Getting started

Well, I figure it's about time I start writing in this thing. I've created this blog primarily to keep in touch with friends and family while I live and work in Cambodia for the summer. I will try my best to update often, but I'm really not the best at keeping these sorts of things up to date. Perhaps it'll just consist of pictures at times, but at least it's something.

I suppose I should begin by discussing what I'll be doing in Cambodia and how this trip came about. I'll be leaving New York on June 5 to arrive in Phnom Penh, Cambodia on June 6. On that Monday, I will begin working at the Palm Tree Orphanage, run by Cambodia's Hope, teaching English and literacy skills to around one hundred Khmer children, ages four to eighteen. I plan to stay there until late August, or so. I hope to do a bit of traveling as well; I am especially excited about seeing Angkor Wat and even some of the temples in the capital. A weekend in Sihanoukville would be nice too, as the beaches look remarkable.

So, how did I come about picking up and heading to Cambodia for a summer? This question led me to name my blog "Why Cambodia?" as that is the question that immediately follows after I describe my plans in conversation. The exchange will usually go, "What are you planning on doing after graduation?", to which I answer, "I'll be living and working in Cambodia." One of two reactions ensue...either the person laughs, thinking I'm joking until I give them the stoneface, or there is a second of confusion which then leads to, "Uh, why Cambodia?" I've had an interest in Cambodia for a couple of years now. I worked with a professor who traveled across Southeast Asia, writing about the sexual exploitation of children in developing areas; this is what initially sparked my interest in the area. Concurrently, I was enrolled in a course that explored the history of human rights. At that point, I was able to study and write about the genocide in Cambodia and, at that point, I began considering traveling to the area to get first hand experience in learning more about their history and culture.

My interest in seeing Cambodia came at a perfect time. In 2006, I was awarded the Jeannette K. Watson Fellowship, which is a program for New York City college students that provides paid internships for three consecutive summers. In my first summer, I worked as a legal assistant at the New York State Supreme Court. My work was published in the New York State Bar Association Journal (score). In my second summer, I worked at Echoing Green, which is a fantastic organization. Everyone in the nonprofit world should check them out. For the third and final summer, Fellows are encouraged to work abroad. Just as we began to consider where we'd like to travel, I began studying Cambodia in depth, and everything seemed to click. So, I am very fortunate to have my work this summer sponsored by the Watson Fellowship. This trip would probably not be possible without this assistance, especially since the cost of airfare and vaccines are prohibitively expensive for most recent college graduates.

I will post a bit more later this week, perhaps about how I've prepared for my upcoming trip. Wednesday is a big day for me, as the Watson Fellowship holds an annual launch for all their third year fellows going abroad. Myself and another fellow have been asked to speak and reflect upon our time in the program. It is sure to be an interesting event. I'll write about that too, depending on how my speech goes. :)