Intro

A little background - We, our class, have arrived in Phnom Penh and after a day of sightseeing have embarked on an intensive series of meetings with high level officials of NGO's, the Cambodian Government, and the UN. We have learned first hand of the war crime trials going on to remedy the Khmer Rouge Killing Fields of the 70's, Human and SexTrafficking, and confronting vivid poverty in it's rawest form.  

I just returned from the Koh Kong region, where we met with a group offering vocational training to young men and women, educational support, and environmental consultations for the local people who have been displaced by a Chinese hydroelectric dam project. The Chinese have paid for the dam, claimed the land, and are now proceeding with strictly Chinese laborers, materials, and have ravaged the forest for their "generosity."

In two days, we will turn the page into meditation, mindfulness, and the Buddhist philosophy of balance, and will spend three days in the monk communities of Battambong, learning, praying, and examining the concept of sustainability. Keep in mind as you read these, we are having some fun. These are serious topics, but our past trip was to "Picnics," a campsite in the mountains of Northwest Cambodia, where we were waited on hand and foot with fine food, fresh air, and good company. These venues are welcome relief considering the subject matter and we really have been treated like kings. I only wish I could bring everyone I know along for the ride. 

Enjoy the reads...I got a few done and they are by no means, complete essays...just compiled thoughts as I go. 

Peace and Love,

Chris