disturbing

Last weekend on my way to the village of Takao we made a stop at the "killing fields." These are aptly named as they are the site of mass graves and the location that nearly 2 million Cambodians died in a few short years. Here is a sample of photos from my visit.

This tower is full of skulls found in the killing fields...full! Top to bottom, packed full of skulls. They labeled them men, women, children.

this is one of the mass graves that has been excavated. there are many more in the area of the killing fields that have been left untouched.

they ask you not to walk on the mass graves, which is nearly impossible because they are everywhere!

how can the mass graves be identified? by the clothes and bones seeping up from the ground this is a picture of some buried clothing along the walking path.

In order to save bullets the children's heads would be beat against a tree until they died.

In February of this year the Khmer Rouge trials began in an attempt to hold those who participated in these crimes accountable. The trials are backed by the UN and unique, not only because they are holding individuals accountable for genocide, but also because they are being held in country. To read more visit here.

The Prime Minister is not in support of these trials, he thinks it just brings up bad memories and will respark civil war. In fact this week he announced that he opposes more Khmer Rouge arrests. You can read about it here.

Marital Communication 201: thankful

The other night after dinner as we were lying in bed Kenyon was reflecting on all the conveniences we have in America that we take for granted...a dishwasher, a clothes dryer, a garbage disposal, reliable garbage pick-up...the list was long and growing.

S: When we go back to the States you won't take those gifts for granted anymore.

K: Technology has definitely made our lives easier.

S: We were afforded those gifts simply because of where we were born, which we had no hand in choosing. We could have been born anywhere.

K: That's kind of unbelievable.

I agree. I still cannot wrap my head around why the geographic location of your birth or the family you were born in to has such an effect on an individual life path. There are undeserved privileges or challenges based on that simple fact. In referring to someone who was given a lot of wealth and opportunity in their lives by the family they were born in to, my friend Angela once said, "it's easy to hit a home run when you are born on third base." Things that make you go hmmm...

Are you thankful for the privileges and conveniences that you have been given?

"refreshing" showers

Each morning I am awakened by a "refreshing" shower. What that means is it is cold, really cold, take your breath away kind of cold. There are days when it does take some determination to get in. But, what I've discovered is these cold showers do serve a purpose in our new location.

At the end of a hot day when I have been sweating profusely and feel like there is a layer of dirt stuck to the drying sweat. At those moments, I find the cold shower incredibly refreshing.

When my mosquito bites itch to the point that I want to scratch the first (and possibly the second) layer of skin off...a cold shower makes that terrible feeling go away. It eases the itching sensation.

Caroline, our host and tour guide, mentioned that back home in Australia she would take a hot shower at the end of a hot day, but she never found it refreshing. She's discovered the cure truly is a cold shower.

So, if you're sweaty and hot and need to feel fresh, I recommend a cold shower. It will do wonders for your condition.

sex tourism

One of the sad realities of our world is that there are people out there who prey on children. children are vulnerable and should be protected, but when that protection isn't available to them, children can end up exploited.

It is hard to believe, but there are people out there who book travel for this purpose - exploitation. there are travel companies that specialize in sex tourism, which usually involves young boys and girls.

There are groups in Cambodia trying to combat this evil. There are signs everywhere like this one. I took this photo on the streets. the advertisement was on the back of a tuk-tuk. I've also seen it on billboards, t-shirts and bumper stickers with the same message.

Last week I was sent an article on the topic. It seems three American men are being charged with the crime Stateside as part of the crackdown on sex tourism.

there are people who believe these stories are exaggerated and the problem is overrated. What do you think? Does sex tourism exist? If so, how should it be stopped?

my desk

In case you are curious what my desk at my new job looks like - here it is. Now you know where I will be spending a large portion of my time here.