I just wanted to give those of you that are using this blog as a way to get to know the program better a hand. I had just created this blog as a way to keep in touch with friends and family. because I'm lazy and didn't want to be writing emails to everyone. I told Jessica she could use this blog, since I only had it for the trip, so I wanted to explain the organization.
For ease of use, there are links on the right hand side that correspond to months.
Essentially, I was in San Francisco in February for a job interview. Ignore this.
March I was in Nongkhai Thailand. I also spent a few days in Laos.
April I was in Nha Trang Vietnam, the last week I was traveling in Cambodia.
In May I was looking back on my trip and getting all nostalgic, annalytical and symbolic. You can skip this as well.
If you have any questions definately let me know!
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Thursday, May 3, 2007
The most important thing...
While that last entry included many important pearls of wisdom, I forgot to include the most important one.
Life is supposed to be fun and enjoyable.
It's true, I've said it. It's not supposed to be stressful all the time. It's not supposed to be full of struggle. It's not supposed to be constantly looking forward. It's supposed to be enjoyed.
If you don't like what you are doing, change it. If you don't wanna do something, and the only reason you are doing it is to please someone else, Don't do it. If you are unhappy in a relationship, get out of it. Life is just too short.
Unless you are hurting others or yourself, do what you want. Enjoy what you do. Enjoy who you do. Enjoy who you are. If you don't like it, its up to YOU to change it.
Life is supposed to be fun and enjoyable.
It's true, I've said it. It's not supposed to be stressful all the time. It's not supposed to be full of struggle. It's not supposed to be constantly looking forward. It's supposed to be enjoyed.
If you don't like what you are doing, change it. If you don't wanna do something, and the only reason you are doing it is to please someone else, Don't do it. If you are unhappy in a relationship, get out of it. Life is just too short.
Unless you are hurting others or yourself, do what you want. Enjoy what you do. Enjoy who you do. Enjoy who you are. If you don't like it, its up to YOU to change it.
Sunday, April 29, 2007
lessons from the trip
A few days before I left on my trip, I had a talk with my cousin David(from my dad's side). He was telling me how he loved to travel, and had done so many times in his life. He said while its great to learn about new cultures, and different areas of the world, the greatest part about traveling is the lessons you learn about yourself and about life as a whole. That thought stayed with me and a few weeks into the trip I decided to write down all the things that I had learned, both the silly, the inane, the poignant, and the important. Now that I am home, I figure I'll share this list with all of you. Then however, I am going to bid farewell to blogging, for a little while at least. I might do the occasional myspace blog, but I will not do a consistent blog again until I begin my move out to California. (which by the way, I have no idea when, where or how? I'm thinking ROADTRIP though if anyone is interested!!) I think I'll put my annalyticalness to sleep for a while, and enjoy my last few months on the east coast.
So here it goes. Oh and I'm putting them in italics simply for dramatic effect. Enjoy!
I've learned.....
So here it goes. Oh and I'm putting them in italics simply for dramatic effect. Enjoy!
I've learned.....
- that money cannot make you happy, and sometimes the poorest people in the most dire of situations are the happiest.
- that anyone can be happy when everything is going well. The trick is to find a way to be content, to appreciate or simply accept the fact that not everything can go well all the time. If you can not be discouraged or destroyed when things don't go your way, you have probably mastered one of the hardest lessons in life.
- that the more I learn, the more I realize how much there is for me to learn.
- there are two sides to every story.
- that fear is only useful to stop you from severely hurting yourself or others. Irrational fear is just that, irrational and unreasonable, and should be ignored.
- how to not only tolerate but to actually appreciate a good local whisky with some coke.
- that people are good at heart, with nearly the same hopes and dreams as everyone else. The most important one being happiness.
- that the kindness of strangers will always astound me.
- that expectations, especially high ones usually lesson the experience. Once you remove expectations, you will finally be able to enjoy yourself!
- that some hammocks, a guitar, a little alcohol and some great people is one of the best ways to spend a Saturday night.
- the more you let things happen on their own, the better they turn out.
- the more, the merrier!
- that I need to feel secure wherever I am before I can explore the area. Therefore I need to give myself time to acclimate. I cannot expect to be completely comfortable in a situation immediately.
- that I might not get exactly what I want, but if I allow it to happen, I get exactly what I need.
- that what happens to you is not as important as how you react to it. Bad things can happen but its still your decision to allow to bother you.
- not to judge a book by its cover.
- that if I think I need something but never get it, I really didn't want it in the first place, or I wanted it for the wrong reasons.
- that I really trust fate, or the stars, or some omniscient presence.
- that too often I allow my limitations and fears to hold me back.
- that people who are in bad situations have the opportunity to change it, as long as they have the tools to do so. If they are continually in a bad situation, its because they hold a priority higher, that is forcing them to stay put. If they really wanted to escape, they would find a way.
- that I am the only person who holds me back and the only person that can push me forward. Others can educate me, or encourage me, but I need to do it on my own.
- that nothing is impossible.
- that believing in someone is the greatest gift you can bestow upon another.
- that I can be ready, and I mean dressed to the nines ready, in about 20 minutes if needbe.
- to listen more and talk less. (no seriously!!!)
- that I sometimes need to relinquish some control in a situation and allow others to take responsibility.
- that anything can be carried on the back of a motorbike, such as other passengers(up to 5!), farm equipment, pig carcasses, 5 dozen dead chickens.
- that people see only what they want to see.
- that only you are responsible for your own happiness or misery, so outside forces should not be blamed
- that I will avoid akwardness at all costs.
- that activities are the best ice breakers in a new situation. Giving people their freedom in a new situation is usually detrimental to the experience.
- never to underestimate the power of the surroundings and the environment on your mood and behavoir.
- that I should drop the words 'shouldn't, couldn't and ought not' from my vocabulary. I 'should' only do things that I want or don't want to do as long as I am not hurting others, and drop the notion of what 'I think I should' be doing.
- that I'm alot more of a hippie then my shiny preppy exterior would lead you to believe.
- moderation is key
- that when you are on your own, you are much more apt to put yourself out there, whether it be to meet new people or join a new activity.
- that if you step inside another culture and keep an open mind you may realize there are many more similarities then differences.
- that all cultures and all people want what's best for those they care about, and will do anything to protect them.
- that smiling is contagious.
There it is, there's my list. So thanks David for the idea. I really did learn alot, and thanks to all of you who have been routinely reading my blog. I was really surprised at how many and how far removed my readers are. I hear all the time how people have been "following" my travels or "living vicariously through me", and I am really glad that you all enjoyed my writing and enjoyed my travels. Like I said, I'm going to a little hiatus from blogging for a while, but will be back to document my acclimation to west coast life. Thank you for your loyal readership and definately keep in touch!! (yeah, now that I'm not writing a blog you'll have to actually talk to me to see what's going on... :0))
Friday, April 27, 2007
and I'm home
Approximately 36 hours in transit. From Cambodia, to Vietnam, then Singapore, to Germany and finally the U.S. I was in 5 countries in less then 2 days.
Although I have to say overall it wasn't a bad trip. Unlike the way there which was a 17 hour direct flight from NY to Bangkok, this was split up enough, that I didn't feel like I was trapped by any means. It also took longer to get to Germany(12 hours) then to get to NY(7 1/2 hours) so the worst was over by then.
I have been getting really sad the past few days. I've realized, after being here, that while I know history in general, mainly the highlights, I really am not up to date at all on what is going on in my own country or the rest of the world. I realize I spend so much time watching mindless TV, sitting around, etc, so I've decided to do more reading, especially newspapers and books of relative importance. I began this plight a few weeks into Thailand, reading the Freedom Writers diary. It's the book that is based on the movie. It is written as a series of anonymous entries. Each one made me cry(which meant I was crying every few pages). They kept referring to being in an undeclared turf war, dictated by the color of your skin and the origins of their countries. From stories of rape, and abuse, to stories of drive bys, and being unable to live up to their full potential, I was moved by each individual entry. Yet, even with all the bad hands of cards they were dealt in life, they overcame, thanks in part to the help of their teacher. Although, even though their teacher guided, they all brought themselves out, and made a positive out of a very negative situation.
Then I went to Cambodia, and bought another diary book, which followed different children's plight through the kyhmer Rouge regime. Each entry also made me cry. I have been a very emotional person lately. They were forcibly removed from their homes, separated from their families, completing manual labor for nearly 16 hours a day, with one meal(and that meal being water soup with a spoonful of rice), they were separated from their families, brainwashed into thinking their parents were the enemy, and they watched many people brutally murdered for simply being smart, or just being in the wrong place in the wrong time. Yet, nearly every story ended with the child coming to America (or in a few cases to Australia) and not only graduating highschool, but graduating college as well. They also saw human nature at its worst, and still did not let that stop them.
Finally, on the plane ride home, while watching alot(and I mean alot) of fluff movies, I also watched the movie Blood Diamond. It essentially followed the plight of one man who had found a big diamond, and everyone was trying to get their hands on it using all necessary means. As we watch this man forcibly recover the diamond, we see his family ripped away from him, his son brainwashed against him, and a tremendous three sided war, with the citizens, the "rebels" and the UN type "peace keepers". Everyone was out for themselves, and the AK-47, their weapon of choice. They showed villages being burned down and people being killed like it was a "harmless" video game, not peoples lives. I spent most of the movie crying.
The reason I write this, is because I am baffled at this. I am a history major, and an avid reader, who did not know of many of these atrocities, nor understand the specifics. Yeah, we learn that Hitler wanted Poland, and the rest of Europe "appeased him". I'm sure it was understood by some, that in order to take Poland, that many would have to die, but I guess I just never thought about it. I mean its history, it has already happened. But to read eye witness accounts, or to see the footage on the movie, and know this is a fairly accurate represntation of what occured less then 10 years ago, was pretty scary!!!
In my bubbled experience, known as Upstate NY, I know not one person with a gun. I think maybe my ex boyfriend's dad had a hunting rifle, but that's about the extent of it. In Freedom Writers, most of them came from broken homes, or homes that were never built in the first place(my way of saying, the parents were never married). Not only are my parents still together, but so are nearly all of my good friend's parents, as well as my parents' good friends. In my family, I know of only one couple that have been divorced. I have never known someone who died other then from "natural" causes, and even that number is fairly low. In my entire life I've been to one funeral, my grandfathers.
I have no remote understanding of having to watch my back all the time for fear of being hurt, beat or killed. I have no understanding of having to work for food, or not knowing where I am to sleep that night. I have no experience with violence whatsoever. Actually, just today, a man in a nearby(15 minute drive ish) shot his ex wife around 1 am, and then escaped. He was considered armed and dangerous. The school I went to highschool at, went on lockdown because they were afraid that the man could be coming to the school. That is how alien violence is to my little bubble of an area, that a murder that occured many miles away could be seen as potentially threatening because things like that never happen.
What I can't believe though, is that many of the people affected by the most averse conditions can still lead normal, healthy and fulfilling lives. I know I could be upset for days if someone is mean to me. I would get angry if I didn't get an A on a test. If my parents decided to go only to Florida for a vacation instead of the bahamas, I could be fuming for a while. How dare I? I mean these people have real problems, and are then able to overcome. I think that is incredible.
Being out of the country, and seeing my country and the world from a different perspective has been invaluable to me. Yeah, when I went to Australia, I saw some pretty things and had a few laughs, but it was nothing like this, where I was in a constant state of fun and entertainment, while giving back to the community and learning a whole lot about myself and the world around me. It's like for once, I could really see and understand things for what they really are. I was always a good student, but I never really cared about the knowledge, but the grade. I know it might be fairly late in coming, but I'm finally ready to really learn, no A+ needed. I think I'm going to start to read the paper more, I'm thinking about learning Spanish, I'd like to train to do like a 5k run for a good cause, and more then anything, I wanna be able to help and do what I can to aleviate the sufferings of others. I did not do anything to deserve the life I lead, it is merely the luck of the draw. I think its unfair that my birth gave me this entitled life, while other's birth gave them a life of terror and misfortune. I'd like to do what I can, to make things better for others. I think I need to learn more about them first though.
I do have one more blog coming concerning South East Asia, about the things that I learned, then I might put down the typewriter a while and enjoy my last few months in upstate NY before I make the big move. However, I am definately planning on blogging about my new job, I just can't see you all being that interested in the goings on of me in Upstate NY.
Although I have to say overall it wasn't a bad trip. Unlike the way there which was a 17 hour direct flight from NY to Bangkok, this was split up enough, that I didn't feel like I was trapped by any means. It also took longer to get to Germany(12 hours) then to get to NY(7 1/2 hours) so the worst was over by then.
I have been getting really sad the past few days. I've realized, after being here, that while I know history in general, mainly the highlights, I really am not up to date at all on what is going on in my own country or the rest of the world. I realize I spend so much time watching mindless TV, sitting around, etc, so I've decided to do more reading, especially newspapers and books of relative importance. I began this plight a few weeks into Thailand, reading the Freedom Writers diary. It's the book that is based on the movie. It is written as a series of anonymous entries. Each one made me cry(which meant I was crying every few pages). They kept referring to being in an undeclared turf war, dictated by the color of your skin and the origins of their countries. From stories of rape, and abuse, to stories of drive bys, and being unable to live up to their full potential, I was moved by each individual entry. Yet, even with all the bad hands of cards they were dealt in life, they overcame, thanks in part to the help of their teacher. Although, even though their teacher guided, they all brought themselves out, and made a positive out of a very negative situation.
Then I went to Cambodia, and bought another diary book, which followed different children's plight through the kyhmer Rouge regime. Each entry also made me cry. I have been a very emotional person lately. They were forcibly removed from their homes, separated from their families, completing manual labor for nearly 16 hours a day, with one meal(and that meal being water soup with a spoonful of rice), they were separated from their families, brainwashed into thinking their parents were the enemy, and they watched many people brutally murdered for simply being smart, or just being in the wrong place in the wrong time. Yet, nearly every story ended with the child coming to America (or in a few cases to Australia) and not only graduating highschool, but graduating college as well. They also saw human nature at its worst, and still did not let that stop them.
Finally, on the plane ride home, while watching alot(and I mean alot) of fluff movies, I also watched the movie Blood Diamond. It essentially followed the plight of one man who had found a big diamond, and everyone was trying to get their hands on it using all necessary means. As we watch this man forcibly recover the diamond, we see his family ripped away from him, his son brainwashed against him, and a tremendous three sided war, with the citizens, the "rebels" and the UN type "peace keepers". Everyone was out for themselves, and the AK-47, their weapon of choice. They showed villages being burned down and people being killed like it was a "harmless" video game, not peoples lives. I spent most of the movie crying.
The reason I write this, is because I am baffled at this. I am a history major, and an avid reader, who did not know of many of these atrocities, nor understand the specifics. Yeah, we learn that Hitler wanted Poland, and the rest of Europe "appeased him". I'm sure it was understood by some, that in order to take Poland, that many would have to die, but I guess I just never thought about it. I mean its history, it has already happened. But to read eye witness accounts, or to see the footage on the movie, and know this is a fairly accurate represntation of what occured less then 10 years ago, was pretty scary!!!
In my bubbled experience, known as Upstate NY, I know not one person with a gun. I think maybe my ex boyfriend's dad had a hunting rifle, but that's about the extent of it. In Freedom Writers, most of them came from broken homes, or homes that were never built in the first place(my way of saying, the parents were never married). Not only are my parents still together, but so are nearly all of my good friend's parents, as well as my parents' good friends. In my family, I know of only one couple that have been divorced. I have never known someone who died other then from "natural" causes, and even that number is fairly low. In my entire life I've been to one funeral, my grandfathers.
I have no remote understanding of having to watch my back all the time for fear of being hurt, beat or killed. I have no understanding of having to work for food, or not knowing where I am to sleep that night. I have no experience with violence whatsoever. Actually, just today, a man in a nearby(15 minute drive ish) shot his ex wife around 1 am, and then escaped. He was considered armed and dangerous. The school I went to highschool at, went on lockdown because they were afraid that the man could be coming to the school. That is how alien violence is to my little bubble of an area, that a murder that occured many miles away could be seen as potentially threatening because things like that never happen.
What I can't believe though, is that many of the people affected by the most averse conditions can still lead normal, healthy and fulfilling lives. I know I could be upset for days if someone is mean to me. I would get angry if I didn't get an A on a test. If my parents decided to go only to Florida for a vacation instead of the bahamas, I could be fuming for a while. How dare I? I mean these people have real problems, and are then able to overcome. I think that is incredible.
Being out of the country, and seeing my country and the world from a different perspective has been invaluable to me. Yeah, when I went to Australia, I saw some pretty things and had a few laughs, but it was nothing like this, where I was in a constant state of fun and entertainment, while giving back to the community and learning a whole lot about myself and the world around me. It's like for once, I could really see and understand things for what they really are. I was always a good student, but I never really cared about the knowledge, but the grade. I know it might be fairly late in coming, but I'm finally ready to really learn, no A+ needed. I think I'm going to start to read the paper more, I'm thinking about learning Spanish, I'd like to train to do like a 5k run for a good cause, and more then anything, I wanna be able to help and do what I can to aleviate the sufferings of others. I did not do anything to deserve the life I lead, it is merely the luck of the draw. I think its unfair that my birth gave me this entitled life, while other's birth gave them a life of terror and misfortune. I'd like to do what I can, to make things better for others. I think I need to learn more about them first though.
I do have one more blog coming concerning South East Asia, about the things that I learned, then I might put down the typewriter a while and enjoy my last few months in upstate NY before I make the big move. However, I am definately planning on blogging about my new job, I just can't see you all being that interested in the goings on of me in Upstate NY.
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
This is it...
I am now sitting, or well standing at the Singapore airport. Since many international flights go through this airport, it has many "transit" amenities, such as free internet, free movies, and if I was here long enough, I could have even gotten a free city tour!!!
I have so far been on two flights, totaling less then 3 hours. I will soon embark on a 21 hour journey, including a stop over in Germany before I am officially on U.S. soil again. I do think its silly that my frist flight lasted less then 45 minutes, yet I needed to be at the airport 2 hours in advance. But I digress.
Last night, in hopes to prove to myself that I can do things on my own, I ventured off on a motorbike to one of the backpacker areas, in hopes to get my nails done and get some good grub. I did both. Upon eating, I met a little Cambodian boy, who earlier in the evening was mocking me as he watched me get my nails done through the glass. Before I knew it, he and I were sharing the same plate of food. (I offered, don't worry). It was one of those one of a kind moments, I will never forget. The same goes for the ride back to the hotel. The hotel, was about a 15 minute motorbike ride away. I am very big though with trying new things. While I had utilized tuk-tuk's quite a bit in Thailand, I had not used the cyclo(which essentially is a bike in back and one lougne seat in front), which is the Vietnamese and apparently cambodian transport of choice, and figured this was my last chance. So after we agreed on $1.50 we head off towards my hotel. After trying his hardest to speak English, and about 20 minutes later, he is sweating bullets and panting. He tells me I should take a motorbike, (although what I heard was Motorbike???). We found some motorbike drivers who would gladly take me to my final destination. As I got on the motorbike, unsure of if I am going to my hotel, or being passed off in a series of transports until my final destination in some type of female slave trade, the cyclo driver asks for his money(by using the universal money signal). I shook my head no. I was not in the desired destination, and I was terrified. He told me to go back on the cyclo, and we were off again. He started muttering alot, and getting really mad, and finally said $10. I said NO WAY. This went on for a few minutes, through a very dark side street. I was really getting nervous at this time. But at the same time, he is a driver in a city, and I showed him both the address of the hotel and the physical location of the hotel, and he didn't seem to have a problem with it when we were first discussing prices. Not only is it a famous hotel, but it is also the tallest building in the city. There should have been no way, that he was unsure of what he was getting himself into. Either way, we arrived at an intersection with more motorbike drivers, and after I refused to pay $10 for a full ride to the hotel, he put me on a motorbike and then asked for money again. I gave him half of what we had agreed on. Then the motorbike driver charged me $1. While I spent 25 cents more then I intended, I did have piece of mind that the motorbike would not decide to get tired, and give up mid way. I arrived safely at my destination, for a long needed sleep.
I think that was the only time in my entire 2 months stay in South East Asia, where I was moderately worried about my safety. There have been times where I was a little concerned, but this tops the list. Of course, this occured in a city, thus increasing my hatred for cities. (You might say, "but Lacy, you are moving to San Fransisco" and to that I will respond, "no I am actually moving to Berkeley, or another suburb, so I get the amenities of the city without living within its confines.") Also though, if that was the scariest, or most unsafe experience of my trip, I'd say that means it was a mighty successful, safe and happy trip overall. Don't ya think?
I have so far been on two flights, totaling less then 3 hours. I will soon embark on a 21 hour journey, including a stop over in Germany before I am officially on U.S. soil again. I do think its silly that my frist flight lasted less then 45 minutes, yet I needed to be at the airport 2 hours in advance. But I digress.
Last night, in hopes to prove to myself that I can do things on my own, I ventured off on a motorbike to one of the backpacker areas, in hopes to get my nails done and get some good grub. I did both. Upon eating, I met a little Cambodian boy, who earlier in the evening was mocking me as he watched me get my nails done through the glass. Before I knew it, he and I were sharing the same plate of food. (I offered, don't worry). It was one of those one of a kind moments, I will never forget. The same goes for the ride back to the hotel. The hotel, was about a 15 minute motorbike ride away. I am very big though with trying new things. While I had utilized tuk-tuk's quite a bit in Thailand, I had not used the cyclo(which essentially is a bike in back and one lougne seat in front), which is the Vietnamese and apparently cambodian transport of choice, and figured this was my last chance. So after we agreed on $1.50 we head off towards my hotel. After trying his hardest to speak English, and about 20 minutes later, he is sweating bullets and panting. He tells me I should take a motorbike, (although what I heard was Motorbike???). We found some motorbike drivers who would gladly take me to my final destination. As I got on the motorbike, unsure of if I am going to my hotel, or being passed off in a series of transports until my final destination in some type of female slave trade, the cyclo driver asks for his money(by using the universal money signal). I shook my head no. I was not in the desired destination, and I was terrified. He told me to go back on the cyclo, and we were off again. He started muttering alot, and getting really mad, and finally said $10. I said NO WAY. This went on for a few minutes, through a very dark side street. I was really getting nervous at this time. But at the same time, he is a driver in a city, and I showed him both the address of the hotel and the physical location of the hotel, and he didn't seem to have a problem with it when we were first discussing prices. Not only is it a famous hotel, but it is also the tallest building in the city. There should have been no way, that he was unsure of what he was getting himself into. Either way, we arrived at an intersection with more motorbike drivers, and after I refused to pay $10 for a full ride to the hotel, he put me on a motorbike and then asked for money again. I gave him half of what we had agreed on. Then the motorbike driver charged me $1. While I spent 25 cents more then I intended, I did have piece of mind that the motorbike would not decide to get tired, and give up mid way. I arrived safely at my destination, for a long needed sleep.
I think that was the only time in my entire 2 months stay in South East Asia, where I was moderately worried about my safety. There have been times where I was a little concerned, but this tops the list. Of course, this occured in a city, thus increasing my hatred for cities. (You might say, "but Lacy, you are moving to San Fransisco" and to that I will respond, "no I am actually moving to Berkeley, or another suburb, so I get the amenities of the city without living within its confines.") Also though, if that was the scariest, or most unsafe experience of my trip, I'd say that means it was a mighty successful, safe and happy trip overall. Don't ya think?
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
Ewwww...
I just saw the most grotesque thing of my entire life. A man walked into a salon where I was getting my nails done, and asked for a massage. Then he asked if he could personally select the woman who would complete the massage for him. They women stood in a police style line up, and he simply pointed at the girl he felt best suited him. I have seen and heard some pretty crappy things occuring, but I think that tops it. How would you like to be chosen simply based on a 2 second glance, while standing there being compared to your coworkers. Gross.
So I am officially in the last day of my Cambodian travels and the last day of my South East Asian adventure. I am currently in Phnom Penh, the capitol of Cambodia. Thus, I was able to see a royal palace!!! As well as a proper museum or two. Although, one of the museums was about the Khmer Rouge.
In my hotel, which is also a 5 star, I met a middle aged Aussie(in our private club, only for VIP's...no lie). He is traveling around with his family, and as I was lonely I pulled up a chair and sat with them. After a few minutes, I realized that I did not want to share his company. I have met many people from both western and non western countries. They have all been very openminded, laid back and fun. This man, while appearing fun on the outside, was anything but. He kept telling me how the service was bad in the hotel. And yes for hundreds of dollars a night, the service could have been a little better. He kept saying how if he lived in this country he would simply educate himself and find a way out. He kept reverberating the idea that they were less then us. That they could not handle themselves and constantly needed western support. Yes, they do need western support if they want to be western. But they aren't western, they are eastern. Just because they are not put in our own image, does not mean they are not worthy or any less deserving of respect. He looked at this culture completely ethnocentrically, and criticized it because it wasn't akin to its own.
I never understood until this very moment why American's are encouraged to have liberal arts degrees. I finally understand why I was forced to take a non western class in college, plus 8 credits of Humanities. Although I have never had much practice with it until now, I am now able to look at different economic systems, and different political systems based on their merits and not merely the commonly held belief. I am forever grateful that I have the ability to look at others as unbaisedly as possible, and I wish others could do the same.
As my last officialy night in South East Asia, I am going to head out to the backpackers bars for some grub, and hopefully some good conversation. Unless I can find cheap internet in Singapore, the next time you will hear from me, I will be back in the western and northern hemisphere.
So I am officially in the last day of my Cambodian travels and the last day of my South East Asian adventure. I am currently in Phnom Penh, the capitol of Cambodia. Thus, I was able to see a royal palace!!! As well as a proper museum or two. Although, one of the museums was about the Khmer Rouge.
In my hotel, which is also a 5 star, I met a middle aged Aussie(in our private club, only for VIP's...no lie). He is traveling around with his family, and as I was lonely I pulled up a chair and sat with them. After a few minutes, I realized that I did not want to share his company. I have met many people from both western and non western countries. They have all been very openminded, laid back and fun. This man, while appearing fun on the outside, was anything but. He kept telling me how the service was bad in the hotel. And yes for hundreds of dollars a night, the service could have been a little better. He kept saying how if he lived in this country he would simply educate himself and find a way out. He kept reverberating the idea that they were less then us. That they could not handle themselves and constantly needed western support. Yes, they do need western support if they want to be western. But they aren't western, they are eastern. Just because they are not put in our own image, does not mean they are not worthy or any less deserving of respect. He looked at this culture completely ethnocentrically, and criticized it because it wasn't akin to its own.
I never understood until this very moment why American's are encouraged to have liberal arts degrees. I finally understand why I was forced to take a non western class in college, plus 8 credits of Humanities. Although I have never had much practice with it until now, I am now able to look at different economic systems, and different political systems based on their merits and not merely the commonly held belief. I am forever grateful that I have the ability to look at others as unbaisedly as possible, and I wish others could do the same.
As my last officialy night in South East Asia, I am going to head out to the backpackers bars for some grub, and hopefully some good conversation. Unless I can find cheap internet in Singapore, the next time you will hear from me, I will be back in the western and northern hemisphere.
Monday, April 23, 2007
Pursat, the home of....
...well I am still trying to figure that out I'm afraid. So far all I've really seen is the inside of my hotel room and a few choice places around town. Oh yeah, and the school. But first things first.
It took us about 6 hours to arrive in Pursat, including a lunch stop in Battambang. It's very hot here. Please remember that as you read the rest of this. It is also absolutely gorgeous. Not in a postcard perfect kinda way, but in an untapped potential kinda way.
I met my tour guide, who is a student and works for the NGO(Non-Governmental-Organization) The Cambodian Rural School Project, which is the middle man between the donors and the schools. After a quick tour around the town and dinner, I was sent to my room, around 8pm. Not cool.
Quick background for those of you not following the story from the beginning. I decided to go to South East Asia(specifically Thailand and Vietnam) to have a break from life, to volunteer, to give back etc. Then, since I am such a good geography teacher, I looked at a map and saw that Cambodia is right smack in the middle of those two countries. Cambodia is also the location of a school that my dad's cousins had created in their name to boost the education system. I told my uncle of my travels and he insisted I go visit. I expected him to suggest I visit, but I did not expect him to pay for the trip himself or to have me also visit Angkor Wat and Phnom Penh as well. So my uncle, with the help of his son and a Cambodian travel agency created a 5 day itenerary(full of English speaking drivers, personal tour guides and 5 star hotels), so I could experience Cambodian history, culture, and take a gander at the school. The school has relevance, because of Cambodian's recent history. The Khmer Rouge, led my Marxist inspired Pol Pot took control of the Cambodian government in 1975 and led the most brutal, vicious and successful genocide any country has ever seen. Not in scope, but in success, his tactics were even greater then Adolf Hitler. He was even more successful, because Vietnam was the only country aware of the brutality occuring. Unfortunately for the Cambodians, they were involved in their own dispute(the Vietnam War) and could not give them their full attention. The UN was detrimental to the situation, as it did not do its research properly and gave the Khmer Rouge a seat on the security council, which it retained until the mid 90s. The Khmer Rouge, in an effort to maintain power, ripped families apart, and insisted they all work in labor camps. They attempted to brainwash the children, and use them as spies against their "treasonous" parents and families. They even changed the meaning of the word family, to simply mean spouce. They destroyed the education system, using many of them as killing fields(think concentration camps). By the end of their vicious dicatorship, the entire country was home to one highschool and not a single University. So in an effort to help, in 2003, a school was erected in my families honor. Now on with the story...
I went downstairs around 9am to eat breakfast and we were off to the school. After traveling about 25 minutes, past the city, through the town, around the village and down a red dirt road, we finally arrived.
We were greeted by the principal. We were told that there was a school break, from April 5th-April 20th, but most of the students had not returned from break. There are about 250 students at the school. I saw around 30. They were with the school's sole English and Computer teacher. When I tried to converse with him, anything past how are you? he looked at me as if I had three heads. The classroom had a single computer in it, where one student was learning how to type properly. The rest of the students were following the directions of the teacher. When I arrived chaos ensued. Well, really it didn't, but class was essentially over for the afternoon. I was given a brief tour and history of the school. I was shown the old school house, which unlike this one made of cement, the old school house was made of wood(and termites are a big issue here). They have one solar panel giving them limited electricity, and have no running water. They have a "clinic"on property which as some nurses, but no doctors. This clinic serves the entire village. There is another school, a secondary school being built which is funded by a Japanese donor. I then was able to give out the school supplies that I had bought them. I bought enough notebooks, and pencils for each student to have one. I asked if there was anything more that I could do, especially with textbooks, but the guide insisted that was fine. The history teacher in me, thought I needed to give them something educational, so I also bought a globe. We took a few pictures, then the kids scurried off home for lunch. We left shortly after, as there was not much else to do.
I have spent most of the rest of the afternoon, except meal times in my room, because its the only place that has a strong enough fan(there is A/C, but I haven't felt the affects of it yet!) for me to cool down. While its not as hot as Thailand was, I had gotten used to the heat. I have been in A/C for the past 3 days, and before that was in Vietnam which was more then 10 degrees colder, with a breeze, so I simply cannot take the heat.
Now, I'm here. I've been talking alot with the tour guide and driver, and they keep mentioning(although not in a pity me way) how they are a "poor" country, a developing country. I see a myself in a small city/town, with all the benefits of "industrialization" and none of the drawbacks. They all have basic infrastructure, most own cell phones(most of them better then mine!!!), many have cars/motorbikes, most houses(especially in the center) have TV's, they have access to computers and internet, they all have shelter, clothing and food. I don't see this as a poor country. I really don't. They are not lacking in medical supplies(although their dental program could use a little work...) or government programs. Even in the country, they have everything that they need, and many luxuries as well. The only thing missing is some sky scrapers, big business and maybe some more air conditioning. They are made to believe that they are poor because they aren't swimming in money. But what does money bring? Money separates families, creates foes of friends, and fuels individualism. Here, 20 people ride on the same truck to get from one place to the other, and don't mind it at all. Everyone knows everyone's name and they all work together. They don't see each other comepting for jobs, for land, or for wealth, they are all in it together. I think we should be learning from them, not the other way around!
Yes, some may call me an idealist who romanticizes "primitive" cultures into idyllic places, but if I could live in a town like this, with all of my family and friends around(who speak my language fluently!!!!), without the desire for wealth and land, and could simply be happy now instead of ensuring a financially secure "later" I would do it in a heartbeat!! Although I would request airconditioning in the deal!
It took us about 6 hours to arrive in Pursat, including a lunch stop in Battambang. It's very hot here. Please remember that as you read the rest of this. It is also absolutely gorgeous. Not in a postcard perfect kinda way, but in an untapped potential kinda way.
I met my tour guide, who is a student and works for the NGO(Non-Governmental-Organization) The Cambodian Rural School Project, which is the middle man between the donors and the schools. After a quick tour around the town and dinner, I was sent to my room, around 8pm. Not cool.
Quick background for those of you not following the story from the beginning. I decided to go to South East Asia(specifically Thailand and Vietnam) to have a break from life, to volunteer, to give back etc. Then, since I am such a good geography teacher, I looked at a map and saw that Cambodia is right smack in the middle of those two countries. Cambodia is also the location of a school that my dad's cousins had created in their name to boost the education system. I told my uncle of my travels and he insisted I go visit. I expected him to suggest I visit, but I did not expect him to pay for the trip himself or to have me also visit Angkor Wat and Phnom Penh as well. So my uncle, with the help of his son and a Cambodian travel agency created a 5 day itenerary(full of English speaking drivers, personal tour guides and 5 star hotels), so I could experience Cambodian history, culture, and take a gander at the school. The school has relevance, because of Cambodian's recent history. The Khmer Rouge, led my Marxist inspired Pol Pot took control of the Cambodian government in 1975 and led the most brutal, vicious and successful genocide any country has ever seen. Not in scope, but in success, his tactics were even greater then Adolf Hitler. He was even more successful, because Vietnam was the only country aware of the brutality occuring. Unfortunately for the Cambodians, they were involved in their own dispute(the Vietnam War) and could not give them their full attention. The UN was detrimental to the situation, as it did not do its research properly and gave the Khmer Rouge a seat on the security council, which it retained until the mid 90s. The Khmer Rouge, in an effort to maintain power, ripped families apart, and insisted they all work in labor camps. They attempted to brainwash the children, and use them as spies against their "treasonous" parents and families. They even changed the meaning of the word family, to simply mean spouce. They destroyed the education system, using many of them as killing fields(think concentration camps). By the end of their vicious dicatorship, the entire country was home to one highschool and not a single University. So in an effort to help, in 2003, a school was erected in my families honor. Now on with the story...
I went downstairs around 9am to eat breakfast and we were off to the school. After traveling about 25 minutes, past the city, through the town, around the village and down a red dirt road, we finally arrived.
We were greeted by the principal. We were told that there was a school break, from April 5th-April 20th, but most of the students had not returned from break. There are about 250 students at the school. I saw around 30. They were with the school's sole English and Computer teacher. When I tried to converse with him, anything past how are you? he looked at me as if I had three heads. The classroom had a single computer in it, where one student was learning how to type properly. The rest of the students were following the directions of the teacher. When I arrived chaos ensued. Well, really it didn't, but class was essentially over for the afternoon. I was given a brief tour and history of the school. I was shown the old school house, which unlike this one made of cement, the old school house was made of wood(and termites are a big issue here). They have one solar panel giving them limited electricity, and have no running water. They have a "clinic"on property which as some nurses, but no doctors. This clinic serves the entire village. There is another school, a secondary school being built which is funded by a Japanese donor. I then was able to give out the school supplies that I had bought them. I bought enough notebooks, and pencils for each student to have one. I asked if there was anything more that I could do, especially with textbooks, but the guide insisted that was fine. The history teacher in me, thought I needed to give them something educational, so I also bought a globe. We took a few pictures, then the kids scurried off home for lunch. We left shortly after, as there was not much else to do.
I have spent most of the rest of the afternoon, except meal times in my room, because its the only place that has a strong enough fan(there is A/C, but I haven't felt the affects of it yet!) for me to cool down. While its not as hot as Thailand was, I had gotten used to the heat. I have been in A/C for the past 3 days, and before that was in Vietnam which was more then 10 degrees colder, with a breeze, so I simply cannot take the heat.
Now, I'm here. I've been talking alot with the tour guide and driver, and they keep mentioning(although not in a pity me way) how they are a "poor" country, a developing country. I see a myself in a small city/town, with all the benefits of "industrialization" and none of the drawbacks. They all have basic infrastructure, most own cell phones(most of them better then mine!!!), many have cars/motorbikes, most houses(especially in the center) have TV's, they have access to computers and internet, they all have shelter, clothing and food. I don't see this as a poor country. I really don't. They are not lacking in medical supplies(although their dental program could use a little work...) or government programs. Even in the country, they have everything that they need, and many luxuries as well. The only thing missing is some sky scrapers, big business and maybe some more air conditioning. They are made to believe that they are poor because they aren't swimming in money. But what does money bring? Money separates families, creates foes of friends, and fuels individualism. Here, 20 people ride on the same truck to get from one place to the other, and don't mind it at all. Everyone knows everyone's name and they all work together. They don't see each other comepting for jobs, for land, or for wealth, they are all in it together. I think we should be learning from them, not the other way around!
Yes, some may call me an idealist who romanticizes "primitive" cultures into idyllic places, but if I could live in a town like this, with all of my family and friends around(who speak my language fluently!!!!), without the desire for wealth and land, and could simply be happy now instead of ensuring a financially secure "later" I would do it in a heartbeat!! Although I would request airconditioning in the deal!
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