6.17.2009

Updates from the Road: Phnom Penh Through Tourists Eyes and Saying Goodbye

It's been a whirlwind of a week as I have been showing Mom my Cambodian home and wrapping up loose ends, packing my bags and saying final goodbyes.

Luckily, upon our return to Phnom Penh from Kratie, Mom's bags had arrived and we were able to pick them up from the airport. That meant we could tour the sites without that worry over our heads.

Seeing the city from a tourist's perspective has fun. Mom is handling what can be an overwhelming hub of chaos pretty well despite continuously facing the fear of crossing streets and dodging moving cars on sidewalks. (There was a chance today that we could have gotten run over on the footpath. Oh Cambodia...) Our three days in Phnom Penh have included:

• Killing Fields
• Tuol Sleng
• Russian Market
• Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda
• Massages
• Street food
• Way too many "Oh Cambodia..." moments


Today was my last day with the kids at the center. It was hard to say goodbye. Apparently I didn't make it clear that it was my last day because the kids were upset I didn't tell them. Some were so cute and wrote me quick goodbye notes, which I will, of course, cherish forever. Others looked like they wanted to cry. Or maybe it was just me who wanted to cry. Either way, I'm glad I made some sort of positive impact in their lives and I hope they grow up to reach their potential.

Read our last post together here on their blog. They played journalists for the day, interviewing my mom and writing a collective story about her.

Well, I think I need to wrap up this note from the road. The heat of the day is affecting my brain and words, thoughts, emotions and fatigue are all mixing together. Tomorrow, bright and early, we head onward to Angkor Wat.

2 comments:

KBrock said...

That's really cute that they interviewed your mom. I hope you had a good last day with them! I'm sure you helped them out a ton with their internet skills.

Crys said...

Sometimes I think leaving anywhere is hard. As horrible as it is to make a child sad, I think that goes to show that you made a difference in their lives. :) And that's a good thing.