Ryan's Journal #1

Tired. Very, very tired. Today we successfully traveled around the world (or so it felt like it) and ended up in Cambodia. I was immediately impressed by how friendly the Cambodian people are. The moment we walked out of the Cambodian airport, around 25 students and faculty from the Pannasastra University of Cambodia greeted us with Jasmine lays, smiles, and "hellos." They seem like gentle people that want nothing more than to get to know you better-there's no hidden agendas. Our drive to the hotel was anything but ordinary compared to my experiences in the U.S. Every other road in Phnom Penh is unpaved which probably makes driving a nightmare during the rainy seasons. Motorcycles are the prevalent choice of transportation in the capital. I've seen a four person family all riding on the same motorcycle. Traffic never seems to stop, simply rolling along. It's very aggressive- an offensive form of driving. There seems to be no laws on the roads because on numerous occasions I've witnessed cars driving on the wrong side of traffic and it didn't seem like this was a shock to anyone. Our hotel is much more westernized than I had expected. We have air conditioning, cable, a large pool, and elevators. The room we were fortunate enough to receive has two large windows with a view. Teresa wasn't nearly as fortunate. She was stuck with a view of a brick wall one foot away from the glass. Tonight we met with the students from Pannasastra University and as first it felt like one of those junior high dances were to boys are on one side of the gym and the girls hiding on the other. Gradually, however the students became more comfortable and that invisible barrier was erased. The Cambodian students had drinks and barbecued food prepared for us. I ate liver for the first time and I consciously will never do it again. I ready for sleep now and anxious to see what's in store for us tomorrow.

Ryan's Journal #2

We're entering the second week of the trip and I'm
still as fascinated as the day I arrived. My only
hindrance has been the stomach aches I continually
wake up with. I don't know if it's the malaria pills,
the food, or the ice cubes, but something in Cambodia
is getting a good laugh at the expense of this new
foreigner. I've filmed two organizations that aid
children in need. The first group of children we
worked with were girls that have been rescued from sex
trafficking. To say that their living situation is
unpleasant would be an understatement. We drove down
a narrow dirt road before reaching a twelve foot tall
steel security gate. The first thing that attracted
my attention was the intimidating grey wall that
besieged the property. Large shards of glass and
broken beer bottles were cemented all along the frame
as a substute for barbwire. On this one acre of land
sat a two room warehouse, a garden and a stable filled
with pigs. Inside the dark, dingy warehouse were
about 20 Cambodian girls from the ages of eleven to
eighteen. I was floored when I got news that this
cold, empty building was where the girls slept. No
mattresses, no pillows, no electricity. Cement floors
and old blankets seemed to be the only source of
bedding these girls were given. Most of the girls
were standoffish. They had a wall up and had no
intentions of bringing it down on our first visit. I
was physically, mentally, and emotionally drained
after leaving the compound. The second group I worked
with was an organization called Little Folks. This
NGO helped children whose parents died or are dying
from HIV. Ranging from two years of age to fourteen
years old, this group of kids were pleasant to be
around from the moment we arrived. Every child
greeted us individually with an enormous smile and a
bow. They were all polite, joyous children that
seemed to simply want to have fun. The objective for
these kids is painting a mural along the interior wall
to the property. I look forward to returning to this
particular group because I think I can learn from them
just as much as they can learn from us.