They never said it would be easy...

(I'm not sure why this never posted...)

Here we are. It's the one month mark. I've been off the ship for exactly a month, disembarking and seeing my parents approximately this time on May 2nd. And I can't believe it's been that long. I've found myself holding solace in memories, looking through pictures but ONLY through Ghana because that's when it all got real.

So how do we go about this? Do we get some sort of chip, a "one month free from the best time of our lives?" Something to physically tether us back to the ship, something that we all have to rely on as the days, months, *gulp* years, and inevitably, and terribly, decades roll by?

How did I get here? Sitting in clothes that I haven't had for the past four months, attempting to type up more life lessons that I've learned on this trip. But it's hard. I try more foods. I've stopped a dozen times to help lost tourists on the streets of New York. I've learned to go with the flow and deal with things as they come.

But I'm sick of the stupid cliches. "Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened." The trip of a lifetime was great but now what? My closest friends are scattered to the farthest ends of the country. If I could drop everything and go back to the wine on the Great Wall, I'd be ecstatic. Absence does make the heart grow fonder, but heavier. Not a day goes by where I don't think about it, my friends, the ship, how much I wish I was getting rocked to bed. My sleeping pattern has (almost) finally regulated. I can shower when it's raining and not worry about getting slammed into the wall. It's also rained more than it did in my journey lumped together. I think it's just the combined tears of every past SASer falling from the sky at once.

Reminiscing is the best medicine. I met C the other day for Chipotle (I've had more Chipotle in the past month than we had BBQ days on the ship...) and while people watching on the steps of St. Barts, it was clear. SAS wins. Real life loses. Now that we've all admitted it, can't we go back?

"How this Feels" by Bailey Gerber

This is a blogpost written by a fellow S12er who, I can wholeheartedly say, speaks for all of us. She brings the words that I've stuttered over time and time again.

How This Feels

 

There is a Singapore rail pass, a receipt from a Vietnamese dressmaker, and a Kingfisher bottle cap on the bottom of my purse. I have been to Dominica, Brazil, Ghana, South Africa, Mauritius, India, Singapore, Vietnam, China and Japan. My trusty anti-theft money belt is now the home of rupees, rand, cedi, reals, dong, yuan, and yen… and I don't plan on cleaning it out anytime soon. I have done more and seen more than most people will in their entire lives.  This is how it feels to have a dream come true.

 

Where I used to see shapes on a map I now see people; beggars, politicians, drug dealers, philanthropist, thieves, travelers, parents, children and in many countries, angels. Everyday I have seen the best and worst that humanity has to offer. I have been ripped off, misguided, threatened, spit on and cursed out more times than I can count. I have also been brought to tears by the generosity of a complete stranger. We have all had to trust, especially in the taxi, tuk tuk, tro tro, rickshaw, and moto drivers- but above all, we have had to trust each other. We have experienced each other's good, bad and ugly, like really ugly…like day five of the Amazon ugly. Though we were strangers three months ago, we have shared moments of intense fear, hopelessness, bliss and inexpressible gratitude. We have supported each other through meltdowns, travel group drama and of course- missed FDPs. We have watched each other come of age, overcome fears and forge new identities…sometimes in the form of a nose ring or a panda hat.

 

I have gained an extreme amount of weight- or as I like to see it now- I have gained baby weight of my cultural and intellectual rebirth. But really – it's not like I was going to skip the Nan in India, the pho in Vietnam or the fan ice in Ghana (or the birthday cake on deck five). Although I won't miss the pasta and potatoes, I will always long for one more long dinner on deck 5. This ship must be the only place on earth where five college kids can have a three-hour dinner without being interrupted by text messages or Facebook notifications. Those long dinners will forever be among my most precious memories. Whether we were planning our weddings or trying to process India, I always felt most at home during dinnertime. May we always remember the freedom of being unplugged and out of touch and the magic of living in the moment with the people sitting around us.

 

I finally have the lingo down. I use words like deck, swell, port, berth, tymitz, green sheet, and quarantine. I know that breakfast means deck 6 and dinner means deck 5, unless it's inedible then its up to deck 7. I no longer worry about the pub night schedule or whether or not my clothes match when I run to global studies. I still don't know the last names of the majority of my friends - even though I can probably name their school, major, hometown and how they handle stressful situations. Like all SAS kids, I too have spent my fair share of time wondering if the peanut butter is actually soy butter or if the mythical stabilizers are out. I tell time by ports, using phrases like "We became friends after Ghana" or "I haven't been to the gym since Singapore." Even though I know there are 367 days in our SAS year, I haven't actually known the day of the week since we left the Bahamas. My closet is now an eclectic showcase of all the latest trends in tourist couture- I realize as I am writing this I am wearing pants from India, a shirt from China and bracelet from Brazil. I can't wait until I accidently pull out a Rand to pay for a cup of coffee or find a Family Mart receipt for five Japanese Strongs in my coat pocket.

 

Though I will miss this ship- the garden lounge, the union and the cove. It's the people I will miss the most. I can't imagine life without the eggrolls, the SASholes, the shipsters, the pastels, Mizaram, Nalbach, Takada and of course the amazing crew- especially Achilles. I can already hear Stuart's voice in the back of my head before all major life events… "Graduation tomorrow- Graduation tomorrow."

 

It is funny to look back now- at photos of our old selves, before our dreams came true and the world changed us. You never forget the first person you met- hi ace! We looked so put-together, wondering the ship with our nametags on… now we look like day three of a Grateful Dead festival.  However you describe it- backpacker chic, pirate swag - this scraggily bunch of college kids is now a force to be reckoned with …and I am proud to be among them.

 

As emerald shellbacks we have gone on safari in Africa, tried yoga in India, and enjoyed a few drinks in Mauritius. We have accidently hung out at a prostitute bar in Ghana and caused a 300% revenue increase for that 7/11 in Hong Kong (the same goes for the Krazy Koconut in Dominica and Captain's in Shanghai).  We understand the frustration of being lost in a cruise ship terminal, a subway station and of course, Makola market. We have built houses, fed the hungry, meditated with monks and stood breathless as we visited 3 of the 7 wonders of the world. We now know that no public restroom in the US could ever match the horror of an Indian squatter… and we always know – no matter where we go, there will always be Kentucky Fried Chicken, Pitbull on the radio, and convenient store liquor. We have survived Brazilian rum, Ghanaian gin, South African wine, Vietnamese beer, and Japanese sake…and we have the stories to prove it. We will never forget the theme songs: "I Love my Life" in Dominica, "TIA" in Ghana, "Waka Waka" in Cape Town- and if you traveled with me in India, you will never forget dancing on the bus to "Chaiyya Chaiyya."

 

We are professionals now. We have learned the tricks of travel and how to walk with absolute confidence-- no matter how lost we actually are. We have slept with out wallets, tied ourselves to our backpacks and carried index cards with "please take me to my hotel" written in various languages. We know now it's best not to admit it is your first day in a country, especially when bargaining. We are now masters at the "walk away" technique and know that if the shopkeeper is happy- we definitely paid too much. We can spot a fake swatch or Prada bag from a mile away and all the while we wonder if the Tom's in Africa are fake or stolen. Red flags shoot up every time we hear phrases like "I give you good price", "Come meet my friend" or "Here brother, sister- have a look."  We now know that asking about people's children and hobbies is the fastest way to drive down a price (and turn a greedy shopkeeper into an honest friend).

 

We have learned the importance of pronouncing people's names correctly and even more importantly learning the words "please and thank you" in every language. We have mastered the art of the discrete picture taking, whether we were trying to capture the serenity of a monk or the desperation of a child, we have captured moments that exist beyond description. Even if we took 1,000 photos- images can't convey the smells, tastes and sounds that made each moment real- and maybe now we realize that the magic really begins when we stop experiencing life from behind the lens and fully immerse ourselves in the moment.

 

We could have done a million other things this semester- stayed at home, studied in one country… but we didn't. At this exact moment in time we came together- to learn and grow and to forever be the kids of Spring 12. Although we were a special breed before the MV (lets be honest- it takes a special person to drop everything and sail around the world with complete strangers…without any real plans)- now we are just bizarre. We lived on a cruise ship. We sailed around the world. We went to a university that had a gangway and a pool deck. We must be the only people on Earth who had classes canceled so we could cross the equator or watch our friends in a synchronized swimming competition. Our lives are epic and we are epic… and I know it is just the beginning.

 

Although we are a pretty confident bunch, we still have our fears. Fears like getting off the ship, losing touch, or getting that first text message. We worry that we will be strangers to our family and friends and that no one will ever understand us again. We will lie awake at night wondering what we will do with our lives to top this experience or how to make this semester count. Deep down we all really have one fear- that we haven't changed, that we haven't grown enough and that we will settle back into our old ways of being. We will walk off the gangway in San Diego wondering: "now how do I make this the beginning not the pinnacle?" It seems daunting now, figuring out a way to make our new selves function in our old lives- and not bark at our friends when they complain about traffic, class or being hungry. After Ghana, I will never complain about having to read for class again. I get now how lucky I am just to be able to.

 

As alum, we will be a hard bunch to overwhelm, to scare or discourage. After waking up to a tarantula in Brazil or walking through a row of beggars in India, nothing really fazes us now. Things that once seemed "difficult" months ago are no longer remotely intimidating. We did this… now we can do anything.

 

Although we may be unfazed, may we never be "unimpressed." May we always be delighted by the wonders of world and find magic in every place and person- not just in the monuments or celebrities- but in everywhere we go. May we always see the world though these eyes- the eyes of youth and hope. May we stay optimistic and stay positive… and may we always stay a little naïve-for no other reason besides being young rocks. May we remember the things we said we would do- the people we promised we would help… and may we never forget the moments when we felt anything was possible….may we always remember the person we wanted to become. May we always see the world as an opportunity and a challenge- and may we wake up every morning ready to conquer it.

 

So as the moments slip away and we try to pack the last three months into two suitcases… may we smile bigger, breath deeper and soak it all in.  However you want to say it- You Only Live Once, Love Life, Capre Diem, or Life is short… do it big and do it now… because this is all we have and we are the luckiest people alive. Of course we are lucky because we just sailed around the world and had 1,000 eye-opening experiences, but the luckiest because we have each other… and may we always have each other.

 

Bailey Gerber

April 2012

IʼM NOT THE SAME. By Natalie Lou Ritter

a poem written by a former SASer that, again, sums up all my feelings. 

 

IʼM NOT THE SAME. By Natalie Lou Ritter

 

Forgive me, Mom,

Iʼm Not the Same

I think you knew that I would change

I couldnʼt stay so long at sea
And not come home a different me.

 

Iʼve been to the Mekong; the Amazon, too

The things that Iʼve done: if only you knew.

Iʼve paraglided in the Andes Mountains 

Said a prayer at Hiroshima fountains

Iʼve jumped off of cliffs down river gorges

And from the Ganges saw burning corpses

Iʼve seen the Taj; Climbed the Great Wall

Iʼve Jumped Out of Planes; Iʼve done it All

Climbed to the Golden Rock in Myanmar

I Donʼt think I ever have climbed that far.

Monasteries, Pagodas, Temples and Shrines

Horseback riding in Stellenbosch; sampling wines

I dove with sharks and jumped off a bridge

I Forced Myself to Really Live.

 

Sure, All these things can be relayed


In the photo albums thatʼll be displayed


But to convey all this will be demanding—

Experience is Nothing Without Understanding.

 

So Forgive me, Mom, if I Start To Cry

For all of the things I really canʼt describe:


Walking next to dead bodies in the road


Not reaching out to a childʼs hand to hold.

The people in poverty and those afraid to speak

 For fear if they do, theyʼll be in jail the next week

 Because their government has such a watchful eye.

 All the people with AIDs , getting ready to die.


The beggars in India who walk on their hands 

Because theyʼre diseased and unable to stand


And the people in shacks who sleep inches apart 

Offer only a smile and it rips out my heart

 

Iʼve seen beauty and devastation Iʼve felt sorrow; 

Iʼve felt elation Iʼve seen birth and Iʼve felt death;

Forgive me, Mom, but what is left?

 

So if you could, Mom, just give me time 

When I come home, let me unwind
I need a moment to just. Stand. Still. 

Please understand (Iʼm sure you will)

 

I couldnʼt stay so long at sea

And not come home a different me


So long as I change, the world changes, too 

But be proud, Mom, because I came from you. 

Final Thoughts

It's currently 12:02 am, or 3:02 am, or wherever I am on this red-eye flight from San Diego-JFK. I'm sitting and wearing Haviana flipflops from Brazil, Ali Baba pants from India, a Global Mamas headband from Ghana, a shirt from America, assorted bracelets from Brazil, South Africa, Ghana, PC10 bracelet, the Ship, AL's bday present, a watch from Brazil, and my paddy hat from Vietnam rests in the overhead compartment. I'm overwhelmed with emotions, not really sure who I am at the end of this trip, who I want to be, or where I'm going. I do know that the summer brings my first summer in G-Town since around 2000. I've travelled from the 46-Westchester Airport-Nasasu-Dominica-Brazil-Ghana-South Africa-Mauritius-India-Singapore-Vietnam-Cambodia-Hong Kong-Shanghai-Japan-Hawaii-San Diego-La Jolla-JFK-back to the 46. I will have completed a full 360* journey around the world and had more stamps in my passport than I could imagine.

I've seen the sunrise and sunset in Africa (rise and set in SA, set in Ghana), Brazil, India, Cambodia, China, Japan, the ocean, and Hawaii/San Diego. I've seen unspeakable poverty and the memories still bring me to tears. I've seen children who, obviously do not go to school, rely on selling gaudy items to tourists. I've seen religious ceremonies, sites, and pilgrimages. I've seen sites of historical significance, significance to my childhood, significance to my future. I've met, fell in love with, been impressed by, made connections, and been hurt by many people. I've acted like an idiot, acted in reverence, rapped, danced, sang, and eaten my heart out in every port. I've learned to enjoy new foods, new places, new climates. I've done things I never thought I would do. I've hiked the Great Wall, taken a bullet train, caught fish in the Amazon, successfully bartered in Ghana. 

How will I come back from what I've seen? I've seen death, poverty, sickness, and extreme luxury, all around the corner from each other. People are more than blobs in these countries, each location is now filled with the faces that I've seen.

I've found it so much easier to express my feelings in words but trying to sum up this experience is leaving me with writers block. I can only sum up this experience as amazing. I'm coming out a different person. If I cared about my appearance before, I sure as hell don't now. Yes, I will always love my India pants and will carry my Ghanaian bag around with me. My room will be graced by the shotglass and figurine collection I have amassed. 

I understand that this experience is physically over but the friendships and memories will last a lifetime. It's hard to accept the reality. I would give anything to realize that dinner stunk, the pasta combination isn't normal, the meat is unknown, the fish is just labeled as "fish" and to, silelently agreeing with J&J, run upstairs to deck 7 and sit, eat, and talk with the crew. Insanity on deck 2 will always be a fond memory, inviting whatever crew, students, faculty, staff that passed to join us. Understanding that communication is brought way back, cellphones are non-existent and to get in touch you rely on e-mail, room calls, and notes. If you don't know where someone is, a quick (long) walk is always worth it. I will keep with me the feeling of community we formed on the ship, knowing that whether or not you had spoken to someone before didn't mean you couldn't talk to them in port. There were so many nights spent playing games and really getting to know someone without the outside world, who you were, what you are, getting in the way. You are who you are, your house, hometown, activities in school didn't matter. And it was beautiful. 

Nowhere will I ever have the connection to faculty as I did on that ship. My extended family made me so comfortable. I never felt out of place, I always felt wanted and loved. My friends became my family, going longer than I ever had without seeing my parents' face. I ate meals with my teachers, called them and visited their rooms when I had a question about exams. All things that one can't do at a land university. I've spent time pretending that professors don't exist when I see them in Publix or at a restaurant in Sunset but here, they add to the experience. 

 I've had the extreme pleasure of spending my semester with 570 students who I would kill to spend just another day with these people. Sitting outside by the pool, all avoiding our classes, putting school supplies on our chairs as not to use them. Watching the boys weightlift during prime tanning hours so they're seen. Seeing the piano bar teeming with energy and life at almost all hours of the day. Walking up stairs and thinking you're going straight, only to find yourself on the opposite side of the staircase. Only getting internet in the hallway because our cabin doors are too thick. Swells so large that you can't shower without leaning against the wall. Being rocked to sleep and then hitting a large wave and having everything come off your dresser. My wonderful cabin steward dealing with K & I on a bi-daily basis. 

Our semester was summed up by "#sasproblems", from everything that happens can be solved by malaria, no internet, no clean clothes, or peeing on your leg because the ship's rocking too much. Signing maps like yearbooks became the "next big thing" because no one wants to not have all their memories written down for the next forever. 

This experience is incomparable to anything else. Your country you study abroad in is a ship. You travel to countries as "vacations". You learn more than you could imagine. You're immersed in a culture, learning and adapting to fit in. My thassological semester has outstanding. The theory of Ubuntu has changed my life: "I am because you are". We are all connected, in ways that some can't imagine. Whether you attended sleep away camp with someone in the second grade, your friend from kindergarten's good friend at college is on your trip, you meet someone in Hawaii who knows your family. Even though it's stupid and cliche for me, certain songs from Pochahontas and The Lion King just ring so much more true. Life is cyclical. Things come and go, but the things that survive are the friendships you've made, the places you've visited, the pictures you've taken, and memories you may or may not have made through looking at said pictures. 

So thank you, each and every person who has impacted me on this trip. Because of you, I am truly thankful. I have grown, I have changed, I have witnessed so many things. I am eternally grateful for this trip. These are my last posts until I update with the presents. I'm sure that I'll continue with my thoughts as this all starts to settle in. But, honestly, thank you mom and dad for giving me the world. I love you and I can't thank you enough. Until the next time, SASholes. Can't wait to reunite and party like it's Mauritius (c) Amanda Grond, 5/2/12. 

Japan in less than 30 bullet points

More than a blog post, because I'm basically just sick of writing now that classes are done and I'm waiting to go home, this is going to be in bullet point format as to what we did. See Facebook album for more pictures.

First day:

• got off the ship & explored Kobe
• FDP
• found a Kobe beef Hibachi restaurant
• slept

Second day:

• Hiroshima
• came back late
• Osaka
• couldn't find a hotel
• Stayed in a 5 star hotel in Osaka....by accident
• went out to a British pub

Third day:

• bullet train to Tokyo
• trekked around Tokyo
• Yomiuri Giants baseball game
• Passed out at the hotel

Fourth day:

• Tokyo disneysea!
• Karaoke bar with the Liverpool-ians

Fifth day:

• Slept late
• pouring rain
• Harajuku
• barely made it to the ship
• jazz band played "When you Wish upon a star" the whole time we got on
• posed in Kimonos
• got my name written in Japanese

after Japan, the weather was freezing, terrible seas, and finals. Rough times.

Vietnam and Cambodia

Now that finals are done, I can start with the remainder of my blog posts!! And let me start off that I was so sleep deprived that I thought it was an hour later so I missed lunch and I missed taco day. TERRIBLE. (also, I'm sorry again for the grammar; half of this is from a paper I wrote and I just don't care.)

Vietnam was crazy, the rhetoric used was unlike anything I had ever experienced before. I was only there for three days because of my trip to Cambodia but I saw most of what I wanted to do. The first day, M and I went to go get dresses made and had a moto-taxi driver take us in a real taxi and proceeded to follow us into the shop. While taking our time picking out dresses, some how M’s phone went missing, discovered later to have been taken by one of the drivers as he pocket-dialed her father and he overheard people speaking Vietnamese. We each picked out three things, I three dresses, she two and a shirt, and we went back on our way to the ship to leave for Cambodia!

 Our flight was easy and short; our first stop was to an orphanage. Honestly, my heart wept for these children. They were all so happy yet had close to nothing. We were there for an hour and at first, none of the children came up to M and I. A few gradually came up to us and told us they could sing so we went back and forth singing songs we thought the other would know and finally settled on (vom.) Justin Bieber. They played a “game” that reminded me of Pie Pie Pie and then we called it a night. The girls were so sad to see us leave, I was speechless. We almost got left behind because they wouldn’t let us go. But off we were to our hotel.

The hotel was nice and that night we all went to a night market. There were Cambodian teenagers singing American songs in their native tongue, such as Beautiful Girls by Sean Kingston and Baby by Justin Bieber (he may be the reoccurring theme of this trip) and we all bought tshirts and DVDs to our hearts content.

The next morning we awoke and went to the Silver Pagoda and the Royal Palace;there was a foreign diplomat visiting so we were unable to get close to the place where we had wanted to. This is where the policies of the Khmer Rouge began to hit me; there was a room filled with Buddhas, many of them missing heads and faces. The Khmer Rouge set to abolish religion and would knock the faces and heads off of religious statues.

We then drove to the Killing Fields as I had to begin to mentally prepare myself for what we would witness. I was hoping our itinerary was wrong because it only granted us fourty-five minutes there. After visiting, it was obvious it was not enough time. I saw the pagoda and watched a movie and spent the last of my time reading what they had to say about the ECCC trials and the defendants. I was one of the last onto the bus and was itching to get off and read and see more.

-Plaque outside of the pagoda housing thousands of skulls and remains of victims at the Killing fields

Then began the journey to the Tuol Sleng museum (also known as S-21), the high school that was converted into a torture prison in central Phnom Penh. There are few times in my life where I’ve actually been speechless but I sure was here. S21 was unreal. I was completely speechless, taken aback by what I was seeing. Duch, the chairman, was so meticulous in his record keeping that it was no question what had transpired. Viewing face after face of innocent Cambodians made the situation so real, so tangible that I was standing in the same room as the people falsely accused of treason to the Party. In my head, I had argued with myself whether or not it was better that Duch had kept these records. Had he not, these people would have been anonymous, faces lost in a war. But with the pictures, files, and written confessions, their memory is preserved. Although it is a memory of their final days, it can bring a type of solace to their families. These are the semi-lucky ones, able to understand what had happened to their loved ones. Although the files themselves are filled with terrible things, their lives live on in reverence. I chose the ECCC for my presentation in my International Law and Conflict class due to my fascination and I was astounded by what I had researched. Pure repulsion does not begin to describe what I had found. The sick and twisted minds of the guards at S21 were astounding. When I was there, there were the final two survivors there. Although they did not speak English, one could understand the pain and suffering they endured. One man, Chum Mey, described to us their suffering using pantomimed motions; it was too difficult to watch this man reenact what he had experienced. Had these men not had skills deemed desirable to the Party, they would have suffered the same fate as their compatriots.

At S21, the Khmer Rouge had taken an ordinary, every day location and turned it into something evil. A school, a normal symbol of hope and the future, was changed into a torture center and prison. Normal exercise equipment had been given a new life as a “gallows” of sorts. The compound housed four buildings, each looking out into a beautiful courtyard, filled with palm trees and trees that had just began to blossom, but one had to look past this. This was not a beautiful place; this was a place where a country had turned its back on its civilians forcing them to suffer in unimaginable ways.

As I am a person who readily relates to other people, a self-diagnosed “bleeding heart”, S21 was difficult for me. From the time I stepped into the gates, my eyes started to well up. I was overcome with grief, anger, and other emotions. I am still unsure of what makes a group commit crimes like this, how they are deemed more superior in the eyes of a higher power to hold the fate of each life in their hands. There were so many innocent souls who came through this prison, abused by guards who were also, in a sense, victims. The Khmer Rouge took no prisoners; you were either with them or against them. The punishment was always the same: death. The cruelty shown by Duch and his crew of extremely young and naïve guards was evident in the museum, where the rudimentary torture devices were on display in cells. In certain rooms, you could still see the chalkboard. Having the two worlds collide in front of me, not in a book or movie, was astounding. It made it so true, so tangible, that it was hard to grasp. These three weeks later, I still find it hard to put into words exactly how I felt and what I saw there. There are places, and people, on earth where evil takes form and I am convinced that S21 and Duch are prime examples.

After the depressing, life questioning stops were over, we headed back to the airport for our flight to Siem Reap, the location of the ancient temples. We boarded and had a beautiful hotel. M and I were roommates again and we tried to open the doors to our balcony. We were literally trapped with everyone laughing around us. Our glass case of emotion was a real phenomenon, glad we got out of that safely. We all went swimming and followed it by a dinner with traditional dancing. It was so cool to see!

The next morning we woke up for Angkor Wat at sunrise. It was one of those days where sunrise doesn’t really happen and we’re just blessed with a sky that goes from dark to light reaaaaaal quickly. It was really interesting to see as we had two separate tours of the compound. It was upsetting to see how the Khmer Rouge had ruined so many parts of the structure, however, because many of the heads of the Gods had been cut off. 

We continued our visits to Ta Prohm, where Tomb Raider was filmed and drove past Bayon, Baphuon, Terrace of Leper King, and the Elephants Terraces. We started to run out of time so we were unable to fully spend our time at these locations but they were still gorgeous. Our flight back that night was fine. The rest of the time spent in Vietnam was filled with historical stuff. I visited the Cu Chi tunnels and had a terrible tour guide. Our group was slow to start as we were too busy eating and refueling to get going. We ran into a few more people and added them into our tour group. Our guide was supposed to keep the same amount of money per person plus bring us inside the tunnels. He decided to get lunch instead of coming inside to give us the tour. When at our designated dropoff spot, he demanded more money and had reneged on his former offer. After causing a scene in front of the Rex Hotel, we went our separate ways and I left to get ready for a mexican fiesta. 

Gallows at S21

Gallows at S21

Sunrise at Angkor Wat

Beheaded statute at Angkor Wat

A large group of us found a Mexican restaurant, which included fajitas, tequila, and later, karaoke. Highlights of the night: my new friend from England and I singing SuperBass, teaching a Vietnamese man how to salsa dance, and having my friend N not get in a cab because he thought it was full... Great all around night. I went to Ben Than market the next day, along with the War Remnants museum. I've seen enough pictures of Agent Orange victims to last me a lifetime, as well as heard enough anti-American propaganda. All in all, Vietnam was a great experience. But I liked Cambodia more. And I don't know if I'll ever go back. But itw as interesting all the same.

Arbitrary Time

Today, it is April 20th. Tonight, we cross the international date line. Tomorrow will be April 20th. We also had Leap Day this year, a February 29th. This year, I will have lived 367 days. SO COOL. I couldn't imagine going westward around the world, crossing the IDL and losing a full day. I'll take the 3 extra.

More to come soon- classes kicking my butt.

Where in the world am I?

Just a quick excerpt from our Dean's Memo about yesterday... enjoy. Trying to hold on long enough to finish up my blog posts and school work!!

EXERPTS FROM THE NOON BRIDGE REPORT (AS OF APRIL 16)

Latitude: 34˚ 15" N

Longitude: 147˚ 58" E

Sea Conditions: 5.5 meters or 18 feet, rough

Distance to go: 2982 nautical miles

Cambodia

Before I can even begin to describe my time in Cambodia, I need to give everyone a background of the conflict and crimes against humanity. Had I not read a book when I was younger (First They Killed My Father), I don't know if I ever really would have learned about this. It's a shame that this type of cleansing can still happen (and is still happening today in places like Darfur, DRC, Uganda, Rwanda...) and no one learns about it. Quick tidbit: although Invisible Children is a highly contested organization, please watch the #STOPKONY video. Make it stop. Protect the children and their innocence; no one should be conscripted for a war of religious ideologies by fanatics who believe they have been touched by God.

Cambodia in a nutshell, SUPER DUPER BRIEF (this is my outline for a group project... enjoy.) But seriously, look into this more, it's actually fascinating. 

1.     Independence --> over throw of government

I.               In 1863, King Norodom signed an agreement with the French to establish a protectorate over his kingdom; eventual colonialism

II.             On 9 March 1945, during the Japanese occupation of Cambodia, King Norodom Sihanouk proclaimed an independent Kingdom of Kampuchea but Japan maintained a Consulate in Phnom Penh

III.           After Allied military units entered Cambodia, the Japanese military forces present in the country were disarmed and repatriated. The French were able to re-impose the colonial administration in Phnom Penh in October the same year.

IV.            A partial independence agreement was struck in October 1953. Sihanouk then declared that independence had been achieved and returned in triumph to Phnom Penh.

V.              Cambodia remained neutral throughout the 1950s and 1960s, letting North Vietnamese Army and Viet Cong utilize its land for bases.

VI.            In 1969, the US began a 14 month long bombing plan to destabalzie. These raids took place about 20 miles within the Cambodian borders in an area that had already been evacuated by the NVA

VII.          Prince Sihanouk did not want the US to utilize its air bases and air space due to his attempt to keep Cambodia neutral as the Khmer Rouge began to gain power.

VIII.        General Lon Nol, and a right government, won the 1966 elections which lasted until 1967 and again in 1969.

IX.            Prince Sihanouk went abroad for medical reasons in January 1970.

 

2.     History of the Khmer Rouge Policies

I.               Khmer Rouge was the name for the group given to the Communist Party of Kampuchea

II.             The Khmer Rouge tried to institute social reforms that aimed to create a purely uneducated and agrarian-based society

III.           Khmer Rouge policies firmly against capitalism àCommunist influence from immigrants from China

IV.            Hostility towards religion and education

V.              Forced Labor

 

3.     1979-Present

I.               In response to the KR beginning to push into Vietnam, Vietnam overthrew the KR

II.             The People's Republic of Kampuchea was established however it was a coalition of 3 groups (ex prince, ex prime minister, and the KR) that was still recognized internationally as the legitimate state party regardless of Vietnam's intervention and the clear evidence of genocide (the Coalition Government of the Democratic Kamp)

III.           1980s à civil war

IV.            89 & 91 à 2 international peace conferences in Paris… which were accompanied by a UN peace keeping mission

V.              in 1993 prince was reestablished as the king of Cambodia

VI.            Coup in 1997 led by communist leader Hun Sen

VII.          Sen is opposed to trials of former KR and this is probably due to the fact that many of them hold high ranking positions in his government

VIII.        But in 1998 held elections, which were followed by greater stability and less KR

IX.            It took the country a long time to begin to recover bc they killed off all the doctors, educated people, etc

 

4.     Centers/Torture/Life Today

I.               Life in Cambodia today

A.              Cambodia still facing very evident impacts from the Khmer Rouge's 4-yr reign till this day

II.             biggest issue in Cambodia today is the psychological impact caused under Pol Pot's reign

III.           Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum - also know as S-21 in Phnom Penh

A.              Bussed there, forced to "confess" to crimes not actually committed

IV.            Documentation Center of Cambodia 

V.              Virtual Tribunal Project at University of California-Berkeley

VI.            National Archives of Cambodia and the Legal Document's Center

5.     Introduction to the ECCC:

I.               Cambodian government request, UN backed, hybrid court

II.             Established in 2001, lack of funds, support from international community

6.     Structure of the court:

I.               Three chambers, 30 Cambodian and International judges

II.             Co-investigating judges and co-prosecutors

7.     History of ECCC

I.               Overview of progress

II.             Challenges facing the court, health and age of perpetrators

III.           Updates on cases 001-004

 

8.     Cases 001 / 002

I.               001:

A.              Kaing Guek Eav alias Duch, the former Chairman of the Khmer Rouge S-21 Security Center in Phnom Penh

1.     Sentenced to 35 years

2.     Appealed

3.     Resentenced to life

4.     Charges

5.     Charges

II.             002

A.              Nuon Chea, aged 84, former Deputy Secretary of the Communist Party of Kampuchea; 

B.              Ieng Sary, aged 85, former Deputy Prime Minister for Foreign Affairs; 

C.              Khieu Samphan, aged 79, former Head of State

D.             Ieng Thirith, aged 78, former Minister of Social Affairs

E.      Problems: incontinence, age, dementia

     1.   Can you try them? valid witnesses? 

     2.   Does their age justify leaving the court  

III.           003 / 004

A.              Not being prosecuted, dropped

IV.            Current probs

A.              Money

B.              Government

C.              Illness

D.             UN doing anything?

E.              Kofi and Moon? Passive.

F.              Two months between

G.              Corrupt judges

H.             Fixing the problems now!!