Film Festival, Prime Minister & More

Last week really flew by!

December 7^th-12^th was Cambodia International film festival. Jenny and I went to see two eye opening screenings during the week, though we wish we could have seen more. The first movie was titled, ''A River Changes Course.'' It follows three Cambodian families and their struggles to survive and earn an income. These people were just trying to earn $100 a month and were having difficulty doing so. The second was titled, ''The Missing Picture.'' It won the grand prix award at Cannes film festival this year. The director, Rithy Panh, is a survivor of the Khmer Rouge genocide. His documentary featured clay characters and film footage from the genocide that depicted how his family and two million others died. You should watch it if you have the chance, http://carpetbagger.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/12/13/rithy-panh-on-the-missing-picture-and-living-with-tragedy/  

Both were very well done but also very depressing. I learned that Cambodians call the Vietnam War ''The American War'' and that the genocide was the aftermath of the war. I also learned that the United States dropped over a half a million ton of bombs over the country in the early 70s, a fact many Americans might not know.These bombs along with the land mines laid by the Khmer Rouge have led Cambodia to have one of the largest disabled populations in the world.

Tuesday was International Human Rights Day. It is a public holiday and a lot of offices were closed, including ours. However, it was also the day the Prime Minister celebrated International Day of Disabilities. Aide et Action was invited to participate in the government sponsored event because we have a few projects aiming to educate and empower kids with disabilities. The Prime Minister spent 15 minutes with us and seemed to be really interested in our organization and the work we do with children. It was refreshing to see a lot of the locals taking an active part in this event.

Aide et Action also held a week long finance workshop this week. Employees from Europe, Asia and Africa came to participate. I did not participate in the workshop but met a few of the participants during one of the sessions. This doesn't happen very often but I met another woman named Sabine! We got to know each other a little bit and she was proud I made the decision to come to Cambodia. She shared that her husband is currently looking after their three kids while she is away for three weeks. She reminded me that there is no reason to feel guilty for following my passion. She also said I was lucky to have found a man that understands and is a modern day husband. I couldn’t agree more!

I met a few more people this week through Jenny and Gareth. Gareth is an old classmate from my Master’s program and he also works with me at Aide et Action. Both have been a great resource. It’s always interesting when you meet new people because one of the first questions you get is, ''how long are you here for?'' The expats that are here long term are a little hesitant to invest in new friendships with people that are going to leave fairly quickly. It is a constant revolving door of people here so I can partially understand their thought process. 

One of the people I met, Jan, arranged for a tour of a local Wat with a former monk. Wat is the khmer name for a pagoda. Jan is from the Czech Republic and works with UNAids. I asked if I could join him on the tour and off we went yesterday with another expat from the Czech Republic. The tour was fascinating! We visited Wat Nearkravaan, the most revered wat in Phnom Penh. We learned about the life of Buddha and the stories about him that are painted on the walls of each temple. We also walked around the compound and learned about the life of a monk. We got to speak with two monks and learn about their daily routine. It was great to have an open dialogue with a local.

I am learning so much and am so thankful to have this experience. I am, however, not enjoying all the mosquito bites. I seem to get a new one each day and if I am lucky maybe four or five in one sitting. Maybe they just like new blood?

On a completely different note, we got the house! We closed on Thursday and Asghar moved in yesterday with the help of our wonderful friends. To celebrate, I bought two paintings for our new home and can't wait to bring a piece of Cambodia back with me. 

San Juan, Puerto Rico

Ever since I moved to Florida, I have been wanting to go to Puerto Rico because of its proximity and the low ticket prices. So for our one year wedding anniversary, I got us tickets to San Juan. I booked us a room at Casablanca Hotel mainly because we went to Morocco for our honeymoon. The hotel is beautiful and centrally located on Calle Fortaleza in Old San Juan. We rented a car for our trip and driving in San Juan was surprisingly calm and stress free. I was expecting it to be chaotic but it was not intimidating at all. 

We arrived at our hotel around 1pm but our room wasn’t going to be ready until 3pm. We left our bags with reception and headed to a local lunch spot for our first taste of Puerto Rican cuisine. Old San Juan is absolutely beautiful. I must have taken at least a dozen pictures during our two minute walk. The colorful houses and cobblestone streets transport you to another world.  Speaking of cobblestones, if you stare down you will see blue and black stones. All the blue cobblestones are over 300 years old! The black ones are the modern replacements. Back to the food. We got some empanadas and mofongo, a plantain dish that can be stuffed with your choice of protein inside. I opted for chicken. It was delicious! We headed back to the hotel via the scenic route and caught glimpses of the old fort and the sea.

Once were were checked in and refreshed, we headed out for a long walk along the water. We explored Castillo de San Cristobal from the outside and made our way to Santa Maria Magdalena cemetery. The cemetery is nestled between a park, El Morro castle and the ocean and is such a peaceful place. We sat on one of the ledges for a few minutes to appreciate life and the beautiful sunset. Afterwards, we kept wandering through the streets and ended up at the only remaining gate of the city. There used to be six gates which were closed at sunset to protect the residents. We stopped here for an ice cream break and enjoyed the sound of the water.  On our way back to the hotel we spotted a cute laid back pizza place our cousin had recommended. This quaint little restaurant is always busy so we put our name down. The meal was amazing and intimate. Great way to start an anniversary weekend!

 The next morning, we grabbed some quick breakfast and made our way to the fort. We arrived right when the doors were opening and essentially had the place to ourselves. It was the perfect time to explore. We weren’t the only ones trying to beat the crowds. As we approached the dungeon, we spotted a newly married couple taking some wedding shots. Their photographer even insisted on taking some photos for us! It was built in 1783 to protect San Juan from land attacks because the island was the first with water, shelter and supplies for ships en route to the Americas.

After the fort, we got our car and headed to El Yunque. Since Puerto Rico is a US territory, our phones worked wonderfully for navigation. We arrived in around 45 minutes and took the El Yunque trail to the top. Unfortunately, there were a lot of clouds in the afternoon so we barely got to see the panoramic view. A lot of people head to Fajorado for food but we opted for Loiza because it was on the way back to San Juan. The town of Loiza was recommended to us by a local because it has an amazing street food scene and the arepas there are fantastic. 

When we got back to Old San Juan, we noticed it was much busier from the day before. We learned this tends to happen when cruise ships dock. This has its pros and cons. Cons include busy streets, higher prices and a chaotic atmosphere. Pros include live entertainment and street fairs. We walked around and took in some of the live music but retreated fairly quickly to a nearby restaurant for dinner. This time we went with seafood at Tantra.

The crowds made us rethink our plans for the next day. We changed our beach plans and decided to drive to Rincon and spend the day there. Rincon is on the west coast of Puerto Rico and has one of the best beaches and is a surfer town. We were told the drive would take 2 hours but it really took 3. Even though Steps beach was quiet and beautiful, we probably should have spent the day in San Juan because the drive was exhausting.

We quickly forgot how tired we were in anticipation of our anniversary dinner. We made reservations at Marmalade and went with the tasting menu. The meal was out of this world! And the staff made the experience even better! They were very accommodating and made us feel very special on our anniversary.

Our return flight wasn’t until 3 pm so we grabbed some breakfast and decided to check out some art galleries. By this time, the cruise ship had left so the town was quiet again. We decided to take advantage of this by walking along the city walls and taking in the views one last time before checking out of the hotel. On our drive back to the airport, we grabbed lunch at Casita Blanca, a hole in the wall frequented by locals. The neighborhood might be uncomfortable for some but we enjoyed the experience. 

We loved the feeling of being transported to another time.

Why I came to Phnom Penh

I know for some of you my decision to move so suddenly might have come as a surprise. But for me this was a long term desire. I had wanted to live in the developing world since I completed my Master’s degree  in 2010 in International Development. I yearned to be in the field, to see how people lived and to learn from their experiences instead of just assuming the NGO world knew best. When I first met Asghar, I was trying to make a decision between moving to Angola with the Peace Corps or to go to South India with Villgro on a nine month fellowship. Obviously I decided against both options and stayed in D.C. to invest my time and heart in our relationship. It was the right decision at that time. I moved to Florida, we got married and I went on to live a pretty comfortable life. But that wasn’t enough for me. I still craved the unknown and wanted to live abroad before it was too late to do so. 

Asghar supported this decision because he understood its importance having made the same decision years ago. He packed up his bags and moved to China after undergrad and lived there for a year and a half. I felt very lucky to have to a partner that understood my passions and supported them unconditionally. I started playing with the idea in the summer of 2013 and began reaching out to my network. I applied for a few positions but this was in the midst of producing TEDxJacksonville and working full time at PACE Center for Girls so I couldn’t give it my full attention. 

I got an email a week before TEDxJacksonville for a skype interview with Aide et Action. I knew I had the job when the call was over. I was confused, stressed and excited. I was also interviewing with a local organization and waiting for their answer. But in the end I followed my gut and accepted the position in Cambodia the Friday before TEDxJacksonville. The timing wasn’t perfect but when is it ever? Asghar and I are in the midst of purchasing a home and are set to close on Dec 12^th. I am going to miss the move and our first days as homeowners. I will also be missing my best friend’s bachelorette party and bridal shower but was supported by her in this endeavor because she understood its significance. I will of course be there for her big day!

 

After being here for two weeks, I know I made the right decision. I spent three days out in the field this week and was humbled by the poverty around me. I was also amazed by the generosity of the locals and their desire to change their communities for the better. So far I have visited the provinces of Kandal, Kep and Takeo. In Kep, I met a deputy commune leader who happens to be an amazing woman as well. Most of my meetings involve a lot of men and it was refreshing to meet a strong woman. She is proud of her career and the respect she has earned because she does not support corruption. We are looking to build two more preschools in her commune.

In Takeo I met the most humbling man. He is in his late seventies and told us that he never learned to read and write and doesn’t want the kids in his community to grow up the same way. So he decided to donate his land to Aide et Action for a preschool along with a plot of his rice paddy so we could use the harvest for fundraising.

I also got to visit some of our existing schools and met a lot of the teachers and kids. This was such an emotional experience because these kids literally have nothing. The kids were so eager to learn and to be acknowledged. I even got a welcome song from them. I hope their preschool experience makes them curious and excited to keep on learning.   In total, we visited at least seven new prospective preschool locations and hope to have them up and running in the next few months. Most kids in the rural communities drop out after sixth or seventh grade. In Cambodia, education is not mandatory after the ninth grade. 

 

During this trip, I also got to explore the town of Kep. Yes, the province and the town have the same name. It is a coastal town on the gulf of Thailand and was such a refreshing change from the city. Our meetings finished around sunset so we were able to go to the beach and take in the view. Kep is also famous for its crab market. Letitia, a colleague who just started this week, and I opted to have dinner in the market overlooking the sea. This was a splurge at $11 but the meal was amazing! I ordered crab with green pepper and the famous Kampot pepper. I was seriously licking my finger after every bite and had crab juice all over my shirt. No bibs here.  

Sitting by the sea always brings me so much clarity and I was thankful to be able to do so in Kep.

Austin, Texas

I am going to use some of my down time to write about my trips to Austin, San Juan, Nova Scotia and Arizona. My intention was to write these within 2 weeks of the trips but I never had the time to sit down between planning TEDxJacksonville, my job and moving to Cambodia. Hopefully I can finish before the end of the year!

Asghar had to go to Dallas to attend a conference in late August so I used that as an excuse for us to explore Austin over 36 hours. We left Dallas pretty early on Saturday morning and arrived in Austin around eleven. It was a pretty comfortable three hour drive. We checked into our Airbnb apartment which was located in the fun neighborhood of Hyde Park. It is centrally located and a short ten minute ride into downtown Austin. 

First up was the Lyndon B Johnson Library. The building is big rectangle; you can’t miss it on the UT campus.  It was great to see all the cultural mementos from the fifties and sixties. I had never been to a presidential library before and it made me want to visit more.  

 

Congress Avenue runs north south and is a major to do in Austin. We visited the historic Drexel hotel and the Capitol before heading to South Congress (SOCO). Now this part of town is amazing! We spent a lot of time exploring shops and food trucks. Our favorites were Amy’s ice cream and the Mellizoz Tacos. Asghar found a record store and spent some serious cash on a dozen records.  

Austin is also known for its bats! We wanted to catch the bats in action and luckily there was a festival aptly named Bat fest that night. We walked over and caught the bats and a beautiful sunset. The experience lasted all of 5 minutes but thousands of them came in one instance. It
really is quite an experience. After exploring the booths at the festival, we headed back to our apartment to get ready for dinner. A friend recommended Uchiko for dinner so we took the suggestion and made a reservation for two for eight pm. Paul Qui is the executive chef and was recently on Top Chef Texas.  We opted for the tasting menu and were blown away by the freshness and flavor of the food. It was definitely a pricey experience but well worth it.

We had to leave for Dallas by 2pm to catch our flights home so we started pretty early on Sunday. We grabbed a cup of coffee at home and headed to the Austin Graffiti Park and the Cathedral of Junk. Both are off the beaten path and really relay the city’s creative nature. The graffiti park is in a suburban neighborhood near the Wholefoods flagship store. We walked around for a few minutes to look at the art and witnessed at least 3 photo shoots. The Cathedral of Junk is literally what it sounds like but in someone’s backyard. The owners have created a massive structure from trash.

We opted for breakfast at Olivia’s in SOCO and loved their layout and design.  Next was the Austin Museum of Art at Laguna Gloria. This was more about nature than art. You can walk the trails and explore the beautiful grounds but the art was underwhelming. However, the drive to the museum was beautiful because you pass a lot of scenic overlooks on the shores of Lake Austin. Our last stop of the day was 360 bridge.  An Austinite suggested the site for the views of Austin. It is a little difficult to find because there are no signs. You have to know the spot before the bridge and then it is a short 5 minute hike to the top. 

We loved our quick taste of Austin and hope to explore it in depth during SXSW one day!

Background information on Cambodia

Cambodia shares its border with Thailand, Laos and Vietnam.  The kingdom is a constitutional monarchy with a population of 15 million. The Prime Minister, Hun Sen, has been in power for 25 years.  The Khmer empire was once the largest in the region and ruled Southeast Asia for over 600 years. There are 24 provinces and I live in the capital which is probably the most developed part of the country followed by Siem Reap (close to Angkor Wat).

Phnom Penh was recently voted  the fourth worst place to live in the world by the Economist Intelligence Unit.  Karachi was fifth. I don’t plan on visiting the top three anytime soon. Here is more information on how they ranked the cities- http://www.smartplanet.com/blog/solving-cities/top-10-best-and-worst-cities-to-live/?tag=main%3Briver

Khmer Rouge

The Khmer Rouge was led by Pol Pot and he rose to power when the Vietnam War extended into Cambodia.  I had heard about the genocide but didn’t quite understand the gravity until I got here. Two million people lost their lives from 1975-1979. Schools, universities, libraries, hospitals and factories were shut down. Doctors, lawyers, teachers, engineers and really any professional were rounded up and murdered along with their families. Religion was banned and temples were destroyed and monks were killed.  Music was outlawed and people were shot for simple things like singing, wearing glasses, laughing or speaking a different language.

Aside from targeting the educated Khmers, the regime also targeted foreigners and ethnic minorities. The Cham Muslims lost half of their population. Most people knew if they were picked up by the soldiers of the regime they would eventually end up dead.  Killing Fields and Tuol Sleng, a local school turned prison, became infamous.

I visited Tuol Sleng last Saturday and was overwhelmed with emotion. The prison is in pretty awful condition but they have left it as they found it. There are pictures of victims, their stories, and their “confessions”. You can walk through the prison cells, the torture rooms and the gallows. It was such a depressing experience but a necessary one to understand the society here. Everyone over the age of 30 in Cambodia has their Khmer Rouge story.

After years of inaction, the UN and Cambodia government setup a court in 2006 to prosecute the leaders of the Khmer Rouge. Pol Pot died of natural causes in 1998 while under house arrest in Thailand. Only the leader of the Toul Sleng has been prosecuted and found guilty. He is currently serving a life sentence. The three remaining leaders are still in Cambodia  – one was deemed unable to withstand trial because of dementia, two others are still waiting for their trial to start. Another leader died while waiting to be tried.

People

Naturally the locals are frustrated by the stagnancy. They want closure and they also want the leaders of the Khmer Rouge to acknowledge their actions. No one openly talks about what they witnessed or experienced. It is a very delicate subject, rightfully so.  I also wonder how the victims feel today. Mental health isn’t given much of a priority here so I’m sure many have suppressed their emotions.

The locals are really nice and welcoming. I have had several strangers tell me to be careful with my bag. Due to the language barrier, I think the expats and locals are pretty segregated socially. But when you can communicate, it is so amazing to hear their views on the world. They hate Vietnam and are cautious of Thailand. In the few conversations I’ve had, they really want political change and for Cambodia to be a regional leader again.

In my last post I mentioned my frustration with the sustainability of the NGOs and a few of you responded by criticizing the locals. But it isn’t that simple when most of the educated citizens were killed and education was eliminated. Cambodia has a lot to rebuild which is why I think many of the locals only live with short term goals in mind. Long term planning is a luxury.

The new generation needs to take ownership and until they are ready to do so, the foreigners are helping where they can.

Food

I don’t consider myself a foodie but I do love food. I am trying to adjust my expectations and taste buds because the food here is bland for me. Everything seems to need more salt and a touch of hot sauce. Cambodians love their sugar and it seems to be in everything. Fish Amok and Chicken Amok, coconut based curries, are staples. Rice is everywhere and part of every meal. During my field trip last week, I was taken to a road side restaurant for local cuisine. The meal consisted of chicken, broth, and rice with fish sauce. I was amazed that people had the appetite for this at 8 am! I would have been happy with a hash brown.

I am still discovering dishes but my favorite staples so far are Thai and Indian curries because they are the most flavorful. French fries are ok here. I’m still searching for better ones. A decent cup of coffee is a rarity. I did find a local ice cream place that has awesome coffee ice cream so that is my go to comfort food.

Food is also very cheap. It is cheaper to eat out for every meal rather than buying groceries and cooking a meal. But I can’t bring myself to eat out all the time.

Traffic

Traffic here is horrendous! There are lanes but nobody actually follows them.  1500 people die every year due to traffic accidents. Having been to Pakistan, India and Nepal, I am comfortable walking on the roads but it does take a few days to adjust. Tuk Tuks, bicycles and motos are the way to get around because there is no public transportation. And no one seems to walk. I take a tuk tuk to and from work and it usually costs $1-$1.5 each way. When you add that up, it is very similar to when the NYC metrocard was $76 per month!

Weather

It is hot and humid all the time.  I arrived in the dry season so temperatures can easily reach 90 on a daily basis. The past few days have been nice because there has been a light breeze. 

I figured these would be the topics you are all most curious about but if there is anything else you want to know about, just ask.

Adjusting to Phnom Penh

I have been Cambodia for a week now and the journey has been an emotional one.

The first few days were tough. I wasn’t excited. I just couldn’t relax and enjoy my surroundings. At times, I wanted to fly out as soon as possible. The jet lag was awful and the heat and humidity led to dehydration.

There is essentially no structure here. I thought I had secured a place before arriving but the landlord changed his mind a day before my flight.  I scrambled to find a place for the first few nights during my  last night in New York.  I booked a hotel near the office for two nights in hopes of finding a place fairly quickly. Aide et Action took me around the city my first two days but I couldn’t find anything. Unfortunately, I also came with a pretty low budget and couldn’t afford to stay in the hotel any longer.

Luckily, a really generous and welcoming colleague offered her space. I didn’t know the conditions but accepted them without hesitation. Anjana had only known me for 5 hours and felt bad for me. I don’t know what I would’ve done without her. I spent 6 days in the apartment she shares with her friend Monica. 3 nights were spent in Anjana’s king bed and 3 nights in Monica’s. I felt like I was imposing the entire time but also had no alternative. We got to know each other pretty well during our evening talks and tuk tuk rides to work. She is from Nepal and is completing her Masters at Brandeis University. The kindness of a stranger made my first week tolerable and I am so grateful to call her a friend now.

I moved in to my new apartment this morning! It’s a cute 2 bedroom apartment in the BKK3 neighborhood. I am so happy to have my own bed. My spirit feels much better too. Having your own space makes such a difference. I share the apartment with Jenny, a German with Sri Lankan origins. She is also a volunteer and is conducting clinical psych research at the local university.

Phnom Penh is run and driven by expats. By that I mean the government is really just there for show but the NGOs actually take care of everything. Cambodia has the largest NGO presence in the world. This makes me question why I am here and the sustainability of my work. If all the expats decide to leave, what would the locals do? The expats are hired to do the work but there is no job shadowing or apprenticeship for the locals. So how will they ever learn? Don’t get me wrong, the NGOs do phenomenal work and the conditions in the country are improving because of them.

I am here with Aide et Action to focus on Early Childhood Education. The preschool system within Cambodia has developed very slowly and most are only located in the urban areas (with a 15% enrollment rate). I went out in to the field on Friday to scope out locations for prospective schools. We met with teachers and community leaders and saw kids playing in the streets during the day. It was such an enriching experience! Some of the villages didn’t even have a school. So the structure here is village – commune – district – province. I visited 3 villages in 2 communes in Kandal province which is one hour outside of Phnom Penh. We got some good prospects and hope to create 3-4 new preschools in the 2 communes within the next 6 months. If it weren’t for Aide et Action, these schools would not be created or be seen as a priority. It is so empowering to be part of an organization that is the driving force for education in this country.

On a side note, people are very curious about me and my origins and it is really embarrassing. One of the teachers asked if I had plastic surgery done on my nose because it looked too perfect! Lol. I also can’t get away with saying I’m from the United States. That answer is not satisfying enough and gets followed by but originally or where are your parents from. Being brown does help with safety though. Expats are often targets of purse snatching and pick pocketing. Blonde hair and white skin make you an easy target and brown skin leads to confusion because they don't know if you are one of them or not. I have only picked up a word or two of the language and plan on delving deeper because it helps getting around and with prices. Expats easily pay double for everything.

Off to dinner now. See you next week!