Motorcyles & Museums

I've spent the past week wandering around the city, getting my bearings, honing my language skills, and trying not to kill small children with my moto (or myself for that matter). Ok I need to clarify something from the start: What you see me on in the picture is called a "moto." It's not a moped; much to my mother's consternation it's not a scooter (she still calls it that) and...........ok..........it's not a motorcycle. I'll admit it. It's not a motorcycle. It has a basket on the front for crying out loud. But it's definitely NOT a moped. I call it "Fun On Two Wheels" cause I have a blast on it (with helmet, of course).


The problem is we won't start teaching until MUCH later than we thought. Such is the nature of Southeast Asian culture. Things like school schedules are seen as flexible. The students will always study the same length of time, but when that length begins is up to interpretation. Things like weather patterns, the lunar calendar, and plain-and-simple bureacracy come into play. We won't start until the end of October.


What will I do until then? I'll learn language, make friends in the city, meet some summer students, teach a couple seminars.... I'll be as productive as possible, you can believe that. A friend - Will Rope - and I are memorizing the New Testament together. That's been crazy encouraging to me. I enjoy doing that during my mornings and evenings.


I've also been spending time with the new teammates who are going through in-country training under the capable tutilage of Trisha, a 3-years-accomplished English teacher here in Phnom Penh. She has been getting the new guys acclimated to Khmer culture and oriented around the city. She's made my readjustment so much easier, so props to Trish.






One thing the team did lately that I got in on was the Toul Sleng Genocide Museum. I've been four times already, but I really wanted to go and see what's been updated and maybe this time take some serious photos (as serious as photos from yours truly can be).


I was onced again moved by the humanity on display at this place. Thousands of photos of the victims plead with you as you walk the halls of this school-turned-prison-turned-memorial. You somehow have to come to grips with the fact that they were all murdered; they're all dead. I don't think I've ever really given it the amount of thought I did during this recent visit. I decided to focus on the faces individually. There are too many to count - you have to look at a section and focus on the few that jump out at you.

There I was in this solemn place staring into the faces of the dead, wondering what they were thinking and feeling. What were their last moments like? Do they have family still alive? Which were the ones that made it out alive?






Out of the some 17,000 prisoners, only 14 made it alive. This is only the prison where political targets were taken. Out of the country's 8 million + population roughly 2 million were either exterminated or died of starvation, disease, and malnutrition.




My big problem is how to process all of this as an American. I've undergone NOTHING in my life approaching the total upheaval, violence, desperation, and destruction that these people have experienced. I've not experienced any hardships at all....period. The only medium I have for relating to this is a movie. How pathetic is that???



All I can do is be here and try to contribute to the rebuilding and regrowth of this nation. I feel like, in many ways, the United States is responsible, even indirectly, for what has happened here. (I'm still patriot, don't worry.) But....that's for another time and another blog.



If you'll look at my links page up top and to the right, you'll see one that says "My Photos." There you can view all my pictures from the museum as well as other photos from Cambodia. To see the museum look under "Phnom Penh - Genocide Museum."



Grace and peace,



Bryant