continued...

This is a continuation of Jordan's juornal entry where we left off. Please excuse spelling errors because we are at a new cafe bc it is faster but worse keyboard.

I knw this sort of sounds like science fiction, but we saw it all working. The children all looked amzingly healthy and happy, especially when you consider where they are coming from. THey all live in sort of "clusters"which consist of 3 houses which all ocnnect to a small communal outside kitchen. Each house had 8 kids, and each had a "parents"couple who lived there too. The men work on the farm tending the pigs etc. while the women cook and care for ech of the 8 kids she is assigned to. It's not an orphanage, its a home. the chldren all go to shool and have tutors in the afternoon. They are all sent to high school (which you have to pay for in Cambodia) and I'm sure would have no problem getting into almost any colleg ethey would like! Some go to vocational schools. Everything is paid for by donations.
One little girl we met ws being held by someone prestigious from Standford as a little kid when he accidentaly bumped her head on something. He fel tso bad he promised that when she finished high school she was guaranteed admission and full-ride to Stanford!Also, BIll Clinton is very revered there, the AIDS fund he set up buys the medication for every chld there. Not to mention countless others across the world. The couple that runs the place are some of the greatest people I've ever met. THey raised 7 kids in the states, and after the last one went to college they were quite wealthy and successful. They sold everything (They said the hardest thing to part with was their convertible) and moved to Cambodia to do this project. They are incredibly funny and witty, and a real joy to be around. After being with them for an afternoon I feel like they are my own family. THey live amidst some of the most heartwrenching exprinces one can imagine, watching the children they love suffer and sometimes die. But they stay strong by celebrating life. They have to be the richest most fulfilled people I've ever met. A few minutes with them is enough to see how deeply they love these kids, and hw much the kids love them back. Their center has big golden retrievers running around. Every kid has a bike. Ther are mango, banana, and papaya trees everywhere for the kids to eat. hese people hav eput a bit of paradise in a place with so much suffering, you cant understand how beautiful until you've been there.

End of journal entry.


Yesterday was our first day of school, and we met the students from Cambodi a that we would be working with on our projects. More about our projects as we get them underway.

Today's a national holiday comemorating the day that the Khmer Rouge was defeated, so we arent working.

We went to the olympic stadium to see th eparade, but they wouldn't let us in without a ticket, and they said there was no way we could get a ticket.
Just a few minutes ago I read an e-mail from my mom that said they had found 3 bombs at the Ministry of Natl Defense and had advised American citizens to avoid that area, so we are guessing that had something to do with it.

THen we were going to go to the killing fields, but Raina fell in our very malicious shower, even whle wearing the rubber sandals provided. She's okay, but has a very sore back. We think we might put one of the hotel bath towels down and sit on it in the shower (the shower head can be unattached). Any better suggestions of safe, sanitary shower procedures would be greatly appreciated.
We don't want to take any chances of a worse fall and one of us getting really hurt. I guess we could just go swim in the pool...