Sook S'bye (Cambodian for what's up)

There is literally so much to say. And I'm writing this at a little before midnight on the eve of waking up at 4 in the a.m. to go see Angkor Wat temple in Siem Reap, Cambodia. Why do I always feel inspired to post updates when I should be sleeping?

I havent really posted since Sunday. Oh wow, I am slacka-lackin. I digress. I guess since I was sort of vague when telling all of you lovely readers what exactly it was I would be doing here in Cambodia I should probably go into a little more detail about that before anything else. Part of what makesEDventure  unique from other volunteer opportunities is that it is a quite small company that focuses on making a global impact at the community level by working with leaders and passionate individuals from within a community. Research and development in essentially spending months in a location talking to a variety of such driven and passionate locals to determine where there is need and how EDventure can collaborate with the community to begin to make the changes that can be made. What this means for each project then is that what we are doing could change based on what the need is. So where before I thought I would be building bunk beds in an orphanage instead I have now found myself as part of the building team on what will be a new school and community center in the village of an amazing young man named Sarath. I will have to do a short bio on him in another post because he truly is an inspiration. Also, we are teaching in the small school that Sarath currently runs in his front yard for all his village's children to come learn at, as well as at Sopheak's school in another part of Siem Reap. Now that we're all up to speed, I'll dive in.

Monday was our first day on project working at Sarath's and Sopheak's schools and it was amazing. The young students are an absolute blast to work with as are my fellow volunteers. We taught 3 different classes from 2-7pm. Auntie, I appreciate what you do so mch more now that I have had to lesson plan and spend hours teaching 6-12 year olds. They are so excited to learn though, that it became infectious and I didn't notice I was tired until dinner that evening. Oh my Buddah, we ate so many mangoes too!!!! They are delicious and grow right in Sarath's backyard and his mother makes this outstanding mango fruit leather from it as well. Just wow. Anyway we taught our hearts out as well as played games (including a halfbreed of soccer and volleyball that is one of the most fun games I have ever played).

Tuesday was the King's birthday and so there was no school scheduled and we got to work on digging the trenches to lay the foundation of the school and chop down some nasty bushes and trees with the biggest red ants I have ever seen. Small tip, red ants here have giant mandibles and pack quite a punch. After lunch that day we found that even with a national holiday taking place and the kids were not required to come to school, they did anyway. Such a change from North American schools, and it was so fantastic to see the kids have such a desire to learn and improve.

Wednesday was much the same with chopping down trees and planting the seed of knowledge. More mangoes (I have no clue if I am spelling that right or not).  Plus I got to spend a little time doing more one-on-one tutoring about the concept of time with Somnah, Pana, Suek, and Machin, which was a lot of fun and really pushed me to find different ways to communicate.

Thursday was spectacular. We mixed concrete and laid brick alongside Sarath's uncles and father and cousins. It was a day of true back-breaking labor in the hot sun and I absolutely loved it. After work Sarath's mother, aunt, and grandmother made us all a delicious meal or chicken killed that morning with vegetables and rice. Of course while working I may have also eaten 2-3 mangoes. For dessert we helped make what will only be known as tasty balls. Here's what you do: make a dough mix of rice flour and water then put a piece of sugar cane into a small piece of the dough and roll it up. Throw it in a pot of boiling water until it floats to the top of the pot and then immediately transfer to cold wate. Serve with fresh coconut shavings and you have tasty balls. So good!!! We didn't work in the school that day as Sarath practically forced the students to take a day off (the last day of the holiday for the King's birthday celebration).

Finally, that brings us to today. I spent the day at Sopheak's school helping come up with lesson plans and later teaching. I'm so excited that I got to teach verb tenses today. They were my favorite thing to learn in high school Spanish classes. The kids there were awesome too, and I can't wait to see what next week will bring.

This trip has been so unbelievable so far and has already exceeded every expectation I have had/ I have now officially been here for 1 full week and still cannot believe how lucky I am to have made it here and to have this opportunity. I am sailing away from the safe harbor and have never been more glad for it. 'Til next time.

-Mikayla

Small Talk

Too tired to write. More this weekend.

Mikayla

Weekend News

Nothing has happened. The end....

JUST KIDDING!!!

Holy smokes so much has happened in the last few days. Not only have I gotten to meet some of the most amazing people in my life, but I've gotten to see fantastic things and taste the most wonderful foods. Not to mention the shopping! Let's just say someone in my group bought a full on gorgeous bag for like $6.00 What? So, where to begin?

How about Saturday morning, when I had the most delicious fruit platter. Or my first night on the town. Or the time Morgan almost got run over by a motorbike. Alright, alright. I'll just start at the beginning.

So, after my first half day in Siem Reap I was asleep within minutes. We're talking passed out. Holy cow can you say jetlag? However the next morning was very nice to be awake and showered by 6am and ready for the day before it got sweltering hot. By the way if you think you know what heat is, reconsider that thought if you have never been in 36 degrees Celsius  (104 Fahrenheit) weather with oh about 90-95% humidity. I too once thought I knew heat, but I was so very wrong. Anyway, woke up Saturday and ate this great fruit platter with pineapple and watermelon and banana and dragon fruit. Delicioso. Hung out with my group (Morgan, Sarah, Shawn, Jelica, Rylie, and Leka). Then we mosied on over to Khmer lessons. We trudged on through the previously mentioned heat for roughly 20 minutes before we came to stop at a place called Vitking's vegetarian Khmer food. So good! I will probably say this again a million times, but everything I have eaten here has been so amazing.

Khmer lessons were hard. Whatever you think a word looks like it might sound like, you're probably wrong. But it is a beautiful language to listen to. I am proud to say that I can say hello, yes, no, thank you, and brother/sister. Also egg. The rest I'm working on. From there we traveled back to our hostel the Babel (pronounced bah- bell) inn and rested up for an hour or so before we went out to dinner at a place called Temple Club. Oh, the curry was fantastic! We also saw a show in which college Cambodian university students performed traditional Apsara dances. It was so much fun and so great to get a lttile bit of insight into the culture and how people are able to preserve it. Later that same evening myself , Sarah and Shawn walked the night market and saw everything from tshirts to fish pedicures. I will definitely be going back soon.

That brings us to today. I swear, I feel as if so many things have been happening every single day that I don't know what to do when it comes to writing it all down. Anyway, we all started the morning by walking to a pagoda for what turned out to be a very enlightening discussion between my new friends and our group leaders Stefan and Erika. Let's just say that I have the utmost respect for each and every one of these incredible people that I am so glad I get to spend the next few weeks with. Also, I got to learn a bit about myself as well, which can always be good for personal growth. From there we braved the scorching sun to find a place for lunch. I had yellow noodles with vegetables and a fried egg with Khmer sauce. Tastebud explosion! So amazing. We then made it back to Babel for some lesson planning. First day of school is tomorrow, and I've got to admit that I am both excited and perhaps a little bit afraid. But do what scares you right?

So after brainstorming for a few hours we finally packed ourselves into tuk tuks - the only transportation you will ever need in Cambodia, look it up they're awesome- and headed off to meet Raan. He's a monk by the way. No big deal, but y'know super cool. We spent about two hours just learning from him about Buddhism and himself. Such a fun guy! And so informative and kind. After eventually saying our goodbyes we walked back to Pub Street - the central hub- and walked around a bit before having dinner. Anyhow , dinner was once again splendid. I have not had a single meal here that has not been super delicious. We rounded out the night with a nice walk back to Babel in the cooling evening.

Overall, Cambodia has been so incredibly beautiful and I am more thankful everyday that I am here right now. I can only hope that the experience continues to be this amazing.

Also, please have patience as I am currently working on being able to upload videos and photos.

'Til next time,

Mikayla

The Start of an Adventure

Well, I made it!

After a rocky start on Wednesday morning (i almost didn't get on the plane because of a lack of a visa for stay in China) I finally got to Cambodia after about 28 hours of travel. Word to the wise: always know what the policies are of the countries you'll be staying in.

All of yesterday was fantstic getting to meet everyone with whom I will be spending the next three weeks. Also, four words for ya- fried ants with beef.

Anyway, today we will be spending in orientation and learning the Khmer language.

Stay tuned for more updates.

What's to Come

On this, the eve of the one week mark to the day I leave for Cambodia, I am finally taking the time to divulge "the plan" aka my flight itinerary for any of those who would like to know. It's going to be a very long travel time ultimately ending with the start of a new adventure (both going and coming back- more on this later). 

Wednesday, May 7th 8am: leave Denver, Colorado ---> Vancouver, Canada ---> Guangzhou, China---> Siem Reap, Cambodia 

21 day trip 

Friday, May 30th 11:30am: leave Siem Reap, Cambodia ---> Guangzhou, China ---> L.A., California ---> Phoenix, Arizona 

Now, back to the  part about adventure. I know that this trip is giving me the chance of a lifetime to immerse myself in a new culture and experience things I have never dreamed of. It's going to be so much fun and probably a little scary at times, like all good adventures are (I have this theory about constantly doing what scares you and how it's one of the best things you could possibly do). What I have lately come to realize more with each passing day is that it is also going to give me the opportunity to share my experiences- like I am now- and to use them in a positive way that doesn't just leave behind my memories of Cambodia as "those few great weeks', but as a catalyst for more adventures here in the states and beyond to continuously grow and use the skills I have and will learn to make an impact in people's lives. I want Cambodia to be so much more than just a risk I took in college; a fun trip when I was young. I want it to incite personal growth and to inspire myself and others to never forget that not only is anything possible for other people, but that anything is possible for us. I think we often forget how strong we all are until we push ourselves to do something amazing. 

So, what I hope all of you readers will do is find a place in your life where you can make a change, and not necessarily an easy one. Find a place that you can strive for growth and push yourself to go beyond what you thought was possible. Even better, do something that scares you just to know that you can. Now, I'm not saying go rob any banks or anything, and maybe start small, but watch and see the changes you'll find within yourself by trying to make a difference in someone else's life or in a community's life. 

Anyway, since I'm supposed to be studying for my final tomorrow, I thought it would be the perfect time to post these thoughts as well as my flight plans to keep you all in the loop. 

Oh, right. By the way

Official Countdown: 8 days 

Lessons and Good News

    So, as you may know, I have paid in full my EDventure tuition, gotten traveler's insurance, gotten necessary vaccinations and medications, and paid for my flight going to Cambodia. Pretty much the last hurdle financially was to pay for a flight back to the States. Well, thanks to several anonymous donors I have now officially paid for my return flight, and I will be getting back to Arizona once this once-in-a-lifetime trip is over.

    I cannot thank enough everyone who has helped me along this journey with your support financially but more importantly your mental and emotional guidance. And boy has it been an emotional journey. There's a lesson I can take from this though. I think it is to always have an open heart, but also to know my budget and know my limits.Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't change this experience for anything, as it really has taught me a lot even before I've taken off. However, I think I appreciate in a new way how hard people must work to earn a living, and how quickly that can disappear, especially when you have large expenses such as this.

Again, thank you to every single person who has helped me to get this far. And to the most recent donors as well:

Stacey Bennett

Mis Amigos Anonimos (My anonymous friends)


Official Countdown: 28 days

Closer Every Day

Oh goodness, it has been a loooong time since I have last posted anything. Where did the time go? Oh right, to school and work and other obligations. Well, since I have last posted quite a bit has happened. Two more sponsors have generously donated to my trip, so a big thank you to:

Mr. Scott Baslee
Mr. John Papa

Your donations are greatly appreciated.

Also, some plans have changed due to lack of available funding. Sadly, I could not raise enough money in time to book the cheaper round trip flight to and from Cambodia. Instead, I have decided to go with the next least expensive option and book two one-way tickets from Colorado to Cambodia and then from Cambodia to Arizona.

While I will still be working on getting money for a return flight from Cambodia over the next few days to few weeks, I have officially booked my flight to get to Cambodia!

I'll say it once more for effect:  I have a flight to Cambodia, it's booked and paid for, and I will finally be there in a short 35 days!!!!!!! 

I will admit, at this point I am starting to get a little impatient, but I just need to focus on school and work and making sure I have everything I need for the next few weeks and it will be time to go before I know it.

So, here's a metaphorical "cheers" to hard work, dedication from friends and family, and rolling with the punches. We're almost there and even though the last few weeks have been stressful (dang airlines increasing prices!) and the next few might be even more so, I know it is going to be so very worth it to get to have and share this experience with all of you.

Finally, I will leave you lovely people with a TEDx video that has, I feel, a lot of relevance to me right now, and can have a positive influence on all of us at any time. Check it out, and if you don't have time to watch the full video, at least watch the first 5 minutes. Enjoy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8CA0BLub44