Hello. Thomas and Wiley again. We started our last day by consolidating our bags into two rooms and leaving the hotel. We walked from the hotel to a pagoda, where we spoke to a monk who taught us about Buddhism and led us through a prayer. Next, we had lunch and did the market challenge. Team Vixen emerged victorious. We ended the day at the hotel, where we showered and prepared to leave. Leaving the hotel at 6, we had dinner and made our way to the airport. We also bid adieu to our trusty companion Kate, who met up with her family for another two weeks in Southeast Asia. At the airport, we said goodbye to our guides, Tana and Untac. Then, we boarded our flight to Shanghai. Now we are in Shanghai. Our next flight departs in 7 hours.

Greetings loved ones. We’re back but not better than ever as we are sadly lacking the third member of the gal squad, Katherine Salembier. Thomas and Wiley did a less than good job updating you all so we are swooping in to save the day. This one is for you, Kate, our fallen soldier.
We started our day at the Frang (for those of you who don’t remember or simply haven’t read our blog posts (shame on you), the Frang is what we call the Frangipani Hotel),where we ate a delicious breakfast of the carb-only variety. Then we moved our bags into two rooms for easy access later on, and then set off on a stroll to the local Buddhist “campus.” On the campus, there was schooling, affordable housing, libraries, and meditation and prayer centers. One pretty swaggy thing about this campus was that it was completely plastic free (WE STAN. get on it U.S.A.). After exploring the campus a bit, we sat down with Untac, and he told us some pretty wacky ghost stories about the time he lived as a temple boy on a Buddhist campus. The gist of it was a Dumbledore-looking ghost guy (he didn’t say this, but the description matched the character) appeared to him while he was sleeping and whispered the number 74, and then, the next day, Untac won the lottery using the number 74. Next up, we headed into the Pagoda for some learning about Buddhism led by two monks (one of whom was our age), and flawlessly translated by our fearless leader Untac. After that, we received a water blessing and participated in a meditation. To close off our time on the campus, we did a debrief of our entire trip which was bittersweet to the max. Then we walked to lunch at a local authentic restaurant called Khmer Kitchen. After lunch, we set out on a market challenge. It was basically a scavenger hunt that prompted us to engage in conversation with shop owners. Our group of Maya, Kate, Lena, and Martin made friends with one particular shop owner, who then helped us out for the rest of the challenge. Our group came in second, but Untac and Tana rewarded us all with gelato (Maya would like you to know that Dragonfruit gelato is where it’s at). Following our gelato excursion, Untac (who casually happens to be the 2012 national champion of the Cambodia National Barista competition) took us to a coffee shop to try some yummy Cambodian beans. Then we headed back to the hotel for a final shower, a little bit of a rest, and the tail end of a Powerpuff Girls marathon. Then we headed to dinner (Maya would like you to know that it was her personal favorite meal of the trip, and Lena would like to praise the curry which includes but is not limited to the curry at our final restaurant). After that it was a tearful goodbye as we released Kate to her family (Womp, womp, womp). We slowly and begrudgingly trudged toward the bus (which, we remind you, we have named Sheila). When we got to the airport, we said our final goodbyes to Untac and Tana (sad(so sad)). Once at the gate, we set out on a mission to acquire Lena a Dairy Queen Blizzard. The only problem was, as we were informed once we got to the counter, that the boys had already taken all the Blizzards. We were soon after informed of some other bad news; our flight had been delayed. But alas, there is some good in the world, and our flight got undelayed (Hoorah). We hopped aboard, fell asleep, and here we are now in the Shanghai airport with nothing better to do than to provide you with extensive detail about our last day in Cambodia. It’s been an extremely solid one. Thank you for tuning in. Peace and love, Maya and Lena (and Kate in spirit).

Heading Home!

We are beginning our long trip home. Waiting for our plane from Siem Reap to Shanghai at the moment. Look for our last student blog post during our layover in Shanghai!

Greetings loved ones. It’s us, the gals (again!). We know you’ve been waiting for us, so let’s take a journey.
It was an early rise today. We woke to the sound of gecko barks (kate swears this is real so we’re going with it) and cicada whispers. After a lovely bucket shower with the rain water from the previous day’s downpour, we moseyed over for a bread and/or noodle breakfast at the Metta Karuna. Then, after packing up our bags, we hopped aboard our bus (to which we have assigned the nomer Sheila), and rode her perfect royal purple interiors across Siem Reap to PEPY. Upon arrival, we removed our shoes and then climbed the stairs with great anticipation toward the classroom in which our pen-pals waited (also with anticipation). We stepped in, sought our penpals, greeted them with our limited Khmai, and then dove into colorful and extensive conversation. After an eventful and exciting morning of exchange with our penpals, we all boarded Sheila once again and headed to a local vegetarian restaurant (maya was elated [she is, indeed, a vegetarian]). Once lunch had been eaten, we drove the penpals (our new friends) back to the PEPY office and bid them adieu (Leah Hery). Then it was time to check into the Frangipani (which we like to call “the frang”). Later that afternoon, we assembled in a heavily air conditioned conference room for a workshop/discussion on poverty and privilege lead by our fearless leaders, Untac and Tana. ‘Twas very interesting. We enjoyed. Then we Tuk Tuked to dinner before the circus. The circus was absolutely crackers (to borrow the phrase from Sister Denise of the Metta Karuna). The name of the circus was “White Gold,” and it was about the significance of rice in the Cambodian diet as well as about the consequences of materialism. We then tuk tuked home to the Frang where we now sit in the lobby writing to you lads. Next stop room 108 where Kate will cry about the fact that she does not have enough Malaria medication to ensure that she does not contract the disease (she would like to include that she will probably be fine, and not to worry about it too much) while Maya and Lena secure those meds. We are all sad that this trip is coming to a close. It will be a tearful goodbye when Kate leaves us tomorrow. It’s been a fantastic trip filled with joy, enlightenment, transformation, new friends, and good times. We gotta go, there is a (obscenely large) cricket in the lobby, so we must vacate the premise immediately. Peace and love.
Doctor Nguyen just informed us that “nobody reads our blog,” but, if your happen to be an outlier, thank you for your time. We love you.

PS: Cynthia would like to add that all you “schumcks” who don’t comment have two chances left, so hop on it.
PSS: ask your child about the “poo check” when they get home.
PSSS: we’re gonna miss you Untac and Tana.

Tuesday - Jason & Theo

(Theo) Today, our group woke up fairly early In order to head back to the Angkor Wat National park. After our fast tuk tuk ride, we visited Bayom temple which was shaped like a lotus. We gradually scaled the temple and took many pictures of its great details. Then, we walked past a large temple shaped out of a laying down Buddha which appeared in First They Killed My Father. Following that temple, we walked to the royal palace in the park, while hearing about the complex’s ancient history. In the park sat many small, old temples, all for the royal family, and we saw what is thought to be a royal grave site. Behind the graves, we walked by a large lake which was filled even now, despite the massive humidity. Past the royal park was another small temple where we stopped and bought coconuts and other drinks. Then, we got back on to the tuk tuks and went to Ta Prohm, the temple associated with Tomb Raider. There, we were shown the very large trees cemented into the temple and the negative consequences associated with them. We took many group photos and then continued back to the tuk tuks to go to lunch at a small restaurant in town. 

(Jason) After lunch, we learned about the education system in Cambodia, especially the Siem Reap province where we are currently staying. Tomorrow we are meeting with our Cambodian pen pals from an organization called PEPY, so our group leaders found it fitting that we learned about their education. We discussed many aspects about education as a whole, with a focus on Cambodian education. My group, during the discussion, said that education was, “The sharing of knowledge, experiences, and ideas from one person to another.” Sadly, schooling in Cambodia is economically challenging and inaccessible for many. We learned that many rural families in Siem Reap are unable to afford the price and travel of primary and secondary school. We also learned that a large percentage of teachers in Cambodia don’t have a college degree. Like many modern problems in Cambodia, a leading factor to the lack of educators is rooted in the Khmer Rouge, specifically their purge of educated citizens. Finally we discussed the gap in education between males and females in Cambodia. However, even though the educational system in Cambodia is challenged it is certainly improving. Through NGOs like PEPY more young Cambodians are being educated which will lead to a brighter future for Cambodia.

Monday At Angkor Wat - Ryan, Brandon, & Connor

Today was an extremely early morning; waking up at 4 am, we were all exhausted, but we were all excited to watch the sunrise at Angkor Wat. To get to Angkor Wat, we took tuk tuks in the dark. Everyone loved riding in tuk tuks throughout the day because we all felt a breeze that never existed before. When we got to Angkor Wat, we sat on cement steps looking across the moat of Angkor Wat as the sun slowly rose. According to Untac, our tour guide, Angkor Wat was said to have been built within a span of 37 years, but there was no way that was possible. Angkor Wat was simply gigantic. We were walking around thinking about when it would end, and the best part of it all is that Angkor Wat is one of 300 temples in the entire Angkor National Park; in addition, archaeologists continue to search for temples. Angkor Wat is known for its extremely symmetrical architecture, and it continued numerous sets of narrow and steep stairs to symbolize a “heaven on earth.” After we visited Angkor Wat, we relaxed for a little while in a cafe and ate ice cream. Next we were on our way to the Ta Nei, Angelina Jolie’s favorite temple to meditate in.

After coming back and having a much needed nap we went to build wheelchairs with Nobel Peace Prize recipient, Tun Channareth. Helping make these wheel chairs was very fun, and fulfilling. After putting together three wheelchairs that would help many disabled people. He spoke to us about land mines still being a very big issue and safety concern in Cambodia. He said there was an estimated four million land mines still in the grounds of Cambodia and everyday more explode and everyday more people are severely injured. After losing his legs to a land mine as a child he started writing the land mine ban and presenting it to many countries and politicians. Through his work he has saved many, helped many people have a better life and is preventing more life changing events everyday, and this is why he was honored with a Nobel Peace Prize.


To end the day, we went to a night market. During one of our group meetings, we learned how to count in Khmer and used them to bargain at the night market. It began to rain which made the night market experience a little less enjoyable, but did not affect our bargaining skills. Many of us went of in groups of three and began buying and searching for what we wanted. One of the most common purchases makes were Rolex watches and t shirts. We got these goods at cheap prices sometimes as low as one dollar. The night market was a very good experiences for us all. Shopping at the night market was a great way to end a very long day.

Too many pictures to upload here. Another Google folder is needed. https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1TPNBlY7WgEvrIwiBHTqE2pMFk84qinQ9

Sunday Siem Reap - Colin & Jack

Today, we woke up fairly early to get to our 10:10 flight on time. We were supposed to leave our hotel in Phnom Penh at 7:00 sharp, so naturally people came down at 6:55 ready to go. After a short ride to the airport our group of 17 marched into the airport. Much to everyone’s surprise, our 10:10 flight had been cancelled. Thankfully Tana, one of our fearless group leaders, was able to book us a 1:45 flight into Siem Reap. The issue for the group now was filling the 5 hour layover and, thanks to some quick thinking from Wiley, some of the boys engaged in a heated battle over the island Catan. A small group was also playing Clue but their game was not nearly as hostile as the battle over Catan. Alliances were made and then broken, curse words were used, fingers were pointed, and in the end Comrade Thomas of the Central Powers secured the victory. Needless to say, we will certainly be settling Catan again before the trip is over. Post-landing in Siem Reap we hoped on a bus and set off to the Metta Karuna Reflection Center.  Pulling into the complex expectations were low due to the rumors of squat toilets and no showers.  Once we exited the bus and walked around the Center everyone was much happier with how beautiful and peaceful it was.  After we got settled in our rooms, we played two fun bonding games to let out some energy before our Phnom Penh/Killing field debrief.  During our meeting/debrief we had very interesting discussions about the killing fields and the importance and morality of visiting monuments like these. We then got on another bus and went to the city center for dinner, we had a delicious meal.  We then got on the bus and headed back for the Reflection Center.  Before exiting the bus and going to our rooms we had a quick rundown of the plan for tomorrow which includes a 4 o’ clock leaving time.  We are all very excited about our plans for tomorrow despite the wake up time.  Finally, Happy Father’s Day to all the Dad’s that helped make it possible for us to come on this amazing trip!

We’ve arrived in Siem Reap!

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*P O L Y T E C H N I C S C H O O L*
**"Celebrating the joy, the
love, and the creativity that emanate from the human spirit."**

Clue! at the airport

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*P O L Y T E C H N I C S C H O O L*
**"Celebrating the joy, the
love, and the creativity that emanate from the human spirit."**

Not a bad way to wait for a flight!

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*P O L Y T E C H N I C S C H O O L*
**"Celebrating the joy, the
love, and the creativity that emanate from the human spirit."**

Traveling to Siem Reap today

Our 10:05 flight was cancelled. We are now on the 1:45 flight. Students delighted to get a meal coupon.


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*P O L Y T E C H N I C   S C H O O L*
**"Celebrating the joy, the
love, and the creativity that emanate from the human spirit."**

Saturday with Phillip and Martin

Today, the 15th of June, 2019, our Poly group went through an experience unlike any other we have ever experienced and will ever experience. The mass graves just outside of Phnom Penh, known as the Killing Fields, or Choeung Ek enlightened us to a world of extreme suffering and brutal loss of innocent lives. The guide on the tour started where all prisoners came and stayed. The entrance, now completely adorned with decorations and the beautiful language of Khmer, was much more than a gate into a physical location. It was a gate into a new perception not only of past horrors, but future hope. The peace offered by the trees and gentle breeze belied the history that the audio guide described. If you divert your attention from the forested environment and look at the ground of the Killing Fields, you may find bloodstains and bone fragments. Through objects such as the Killing Tree, where babies were ripped from their mothers arms and smashed against, and the Jade Tree, also known as the Magic Tree, which was used to amplify revolutionary sounds to cover up the screaming of souls leaving bodies, we were confronted with not only statistics and basic facts concerning the brutal regime that was the Khmer Rouge, but painfully personal stories that showed the true effect of the Cambodian genocide on its people. At the center of the Choeung Ek Killing Fields there is a memorial stupa with hundreds of innocent peoples’ skulls and bones. The stupa’s interior is simply shocking. The interior is filled from top to bottom with skulls of the innocent, showing that no child, adult, or elder was safe from the reach of the Khmer Rouge. The brutality of these personal killings by tools previously used in daily life highlighted the raw emotion connected to these deaths. We were personally struck by how the skulls were painstakingly examined and marked according to how their respective victims were brutally bludgeoned or stabbed to death. Every one of those skulls was a personal story, and a life.

On the brighter side, our group was lucky enough to experience the “flip side,” so to speak, of Cambodia today with our trip with Arn Chorn Pond, a survivor of the Cambodian genocide and the founder of Cambodian Living Arts. Since we and the musicians formed too big of a group to fit onto the bus of CLA, everyone ended up boarding the tour bus instead. That means we can proudly say that the bus we have traveled on in Phnom Penh was a Magic Music Bus, in a sense. Our tour group was joined by the musicians of Cambodian Living Arts and cameramen that were documenting this effort, and we drove to a rural school where we witnessed traditional music being played for children and got to interact with children. This was quite a special experience for all of us, and the tour guides as well, as they had never personally done a tour with Arn traveling on a bus to perform for children before. Many in our group have had “wholesome”, in the words of Martin, experiences with the children, giving hugs and receiving smiles in turn. Kate also killed it on the vocals both on the bus and in front of the whole crowd at the performance, so she deserves special commendation for putting herself out there in a new situation. When we as a tour group were able to discuss the experience with Cambodian Living Arts later in the day, we found common ground in how the experience was over all enjoyable but was certainly different than we envisioned, with less interaction with the locals than expected. Some members of the group found that the experience could have benefited if we as a group were put on more equal standing with those in the audience, as we were given a separate area with nicer seating than the students of the school, making us feel a bit uncomfortable for not feeling deserving of an elevated position. Others felt that the affection received from children  was “unearned” and that the musicians deserved more credit for their hard work. 

Overall, while being one of the most tiring days, we felt that today was definitely one of the most memorable trip and we look forward for more to come.

Dancing at the Olympic Stadium

Friday in Phnom Penh - Thomas & Wiley

Hello from Phnom Penh - Wiley and Thomas here. Today started with a disappointing 6:30 am optional visit to a nearby market. After all but two of us, enticed by the prospect of near free designer brands, dragged ourselves out of bed at the early hour of 6, we arrived at the market only to be met with closed doors and dingy halls. Following our visit to the market, we returned to the hotel for a brief breakfast before venturing out for the day. The first activity of the morning was a visit to the S21 (Security Center 21) torture camp. While there, we each individually listened to the story of how the once high school was transformed into a torture and prison camp of the Khmer Rouge government. The exhibits were striking, leaving us feeling shocked, numb, and raw. For us, the museum was an unforgettable experience that opened our eyes to the atrocities committed by the Khmer Rouge. Following S21, we went to a small cafe close by for a light lunch. From there, we returned to the hotel for some downtime, however, after some convincing, we, along with Dr. Nguyen, returned to the market, this time met with fake-goods galore. From there, we enjoyed an hour of group bonding activities and a discussion about our experiences at S21. To end the day, we visited the Cambodian National Stadium, where we took photos and participated in a dance mob, and then had dinner at a Vietnamese-Cambodian fusion restaurant. While the day was heavy at times, we appreciate the opportunity to continue to learn about Cambodian history and experience a new culture.