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This week was full, as always, with a number of lectures, field trips, and transitions. Thursday afternoon we visited Cambodia’s National Museum, which houses artifacts from the last 15 centuries of Cambodian history. Many of the museum’s holdings pre-date the Angkor period, going back to the 6th century or earlier, back when Cambodia’s religion was Brahmanism. The museum, located adjacent to the royal palace, also has a beautiful garden in the center, and students enjoyed feeding the fish there, observing a group of young Buddhist monks exploring the museum, and relaxing by the ponds. The museum is also located directly…
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- Ann, Madeleine, and Renae waiting to go into the National Museum.
- Jake at the National Museum, with boy monks in the background.
- Kate and Corey waiting to go into the National Museum.
- Boy monks at the National Museum.
- Kate and Jessie with boy monks at the National Museum.
- Maryn, Brett, Madeleine, and Seth loving the National Museum.
- A group of students through the National Museum window.
- Nate and Jacob M at the National Museum.
- Sarah feeds the fish at the National Museum.
- Sara K writes in her journal at the National Museum.
- Lam Socheat, deputy director of Building Capacity for Change, spoke Friday about Seeking Good Governance.
- Students listen in while Lam Socheat speaks.
- Sara K and classmates listen to Francois Ponchaud’s lecture about Buddhism.
- Thursday students picked up their brand-new bikes at local shop opened by local assistant Sen Marya’s relatives.
- Seth and others loved trying out the new bikes.
- Sarah L-R loves her new bike.
- At the bike shop with local assistant Sen Marya.
- Brett kicks back for his first ride.
- Carina and Sara K try out the new bikes.
- Students checked to make sure their lights and bike locks worked before heading off.
- Kate tries out her new bike.
- Jake offers a thumbs-up for the new bike.
- Jessie heads off for her first ride.
- On Friday we went with a group of RUPP university students to Pizza Company for lunch. The RUPP students are all studying English.
- It was about a five-minute walk from campus to the pizza place.
- SSTers were paired off with one or more RUPP students.
- Sarah L-R and Brett with their new RUPP friend.
- Several of the SST women purchased RUPP uniforms prior to the luncheon, and now wear the uniforms to campus.
- Lunch at the Pizza Company.
- Finishing up lunch.
- Students enjoyed a wide variety of pizzas for lunch with RUPP students.
The following post was written by SSTer Sara K and published in this morning’s Record back on campus. We are posting it here as well so family and friends can have easy access to her words, which she shared with the group last evening: By Sara K After one bus, two planes, three movies, four foil-wrapped meals, and 23 hours of travel, our group arrived at Phnom Penh International Airport at 10:00 pm Thursday to muggy air and a 12-hour time difference. That was five days ago. I have never felt so many different extreme emotions in so short a…
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Last evening (Wednesday evening) was the first P’teah Goshen gathering. Ann cooked up two batches of homemade chili (one a vegetarian version, one with meat), and that was supplemented with hard-to-find tortilla chips, cheddar cheese, salsa, crackers, bananas, and ice cream. Students gathered at the Graber Miller apartment (P’teah Goshen) shortly after our afternoon lecture about the French Protectorate and Cambodian Independence, and stayed through the evening. In addition to the meal, the evening included a reflection by Sara K that was based on a perspectives piece she wrote for this week’s Record. The group sang hymns together, evaluated some…
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- At P’teah Goshen Wednesday night, students formed a Back-Rub Line. Seth was the only one of the men to get in on it.
- The Back-Rub Line at P’teah Goshen.
- Joel and Carina check out the SST Cambodia library at the Graber Miller home.
- Relaxing on the floor at the Graber Miller home.
- An overhead shot of women taking a break on the floor mats at the Graber Miller home.
- Simon and Sara T start the dinner line.
- Lining up for dinner.
- Although students say they’re loving the Khmer food they eat each day, they also were grateful to have a taste of Western food at P’teah Goshen.
- Dinner included Ann’s homemade chili soup (including a vegetarian version), hard-to-find tortilla chips, salsa, cheddar cheese (rare in Cambodia), bananas, crackers, and ice cream.
- Lining up for dinner.
- Lining up for dinner.
- Overhead shot of the dinner line.
- Lining up for dinner.
- Lauren, Henry, Nate, and Jacob M quickly volunteered for dishwashing duty.
- Keith shows Carina some of the landmarks on the Phnom Penh nighttime skyline.
- Relaxing while waiting for the dishwashers to finish.
- Seth relaxes with a book on the Graber Miller front porch.
- Jessie, Sarah, Lauren and others at P’teah Goshen.
- Women relax on the mats while waiting for the dishwashers to finish.
- Finishing dinner.
- Formal group gathering at P’teah Goshen. Sara K led an opening reflection based on her Record article for this week.
Classes began Monday morning at the Royal University of Phnom Penh, with Vice-Rector Ponn Chhay welcoming us to campus. Immediately following our welcome ceremony, students broke up into two classes with Khmer language teachers Touch Phara, Prum Sisaphantha, Thea Sok Meng, and Teacher Chorry. In one of the classes students are learning some Khmer script along with spoken Khmer, and all are highly motivated to improve on their language skills. Monday we also had lunch at RUPP’s campus, ordering in Khmer, then took a break for about two hours before our afternoon lecture. Students found a beautiful oasis in the…
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- Sara K’s brother Panha at RUPP
- Teacher Sok Meng Tea with class.
- Carina, Renae, Audrey, and Madeleine in Khmer class.
- Students in Khmer class.
- Teacher Chorry teaching Khmer class.
- Teacher Chorry’s class.
- Brett entertaining SSTers during break time from language class.
- Some of the SST men enjoy looking at the view from Building T’s fourth floor over break time.
- Madeleine, Kate, and Audrey over break time at RUPP.
- A gathering of male SSTers during break time from Khmer language class.
- Mr. Chorry’s Khmer class.
- Jake learning Khmer script.
- Teacher Prum Sisaphantha preparing students for Monday’s lunch at RUPP.
- Teacher Chorry teaching Khmer script.
- Lunch time Monday at RUPP.
- Having lunch at RUPP.
- Another table at lunchtime Monday.
- Seth learning to slurp noodles at RUPP.
- Another table’s lunch break.
- Corey, Lauren and others at lunch break.
- SSTers at their extended lunch break with a newfound Cambodian friend from RUPP.
- Seth also met a friend during the lunch break on an island in the midst of lily pads at RUPP.
- Jessie and Madeleine share a moment during break time at RUPP.
- Carina and her new friend at RUPP.
- Jake contemplating the lily pads at RUPP.
- Monday afternoon’s lecture, which took place at RUPP, was on Cambodian Peoples and Cultures.
- Poch Bunnak was Monday afternoon’s lecturer, speaking about Cambodian Peoples and Cultures.
- Henry, Jacob, Maryn, and others at Tuesday afternoon’s lecture at the International Christian Fellowship building.
- Sarah T and others at Dr. Lao Mong Hay’s lecture on Cambodian Politics Tuesday afternoon.
- Lao Mong Hay is now retired, but for many years he was the leading human rights expert in Southeast Asia. Here he lectures on Cambodian politics, with our program assistant Sen Marya beside him.
The last 24 hours have been exceedingly full for the Cambodian SSTers, with ongoing recovery from jet lag (switching their nights and days, with a 12-hour time difference from Goshen), a whirlwind orientation at the Hotel Frangipani, going home with their host families, their first night with their Cambodian hosts, a visit to the Graber Miller home (P’teah Goshen), and then an afternoon event known as Edutainment, with about 20 Cambodian students who want to learn English and half of our group (tomorrow the other half will go to Edutainment). Students weathered these transitions remarkably well, thanks to the 19…
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- Breakfast at the Frangipani.
- Breakfast at the Frangipani
- Breakfast at the Frangipani
- Breakfast at the Frangipani
- Breakfast at the Frangipani.
- The collective luggage of 19 SSTers makes an impressive heap in the lobby of the Frangipani hotel.
- We did our SST orientation on the rooftop at the Frangipani Royal Palace Hotel.
- Orientation preparation.
- Ann with students at orientation, with a Buddhist wat in the background.
- Henry tries to orient himself at orientation.
- Henry, Nate, and Jacob at orientation.
- Corey, Brett, and Maryn at orientation.
- Madeleine, Kate, Sara, Lauren, and Sarah listening intently at orientation.
- Dr. Gloria Christie, an Australian who has lived in Cambodia for 17 years, speaks to students about staying healthy in Cambodia, with Keith in the background.
- Jessie, Henry, Jake, and Nate at orientation.
- Brett, Maryn, Madeleine, Sara, Lauren and Sarah at orientation.
- Jacob, Henry, Brett, and Maryn at orientation.
- Kate with her mother Mony and sister Thea.
- Joel and Renae pose with Joel’s family, including father Salem Pen and Joel’s 16-year-old sister. Renae’s family, which includes a deaf sister, asked Pen to bring her to her home since the families are friends.
- Jessie with her dad, Luy Chanpahl.
- Jacob with his dad, Ros Thyra.
- Lauren with Carina’s family (see explanation), including her mother and sister Kanha and brother Ksatra.
- Brett with sister Neang Nana, who is our local family assistant, and Nana’s brother.
- Audrey with her mother/sister, Say Puthy, a young university professor.
- Henry with his brother, Ly Oudom, and Oudom’s girlfriend.
- Madeleine with her 28-year-old sister. Madeleine’s family, including parents Phy Sophon and Kong Pala, live about halfway between the Royal University of Phnom Penh and the airport.
- Madeleine prepares to leave in a tuk-tuk with her sister.
- Jacob with Neang Nana, our family assistant, who stood in for Jacob’s family, which includes a host of adolescents and young adults. Nana took Jacob home to meet his family since she lives nearby.
- Sarah K with her host brother, Panha, who speaks perfect English but has rigorously been teaching her Khmer in the last 24 hours.
- Sarah T poses with her sister. Sopheap, before heading home. Sarah lives with her young adult sister and brother, while her host parents live in the countryside.
- Seth repacks his bag for the moto ride home with his sister.
- Seth, tall even by U.S. standards, squats beside his sister Sopheara. Seth lives in a household with about eight other young adults, most university students.
- Seth heads off with a backpack in front and back, and with his sister Sopheara carrying another backpack.
- Corey with his brother Makara. Corey is part of a new form of Cambodian household, with two young adult brothers in the home while their parents live in the countryside.
- Maryn with her brother Dara and sister just before heading to their home near Tuol Sleng. Maryn’s household consists of a number of socially active young adults who work with and found Cambodian NGOs.
Students arrived safely in Phnom Penh this evening, a bit bedraggled after the 29-hour journey but awfully chipper, nonetheless. After receiving their welcome packets and taking a look over the city from the rooftop view, they’re now resting in a downtown hotel. Tomorrow morning we’ll have a lovely buffet breakfast and then a swim and orientation session, lunch in the restaurants around the hotel, and then continued family orientation with our local assistants, Neang Nana and Sen Marya. Nana and Marya will talk about living with Cambodian families while we take a driving tour of the city. At 5 p.m.,…
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- On the bus from Pochentong Airport to our hotel.
- Carina and Lauren on the bus ride to the hotel
- Toward the back of the bus on the night ride to the hotel
- Although difficult to see here, the locations of each student’s house is identified on this map. If you enlarge the image sufficiently, you should be able to see the tabs with students names and the area where they will be living, as of tomorrow.
- Host families are quite excited to have students in their homes. This photo is from Monday’s orientation session with families.
- Another gorgeous sunset over Phnom Penh. Sleep well, SSTers.
Since early December, the Graber Miller family has been planning for the arrival of 19 Cambodia SST students, arranging the academic schedule, booking buses and field trips, purchasing mosquito nets, getting banking sorted out, exploring the city, researching service locations, and securing host families, all with the help of our local assistants. Neang Sovathana (Nana) is our new family assistant, and Sen Marya (Marya) continues as our program assistant. Nana, a Buddhist, is a 20-something NGO volunteer and social/political activist for various human rights causes, and Marya, a Cham Muslim who was recently married, also works for NGOs as well…
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- Neang Sovathana (Nana), our family assistant
- Ann, Nana, and host father Phy Sophon at Sophon’s home
- 21-year-old brother Roth with his cousins in front of the home of Phy Sophon and Kong Pala, just off the Russian Boulevard and not far from the airport
- View of student’s spacious room at the home of Phy Sophon and Kong Pala
- Exterior of P’teah Goshen apartment building. The Graber Miller apartment is the fourth archway up.
- Address of P’teah Goshen
- View from P’teah Goshen’s fourth floor vantage point this morning
- Phy Sophon, Kong Pala and son Roth (21) outside their home. Sophon, Pala, and Roth will host one of the women from the SST group.
- Typical Phnom Penh street scene, with motorcycle riders aplenty
- Nana, who is not only the family assistant for the unit but will also be a host sister, outside of her family home not far from the university where students will study Khmer language
- Typical street scene of coconut sellers
- Fresh-cut chicken, anyone? Tuk-tuks are used for hauling food and other goods as well as people.
- Keith with Mr. Van, one of the security guards at the P’teah Goshen apartment complex
- Yes, he’s popular here, too. This particular blow-up is just outside of our apartment entry.
Within the next three hours, the first five Cambodia SSTers will be returning to campus. Kelly, Phil, Seth, Trisha, and Jake boarded their Korean Airlines plane at about 11 p.m. last evening for their two lengthy flights back to the States. Fourteen of their peers stayed behind to travel in Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Japan. The Graber Millers will return to Goshen on Saturday. We all said farewell to each other last evening after a delicious Thai/Cambodian meal at the Lemongrass restaurant, and then a few of us dined on USA Donuts this morning in honor of the…
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Easter Sunday was the second day of project presentations and reorientation events for Cambodia SSTers. The highlight of the day were afternoon project presentations. Charlie, who with Jake spent the six weeks of service in a Cham Muslim village in central Cambodia, led us in the Muslim Call to Prayer and the bodily movements of Islamic prayer.
All of the Cambodia SSTers returned to their Royal University of Phnom Penh classrooms Saturday morning for final language testing, meeting with their teachers for discussions about what they did in the provinces. Nearly everyone showed marked improvements in language abilities after being more deeply immersed in Khmer culture over the last six weeks.
