Hello friends! It is exciting to be on the verge of another 88 Bikes project. I am thrilled that this year's project will take place in Uganda. I have heard so many great things about this country from my peers in the Global Pediatrics Program at the University of Minnesota that I can hardly wait to touch down and see it for myself.
I also feel fortunate that this year's project will bring bikes to children in a part of Uganda, and Africa for that matter, that have experienced such trying and devastating circumstances over the past 2 decades, and yet come out of them, hopeful and resilient. Truly, if any child exists that deserves to cruise down a hill on a new bike in pure joy and exhilaration, it is a child in the Patango region of Northern Uganda!
Once again, the outpouring of support and enthusiasm for this project has been truly humbling. Thank you.
I will end this blog for now, but be reassured that as soon as I finish another book or two on the history of Uganda I will be posting another blog giving a short, concise (I promise it really will be concise this year) history of this great country and people we are about to visit. Till then, may your season be a joyous one.
Nothing like the first blast of winter to get you thinking about... biking? Yeah, biking. Chilly temps swept down into Brooklyn, NY today--inaugurating a new 88bikes endeavor. Last year at about this time, we raised enough money from sponsors in the United States, Canada and Germany to purchase bikes for 88 kids at the Palm Tree Center Orphanage in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. The Moment of Happy has stayed with my brother Jared and I ever since. 3:46 PM. January 12th, 2007. A big truck backs into the orphanage. The kids go wild and ride around the rest of the afternoon, some even going to bed with their bikes.
This year, we're escaping the frigid St. Paul, Minnesota and New York City winters and endowing a school in Patongo, Uganda. This time around we've got 200 or so kids to provide bikes for. You can see many of the kids we'll be sponsoring in the film War/Dance, directed by my colleague Sean Fine. It's playing in select theatres right now. Sean's been invaluable in setting us up with the Patongo school and connecting us with folks in country to help with logistics. We're partnering this year with a terrific NGO working in Uganda: The Global Youth Partnership for Africa (www.Gypafrica.com). Check out the fantastic work they're doing in knitting the youth of the world together in mutual understanding.
We'll be ready to take donations this weekend and we'd love to have you join the endeavor!
Over the last few days I've been pouring through dozens of letters written by orphans at the Palm Tree Center to their new friends in America, Canada and Germany. One girl drew a picture of her and her two sponsors on her letter with the caption: "We are good friends." Another child covered his letter with hearts and wrote: "I always think of you. Thank you for your kindness."
Even amid the bliss of new bike mania, most of the kids found the time to write letters to their donors the same day! Back now from Cambodia and utterly rejuvenated with images of indescribable joy and gratitude, Jared and I have the fun job of distributing the precious letters to the sponsors.
Many children drew pictures of their bikes on their letters and most of them said: "I love you." The outpouring of love is spectacular.
During the next few weeks the kids will receive their helmets and locks, a few of the older kids will begin bike repair apprenticeships and work will begin on a bike repair shop at the orphanage where the kids can learn the craft of bike mechanics and make a few dollars on the side.
The 88bikes project continues to roll and we are humbled by the continued donations. Thank you all.
Incredible jubilation and excitement broke forth on the Palm Tree Orphanage on Friday. The children ran around in frenzy, hooting and hollering as loud as their little lungs would allow. They gave Dan and I hugs and thanked us over and over again. Then, when they received the picture of their sponsor, and truly understood the nature of the project, they all wished to write to thank their sponsors. And so they did. As Dan and I rode the bus back to Siem Reap from Phnom Penh last night, I kept a small handbag that the children had made safely at my feet. It was suddenly the most valuable thing I owned, because it held the letters the children had written the night before in thanks for the bikes they had received. I wish you all could have been there to witness the event and receive the gratitude that was heaped on Dan and I. Truly, this amazing moment could not have happened without your help and support. I accepted their thanks in proxy, and was humbled to do so.
Later on, as it became dark, I sat back and watched the children riding their bikes, smiles on their faces, bells ringing out like Christmas day. It reminded me of the first time I rode a bike, and the joy and freedom that that feeling had given me, and I could see that same joy and freedom reflected in the faces of the children.
And it meant different things to different children. The older children saw it in more practical terms. Now they could ride to school, or to work, or to the market. The younger children saw it as just plain fun, a way to cruise around the orphanage with wreckless abandon.
When I was a kid, my bike was a specialized spy machine, complete with rocket launchers and a jet engine, that would transport me through many adventures around the world (actually just the neighborhood) and helped me escape more than a few tight spots from the bad guys. I am sure many of these children will also establish elaborate make-believe games around their bikes.
I am honored by the amazing response that so many people have given to this project. Thank you. The Moment of Happy was a moment I will always treasure.
Shelo is a teenage orphan at the Palm Tree Center. She is one of the few kids who owns a bike, albeit an old one, and uses it all the time to get to and from class. Without a bike, she would have to walk two miles through town in ten minutes to make her schedule. For her, a bike is not only fun, but essential. A few days ago Shelo visited the old market in Phnom Penh and someone stole her bike. Just this morning she came to Mr. Pole, the director of the Palm Tree Center, expressing her sadness and wondering what to do. "I told her, 'don't worry', said Mr. Pole, '"All children get bikes today.'"
"I didn't believe him," she told me later, smiling, standing proudly next to her deep-sea blue cruiser, parked with 88 other bikes in a neat row in a secure place at the orphanage. "But then when you came, I thought--maybe..." She smiled the most grateful, joyful smile. "And I love the color," she added, beaming...
At about 3:45 PM on Friday, January 12th a buzz ran through the orphanage. Kids started running around, yelling, jumping up and down... what is the world was going on?
Jared and I ran outside with Mr. Pole, all the teachers, our friend Lindy, a volunteer from Montana (and our initial connection to the Center), and Terry and Jim Kellogg of Friends of Cambodian Children, who visit the orphanage often from the United States and support its programs.
The kids--who were excused from late afternoon classes today ("it's just too big of a day for them," said Terry)--were going berserk.
And one word rang out from all their little mouths in a glorious uproar that filled the courtyard and echoed through the orphanage:
BIKE!
Suddenly, the gates to the orphanage swung wide open, and a massive truck loaded to the brim with brand new bikes, backed in!
My friends, I will never forget that moment. It was a scene of such jubilation I have never before witnessed. "Most of these kids have never owned anything," said Terry to me earlier, "let alone a bike."
The bike shop folks unloaded the bikes into the orphanage courtyard as the kids ran and yelled and jumped and raced up to Jared and me, bowing with their palms together and saying over and over, with the widest smiles, "Thank you! thank you!"
All the little faces watched the gleaming new bikes appear. Each one knew that there was a bike for him or her. No one was getting left out today.
When all the bikes were unloaded, Mr. Pole gave the word and all the kids rushed to claim their bikes. We had envisioned a more orderly affair (well, they had, I sort of liked the pandemonium), but the kids swept through the bikes in an enthusiastic wave, claiming their new ride, tearing off the wrapping and hopping on to bike around. I thought there might be fighting and pushing, but no. Everything worked out just fine, and the kids--with Mr. Pole and his staff's help--sorted out which bikes went where.
Then it was every kid on the saddle! From little four-year-olds on tiny, shiny blue dirt bikes with training wheels, to the beaming teenagers like Shelo cruising around on their new rides...
Jared and I hung out until well past dark, laughing with the kids, utterly enjoying the moment and shooting a ton of images and tape. Later, we took a picture of each child on his or her new bike, with the photo of their sponsor.
The kids were still riding when we finally broke for a little celebratory dinner.
When we returned to the orphanage the next day, Mr. Pole told us that around 5 o'clock that morning a cacophony of little bike bells began to ring--like miniature bells in 88 belfries--as the kids took to their bikes right after waking up. "Many of the children took their bikes to bed with them, they were so happy to have them," said Mr. Pole.
But the biggest surprise of the morning was a bag Mr. Pole handed us on our way out. "These are the thank you letters from the children to their sponsors," he said, "almost every child wrote a letter last night."
I was so indescribably moved. On top of their jubilation, 88 kids found the time to write a thank you letter to the special person who bought them their bike. On one letter a little boy had drawn a picture of his bike; on many of the others the kids had written their thank you in both English and Khmer.
We left the orphanage that day to a throng of children waving and smiling, hugging us, thanking us, hardly letting us move.
As we pulled away , the kids returned to their bikes, some riding out into the city, some just riding around the orphanage for fun; I bet they're still riding now...
**
Thanks so much to everyone who helped pull this off: the 88 bike sponsors, the bonus bike sponsors, the folks who donated smaller amounts, our friends who sponsored the helmets and locks and footwear and to all who offered good wishes for the project, help with logistics, or just help spreading the word. That incredible, indescribable "moment of happy" will stay with us forever.
I shot a ton of stills and video and we'll be posting plenty of images soon. We're also planning a follow-up trip in the summer. Terry and Mr. Pole are working to start a bike repair shop on-site and several of the kids have already begun their bike repair apprenticeships, which could lead to careers and a revenue stream for the orphanage.
But practical applications aside, the happiness of the children was the most beautiful gift of all.
Indeed, let us never forget the importance of joy.
It's been a pretty amazing ride here in Cambodia. We've had moments of awe--like walking to Angkor Wat and seeing the complex for the first time... We've had moments of terror--like watching the hotel's wifi signal fade out and wondering if it would ever return--and we've had many moments of real communion with Cambodia and her people. We've climbed to the top of rarely-visited Phnom Bokh, a solitary, pyramidal mountain crowned with an ancient temple; we've explored the spectacular wreckage of Beng Melea, we've eaten tasty Cambodian curry and swatted many a mosquito.
But the strangest moment of the trip came just yesterday when we reached the top of Cambodia's holy mountain, Phnom Kulen and Jared pronounced himself God-King. His first official edict was nationalizing the mini bar. From now on all the snickers and cokes are free. Before the mini bar incident I was orchestrating a coup, but I figured free snickers and coke was probably worth jared's parading around the hotel room in a sarong all day and saying things like: long live the God-King! Long live me!
After you've clambered through your fifty-seventh temple it starts doing weird things to you...
Next week we visit the Palm Tree Center in Phnom Penh and orchestrate our long-awaited "moment of happy." It will be a quite a thrill to see the kids dashing through the streets on their new bikes...
Hi friends,
Week one in Cambodia is in the books, and here are few observations.
1. Cambodia is a beautiful land, both in terms of its natural and cultural beauty, and it is fortunate that this beauty was preserved given the recent past.
2. Like most developing world countries, Cambodia has a serious trash problem. The rivers and roadsides are littered with bottles, cans, plastic bags and all sorts of rubbish. The fact that this is a consistent theme in the developing world points out the importance of basic infrastructure, like a trash collection service, to ensure a clean landscape. But when your daily challenge is just finding enough to eat, then picking up litter is not high on the agenda. I hope this changes as the country climbs out of poverty.
3. Cambodia should be one of the richest countries in Asia. There are millions of tourists that flock to Angkor Wat (the biggest tourist attraction in Asia) each year, and each must pay a $20 entry fee per day to see the ruins. That is a lot of money. The problem is that the maintenance and operating of Angkor and its surrounding ruins is done by a Vietnamese business, which also (surprise, surprise) owns a hotel in town. Supposedly, some of the money from entry fees goes back to the Cambodian people, but if the infrastructure of Siem Reap is any indicator, then not a whole lot actually does. The locals tell me that the money is pocketed by the Vietnamese owners with a small cut going to government officials, and there it stays. On the flip side, the temples of Angkor are very well kept up. They are clean, immaculate and well preserved--something that the fledgling Cambodian government may not be capable of at this point. In this sense, outsourcing Angkor to a foreign company was probably the best option to preserve it. However, I hope that in the near future, as the Cambodian government further stabilizes, that control of their sacred sites will return to the people, and with it, the money that flows into those sites. Interestingly, their sacred mountain and national park, Phnom Kulen, is also controlled by a foreign businessman (and owner, of, you guessed it, a hotel), and not, the people. The cost to enter this park is $20 a piece for foreigners and considerably less for locals. Again, it is doubful that much if any of this money makes it back to the community. Additionally, nearly every hotel and restaurant in Siem Reap is owned by foreigners. At least they provide jobs for the Cambodian people, but it is unfortunate that more money can't stay in the community.
4. A return to Roman times. Throughout Siem Reap, there are carriages pulled by motorcycles. These are called Tuk Tuks, or remorkes. They are the most popular way of getting around for foreigners as they provide a gentle breeze and a comfortable ride from one ruin to the next. However, nearly every tuk tuk is filled with Anglosaxons, and one cannot help but make the comparison between Siem Reap and ancient Rome. But tuk tuk drivers are well paid for their efforts. They can make $30 in day, which is a healthy sum in these parts. Certainly, the boom of tourism at Angkor Wat has been a boon for tuk tuk drivers, roadside stands, postcard sellers etc. Even if the entry fee doesn't go back to the people, at least the money that tourists spend to get to the sites, at the sites and around town, goes directly back into the economy.
Okay, that's all for now.
Hello friends,
I have just completed day two at Angkor Hospital for Children (AHC), and have already seen more cases of malaria and tuberculosis than during my previous 2 years of residency. I have also seen many cases of malnutrition-- some with kwashiorker (protein malnutrition- these are the kids with the distended bellies) and some with marasmus (total body wasting from complete caloric deprivation). Yes, it has been quite an education so far. I am struck by how much the hospital and the doctors who run it are able to do with such limited resources. For example, earlier today, a patient who is suspected of having leukemia, had a bone marrow biopsy performed by one of the residents. The child will then be sent to Phnom Pen where he will receive treatment, if the family can afford it, which many cannot. Procedures that are done by subspecialists in the US are all done by the generalists here. In fact, I feel somewhat inadequate in regards to my procedural skills when compared to these Khmer doctors. Sure, I can do a lumbar punction at the drop of a hat, but ask me to do a bone marrow biopsy and I'm on the phone to oncology. But AHC is an impressive, efficiently run, children's hospital. It has an outpatient department that sees about 200 patients a day. The majority of these patients have upper respiratory infections, asthma exacerbations, gastroenteritis-- not so different than what I see in my clinic in Minnetonka, MN. But a large portion also have HIV, TB and/or malaria (mostly falciparum), definitely not diseases I see in my clinic. The inpatient unit has around 30 beds, and again, the leading diagnoses are: asthma, malaria, TB, HIV, malnutrition, and meningitis. The ICU has 4 beds, and, from what I gather, 2 ventilators, one of which recently lost the capacity to do one of its major functions, SIMV, and is stuck doing IMV solely-- I'd explain what this means, but that explanation would probably be longer than all my History of Cambodia entries altogether, and I wouldn't want to bore the medical and nonmedical reader alike. There is also a one room OR, a small laboratory, a 10 bed step-down unit, and a small radiology suite. Yes, this hospital has economized its space well, and functions on a shoe string- a most impressive feat, especially given the overly spendy philosophy of Western medicine I am used to.
I look forward to an enlightening several weeks at AHC.
Our first item of business upon landing in Cambodia was taking the "Angkor Walk" to Angkor Wat. The ancient temple complexes of Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom and many more compose a sprawling campus of hundreds of temples, shrines and ruins, scattered over an immense area. Angkor Wat, the most famous temple, is just the tip of the iceberg, however it's typically the first stop for the tourist or pilgrim, and it was our destination for this inaugural "pico-pilgrimage."
A few folks bike from Siem Reap to Angkor--but no one walks. It isn't difficult to find transportation to the temples--tuk tuks--motocycle-driven carriages--are so plentiful we turned down atleast a dozen enthusiastic offers to save us from our bipedal explorations... And the time would come when we'd relish hopping in and getting whisked away... but there's just something really powerful about walking in a new country for the first time, especially if you don't have to. And I've often found that the little moments of transcendence usually happen in between the grand destinations.
We struck off from our guesthouse--the cozy, comfortable Villa Siem Reap--in the early morning and walked through the city, following the signs--and the endless flow of traffic. On the outskirts of town we stopped at a gigantic, empty field--a veritable dustbowl overshadowed by a huge billboard. Not surprisingly, the billboard advertised yet another luxury hotel soon to be encamped on the very spot, joining an inconceivable glut that appear to have sprouted over night. If there was one thing that blew us away from the moment we touched down in Siem Reap, it was the abundance of tourism.
But the interesting thing about the field were the kids racing up and
down, from one end to the other, flying homemade kites. We stopped to
watch for a while, then chatted with the kids in fragments of English
and Khmer when they came over to show us their creations. One kite
was fashioned from a black plastic trash bag. The rest were made from
notebook paper, a twig, some twine and an empty plastic juice bottle.I
couldn't believe they actually worked--but they did! And amazingly
well! (much better than those cheapy, factory-made jobs we had as
kids).
Seems kids all over the world have this affinity for kite-flying: in the slums of Port-au-Prince, I saw kids flying makeshift kites almost every day. But I think it's more than kite flying--it's the universality of the creative instinct, the urge to produce something, especially something which enhances life, no matter how limited the resources.
I fired up my camcorder and ran with the kids as they launched their kites into the air. All the while giant construction trucks trolled through the field, kicked up Iowa thunderhead-sized plumes of dust, seemingly obvious to these tiny kite-flyers.
Eventually I made it back to Jared, who waited with our equipment back at the road, anxious to continue the pilgrimage to Angkor Wat, but, as a pediatrician, equally touched by the optimism and ingenuity of the kids.
We wished the kids well and as we walked away wondered whether this field would
be the home of kite-flying children or adventure-seeking tourists when we returned to Cambodia next...
Jared and I are hanging out in a food court in the Inchion airport here in Korea, waiting for our connecting flight to Siem Reap. We're devouring some tasty curry, and, thanks to the generous wifi of the nearby Asiana Airlines lounge, able to jump online. I was just able to skype a dear, dear friend back in New York--the first skype of the trip, which seemed like a miracle to me--hunched over my keyboard and my uneaten curry, with the morning sun spreading across the tarmac just outside the windows... For those of you who don't know what skype is, it's a free service that you download onto your laptop. You can then call any cell phone or landline (for a small fee) or any skype user for free. So this morning I was literally able to pull out my laptop at this little food court, find a free wifi signal, and call my friend. A call from my cell phone would have cost at least 2 bucks a minute. Anyway, enough with the free plug--Jared and I roll into Siem Reap around 9 o'clock tonight. We can't wait to outfit the orphanage with bikes
and dive into everything Cambodian..
Well, friends, the time has nearly come. Later tonight, Dan and I will board the plane for Cambodia. Having spent the last 2 months studying Cambodia and Southeast Asia, I feel ready to finally see it for myself. I am excited to walk the streets of Siem Reap and Phnom Pen, explore the ruins of Angkor wat and Beng Melea, see patients in the Angkor Children's Hospital, eat authentic Southeast Asian food, bike through the ancient countryside, swim in the Tonle Sap, and deliver bikes, and shoes, to every child in the Friends' orphanage. Yes, it will be an epic trip, which may well determine my future career path.
Thank you to all those who have followed and supported this project, and a special thank you to those who made it through my overly didactic history of Cambodia entries. I promise to lighten up in future entries.
Well, until we touch down in Siem Reap, Cambodia, take care, and Happy New Year.
The Khmer Rouge held power over the country for a little under 4 years, and in that time, 3 million people, nearly half the population of the country, were either killed or died of starvation or disease. One of the reasons the West claims it didn’t act is that no one knew what was taking place. The Khmer Rouge would not allow any journalists, or any foreigners for that matter, into the country. At the same time, they cut diplomatic ties with every country, but China. Hence, during the Khmer Rouge reign, from 1975-79, few if any people in the outside world knew what was truly happening there.
It is interesting to compare the cultural revolution of China during Mao's reign with that of the Khmer Rouge. They both emphasized destruction of the past in order to advance culture, along with egalitarian and communist principles. However, it is fortunate that the Khmer Rouge did not take this "destruction of the past" concept to the point the Chinese did. Indeed, we are lucky that Angkor Wat and many ancient temples and shrines that dot the Cambodian countryside, and give it richness and culture, were not destroyed.
The downfall of the Khmer Rouge was its own paranoia. Concerned that Vietnam was encroaching on its territory, the Khmer Rouge declared war on Vietnam in 1978. They were crushed in a matter of weeks, and Cambodia was liberated from its brutal oppression by the Vietnamese.
The Vietnamese sponsored a government from 1979-1989 called the People's Republic of Kampuchea. Then in 1989, they withdrew, and the United Nations set up a temporary, transitional government, called the State of Cambodia. Finally, in 1994, the Kingdom of Cambodia was established, and has held the name ever since.
This new government closely resembles a constitutional monarchy, with elected officials, and a mainly-figurehead monarch.
After the Vietnamese victory over the Khmer Rouge in 1979, followers loyal to Pol Pot fled to the jungles bordering Thailand in the Northwest corner of the country. There, they engaged in guerrilla warfare on the new government until the mid-1990's when Pol Pot agreed to dissolve the organization, and then subsequently died, supposedly of natural causes. But during the years of guerrilla warfare, the country was heavily mined. It continues to be one of the most mined countries in the world, with, unsurprisingly, one of the highest amputee rates in the world. Fortunately, many governmental and NGOs are removing mines, and the frequency of death and maiming from mines is decreasing.
So there you have it. A whirlwind tour of Cambodia's history and culture as I see it prior to the trip. It will be interesting to see how this "academic" knowledge plays out in practice as Dan and I land in Siem Reap in 4 days. Until then, happy h0lidays everyone!
This entry explores the brutal Khmer Rouge regime. I apologize for giving more time and attention to this unfortunate period, but I feel that in order to understand the struggles of the present day Cambodian people (at least, as I see it pretrip), it is necessary to delve into this subject in some depth. I also apologize for spending so little time on the years from 1978 to present, but these years are, again, best understood by understanding the circumnstances that led to them, i.e. the Khmer Rouge.
Battles between the Khmer Rouge and the US-sponsored Khmer Republic (established by Lon Nol) plagued the country from 1970 until 1975. Because of overwhelming opposition to its involvement in Cambodia, the US withdrew its troops and support of Lon Nol in 1973. Without US support, the Lon Nol government easily fell to the Khmer Rouge, who renamed Cambodia, Democratic Kampuchea, though it was hardly democratic.
And here is where the history of Cambodia takes its dark turn. Within hours of the fall of Phnom Pen, Khmer Rouge soldiers went throughout the city, door to door, and forced all inhabitants to march to the countryside. There, they were forced to labor in the rice fields for brutally long hours and under horrible circumstances. No exceptions were made for the sick, the elderly or the young, and individuals in these groups perished by the hundreds of thousands.
The idea behind the mass exodus was to create a communistic, egalitarian, agrarian society in which the wealth of the country would come from the production of food, and on the backs of the people. Education was seen as a threat to the society, and many individuals claiming to have an education or discovered to have one, were executed without pause. This highlights an important tenant of the Khmer Rouge regime; its complete disregard for human life. All citizens were expendable, and in order for the purification of the country to be achieved, many would need to be killed to purge the society of Western thought and connection to other cultures.
Buddhism was outlawed, and God was proclaimed dead. The nuclear family unit was torn apart, with a new emphasis placed on the importance of the society over family. Children were encouraged to report any infraction they perceived their parents to be committing, and were rewarded for doing so. Many children were taken from their parents at a young age and desensitized to torture and killing in militaristic boarding schools. They were trained to do the bidding of the party, and brutally punish those who disobeyed.
Prisoners were shipped to prison camps, the most notorious being S21, where thousands were tortured to the point of admitting wrongs they didn't committ, writing down what they confessed to doing, and then were killed as enemies of the state. But the killing were by no means limited to the enemies of the Khmer Rouge. Indeed, the paranoia of the Khmer Rouge leadership led to many executions within its own party.
It is shocking to me that such a system, eerily similar in its construct and design to Orwell's 1984, could exist without instant revolt and overthrow on the part of the oppressed. But the Khmer Rouge made the execution of those most likely to lead a revolt, i.e. intellectuals and former government officials, their first and foremost priority. Additionally, once the cities had been emptied, and the people placed in what amounted to concentration camps, controlling them became much easier.
One might ask, however, who the enforcers of such a cruel regime were. And the answer, unsurprisingly, is that the enforcers were the original Khmer Rouge soldiers; young, rural, uneducated, impoverished farmers. Those who had been ruled for so long, and who had had their rights stomped on since the beginning of time. These angry, young men vented their spleens on whomever they wished, and were encouraged to do so. In this way, the Khmer Rouge rule was a true reign of terror, bordering on anarchy, but with the exception that a central authority did exist, and did wield power absolutely. In the documentary, S21: The Khmer Rouge Killing Machine, several of the guards from that facility were interviewed about their experiences. At one point, the interviewer asks them how they could have done the things they did. The answer: "I was afraid that if I didn’t obey orders that I would be killed." When asked if they felt responsible for what had happened, they answered: "No. We were just following orders. The leaders were the ones responsible." Sadly, there is still much denial on the part of the perpetrators that anything needs to be reconciled. Meanwhile, the victims cry out for some sort of truth and reconciliation, similar to that achieved in South Africa post-apartheid. The problem now is that the Cambodian Peoples Party, a communist party with many of its members being former Khmer Rouge officers, controlls congress. Unsurprisingly, pushing to have inquiries and trials into the Khmer Rouge reign is not at the top of their agenda.
...continued on to next entry.
This entry covers several thousand years, starting with the maritime Funan civilization, continuing to the shrine-building Angkorean civilization, cruising through French colonialization and bringing us to 1970, and the involvement of the US in Cambodian politics. Clearly, this is meant as a brief overview and not a thorough thesis on the subject. Again, see the references on the previous blog for more information, particularly David Chandler's The History of Cambodia.
Evidence of human occupation of Cambodia can be found as early as 4,000 BC, but there is no reason to believe that humans didn’t occupy this land before then. It is unclear where exactly these first Cambodians came from, India through Burma and Thailand, China through Vietnam, or Indonesia across the sea. What is known is that the first permanent and organized civilization on record in Cambodia emerged around 100 AD, in what scholars have termed the Funan civilization. Descriptions of this society are found primary in Chinese scrolls written by traveling scholars and adventurers, and hence, are subject to some bias. The center of the Funan civilization was near Phnom Pen, on the Mekong River. This civilization served as an important trading port between India and China.
The Funan civilization diminished by about 600 AD, when the Angkorean civilization (the civilization that built Angkor Wat and pretty much every other sacred temple site in Cambodia) came into being, and with it, the first historical writings by the Khmer in Sanskrit. And this brings up an important point. Much of the culture of Cambodia was imported from India. Not only in terms of a written language, Sanskrit, but also in terms of religion. Khmer civilization adopted both Hindu and Buddhist beliefs, and in many cases, combined the two. Indeed, during the Angkorean civilization, which last from roughly 600-1400 AD, every ruler felt it his duty to construct a temple to a patron saint. The rulers felt that without pleasing the deity, who controlled the rain, and hence the survival of their agrarian society, that they could not be successful in their rule. It is then no surprise that religious shrines, dedicated to Siva, Vishnu, and Buddha are scattered all over Cambodia, and are considered some of the greatest works of ancient architecture. Ankgor Wat is one such temple.
Angkor Wat is the central temple of the ancient city of Angkor, which includes many temples and shrines, and served as the center of Khmer civilization for the majority of time that the civilization existed. It was built by Jayavarman VII, who is considered to be the greatest ruler of the ancient Khmer civilization. He consigned more temples and structures than any other ruler. After him, the civilization declined and broke up into individual city states by 1300 or 1400. At this time, bordering kingdoms, including Siam, Vietnam, and China,. were beginning to carve out pieces of Cambodia for their own.
Around the start of the 19th century, European superpowers began invading Southeast Asia. The French took over Vietnam and Cambodia, the Dutch controlled most of Indonesia, including Java, the British took over Burma and India, and the Phillipines fell to the Portugese. Colonial rule persisted until World War II, when the Japanese swept through Southeast Asia and conquered nearly every country therein, including Cambodia. After WWII, the French were given back control of Cambodia as a protectorate.
However, in 1953, Cambodia was granted independence. Its leader, King Sihanouk, an avid filmmaker, stayed in power until a US sponsored coup ousted him in 1970, while, ironically, he was in New York at a United Nations meeting. The Khmer Republic, led by Lon Nol, was established. The impetus behind US involvement was its desire to bomb the border territory with Vietnam, where many Viet Cong were hiding. King Sihanouk wouldn't allow it, but with the new government in place, US troops were given free reign to invade Cambodia, and carpet-bombed much of its jungles, and so they did. Unsurprisinlgy, this led to a public relations and humanitarian nightmare. The majority of Cambodians, especially those from rural communities (many of which were destroyed in the "strategical" bombings) became violently opposed to the new government. It was at this moment that the Khmer Rouge, a radical communist group, led by the European-educuated Pol Pot, starting picking up momentum, and recruits. Exiled King Sihanouk, though opposed to the Khmer Rouge, plead with his people to join Pol Pot and rise up against the Lon Nol government. Many loyalists to the King joined forces with the Khmer Rouge, barely even knowing, or caring, what communism was. As we will see in the next and final entry in this series, this mistake would have cataclysmic effects on the Cambodian people; effects whose reverberations are still felt vividly today.
Before I launch into a short, hopefully concise treatise on the history and culture of Cambodia, let me reiterate my gratitude and appreciation for all those who have supported this project. Despite reaching our 88 bikes goal, the donations continue to roll in. Let me issue a special thanks to: Vanessa Vanhille, Sarah Frenning, Frank Taft and Cynthia McSherry-- all friends of mine-- who have donated bonus bikes. Now, on to the nitty gritty.
Dan, Nick and I decided a few days ago that it would be nice to publish a post or two about the history of Cambodia and its role in the world. We figured that if you were anything like us prior to this project that you probably don't know a whole lot about this little country. I am sorry to say that before this project was conceived I wasn't even sure in which part of Asia Cambodia resided. I am happy to say that this has been rectified. In fact, since mid-October, I have read extensively on Cambodia, and watched several movies about Cambodia. My references, and recommended readings and viewings are:
The History of Cambodia By David Chandler, Khmer: the Lost Empire of Cambodia, A Concise history of South East Asia By Mary Heidhues, and the films The Killing Fields and S21: The Khmer Rouge Killing Machine. Keep in mind that Chandler's book is the definitive text on the subject, and that the films are not for the faint of heart.
This post will be divided into 3 parts, due to length. I apologize if it is too dry or academic. All I can say in my defense is that there is a good reason that Dan writes books and makes movies while I diagnose and treat disease. And ne'er the twain shall meet. And with that, on to the introduction.
Introduction: Cambodia is a magical land with an ancient history rich in culture and sophistication and a recent history equally terrible in bloodshed and destruction. I find the genocide of 3 million Cambodians by the Khmer Rouge in the space of a little less than 4 years (1975-78) one of the greatest human tragedies in history. This is equally disturbing since this holocaust occurred in my lifetime, and under the auspices of the great peacekeeper and equalizer, the United Nations. But it goes to show you that one evil dictator, when given the right (or rather, wrong) set of political circumstances can wreak incredible havoc.
Apart from the horrible human rights tragedy, is the tragedy of the land. Cambodia is one of the most beautiful countries in the world. It is flat in the middle like a pancake, and bordered by mountains and thick tropical rainforests. Elephants, tigers, rhinoceros are indigenous here. There are lush waterfalls, and spectacular vistas. There are even freshwater dolphins. But after years of war, carpet bombing by the US, land mining of sacred sites, and clearcutting, Cambodia has lost much of its natural splendor, though by no means all. There are still lush rainforests and spectacular waterfalls, and rhinoceros, elephants and tigers still roam some of the jungles. This is thanks in large part to the presence of several national parks that are scattered around the country. It is these natural wonders, along with the many ancient temples, like Angkor Wat, that have drawn visitors from around the world. It is likely that tourism must, and will, form the backbone of economic recovery for Cambodia for the next few years.
And so, in introduction let me say that I am really excited to visit this resilient country, and dump some of my American dollars into its economy. I am proud to have the opportunity to use my expertise and knowledge to serve a people who have suffered so much, but who have also come so far in so few years. And in some small way, I wish to make amends for the deception and harm that my country inflicted on Cambodia over the past 50 years.
The next part in this series will focus on the early history of Cambodia from 4000 BC to 13oo AD.
Hello friends. The response to 88 bikes has been phenomenal. Thank you to all who contributed and to all who dropped an encouraging email. I am still getting emails from people who want to contribute, despite not being able to donate a bike. Generosity, as an essential human characteristic, is, indeed, alive and well. In preparation, I have finished reading The History of Cambodia by Chandler, and have watched The Killing Fields, both of which I would recommend for someone wishing to learn more about the people and culture of Cambodia. On the medical front, I have borrowed a tropical medicine handbook from my good friend, Dr. Beth Kutzbach, and will be borrowing some ear speculums, tongue depressors and disposable gloves from St. Paul Children's hospital. Thanks again, everyone!
Thanks to all of your efforts, 88 kids at the Palm Tree Institute in Phnom Penh, Cambodia will have bikes. Jared, Nick and I are astounded by how quickly this came together. We went live Monday night and starting telling a few friends about this Tuesday. I thought when we kicked this off that there might actually be an element of suspense--WILL THE KIDS GET THE BIKES IN TIME?--no suspense here, the unbelievable generosity of folks from coast to coast put this game away in the first quarter.
So, the 88bikes are taken care of, but please feel free to donate if you'd like to continue to support the project. All donations continue to go directly to Friends of Cambodian Children. Your additional donations will go toward tires, tubes, tools and other bike supplies as well as supporting the kids in establishing a bike shop at the orphanage where they can fix their own bikes and the bikes of others, generate income and become self-sufficient. Soon we'll revise the weblink to allow for donations of any sum. As before, you will receive a receipt from Friends of Cambodian Children, a 501c3 charity, and we'll add your name to the list on the website, which could just keep expanding ad infinitum.
So, thanks everyone! It really is heart-warming to see how quickly folks responded to a simple desire to give a few kids the pleasure of owning a bike.
As we're cruising on in from the 88bikes bike-drive, I wanted to introduce you all to a great friend and the spiritual advisor, technical alchemist and behind-the-scenes superstar of 88bikes--my friend Nick. In addition to Jared and I, Nick is the third, invaluable component of the 88bikes team. When faced with the dilemma of 2 bikes for 88 kids, it was Nick's idea to orchestrate a grassroots campaign seeking individual sponsors--a stroke of fun-filled genius that happened a mere week ago over salad at Cafe Miro in Soho. Nick designed the site and programmed everything, came up with the nifty logo and plugs in everybody's name to the list. Nick bought the first bike and got the ball rolling. You'll be hearing from Nick from time to time on the 88bikes blog. He'll be holding down the fort here in New York while Jared and I are in Cambodia (in between jaunts to Rio, Spain and the West Coast for his many ventures.) Nick's an inventor, visionary, optimist and father--and has asked for a bike for Christmas from his wife Pam. C'mon, Pam, Nick needs a bike too. Nick lives in Brooklyn, and frequently asks me to babysit his twin boys Ben and Alex. I don't mind babysitting, partially because I like the kids and partially because among Nick's many talents, he's also a fantastic chef.
Check out Nick's blog at www.agencybyothers.com
With the overwhelming response to 88bikes, we've been scrambling to figure out what we're going to do once the counter hits "0". There is certainly no lack of need, especially in countries like Cambodia, so what we're thinking is this: After the 88 bikes are gone, which should happen sometime tonight or tomorrow, we'd like to invite anyone who would still like to contribute, to do so with a sum of their choice. The money will be used to further the 88bikes project, providing for things like repair tools, bike lights and extra tires. Any further contributions will also be used to help make the kids self-sufficient in developing an on-site bike shop at the orphanage. The kids will be able to fix their own bikes, and make money fixing the bikes of others. Jared and I will continue to work directly with Palm Tree Center and Friends of Cambodian Children to help things along. As always, all contributions are fully tax deductible and go straight to Friends of Cambodian Children.
Again, thanks to EVERYONE who has donated a bike or simply dropped a kind email or phone call. We are seriously blown away and inspired by the response, and it has made this holiday season one of the happiest and most memorable of our lives.
My other brother Micah forwarded this description of the trip to a few of his pals. I thought it was pretty funny, so I included here...
There's a concrete ditch that cuts through the rural/urban pastiche of fields, ragged dirt roads, clumps of orphaned trees and crumbling infrastructure that define the outskirts of Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Once upon a time it might have been a river, shady and clear--those times are gone.
Walking along a barren dirt road with Junior and ten or eleven other Port-au-Prince streetkids, we suddenly cut off down a steep slope, descend through a scanty wood and end up at the ditch. The kids start tearing off their clothes. They can't be serious. But they're more than serious--they're giddy.
As they leap into the water I cringe. I see a trashed-out urban park married to the LA river in miniature. But the kids see a swimming hole worthy of any boy or girl from Indianapolis to Siem Reap. On the lip of a pool one little fellow leans back and does a front flip into the water. Everyone laughs. Another little fellow magically produces a tiny oval of soap, about the size of a skipping rock. And he soaps his head and hands and arms, then splashes off and turns to me and grins and says: "Ahh!" Clean.
My favorite thing to do when traveling--be it across town or across a continent--is to find these little pockets of transcendence. For it seems that the essence of happiness is sensing the beauty in the overlooked, finding meaning in the mundane, expecting enlightenment in the unexpected.
Now when I think about that swimming hole my heart rushes with the same sensation I get when seeing the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. Strange as it sounds, both are beautiful to me. It's just the way it is.
For me, meaningful travel is watching the world as you see it transform based on how another sees it. Without those kids, the swimming hole would just be another sad reminder of Haiti's troubled past. With the kids, it's an imperial spa.
I'm hoping Jared and I find a few places like this during our journey through Cambodia--but I'm sure we will. How could we not? And maybe that's why we wanted to leave the kids we meet and work with something that has enriched our many journeys. I know when I swing my leg over the saddle of my mountain bike, my world transforms. It's been this way since I explored the endless wonderland that was Ames, Iowa as a 5-year-old. Hop on that bike, little fellow, and watch the world unfold. Any place becomes a magic place--no matter what's going on around you. And losing yourself to the road is as simple as a turn of the pedals.
Every kid should have a bike.
Everytime I glance down at my 88bikes email account it just blows my mind. Folks have donated from Pennsylvania, DC, Florida, New York, New Jersey, Utah, Washington, Oregon, California, Iowa, Indiana, Virginia, Minnesota... and the bikes are flying out of here! I can't wait for you all to see the look on those kids' faces when we pick up their bikes. I've learned from the the folks running the Palm Tree Center that not only will a new bike generate a wave of happiness with the kids, it will also make it far easier for them to get to school and to find work. Bike as panacea? Hmmmm. There's a thought of turning one part of the center into a bike repair shop, where the kids can earn a little cash fixing up bikes. We're working right now to find apprenticeships at other area bike shops for a few of the kids, who will provide upkeep around the center and train their friends. It's a bike revolution! Glorious! stay tuned to see how this develops... very excited about this one.
...no doubt, Minnesota has been the early pace setter in this bike race... but Jare, you boast too soon! Wait until the New York onslaught smashes into 88bikes sometime around midnight tonight and sends a wave of NY NY NY NY down the list! Thank you, noble midwesterners--and everyone else, from coast to coast-- for your generosity! the response has been inspiring, electrifying. Like Jared mentioned in the previous post, we just initiated this little "bike-raiser" a day or so ago and it's wonderful to see folks join in!
The website has been up for a little over a day and already, and unsurprisingly, the Minnesota contingent is far outstripping the rest of the country in the race to sponsor bikes. Thank you to all my friends in the residency program, the Rovers outdoors club, and all those connected to them. This is the funnest project I've been involved in since True Fans. I can hardly wait to touch down in Siem Reap and start the adventure.
Experience Designer, Inventor, Social Marketing Enthusiast and Mobile Entrepreneur.
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