A Day in the Life

So we've gotten some questions from friends and family about what day to day living in Cambodia is like. If I had one word to describe it, it would have to be "entertaining". It seems like every day we are seeing something quirky and new, and it keeps us on our toes. From motos with 6 people on them to every kind of animal you can imagine BBQing on the side of the road (not kidding - frogs, spiders, crickets, catfish, everything), theres always something to see. Well, if there is a typical day, here's whats on the menu:

We get up around 7-7:30, and its already sunny & hot. It never really dips below 85, even in the middle of the night. We usually hop on the internet and get some stuff done before we head off to language school from 9-10. After that, most days we head out to the Shelter where we spend most of the day working in the office or hanging out with the girls. Lots of days we are out running errands for different projects we're working on, so it feels like we're always on the move. By about 2, its up over 100 degrees most days. We get home between 6 and 7 most nights, and its already dark. Sometimes we cook, but most of the time its just too hot! Interestingly enough, Phnom Penh has a ton of great restaurants of every kind imaginable, and at about $3-4 per meal, its usually cheaper than cooking as grocery stores are slightly more expensive than the ones at home. Phnom Penh is a fun city with lots going on, but it can be pretty overwhelming at times to go out and about. You can never walk more than a minute or two before you get hit up to buy something, and sometimes the poverty can be pretty oppressing.

We try to get out and explore the provinces on the weekends. Cambodia is pretty small, but it takes a long time to get anywhere because the roads are small and clogged with all kinds of traffic - cows, motos, tuk-tuks, chickens, trucks, ducks, trailers full of people, the bigger the vehicle, the more right-of-way it has on the road. You never really get going faster than about 35-40mph, even on the "highway". This weekend, we're at Kep, a small seaside town near Cambodia's border with Vietnam. Its beautiful here, and we're excited to try the famous Kep crab for dinner tonight and go snorkeling out by the islands tomorrow.

We love getting to know Cambodian people, and have been so blessed by how friendly and helpful they are. Cambodians have a wonderful sense of humor and are always interested in trying out a little English on us, graciously letting us practice our Khmer, and sharing a smile. Last night, our neighbors invited us over for some Tiger beer and Khmer food - we spent the evening meeting all their family and friends, laughing, and learning about their Khmer New Year traditions. With so many obstacles to overcome, it is such a blessing to see the resourcefulness and positive attitude with which they approach life!

A Glimpse into the Cambodian Justice System

Last week, we had avery exciting opportunity to observe a trial here in Cambodia. We can't talk too much about the specifics, but the trial was against the owner and managers of a brothel that kept a number of underage girls.

Our adventure started with a 7 hour bus ride to the province where the trial was located. When you take a bus in Cambodia, you have two options - ""normal" bus for about 5 bucks, or "limo" bus (complete with bathroom, snacks, and movies/karaoke) for about $10. We opted for the limo bus, as 7 hours sounded like a really long time to go without a bathroom! We arrived and spent some time getting to know the other organizations that were involved with the case. We are consistenly impressed and inspired by some of the amazing people here in Cambodia working for the rights of children!

The day of the trial, we were supposed to get started at 7:30. The judges showed up at about 9. In Cambodia, a criminal court has three judges, a prosecutor, a defense attorney, and another attorney on behalf of the organization supporting the trial. The defendants are then questioned in a pretty open format by all of the above, with witness testimony thrown in. At least in this case, there wasn't a jury. It was a long, hot day (about 40c, or 105ish), and the trial was all in Khmer, so we had to get updates through a translator. The trial lasted three days in all, although we were only able to observe the first two.

One of the things that stood out to us was the lack of consequence for lying before the court. Throughout the trial, it became obvious that each of the three defendants had consistently lied in their sworn tatements and testimony through inconsistencies in their statements as well as conflicts with a number of witnesses. We are still waiting to hear the verdict, and we appreciated the opportunity to be able to observe such an interesting part of the anti-trafficking efforts here in Cambodia. We were also encouraged to see the justice system in action, and are excited to see it develop further into an institution that consistently and fairly serves the needs of all Cambodians.