Before I left OC when I told people I was moving to Cambodia the two most common questions I got were:
1. Q: “Where is that?”
A: “In South East Asia between Vietnam and Thailand”
And
2. Q: “Why?”
A: “Long story.”
So here is the “long story” of why I am in Cambodia, and what I am doing here.
It was fall of 2004 I was still studying in CSULB and had registered for my last semester there to get my BA in Art Education. Both of my younger sisters were currently studying abroad in Europe (England and Ireland). I was jealous because I was about to finish up my schooling and I had never been abroad, I didn’t even have a passport. It was then that I was presented with the opportunity to go to Cambodia by one of my professors Carlos Silvera. Before that all that I knew about Cambodia I had learned from Jello Biafra. It didn’t matter to me that I knew nothing about Cambodia, in fact that probably made it appeal even more to me. I liked that fact that I was going to a place that no one I know had visited.
The project that Carlos organized was to take place during the winter break/semester. It was a 3 week project and the focus was Carlos’ specialty, "art as a tool for social empowerment". We would be taking all the fancy western ideas we had learned about and try to apply them in a developing country. Cambodia is a place that has more than it’s fair share of social problems and we would be working with some NGOs in Phnom Penh that address some of these problems. This was the first year that Carlos took students to Cambodia, so no one knew exactly what to expect.
The trip itself was the biggest turning point in my life, I feel in love with the country immediately and knew I would be back. I was infact back a year later with CSULB, this time I was no longer a student but I came along to assist the new group of students and offer whatever help my experience could be. After 3 weeks when the CSULB students went back to Long Beach and I stayed and backpacked through mainland SE Asia (Vietnam, Laos and Thailand) for 2 months. From Bangkok I flew to Japan where I taught English for a year. The following January while living in Japan, I came to Cambodia once again for my one week vacation. I met up with the CSULB students and visited the NGOs I had worked with.
The reason I decided to come back for a forth time was about 9 months ago when I saw a documentary filmed on the first trip CSULB took to Cambodia (http://www.totouchthesoul.com/). After seeing the documentary all I could think about was Cambodia and that I had to go back. I spent a couple days looking for a volunteer program in Cambodia online and I found Conversations with Foreigners (the program I now work for [I will write more about them in another blog]).
It’s hard to explain what is so special about this place, but the more I travel the more it reinforces that Cambodia is my favorite country. Everytime that I have been back since my first visit, I have wondered if I have made a mistake. On the tuk-tuk ride from the airport last week I again had my doubts. At first glance Phnom Penh is a ugly harsh place, a real cemetery for hope. Dusty, dirty, smelly at places, trash everywhere and examples of extreme poverty everywhere you look. As I was riding through Phnom Penh with Sopheap last week I wondered if living in Phnom Penh could possibly live up to my expectations.
It took less than 24 hours for me to remember why I came back, and for my to have faith in my decision. It is true that this is a very poor and harsh place, but the people here smile more than anywhere I have ever been and it is infectious. I am constantly in a good mood. It is almost the complete opposite of Southern CA, a very beautiful place where the people have so much but nobody smiles and everyone looks miserable. It might not make a lot of sense, but if had been here you would understand.
