Back out in L'Peak...

When arriving in a rural village with a group of American students it is always best to demonstrate the best techniques surrounding using a squat toilet.  Really happy someone thought to grab my camera during my lesson.

p.s.- this is not the best stance, this is me attempting to get up from my demonstration before a more embarrassing photo was taken.

Wat Nokor

On the way out to our village home stay the students and I made a stop at Wat Nokor, an ancient temple in the province of Kampong Cham to see some monkeys and get our fortunes told.

Me selecting my fortune:

Now selecting a new fortune because the monk did not like my first one:

I was told that in the future I will have a job that pays very well... I hope he meant the near future!

Also, a special thanks to my co-worker Patrick who lent me his shirt and scarf so I could go into the temple. What a gentleman. Women have to have their shoulders and knees covered and I was unprepared even though I had reminded my students all to dress appropriately!  

have I mentioned how cute Cambodian children are?

silk island

We visited a traditional weaving village that is about one and a half hours outside of Phnom Penh by boat and one of the women let me have a turn for a while on her machine.  I am attempting to make a traditional Khmer scarf, known here as a kroma.  I asked her how long she thought it would take me to finish and she said 2 weeks... it usually takes her 1 1/2 days... guess I shouldn't quit my day job.

Also, check out my sweet flip flop tan... don't think that will fade for a while!

The Killing Fields and S-21

Often when traveling around Cambodia and witnessing it's beauty and meeting friendly people it is easy to forget about it's recent troubled past.  In the 1970's a communist government, the Khmer Rouge, came into power and brutally and senselessly murdered over 2 million Cambodians.  Today I visited the Killing Fields, where over 20,000 people were murdered and buried in mass graves and S-21, a former school that was was used as a prison and torture center during the Khmer Rouge.

A memorial to those who died at the Killing Fields

S-21

Read more at:

Khmer Rouge History

Khmer Rouge Leaders on Trial

sunsets and flowers

Olympic Stadium

 Phonm Penh's soccer stadium is open every evening for anyone to come to run, do aerobics, play volleyball or badminton, socialize, sell food among many other activities.  It is fascinating to visit for people watching and because it is a great place to watch the sunset.  As a surprise during my most recent visit there was actually a soccer game going on!  That is a more unusual sight than a group of fifty Cambodians of various age and fitness levels jazzercising!