And away we go!

I can't believe tomorrow is the big day! I have been looking forward to this trip for a long time. I first got in touch with Palm Tree Orphanage in September of last year, I believe...so since then, I have been working to make this summer a reality. I'm so excited!

I think I have my weekend planned out. I arrive on Friday at 7pm. Fortunately, a staffer at the orphanage will be picking me up from the airport to bring me to the Boddhi Tree Guesthouse, which I will be staying at for the first few days while I sleep off my jet lag. I'm very grateful for this, as it'll be nice to see a welcoming face upon my arrival. On Saturday, I plan to visit Phnom Wat, to pray for a summer of good luck (I'll get into my fascination with Buddhism later). Also, my hotel is very close to Tuol Sleng Museum, which I would like to see that weekend as well. The orphanage recommends that the children not be exposed to anything regarding the Khmer Rouge genocide, so I think I'll be doing most of those trips on my own. There is also a classical dance performance on Saturday at the Chenla Theater, but I'm not sure of the time. Unless I can get more information, I may miss out on that. I might be exhausted anyway, so I'm not trying to plan too much, especially since I will be starting work on Monday.

I found myself very worried about what I'd be bringing the children today. My parents bought the children 100 motion powered flashlights, since there are frequent power outages. The flashlights are pretty neat...you shake them and that energy powers the light. I'm bringing frisbees, jump ropes, toothbrushes, hairbrushes, crayons and paper. I'm trying to think of sustainable items for them, but it's very difficult because I imagine these children need so much and it's hard to prioritize. Also, I reassured myself in knowing that once I am there, I can evaluate what they need and bring them on trips to get clothing and other things.

So, tomorrow is my 17+ hour plane trip into Bangkok, then another hour and a half into Phnom Penh. I will update as soon as I can, hopefully Saturday evening. I seriously hope my laptop doesn't melt mid-trip, as it often fails to locate my hard drive for no good reason. In any case, I will be in touch one way or another. If you'd like to Skype me, my name is reg.gen. If you'd like me to Skype you (probably makes more sense), leave your name in a comment or email me. And for a easy to use world time converter, check out this site: http://members.virtualtourist.com/vt/tt/1/. Cambodia is eleven hours ahead, but that site is pretty convenient for double checking.

Next stop, Kampuchea...