Hello friends and family!
It seems like forever since I sent out my last email and I am excited to share with you what has been going on here in Southeast Asia the last few weeks! As per usual, I would love nothing more than to hear from YOU as well, so please shoot me back with an update on your life, it would make me more than happy!
As my last week of the first quarter was unfolding, I was trying to figure out report cards and finish up some massive grading before heading on my first visit outside of the incredible country of Myanmar. Before I knew it, Friday had arrived and I was rushing out to the small airport of Yangon to hop on a plane to Siem Reap, Cambodia. Now some of you may ask, who was it that I explored with? My friends Betsy- a lovely Tacoma native and current 4th grade teacher, Sarah- a world traveler who quit her amazing job at Walmart Corporate Office to teach technology and Riff- the ex-architect who decided to teach math overseas for the next 20 years of his life.
As for Cambodia, amidst the crazy flooding that was occurring all around us, we managed to squeeze in as much as possible in the mere 5 days that we were in Siem Reap. We were staying in the most lovely hotel with plumeria growing wildly and a pleasant staff that always had a smile on their face. I immediately fell in love with the people and scenery of Cambodia- imagine riding in a motorbike carriage (I felt like Cinderella!) with rice patties surrounding you. That would be what we saw… as well as lots of water. I remember flying to Siem Reap thinking about how bummed I was for not going to the beach, yet when we would wake up every morning and have to wade through two feet of water to get to the downtown area, I realized that the beach came to us! Kind of. It was rough seeing all the water and then to find out that over 200 people had died from the flooding (mind you, this is week old news- apparently the numbers have gone up) made my perspective change. Thailand had opened up one the damns and it had cut down some of the flooding in Thailand and pushed the water into Cambodia. Now Thailand is dealing with even more water and rain, but that is a different story…
As for Siem Reap, of course we went and wandered through the temples of Angkor Wat and HOT DANG was that an experience. Touristy, yes. Worth it? Heck yes. One day we decided to wake up and see the sunrise over the big temple- Angkor Wat itself and it was stunning. All of the temples were fantastic, each with its own character and involving many stairs to climb. Apparently it is one of the many wonders of the world and I now understand why. It is hard to put into words, but I do know that you need to see the incredible temples that were built by many Cambodian kings well over one-thousand years ago. One day we went out and saw a floating village- which is where people live in houses on the water- surviving as fishermen. There were lots of children at the village we went to, which can be a problem in multiple ways (too many mouths to feed and not enough income, for one example) and they all were able to swim! Some of the other interesting sights we saw were the Butterfly Habitat, Silk Farm/Factory, Landmine Museum (did you know that landmines are still in existence? It is terrible!), wild monkeys, kids playing in the flooded streets and monks dressed in orange (not the usual deep red I see daily). I dared to try frog and crocodile, both tasted like chicken! And we had the chance to meet some other foreigners when our for Mexican food or 50 cent beers. I was amazed at the prostitution that I saw- and then after going to Bangkok, it was nothing in comparison. Myanmar does not have the reputation for sex trafficking, unlike much of southeast Asia.
Overall, Cambodia was wonderful and if given the chance to go back, I would in a heartbeat! As for Bangkok, well, lets just say that I have a love-hate relationship with the city. Even though I have never been to NYC, I can understand why Bangkok is called the NYC of Asia. We got off the plane and took a hot pink cab into the city on a FREEWAY, something that I have not seen in 3 months. I experienced some major culture shock, let me tell you. I have been living in a simple country- with limited amenities and toys, unaware of the hip things that are happening in the world. Within 2 minutes of stepping foot onto the sky train in Thailand, I came to this conclusion: the Thai love coffee, their cell phones and the games they have on their phones, shopping, and more shopping. They are also extraordinarily thin and trendy, which make for an uncomfortable experience when I had run out of clean clothes and was down to comfy sweats and sandals. It was nice to have some of those things that I had missed from home- such as Starbucks lattes (I hate to admit it), speedy internet and music playing everywhere (many places you would think to hear music in Yangon- such as a restaraunt or shopping center- you only hear silence). I decided to splurge a little bit and bought myself a ukulele! It is supposed to be easy to learn and I think a fun new thing to pick up with this new life!
OK. I could easily have made this email three times as long but I know that you have something to do (or perhaps you have been avoiding that you have something to do) and I need to get ready for the week ahead of me- parent teacher conferences! I miss you all so very much, and will never admit to being homesick, but know deep down that I have a case of it. Postcards will be on their way, although there is no guarantee that you will all get them, it will be the test of Myanmar mail! We are talking about getting a P.O. Box in Bangkok and have teachers that have to go on visa runs pick up mail, so keep an ear out for that!
Miss you all and sending hugs and love your way,
Lyns
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