Cambodia Trip - The Early Days

I can hardly believe that I am actually here. In Cambodia. Breathing thick Cambodian air that is seasoned with a tinge of both delightful cooking herbs from market food stalls and the not so delightful stench of exposed and still sewerage juices. I can hardly believe that I am actually here.

I arrived yesterday afternoon at 4:32pm on an Air Asia flight from Don Mueang Airport, Thailand.

I had spent one night in Bangkok, after arriving at 9:30pm the night before on a 9 hour flight from Sydney. I'm not even sure what day of the week it was, so I'm unable to say...the past few days have just kind of run in to each other...

Earlier this week, preparing for my departure, everything was so seemingly smooth.

I'd had my vaccinations on Monday, and they hadn't affected me very much at all. I'd been able to hang out with Laura on Monday, and that was good fun as always. Monday night had been our end of year break up for the Youth Music Team, at which I was spoilt as well as fed and entertained.

Tuesday my washing was sent to the local laundromat. I spent the afternoon with my nana, during which I was spoilt again (thank you Westfield St. Lukes for existing). By the time I arrived home in the afternoon, my washing was home and ready to be put in to my suitcase. Tuesday night of course was Youth Perspective Evening, at which I wasn't at all helping or assisting Paul, and so was cruisy as for me. Once I got home, I skyped my Aussie Family, and they helped me decide which clothes to bring and not to bring to Cambodia. They even helped me pack my bag in a space efficient way! Go space efficiency!

By Wednesday my bags were packed, and I was ready to go. I went to Paper Power to take some passport photographs to have spare for my visas on arrival. Mum came home early from work, which was a bonus. Suli came over in the afternoon, another awesome bonus. Eros, Aaron, and Mikey joined us later on. Freddie, Elle, Sofeni, Kane, and Amaris (<3) joined us later later on. It was a lovely way to spend my last night.

And then the Calendar flipped over one and it was time for Thursday; D-Day!!! We woke up on time, mum and I shed some tears, they were necessary but didn't last long because we both knew that time was a ticking. We arrived at the Airport at 6:25am (I don't actually know that, I'm just making it up). Tim and Talz had come to see me off, which was so nice of them. While I was in line waiting to check in, Eros, Aimee, and Suli arrived. Aaron, Teina, Josh, and Mike had already been there since 5:45 (weirdos, bless! :-) Tasi and Violet came later on as well. 

So anyway, I was in line, which was just fine, I had done it many times before. The line was moving slowly because there were maybe 2-3 (if that) check in assistants operating to begin with. But I eventually got to the front, chirpily pushed my trolley to the counter. After handing her my Passport, she asked to see my itinerary. This was the first sign of trouble, because they never usually ask for anything apart from my Passport. So I handed her my itinerary, which she stared at and read for what felt like 10 minutes without a word. She then went on to say "Now, you do realise that Thailand only offers 30 day visas, yes?" (I flew in to Thailand and then from Thailand to Cambodia, as it saved me about $700).."Yes," I replied, "but I am only in Thailand for one night before heading to Cambodia. "Oh, but it doesn't say that you're flying to Cambodia on this itinerary..." So I handed her my second itinerary, under an entirely different booking. She stared at that for what felt like three days, and then said she had to go and check with her supervisor. So off she went to see her dear, dear Supervisor for what I'm pretty sure was 25 minutes. Meanwhile, my friends that had come to see me were waiting, some had work to go to. When the lovely assistant returned, she said "Yeah, it says on our system that you're only allowed a thirty day visa, and it says here that you are over there for three months, so that's just not going to work. You're going to have to change one of your tickets so that it looks as though you're only going to be in each country for thirty days." 

This is what went through my mind in the very split second after she said that... "My life is over! It's not going to work! This has all been a test of my character, and God isn't actually sending me at all! What am I going to say to all the people that gave money to my mission? What am I going to say to my Kiwi-bodian family that is waiting for me to arrive?! My destiny is over! Am I going to be able to show my face again? I will have to spend the next three months in hiding! God, waah waah waah!!!" Hahaha it's funny now, because everything is funny in hindsight.

Any who, so I went to the ticketing counter, and initially I was angry with the assistant that sent me away, but then all the emotions just swooped in and hit me at once, and there I was...crying. Of all times. You see, I'm not really much of a crier... But I guess I am when there are lots of people around. Good thing they are supportive people. I'm so blessed with them!

Long story short, they checked me in all the way to Bangkok and said that once I arrived there I'd have to call Air Asia and change that flight. But when I got to Sydney Airport (stop over) and free wi-fi, I emailed my Kiwibodian family and they said that it is only Auckland Airport that tend to be pedantic with things like that and I would have absolutely no problem in Bangkok. And I didn't, praise God!!!

Because of how my trip started, I was already feeling quite on edge by the time I got on to the plane. But God always has His ways of reminding us that everything will be fine. I was sat next to two Christians who encouraged me that "the devil only attacks those that are a threat to him." What a timely reminder! Thank you Jesus! I was missing my friends, my family, upset that I hadn't even been able to sit with them at the airport because of how pressed for time I was. So when I got to Thailand, although I was in a pretty boss hotel, I was feeling sad, lonely, distant, and alone.

But I'll tell you the truth, once we hit the ground in Phnom Penh, it was an almost surreal feeling. Once the exit opened and I was greeted with a Khmer smile, everything started to seem okay. Once I walked through to immigration and was surrounded by the Khmer workers jabbering off in Khmer, I was comforted. Once I went through Passport Control and was asked "where you born? where you parent born? You look like Chinese", everything kind of returned to the near-normal line. Once I was in that traffic where there are no rules except 'Get beeped at, move', and 'Beep, and they'll move', somehow life seemed a bit more ordered. Not too sure how that one works haha... Once that smell of sewerage hit me, I knew I was right where I was meant to be...

Once the girl in the van next to us smiled, I felt at home. 

So, it is only early days and I still have no idea what to expect. My Kiwi-bodian family are awesome, they're so genuine and welcoming, it is as though I have known them all my life. 

God, continue to teach me and show me things that You want me to see! 

Blessings,

Traveleina Khmer ;-)

The People You Meet

It's amazing. The people you meet. 

I'm not talking about the people whose name you know, whose glance you exchange, or whose statuses you read. I'm talking about the people that you talk to when you're sitting at the bus stop, or waiting for food at a fast food restaurant, or when you're out walking with no other intention other than to walk. 

For instance, outside my workplace, is a bus stop. When I first started working at Education Action, I would see this small set Asian lady walking around outside the bus stop, sitting at the bus stop, sitting on the concrete block by the bus stop, waiting for 11 o'clock when the restaurant she worked at opened and she was able to start the chopping of the spring onions. One day I decided that I would approach her, as I do, and it turns out she is quite an interesting lady. Her name is Benh (pronounced Beeng), she is half Vietnamese, half Cambodian, she speaks Cantonese, survived the Khmer Rouge, lives in my neighbourhood, and has an emerging confidence in English. She is friendly, she has taught me some words in Khmer, she is always interested in my own stories about Cambodia, and now everyday that I see her, I call out my window to her (totally professional, right?) and usually walk downstairs just to have a conversation. I love that Benh is my friend. 

I would never have been able to know that Benh was such an interesting person had I not decided to have that first conversation with her. She would not be my friend today if God had not prompted me to see the people behind the people I see. In all our typing, document producing, emailing, article reading, overseas travelling, make-up wearing, club-forming, tertiary studying, life-living, let's not forget that what is most important in this world is people. And last time I checked, people, not products, are most important to God.

"Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples."
John 13:35

I want to LOVE to shine God's love,

Adellz.

My Confession (Ben Stein)

I am a Jew, and every single one of my ancestors was Jewish. And it does not bother me even a little bit when people call those beautiful lit up, bejeweled trees, Christmas trees. I don't feel threatened. I don't feel discriminated against. That's what they are, Christmas trees.
It doesn't bother me a bit when people say, 'Merry Christmas' to me. I don't think they are slighting me or getting ready to put me in a ghetto. In fact, I kind of like it. It shows that we are all brothers and sisters celebrating this happy time of year. It doesn't bother me at all that there is a manger scene on display at a key intersection near my beach house in Malibu. If people want a creche, it's just as fine with me as is the Menorah a few hundred yards away.
I don't like getting pushed around for being a Jew, and I don't think Christians like getting pushed around for being Christians. I think people who believe in God are sick and tired of getting pushed around, period. I have no idea where the concept came from, that America is an explicitly atheist country. I can't find it in the Constitution and I don't like it being shoved down my throat.
Or maybe I can put it another way: where did the idea come from that we should worship celebrities and we aren't allowed to worship God ? I guess that's a sign that I'm getting old, too. But there are a lot of us who are wondering where these celebrities came from and where the America we knew went to.
- - - - -
In light of the many jokes we send to one another for a laugh, this is a little different: This is not intended to be a joke; it's not funny, it's intended to get you thinking.
Billy Graham's daughter was interviewed on the Early Show and Jane Clayson asked her 'How could God let something like this happen?' (regarding Hurricane Katrina).. Anne Graham gave an extremely profound and insightful response. She said, 'I believe God is deeply saddened by this, just as we are, but for years we've been telling God to get out of our schools, to get out of our government and to get out of our lives. And being the gentleman He is, I believe He has calmly backed out. How can we expect God to give us His blessing and His protection if we demand He leave us alone?'
In light of recent events... terrorists attack, school shootings, etc. I think it started when Madeleine Murray O'Hare (she was murdered, her body found a few years ago) complained she didn't want prayer in our schools, and we said OK. Then someone said you better not read the Bible in school. The Bible says thou shalt not kill; thou shalt not steal, and love your neighbor as yourself. And we said OK.
Then Dr. Benjamin Spock said we shouldn't spank our children when they misbehave, because their little personalities would be warped and we might damage their self-esteem (Dr. Spock's son committed suicide). We said an expert should know what he's talking about. And we said okay.
Now we're asking ourselves why our children have no conscience, why they don't know right from wrong, and why it doesn't bother them to kill strangers, their classmates, and themselves.
Probably, if we think about it long and hard enough, we can figure it out. I think it has a great deal to do with 'WE REAP WHAT WE SOW.'
Funny how simple it is for people to trash God and then wonder why the world's going to hell. Funny how we believe what the newspapers say, but question what the Bible says. Funny how you can send 'jokes' through e-mail and they spread like wildfire, but when you start sending messages regarding the Lord, people think twice about sharing. Funny how lewd, crude, vulgar and obscene articles pass freely through cyberspace, but public discussion of God is suppressed in the school and workplace.
Are you laughing yet?
Funny how we can be more worried about what other people think of us than what God thinks of us.
Pass it on if you think it has merit.
If not, then just discard it.... no one will know you did. But, if you discard this thought process, don't sit back and complain about what bad shape the world is in.
My Best Regards, Honestly and respectfully,
Ben Stein