveling with the bikers) left bc his friend died in another bike accident, had a long talk about this is a sad reality in Cambodia - thought of him when I saw the man lying on the street

moved man to our table area, put seat cushions on floor. peppi back with the medical kit. daniella puts gloves on and locals think she is a doctor and let her help.

crowds now huge, tam pushing them back, kids peeking in

I'm trying to stay back and comfort others, or rather, we're comforting each other and watching

find out man was drunk, hit another bike, parents didnt want him to go to hopsital or with the police (yelling at us in Khmer) but red cross car was there within 10 min (medical center is 1k away) and he left,

Found the other man who's bike was hit, had bruised foot (drunk driver hit his foot), but he was OK

Everyone shocked. Sad down, told stories and sang but somber tone

SO impressed by fast reaction time and leadership skills, taking charge


That's it. I'm at the internet cafe to pick up my picture CDs right now, but we have a meeting tomorrow morning at 6am, so I need to get to bed. I seriously thought I had seen someone die tonight. I didn't see him fly, but when we heard the noise and I saw his red motorcycle flying through the air, I was scared. When I saw him lying on the ground, I was in shock. I have to give it to Daniella Papi (who also started PEPY, the organization, after going on the first ride) for her fast reaction time, really the most important thing. There was a moment where it felt like time stopped, everyone was to their feet, but surveying the situation from a distance, and when that moment broke (seconds later), Daniella was already THERE.

Ode to a Bad Toe

Oh, toe, why do you hurt me so?
All you do is give me woes!

You take away snowboarding, a marathon and shoes.
When are you going to get better and give me better news?

I went to Laos and couldn't raft.
I went to Cambodia and gave swimming the shaft.

It's time to get better.
It's time to heal up!
I want to play ball with the kids ala World Cup!

PEPY SCHOOL - Day 2

Last night we went to a restaraunt run by a Swiss organization that offers a free one-year training program in tourism to local youths, who learn from the couple running the place and hands-on experience at the inn and restaraunt. Pretty cool concept and extremely charming place. The place was a little hard to find (it was along the Mekong river but the roads were not lit past the city center), but within walking distance and dinner was amazing! The kids, in their late teens, are the first group, are about to complete the program and have all found jobs. I hope they do well.

Mekong Blue
We left Stung Treng really earlythis morning (6:15), stopping ast Mekong Blue, a local women's development center. Tam and I were up in the middle of the night, sweating and searching frantically for someone from the hotel, when our air conditioning wasn't working (and Tam still suffering from stomach problems), but the adreneline of knowing we were going to the school kept us going.
Once at Mekong Blue, we stopped in the cafe first and had vietnamese coffee and bread for breakfast (I think I am addicted to both!!) before it was time for an intro to the project and a tour of the center (which specializes in silk production and teaching practical working skills to rural women). They took us to the warehouse and showed us the looms and silk worms, which seemed much more of a hands-on process (or was on a smaller scale?) than the silk worm factory I visited in China few years ago. I was also really impressed by the canals of water around all the buildings (that keep bugs and critters who can't cross the moat out) and how much faith and passion womn put into project. The male co-manager started to explain the world they were doing at the center, but his female counterpart took over (impressive in Cambodia).

Day 2 at the School
When we arrived at the school, the kids were waiting for us (all of us excited about our reunion!). Today they were dressed in normal clothes. We learned that Thursday is not normally a school day in Cambodia, so there were also many kids that hadn't come back the second day. Next month (or in about 2 weeks) is New Years, so school will break for about a month then, as well, in order to celebrate (people don't celebrate birthdays until they are 50 in Cambodia so New Years is like one big birthday party for EVERYONE to celebrate getting a year older).

In addition to seeing less kids, 2 teaches and the principal didnt come. At first, some people were really turned off by this, but we soon realized this is another reality of Cambodian schools. When I talk about showing the kids we support their education and think it's important, we mean it, because sometimes the teachers can't even come or the kids have to work and that comes first. In addition, teachers make on average about $30 a MONTH in Cambodia, far under the poverty line. There are actually arguments AGAINST raising that amount (because it would take money away from the government), but this also means that most teachers need a second job. If the crops are good, they need to stay home and tend to them and can't go to work at school. PEPY has worked with bonus programs for good teacher attendance (and another NGO had a successful food-bonus program that seemed to help), but it's a big problem and part of the system. You hear it, but actually showing up and seeing it brought the reality home.

We split the kids that were there into classes and started wtih an environmental video in one room and a few of us organized a garbage pick-up game. It went really well (with prizes for the group that got the most), but we soon filled up all the bags we had brought and there was only a small, concrete barrel-like structure for burning the garbage, so we had to wait to get more so there was a place to put it afterwards.

One of the women in our group is a lawyer, married to a professional baseball player, so she brought t-shirts and hats from the team that we also handed out when they finished the video. We also gave all the kids PEPY t-shirts and water bottles (like a little thermos with a cup on top - from RDI - so they can try out the new, filtered water).

We played some games and ate at river again, little kids following behind us and stripping down to swim when we got to the water.

In the afternoon, we taught the kids an awesome song and game about greetings (the "Hello Everybody song") that Andy (the grad student doing his field research) had written while teaching in Japan. It was a big hit, but because even less kids were able to come back after lunch, not everyone got to do all the lessons we planned. Instead, however, we all worked on a big art project (drawing portraits and doing origami) and taught a few dances in the yard (Macarena, Electric Slide), hooking one of the intern's laptops and speakers up to the generator.

We didn't get to resume the garbage pick-up game (not enough kids and still nowhere to throw it), but when we were dancing, I tried to get a rock out of my shoe and realied it was a metal stick that had gone through my shoe! Thankfully it was just rubbing my foot, but between that and the peices of broken glass I found lyin around (the areas where the kids are walking without shoes!). I hope the lesson about garbage sticks (esp since it's not about culture, it's about safety and the environment)...

The day came to a close as we played with some of the little girls, no longer shy AT ALL. Before I knew it, the art lesson and everything was over and the doors were closed. It was time to leave. We said goodbyes (telling the 9th graders we would see them the next day for an outing to Kratie), but it was sad to leave some of the kids we had just started getting to know.

Back to Kratie
The bus ride back seemed long. I tried to hide tears as I read my book about the Khmer Rouge ("First They Killed My Father"), now imagining the faces of Cambodian children to match the names of those described in the book. We drove several hours and I fell asleep, waking up as we reached Kratie.

We went to a pizza place called the Rising Sun for dinner. On the way there, we passed tents of drink stands in a row, displaying fresh fruit and large metal grinders to make smoothies. There were some foreigners looking over the Mekong River, enjoying the warm (but not unbearably hot) weather. Once we got to the restaurant, it took a long time to get the pizza (and they put sausage on the vegetarian one "as a favor because they liked us"...hmm), but the food was good (especially the fries with cheese!). We've been told they'll usually ask you how "happy" you want your pizza to be in Cambodia, but the place seemed pretty innocent (never asked us and seemed fine afterwards) and the owner even drove his motorbike to the market to get sugar cane juice for me when they didn't have any. Had some beers and chatted with some ladies from the group, while the guys taught the Cambodian waiters pick-up lines at another table. Fun night.



We have a later start tomorrow, before meeting the kids. We're going to visit a local NGO (started by and run by a Cambodian staff!) to learn about opportunities that the kids might have to make a difference or help their community in the future. We're also going to see the dolphins and maybe swim a bit, so it should be a good day. We have HBO and hot water (sometimes a commodity) at the hotel, and the roads are dark, so I think I'm gonna head back and get clean before bed.

Afterthoughts
Ok, there is a LOT if info here (partially to share with people that really want it - hi mom - but also to just keep track of the little memories for myself). There might be some questions about whether the work we are doing (even the money we fundraised) is helpful, however, so I wanted to share with you this interview from the PEPY site.

It answers some aggressive, but also very realistic, questions like:

• Why is PEPY facilitating the introduction of the OLPC $100 laptop? A laptop is not what a poor rural Cambodian schoolchild needs. On top of that, it’s expensive, requires maintenance, will become outdated, AND it’ll require the construction of electricity and telecommunications infrastructures.
• Are you
• Is PEPY actually doing any good for Cambodia?

Personally, I think says a lot about PEPY, but also gives insight into NGOs and the situation in Cambodia. Worth checking out!

Wednesday - Stung Treng

Wednesday evening - checking in from Stung Treng
Well, we made the long trip to the PEPY Ride II School in Ourussei Kandal, about 30km south of Stung Treng! The bikers met us here and will also be visiting the lower-secondary school (grades 7-9, but ages vary from 13 to 18). I think this is actually the first big experiential trip to the PEPY Friends School (PFS), or PEPY Ride School II, besides one visit from two interns and another small group (of bikers?) a year ago. It will be interesting to see how the kids react to us (and how our group reacts to the kids... we're pretty excited, but I am curious how our lessons and plans will go).

Wait, What are you doing in Cambodia again?
So to give a little background (before I get on with the school info and our awesome visit today), I'm here with PEPY Ride (http://www.pepyride.org/), which started as a bike ride across Cambodia to support schools several years ago and has since evolved into a non-profit organization that offers aid to two schools (The Pepy Ride School and the one we're visiting) and tours to people that want to have a more meaningful travel experience or "give back".

The first PEPY school, located in Siem Riep, has been a big success, so last year PEPY started supporting this second school in north-eastern Cambodia. PEPY is based in Pnom Penh and the schools are obviously a little spread out, but it provides a good opportunity to offer help in more rural areas (where there may be more need for bikes, etc) while giving PEPY a destination for bike tours.

So far, the organization's main focus has been to support education through programs like PEPY's Bike-To-School Program, which addresses the need to merely get to school (seriously) by providing bikes to students in rural areas (generally as a reward for excellent attendance). Many students live a considerable distance from the school (or any school), so something as simple as transportation can be the difference between getting to school and not going at all. I guess the program also serves as an incentive for parents to allow or encourage their kids to go to school and serves as motivation to pursue a higher education.

Part of our mission on this trip is to help fix some of the broken bikes, build a shelter for them, teach classes (some art, some games & some English - which they study already and is practically as it's a prereq. for any university and many jobs in Cambodia)


More on WHY we're here & Education in Cambodia
It's hard to imagine this situation coming from America, but statistics provided by the UNDP and Cambodia Demographic and Health Survey show that 78% of Cambodian school children who enter elementary school drop out before secondary school. So yes, the 9th graders we are working with are in the TOP 30% for education in their country. NINTH GRADE! However - and here is where PEPY comes in - these children are 60% more likely to attend secondary school if there is a bike in the family. Often in rural areas, secondary school is up to 10k away. By providing bikes to graduating 6th graders with high attendance rates, we're helping to address these problems in ways that have been proven to make a difference. At the school I visited in Stung Treng, the BTS program has donated or lent 190 bikes to 6th and 7th grade students, while students who graduate 9th grade are given ownership of the bike.

First Day at the School
We got up early and drove the 100k to PEPY school. When we arrived, the kids were inside the building, basically a one-story yellow concrete structure with about 6 doors to classrooms and windows looking out onto the balcony. A few small children ran around the yard and we met some of the other students, who were shy and timid at first but looked very disciplined (or at least resembled my Japanese kids) in their uniforms of blue bottoms and white shirts.

A lot of people are starting to get sick (from water dehydration, food or maybe side effects to the Malaria medication?) so there was a bee line to the bathrooms, a separate small building that looked like a concrete outhouse with two stalls (perpendicular to each other). As is normal in Cambodia, there were squatters (hole surrounded by white porcelain with marked placed for your feet) inside with a small vat of water next to it (with a water scoop with handle) to use instead of toilet paper and to flush the toilets. We set up camp (putting out toilet paper and bags to throw it in - there are no manual flushes in most places and the plumbing can't handle the paper) and then headed over to the school building, the students now coming out of the classrooms and waving shyly, to meet the staff and our two interpreters.

After doing a round of self-introductions (names and countries for us, names and subjects for the teachers) and hearing a little bit about the school, we broke into groups and headed out to start our projects. I was in the bike shelter group, so I went to meet the kids I was heading into the jungle with and we set off (with a trail of little kids following). It was incredible - we actually pulled down vines from the trees, beat them with a large stick to make the bark come off (kendo technique works - had the students doing "Samurai style" in about 10 min!), and then tied them into wreaths that we carried around our waists. Most plants had GIANT thorns and I recognized a lot of the large termite masses that we had seen in Nepal's Chitwan Park (actually, Cambodia and Nepal have a lot of similar natural features...erm, save for the Himalayas). After we had collected enough vines (and tasted a few berries the kids said were safe), we headed back to the main yard where we helped tear down the roof of the existing bike shelter (large palm leaves) and moved some branches that we would be tying together for walls. There were cattle roaming around the yard, so part of the reason for a better shelter was to protect the cows from knocking over and damaging the bikes.

The students taught us how to cut the top of the vines and then peel them, twisting them little by little to make twine (rope). At first, I showed them how to tie a square knot (thanks Girl Scouts) as we started putting the walls of the shelter up, but they showed me other local methods that we would use when adding beams to the roof. I was dirty, sweaty, hot... and had the time of my life! It was fun to talk to the kids while we worked on a project together. And while I know this was a school and they could have been in class, I am pretty sure the reality of the situation is that the kids have to do these kinds of projects anyways (if they do them) so being there to help shows we do want to help and improve their lives, that we want to hang out with them, get to know them, and believe in them. We are going to introduce our lessons tomorrow, but I think we might also do some garbage pick-up (the yard is strewn with wrappers). Another group of PEPY volunteers is showing the water filter videos to the kids, class by class, and showing them how to clean the filters while we are building the shelter and others are fixing the bikes (and teaching the kids how to make simple repairs). It's pretty cool.

When we decided to break for lunch, a lot of people wanted to keep working, but we were told we needed to leave. If we didn't, they couldn't lock the building, so the kids or staff wouldn't be able to leave. They normally all go home for lunch, so if they couldn't leave, no lunch. So, our group walked down the main dirt road to a nearby river (BEAUTIFUL stream in the jungle with butterflies everywhere and stepping stones to go across the water) and had a picnic. Some kids came down and went swimming, letting the current carry them over the rocks. One of the PEPY interns told us they are trying to make the area an eco-tourism destination to bring in some revenue. I think it could actually do well, but it makes me sad to think that areas like the one we are in could turn into tourist stomping grounds like many areas of Thailand.

We had some extra food (sandwiches), so we gave some of it to the kids, and as we were walking back to the school, we noticed one little girl throw the Styrofoam on the ground. I guess until sort of recently, they used to wrap food in banana leaves, which the kids COULD throw on the ground, and many people just haven't been taught that it doesn't work the same with with plastic. We picked uo the Styrofoam and showed the girl how to put it in a bin, but I think the garbage exercise tomorrow will be good. The school yard is lined with a sort of razor-edged barbed wiring, and there is even garbage in that. At home, we wouldn't call it an environment for children, but here, hopefully little by little, just learning little things can make a bigger difference in the long run, especially considering these kids are in the higher throngs of the education level in Cambodia and have the potential to be community leaders (give a man a fish, he eats for a day, but teach him to fish and he eats for life!).

In the afternoon, we continued to show the water videos and I played soccer with some kids (felt sooo good to move!), which quickly turned into a huge passing game and then a volleyball game. By mid-afternoon, we were friends with the kids and didn't want to leave. I'm looking forward to finish the bike shelter tomorrow, too... more to come!

Selling Fruit - Reflection

As is the case with any touristy place you go in most of SE Asia, there were way too many little girls (avg age about 10) aggressively trying to get you to buy things from them at the spider town. I did buy fruit after talking to one girl for a while, but it is so sad how fast these kids grow up.

It makes me want to get to know them better and look forward to the next few days at the school even more. As we learn about development programs in Cambodia, I can't help to think about all the people that still aren't affected by the aid we are giving... but why it is important to help on a small scale if you can.

I should mentioned that one of the fellow members on my trip actually had a really bad experience with the kids that left her in tears. She went up to a few children who were singing and tried to say hello. When they asked for money and she didn't oblige, they suddenly changed their attitudes and became mean and aggressive. They said some awful things and snarled at her. She was bawling, and cried when she tried to explain the situation later, but one of the PEPY volunteers told us the same thing happened to her in Siem Riep. Another girl shot me nasty looks and said something (I assume was not nice) to the others and turned away, only to come back and give me more nasty looks when I didn't want to buy any pineapple. These kids can be aggressive, yes, but I think the mean looks are all part of a game they are taught. It's a survival skill. Maybe it does guilt-trip some people into buying something (the profit from which often goes to a "manager", not the kids, by the way) and the act is just exploiting their situation.

For many of these kids, there isn't an alternative to working. They should be in school, yes, but I learned in India (and know it applies elsewhere) that if you get a kid off the street, there isn't always a school for them to go to (this is hopefully where the Bike to School Program helps!!) and the money they are earning may be dinner for their family. The alternative of getting them out of a job like selling fruit may be something much worse.

There's some food - or fruit - for thought.

Reflections on my first days in Cambodia and Phnom Penh

NGO Snapshot
After receiving a very somber introduction to Cambodia's recent history and political background and getting to know more about the thousands of NGOs here over the last few days (heard there were over 1,500 NGOs in Phnom Penh alone, many of them with paid employees, however, which differs from PEPY...), I have very mixed feelings about the current situation in Cambodia. I'm still digesting. To be honest, after hearing about some of the inefficiencies and mismanagment of some well-known and large organizations that do charity and devlopment work, and then learning about everything that is out there, all I could think about was that this truly is like the Wild Wild West of aid work. I learned about PEPY from a friend that participated in one of the trips a few years ago (word of mouth is key!), but coming here and seeing it first hand, I am truly really happy and proud to involved with such a responsible organization. While PEPY (which stands for Protect the Environment, Protect Yourself) focuses on education and provides an outlet for people to combine their travel plans with opportunities to give, they also partner with educational, environmental and health organizations throughout Cambodia to carry out the PEPY mission.

For me, the visit to Rural Development International (RDI or RDIC), a friend of PEPY and water-filtering-NGO-of-sorts that also supports projects and initiatives such as water quality research, water pumps and filteration systems and research, had an especially strong impact. It was also something we will be educating the school about in the upcoming days. I guess I just assumed that the we couldn't drink the water here because we didn't have enough time to build an immunity to the bacteria (in China, for example, you can wean yourself onto the water with a little time, patience and a strong stomach), but I hadn't imagined that it would also be unsafe for the Khmer people or that there would be such ineffeciences in programs designed to dig wells for clean water (even organized by UNESCO and UNTEC) that end up just making the problems worse. To put numbers to a cause, did you know that diahreal disease is the #1 killer of children in the developing world and that a filter can reduce the disease by 40%?! I am not sure how accurate those stats are (how easy that would be to measure), but I believe it could be close... and that is huge.

We were given a tour by a 24-year-old employee that had come to Cambodia on a study abroad trip, run into an old family friend working on the project during his stay and decided to come back. He definiately "got it" (the way things work in this culture, the industry, the way NGOs should work together and how to present an idea and a project) and also served as a very good example of the kind of people who really can and are making positive changes for developing countries like Cambodia that really need the help. Granted, not everyone wants or can afford to just pick up everything and move abroad to volunteer for a few years, but "voluntourism" is increasing and with it the information about why this work is important is spreading.

After giving us a tour and lesson on water filters (that we would then give to the kids and teachers the next day at the school), we watched a video and go to see the animals on site and check out some of the other projects RDI is working on. Again, completely blown away. As we were leaving, the guide said something that really stuck with me. He said that the good thing about Cambodia is that there are so many NGOs and that the government gives them free range. He continued to explain that the bad thing about Cambodia is that there are so many NGOs and that the governent gives them free range. It's a good time to be here, but also amazing to see how fast things are changing. Responsibility, knowledge and undetanding of what you're doing is so essential, too, though.

On The Road Again.... Kratie
On Tuesday morning, we had an early breakfast of french bread (a delicious bi-product of French colonialism and it's influence on Cambodia and Laos) and headed out around 7:45. We had rented a private bus for the group and put our packs in the back. Some people were starting to feel sick (probably from heat exaustion and the food) and one guy did get sick in the back of the bus, but it was dealt with so quickly that I barely noticed what had happened.

The trip from Phnom Penh to Kratie, a heavily forested area spanning the Mekong River, took about 7 hours and provided ample opportunity to appreciate the beautiful scenery (raised, wooden houses with thatched roofs, water buffalo, endless patties across murky colored water or plots of farm) and only included one bathroom stop in the jungle:) We also made a short stop in Skuon, a town about 50 miles north of the capitol, famous for DEEP FRIED SPIDERS! (those of you that know Tam won't be surprised that this was her one, golden request). Well, after trying both a grasshopper and cockroach on the train to Laos (with a lot of beer to wash it down), I decided to go for it and tasted a leg of one of the crawly critters. The turantuala was covered in BBQ sauce and tasted like... crab. The big build up and lack of a climax raised my curiousity for other things so I actually ended up trying a little frog too before we continued on.

The roads are pretty bumpy, so I was impressed when we arrived just shortly before the bikers (there are about 8 of us on a "regional experintial trip," while another 6 or so are biking across the country through the same organization). We have spent some time with the bikers and I am definitely interested in learning more about bike tourism. They'll be joining us for the school portion and might bus back with us, too, so I am sure I'll have a chance to get to know them better and hear more about their trip up.

Upon arrival in Kratie, we had a little time to explore so I walked to the central commercial area (market) with Tam. Kratie is famous for being the best place in the country (or maybe the world?) to see the rare Irrawaddy dolphins, so it is not uncommon for people travelling to Laos to stop here, but the town still has a more relaxed feel. The roads are lined with now-cracking white sidewalks and lines of trees, with tents selling food and tables sharing the river front with the street lamps lining the edge. The place we were supposed to stay (Cambodian owned and run) apparently shut down, so we are staying in an old French-style hotel near the river. I don't think you would call it luxurious, but I find the place very charming, especially the large bannister inside. Many of the buildings around Cambodia reveal this style, but especially this town as it was spared the war-time bombing that destroyed other provincial centers and still reflects the French.

We also visited a nearby mountain, overlooking the Mekong, with a temple at the top of it. I missed the sunset (was at the temple area), but I was surprised to find only female monks at the sight and enjoyed looking around at the colorful paintings in some buildings and old, wooden houses build over the hill. Apparently men do come and visit the temple, but only women live there. I also noticed a plastic water filter very similar to the ones we learned about at RDI as I was peaking around, only this one had a huge UNESCO sticker slapped across the side. I was sort of surprised to see this, but was happy when one of the PEPY interns had also noticed it and brought it up in a conversation I was having with a group (about the NGOs we visited) shortly after. From what I understand, the UN does try to offer similar programs to what the smaller NGOs (like the ones I have been discussing) provide, but there are sometimes pitfalls when they transplant approaches that worked elsewhere into Cambodia without taking cultural differences into consideration (or without adequatte checks post-operation). So maybe the filters are delivered, but they don't educate people on how to clean them. Or maybe they build a well, but they don't test the water and it turns out to be bad, or the well makes the people angry because it changes the power balance and social structure of the village it was introduced to (like the women used to walk to the river, and now they lost their alone time).

I touched on this when talking about RDI and these are much bigger issues, some which I would like to address later, but I received some very interesting perspectives from people who have witnessed the effects of these projects (from long-term residence here) and spent a long time studying them. Granted, there are always going to be mistakes along the way, but it also reenforces why even small programs like PEPY are important.


Dinner was nice, the normal cuisine of rice with curry, veggies, fish soup and big bottles of water. The guy running the cafe (or working there at the time?) was actually from Little Falls, Minnesota and QUITE the talker (heard at least three big family stories before I could get away), but funny to find a little taste of home in such a random place.


School TOMORROW!
We leave early in the morning for the school (about 100k on paved road - yay! - be there in no time). I'm pretty pumped. I am a little worried Tam (the friend from Japan I came with and have been rooming with) is getting ill, as she's had some stomach pains, but hopefully she'll feel better soon. It's no fun being sick abroad and we're about to embark upon the most important part of the trip.

I'm also looking forward to going to the school because I have been really craving some down-time with the local people here and want to meet these kids. We're going to be building a shelter for the bikes, doing maintenance on the bikes, teaching classes and teaching about the water filters we are bringing (how to clean them and how they work), but I thinkt he down-time is equally as important as all of those things.

PEPY has been amazing and we have been doing a lot, but besides Lucky, the Cambodian bike guide traveling with the bikers (who incidentally happens to be the Cambodian Olympic bike team capt and one of the most cheerful people I have ever encountered!) and the people working at the places we have visited, I haven't had more than a few brief encounters or conversations with the local people living here. I am sure part of that has to do with the fact that I am traveling with a group (so I have been talking to the PEPY people and groups can be inidimidating to confront) and I haven't been planning everything on my own, so less contact with people in that process. I have also learned a LOT about the country from the people that HAVE been here for a while and we are meeting, but I'm definitely ready to try to struggle through some of the communication on my own.

Pnom Penh, Day 2

The internet is SO slow, so I'm not going to have time to write much. Just wanted to check in quickly.

We had a pretty heavy morning with a visit to S21 (a secondary school that was used as a concentration camp during the civil war) and the Killing Fields. Over 2 million people died in Cambodia under the rule of the Khmer Rouge in the 70s (the number is including those that died due to starvation, illness, etc), and anyone who was educated or wore glasses was executed. A lot to digest. Even today, there are many unrecovered landmines and you see amputees around the city. So many people we meet today lost someone in their family. The tragedy was bigger than the holocaust, but it's amazing to think of how recent it is. The most striking moments for me this morning were first listening to the guide at S21 tell about her husband, children and family being killed (everyone working at S21 lost relatives) and then seeing pictures of people who were held prisoner or worked for the regime from the period and then recent pictures and telling about their situations now, sharing their accounts about why they were involved or what influenced them at the time to do some of the unthinkable things they did. Fear is a powerful thing.

Later on, we visited several NGOs, including NYEMO, an incredible business and factory run by and for local women, and a non-profit water filteration company who taught us how to clean water filters (made from local materials and clay) so we can train the teachers at the PEPY school this week. It's amazing to see what these people are doing and re-enforces how important education is (in addition to technology...if it was just technology, it would already be done, right?).

Tomorrow morning we are heading to the school in the rural northeast (7 hour busride) and I'm getting pumped about meeting the kids. I'm working with a fellow from London on a lesson about different kinds of English slang (someone else already took my origami idea...shoot!) and I think we're going to help build a bike shelter.

I have to head out, but I hope to write more about the experience shortly. I'm pretty grimy (hair is STRAW) and need a shower before dinner, but this might be my last internet time for a bit. Last night, we checked out the night market (stocked with garments from local factories...including Target brands, of all things...brings me back...) but we might explore a bit after our last NGO visit and dinner tonight. It'll be an early morning and the city closes down around 11, anyways, so we'll see. The foot is feeling better too, btw, but isn't totally healed... OK for some play time with the children however :)

I'm filled with observations, questions and stories but that just means I have more to tell later! Hope you all have had a lovely weekend and wish us luck over the next few days! Off to Katie!

First Day with the PEPY Team

I am happily writing to you now from an internet cafe near our hotel in Pnom Pheng ("Pa-nom Pang"), the capital city of Cambodia. I haven't been here long, but it's been a full day and isn't yet over. We met the PEPY Ride contacts at the airport when we came in around 12, exchanged some money (for the first time since arriving in SE Asia... everything has been closed!) and took a tuktuk (or rather, a large, wagon-like motorized rickshaw) directly to the center of town where we met the rest of the group at the hotel. There are 8 of us on our leg of the trip, most of which whom have some connection to Japan and all of which strike me as very inspirational, exciting and energetic people. I am greatly looking forward to getting to know them better and working with them over the next week.

We dropped our bags off and joined everyone else for some fresh coconuts at the cafe next to our hotel. After going through the details of the week ahead and doing a bit of self-introducing among the members of the group (ranging from newly-mynted bachelors teaching abroad and a former Peace Core volunteer to a lawyer from the US East Coast), we walked about 10 minutes to a small building next to a temple where we would meet a Budhist monk and be blessed for safe journeys and good luck over the next week. Tam and I had already participated in Baji (like Indian Pujaa - or prayer ceremony - in Vietviane - and now added a red string bracelet to the white one on our right wrists). After the blessing, we lit several incense and headed off again, still within only hours of arriving, and headed over to the the Palace. A guide met us as we wandered around the grounds and learned about the beautiful structures, a bizarre blend of French classic and Khamer styles (the coronation hall reminded me a lot of the palace in Bangkok on the outside and Versailles on the inside, an ironic but true observation). Cambodia was once considered the "jewel" in colonial France's crown, so it makes sense that both the palace and city resemble a more European-influenced version of Bankok...just a strange mesh the first time you see it. After the palace, we went to the National Museum, but only got a quick peak inside the front as the lights were off for the day (with 30 minutes left...hmm). I'll try to make it back before I leave to get a better tour, but it was a busy afternoon for the first day in this lively place.

After the palace, we walked for a bit before the PEPY leaders told us we could head back to the hotel. While Pnom Pheng is an exciting city, it is still a developing country and the infrastructure (including roads) are not up to western standards. This means that is can be pretty dusty and dirty. Between adjusting to the new environment and just walking (and travel in the morning!), we were tired and glad to hear that we would have a few hours of free time before visiting Friends, a locally-run NGO that runs a restaurant and shops to provide a place for street children, so we headed back. After quick showers, the next highlight of the day came when Tam and I used our free time to try out the traditional Chinese (?) suction cup massage (to release toxins), so I now have a series of what look like purple hickies across my back but am feeling good (definitely less toxic...haha), having a fabulous time.

I should run, but I am feel so lucky to be here and ecstatic about the week to come. We're going to be in the remote, northern part of Cambodia for a few days, where I definitely won't have internet access, but I'll try to check in as much as possible. In the meantime, I'll try to write once more about tomorrow (visit to S21, sort of a school turned concentration camp used during the Khamer Rouge rule and civil war, the Killing fields and several NGOs). Until then, thanks for checking in!

Thailand and the Floating Market

While we didn't have more than a day and a half in Thailand, we decided to make it our starting point. The decision was mostly based on the cheap airfare, but the bussling streets of Bangkok really are a nice place to come back to (although I am sure the beaches would be even more welcoming on a second trip!).

We arrived in Thailand in the evening and took a two hour cab ride to Damnoen Saduak, the town famous for the large "floating markets" about 2 hours outside of Bangkok. It was well past midnight when we arrived, so there wasn’t much to do besides check into a hotel the first night after the taxi dropped us off. Our first lesson of the trip also came when we tried to get the taxi and realized the standard fares (or at least the rates they tell you to aim to bargain for) were way off. This is probably an indication of inflation, a rise in tourism and basically a lag between publication and distribution, but we just had to suck it up and pick a new "rule of half" to live by (basically taking the given price, cutting it in half, and bargaining to a happy medium from there).

The second day was an early one. We were up before the sun, walking along the river (not near/on the market, but down a sleepy canal from the main area), exploring the local food stands in dusty parking lots as vendors set up shop, trying some mighty spicey breakfast delights and getting our bearings in this delightful, yet foreign, little water town. It’s only been a year since I was last in Thailand, but seeing the palm trees and fauna light up with the sunrise sent shivers of glee down my spine. We saw an old man wading through a swamp, literally tilling the cover of lillies and paddies down one side-street and spent the rest of our time trying to manuever our way around the various wild dogs running around the street and crazy traffic (teaching us that breaking should not be taken for granted!). I couldn’t have been happier.

At 6:30am, we headed back to the hotel to meet our boat driver (had arranged a tour of the market the night before) who led us to the riverfront and helped us into our wooden, Toyota-engine-powered, banana-shaped boat for a private tour along the back canals. The canals were like streets and even formed blocks of houses– think the canals of Venice with a tropical background. I think our driver took us near the area he lived in because he seemed to know a lot of people, who also smiled and waived. There wasn’t another tourist around and the people were so nice! While it is possible to walk along the main canals to the big markets on wooden planks outside houses and makeshift shops, there were no walking paths (other than grass and dirt) where the driver led us, making it seem all the more exotic. In addition to bright-colored flowers lining houses and small gold-laden temples (or shrines?), we also saw several large monkeys and even a water monitor (basically a big lizzard).

After about 30 minutes, we arrived at several shops, stands set up along the banks, putting out their wares and calling for us to buy something "at a good price!" We kindly informed them we weren't there to shop, just look, and continued on to the main market, which was marked by food boats, but still empty of tourists. Granted, this is pretty trampled tourist ground and the market would soon be packed with other westerners streaming (or paddling?) in on a day trip from Bangkok (9am is the magic time, folks!), it seemed very magical and adventurous at the time. Like the few places we had seen before, the big marketplace is called a market because there are stalls on either side of the canals selling tourist goods while other banana boats make their way down the middle of the lane, with food fare on board (everything from fuit to drinks to soup!). We still weren’t there to shop as much as look (yes, I did just say that), however, so we just enjoyed the serenity, scenery and experience.

After going down the main market area, our tour ended and we were dropped off. Tam and I decided to walk down to look at the markets from the side (or above, I guess). When we arrived at the area, after walking those wooden planks for about 10 minutes (and getting attacked by red ants on the way!), I realized the marketactually did sprawl out further than just the river banks onto dry-land and resembled your typical, open-air, Asian markets by foot...just with a more tropical setting than the rumbling cities. After taking poking around, taking a gazzilion and one pictures and getting our fill of the fruit shakes and Thai cuisine for the morning (I must have had three entrees – it was ridiculous, but too hard to resist!), we headed back to the hotel to rest for a while before taking a boat to Bangkok. The busride took about 2 hours, was pretty comfortable and cost us a whopping 63 baht (two dollars).

Our time in Bangkok was limited, so we spent most of it looking around the Palace area and Koh San Road (the foreign grotto of Banglamphu). We did a little shopping (looking for bridesmaids gifts for my best friends weddings and this is a good place for silver), taste-tested some more delicious thai food (including a cockroach and a cricket!!!...had to use beer as a chaser...) and got one-hour Thai Massages (where they twist and turn you with their entire bodies as tools, relieving any aches by force!) before going to the train station to catch our train.

Alright, I am not going to go as far as to say I am control freak, but I do like to be informed when I travel. That being said, figuring stuff out when you get to your destination is part of the fun and experience, but is not always realistic when you are short on time. When my buddy first introduced the idea of checking out Laos for the weekend on our way to Cambodia (we live in the same area of Japan but decided to participate in the same NGO independantly), I was all for it. I took a back seat and let her make all the plans because she's always really on top of it, but the one thing I really should have been better about was warning her about the trains in Thailand. The Thai are very proud of the fact that they were never a colony, but that also means that they never benefited from the transportation structures introduced by the industrialized colonies that controlled the other SE Asian countries. It's often faster to take a bus than the train in Thailand (and cheaper!) and flights aren't too bad, either. All that being said, when I heard about the plan to take an overnight train from Bangkok to Laos (about a 11 hour trip vs. a one hour flight), I thought,"sure, why not?" We had first-class seats for a fraction of the price of other forms of transportation (so basically our own room, but more of the Chinese soft-sleeper variant of first-class than the Orient express....), so it seemed like just a moving hotel.

We got on th train, waited for it to leave and fell asleep. Woke up a few hours later and the train hadn't left. Hmm. Alright. Asked another passenger and the delay time was going to be a few hours. Well, it turned out that the train before ours had been hit by a truck, derailed and the delay turned into more than TEN hours (making that one hour flight look pretty nice compared to our 23 HOUR ride!). When I awoke for the new day around 5:30 am, we were just pulling out of Bangkok. We did get to look at the landscapes, did a lot of reading and napping and met some quirky, but fun, travelers in the food car, but what a long day! It cost us a day in Laos and mad us reshuffle our plans a bit... but having arrived, I'm still just happy to be here.

Once we arrived at the boarder, we took a tuk-tuk to immigration with some Norwegian boys and a French-Canadian (the immigration office was closed, but the boarder was still selling short-term tourist visas until 9:30...whew!), walked across the boarder, took a truck with some other people across the "Friendship Bridge" and were dropped off in the middle of the capital. And we were in LAOS!

So that's it for Thailand (a rather long account for 2 days, no?). There's so much more to tell about the smells, dust, atmosphere, energy and music (sensory overload...it's a rush!)... but I'll hopefully be able to include them in comparisons with our upcoming travels in Cambodia and Laos. More soon and here's to safe travels!

Hello from Vietiane, Laos

Hello from Laos! Well, we made it safely and it is NICE to be back in SE Asia!

Overall, it's been a smooth ride, but we did have a setback on the way to laos. My travel mate did a fantastic job planning and crossing her t's when planning our travel itinerary from Thailand to Laos (which I left to someone else for once), but the train before ours derailed, causing our 10 hour, overnight train from Thailand to Laos to take a whopping 23 hours (compared to a one hour flight!). That being said, we did get a lot of reading and sleep in - and met some interesting people in the dining car on the way - so I would call the experience anything but lacking since we arrived. Due to the change in schedule, however, we're spending our remaining two days in Laos in Vietviane ("Viet - chan"), the capital city, before flying down to Cambodia to meet the rest of our PEPY group on Sunday morning. I can't wait to meet the group, but I'm also really happy to be here this weekend.

My first impression is that Laos (pronounced "Lao") is that it's certainly more laid-back than Thailand, for example, and while there are a lot of foreigners in this small capital city, it doesn't feel as tourity, either. The romantic charm of the French colonial era strongly mingles with the traditions and religions of the region and the sunny disposition of the lao people we have met is almost contagious. To give one example of how warmly we have been received, my friend and I took a side-trip (backroads on the tuk-tuk are a thrill!) to visit this crazy meadow filled with giant Budha statues an hour out of town today. By chance, we ended up spending several hours hanging out and talking with two monks our age who seemed like old friends after a short period of time and who wanted to exchange email addresses (yes, they had cell phones and email at the temple!) with us when we left. Even I was a little surprised by that one, but people are very open.

Other than that trip, we enjoyed a cup of the local joe and french pastries for breakfast, explored the morning market before hitting the main temples in the city early in the morning and ended the afternoon with enjoying a fruit shake and the sunset on the Mekong. While there are still a lot of underdeveloped areas (and I have heard the effects of all the bombs dropped during the 'Nam era can be seen in a lot of the rural areas - making them very different from the city - especially in the north), I know there is a LOT more beauty to this little country than the charm of the capital city and I am sorry that we won't get to explore it on this trip. The original plan was to go north to Viet Vien - about three hours by bus - for a day of tubing or else to doa safari with wild elephants, but given the train delay (and no water due to a bum toe for me/ new tattoo for my travel buddy), I guess we'll still happily take what we've got for this introduction.

Anyways, I should go but I will send further updates soon. This is just a quick check-in to say we've arrived safely and are having a fabulous time. There is a large french festival taking place along the Mekong River (in the center of town) with live music, performing artists (one woman was seriously singing french opera in a 40 foot long, blood-red dress while large peices of fruit danced around her hem last night!!), but in general, the town closes down at 11... the internet place is going to close and I need to run! Haha, we spent too long getting herbal massages (it's sooooo hard to type, I'm so relaxed right now!) and a quick haircut (got bangs!)...but, as promised, more later.

Until then, thanks for checking in and happy weekend :)

Get, Set, South East Asia!

I'm preparing to leave for the trip and am filled with excitement, some nerves and a lot of anticipation. I'm not bringing much and my toe is still not completely healed (ended up buying Crocs, doctor's orders), but I am mentally more than ready.

Last night was a St. Patty's dinner/party in Sannomiya with some good friends and their guests from abroad. I just have to say I am really grateful for some of the great people I have met during this phase of my ife. I think I need a break from Japan for a little bit (or vacation in general?), but it is also really good to know that I'm still looking forward to coming back here.

Gotta run. Next update to come from the road....

The Weekend Review - (all) Over Osaka

Well, today has been really quiet and slow, but I almost feel like Friday was a week ago after this weekend - it was definitately a long one!

I was originally going to go boarding in Nagano this weekend, but because of the bum toe, I stayed in Kansai. I still really want to go, but there are some pretty good deals available throughought the year and the ski parks are apparently open (with good conditions) through May, so I might still go next month when i get back from Cambodia.

Taking advantage of the unexpected extra time in the area, I met Brianne, my Minnesota friend that lives in Kobe, on Friday night. We both had dinner before and just went for a little walk and found a bench to just sit and chat on for a while. The weather has been nice and it's been ages since I've just walked around Kobe, so I really enjoyed it. Brianne was busy getting ready for her parents to arrive later in the night, so we ended up going to a local foreigner bar so I could meet up with a group to go to a concert. I stuck around at Happy Hour and found some of the people from the group, but the girl who had a friend playing in the band (and most of the rest of the group) couldn't make it so we ended up looking for the venue and then just going to a bar to sit and talk for a while before last train.

I've been really tired lately (not totally sure why) and ended up falling asleep and missing my stop on the way home, but luckily I had a friend somewhat near to where I did get off and just spent the night at her place. It was definitely a little adventure, but not recommended if it can be avoided!

I met my ladies on Saturday morning and headed back to the foot doc. The doctor is not in a very convenient location for me and I knew I was cutting it short on time betwee engagements with travel time, so when I got to Akashi to take a train to the hospital and saw the trains were 20 minutes late, I knew I wasn't going to make it. In addition to being closed on weekends, hospitals also close for the afternoon here (don't ask...I don't get it either... it's definitely not for siesta), so I would have had to change all my plans and go in the afternoon if I missed my earlier appointment. I hopped a cab in Akashi and the guy was sort of rude at first, but when i told him my foot hurt and I needed to get to Fukuyama Hospital as fast as I could, he took the charge seriously. I think I actually felt my stomach hit my throat with the way this guy was driving, but the ride was less expensive than I expected (base fare is usually ￥630 and the meter adds up fast!) and I made it in time!

This time, both brothers tended to my toe. It was actually pretty amusing. The older brother was bickering with the one that put my most recent bandage on last week about doing it too tightly... definitely a sibling conversation/argument more than a professional one, but it was entertaining to watch. It was also fun to use Japanese with them, even both of them speak English really well. I was scared about going to a hospital on my own last week, but it's been easier to communicate than i expected. My toe still isn't better and the doctors still want me to go to a hospital in Cambodia (told them it was probably not possible...) and told me I can swim "at my own risk", but I think I'm going to get special bandages to use starting next week and hope to be better before we leave Laos this weekend. Fingers crossed!

After the doc, I had a relaxing afternoon. I just went home for a while, wrote an article, checked email and talked to some good friends in America on the phone for a few hours. I've been getting a lot of random life updates from people I haven't been in touch with lately (and am honestly really starting to miss), but one of the updates threw me into shock (and prompted the phone calls) when I found out that four of my girlfriends from college (all married and some old coworkers) are now pregnant. I got the news about one other good friend last month and now have heard from other girlfriends that they have plans for families. OK, I know I am hitting that age where poeple get married and have kids (did I just write that?), but maybe the timing just crept up more slighly because I have been abroad... Wow. I'm really happy and excited for the girls and happy with where I am, but it's funny to think that so many of my friends having children soon! Talk about a life change!

On Saturday night, I was going to hang out with girlfriends in either Himeji or Osaka, but sort of wanted a change of scene for the day so I headed towards Osaka to meet up with a group for mexican and bowling. It was my first time "playing bowling" in Japan and was pretty much the same as what you find in America. I was surprised to find that bowling was so popular here when I came, but the only real difference is that people do it at home for a cheap date, while it can actually get to be fairly expensive here (I think we played 4 games for about $27...yikes!). Whatever bowling skills I may have once had have definitely dissapeared (one game I am not in to win...) but it was a lot of fun.

On Sunday morning, had another Japan first: movie theater at 9am! It was the very last showing of Planet Earth (the film version of the BBC series). I didn't know it was going to be in Japanese or that it was at a regular movie theater (and thus regular movie theater price at $20 a ticket... OUCH), but the movie was excellent. I understood some of it, asked a Japanese friend that was with for some help with the kanji (can't blame me for not knowing vocab like equator yet...haha) and thoroughly enjoyed the amazing photography. The waterfall scene was breathtaking and I really like the walruses at the end. If you haven't seen the show or the movie, I really recommend it (um, but don't pay $20... no movie is worth $20). In hindsight, I must say I was SHOCKED that the theatre (a large cinemaplex in central Osaka) was PACKED on a Sunday morning (the movie started at 9am, people), but there's a popular movie for children that just came out (Doraemon) and there were a lot of families....interesting.

After the movie, I grabbed some breakfast and headed to a BBQ at a friend's house in Takarazuka (also near Osaka). I've been to parties and concerts where we've BBQ'd in Japan, but this was my first actual BBQ... and I have to admit I missed the scene. I am not super close with the group that was there, so it was fun, but I definately think it would be wise to set up our own little pit with my girlfriends and closer friends in Japan sometime. The cherry blossoms will be blooming when I get back from Cambodia, so I actually think I might set it up myself - ideal activity at an ideal time to be outside! I guess the only other thing to say about that night was that I also made my very first onigiri (rice balls), which is EASY, I know... but it was a first. I botched the very first one (made it too small and tried to add more rice too late). I took a lot of teasing for how bad it turned out, but it WAS funny-looking and there is a first time for everything, so I guess it was just practice for my next BBQ!

The BBQ went pretty late, but the school year and classes are over, so I didn't have much to do on Monday. Overall, fun weekend, but just really busy. It would have been fun to get some time in with my girlfriends (the ones I didn't meet in Himeji), but I have a feeling this spring is going to fly by. I already have plans for the three weekends after I arrive (mostly due to the hanami, or cherry blossom viewings, friends' concerts and Nagano), but I am looking forward to it.

Alright, have to finish some stuff up and want to take a peak at my SE Asia Lonely Planet. Hope you all had a lovely weekend as well (and thank you if you made it this far... LONG post). I'll try to update from Thailand, Laos and Cambodia!

Back to the Doc

I went back to the foot doc yesterday. This is the third trip this week, but the first time on my own. When we went on Sunday, the doctor we met was a young, very knowledgeable young guy with good communication skills in English (paired with my limited Japanese, we didn't have many issues talking). Miwa and I later learned his family owned the hospital and his younger brother is also a doctor there.

Well, after seeing the older doctor twice, I met his younger brother yesterday, who tended to my toe. I arrived and checked in, waited in the lounge for a while and then was called in. The younger brother was probably around 30, but spoke really good English and had actually been to a medical conference in Madison, Wisconsin and had a friend who was just doing research at the University of Minnesota. We chatted about the Mayo Clinic and his friends from Singapore who have been visiting for the last week (his excuse for why his English was in "top form"). We only used Japanese for the first 10 minutes or so (the health lesson I did armed me with lot of good vocabulary!), but spent the rest of the time using English or a blend of the two languages. The nurse was the same nurse I had met on the other two occasions, as well.

We took off my bandages and surveyed the toe. It looks pretty nasty still (like a flesh wound out of a zombie movie), but the pain is gone and I don't have to be on antibiotics (or the stomach meds) anymore. I was in a sour mood about not being able to run (so no marathon next month), wear shoes (thankfully relatively warm enough for flip-flops now) and not going on the snowboarding trip to Nagano this weekend at the beginning of the week, but now that the information has settled (I mean, what are you going to do?), I am feeling much better. Focus is on making sure I'll be OK for the trip next week!

As I was leaving, the doctor asked me when I wanted to come back again. I kind of laughed and asked him when I had to come back. His response? Every day until I leave for Cambodia next week! Oh, Japan! I might seem funny for a doctor to ask a patient when they want to come in, but it should not have phased me so much; I've heard of doctors here asking patients what kind of meds they want prescribed. It's not necessarily malpractice or a lack of experience, either, it's just a different medical culture. It's also common to go to the hospital for "minor" ailments here and they will often only give you 2-4 days of meds (some say it's because of docs over-prescribing in the past, but most people say it's because of the insurance money). In any case, the hospital I am going to is really good, but it's far, so that's not a very realistic option to go everyday (or that often) without a car. I could go to a closer clinic at this point, but I like these doctors and there is a first visit fee at most places, so I came up with a compromise to come in twice before going to SE Asia. The doc also asked if I would have access to a hospital in Cambodia if I have problems, but we're going to be on the go and in a rural area (and I don't know what the treatment is like there...it's cultural to go a lot here and it's sterile...but...). I told him it's not an option, hoping he was asking because he expected me to go in every day there, but I'll find out what the situation will be next week.

I guess when the hospital visit fee comes to ￥３１５ (three dollars?!) after the first time (ok, and with national insurance), it could be worse...

When the Nail Sticks Up...

You hammer it down. Well, at least that is what the Japanese proverb says. And I feel like I just got hammered (for doing things differently, standing out)...

Today I came into school, ready to prepare the videos I had chosen for my second period music lesson and burn the 40 CDs that I planned to give my students as gifts (the song list and blanks were ready, but had yet to do the dirty work).
So I come in, sit down, listen to the morning meeting and then go to open the videos... and nothing happens. Hmm, ok. The videos aren't working. I have my personal computer with one of the clips (from an American political campaign; was going to be talking about the power of music and different ways it's used). I use my external harddrive and transfer the files, but the player on my work computer isn't compatable with the clip and I can FEEL the sand slipping through the hourglass and know that I don't have enough time to figure this out with all of the files (and the class was mostly videos with American music and television/awards shows). No time to download the players and still take a risk it won't work... I realize I need a new lesson. Fast.

I plan a new lesson and luckily get a 10 minute buffer (extra time after the bell when the kids are filling out surveys) to work on my NEW lesson. Burn the music from the missing videos onto CDs, wrap-up the worksheets, make 40 copies... and I'm off. The lesson goes OK and the kids look happy. Whew...with an extra minute to breathe, I look around the room for really the first time and... my room is... empty!

One thing that I have been really adament about and sort of take pride in is introducing my culture to my students in an immersion-type setting (years at CLV had an influence on me). While most classrooms in Japan might have a clock and a poster from some event (that the kids made), they are generally not decorated. Yes, just bare, white walls. Windows on both sides (one side looking outside, one side going into the hallway), two sliding doors on each end of the hallway-side of the classroom (one is often locked), with 40 desks (class numbers set by law) in rows, a blackboard in the front and in the back and a little stage and podium at the front for the teacher. I can bet you that if you ask teachers from any part of Japan to describe their public high school classrooms, they will offer the same (or some variation of this) description. So when I arrived to find a white classroom, my first instinct was "DECORATE." I've spent a lot of time and money getting things from America for the classroom, cutting out information for a board about comics and one about America and Minnesota. Just yesterday I spent two hours hanging up new posters (some from an old project on different countries and some newer ones from my second year students). I know the students generally like the classroom. It doesn't feel like a classroom to them, but the point is that it does feel like a classroom... but an American one. I want them to feel what it is like to be in another culture. When they are with me, they are in English mode, and if I can help facilitate that through some simple posters and decorations, then why not? But it really isn't so typical in Japan... and so it all had to come down.

Ok, I will admit I may be overreacting a litte and there are valid reasons behind the move (beyond just making my classroom more stereotypically Japanese again). The classroom had to be bare because our school will be used as a testing site for a pretty big, standardized test on Friday and any potential room cannot have ANYTHING in it.... but they forgot to tell me they were going to take everything down so it caught me off guard. I just don't know why they need that room if it's never been used before and it's also frusterating because I've put so much effort into it (and thought of re-doing everything and of what might have been ruined in the move). Boo.

In other news, I don't think I'm the only one in a bad mood today. Hyogo Prefecture officially announced the budget cuts for next year. I wasn't affected but my coworkers just found out that they might have to give up about the equivilent of a month's salary... per year. Ouch! Talk about aftershocks of this earthquake... only their financial (not sysmic) and are coming 13 years late!

Japan (culture/travel) Wishlist

I have been doing a lot of reminiscing and thinking about my time here (and future here) lately, and realized there are a few things I have always really wanted to do, but haven't gotten around to.

Ok, I know I've done a lot since I moved to Japan, and I am sure there will be even more that I want to do before I leave. For now, thought I'd share the Japan Wishlist (otherwise known as the things that I am going to make happen before I leave here!):

See the famous sakura tree in Higashiyama (Kyoto) when it's in bloom
Hiking in Yakushima
Last of the "Big Three Matsuri" in Tokyo, Ghible Museum & Disney Sea (yes, I am 12...)
Boarding in Nagano
Natural onsens (hot springs) in Beppu
Ammahashidate
Okinawa (Naha Aquarium & maybe smaller islands)
Terraced Patties in Shiga

The Weekend Review - Easter, Takoyaki and a Busted Toe

I've had a nice, albeit busy, weekend. On Friday, I just hung out with my train-buddy-turned-real-friend Nathan in Akashi for a few hours, and then went to the Munch exhibit in Kobe. The exhibit almost gave me euophoric chills, which I know might seem a little morbid considering the themes of depression an death surrounding most of Munch's works, but it definiately brought me back to Oslo and some of the past experiences in my life. I headed home after the exhibit and relaxed, too, which I definitely needed. Overall, a very nice evening.

On Saturday, I was up early for group gardening (yes, still weeding with the neighbors for our community "bonding"), volunteered at at the Harimacho International Friendship Association's annual Easter party for children (wow, were they cute... really genki and talkative and most came up to my knees!) and then headed back to Higashi Futami for lunch with my old ladies. One of the women had recommended a restaraunt called Tenshin, basically a ma'n'pa-type okonomiyaki joint run by a group of old women (like 70 - 80 years olds). The place only has 3 tables, all with a grill in the middle and has gotten several awards for having the best tamagoyaki in Akashi (a ball of octopus and fried dough that Akashi is famous for). On Saturday night, I just hung out with some friends at a house party in Harimacho. It was a load of fun, but I hardly got any sleep at night.

I had a little cut (hangnail) on my right big toe before the marathon last week. The friction of running for several hours irritated it a bit, which I understand, but it had been hurting more and more. By the time Saturday night rolled around, I was still wearing shoes at night, but the pain in my toe woke me up after about 3 hours of sleep and I couldn't get back to bed. I hadn't wanted to go to the hospital for something like a little cut on my toe, but it was getting really big and painful, so I asked my neighbor if she's come with me on Sunday afternoon.

I spent Sunday morning at home, staying off my feet, soaking my foot and mostly just reading. Miwa and I headed to a hospital we knew was open on the weekends (because most aren't... we even checked the internet to find one!), but they were closing for the day. Then we went to an emergency room at another clinic, but after filling out the forms, one of the desk workers told us they "didn't do feet" and that we would have to go somewhere else. Turned away at two hospitals! Well, we got directions for a third place which turned out to be really good. It was an actual foot clinic and the doctor (who was relitively young and whose family we later learned owns the hospital) seemed to understand my symptoms and react immediately to make my foot better. I'm not going to talk about the numbing and draining of the toe, but basically my cut had gotten infected and it was pretty bad.

They took pictures (for future promotional posters?), gave me antiobiotics and told me not to wear shoes for 10 days. To be honest, I am happy that I know what is wrong with my foot and have meds now, but the consequences of the toe hit me harder than the actual pain or diagnosis itself. No shoes (or much walking) could be a potential issue for Cambodia, but more than that, it means no running... or training for the next marathon... and no Nagano next weekend, as planned. まずい!!! Many of the runs in Nagano are apparently open until May, so I might still try to go this year, but I was not happy to hear about the marathon next month. I swear, when I got the application and materials, I thought it was fate that Sasayama didn't turn out because this next one looked SO COOL. But I guess fate has a wicked sense of humor.

Anyways, besides the bum toe, things are good. Fingers crossed that it's better by the trip!