What an amazing two weeks this has been, words cannot explain how insightful it was. Day one in Siem Reap and I was so overwhelmed being in a completely different environment and so far away from home. After one night sleep and getting to know the team, however, I was able to embrace Cambodia. It is so different to Australia and it's something that is hard to explain, but it changes you and you have so much more appreciation for the life you have and you realise all the little things you take for granted (such as western toilets). I have had such an amazing experience and would do it again in a heartbeat. The friends and memories I have made will stay with me forever and here in my last hour in Phnom Penh, I am so grateful to have been giving the opportunity to travel to Cambodia
Hanah
Nothing can prepare you for the face paced traffic and bustling streets that surround Cambodia. Greeted by heavy downfall and next to nothing as far as road rules, Cambodia overwhelmed me from the beginning. Going into this trip with little expectations other than fearing the dreaded squat toilets, it's fair to say that Cambodia was a massive cultural change I was not prepared for. However, after the initial shock, there is not a single thing I would change about how the Cambodians live. Despite lacking what we consider 'necessities,' I have never seen such importance placed on communities and families working together, and it is a truly beautiful thing to experinnce and definitely an important lesson to be learnt. Happiness is more than possessions, and having a safe place to call home is a blessing and something worth cherishing.
As for the people I have met and friends I have made the bonds are indescribable. Words cannot provide justice to the selfless nature of the locals and the support of the leaders. As a team we have created our own little family, and nothing says family like 'do you have any toilet paper with you?'
This is definitely a trip of a lifetime and one that I would highly recommend to others. I am more grateful for what I have since coming and it makes me excited to experience other cultures and meet more incredible people.
See you all tomorrow,
Tash
Thursday, December 3, 2015
so long, farewell, it's sad to see you go...
As a regular blogger.... I would like to add a post script to my last.
A big thank you to all the students from both Victoria and the Northern Territory - nothing short of a brilliant group, and of course, to the leadership team - another quality list. Shaz, Ger, Jules, Gab, Angus and Matt were outstanding.
Looking forward to a catch up in beautiful Kerang and Cohuna.
See you all soon,
Dave.
9 years in Cambodia
Hi all,
The last day of trip number 9, and l think we can safely say that we have had another success (although the always interesting trip to the airport is still to come). Success is many things when relating all our experiences connected to this trip. It is the partnership we have with developing communities in some of the most disadvantaged places in Cambodia, it is the continuing partnerships with our Cambodian friends at Green Gecko, New Hope, Wat Damnak (life and Hope), and Tabitha.
It is the personal relationships we form with our hosts at guesthouses and hotels, the tuk tuk drivers, families, NGO workers, expats, and other groups doing similar work.
It is however, primarily and most importantly, the bringing together of young (and the not so young), Aussies to strengthen their belief in themselves and in each other. Once again I have seen how this program has the amazing capability to not only develop character but to reveal it.
Our young people have the abilities to do many great things and they have seen for themselves in the last two weeks that can achieve great change, improve and save lives, help each other and be the catalyst for a positive change in their immediate world.
This program remains the single greatest educational experience I have had the pleasure to be involved with. It is many things but there is no real secret to its success. It is simply providing the environment for our young people to be able to achieve what they have always been capable of.
Through helping others, our students (and teachers/leaders), have been able to help themselves. They have been privy to one of life's little secrets - by helping others, you actually help yourself.
Ps, is it really true that you cannot blog from your flip?
Best,
Dave from Darwin.
The last day of trip number 9, and l think we can safely say that we have had another success (although the always interesting trip to the airport is still to come). Success is many things when relating all our experiences connected to this trip. It is the partnership we have with developing communities in some of the most disadvantaged places in Cambodia, it is the continuing partnerships with our Cambodian friends at Green Gecko, New Hope, Wat Damnak (life and Hope), and Tabitha.
It is the personal relationships we form with our hosts at guesthouses and hotels, the tuk tuk drivers, families, NGO workers, expats, and other groups doing similar work.
It is however, primarily and most importantly, the bringing together of young (and the not so young), Aussies to strengthen their belief in themselves and in each other. Once again I have seen how this program has the amazing capability to not only develop character but to reveal it.
Our young people have the abilities to do many great things and they have seen for themselves in the last two weeks that can achieve great change, improve and save lives, help each other and be the catalyst for a positive change in their immediate world.
This program remains the single greatest educational experience I have had the pleasure to be involved with. It is many things but there is no real secret to its success. It is simply providing the environment for our young people to be able to achieve what they have always been capable of.
Through helping others, our students (and teachers/leaders), have been able to help themselves. They have been privy to one of life's little secrets - by helping others, you actually help yourself.
Ps, is it really true that you cannot blog from your flip?
Best,
Dave from Darwin.
Pedal power
Today started like any other, an early start with a long awaited day ahead. We Guzzled down our cornflakes, gathered in the lobby and had the days plans explained to us all, a 20km bike ride, in which some were eager and some dreaded to endure. We piled into our tuk-tuks and headed to the river side where we greated by a tour guide in whom we all came to love. We were given our assigned bikes and set of on our short fairy trip across the river and soon began our bike ride.
We ventured through dense tropical fruit farms and large open paddocks which reminded me of my home in the Northern Territory. We stopped at many spots along the way and got an insight into the Cambodian working class which included farming (particularly corn and tropical fruit) and the fine art of silk making and weaving. We soon found ourselves boarding yet another fairy which took us to an island in the middle of the river. We all continued on, hot, sweaty and uncomfortable until we arived at our main destination, were a long awaited lunch was prepaired for us, in which we all devoured in a matter if minutes.
When we returned to the hotel we washed the sweat of our skin and headed to the markets for some last minute shopping. This was followed by our last group dinner at the foreign correspondence club in which we all shared some good laughs and our most memeorable experinces over the past two weeks.
James Orum, Jabiru, Northern Territory.
Wednesday, December 2, 2015
S21 and the Killing Fields
Our morning started with a quick bus trip to Tabitha, where we were greated by a friendly Canadian named Jan (ey). She gave us an understanding of Cambodian history and how the country came to be as it is today. Jan correlated what happened in Cambodia under Pol Pots rule into terms we could understand, with the use of Malcolm Turnbull and a threat of Isis, placing us in the Cambodians people situation. She gave a chilling recount of her own encounters with the Khmer Rouge, stating that in her first night in Cambodia she awoke with two bullet holes inches away from her head. After this, she decided to sleep in the bathtub for the remainder of her stay. She also let us into the personal details of some of her staff, which shocked us all on a personal level. The things that all of the Khmer people over the age of 45 lived through is truly horrendous, and makes you not only extremely remorseful, but also gives a huge sense of disgust at the way that humans can treat one another. Jan's talk put a whole new perspective on the way we view the life of the Cambodian people, which gave us a new sense of respect for the people we were building houses for. Tabitha is the organisation for which we would build 10 houses for the following day, and Jan's talk allowed us to understand the true assistance we are giving these people.
The rest of the day was a continuation of an emotional shock to the senses, firstly visiting the S21 Genocide Museum. This museum was where the Khmer Rouge detained many prisoners, each arrested for their so called 'spying' for either the CIA or the KGB. Throughout its operation, S21 detained more than 20,000 prisoners for torture, with only 7 able to survive. The living conditions in this prison were sub human, with a cell a metre wide by two long, with the prisoners chained to a wall unable to do so much as move without permission from the Khmer Rouge soldiers. The tour of the museum included reading some of the stories of the people that survived, each as shocking as the next. The emotional guilt felt by the survivors was evident through their writing, with many making the rushed decision to leave behind family and loved ones to save themselves. This decision has clearly stayed with the people, causing huge mental issues. However, despite the atrocities of S21, our next stop was far worse.
The killing fields are where prisoners from S21 and people from around Cambodia were brought to be executed. In the dark of the night, trucks would enter with hundreds of people, each to be executed under the lights of the killing fields. Music played through speakers speaking of the great Cambodian republic to drown out the screams of those being brutally murdered. Throughout the killing fields of Cambodia, over three million people died within three years. To put that into perspective, that was one in four people of the Cambodian population being murdered for crimes against the state. Unfortunately, crimes against the state in these times included having over year 6 education, speaking a foreign language, or even having soft hands or glasses. All of these 'crimes' were punishable by death. The tour of the killing fields truly showed the atrocities of what not only people can do to other people, but what fellow countrymen can do to others. And the worst of it was shown here. The baby tree was one of the most shocking sites imaginable, where innocent babies were dashed against the trunk of a tree until dead. The children were ripped from their mothers arms, and bashed time after time all whilst their mothers looked on, unable to so much as raise a finger in objection. Today, blood and hair can still be seen wedged within the bark of the tree, creating a monstrous sight. The reason behind this was quoted by Pol Pot as 'removing the roots' as the corruption was supposedly already seeded into the children.
the actions of the Khmer Rouge did not end here, with another of their infamous quotes stating that 'it is better to kill one innocent person than to miss killing one enemy' which was clearly taken into mind during Pol Pots regime. With over 3 million Cambodian people dead, the country is still clearly recovering. This regime brought Cambodia back years in development, with this country once being the Jewel of the South East brought down to dust and despair.
The tour of S21 and the killing fields put everything into perspective for us, with us left viewing just how lucky we are to be unaffected by atrocities such as this.
Hope that everybody at home is safe and well, we will see you all soon.
Love James and Gab
The rest of the day was a continuation of an emotional shock to the senses, firstly visiting the S21 Genocide Museum. This museum was where the Khmer Rouge detained many prisoners, each arrested for their so called 'spying' for either the CIA or the KGB. Throughout its operation, S21 detained more than 20,000 prisoners for torture, with only 7 able to survive. The living conditions in this prison were sub human, with a cell a metre wide by two long, with the prisoners chained to a wall unable to do so much as move without permission from the Khmer Rouge soldiers. The tour of the museum included reading some of the stories of the people that survived, each as shocking as the next. The emotional guilt felt by the survivors was evident through their writing, with many making the rushed decision to leave behind family and loved ones to save themselves. This decision has clearly stayed with the people, causing huge mental issues. However, despite the atrocities of S21, our next stop was far worse.
The killing fields are where prisoners from S21 and people from around Cambodia were brought to be executed. In the dark of the night, trucks would enter with hundreds of people, each to be executed under the lights of the killing fields. Music played through speakers speaking of the great Cambodian republic to drown out the screams of those being brutally murdered. Throughout the killing fields of Cambodia, over three million people died within three years. To put that into perspective, that was one in four people of the Cambodian population being murdered for crimes against the state. Unfortunately, crimes against the state in these times included having over year 6 education, speaking a foreign language, or even having soft hands or glasses. All of these 'crimes' were punishable by death. The tour of the killing fields truly showed the atrocities of what not only people can do to other people, but what fellow countrymen can do to others. And the worst of it was shown here. The baby tree was one of the most shocking sites imaginable, where innocent babies were dashed against the trunk of a tree until dead. The children were ripped from their mothers arms, and bashed time after time all whilst their mothers looked on, unable to so much as raise a finger in objection. Today, blood and hair can still be seen wedged within the bark of the tree, creating a monstrous sight. The reason behind this was quoted by Pol Pot as 'removing the roots' as the corruption was supposedly already seeded into the children.
the actions of the Khmer Rouge did not end here, with another of their infamous quotes stating that 'it is better to kill one innocent person than to miss killing one enemy' which was clearly taken into mind during Pol Pots regime. With over 3 million Cambodian people dead, the country is still clearly recovering. This regime brought Cambodia back years in development, with this country once being the Jewel of the South East brought down to dust and despair.
The tour of S21 and the killing fields put everything into perspective for us, with us left viewing just how lucky we are to be unaffected by atrocities such as this.
Hope that everybody at home is safe and well, we will see you all soon.
Love James and Gab
Out of the comfort zone
Hey all its Sandy B. I'm one of two Northern Territory Open Education Centre students that were lucky enough to be apart of the Cambodia 2015 team. I say 'lucky enough' because a lot of people believe that when you do distance education, and especially from a cattle station in the middle of the Northern Territory you don't have any kind of social life or that we aren't provided with any opportunities to expand our comfort zones and learn. Distance education is actually the complete opposite and in fact I've been doing it for eleven years now. To say the least, I didn't want to come to Cambodia - but between mum and Dave they convinced me it would be fun so I put 100% trust into what they told me. I started out with my sisters opinion from the 2013 trip and that was 'you have to meet Sharon, she will look after you.' She wasn't wrong there.
Today marks our second last day in Cambodia, it was a casual laid back day. We slept in, once we all gathered downstairs at the Goldiana hotel we than went in buses to see the new hospital that Tabitha started building in 2013. To be honest, at first site it just looks like any other building site. But there is so much more to it- this hospital has been created entirely from one persons views to make Cambodia a better place, this same person also told me 'it's never about you,it's about them' I've started to personally live by this. Not only is this hospital someone's dreams but it will help people in the future and it's helping numerous people now by providing people with jobs each day working for approx $25 a week, this is enough to provide for their family. I'm pretty proud to say I've supported Tabitha with my $121 shopping spree - family and friends if you ever travel to Cambodia head to Tabitha for your gift needs!
After Tabitha we headed to the Russian markets, everyone spent an hour browsing and searching for Christmas presents for friends and family. As I come from a cattle station it is quite impressive to see their food stalls where they sell fresh meat hanging up for passers to buy. The markets range from small Cambodian mementos, jewellery, food, bags and almost any other gift you could think of.
We than went from the Goldiana hotel to the riverside where we were treated to a 'Cambo Cruise' dinner cruise. We spent the afternoon watching the sunset and sipping mocktails. Which was than followed by an amazing dinner of pork, steamed veggies, chicken, chicken skewers, burgers and more mocktails. A few of us had dance offs and learnt how to use the musical instruments.
As I said early I'm not one to stray far from my comfort zone. However; during my time here I've been anything but in my comfort zone. I've made friends with Victorian people I've never heard of, eaten a cricket, negotiated tuk tuk drivers, learnt how to speak a different language and culture rules, how to bargain for things I really want but most of all I've been somewhere where I would have never first chosen to go. Cambodia is definitely not your Bali, there is litter on the streets, odd smells, poor looking animals, pollution and the random cow or buffalo that stands in the middle of the road. To me that's a pretty huge privelage, if anything this trip has brought me back to earth and made me realise how fortunate we are to even have a solid roof over our heads and not having to make enough money to even eat that week. My standards for houses have gone from 'gosh that house is horrible' to 'that house is alright, I'd live there.'
The one thing I wasn't look forward to on our schedule was the killing fields and genocide museum. But I made myself go through the tour and try and understand what these people went through, even though I really will never understand. The methods that the Khmer Rouge were absolutely terrible and as I entered that room I wanted to leave straight away, but I stayed. I think the history is important as horrible as it is. I also believe that it is why these people are forever grateful and alway happy. As one green gecko girl said to me, 'everyday has a reason to be happy, we are ever sad.'
If I could live such a positive life as they do - which I'm going to try from now on. I'd be forever grateful.
I'm a little sad that we only have two days left but I know for a fact I've made friends, and that's going to make leaving hard enough - let alone leaving Cambodia!
-Sandy B
Today marks our second last day in Cambodia, it was a casual laid back day. We slept in, once we all gathered downstairs at the Goldiana hotel we than went in buses to see the new hospital that Tabitha started building in 2013. To be honest, at first site it just looks like any other building site. But there is so much more to it- this hospital has been created entirely from one persons views to make Cambodia a better place, this same person also told me 'it's never about you,it's about them' I've started to personally live by this. Not only is this hospital someone's dreams but it will help people in the future and it's helping numerous people now by providing people with jobs each day working for approx $25 a week, this is enough to provide for their family. I'm pretty proud to say I've supported Tabitha with my $121 shopping spree - family and friends if you ever travel to Cambodia head to Tabitha for your gift needs!
After Tabitha we headed to the Russian markets, everyone spent an hour browsing and searching for Christmas presents for friends and family. As I come from a cattle station it is quite impressive to see their food stalls where they sell fresh meat hanging up for passers to buy. The markets range from small Cambodian mementos, jewellery, food, bags and almost any other gift you could think of.
We than went from the Goldiana hotel to the riverside where we were treated to a 'Cambo Cruise' dinner cruise. We spent the afternoon watching the sunset and sipping mocktails. Which was than followed by an amazing dinner of pork, steamed veggies, chicken, chicken skewers, burgers and more mocktails. A few of us had dance offs and learnt how to use the musical instruments.
As I said early I'm not one to stray far from my comfort zone. However; during my time here I've been anything but in my comfort zone. I've made friends with Victorian people I've never heard of, eaten a cricket, negotiated tuk tuk drivers, learnt how to speak a different language and culture rules, how to bargain for things I really want but most of all I've been somewhere where I would have never first chosen to go. Cambodia is definitely not your Bali, there is litter on the streets, odd smells, poor looking animals, pollution and the random cow or buffalo that stands in the middle of the road. To me that's a pretty huge privelage, if anything this trip has brought me back to earth and made me realise how fortunate we are to even have a solid roof over our heads and not having to make enough money to even eat that week. My standards for houses have gone from 'gosh that house is horrible' to 'that house is alright, I'd live there.'
The one thing I wasn't look forward to on our schedule was the killing fields and genocide museum. But I made myself go through the tour and try and understand what these people went through, even though I really will never understand. The methods that the Khmer Rouge were absolutely terrible and as I entered that room I wanted to leave straight away, but I stayed. I think the history is important as horrible as it is. I also believe that it is why these people are forever grateful and alway happy. As one green gecko girl said to me, 'everyday has a reason to be happy, we are ever sad.'
If I could live such a positive life as they do - which I'm going to try from now on. I'd be forever grateful.
I'm a little sad that we only have two days left but I know for a fact I've made friends, and that's going to make leaving hard enough - let alone leaving Cambodia!
-Sandy B
Tuesday, December 1, 2015
Steph's 18th
Today we were woken at 6:30am by two excited friends, Erika and Tenielle to celebrate Stephs 18th birthday milestone. By 7:30am we were loaded on the bus followed by presents from the leaders and began a believed to be 40 minute to 1 hour trek which turned out to be an hour and 40 minutes! When we arrived we were welcomed by the villagers and a representative from The Tabitha Foundation with waving hands and smiles. To start the day we separated into groups of 5-6 and began working on 10 houses for the villagers living in extreme poverty, this amounted in 2 houses per group in which we had to nail bamboo floors and nail the tin walls to the frame. We interacted with the builders of the community to enable us our most memorable experience. We used our very first squat toilet which was a a surprise, also a very disturbing experience. We handed the houses we constructed over to the 10 nominated families with a ceremony presenting the family with a blanket purchased from the local market to also help boost the economy in Pnom Penh. Today we felt great honour to be able to take time out of our lives to help the less fortunate to improve their lives and be given the opportunity to see first hand the smiles and greatfulness of the villagers when we handed over the house warming gifts and their new home, we also finished in a short period of time, finishing all houses in 4 hours! We returned home later in the day for a few hours of relaxation (sleep) and got ready for the night where teams alternated and some got cooking classes and some went out for tea by the river. We are well deserving of a sleep in tomorrow morning and an unexpected visit to the Tabitha Foundations women's hospital which is still under construction due to high numbers of interest after an inspirational speech at Tabitha yesterday, reinforcing the importance of health care and equality in this country.
Steph B & Meg
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