Nighttime by the Riverside

Here are some pictures of last night by the river. The riverside is always hustlin' and bustlin' with hip restaurants and funky shops. Always things to see by the river. Very good place to people watch as well.

(L-R) Victoria, Me, Zora, Divya, and Villy

Haha too funny

Here's a picture of me and Divya during our weekend on Koh Rong. 

Iron Man 3

Just went to the Legend Cinema with some of the other volunteers (Divya, Bonnie, and Villy) and saw the one, the only, Iron Man 3!!! It was so good! I love going to the cinemas in other countries. The whole movie theater was actually very crowded but the theater we were in was really empty. Being in the movie theater was just like being at home. They have all the western snacks such as popcorn and soda. But it was nice to just sit in an air conditioned theater and relax and watch a film. 

It's impossible NOT to get sick.

Passing my third week here in Cambodia and its about time I get sick. So many other volunteers have gotten sick or nausea or food poisoning. I haven't been feeling that bad until today. Oh man, the nausea hit me like a brick wall. I almost thought I was going to throw up during my class today. Luckily I didn't, but I came back to the guesthouse, took a shower and have been resting ever since. Getting sick is like a write of passage here in Southeast Asia. You know you're living just like a local when you get sick. And as sad as that is, everyone gets sick at some point. But the most frustrating thing about getting sick here is that you don't know what the cause is. It literally could be anything. From dehydration to the sandwich you had for lunch yesterday. This city as beautiful as it is, it is just so dirty. Trash everywhere, sewage in the rivers, the smell of garbage, rotting food and pollution all rolled into one. It's sucks being sick especially when you are away from home, but everyone is great here and we all look out for each other. I will just take it easy for the next few days and luckily there is another holiday tomorrow so I will be using that to sleep all day. Haha but I just wanted to let you all know how I have been feeling and I am giving my body the rest it needs. Hopefully I will be better soon! I will keep you guys updated!

Island Pictures

Island In The Sun

Hey everybody,

So this weekend me and some of the other volunteers (Divya, Victoria, Zora, and Bonnie) traveled to Sihanoukville (Suh-nook-ville). It is about a four and a half bus ride from Phnom Penh. Oh by the way, bus tickets here are so cheap! Our tickets to Sihanoukville were only $5!! For as little as $7 you can catch a bus to Bangkok, Thailand! Nice huh? So we left at about 7 am Friday morning and got to Sihanoukville about 12 pm. With our towels and sunscreen in hand, we made our way to the paradise beaches of Koh Rong, a large island off the coast of Sihanoukville, only about a two hour boat ride. Koh Rong is beautiful!! Covered in lush, green jungles and gorgeous, white sandy beaches you almost forget you are off the coast of Cambodia. However the hoards of mosquitoes and sandflies instantly bring you back. The secluded bungalows and long, deserted beaches make it a very popular tourist destination. I was so excited because the water was clear and warm enough to swim in! Very relaxing.

However, the closer you go to the bars and tourist areas, the smellier the air becomes. As popular as Koh Rong is to visit, the Cambodian people have not yet established a suitable way to dispose of waste and garbage on the island. Some parts of the island were very dirty and smelled really bad. There are random dogs and chickens roaming the beach as well. Definitely added a reminder of Cambodia amongst all the tourists. Our accommodations were okay for only $4 a night per person and with the beach only 20 feet away from us it worked. Unfortunately, the walls of our room were so thin and we were located right next to a bar, it made it very difficult for us to get any sleep. The lack of electricity and fan didn't help as well. That was frustrating.

Luckily we didn't have too bad of weather. Early Saturday morning it poured! It seemed like it was never going to end, but luckily around 11 am it stopped and was sunny for the rest of the day. The whole day we just chilled at the beach and swam and read our books. It was very nice.

On Sunday we had to catch the boat at 10 am back to the mainland and then a 1:30 bus back to Phnom Penh. As much as I really enjoyed Koh Rong, it was so nice to be back in the capital city. It already feels like my home away from home.

So overall a pretty good weekend. The girls I traveled with are so awesome and I really enjoyed getting to know them. The beaches were beautiful and the weather was great! I will be posting pictures soon so check back for those!! Hope everyone is doing well back home and sending lots of love! Miss you and have a great week!

Livin' large on Koh Rong Island

More photos to come.

Khmer Rouge Trial

This morning me and a few other volunteers had the insane opportunity to sit on a court session of one of the court cases of a Khmer Rouge leader. Such a great experience but very frustrating. The court system involving the prosecution of even a single Khmer Rouge member takes so long. This is not your ordinary court room. The court system was created by the United Nations and involves both native Cambodian judges and international judges appointed by the UN. The legal proceedings for even a single court session takes forever! It was pretty chilling to be even in the same room with a former general of the Khmer Rouge and to see him stand trial and defend the charges of murder and crimes against humanity is very chilling. But this was an amazing experience and I am so glad I took the opportunity to go.

"Let's do it" Sunday clean-up

Sunday Morning

So this morning was absolutely incredible. COLT hosted a huge "Lets Do It" campaign to promote a clean and healthy environment so me and numerous other volunteers and kids gathered together to walk around the school neighborhood and pick up trash. It was such an awesome feeling to be spending time with the kids while also doing something great for the community. Together me and about 120 other people collected and picked up more than 35 bags of garbage. The kids were so amazing and so excited to be involved in their community to promote clean streets and no littering. It was really really fun and hands down the best morning I have had in Cambodia so far!!!

Never too soon for a monsoon

Siem Reap

Here are some pictures of my time in Siem Reap!