My time in Cambodia is brief, but I’ve managed to pack in a good deal in less then one week. I fly to India via Thailand tomorrow and want to post these photos along with some history before leaving. Cambodia’s history is filled with beauty and of horror. This blog will briefly walk you through both. The Beauty: The pagodas and temples in Cambodia are quite stunning and admist dramatic landscapes even moreso. Photos are taken of the Royal Palace, the Silver Pagoda in Phnom Penh where I got reprimanded for not taking off my shoes. But the main tourist attraction [View Full Entry]

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There is one thing I have to do while in Sapa. I have to find Pen. Pen is one of the hill tribe people living in a village outside of Sapa, and a friend of Karen’s. The only clues for finding her are a photograph and this letter: Dear Sherry, As soon as you get to Sapa find someone dressed the same as Pen. They will know her and send word for her to come into town to see you. She has 3 sons now including a new little baby boy. Her village is 5-7 kms from town. If you go [View Full Entry]

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-LATEST TRAVEL ITINERARY- Since I had unexpectedly spent the bulk of my time in Hoi An, I now have 10 days to make it through Northern Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand and by May 13th, India where the next (and final) volunteer program awaits. My intention in Northern Vietnam is to rejuvenate in magical Sapa, ALONE. And boy is it working. Sapa sits proudly upon a mountaintop and is tucked away far north just miles from the Chinese border. It was no picnic getting here from Hoi An. One hour taxi, 1 hour flight, another 1 hour taxi, 10 hour train ride, and [View Full Entry]

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"The riverside town of Hoi An oozes charm and culture from every corner. The most enchanting place along the coast, the one spot worth lingering in." -Lonely Planet After 6 weeks, I leave Hoi An today without having seen the MY SON temples, having taken a cooking class, or the dozens of other “MUST DO’S” on the tourist list. I suppose I could have made time for them if I tried, but it just hadn’t seemed important (OK, except the tailored clothes). But I leave this morning with a smile on my face, tears in my eyes, and heartfelt memories that [View Full Entry]

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Besides working with Lifestart, I’ve been tagging along with Giao (Vietnamese humanitarian) for a little insight on the kinds of projects and people she works with. It was Giao who introduced me to the Ly Chan family, and since then I’ve been interested to write, photograph and meet those that she helps as well. Meet MANH Manh is now almost 3 years old. She suffers from HYDROCEPHALUS (water on the brain) and brain damage as a result of malnutrition. From what I understand this is a common condition. The life expectancy is only a few years but Giao helps the children [View Full Entry]

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Pre-Op (Part I) I suppose the Da Nang Hospital is not the worst in the world, but I sure the hell would not want to be treated there. Yet I guess like anything else, it’s all relative. Tam got his hospital bed and I thought, what a piece of crap, but he happily jumped on it and said WOW, this is a GREAT bed! Having a room in Da Nang Hospital means a room shared with 5-10 other patients in varying conditions from brain trauma, cancer, to broken limbs. There is one shared bathroom consisting of a squat toilet, small sink, [View Full Entry]

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For those of you who have offered to make donations, you can do so online at the LIFESTART website. You may donate specifically (adopt a family, sponsor a teen) or make a general donation. YES every dollar makes a difference...REALLY. http://lifestartfoundation.org.au/ Here are just a few examples of what has come out Lifestart donations this past month (amount in USD): Bich's Boat - app. $156 Art supplies for school - app. $25 English books for 9 students - less than $2/each Bike & Lock for Jobstart kids - $52 SIM card for mobile phone - $6 New roof for Phuc's boat [View Full Entry]

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Art Class begins each day at 9am and ends anywhere between 11-12. This has been one of the easiest and most enjoyable parts of working in Hoi An. I have had a good handful of projects and the kids keep busy without any constant attention. As I get to know their little personalities, it is interesting which activity each one is drawn to. Hung likes to trace, Tri likes anything with detail, Dung likes using his ruler to construct buildings and boats with lots of windows and doors, Ly likes creating any pretty girly pictures, Den likes origami and cut paper, [View Full Entry]

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Ngoc is 6 years old and was born with cerebral palsy. In Vietnam, children born with disabilities are often left at the orphanage. A disabled child means one less working parent, which means less money, and less food. Ngoc’s family took the more difficult option, and do their best to take care of Ngoc themselves. Ngoc is fortunate to be surrounded by a loving family, but they too have no money. They are refused any medical treatment and Ngoc has never seen a doctor. When Karen met them 5 years ago they were living in a banana leaf hut filled with [View Full Entry]

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It was late Friday night while I was blogging away at the internet, 2 seats down from me was a man, swatting at mosquitoes, cursing at the mouse that sticks, and performing a series of dramatic huffs and sighs. I wasn’t paying too much mind at first, but as he grew agitated with the ever-present fluttering and buzzing creatures of the night, I reached into my bag and handed him some repellent. I looked over, late 40s, nice clothes, nice shoes, good watch, well-groomed, but what stopped me was a very sad face, one that looked like it hadn’t really smiled [View Full Entry]

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