Young Hearts Yearn to Learn in Cambodia

Two Schools

So similar,

yet so different

A large complex of buildings

with a field built for playing

no power, no water,

just chalk and books

The other school floating

a boat built for learning

no power, no water

just chalk and books

Every soul engaged

bright eyes, smiling faces

visibly yearning to learn

and embrace the unknown

Two Schools

So similar

yet so different

both striving towards a better future

for those enrolled

While traveling in Cambodia, we decided to volunteer some of our time to an organization called, ABOUTAsia Schools (formerly I Am Cambodia). This organization is heavily involved with over 100 schools in Siem Reap. For our visit, we went to the Prey Chrouk School, which teaches children of all ages.  On the first day, we brought fun English learning books with us for the classes to use as well as various treats for the children to enjoy. (Cambodia relies heavily on tourism. Learning English, as well as other languages, is a fabulous tool to help the children have a prosperous future).  

Entering the classrooms to engage with the students and present the books, you could feel the excitement and see the brilliance shining in their eyes. These children were visibly excited about learning and wanted to engage with us. The day was dedicated to tongue twisters and we added a few more to the list. Helping with pronunciation and answering intelligent questions from curious minds, having an absolutely fabulous time.

Chris Smith who founded the program, organized our involvement with the school and even had us do some work outside of the school as well. It was so nice to see how much the administrators, teachers, and students appreciated the work Chris Smith along with Andy Booth were doing for their school.  

One day outside of the classroom was particularly memorable. Chris took us to a local Buddhist temple to help paint the pagoda. At this temple the Buddhist monks were not allowed to be in the same room with a woman so a few of them left to sit outside when we arrived. Entering the room to join a couple local helpers, we got to work painting the ceiling and the walls. There was paint splattered everywhere and we tried to show some of the workers how to protect the floors from the paint dripping off the ceiling. However, we were not incredibly successful and I am certain after all was said and done, they had to paint the floors as well.

We tried to balance our volunteering with sight seeing, enjoying Angkor Wat and making our way to a floating village. Overall, the floating village was fairly disappointing as they had learnt how to take advantage of the tourists. However, along the way we saw some children in uniforms on a boat and asked if it was a school . Due to our interest, the boat driver stopped so we could go in and say hello to the children. I thought this was rather odd at first. Why would they want to see some random strangers? But they loved it!
As soon as we walked into the “classroom” (which was the interior of the boat) the children’s eyes lit up and they were excited to get the chance to talk to us. They were bursting with questions about where we had come from, what we were doing in Cambodia, and what we thought of the things we had seen. Their school-boat was incredibly colorful with fun decorations adorning the ceiling, and some of the students showed us what they were working on in their books. We enjoyed meeting the children and said goodbye to continue on our peculiar river adventure. Grinning ear to ear the children waved goodbye and in the flash of an eye we were gone.

It is so fabulous to see such a desire for learning in the youth. Both schools, though completely different, with children from completely different environments, were filled with passionate pupils. Walk into most classroom in America or the UK and the only thing likely to evoke that much excitement is One Direction or Justin Bieber. 

Bones & Gold

Motorcycles whizz by

with whole families piled high.

6

7

5

Maimed victims wander the streets,

an ever present example of their history.

arm

leg

eye

The stark contrast of bones and gold

reminds you of the past governments control.

starvation

temples

...sigh

A population incredibly young

the unfortunate result of a mind unstrung.

8

25

39

Revival from a dictators regime

slowly progressing for the world to see.

agriculture

weddings

smiles

The greatest historic treasures still stand

showing this once was a wealthy land.

temples

jewels

shrines

Inspiration unfolds

Learning stories unknown

and for these you must standby...

Phnom Penh (during my visit), a dry & dusty city, filled with people, and overflowing with history. Every road busy with motorcycles zipping around, loaded down with families or various goods for sale. Looking around there appear to be no locals over the age of 60. Yet, despite their youth, the faces looking back at us were weathered far beyond their years exposing the hardships of their lives that were hidden so well by their radiant smiles.

I feel that when you are lucky enough to find yourself in Cambodia it is important that you visit the "killing fields" which act not only as a memorial to those lost but as a reminder of how a lethal government can tear a country apart. All over the world, we are taught about the holocaust, yet we rarely learn of the horrors occurring elsewhere, in Rwanda or Cambodia or Darfur. In Cambodia, approximately 2 million people lost their lives to the rule of the Khmer Rouge and one of the most famous memorials for them is not far from Phnom Penh. Visiting Choeung Ek, you find yourself face to face with the horror these people lived through. The mind absorbing information at a rate you forgot it could.


The Choeung Ek Genocidal center, now a memorial, was a burial sight during the genocide found after the fall of the Khmer Rouge. Entering the center grounds, the first thing you see is a Buddhist style tower. As you approach it your eyes focus in on the 5,000 skulls of the victims found in the orchard. A chilling visual of the horror that took place here. Visitors all walk in silence, trying to process such horror which is simply beyond comprehension, only daring to whisper to their companions in order to release some of the agony baring down on their souls.  Wandering through the orchard you are surrounded by 86 mass graves that at one point contained nearly 9,000 people. The ground, appearing as if it were struck by a meteor shower, is covered with craters that once served as mass graves.

Field of Mass Graves

Leaving Choeung Ek, there are no words to say. So many are running through your mind yet your mouth can not begin to utter them. As the deathly orchard fades into the distance you are able to talk, to process, and to breathe again. Don't just visit Choeung Ek and be done for the day, go early so you can do more after you leave! Have your faith in humanity rocked, and then visit the Royal Palace & the Silver Pagoda in Phnom Penh.

Arriving at the Royal Palace we emerged from our tuk tuk to the out stretched hands of crippled civilians. Standing, bare handed, in the middle of the street there is nothing you can do, and given what you have just witnessed it tears your soul into pieces. Leaving, you are barely able to collect enough of those pieces to make it inside the gates where you buy your tickets. Mind flashing back to Choeung Ek you forget for a moment where you are, until you enter the palace grounds and hope blossoms in the depth of your heart.

The Silver Pagoda

Before you lies a brilliant complex of stunning grounds and beautiful buildings, a sparkling example from the past of the strength and wealth Cambodia is capable of achieving once again. The golden roofs shimmer in the sun and the bright white walls are so clean they are blinding. Colorful murals grace some of the walls, telling the story of Cambodia's distant past.  Elaborate Buddhist gates garnish important door ways and impressive royal memorials scatter the grounds.



Each building tells a different story, teaching you about the country's rich culture. From a hall filled with carriages (for both horses and elephants) to a building featuring displays of traditional Cambodian costume & dance, you learn of the grace of the people.

Although the Khmer Rouge had banned religion during their reign the Buddhist presence here is strong. Numerous Buddhist monks can be spotted wandering the grounds to the various Buddhist temples. These temples house religious artifacts of great significance, allowing you to see Buddha's foot prints, peer at sacred Buddhist text, and show respect to Buddhist statues.

The Silver Pagoda is by far the most impressive building on the grounds. A solid silver tiled floor leads the way to an emerald Buddha cloaked in fabulous gold & jeweled garments which are appropriate for the season. Sitting on his throne he towers above you encircled by gold and priceless jewels. The emerald Buddha does not sit alone, below him stand several gold Buddhas featuring impressive diamonds. Shocked by the beauty and grandeur before me, I found myself having to collect my jaw from the floor in order to leave. (Photography was unfortunately not permitted within the Silver Pagoda, so I am unable to show you the grandeur within the pagoda.)

Downtown Phnom Penh

Leaving the royal grounds, we hopped on a tuk tuk to take us back to our hotel. Passing the people, faces all wondrously glowing with beautiful smiles. It is hard to comprehend the depth of their strength. Maimed and scarred if not visibly then internally, hungry and tired from hard work for little return, yet their smiles rarely waiver. The character of the people is truly inspiring. The ostentatious tower of wealth in the Silver Pagoda was a breathtaking contrast to the tower of skulls in "the Killing Fields". Serving as a glowing example of Cambodia's former wealth, and begging the question of how this can be achieved not for the government but for the people that make Cambodia so unbelievably remarkable.

Peace, Love & Joy in Cambodia

Tower of Skulls at the Killing Fields in Phnom Penh stands as a Memorial to those Lost to the Khmer Rouge

A past riddled with brutality

From a regime favoring mortality 

Yet hope was not a fatality

And now freedom is their reality. 

Land mines still scattered in fields

Tortuous dreams rarely yield

Yet in the light of day, the pain concealed

Only strength is revealed.

Most homes,
Plastic tarps
Wooden supports
Tin roofs

The depth of poverty, undeniable
Yet joy ever so recognizable.
The glowing faces indescribable
Bright eyes, brilliant smiles, just incredible

A population with no water or electricity
Surviving without even the bare neccesities
Yet only smiles beam back at me
Making my soul glow instantly

The people,
Laughing,
Smiling,
Engaging

Schools overcrowded with girls and boys
Classes in which none are coy
Perfectly incandescent joy
With imagination as their favorite toy.

Every person dressed to impress
with their clothes showing no duress
despite what little they possess
their image is one of success.

Pure inspiration,
Overwhelming
Irrefutable,
Inexplicable.

One face amongst the crowd shone particularly brightly. Sophalla, our tuk tuk driver had become our friend by the end of the trip. Sophalla, a gentle soul with a generous heart, had nothing but love to share with the world and took care of us the entire time we were in Siem Reap.

We had traveled north to Siem Reap from Phnom Penh to do a little work with a local charity and visit Angkor Wat. Having arrived in town we were greeted by a gentleman from I Am Cambodia (the charity) named Chris. Chris had arrived in a tuk tuk driven by a humorous gentleman to whom we were introduced, Sophalla. Chris raved about Sophalla so we hired him on the spot for the next day. From then on, Sophalla would pick us up and drive us either to the school in Prey Chrouk or to Angkor Wat. It took a little while for Sophalla to warm up to us but after being swarmed by charming impoverished children with the most creative sales skills at the first temple he grew rather fond of us (not sure if that was due to the way we handled ourselves or failed to do so but either way we were in his good books).

We ended up getting absolutely drowned on this first day at the temples. However, the sun decided to come out just as we were getting ready to drive out of the complex, so we took off our ponchos and put them behind us on the seat so they would not blow away. Getting lost in the scenery and smiling faces that were walking home we had completely forgotten about our ponchos by the time we had arrived back, carelessly leaving them in Sophalla's tuk tuk. The next morning Sophalla showed up at the hotel proudly bearing two pristine ponchos that his wife had washed for us the night before. This small gesture may seem silly to some, but we were blown away by his thoughtfulness.

Sophalla was surprised by our genuine appreciation and from that moment on we had a special bond. Sophalla was constantly joking with us and telling us stories about his past and his hopes for the future of Cambodia. He would take us to various local stops either to experience a bit of luxury when he felt we could use it or enjoy some local flavor when he sensed we were intrigued by something.

A true friend, Sophallea was an inspiration. He could not be brought down, finding light at the end of every tunnel, hope where there appeared to be none left. We were honored on our second to last day in Cambodia by an invitation from Sophalla to visit his house in order to meet his wife and children. I had assumed given his pristine clothing and fancy tuk tuk that he was relatively well off. However, I was not exactly right with this assumption.

Sophalla drove us to his home, a humble 20ft x15ft plot with wooden floor boards surrounded by concrete walls holding up a tin roof. The home backed up to the river and was tightly jam packed in the middle of a row of hundreds of homes along a stretch of road. Waiting in anticipation, his wife and children greeted us excitedly. The young girl grinning ear to ear carrying her little puppy, as her brother grinned sheepishly in his Hawaiian swimsuit, baseball cap on backwards feeling very cool.

We were invited to sit on the table (that appeared to act as table, chairs, and bed). Quickly being presented with glasses of water and food to eat before being shown the family photo album. We enjoyed the photographs as we graciously drank our water and ate the food presented to us, chatting happily with Sophalla's wife and children through the help of his translations. Such wonderful people, they were the perfect example of what every family should strive for. So grateful for each other and the things they had, proudly showing off there most prized possessions.

That was the day my heart learned how to open up to
the world, my soul learned how to forgive, and my mind learned not to covet material things. Living in a world so obsessed by material possessions it is easy to lose sight of what really matters in life: peace, love & joy.

Throughout the next few days I will continue posting about this inspirational country, sharing with you the things that make Cambodia special... See you soon!

NASA: Failure is Not an Option

Welcome to Texas! Land of longhorns, sweet tea, big trucks, barbecue, guns, southern hospitality, oil fields, and NASA! The Johnson Space Center, located in Houston Texas, is the inspirational center of past space triumphs and future glories! Come to Houston and dare to dream amongst the stars. Glance down upon our planet from space, touch a piece of the moon, and admire the control room where future space missions will be supported from the Earth's ground. Not only are you enabling your own mind to dream and learn but you are helping fund an organization that will go to infinity and beyond in search of knowledge that will improve our world.

When I was at school I remember being jealous of all the explorers who had traveled around the world, expanding their country's knowledge of our planet, because they had discovered it all. Then I went to NASA for the first time on a school trip and realized we hadn't even discovered a fraction of our own galaxy. There is a whole universe out there just waiting to be explored, and NASA is not only working towards discovering it, but inspiring future generations to keep exploring. Now that is something worth supporting!

Walking through the front doors, faces of both young and old light up. The massive foyer leads the way to endless possibilities and standing there you can feel its importance orbiting you. The foyer, or arena (for lack of a better word) is a giant circle, the center of which always hosts a plethora of brain stimulating games and displays, making even the adults want to join in on the fun. Design a model and make it move, combine gears to make them turn, create a beat in sync with a light room, or see how many beats per minute you can achieve wearing wings.

Main Foyer 

Not interested in playing games to stimulate your brain? Walk over to the International Space Station exhibit on the left side of the arena. Watch a fascinating live presentation on life in space to learn how astronauts sleep, exercise, shower, and eat. This area is complete with many interactive learning stations. Here you can learn about a variety of space facts from the evolution of the space suit to the impact of various trajectories.

Of everything there is to do and see, the tram tour is NASA's real star event. Red or Blue you get to choose between going to the Astronaut Training Facility or to Mission Control. Both choices are great and either way you are taken to Rocket Park where you can see real life rockets, including Saturn V, Mercury-Redstone and Little Joe II.

Panorama of Saturn V

Mission Control Room

Choosing the blue tour, I was expecting to go to the historic mission control. However, to my surprise we were taken in to the current Mission Control Room! It was unbelievably exciting to see the real place where all the action happens and a total treat as they only allow viewings of the present day Mission Control Room on weekends.

After our tram tour, we decided to enter the Starship Gallery. Taking our seats in a large movie theater, we were soon watching a brief film on the history of NASA and space travel. Once the film had finished we entered into a fabulous moon landing exhibit. For those who are interested in a guided tour at no cost, live actors bring the presentation to life. However, if you are a more independent soul like myself, you are free to wander through the gallery at your own leisure.

Astronauts on the Moon in Starship Gallery

The Starship Gallery has realistic exhibits including a display showcasing an historic lunar rover and model astronauts taking some of the first steps on the moon. Leaving the moon to walk into a vault you find yourself face to face with real materials from the moon and are even able to touch a piece of stone brought back to Earth.

Lunar Rover

Having laid our fingers on the moon we noticed the time and realized it was almost time to go. We left the lunar exhibit making our way out to the gift shop before continuing on to get dinner in Kemah. There is so much to do and see at NASA that it can be a challenge to manage it all in one day. There was plenty more we could have done, had we prioritized our time differently, but mozying through enjoying each particular aspect to the fullest was best for us.

Building Storing Saturn V @ Rocket Park

This is Your Jetway if you're an Astronaut..

Face to Face with a Rocket Engine

Rocket Engines of Saturn V

Little Joe II @ Rocket Park

Cross the Aegean to Dante's Gate

Leaves dancing through abandoned streets, 

lined with colorful shutters and doors. 

Silence interrupted only by the the beat 

of the waves splashing against the shore. 

Buildings stripped down thread bear, 

abandoned belongings everywhere. 

Window frames with no panes, 

empty doors to buildings with no floors 

and crumbling stairs beyond repair. 

The cheerful shops now covered in dust.

Handles and locks caked in rust.

A world long since, untouched.

An eerie chill in the air, 

one can not help but be aware 

of the people whose lives were so unfair.

An island fortress, built to keep people out but used to keep people in, not for what they had done but for what they had contracted. Spinalonga, originally designed by the Venetians to protect the ports, was transformed into a leper colony in 1903. Now abandoned by human life it is open for tourists via a short ferry ride. We caught a ferry to the island from Elounda (a city in Crete) early in the morning and were the only people we saw on the island for most of our visit. 

Meandering through the town, peering through dusty shop windows and walking into the various rooms open to tourists, we were captivated by the island and desperate to learn more about it. Some buildings appeared to have been recently abandoned only leaving enough time for the dust to settle. However, others were decrepit and sure to collapse in on themselves if the wind blew the wrong way. Climbing the stairs, leaving the eerie aura of the town we arrived atop the city walls, to be greeted by the most stunning views of Crete and the sparkling blue Aegean. Such beauty, simply mesmerizing, could only have brought joy to anyone looking upon it. Walking along the walls, admiring the view, only our curiosity dragged us back to the town.

Standing at Dante's Gate

Leaving the walls and continuing along the cobblestone streets, we turned down a wide ramp, finding ourselves facing "Dante's Gate." The massive iron gate, once an entrance for the lepers, now featured a rusted old lock and chain sealing it shut. This ominous gate, towering over us, gave me chills, inspiring us to move on and learn more about the peculiar island and its purpose. This odd little ghost town, complete with the look and feel of a quaint authentically Greek town, gave the overall feeling of incarceration. However, despite the overwhelming sense of imprisonment, in a way the island was supposed to provide liberation.

Leprosy is a ghastly infectious disease affecting the skin and nerves, deteriorating overall quality of life. While not fatal on its own it is incredibly painful, scarring its victims appearance often being perceived as rotting from the inside out. Due to their appearance lepers were unable to hide their condition and were outcast from society. The Spinalonga leper colony gave these unfortunate souls somewhere to live as normal a life as they possibly could, while providing them with food, shelter and the medical treatment they needed.

Exploring this ancient structure so rich in history, your eyes are opened to the past and enlightened towards the future. The concept of building a town for "diseased" people to live away from society baffles me, because in the world I live in today we have different means to help people. The massive advances in science and technology in the past 100 years are mind boggling and one can not help but wonder where we will be 100 years from now.

Spinalonga was somewhere that people suffering from this cruel infectious disease, shunned by society for an illness which at the time could not be cured, could feel slightly normal. Exploring this abandoned town with a cherished friend it was a reminder not only how lucky we are but how important our actions are. My mother's favorite saying comes to mind, "treat others as you wish to be treated," and Spinalonga was a golden example as to why.

When you next find yourself in Greece make your way to Spinalonga, and take the time to explore this unorthodox island. I think you will be surprised by your reaction, if not by the history then at least by the views.