Orphanage Idear

Okayyyy.. so after feeling a little bit distressed, bummed, and at a loss to being able to help enough, I laid in bed one morning racking my brain for better ways to help. As throughout my life experiences and learning, as well as influence from my dad and Uncle Greg's wide perspective and experience, I've realized there are greater ways of helping more people on a grander scale sometimes than just using your own two hands. But I also accept that sometimes we need to just get down and dirty with our own two hands too. Right time and place for everything. I realized early on in this endeavor that my two hands and little wallet was really just not going to be enough to make a difference. After racking my brain, I came up with this really weird idea... that probably won't work.. but it doesnt hurt to dream, and ya never know what happens from there,, newer better ideas, etc. The concept is to create a larger impact... how could I get more people to understand and help too, as there are sooo many NGO's, help-centers, etc asking for money... and how many of them can we actually contribute too. Afterall I've only ever dontated to MADD (mother's against drunk drivers), fire/police calls when I can, Greg's house rebuilding project in Pakistan, Tsunami 2004, and maybe just a few other... but I can't save the world with just those contributions. I know the american public is hassled every day for money, and its not necessarily the most efficient route. There was a study about monkeys, where one monkey in a cage was electricuted everytime another monkey in an adjacent cage was given food. Eventually the adjacent monkey starved itself to death. The idea was that they cared empathetically, and that human nature reflects this as well. As I told this study to my bf one day... he made the comment that maybe that was only because they could see each other and indirectly feel the pain then.. but for most of the world this kind of analogical pain is "out of sight out of mind." I think this is really true, as it is soooo much harder to eat a full meal literally in front of a starving begger. While a picture with a donation card is easier to throw away. Also, we learn by experiences and by doing, by being here/there too. This made led me to think of ways to get people here/there (there being anywhere of need, namely in this example for sake of ease: Cambodia).
Now that I have over-elaborated on my train of thought... I don't have time to get to the point... very typical of me =) ... next blog standing by =)

Sleeper bus to Hannoi, Vietnam

So Lucy and I had a little pre-christmas shopping for each other... and splurged a little too much in someways... but overal we think it was okayyyy. The tailors are ridiculously cheap here.... so we just couldn't help passing such an opportunity up. That was really all Hoi An was about. Now we are much tooo overloaded which is really causing a bit of a travel problem lately. So if I don't come home soon I'm definitely going to have to send a package back again.

We rented bikes again,,, and just marveled again about how much we LOVE riding bikes here... it is just so dreamy, exciting, thrilling, and a good source of exercise. I found that I'm getting better at weaving and dodging through the crazy motorists when crossing through uncontrolled intersections.. but every so often I have to remind myself not to become too confident and always pay close attention as the unexpected is ALWAYS happening.

Oh- we also finally took a cooking class we've been promising ourselves forever. AND IT WAS AMAZING. We really can't tell if its just because we cooked it ourselves that it tasted sooo good, but it had to have been some of the best food we've eaten in Vietnam so far. And the instructors we're really good, nice, and most of all- patient-- becuase Lucy and I soon found out just HOW lame we are when it comes to cooking... We felt like really stupid westerners that obviously don't know how to do anything for themselves because we've always had stuff given to us like that... interesting lesson. Mostly just we cut really really slow ad sloppy.. but I guess we have to be a little easier on ourselves given we're not seasoned chefs or anything =)

Took a sleeper bus (with beds and all) to Hannoi... and that was quite an experience in itself... even though I'm deathly tired again from the lack of sleep again. While Lucy again took the cheaper bus. We had better luck connecting in our final destination this time though. The bus was a little trippy though... I felt like I was in an alien spacepod, it was pretty weird/crazy.
I got another peice of art to add to my collection now...effectively have one from every country I've been in now... so that's been fun.. and theyre' all so unique. Laos will maybe be next?

Lucy's blog also always has another good and different perspective on our combined adventures too: adventuresbylucy.blogspot.com

Orphanage spurred idea

I have been meaning to detail this great new idea I'd come up with a few weeks back while volunteering at the orphanage, but I just haven't had time. So I will come back to this, but I wanted to start it to serve as a reminder.

It starts with 5K, and a "pay it forward" pyramid kind of concept,

Health stuff

So a decent enough portion of the time, I'm okay... but it just strikes regularly throughout the day lasting usually between 10-30min at a time. So it's more disruptive than anything else. The hardest thing that I've noticed is that over time (a long time now), it has just made life more like a task than a blessing. Even touring which should overal be fun and somewhat enjoyable.. just feels like work. This makes the idea of work itself (at say, a real job) even more intimidating.. as its hard enough to drag myself out of bed everyday just to try to supposedly have fun. Many times even just going out dancing or to a bar... is such a task.. I do it because otherwise I will just rot away in my hotel room.. but in reality every time, its such a push.. I feel like I should be paid on the job... because its just not enjoyable.

Bicycle bicycle

Lucy and I have been continually excited about our 1$ a day bike rentals. I've always been partial to riding bikes, but in a whole other country it has taken on such an adventurous ride I don't know if it'll ever be the same back home. We had a lot of fun today.. but after we went so far as to leave the safety of pavement into the dirt backstretches, I couldn't help but ask Lucy if we'd even recognize a ghetto if we were in one. Houses of all shapes and sizes... but many are usually made of just some makeshift tin slopped together barely enough for a roof. You never can really tell what kind of neighborhood you're in here... so we decided to carefully find a better way home, esp as our butts aches from the hard seats of a long trip.
Oddly enough, Lucy and I are temporarily splitting ways as I take the train because of my sleeping/health issues as well as safety concerns, and she prefers to take the more backpacker route. Although I'm a bit jealous her entire ticket all the way to Hannoi is cheaper than just mine to Hoyan, I know I will rest even better with overall peice of mind. Meeting up the next day should be interesting, esp in our half awake grumpy states.

In Nha-Trang

Nha-trang has been alright...

We went on a boat tour today... that of course doesn't compare to Thailand as we suspected.... but was different enough in some funny ways that kept us entertained. For example-- the floating wine bar that we had to swim to in the rain.

Tonight I also had a very strange and unwelcome experience at a massage parlor. But I suppose that was all in due time after having been to so many during my stay. Maybe uncomfortably undesired, but still an experience I will probably never forget! Let's just say that I don't think I will be getting a massage in Vietnam ever again =)

We leave for Hoian next.

Health Tidbit

I just got off an overnight bus 6:30am from Saigon last night arriving here in Nha Trang. I really am opposed to overnight tranportation with all the assoicated sleep deprivation. Unless emergent, I really don't think its ever worth it. So you travel all night supposedly saving a day's worth of time.. but in reality your whole following day is shot, as well as the next couple days of repair. I've been feeling a bit of pressure the last few times to do it, to stay with the group. But after last night, and all the stress/frustration/worry-- I've decided I'm just not going to do it anymore! I really have to watch out for my health these days being so much more fragile than normal. ANd its hard because the people around you don't really seem to understand (even myself sometimes) because it does feel wimpy and un-roughing it... but I really just need to take care for my body here. I've always been an avid sleep nazi.. but now more than ever. Particularly worse is that my already ongoing issues actually get noticeabley more painful the day after. I had to make it perfectly clear to Lucy this morning that I would no longer be doing any trips like this whatever the circumstances... there will be absolutely no comprimise on my health here anymore. It's really odd to me that people will do this kind of trip to save time, yet sleep almost the whole rest of the day... either that or be zombies... you've saved nothing in the end.. at the cost of your health... however small or large of an affect it is for varying people.

Some things never change!

So although Vietnam is very different in so many ways… esp good ways, there are some definite funny things that pretty much stay consistent across the SE Asian penninsulas here.
Tuk tuk drivers, and their scam prices (got ripped off by a taxi driver for our first time from the dreaded meter on crack- as our friend calls it) One of the rigged meteres that jumps up wayyyy too fast. That was pretty annoying.. again more an insult to the well-traveled instincts we supposedly claim.
The walking shopping mall- as I call it. When you just want to simply sit alone and take in the beautiful views.. but instead there's a hoard of fakely friendly people walking by constantly trying to sell you something.

An evidential success!

Lucy and I were both sooo excited today because as we were visiting the orphanage again today, a stranger walked up! Yes, it really was someone that had seen our flier! We immediately made friends... and will be meeting later tonight after hanging out with the kids. Zach (his name)is also an extended traveler, so maybe we'll even have a new travle partner.

I also was excited because both the store managers I tried to recruit for donations seemed open-minded to my ideas. They will be speaking with their bosses today and hope to have a more concrete answer by tomorrow. We will be gone on a bus to Saigon tomorrow, but I already got the orphanage directors in the loop and I hope they can work on something feasible!

Vietnam!

Vietnam has exceeded both Lucy and my expectations. It is clean, fun, and most of all- friendly! We have been meeting so many people, foreign and local.
They drive on the right side of the road here.. so in some ways its been easier.. but its also been hard to get used to again. The name of their currency is a bit fun/funny... as I can't help but laugh everytime Lucy exclaims "I really need to get some dong."
Other things that are different-- Thousands and thousands of motorbikes everywhere.. its like a sea of moving heads. The beaches so far don't compare to Thailand.. but they're still nice.
Other odd tidbits:
Baby chairs and tables to eat. Seems to be the norm for most locals.. beats their normal squatting. It had to have started as just another cheap short cut.. money and efficiency for moving around. Quite a funny sight though.. we've only gotten stuck on them a few times.
Reading this amazing book called "When heaven and earth Changed places." As they not only copy fake DVD's and clothes, they also copy books. Today we even saw a fake Ipod.. not even close. I finally broke down and bought fake IPOD speakers though, 8$ later.

Hacked?

Well... my blogspot is all written in Vietnamese at the moment... so I'm not sure what's going to happen to this. I'm assuming its just some kind of automatic converter.. which is mildly annoying.. and hope that it does not sick from now on out. AND moreso, not hacked...? Anywaysss.. got on here to write about the amazing experiences we are having in Vietnam and hopefully post pix if I have time.

So far so good!

A more successful day!

Got up early to go to the orphanage again.. although not as early as I would have liked after having had a tick bite me in the back.... made for a somewhat restless night =)

This time we had something to show upon arrival... no food or money as they would prefer at times.. but a flier! Lucy and I spent a decent amount of time on trying to get it right. And we wanted them to check it and add a few cambodian peices before copying and distributing. They were pretty excited about it, as were we. I figured it would be a much better use of our time trying to promote this place that barely exists even in the eyes of the local cambodians, let alone not even on a map. This way long after our visits, more people can come. And as I explained to the director, even though we may not have a lot of money to give, the ones that follow may! At this stage in our lives, Lucy and I have more to offer from our heart/brain than our wallet. He was very happy and surprisingly understanding/appreciative!

We set off after lunch. Spent the whole day posting fliers and promoting. It was exciting, but at the same time much more tiresome than I think either of us expected. We had to take little AC/pastry breaks every so often to keep our energies up. We worked 'til night-fall... at which point we amazingly reaped some rewards right away! People had already started recogmizing us from the posters and were coming up to ask us about it! It was soooooooo perfrectly great! And more than I could have hoped for. Many people were actually very interested and were so happy to have someone readily deliver all the info to them. I as more than excited to help them along!

Tomorrow is our last day... and will be a little more of the same. However, I plan to dive in and become a little more interactive with my fellow foreign travelers instead of passively hopeing they see a flyer. I also plan on engaging a few of the local grocery marts to donate their leftover foods from the end of the day. I'm not sure how fruitful this may be, but its worth a final shot.

Another Emotional Day

Lucy and I have been increasingly becoming more upset... I won't say depressed, because that's a big word to just throw around. But every day being surrounded by extreme poverty and hopelessness has really just been taking it's toll.

I'm still overwhelmed by how much I'm learning. Not just about society, and culture, and poverty... but about myself. My interests, my reactions, my emotions, my philosophies, my trivialness, the list is endless. After resisting for about an hour, I couldn't help but finally break down in tears from all the suffering. But even selfishly. How could I ever have worried about my issues... even the seemingly bigger ones.. in the face of all this. I just prayed that I would never lose sight of my time in Cambodia.

Making flyers with hopes to have them hanging today. Played and sung and danced with the children until the sweat poured down my face so hard that it literally stung my eyes. I can't remember the last time Í've sweat so hard. Again, they have no electricity, as I continued to remind myself there would be no fans... let alone AC or a building to even put it in.

Another VERY difficult day

So Today.. we woke up early to get an early start on the day so we could volunteer our time at a local orphanage as much as possible. Although we got up very early, it didn't quite go as planned... as it never does.

After much help and sorting out a lot of BS, we finally made it after 5pm. I expected it to be a life-changing experience... I tried tp even expect the worst, but I could have never expected what I saw. Describing it here wouldn't even do it justice but I suppose I have to try... for memory sake and maybe fill in with pictures later?

We know from much experience here in Cambodia that this is an extremely impoverished country.. and we are literally walking wallets as some refer.. and this bothers us so much in so many ways. But we have to keep are spirits up as much as possible. Because Lucy and I aren't in a position in our lives right now to be offerring money. Many people have jobs, but no time. We don't have paying jobs, and a lot of time... so that is what we have to offer.. and we cannot feel bad about that.
Even though they really really just need so much, it kills us.

So many kids are sick, there is little to no electricity, barely a roof over their head (and what I mean by barely.. is that yes, there is one, but it is makde of makeshift tins with many holes for the rain to make life miserable ALWAYS). A 15-yr old basically runs the place, and a few cambodian volunteers help where they can. They have NO government funding. After taking a tour of the place, and seeing and learning and hearing about all the endless issues they have and things they need.. I was a bit overwhelmed. I had to take a few steps back to really ground myself.. as there was nothing super immediate Lucy or I could do to really help this place in the few days we have. I aksed them to start prioritizing their problems for me so I could start with the most important, and see there was anything I could do there.. and if not, we could move onto the 2nd one. Unfortunately, as i sort have suspected at that point-- their number one problem was shortage of food. They want us to buy them food at the local store... but with much time and explanation through broken English... I tried to help them understand that is not what we were here for. That's not to say we can't mooch up some money to buy them food... but that of course, we could.. but that only helps them for a few days.. whle we are here. Give a man a fish today, and he will still starve tomorrow. No, I know I cannot teach these people to fish necessarily so they can live tomorrow... but there HAS to be something we can do in the way of sustenance... because my 100 bannanas I could buy are just not going to do it for them. This whole thing has been an extremely troublesome and difficult thing to go through, and my stomach has literally been in knots for days now. I have some ideas, but I'm not super sure... I asked them for help in brainstorming.. but they just can't seem to understand the concept or the English.. I dont know.
My first idea was to create flyers with all the info necessary to attracting and helping those people/tourists here who can continue to help. Because after us, that's it. So if we can continue the chain of people, that would be so much more effective than that time volunteered for an hour teaching English.
The only other idea I had after having discussed with them, was to try and contact some farms. There are many many more poor farms here than rich ones, but I know and hope that there has to be at least SOME richer ones.. that we could setup small regular donations from. I just don't know where to begin with that one, and no one seems to be able to help. The third idea, was in addition to the flyers we print and hang in as many guesthouses as we can, we can go downtown to the partial tourist district and hand them out to people in person marketing and hopefully use our charm and skills to inform and inspire others to help continue our mission of helping.
I'm really overwhelmed right now, so I'm probably not thinking as clearly as I can.. so hopefully tomorrow I'll be able to come up with a few more better things. IN the meantime with so limited of time, I'm trying not to spend too much time planning (as I know this is an essential part to efficiency and maximizing the help we can offer) because I have a tendency to get so caught up in the planning and leave not enough time for the doing. So I have realized that sometimes i just have to force myself off the boat into the water prematurely to get things done at the cost of maybe the best solution. Time management I suppose is one of those things you have to work on your whole life.

Lucy and I have to also concern ourselves with safety... as this being such a poor country and in such a poor part of town, people are in dire straights. So although I can understand their needs to rob and do other horrible things, we have to do our very best to steer clear of this. We had a tuk tuk drop us off and pick us up, but when we were dropped off.. we literally did not understand where to go... it looked like a garbage dump (not joking) it was very unclear as there was no real building in site. As we got closer there was a signpost with the name of the orphanage. But what we found as we got closer and swollowed my instincts of fear of where we were, was a bunch of makeshift buildings in the ghetto.

These next few days are going to be very trialing, and one of the many challenges I will be facing alone, is keeping my stress levels within reason. Because although Lucy and I spent the hour an a half in very different ways for our first visit, we both walked away with very intense emotions and entirely overwhelmed.

CATCHUP:

Whole Month of August

I had the luxurious and wonderful and once in a lifetime opportunity to fly my bf out to see me and backpack with for a whole month! I say once in a lifetime.. because it will be rare that he or I ever share such a long segment of free time in our young lives together as he has finally finished and graduated from Law school, taken the bar exam, and just getting ready to become a real lawyer!!! It’s all so crazy.
We kept our own personal journal offline, but in short, we begun our journeys in Ko Tao where we both had adventures of getting there to share already. Ko Tao ironically ended up being our favorite place together… so much for saving the best for last. We island hopped our way to Ko Phangan (party central). Too bad I was a bit too sick to enjoy most of this, but we still managed. Then we boated back to mainland where I call my Thai birthplace, Suratthani (the place I first started my life in Thailand working and living)… so even as touristic lacking it may be, it has a lot of special memories I wanted to share. (My favorite coffee shop, my favorite massage parlor, eateries, and where I had to relearn the basics of such things as crossing the street, avoiding rabid dogs, and covering my shoulders). From Surat, we bussed our way down to my favorite place in all of Thailand—Krabi. Particularly, Reiley, for its majestic mountain peaks tearing out of the water, and caves, and mystifying beaches. We took a ferry from there to the famous/infamous Tsunami disaster zone- Ko Phi Phi. Still a very beautiful island in some respects. From Ko P P to Phuket, and Phuket back to the islands of Ko Samui to meet back up with my cousin and continue the rest the trip together North. Starting with a retched night train up to Bangkok with a day layover and the next night train up into Chang Mai (Northern exotic farmlands, and home of GOOODD coffee). After being shopped out there… back down to Bangkok with an even MORE retched night train but this time with no bunks! In our crappy seats we froze to death from an over abundant AC, into more mega shopping in Bangkok.. all highly unnecessary. But as we all found out, outside of the seedy nightlife—Bangkok really doesn’t have a whole lot more to offer.

The only reason to come to this scary place....

Sept 6- Ankor Wat! Wow

This place is incredible… as it is pretty much the stand alone reason why Cambodia is even on the tourist map.. And you pay the tourist prices to see it- yikes! As per lonely planet, seeing this in one day is a crime—so we opted for the 3day pass. Yes, you need a week to barely see most of it… but at the same time after only three’ish (haflish overheated/overexhausted) days, Lucy and I are both temple’d out! Big time.
I don’t really know how to describe it other than just incredible landscapes of ruins of what were once considered the most amazing temples of the world.

Sept 7-
Lucy had this great idea to bicycle around. So we rented bikes for a wopping 1.50usd for the day.. and had an incredible bike ride. I was loving her idea until I fell ill… really ill from the worst form of heat exhaustion I;ve ever had… I didn’t even know if I was going to make it back in one piece. I guess I didn’t really know what heat exhaustion was. Now I really do. Somehow its possible to get wayyy hotter than Thailand. And we were just not used to it. Thankfully a little rest, some AC, and my daily 6$ massage and hour later… I was sorta back on my feet. Just enough to go back for another massage… ha ha ha…Lucy says I’m excessive. Today maybe only. But I’ve found something I love so much and it costs so little that it would be a shame to not take advantage of such a good thing. Everyone has their little spluges.. this ones mine. Fortunately I had the opportunity to visit “Seeing Hands” a massage parlor that consists of only the skilled blind. It’s a great way to give to a huge community here in need, AND a great massage as its such a refined sense for them.

Sept 8-
The day we truly became temple’d out! We actually got our butts up at 4:30am… whew to do the mother of all temples at sunrise. It was worth it for sure… but it definitely made for only a half day. We were home and pooped out by the time for an early lunch at the ONLY seemingly real AC café in town.


To say that this was the only reason to come to this scary place isn't all that entirely true. As there is a serious serious history to be learned here, in so many ways, for past present and future. It's come a long a way, but it still has a longgg way to go.


Up Next: Another 5hr bus ride from hell the to capitol: Pnom Phen. With 3 days, just enough time to get our Vietnam visas and see where all the craziness went down. Cambodia has already significantly changed me for life, and I have a strong feeling this next stop will more so in ways I'll wish I could forget.

Cambodia, whoa

Whoa! (Sept 4th)

I guess I knew this was a 3rd world country, and I knew it was going to be a bit scary, and I dind't know what to expect... but whoa.. it still was beyond what both Lucy and I could have imagined. Scary? Yes.

We even knew about the scam bus, and we USUally have our wits about us... but somehow got suckered in like the rest. Its a really soar subject and neither of us like to bring it up anymore because not only did we lose a LOT of money, we also lost a lot of pride in our stupidity after being such seasoned travelers now. So it rests here.

It is crazy dirty here... and we have forgotten what it's like to be out of our comfort zone having lived in Thailand so long and accustomed.

Dust everywhere, beggers, cripples from mines, orphan children running rampant, the american dollar-- I think quite possibly the only other country that uses the american dollar as their currency. How unusually annoying... as we don't even carry that anymore. And more so-- they barely except their own currency-- the riel-- of which we have a whole crapload now for an extremely poor exchange rate.. major bummer. As we were told at the border there were no ATMS and they would not accept Thai baht in country... a total scam. Along with the fact that they took 1300baht for an only 20usd visa requirement. They stole money from us left and right. Now we feel a bit at a loss as our accounts are drying up and we have less money to give to the actual people who need it here... the destitude poor.

We finally nestled our way into another place after fighting with our busdrivers and hotel people that dropped us off conveniently at their payoff hotel just far enough to not walk elsewhere. Lucy and I planned not to be out at night in this country... but we've ended up there a few times more than liking, albeit safely, but after dark.

Sept 5- Spent the day just trying to get our barings. Cambodia is more expensive than budgeted.. as we were very used to living like locals in THailand... now we're having to play the tourist game much more than desired.

I'm Back! ...from outer space

And now I'm back..from outer space, I just walked into find this here with its sad look upon its face!

So, yeah... its been a loonnnggg longgg time... of which I hope with the most idealistic dreams to recover, but for now just keep up with the presence.. oh,say, maybe at least once a month from now on?

The problems is somewhat classic... you get so backlogged that the burden becomes greater and greater... to the point where the mere thought of trying to catch up is frightening.. to the point that the guilt overwhelms you, and you just decide to stop thinking about writing altogether.

Now I have found that there are just tooo many amazing things going in and out and on in my life, that I forget and lost sight of just too much of what I've gained. I sent my physical jounrnal home along with my computer, and now have found that to be a bit of a mistake. Good thing in some ways though, because here I am again TRYing to write. I intend to just keep this for myself as a personal journal and to stop trying so hard to update it with picutres that can be a gruesome task from 3rd world countries and ultimately leads to no updates at all.

LETS start with Cambodia...