Dreaming

It was only a few months back that I would get this recurring feeling every once in a while. It'd often be while I was on a bus, or in a taxi or tuk-tuk. My mind would be wandering, thinking of any number of things, and as my eyes blinked closed for a fraction of a second, and then opened back up, I would get the feeling that I had just woken up, and immediately wondered how much of what I previously experienced was really just a dream. Was it just the last few thoughts, or has my whole trip been a dream? I was always very quickly able to realize that it wasn't a dream, and I really have been traveling the last 6 months all over Asia. But with my dreams feeling so realistic every night, I didn't think it impossible for me to suddenly wake up one day to realize this had all been one of my vivid and complex dreams - one I would remember only in the instant I woke up, with its memories fading as the day went on, ending as the vague memory of "that dream I had where I traveled all over the world." Well, so far, while it is a dream, it's also a reality. And one that won't turn into a vague memory anytime soon...

Back in Bangkok

Four nights in Bangkok were fortunately enough to mentally prepare myself for my triumphant return to India. I've been waiting for this day for a long time, but it's going to be a readjustment nonetheless after being in SE Asia for 3 months.

With my friend Liat who I originally met in India, and reunited with here in Bangkok, we spent our days here seeing parts of the city we hadn't seen previously. We walked around the city and saw the Golden Mount and temples. We checked out the party seen at the RCA the night before Halloween, and spent Halloween night with some friends on Silom Soi 4, a nice change of pace from the largely foreign and un-costumed crowds on the Khao San Road. We saw a movie in the VIP section of the MBK, which was quite swanky, and walked to the pier last night to see the festivities for the Loy Krathong Festival.

And now I'm only a few hours away from my flight back to India. I'm a little nervous, as I'm landing in Kulkata, a city I've never been to. But it's exactly these kinds of experiences that make me appreciate traveling alone and taking on these new adventures, with nobody else to rely on (not even a guidebook).

Cambodia's Kids

With more than 6 months of this trip behind me, I'm still eternally grateful that I'm able to find something new and amazing every single day of my travels. But not until my time in Cambodia was I truly shaken to the core with emotions that I hadn't the slightest sense I would get to experience, which came in the truly rewarding feelings I felt while volunteering and doing some good in a place that truly needed it. In Siem Reap, with a few friends I met, we took a trip one day to an English school the guys had heard about. I will keep the description as short as I can, as we are in the process of building a proper website for this cause as soon as we arrive at home and have the time and resources to do so. And I am not writing this to try to gather donations from any readers. I will be doing that when I get home and the website is built so I can do it more effectively.

The founder of the School For Children of Cambodia (SCC) is Mr. Ross. Since the early 90's, he has been building schools from the ground up and educating (with the help of volunteers) local children whose families cannot afford to send them to public school. When the children reach the sufficient level of education to pass their exams, and enough donations are collected to build the appropriate school environment, Mr. Ross hands the school over to the government to be run as a free public school for the children. It is an amazing and self-less cause, and I was immediately awe-struck when I saw how much good this man was doing for his country, asking for nothing in return. Along with the half-dozen orphans he cares for, local school kids arrive at his house in the late afternoon everyday to receive supplemental English lessons. This is where I spent everyday since my first there, alternating between playing with the kids, teaching their English classes (which was made easier because the kids were all so eager to learn), and building desks and chairs for them. Unfortunately, there's no Ikea in Cambodia, so it was a matter of using raw materials and rudimentary, dull, and rusted tools. But the jobs got done, and with a very kind and generous donation from my family we were able to build more desks and purchase more supplies for the classrooms.

In a country that is constantly ranked as one of the most corrupt in the world, it is rare to find people and causes that can be said without a doubt are trying to change things for the better, without putting anything in their own pockets. Even the 'high-and-mighty' NGOs are not without dirty hands. But this cause is one of those diamonds in the rough, and I believe that with work like this, Cambodia will eventually change and reach its true potential. It may take up to two generations for this dream to be realized, but I am hopeful, and determined to be a part of that positive change.

Alright enough ranting about 'the cause' and get to what this blog is really about; my adventures and experiences around the world. My two weeks in Siem Reap were spent at, and bicycling between, the very quintessential backpacker guesthouse (The Garden Village), Mr. Ross' English School, and Pub Street. I met countless other travelers, some just passing through, and many who were also volunteering their time for various organizations in and around Siem Reap. I had low expectations for Cambodia, thinking that I wouldn't spend more than a few days there to see the major tourist attractions. At the end of two weeks, I was very sad to leave, but knew that with the limited time I had left I needed to move on. But my work is not finished, and I have been hatching plans on a daily basis to make as big of an impact as I can utilizing my most valuable skills (teaching English not being one of them).

I think the combination of traveling alone, and having low expectations for both Vietnam and Cambodia, ensured that I would see these countries in a different light than most of my friends previously had, and developed what I expect to be a life-long connection, as well as memories that will be reshaped and refined as I visit these countries again in the future.