Yerng Dtoul!

Throughout our journey, that phrase (meaning "we go" in Khmer) has signaled our moving on to a new destination and new adventures. Last night, however, when we said our final "yerng dtoul," it really hit me our three weeks in Cambodia had come to an end. We've been all over the country, built a house and a community music center, swum in the Gulf of Thailand and the Holy River, saw the sun rise above Angkor Wat and set from Pre Rup, and shared more unbelievable experiences than I could have imagined.

A wise person (my grandmother) once said "three weeks is enough." To that, I would append, "for the first trip." I've been interested in this trip since I first heard about it in sixth grade, and when we first stepped out of the airport into the warm Phnom Penh night, I knew I was in the right place. I was amazed by the stories brought back by previous travelers, but none of those compare to the excitement being there myself, freeing a tractor from a rice paddy, riding a tuk tuk through the city streets, or bargaining in the market. In three weeks, we visited a seemingly impossible number of places, but I know we only scratched the surface of the country. I don't know in what capacity, but I know that some day I'll be back in Cambodia to see and learn about even more.

There are a great number of people who deserve thanks for making this trip happen; I'm sure there are many more than I am even aware of, but I will do my best to include everyone here. I can't even begin to express my gratitude to the following people: firstly, Steve Riege, Karen Bovard, and Joseth DaCosta, for being our fearless leaders on jungle treks, in the city, and everywhere in between, with a word of reassurance (or a pack of Emergen-C) at the perfect moment; Arn Chorn-Pond for welcoming us into his home and sharing with us his love and passion for the arts and Cambodia; Sey Ma, our constant companion and guide (and translator, etiquette advisor, negotiator, entertainer, builder, etc.); Man Men and Sinat, who opened their homes and villages to a bunch of strange foreigners; Visal Neang for accompanying us to Siem Reap as a friend, translator, and local expert; all of our tuk tuk, van, and bus drivers (especially Tony, Pealy, Bo, and our other drivers in Siem Reap for rising to collect before sunrise and sticking around to bring us home well after dark); all the builders who patiently guided us in our unskilled attempts to help; all the people and families that allowed us into their lives and gave us an even better understanding of life in Cambodia; finally, my fellow travelers, who braved illness, language barriers, new wonders, and the unknown along with me and made this trip absolutely unforgettable.
---
I'd also like to specifically thank all eight of the children in Poum Chreav for running with my photography project and returning images that were better than I ever could have hoped for, as well as Sinat Nhok, Sambor Om, and Sey Ma for selecting and organizing my photographers and explaining the project to them, and Visal Neang for helping me to identify and credit the images. Some of the photographs taken by the children in Poum Chreav will join photographs taken by children of Khmer descent in Hartford in a show that will be displayed at Watkinson and in Cambodia.


-Will Corban