Morning Star Center

Today I followed Tigor to the Morning Star Center, along with one of our other teammates, Jessica, who will be there everyday. This center is situated in the middle of a slum area which, like so many others, was moved by the government to the outskirts of the city. This neighborhood lines the railroad tracks and sits beside a lake---or what was a lake. It has since been mostly filled in with garbage and sand to help set a foundation for a building complex that will go up there. Also in an attempt to free up more land, much of the slum area "mysteriously" caught fire leaving countless families without homes and children, who used to come to he center, still missing.

(view from Morning Star-notice what's left of the lake behind the homes)

Despite their circumstances, children and teens flock to Morning Star when not in school, often traveling on their own from distances up to an hour away. This place is just a small building started by a woman who had a vision to raise up youth that want to grow in their faith and become leaders. Kids come to have a safe place to hangout with friends, learn to sing and play keyboard and guitar, study, work on computer skills, It is amazing to see not only how musically talented the teens are, but also the way in which they lead the younger children in the worship band they have started.

While helping to teach computer, I had a glimpse of some of the difficult home lives of the children. For example, we were practicing using Word and listing out hobbies of each of their family members. One of the girls, next to father, typed "drinks beer" and couldn't come up with anything else because according to her that's all he does. We heard similar stories when practicing English with the teens in the afternoon. Yet in spite of everything, all of these kids have such cheerful countenances and astonishing faith and maturity!!

(After "Anne" finished her computer assignment, she still wanted to practice typing and so asked if she could interview me. It was great for both of us because she'd ask "Where are you from?" "How many brothers and sisters do you have?" and I'd have a chance to answer in Khmer while she graciously corrected me and typed my answer in English. But then she started to ask me questions that stunned me such as "What is your experience with God?" and "What advice do you have for others to grow in their faith?" Clearly I couldn't answer these in Khmer.)

Daughters of Cambodia

I'm seeing more and more the way the country is held together by NGOs (non-government organizations). One of these which we were able to visit and learn more about is called Daughters of Cambodia and provides training and employment to support women out of sex trafficking.

We first went to the Daughters shop, which is filled with beautiful bags, jewelery, clothing, wallets, tablecloths and more--- all hand carved, sewn, embroidered, etc. What's really neat is that the women are given free reign over the design, so each item is truly unique. Above the shop is a small cafe where a couple of women are employed and trained in baking, serving, cashiering, and other skills needed to run the business. While we sipped delicious smoothies, we were able to talk with some of the girls there and a couple of others who are helping to manage the organization. Though Daughters is still dependent on the generous support of outside donors, it is seeking to move away from that in order to be lasting and self-sustained here in the community.

The shop is in a relatively touristy area (which is actually good because it enables them to charge a fair trade price) so after visiting here, we went to the slum area where brothels are rampant. Nestled in the heart of it is the Daughters center. Each room has a different focus: training, jewelery, cutting and design, sewing, carving, and packaging; it was so interesting to walk around and see the beautiful products in each stage. In addition to teaching these women skills and providing them employment, the center also offers counseling, medical care, creative classes, and optional Bible studies. There is also childcare as well as ante-natal care available as they really encourage women to keep their children and so help them learn to love and provide for them. It's sad to see so many young pregnant women who probably have no idea of whose child they are carrying; yet it is inspiring to see them choosing to walk away from their former lifestyle and to know that resources are available to help them in this.

Check out more at http://www.daughtersofcambodia.org/


(a self-portrait done by one of the girls during a painting lesson and later displayed along with others at an art show)
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Tomorrow we start our projects. Everyone is doing something slightly different: Stephanie will be teaching First Aid, Alex will be showing school teachers crafts they can do with their students, Vince will be spending Mon-Fri in one of the provinces teaching English, and I'll be shadowing Tigor and so doing a little bit of a lot of things... none of which I really know right now.

However, this is what the schedule looks like:

Monday: Working at Morning Star Center- a place where kids and teens from a poor slum area can come when they're not in school to hang out, study, and learn music, computer and other skills. I think I'll be helping Tigor teach computer as well as working with the teens.

Tuesday: Tigor's day off so not sure what that looks like for me. If I'm not needed elsewhere, I hope to use it to get lunch/coffee with some of my English students (the Khmer teachers). In the evening I've been asked to join their Bible study (though I'm pretty certain it's all in Khmer...)

Wednesday/Thursday: I'll spend the night in Kampong Speu (a nearby province) and spend both days teaching English in the village there.

Friday: Back in Phnom Penh helping some of the elementary teachers at the ACTS school with their English as well as assiting with the children in anyway I can

Each evening I'll also continue to teach English to the Khmer teachers.

If I've learned anything so far, it's that all of the above will probably not be what I expect and even if it is, it's subject to change at any given moment... :)

I'm excited though!

Many Modes of Transportation...

Phnom Penh is a busy, bustling city and there are quite a few means of making your way around it. Below are a few we have tried and survived.

Traffic is horrendous here and rules seem to be solely optional. It's crazy the way drivers blow through red lights and weave in and out of other vehicles amidst 6 lanes of traffic. My favorite move is when people want to make a left hand turn, they pull head on into traffic and sit there until they can complete their turn...

Mode #1: The Van

We rode this from the airport on the first day and have been in it a couple of times since. As long as the driver and passenger in the front are buckled in, you can squeeze as many people as you please.

Mode #2: Tuk-tuk

You hail these like a taxi--or the drivers hail you which is more like it... There is a small motorcycle which drags this carriage structure behind it. I think we managed to pile 7 of us into it.

Mode #3: Back of a truck

Again, anything goes- squeeze in as many as you want! Noticing a trend here...? This morning I actually saw a truck with over a dozen kids in their uniforms crammed into the back of a truck on the way to school.

Mode #4: Moto-dop

(LtoR: Mutiang- one of the language teachers/students, me, Tigor- the intern I will be shadowing here, Kim Leon- our Khmer teacher)

Yes, you do typically ride sidesaddle on these as a passenger and though Mutiang was just standing to the left and didn't ride with the three of us, it is not uncommon to see four jammed on to these tiny bikes.

However, I learned the hard way that these can get quite hot...

Mode #5: ELEPHANT!

We didn't actually take this mode, but we could have at Wat Phnom; instead I settled for a picture. It wouldn't exactly be the most practical way to get around downtown though!

Swah che kahm manuet a?

Do the monkeys bite?

This is perhaps the single most important and relevant Khmer phrase I have learned thus far...

Today was our last day of language class, but we need so much more! We've been so inundated with new words that the simple phrases like "Hello how are you?" have completely drained out of my mind. Our out on the town practice today was going to Wat Phnom, one of several pagodas here in the city, in order to not only see it, but also try our Khmer with some of the vendors who set up shop around it. (And yes, there really were monkeys roaming about!)

The wat (Khmer term for monastery temple) is prominently set upon a man-made hill and is an interesting, intricate building unlike anything you'd find in the US.

Many natives come here regularly to worship, but foreigners are quickly spotted and charged for tourism sake :)

People are constantly pouring into the music and incense filled temple to offer their prayers and money to the buddha statues in hopes that the good they do and the money they offer will be returned to them in an even greater way.

I walked around it with our teacher and though we were a little limited by language, it was so interesting to have him point things out and to be able to ask him questions. Though only 27, he was a Buddhist monk for 8 years. Despite not remembering his former lives, he believes that he has been reincarnated and will continue to be so until he reaches enlightenment. He kept reiterating to me how difficult it is to reach nirvana and escape this cycle of suffering and rebirth as there are five precepts that must be followed precisely. For monks, there are 227! How futile it must seem to always be falling short and so have to be reincarnated in order to start over and try once again to achieve a perfect life on your own.

I wonder if Khmer has a word for GRACE...?

Information Overload!!

I am learning SO MUCH here that I am having a hard time processing and retaining it all! We've only been here a few days, but already I have been exposed to countless new things and my mind has been flooded with facts about the history, culture, social norms, government issues, the dynamics of various organizations, stories bout the people we've met, and the language, to the point that I don't even know where to begin...

This week is primarily orientation for us so, while we've been visiting a host of projects and learning more about what we'll be doing, we have yet to plunge too far into the work itself. Today was our third Khmer language class- which I am so grateful we've been provided with!! From 8-10 each morning we are in the classroom and our patient teacher instructs us and patiently listens as we butcher his language. Though it's only basics, we are definitely learning! What reinforces it all the more is that from 10-12 we go out in the city and have opportunities to practice as well as learn more about the country.

MONDAY: Learned greetings and introductions. Went to the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum (post to come for there is far too much to include here) and talked with tour guides & maintenance workers.
TUESDAY: Learned numbers and daily expressions. Meandered the market again and successfully bargained with sellers.
WEDNESDAY: Learned directions and names of places within the city. Hailed a tuk-tuk and guided our graciously tolerant driver to the National Museum which was full of ancient temple relics.

It's strange though because in my attempts to rack my brain to avoid English, suddenly my mind comes up with words I didn't even know I knew and haven't thought of in years, such as Spanish words I learned in high school, Tagalog phrases from three summers ago, and random words from German, French, and Italian---none of which are languages I know.

It's been exciting to learn and I'm feeling more acclimated with each word; but at the same time it is frustrating: frustrating both because I'm a slow learner and because the language barrier will not be easily broken. You can only get so far in a conversation with "Hello, how are you?" "What's your name?" "Where are you from?" "How much is this?" "Turn left!" and "See you tomorrow!" I wish I could just instantly KNOW a language and though this is not realistic for our short time here, it only further inspires me to want to be in a place long term.

On the flipside, somehow word seeped out that I want to be an English teacher back home, and despite the fact that this term has a completely different connotation here, I've been recruited to teach the teachers the English language. Though I've had some experience in tutoring ESL, I was intimidated by the prospect of this and felt totally ill-equipped and inadequate to teach our Khmer teachers, especially when their English is already so good.

However, I've met with them (6-7 teachers all between the ages of 21-27) three times now and it's been wonderful! They are really looking to practice conversational English, expand their vocabulary, and improve pronunciation so we've had opportunities to go through the newspaper and discuss current events, explain various cultural things to one another, and just share about ourselves. I feel like I may very well learn far more than they do... I'm really excited though because this small group will end up being those I can get to know better and actually build a relationship with as our conversations can progress beyond by severely limited Khmer.

Contrasting Images

We ventured to the outskirts of the city today to attend church in small village. Thudding along the dirt road, we witnessed a drastic change in scenery as the crowded streets and buildings faded into murky swaps where lotus flowers are grown. Just beyond this was the village, consisting mainly of squatter homes built out of sheet metal, cardboard, etc and set upon stilts to avoid flooding. These families used to live by the riverfront, but two years ago the government and private owners pushed out what was considered to be the slum in order to put up housing complexes in an attempt to beautify the city and better the economy. However, now an even worse slum has been created and, with the distance from the city and lack of transportation, there is even less work available. What's worse is the plan in the near future to push these people even farther out so that their current area can be developed.

However there is hope within this village as was evidenced by this little church and the countenances of many people we talked with. Also, how moving it was to be there knowing that despite so many differences in language and culture, we worship the same God!

In evening, we went down to the river front. Though it was pretty walking along there and even having a chance to ride on a boat, the sight was tarnished knowing the expense at which it was created.

Tomorrow we start Khmer lessons! I know it's going to be difficult, but I'm excited to learn as much as I can in order to better communicate. Thankfully we're sticking to conversational Khmer as I would be terrified at the thought of trying to master the written language:

Perhaps these lessons will equip me on how to better respond when, like today, I am told by teenage boys through broken English that I look just like Taylor Swift...

To Market, to Market

The intoxicating smell of incense, raw meat, and overripe fruit overwhelmed us as we tried to squeeze through the narrow isles of the market. I really need to broaden my Khmer as all I could do was politely shake my head no and try to remember "Aw kuhn" (thank you) as we passed by stand after stand with people hawking their bright and colorful wares. Perhaps by the end of our stay I'll be able to haggle just like the rest-- though I'm sure my appearance alone is guaranteed to add an extra few thousand riel to my price...

I was amazed at how much STUFF they could cram into a tiny stall and how many stalls they could jam into the market! It was also interesting the way similar items were grouped together as we'd pass by what seemed like identical stands selling scarves and bags, then rows of fresh fruit, then jewelry, electronics, etc.

One of our most interesting finds was a stand of fried insects:

Alex, after downing a fried cricket, moved on to sample the tarantula

Then it was on to the next market!

Ninety at Nine

After purchasing our visas and gliding through customs with ease, we stepped out of the airport and were immediately blanketed with 90 degree, intensely humid air. Mind you, this is still morning and we're entering what natives consider to be the "cool season." I guess those sweatshirts I packed "just in case" will be remaining in my suitcase for the duration of this trip... Then again, it is the cultural norm to cover knees and shoulders at all times and, in order to prevent malaria, typically long sleeves and pants are worn. Looks like I'll just be glistening all summer long :)



In addition to the heat, we were greeted by one of the men who coordinated this trip as well as two Indonesians who are interning here and with whom we'll be living and working. We all piled into a van and somehow managed to survive weaving in and out of the chaotic traffic. Looking out the window, I was immediately reminded of the Philippines: so many people bustling about, bright colors, vehicles of all forms disregarding any traffic rules, little shops outside of small homes and tall, cast-iron gates and barbed wire barricading the larger ones, garbage and rats- both dead and alive lining the street, and skinny dogs and adorable children running everywhere you look. There are no jeepneys, but small motorcycles and tuk tuks (pictures to come!) fight for the road and a Buddhist, as well as French, influence definitely defines much of the architecture.


The rest of the day was spent with many introductions, a few delicious meals, a quick tour of the city and some of the places we'll be, and a brief orientation to what we'll be doing, but we were all so jet lagged and exhausted I'm not sure how much of it will be retained.



Here's a view looking down on Phnom Penh:

Oh, and on the plane from Taipei to Phnom Penh, I sat next to a girl who grew up in Amherst, MA and is going to be a senior at Mt. Holyoke. Cliche as it may be, it's definitely a small world!

Where's Cambodia...?

It's OK, I had to look at a map too:

*Capital- Phnom Penh, population: 2 million

*Language-Khmer

*Religion- Buddhism

*Currency- Riel ($1.00=4200 Riel) though American currency is accepted and often preferred

The government is considered to be a "multiparty democracy under a constitutional monarchy." The king lives here in the capital, but most of the ruling power lies in the hands of the prime minister. However, since being here, we've learned that the society is primarily held together by various NGOs due to the government's instability.

From being made a French colony, to the Japanese occupation, to the horrific reign of terror under the Khmer Rouge, to Vietnam's invasion, Cambodia has definitely had a rough history and it's effects are still evidenced today.
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This summer, a team of five of us from across the country none of whom had met before the airport, have come together to serve in Cambodia. The specific details of what we'll be doing have yet to be ironed out and though I think we'll each have our own projects, I believe I will be teaching English to adults as well as working with a local ministry that seeks holistic development in the city and its provinces to help assist children into school and provide them with proper nourishment.

[LtoR: me, Jessica-Kansas, Vince-HongKong/Texas, James(coordinator) Korea/Chicago, Stephanie-Nebraska, Alessandro-Philippines/Italy/New Jersey]

I am very excited for this but am under no illusion that we are going to make a drastic impact and change things over the course of the summer. Honestly, trips like this often have a greater impact on the participants as they can be such an eye-opening experience. Therefore, I am praying both that we'd be able to serve those who are here working long term in whatever ways we can so that they may be refreshed and able to continue their work long after we've gone, as well as that this trip may have a lasting effect on each of us and so influence the way we choose to live our lives.