Writing this entry for our blog was particularly hard for me. Attempting to fully do justice to the experience I had in Cambodia, and the feelings I felt while there was difficult. One reason for this is the fact that Cambodia can be a hard country to visit. It is not a walk in the park (more accurately, it is a walk through the dust and blistering heat.) In Cambodia, I was pushed out of my comfort zone more than in any other South East Asian country we visited. But that’s the point of travelling, is it not? Escaping to a foreign land, seeking new experiences, trying different things. Without these occurrences, the traveller cannot possibly grow. That being said, this does not mean that being pushed in this way is not difficult. But, out of discomfort and challenge come learning and growth, and eventually one sees the experience in a form of beauty and appreciation.
The streets of Siem Reap are busy, bustling, dusty, and speak of poverty. The Khmer people (as Cambodians refer to themselves) and the country of Cambodia itself are still recovering from recent war. Lingering effects of the genocide, starvation and oppression of the 1970s are still felt. These were the days of Pol Pet and the Khmer Rouge, the days of suffering. The Khmer people are still rising from the ashes of this fire, and the burns still sting. Yet, even with these recent and terrible memories still fresh in Khmer culture, there is also a strength and joy that can be felt in this country. Although illiteracy is high, the poverty rate close to 50%, and the quality of life low, I would often see Khmer people laughing and smiling, children playing and waving. Even in the face of recent horror these people can find happiness and community. Upon further reflection, this sad history made me uncomfortable for a whole new set of reasons: if the Khmer people can live this way despite hardship, why is there so much dissatisfaction in North American culture? As I told Caitlin when I was explaining to her how I wanted to put forth this blog entry, I do not want to touch too much on this "dissatisfaction in North American culture", as that would open up a whole new can of worms. But suffice to say my reflection on the cultural reality of North America really hit home. It made me question how I was living my life, evaluate what was most important to me, and put my values into priority.
In short, going to Cambodia caused a shift within me. There was a movement within towards bringing value and meaning to my life, and a movement away from all the rest. A big contribution to these feelings came for the visit Caitlin and I had to the rural school that Armin helped to build, and the near-by orphanage associated with it.
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