Siem Reap, Cambodia

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3 February

Last night when I was eating my farewell curry at the restaurant by the hotel, looking up birds as the sun set, two other tourists began talking with me. We wound up talking for around two hours, splitting a tall Singha (and yes, I watched it being opened and poured, since people do drug other people's beer). They are an older Dutch couple who spend winters in Bali but were here to meet up with their son. They'd just come from Vietnam and were in transit through Bangkok (where they've visited before). We had a lovely conversation ranging from birds to regional behaviors and cooking to pancreatitis--he had been in a coma for a while and in it, generated symbolic stories that seem to have healed him--My Stroke of Insight, and their hope for the US. Like many people I've talked with, they also fear that Obama will be assassinated.

This morning I flew to Siem Reap, Cambodia. Already, just on my orienting walk around the neighborhood, I've encountered multiple non-profits and training schools with volunteer opportunities. I have some dates to go back to talk to people later in my stay. Volunteering here ranges from a 6-month commitment with letters of reference and a criminal background check to the invitation to walk in and be useful.

I had a nice conversation with a Finnish couple at lunch. We talked about poverty and corrupt governments. They are also worried that someone is going to shoot Obama.

I'm not going to post photos today as my connection is slow (but I shouldn't be able to connect at all—I'm one flight up from the lobby, so I get a weak signal in my room).

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