KELLY'S GONE AGAIN
…AND HERE'S WHERE I'M AT!Archive for Cambodia
Sidebar: Update on Children’s Future International in Cambodia
Hi all, I got an update from Andrew Wolff of Children’s Future International in Cambodia, the organization at which I taught kids yoga in February. He’s put together a fantastic short clip of some of our “animal” yoga sessions, and though I’ve updated the original Post #7 with the link, I’m adding it here as a sidebar…
#9. Siem Reap: Angkor Temples; Luang Prabang: Morning
Yesterday I woke up at O-dark-thirty (specifically around 4 a.m.) to go out to the Angkor temples by sunrise. It’s said to be a peaceful, magical time there, the world’s largest religious site, and I can confirm that as true.
#8. Siem Reap: Landmines Museum
Most people who know me know that Human Rights Watch holds a special place in my heart. Most people who know HRW knows that its focus on landmines — and the significant role it played in banning them — is one of the organization’s landmark victories. Accordingly, I went to the Landmines Museum in Cambodia, a country largely affected by the indiscriminate weapon.
#6. Battambang: Miscellaneous
Today, on the way back from school, I saw a woman passenger on a motorbike breastfeeding a baby. While it was in fast motion. On the highway.
I don’t really know what to post after seeing that. More this weekend.
#5. Battambang: The First Day of School
I’m covered in red clay. It’s what the schoolroom grounds are made of, and it gets in and on any- and everything. Shoes aren’t allowed in the room, so you spend most of the day barefoot, though the floor is cement and dirty and might as well be the bare ground.
I’ve been sitting a lot, reading to the kids, today. My favorite so far is Riti — he’s an energetic, super-fun kid of 12, who looks about 7 (malnutrition, no doubt). I taught a yoga class to him and the more “unruly” kids this afternoon – the first day of my “Yoga for Young Artists” program I’ve designed for the English School here in Battambang – and they did great. Really great. We sang the Om song, went on a “yoga adventure” to the jungle resulting in lots of animal poses, and sang the Namaste song to close. They don’t speak English, and I don’t speak Khmer, so a teacher translated. The kids had a wonderful time, possibly almost as much as me, even. *smile*
#4. Border Crossing: Thailand to Cambodia
Note: when confirming your alarm setting on your blackberry, also confirm your time setting. I missed my 6 a.m. bus to Cambodia this morning. Brilliant.
It actually wasn’t all that horrible, and worked out in the end — just 3 hours past schedule. Here’s how I got to the end point. From Central Bangkok, I took a taxi to Mo Chit bus station (long), then a bus from said station to Aryana Pathet (loud), where I took a moto-taxi (it’s what you might think) to the visa office, even though I said I already had my visa (drivers get commission for new applicants). Disappointed driver in tow, I then arrived at immigration. Upon approval, I literally walked across the border into Cambodia.
