Learning in Unexpected Ways: My Travels to Cambodia

---

Hundreds of students formed two lines along the dusty pathway to the school and clapped as we paraded through. We were nervous and felt undeserving of such an ovation; they seemed eager and overjoyed. When our vans drove down that pathway for the last time, five days later, we did not want to leave. There was something special about that brief stay, something that led us to connect with complete strangers in unimaginable ways.

Traveling to rural Cambodia with eleven schoolmates and a handful of teachers was no ordinary spring break. In the remove village of Pailin in Battanbang Provice, we share a life-altering journey. We visited Cambodia with a purpose: to teach at our "Sister School" we funded several years earlier, to connect the isolated village to the rest of the world through electricity and internet access, and to forge personal relationships with the students of Pailin.

When we arrived at the five-room school, we felt disoriented by the fourteen-hour travel experience on the uneven roads of the Thai-Cambodian border, witnessing abject poverty, unrecognizable food and giant bugs. Despite those sobering sights and the challenges of the language barrier, the five days that followed were happy and uplifting.

The students challenged us to think differently about ourselves and our country. They gave of themselves in unexpected ways, teaching us about their culture and sending us home with memories of kindness that will last a lifetime. They challenged us to "pay it forward," to emulate their generosity. We never imagined people with so few material possessions could be so happy and give so much.

One Afternoon, a group of girls took me into an empty classroom. They gestured fo their favorite American dances like "Head Shoulders Knees and Toes" and the "Hokey Pokey." For nearly forty-five minutes, I sang the tunes as they mimicked the gestures. Normally reluctant to sing before others, I did not worry about my appearance or any of the "normal" stressors. Those moments were the highlight of my Cambodian experience. For that brief time, the "Hokey Pokey" truly was what it was all about.

Not long ago, I received an email from Sopheap, one of the students in Pailin. Sopheap reminded me of something very important, clued me in on a secret to the Cambodian attitude. "Please do not make yourself dirty look," he wrote, "Please try and smile everytime as possible."

Sopheap knows that smiles are what bond us, regardless of our language or culture. He knows that sharing our happiness is equivalent to sharing our love. Now I try to take a leaf out of Sopheap's book. My trip to Cambodia taught me to examine the bigger picture and to believe that I can make a difference. I am no longer "waiting on the world to change;" I believe young people like me have the capacity to change the world. The change begins with a willingness to explore new and unfamiliar places, to learn from others in unexpected ways and, of course, to smile "everytime as possible."



This article is kindly provided by Sytayouthfoundation.org

---

Comments

[D MJ Binkley]

Learning in Cambodia
The students can sometimes become the teacher. Unexpected joys. Looking forward to reading more.