Posts
Well, I've put my non-Tarantino skills to use yet again and edited a video of Kimsray talking about her past, her present, and her hopes for the future. Visit sendkimsraytocollege.blogspot.com and watch the video! Maybe she'll inspire you to donate!
Travel well,
kat
Like this post? Subscribe for more travel tips, stories, and reviews!
Sunday, July 5, 2009
Boo to the Embassy!
I was so excited for July 4th. Independence Day has always been my favourite holiday and what with being away from home and my impending financial troubles, I was really looking forward to one day of celebrating and feeling at home.
Unfortunately, this was not in the stars.
The day started with an enormous thunderstorm, dashing all of my hopes for fireworks. After surviving the humid drive to the embassy, I was relieved to find that all of my friends were arriving at the same time. We entered through the ridiculous security gates and finally got our first glimpse of the festivities. I immediately knew we were in trouble.
The decorations, somewhere in between patriotic and garish, were only the beginning. Add to that the Cambodian band singing “My Humps” and the vendors selling overpriced food and my friend and I knew we wouldn’t be staying long. We decided to walk around and see what there was to see, but unfortunately, there wasn’t much. A few tables selling “Democrats in Cambodia” t-shirts- which were very cool- and U.S. Embassy hats, caps, and shirts stood on one side. The vendors were on the other. In between there was a bad band and a few tables. That was it. Oh yeah, except for the stage constructed specially for the HOT DOG EATING CONTEST!!! Yes people, the embassy has an annual competition for the biggest glutton in a developing country. You have GOT to be kidding me.
This was more than I could take and Becca and I left pretty quickly. I was so upset! To make ourselves feel better, we walked to the riverfront and went to The Quay/Chow, a fabulously chic hotel, restaurant, and rooftop bar. We had ½ off drinks (Happy Hour extends through the weekends in Cambodia) and yummy appetizers until the rain forced us under cover. As soon as it stopped we moved to Touk, across the street from FCC. The manager is a friend of my roommate’s and I had met her the night before. Touk was so much fun. The pizza is amazing and there was live music by two really cool expats. We hung out with one of them for a bit, he works for the UN and is super nice. He and the manager insisted on telling me a lot of Cambodia horror stories about foreigners getting shot and thrown in to the river or how many moto accidents they’ve been in and how many times they’ve been robbed. Good times. But then the music started again. They played a lot of old classics and by the end of the night I felt much better. At least I had a nice July 4th and met some good people. But boo to the embassy!!
Unfortunately, this was not in the stars.
The day started with an enormous thunderstorm, dashing all of my hopes for fireworks. After surviving the humid drive to the embassy, I was relieved to find that all of my friends were arriving at the same time. We entered through the ridiculous security gates and finally got our first glimpse of the festivities. I immediately knew we were in trouble.
The decorations, somewhere in between patriotic and garish, were only the beginning. Add to that the Cambodian band singing “My Humps” and the vendors selling overpriced food and my friend and I knew we wouldn’t be staying long. We decided to walk around and see what there was to see, but unfortunately, there wasn’t much. A few tables selling “Democrats in Cambodia” t-shirts- which were very cool- and U.S. Embassy hats, caps, and shirts stood on one side. The vendors were on the other. In between there was a bad band and a few tables. That was it. Oh yeah, except for the stage constructed specially for the HOT DOG EATING CONTEST!!! Yes people, the embassy has an annual competition for the biggest glutton in a developing country. You have GOT to be kidding me.
This was more than I could take and Becca and I left pretty quickly. I was so upset! To make ourselves feel better, we walked to the riverfront and went to The Quay/Chow, a fabulously chic hotel, restaurant, and rooftop bar. We had ½ off drinks (Happy Hour extends through the weekends in Cambodia) and yummy appetizers until the rain forced us under cover. As soon as it stopped we moved to Touk, across the street from FCC. The manager is a friend of my roommate’s and I had met her the night before. Touk was so much fun. The pizza is amazing and there was live music by two really cool expats. We hung out with one of them for a bit, he works for the UN and is super nice. He and the manager insisted on telling me a lot of Cambodia horror stories about foreigners getting shot and thrown in to the river or how many moto accidents they’ve been in and how many times they’ve been robbed. Good times. But then the music started again. They played a lot of old classics and by the end of the night I felt much better. At least I had a nice July 4th and met some good people. But boo to the embassy!!
Like this post? Subscribe for more travel tips, stories, and reviews!
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Still Mourning
Okay, I know I should get over it. I definitely have to end my Michaelpalooza at work, but I just can't help it. Every time I think about it I get sad. And then I saw Janet's heartbreaking speech at the BET Awards (the first time that BET has ever done anything not to be embarrassed about) and I started thinking about how awful it would be to lose my brother, especially in such a slow and tragic way, and I got all upset again. I don't know what I would do. I can't imagine recovering from something so devastating. So, this post is for Janet too.
Still mourning,
kat
Still mourning,
kat
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Send Kimsray To College
The reasons that I travel (which I will elucidate for you in due time) largely centers around the people I meet. Even in a place that I hate I am guaranteed to meet at least one person who makes the trip worthwhile. Sometimes, I meet a person who needs help with something that seems too big for that person or even both of us to handle by ourselves. Enter: Kimsray. By now I have told you all about her, that she's smart, hardworking, super sweet, and my Cambodian tour guide. I told you about how we got her a passport and are trying to start studying for the SAT and the TOEFL so she can try to get to college. Wait? Did I tell you that? Oh well, now you know.
Unfortunately, I don't know if you remember applying for college, but it’s expensive. And it’s even more expensive for international students. Not only does Kimsray have to pay for the SAT and TOEFL (at over $100 each) but she also needs study materials, application fees, shipping costs (it cost me $38 to mail six pieces of paper to UNICEF from the states and $11 to mail 15 postcards from Phnom Penh to the US. Imagine how much it will cost to send application materials), internet café, printing, and copying fees (Kimsray doesn’t have a computer), phone cards for interviews, and a host of other fees and costs. And this is before she even finds out if she gets in. Considering that the average annual salary in Cambodia is $290 and that Kimsray’s mother makes $120 as a cook (making her almost well-off by Cambodian standards), how long do you think it would take her to save up enough money?
Unfortunately, I don't know if you remember applying for college, but it’s expensive. And it’s even more expensive for international students. Not only does Kimsray have to pay for the SAT and TOEFL (at over $100 each) but she also needs study materials, application fees, shipping costs (it cost me $38 to mail six pieces of paper to UNICEF from the states and $11 to mail 15 postcards from Phnom Penh to the US. Imagine how much it will cost to send application materials), internet café, printing, and copying fees (Kimsray doesn’t have a computer), phone cards for interviews, and a host of other fees and costs. And this is before she even finds out if she gets in. Considering that the average annual salary in Cambodia is $290 and that Kimsray’s mother makes $120 as a cook (making her almost well-off by Cambodian standards), how long do you think it would take her to save up enough money?
Once Kimsray is accepted, we’re hoping to apply and help her get as many scholarships as possible to pay for the actual schooling. Luckily, American and Canadian universities are pretty phenomenal about helping international students pay for school once they get in, but we have a lot of work to do before we get there.
I know it’s corny, but I really do believe that we can change the world one phenomenal woman at a time and I think Kimsray has the potential to be a positive force for Cambodia and the world. If girls get the educations they need, they will be the ones who make their countries into great nations. It is only once the women in developing countries have the opportunities that they deserve that we can erase the corruption, violence, and poverty that are keeping them down, and finally succeed in making the world just that much better. Kimsray is just one step out of many, but she is a big step, and a step we can all take. Some people may say that helping just one girl in a country struggling as much as Cambodia is like spitting in the wind, but I think it’s more like lighting a fire in a barn house. All you have to do is light one girl with education to watch a whole village burn. Light enough villages and you can set a nation on fire. And with your help, I think we can collect a lot of matches.
I say all of this to say that we need your help. Helping Kimsray get her passport, although totally worth it, was the last straw of a lot of unexpected expenses that have left me unsure of how I will provide for myself for the next two months. It was worth it and I would do it again, but the fact is that I have to recognize my own limitations and I simply cannot help Kimsray by myself. However, I am committed to do everything I can to at least give her a chance to change her life. In that spirit, Kimsray and I have started a blog (soon to be a website once I can figure out some of the technical difficulties) at sendkimsraytocollege.blogspot.com. Please visit the site, read more about what we're trying to do, and if you're moved to help (even just $5 would make a huge difference, that's like 10 hours of internet cafe time!) just click on the link to the PAYPAL account on the left.
We would also love any emails and comments on the site to keep us motivated! Applying to college is going to be hard work for Kimsray. We're going to have to spend every day and weekend in July studying and then she's on her own when I go to Africa. I know it would help her to know that there are people out there who believe in her.
As we accomplish our goals we’ll let you know about it. Of course I'll be writing about it here and Kimsray will even be writing a blog of her own on sendkimsraytocollege.blogspot.com about how the process is going (it will also be good practice for the essay portion of the SAT!). Our goal is for Kimsray to apply this fall to start school the fall of 2010! This is a BIG GOAL but we accomplished big goals all of the time in Teach For America and I have no less faith that we can do so here.
If everyone who reads this donates $5, or more if you're ballin', I know we can make it.
I know this sounds a lot like an infomercial and I'm sorry. I'm just really excited about helping my friend. Please go to sendkimsraytocollege.blogspot.com and help us out just a little bit.
Thanks so much!
Travel well, travel smart, travel with a heart,
kat & kimsray
The Vacation I Didn't Go On (some things are more important than a holiday)
Kimsray and I had a great holiday planned for this weekend. Her 21st birthday was on the 16th and she didn't even have a party! There were no presents or anything and she's so good that she doesn't drink or go out or anything! Typical American girl that I am, I thought this was tragic, and Kimsray wasn't thrilled about it either. So, I thought that we should go on a trip! We have both been dying to go to the Koh Kong Conservation Corridor so I figured this would be the perfect time to venture into the wild and stay at the Rainbow Lodge.
I called Janet, the owner of the lodge, who is absolutely the sweetest person in the world, and made reservations. We even managed to get the day off from work. It was all set.
Meanwhile, Kimsray and I have spent a lot of time discussing her future. Believe me, you'll hear a lot more about this very soon. Kimsray is dying to go to college in the States and I really think she has a good shot. As we've been looking at everything that is required, I found out that she doesn't even have a passport! My passport is the most valuable of all of my possessions. I've had it since birth and I would never go a day without it. I couldn't believe that Kimsray didn't have one. Plus, she has to have it for entrance into exams like the TOEFL, which she needs for college.
Then I found out why she doesn't have one: They cost $139!!!!!
Let me get on my soapbox for a minute. A Cambodian passport costs $139, and yet the average annual salary in Cambodia is $290. That's the equivalent of a US passport costing about $25,000!!! As it is, they only cost about $75 at home. Plus also (as Junie B. Jones would say), Cambodian passports have to be renewed every three years!!! So, even if you could spend the 15 years saving enough money to get a passport and another 20 years saving enough money for a flight, you would have to work for another 25 years to be able to afford to come back and get it renewed again!!! Are you f*ing kidding me??? And Kimsray is lucky because her mother works as a cook and makes $120 a month, positively middle class in Cambodia. So maybe they would only have to not have food and shelter for a month so that Kimsray could get a passport. And then starve for another 10 years to be able to afford the $2,000 plane ticket to the US.
Okay, I'm done. Back to the story.
Kimsray, of course, was totally bummed about the passport thing. So, I told her that she could choose her birthday present, either the trip to Koh Kong for the weekend, or a passport. Being the intelligent woman that she is, she chose a passport.
To tell the truth, I really can't afford either so I would much rather want the money to go to something permanent and useful than a quick holiday.
So, we were all set to hand in the paperwork and get Kimsray a passport when I happened to be discussing the ridiculous cost of passports in Cambodia with my boss. Amazing woman that she is (and this is the reason that I want to work for UNICEF for the rest of my life), without hesitating (and we didn't even think about asking) she gave us money for almost half of the passport!!!
So now, in a month Kimsray will have her passport! She'll be one step closer to college, and I'll be one weekend trip shorter for a good cause.
Life is good. And my boss is amazing.
I called Janet, the owner of the lodge, who is absolutely the sweetest person in the world, and made reservations. We even managed to get the day off from work. It was all set.
Meanwhile, Kimsray and I have spent a lot of time discussing her future. Believe me, you'll hear a lot more about this very soon. Kimsray is dying to go to college in the States and I really think she has a good shot. As we've been looking at everything that is required, I found out that she doesn't even have a passport! My passport is the most valuable of all of my possessions. I've had it since birth and I would never go a day without it. I couldn't believe that Kimsray didn't have one. Plus, she has to have it for entrance into exams like the TOEFL, which she needs for college.
Then I found out why she doesn't have one: They cost $139!!!!!
Let me get on my soapbox for a minute. A Cambodian passport costs $139, and yet the average annual salary in Cambodia is $290. That's the equivalent of a US passport costing about $25,000!!! As it is, they only cost about $75 at home. Plus also (as Junie B. Jones would say), Cambodian passports have to be renewed every three years!!! So, even if you could spend the 15 years saving enough money to get a passport and another 20 years saving enough money for a flight, you would have to work for another 25 years to be able to afford to come back and get it renewed again!!! Are you f*ing kidding me??? And Kimsray is lucky because her mother works as a cook and makes $120 a month, positively middle class in Cambodia. So maybe they would only have to not have food and shelter for a month so that Kimsray could get a passport. And then starve for another 10 years to be able to afford the $2,000 plane ticket to the US.
Okay, I'm done. Back to the story.
Kimsray, of course, was totally bummed about the passport thing. So, I told her that she could choose her birthday present, either the trip to Koh Kong for the weekend, or a passport. Being the intelligent woman that she is, she chose a passport.
To tell the truth, I really can't afford either so I would much rather want the money to go to something permanent and useful than a quick holiday.
So, we were all set to hand in the paperwork and get Kimsray a passport when I happened to be discussing the ridiculous cost of passports in Cambodia with my boss. Amazing woman that she is (and this is the reason that I want to work for UNICEF for the rest of my life), without hesitating (and we didn't even think about asking) she gave us money for almost half of the passport!!!
So now, in a month Kimsray will have her passport! She'll be one step closer to college, and I'll be one weekend trip shorter for a good cause.
Life is good. And my boss is amazing.
Friday, June 26, 2009
R.I.P. Michael Jackson
I am still so in shock that Michael Jackson is dead, there is absolutely nothing I can say. I was so upset all day and I really wanted to be home with people to reminisce with. Luckily, Elsewhere understood and had a remembrance party for MJ last night. A bunch of us went and honoured the icon the best way we could, by enjoying the music that he sacrificed his childhood, his reality, and his life for.
It occurred to me yesterday, while I was thinking about the fact that the next generation of children will grow up in a world with no Michael Jackson, that they won't really. Think about all of the icons who died before I was born, Marilyn Monroe, John Lennon, Martin Luther King, Jr., JFK, Elvis. I wasn't a fly in the womb when they died but I know everything about them. How they looked, walked, talked. What they said. When they said it. I have never lived in a world without them, even though they were long gone before I arrived. That's what Michael is like. He'll always be a part of our culture, our history, the lifeblood of the human story. So even though he's dead, he'll never really be gone.
But I'm still going to miss him.
R.I.P. Michael. Maybe now you can finally have some peace.
It occurred to me yesterday, while I was thinking about the fact that the next generation of children will grow up in a world with no Michael Jackson, that they won't really. Think about all of the icons who died before I was born, Marilyn Monroe, John Lennon, Martin Luther King, Jr., JFK, Elvis. I wasn't a fly in the womb when they died but I know everything about them. How they looked, walked, talked. What they said. When they said it. I have never lived in a world without them, even though they were long gone before I arrived. That's what Michael is like. He'll always be a part of our culture, our history, the lifeblood of the human story. So even though he's dead, he'll never really be gone.
But I'm still going to miss him.
R.I.P. Michael. Maybe now you can finally have some peace.
Social Butterflies
On Wednesday night I had a small soiree at my place. We had drinks (Caroline managed to find the only freelance bottle of Bombay Sapphire in the country), ordered food, and generally had a fabulous time. Afterwards, we went to Fly, our friend Sophea's fabulous riverside club. I think a picture is worth a thousand words when it comes to a part, so enjoy my 7,000 word essay.
p.s. This is also your first chance to see my new haircut!
Travel well!
kat
p.s. This is also your first chance to see my new haircut!
Travel well!
kat
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
