In Cambodia!

I'm in Poipet, Cambodia, now!  That means several things ....

1. I won't have great internet access from now on, I think.

2.  I get to start working tomorrow!

3. I'm going to take Khmer lessons ... how awesome is that?!

So, to stay in touch, you can always email me, or here is my mailing address ...

Sarah Wineland

c/o Cambodian Hope Organization (CHO)

House 168A Group 01

National Road 5

Poipet City, Banteay Meanchey Province, CAMBODIA

Please don't send packages to this address ... they almost definitely won't reach me.  So if you reallllly want to, email me and we can figure something out :). Thank you !! 

I also have a Skype number that you can call to leave me voicemail: (804) 435-5190.  For now that's all it does but I may be able to expand that in the future ... or you can always get on Skype and see if I'm on (which I probably won't be!): belikethestars.

We crossed the border into Cambodia from Thailand, and immediately there is a big difference.  The people are much darker (they work in the sun more) and it is evident that they are poorer. Most of the people I see were affected by the Khmer Rouge in some way or another, especially in that most of them probably had family killed by them.  The director of CHO himself worked in a labor camp under the Khmer Rouge, as most people his age did.  And many of the families served by CHO are former Khmer Rouge, as Poipet was one of the last provinces to be involved in the civil war.  Pol Pot's wife lives here. Crazy.  But what a neat opportunity to be here. I hope I can be helpful in some capacity!

Also ... I want to apologize to everyone who tried to fit in a phone conversation or dinner before I left.  I was sick the two weeks before I flew out and spent most of the time in bed feeling awful. I wasn't ignoring you!  And I want to stay in touch!