Yet again this trip highlights another major event of which I know very little. Much of our trip to Thailand was altered as a result of a protest planned against the Thai government in downtown Bangkok Sunday, March 14. This protest is still continuing today, and the U.S. media are paying more attention to it. The New York Times ran an article about the ongoing protests April 12.
But thanks to Jeff Rexeisen, managing director of Legends of Siam Tour Co, and Tuk, our tour guide, we were still able to see many of the tourist attractions in Bangkok.
Our day began with a visit to Wat Phra Kaew, a Buddhist temple. The demon in Thai culture has a favorable connotation. The Thais believe demons keep away the evil spirits. It also has a model of Angkor Wat, which demonstrated the stark contrasts between Thai temples and Khmer temples. Next, we saw the Royal Grand Palace where we saw the changing of the guard.
Wat Po, another Buddhist temple, was our next stop. It is home to the Reclining Buddha, which is 46 meters long and 15 meters high. Also, it is considered Thailand's first University. Students still study traditional Thai massage here. I had one from one of the students later that afternoon.
Next, we took a boat tour along the Chao Phraya river. The shoreline is one of the few places in Bangkok where the rich and poor live together. We saw a traditional Thai house.
Finally, our day concluded with dinner at Cabbages and Condoms, a restaurant operated by the Population and Community Development Association, a Thai NGO that supports the use of condoms for family planning and the prevention of AIDS. The decor of the restaurant was quite entertaining with many of the decorations made of condoms. The food was delicious, and I appreciated the fact that we were supporting such a great cause.
Monday, April 12, 2010
Day 7 Siem Reap
Today is our last day in Cambodia, and I am quite sad to leave this country for it has affected me in so many ways. Yesterday, we visited one of the killing fields where as many as 200, 000 people were executed by the Khmer Rouge (KR), and close to 2 million people died as a result of the KR's policies. What's even more shocking is that the perpetrators of this violence have not been brought to justice. No one has been punished for these horrific crimes. I am ashamed to admit that I still know very little about these tragic events, but I found this article from CBS news helpful in understanding a little bit more about what I saw. But I believe more must be done to ensure everyone, Cambodians and others, understands what happened, so these horrible events will not be repeated.
Bunthin, our tour guide, was gracious enough to share with us his personal story and showed us some of his scars. It was incredibly moving to hear his story.
Bunthin, our tour guide, was gracious enough to share with us his personal story and showed us some of his scars. It was incredibly moving to hear his story.
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Day 6 Siem Reap
The poverty in Cambodia is unlike anything I have ever seen, and it does not exist in this country. We took a boat ride on the Great Tonle Sap lake to a "floating village." These villages move along the shore depending on the water level in the lake, which is dramatically different depending on the season. When our boat docked at the Floating Village, we were surrounded by small canoe-like boats filled with women and children. Barely clothed and hungry, these people begged us for a dollar. I asked my professor if it was ok to give them a few dollars. He said we could, but he did not recommend it. He said many of the people who lived in the village were here illegally and by giving them money we were encouraging their way of life. Also, he said we couldn't be sure they would be able to use the money. Often times, women and children are beaten up by men for the money they collect. His suggestion was to make a donation to the International Red Cross or another NGO instead.
Exposure to this level of destitution changed my whole approach when it came to bargaining with merchants in the markets. In China, it was all about getting the best deal, and you would be looked down upon if you did not haggle over even a dollar. After seeing the difference a dollar makes in Cambodia, I no longer haggled over a few dollars. It means much more to them than it ever will to me.
But visiting Artisans d'Angkor gave me hope. It is a residential school that teaches young Cambodians the traditional Khmer handicrafts including silver plating, silk weaving and painting, and wood and stone carving. The students are often from rural areas and have little formal education, so the school teaches them a skill that they can use in their home villages to find a job. I bought a beautiful blue and green silk wallet from the shop on the school's campus.
Exposure to this level of destitution changed my whole approach when it came to bargaining with merchants in the markets. In China, it was all about getting the best deal, and you would be looked down upon if you did not haggle over even a dollar. After seeing the difference a dollar makes in Cambodia, I no longer haggled over a few dollars. It means much more to them than it ever will to me.
But visiting Artisans d'Angkor gave me hope. It is a residential school that teaches young Cambodians the traditional Khmer handicrafts including silver plating, silk weaving and painting, and wood and stone carving. The students are often from rural areas and have little formal education, so the school teaches them a skill that they can use in their home villages to find a job. I bought a beautiful blue and green silk wallet from the shop on the school's campus.
Day 5 Siem Reap
Our first day in Cambodia involved touring Angkor Wat, the most famous temple of the Khmer temple complex of Angkor. It was absolutely breathtaking. It is so different from many of the temples I saw in China, but still beautiful. Since it is still an active religious site, girls were required to wear pants. First it was a Hindu temple dedicated to Vishnu, but now it is a Buddhist temple.
Visiting ancient sites always makes me marvel at how people were able to create such amazing structures without the use of modern equipment. I often wonder if anything we've created in modern times will withstand the test of time like the Angkor temples.
After Angkor Wat, we visited another temple, but I never caught the name. To me, it will be the elephant temple because it's where I had an opportunity to ride an elephant. The temple sits atop a small mountain. We hiked up the mountain, then climbed up a steep stair case to the top of the temple. It was at the base of the temple where I got up close and personal with an elephant. They are truly majestic creatures. Katie and I decided to ride the elephant down the mountain, and the experience was priceless. We encountered an elephant traffic jam, and I was a little nervous wondering how four elephants would navigate the narrow path. But we made it down safely.
I tried to ask our driver how they trained the elephants, but he did not speak enough English to be able to tell me. He did tell me our elephant's name, and I was anxious to ask our tour guide what it meant. He laughed and informed me the elephant's name did not have any significance. It was like Fido in English.
The day concluded with dinner and a traditional Khmer cultural dance performance. I really enjoyed the costumes.
Visiting ancient sites always makes me marvel at how people were able to create such amazing structures without the use of modern equipment. I often wonder if anything we've created in modern times will withstand the test of time like the Angkor temples.
After Angkor Wat, we visited another temple, but I never caught the name. To me, it will be the elephant temple because it's where I had an opportunity to ride an elephant. The temple sits atop a small mountain. We hiked up the mountain, then climbed up a steep stair case to the top of the temple. It was at the base of the temple where I got up close and personal with an elephant. They are truly majestic creatures. Katie and I decided to ride the elephant down the mountain, and the experience was priceless. We encountered an elephant traffic jam, and I was a little nervous wondering how four elephants would navigate the narrow path. But we made it down safely.
I tried to ask our driver how they trained the elephants, but he did not speak enough English to be able to tell me. He did tell me our elephant's name, and I was anxious to ask our tour guide what it meant. He laughed and informed me the elephant's name did not have any significance. It was like Fido in English.
The day concluded with dinner and a traditional Khmer cultural dance performance. I really enjoyed the costumes.
Saturday, March 13, 2010
I'm still here
Just a quick note to let you know I'm still here. Our days have been incredibly full, and Internet access was limited in Cambodia. Today is my last full day in Southeast Asia. Much of our trip to Thailand has been altered due to the protests occurring in Bangkok.
I will post entries for all the days I've missed once I'm back in the States.
I will post entries for all the days I've missed once I'm back in the States.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Day 4 Vung Tau
Today we took the hydrofoil from Saigon to Vung Tau, a seaside town about 70 miles from Saigon. Before relaxing on the beach, we hiked to the top of Mount Nho to see Christ of Vung Tau, a statue inspired by Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
After hiking to the top of the mountain, we learned that you could also hike to the top of the statue. Unfortunately, I and most of the other girls on the trip were not allowed to because we were not dressed properly since our shoulders were exposed. The area around the statue is filled with benches donated by people from around the world. I found one donated by someone from North Carolina. Despite not being able to go up in the statue, the view from the top of the mountain was still quite impressive.
The beach was beautiful, but I was surprised at the amount of trash on the beach. It was a nice change of pace to spend a few hours soaking up the sun. It's also neat to say I've swam in the South China Sea.
After hiking to the top of the mountain, we learned that you could also hike to the top of the statue. Unfortunately, I and most of the other girls on the trip were not allowed to because we were not dressed properly since our shoulders were exposed. The area around the statue is filled with benches donated by people from around the world. I found one donated by someone from North Carolina. Despite not being able to go up in the statue, the view from the top of the mountain was still quite impressive.
The beach was beautiful, but I was surprised at the amount of trash on the beach. It was a nice change of pace to spend a few hours soaking up the sun. It's also neat to say I've swam in the South China Sea.
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Day 3 Ho Chi Minh City
Just another day at the "office" in Vietnam. We visited the Loyola University Chicago Center and met with the founder and CEO of Vinamit, a dried fruit company. He spoke to us about how he created a private business in a Communist country. What struck me most about his story was how he is "living the American dream." His parents were in the lowest group, so he saved money to be educated in Taiwan. After finishing school, he returned to Vietnam and built his business from the ground up.
What is amazing to me is that he practically demands the freedom to run his business in any manner he chooses, but he seems content to not have the same freedoms when it comes to government. Having grown up in the United States, it is hard for me to separate the two.
I enjoyed learning more about the Fulbright Economics Teaching Program (FETP) at the Harvard Fulbright Center. It was established in 1994 by a group of U.S. senators who are also veterans to teach market economics to the Vietnamese. The Center began offering a master's degree in public policy in 2008. I was surprised to learn FETP has open courseware. All faculty post their materials on the web, giving other schools in Vietnam access to the materials and the curriculum. This is possible because FETP negotiated complete autonomy from the government, but in return FETP must be completely transparent.
Each class for the master's program has 65 students, and about 55 students graduate. Admission is quite competitive, but preference is given to those working in the public sector. Tuition is $20,000 per year, and all students are on scholarship and receive a monthly stipend.
Our last visit of the day was to Saigon South, which is a mixed-use planned community. It some ways it felt like Las Vegas, and it definitely reminded me why I'm not a fan. The presentation reminded me of something you might hear if you agree to consider a "time share."
Tomorrow we head to the beach for the day. It's a tough job I know, but someone's got to do it.
What is amazing to me is that he practically demands the freedom to run his business in any manner he chooses, but he seems content to not have the same freedoms when it comes to government. Having grown up in the United States, it is hard for me to separate the two.
I enjoyed learning more about the Fulbright Economics Teaching Program (FETP) at the Harvard Fulbright Center. It was established in 1994 by a group of U.S. senators who are also veterans to teach market economics to the Vietnamese. The Center began offering a master's degree in public policy in 2008. I was surprised to learn FETP has open courseware. All faculty post their materials on the web, giving other schools in Vietnam access to the materials and the curriculum. This is possible because FETP negotiated complete autonomy from the government, but in return FETP must be completely transparent.
Each class for the master's program has 65 students, and about 55 students graduate. Admission is quite competitive, but preference is given to those working in the public sector. Tuition is $20,000 per year, and all students are on scholarship and receive a monthly stipend.
Our last visit of the day was to Saigon South, which is a mixed-use planned community. It some ways it felt like Las Vegas, and it definitely reminded me why I'm not a fan. The presentation reminded me of something you might hear if you agree to consider a "time share."
Tomorrow we head to the beach for the day. It's a tough job I know, but someone's got to do it.
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