Millions of Memories

 

On March 5, 14 eager LCS students and two teachers embarked on a journey halfway across the world. After a 14 hour flight we finally landed in Hong Kong, but no, this was not the final destination. Our jet lag only worsened once we landed in Cambodia’s capital city, Phnom Penh after another 4 hours of being trapped in the confined spaces of an airplane. 

 

The first impression upon leaving the airport was the insane heat and humidity. Apart from being unbearably hot, the humidity made it much more uncomfortable, causing us to be soaked in sweat after the five minutes we were outside. It was here that we met our guides: the peppy Sarah, the mysterious Brit Richard, and the two cutest Cambodians, Sothy and Sothea. We then learned that there are absolutely no road rules in Cambodia, and I’m pretty sure I only saw one traffic light the whole two weeks we spent there. 

 

Our time in Phnom Penh was well spent, and I can honestly say that there was not one minute we spent doing nothing. Our first day set the tone for the entire trip, visiting the Olympic Stadium in the centre of the city and participating in both a volleyball game with locals and an impromptu dance/aerobics class. 

 

The next day we had the amazing opportunity to visit both a genocide museum and a former prison, as well as the infamous killing fields. Here we learned of the effects of the Khmer Rouge’s presence on Cambodia, and just how much this time in history still influences the nation today. This was equally both interesting and devastating. We then became typical tourists, visiting the King’s Palace, attending a carnival, taking a cruise on the Mekong River and visiting a silk making farm. 

 

The purpose of our time in Phnom Penh was to visit a wide variety of non-governmental organizations that were set up in the local area. These organizations were paired with the company “Rustic Pathways” in which we were working for. Though the NGOs differed in what they were doing, they all focused on helping youth, who make up 60% of the country’s population. Tiny Toones was an NGO that helped take children off the streets and teach them dance, as well as valuable skills such as reading and writing. Skatistan was similar in the way were they took in street children, but instead taught them how to skateboard and encouraged gender equality. The last NGO we visited was centred around not only youth, but other marginalized members of the society as well. Ragamuffin took in troubled members of society and provided them therapy through artistic means. 

 

When we left Phnom Penh, we moved on to a smaller city called Kampong Cham. Although not nearly as big as the capital, Kampong Cham made up for its size in it’s character and spirit. On the ride here, we stopped at a local market, where the group bravely devoured tarantulas, and Mr. Rollwagen took it one step higher by also eating a grasshopper. 

 

Kampong Cham was the city where we were lucky enough to complete our actual service component of the service project. We worked for an organization called BSDA, Buddhism for Social Development Action. Physically, we constructed a road, parking area and fence for the facility. Following our day of hard work, we would work alongside monks at a local school, teaching children from the mere age of 3 to youth in their mid-20s how to speak English. It was amazing to interact with these people, and to see how skilful and passionate for learning they were. 

 

Our last night in Kampong Cham was a fun one. We spent the night dancing and playing with children, listening to awful karaoke, experiencing a wedding at our hotel and even a quick hospital trip for when one member of the group accidentally cut her hand open on a seesaw. 

 

The last destination of our trip was the beautiful city of Siem Reap. Here, we had the chance to visit the Angkor temples, one of the most important archaeological sites in Southeast Asia. Angkor Wat temple at sunrise was pretty amazing, as was Ta Prohm temple, where the movie Tomb Raider was filmed. Of course we also visited the famous Siem Reap night market, where Ether crazily bought 16 pairs of elephant pants, and where we received questionable $2 American bills as change. Our last night in Cambodia was kind of an emotional mess. We went from laughing hysterically at a restaurant’s name and explaining to our tour guide that no “Man Thong”didn’t exactly mean “Golden Potato”in English, to crying over the fact that we were leaving.

 

Over all, I can easily say that this trip was one of the best highlights of my four-year LCS career. I had the chance to see an amazing country, rich in history in culture, armed with so much potential for the future. It taught me both to appreciate the things I have back home, how to work as a team in order to achieve success, and how to survive in persevere in an environment so different from that of what we are accustomed to. It was inspiring to wake up everyday in a place where people are always happy, regardless of their circumstances. Perhaps the most astounding part of this trip was seeing that yes, you can in fact make a difference. Whether it be something big or small, we are the generation of change, and we do have the ability to change the world. 

 
Watch Team Cambodia's music video online!

Thank you to Emma Senkus '15, Betsy Macdonnell '18 and Tim Rollwagen for the photos