FLOOD!! and 50 Years of Peace Corps!

Heavy rains in parts of Cambodia have managed to overflow rivers and lakes to create flooding. Its not an emergency yet, but heavy rains have visited us every night now for over a week. More like over 10 days! Its raining at this very moment while I am typing this!


A house that was flooded. Good thing this house sits on stilts.


My host-nephew, Somethea, riding his bike in the water


This is a bridge over a small river. Its fairly deep, but the water has gotten so high, children are playing in the water.


Another house in my village that has been affected by the rising water from the nearby river.


A boy on his bike crossing a small bridge.

Also, read this page on Peace Corps!

the young, upper middle class of phnom penh

so, i've been at this expat cafe several hours now, mooching off their free super fast internet, and just met a young married khmer couple. they are sitting across from me and i just couldn't help but notice how un-khmer they were. they were very kissy face, very pda! their pda is just so very strange to me. even the way the husband treated his wife was very genial, moreover, respectful. he didn't eat before her, he waited for her and had her take the first bite. so i couldn't but help but ask them if they were married, because they were young looking. i found out that they've been married for 5+ years now with a 5 year old son. he is a custom's officer and she works in business. their son is going to a good private school in the capital, and no doubt will learn english.

this encounter is just so fascinating. while phnom penh has areas that make you wonder, "really, this is the capital?" having social encounters like the one i just mentioned above really makes me believe that cambodia is on its way to developing. i can't say for certain what kind of development it will experience, but withing the next 50 years, this country will experience significant. but of course, its inevitable that any developing country will experience development within a 50 year span.

i just had to mention this because since being here and living out in the provinces, most times it feels almost hopeless. i wonder often, is it possible for khmer people to think about their existence and have a desire to improve their lives.

G.L.O.W., Piped water and America

hey everyone! i'm overdue with my updates but i have a good excuse: i've been busy finishing up summer projects on the cambodian end and i recently returned to the states for a 3-weeks, but i'm back in the 'bode now.

okay, so i finished up the water project at my school. if you weren't aware that i was working on a water project, well catch up here.

camp GLOW was pretty successful, but not without a few bumps along the way. however, Keiko and I were more than satisfied with the camp. in the fewest words possible, the goal of our camp was to help our female students become vehicles of change to improve the future of gender equality in cambodia. the camp addressed the needs of young females in present day cambodia with life skills education and reproductive health training. so, many thanks to our counter parts, pc small grants, school directors, pcvs, trainers, ngos, and our students. photos!



condom demo during the reproductive health portion



the design of our shirt was designed by a fellow pcv, julie k. in takeo province



discussion time



day 1--students filling out a pre-camp survey



Culmination Day



these girls are from my school. the lady in the center is my school's co-director, ms. ngai



Keiko and I trying to form a heart...the camp is FINISHED!!!


the camp was the conclusion of my summer projects. I was then able to relax and enjoy my vacation back in the states. i was suppose to take a lot of photos back home, but i didn't. i'm so retarded.

anyway, i'm back in cambodia now and the school year is about to start. can't wait.

bye.