Was this all just a dream?

The last two weeks in Phnom Penh went by lightning fast, leaving me insufficient time to write a blog about my feelings regarding ending this co-op experience. Once I returned back from my second trip to Siem Reap, I was welcomed back to the dormitory by two new, energetic volunteer Leadership Residents who had arrived in my absence. I busied myself over the subsequent days introducing them to the city, the culture of Cambodia and the ways of the Harpswell Foundation (e.g. great cafes, yoga studio, local markets, tuk-tuk rides, English classes, etc.). It was nice to have them arrive before Nellie--the other NU co-op student--& I left so that the Harpswell girls could experience a smooth transition from one set of volunteers to the next. Both of them are great, which made leaving the girls a lot easier knowing they'd be taken care of by great women with genuine hearts.

DawnMarie & Kara (the 2 new volunteers)
with Sophy, the Harpswell graduate who now
works for the Somaly Mam Foundation

US Ambassador Rodley with
Harpswell Students at the dormitory

I was also fortunate to have some exciting opportunities during my last week in PP. Along with the other Leadership Residents I attended an anti-human trafficking rally where Somaly Mam, The Minister of Women Affairs and Her Excellency Bun Rany all spoke. I sat among rescued sex workers that a Harpswell graduate now works with at the Somaly Mam Foundation, which was both enlightening and exciting. I also met US Ambassador to Cambodia, Mrs. Carol Rodley. She and her colleagues visited the Harpswell Foundation to deliver books on behalf of the US Embassy for our library and they were very kind spirited towards all of us.

I finished my teaching responsibilities approximately 5 days before my departure. I had naturally become closer to the girls in the dormitory who I also had as students and it was hard to wrap-up the lessons with them. My class was with 19 pre-intermediate level English speaking students who consistently made me laugh and they could not have been a better group of girls to have for my first teaching gig. They were patient with me when I had difficulty describing certain concepts (e.g. grammar rules, Western cultural norms, pronunciation, homework guidelines) and always congratulated me when I appropriately articulated to them a job well done in their native tongue (twea-ban-luh-oh = good job!). I gave each of them a beautiful little notepad as a small gift to help them write down the English words they did not know or understand, and was utterly shocked when I received a gift in return. The class pitched in to buy me a beautiful wooden handicraft with a painting of Angkor Wat. I had each of them sign it and cannot wait to put it my bedroom at school. Some other girls in the dormitory also gave me gifts, which touched my heart because the generosity of Khmer people (even if they do not have much in the way of money) will always amaze me. Tokens of remembrance are always appreciated, but the ones I received from all of them will forever be special to me.

Students playing a game/dancing during
the funny activity

The management and team leaders at Harpswell organized a final "funny activities" party in honor of Nellie and I leaving, the two new LRs arriving and a few of the girls returning from study abroad programs. It was a great afternoon bbq followed by games, music & dancing. Let me tell you, Harpswell girls know how to throw together the best sober party! They are always so lively and entertaining, and of course ready and willing for a photo shoot as soon as one of the volunteers reveals their digital camera. I was happy to spend one of my final days in Phnom Penh with everyone together because it felt like a family reunion. Many hugs were given to all on that  night!

Team leaders giving a short speech thanking
Nellie & I for our time at Harpswell

And the hugging continued over the last few days. Most of the Harpswell girls were struggling with saying "Goodbye," but I tried very hard to be optimistic for them as I dished out big hugs and flashed a big smile to all of my sisters. I did not want them to feel as though this was a permanent separation. Even though it is realistic to admit that I may not see some of them ever again I wanted to emanate positive energy because there is a good possibility that I will be returning to Cambodia in the future, or that we will cross paths while some of them study abroad, and at the very least we have e-mail and Facebook to help us all keep in touch. I also tried to emphasize that there will be future volunteer Leadership Residents who will be there for them to teach them new things and to be their sisters, too. When it was finally time for me to leave for the airport, I had a huge smile on my face (with no tears) as I waved goodbye because this was such a positive experience for me. I am bummed to have left when I felt as though I was not quite ready to leave, but so grateful for the opportunity to touch these young women's lives and to have my life touched by them.

Our youngest student, Vouch Thou,
and I embracing after my students gave me a gift

Now I am already back home in Connecticut, USA. It was a long journey home (PP to Singapore, Singapore to Frankfurt, and Frankfurt to JFK) and I was lucky to make it home without delays or cancellations since there had been a big snow storm in Europe. Culture shock has not entirely set in yet, but the cold weather is brutal! I keep wondering if this entire experience was all just a dream, or if it is just my jet-lag making my surroundings feel surreal. Yesterday was Christmas Day, and family filled my house to celebrate the holiday season. I wished I could somehow transport all of the people I had met in Cambodia to my house too, but an email to all had to suffice. I know I will continue to miss these girls, especially when I return back to Boston as a full-time student.  However, I am going to take everything I've learned over the past 4 months into the classroom, and look forward to the day when I get to return back to them and their beautiful country.

Corruption: A Wink Is As Good As A Nod

We are all aware that corruption is rampant in many third world countries, and Cambodia is certainly no exception. I was talking with two of my former colleagues from the EPA who were in Siem Reap for an international environmental conference this past week and discussed with them some of the evidence I've heard/read about the Cambodian government's level of corruption. I told them that unfortunately the Ministry of Environment in this country is guilty of corruption, too!

A sand pile in Boeung Kak Lake. The Cambodian
company continues to dump the sand close to
the peoples' homes to pressure them to
move away sooner  rather than later

For one, there is a well known issue in Phnom Penh surrounding the recent award of a 99 year lease from the government to a national Cambodian conglomerate. The lease is of Boeung Kak Lake, a lake that used to be a popular backpacking district, a place for families to run guesthouses, restaurants and bars, and the home of nearly 4,000 families. Not only is this an issue of human rights and internal displacement, but also a failure on behalf of the Ministry of Environment which is allowing the Cambodian company to fill in the lake with sand so that they may build on it. Um, HELLO! Sure, there may be new technology that can make this seemingly irrational construction feat possible, but there are obviously going to be some environmental ramifications in the long-run. Nevertheless, the project has begun and thousands of livelihoods are being destroyed along with the environment.

A beautiful shot of the mangrove
forests on the Tonle Sap Lake

Then there is of course the very new issue that Cambodia has recently found oil in the beautiful Tonle Sap Lake. Oil companies from around the world are currently making their bids, and I'm sure many of them are offers that the Cambodian government cannot refuse. Will the Ministry of Environment do anything to stop them? Will they make their posters, board a boat, and cruise around the lake shouting, "SAVE OUR ENVIRONMENT! GET YOUR OIL ELSEWHERE!"? Very doubtful. So, it will not surprise me when in 2-5 years the fishing industry that takes place in the Tonle Sap Lake is destroyed, yielding nationwide protein deficiency (Cambodians get 30% of their protein intake from the fish in this lake), wreaking havoc on the beautiful UNESCO bird and mangrove protection site, and potentially persuading the centuries old floating fishing communities to buy property on land.

A centuries old Floating Village on Tonle Sap Lake.
The community is nearly self-sufficient

Sacrificing the environment and livelihoods of native populaces on behalf of rapid development, however, is commonplace in Cambodia and many other developing countries around the world. Hollywood can even tell this story well: See AVATAR. Developing countries don't look to history that proves how detrimental environmental degradation can be in the name of development. I sadly cannot say that I totally blame them, as I too would want to have a chance for my country to strike it rich. However, it is discouraging and disheartening to watch the Ministry of Environment not do anything about it. To seemingly not even put up a fight. "Why?" you ask? My answer: 'Because the Minister is undoubtedly a crony to Prime Minister Hun Sen and the big national companies.' This is not speculation, but rather common knowledge here in Cambodia. It is not difficult to get a regulation changed or overlooked to obtain the opportunity for a lucrative development project. Ministers can be bribed, they are human and eager to line their pockets.

Wow, I'm tired from typing all of that. What really fatigues me, however, is not just the prevalent corruption or the environmental negligence, but rather the laundry list of other issues that plague Cambodia. Perhaps this list, which was written in the order of which the topics came to me, will help explain to you all why there are over 2,000 NGOs working here in Cambodia. It is a list that will also help shed some light on all of the nation's woes, and the reasons why so many international development workers will not go hungry for work in Cambodia, even if they grow tired of it:

Khmer people who live in Siem Reap
sifting through the rubbish at the local landfill
 trying to find anything of value 

Internal displacement, sex workers/human trafficking/brothels, orphans, pedophilia, HIV/AIDS, cronyism/corruption/silencing of political opposition, lack of teachers and educational opportunities for children, threat of radical Islam on native Cham Muslims, rural v. urban job opportunities, discovery of oil, growing income disparities, societal rehabilitation and reconciliation post-Khmer Rouge, exploitative Chinese/Japanese joint ventures, lack of maternal health/health education/nutrition, landmines, aesthetic obsession with white skin, children and the poor working/living in unsanitary landfills etc etc etc.