The Genetics: Picking Pandas For Breeding
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Eclectic Day in Phnom Penh
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text letter_spacing=””] Our last full day in Phnom Penh was a day mixed with equal amounts of both learning more about the program SSTS partners with that hosts us in Cambodia, and experiencing and supporting Cambodia’s culture through the Russian Market (AKA the blank Market). Following that we reflected upon the different tenants that SSTS…
Finding Focus Through The Cultural Lens
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text letter_spacing=””] Today was our second day in Phnom Penh and everyone seems to be doing well! Our biggest problem is definitely adjusting to the sleep schedule here because day here is night back home. The food has all been great, and I’ve had French toast for breakfast for the second day in a row. It’s…
The First Few Days into the Adventure
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text letter_spacing=””]Hello Friends and Family, I was very anxious a few days before the trip began, and I’m sure I was not alone! However, after meeting all the girls, those nerves quickly began to fade. We have all been able to connect and laugh together, and I can already tell it will be a great…
Arrived in Chengdu
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text letter_spacing=””]All nine of us, including Luke, Chelsey, Julia, Ainsley, Alexa, Henry, Eva, Kevin, and Nikki, made it to China! Despite our luggage being fashionably late, we had a great afternoon, starting with a delicious, Chinese lunch – a great way to start the course. After some downtime, we regained enough energy to get us…
July 2
Today was our second day of working on our project here at the island. We started the day off right with a little change in our diet this morning, eating noodles instead of rice. We then headed back to our work sites and quickly started where we had left off. Our two groups came together…
July 1
Today was a day of firsts including our first morning waking up in our homestay. Our alarm clock has taken on a new sound of roosters, cows and early rising villagers. We gathered as a group to share a breakfast of rice and eggs to prepare for our first day of work. Not to worry,…
Day 10
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text letter_spacing=””]Today was triumphant for us. For the last few days, we had been working hard on the eco-waste bin, but today we accomplished so much on the project! We did have a small setback the day prior due to weather, but I am truly proud to say that everyone stepped up to the plate and…
Day 9
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text letter_spacing=””]After finishing breakfast, we headed to the worksite to continue the project. We filtered sand and gravel, mixed cement, and moved bricks. From here, we finally saw some structure build up. After about four hours of work, we headed back down to the homestay for lunch. I think this was the point where we…
Chapter 2: The Tough Stuff
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text letter_spacing=””] So after kind of drying, we were never dry due to the like 100% humidity, the work got intense. We walked back to the beach again, a “trail” that we became all too familiar with to transport the filters and sand. After an hour walk down we loaded these filters into wheelbarrows and…
Following Your Heart
I am currently writing this while watching the people of Kenya laughing and playing soccer with the Americans. The simplicity here is so very happy, and I have loved every moment of this journey. Earlier today was session two of the New Generation Leadership conference. During the session this morning, we talked about the things…
Snowing Wool
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text letter_spacing=””]Starting off the day, we traveled to a few monasteries, Lhamo Tse and Dotje Drek, that were close to the hotel in which we spent the night. These monasteries were incredibly interesting, but I’d like to take a moment to describe one moment in particular. As we left our first monastery, sheep wool that monks…
Kwanza
Kwanza: (noun) beginnings; firsts Today was full of kwanza. It was the first official day of work at Tiriji. Some re-planted onions, and others created new beds for potatoes. Meanwhile, Stratford and I experienced kwanza ourselves. I used a machete for the first time to cut down tall grass to feed the goats. After spending…
Gateway to Tibet
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text letter_spacing=””]As we got ready to leave Chengdu, I felt excitement for the inevitable beauty of Tibet, leaving for Kangding. Before we left the hostel, the reception lady at the front desk asked shyly for a picture with me and called me beautiful. I can remember both of our grins as we laughed and called…
S-21
Today we went to a special museum called the S-21 prison museum. The museum was an old high school that was turned into a prison/torture area when the Khmer Rouge took over Cambodia. The museum was truly eye-opening, showing all of us the horrible things that the Khmer Rouge did to innocent people, people that…
Learning to be content (please see itinerary change)
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text letter_spacing=””]It is the third day of homestay. The day started with a well-prepared breakfast. Acknowledging that we’re not used to the Napoli food, our homestay sister made us homemade fries for dinner last night and this morning’s breakfast. We are very glad that our homestay sister speaks fluent English – no language barriers. Nikki brought…
Only in Chengdu
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text letter_spacing=””]Today we went to the Panda sanctuary in Chengdu. I was incredibly excited to see the Pandas, having never seen one before. We were amazed by the creatures and spent a long time walking around the park. The park was also a chance for us to experience the culture and these particular people of…
Even I
Imagine finding kids in a garbage dump searching for anything to sell and to eat. Today we visited a program called Pour un Sourir d’enfant (PSE) which was created to help the children who were put into this tragic situation. PSE was started by a couple, whom the students now call “Mami” and “Papi”. Mami…
Dear 2016 Cambodia Crew
Dear Cambodia 2016 Crew, It’s about 5:20 AM on our last day in Siem Reap and I couldn’t sleep anymore, so as I lay in bed listening roosters do battle (there are just as many here as on the island, but the concrete walls keep all but a hint of the sound out — thank…
Namo Buddha
Editor’s note: This insightful and refreshing reflection was somehow “misplace” in technology. As you read, you’ll understand that its quality makes up for its late post. Even though we only spent a day at Namo Buddha, what I experienced in that short amount of time was different from anything I have ever seen. When we…
From the Trek
The shaman spoke Quechua and called upon countless apus to protect us. He gave us each three coca leaves so that we could make the intentions of our journeys known to the apus. We then buried the leaves, giving them to Pachamama, or “Mother Earth.”
Island Culture
Today was a great day due to the fact that we were able to go to the Buddhist temple. We were able to participate with the villagers and provide food to the monks there. After this, we were then blessed by the monks. They got a bucket of water and splashed us all as a…
Yesterday
. . . we were mostly on the road with a quick stop for a scenic view of the Himalayan Mountain Range. Dinner was at an international restaurant in Ta Gong: yak burgers to get a taste of home. This morning we stopped by a nunnery where Tempa, our guide, explained aspects of Buddhism to…
Finishing the Project
Many of us were feeling a bit under the weather and breakfast seemed rather empty. Today, however, we finally installed the trash cans – 6 total. Digging the holes was extremely hard because of rocks, roots, and even trash in the ground. We even mixed cement on the ground – in the absence of a…
A Day on the Island
Today’s our last day of work. We wake up at four or five. The monsoon season twists the usual crowing into white noise, and the wind calls to us from the other sides of our doors. There is no way to separate the darkness of our closed eyes from the darkness around us. By seven,…
Looking Back
Traveling with a group of people that one may not know is very daunting, especially when we meet to go to the other side of the world. When we first arrived at the airport we played a couple of card games while we waited for the whole group. After everyone made it and finally made…