... from Sihanoukville, Cambodia

We’re spending a day in a beach town before heading to the capital and then flying to Thailand.

We’re doing laundry, using computers, and trying to buy clothes appropriate for teaching in a refugee camp with no air conditioning in extremely hot weather. (We have no idea what to buy.)

Already, I have stomach problems, pink stripes from sunburn, and too many mosquito bites to count. We have only been in Southeast Asia for two weeks and haven’t event made it to the refugee  camp yet!

Looks like I’m going to have to toughen up over the next few months. 

Fishermen on a river running through the jungle near town.

... from Koh Rong, Cambodia

After being on a primarily homogenous island in conservative Korea, we were shocked by the variety of culture we encountered on Koh Rong Island. "There are so many white people here!" we told each other repeatedly.

It’s an island with no roads, but gorgeous beaches and maybe a couple dozens place to stay.

It was so strange to see scantily clad people from all over the world smoking joints while naked native children played with dogs on the beach.

Even more surprising, however, was to see people sun bathing again, as Korean women dread the sun like nothing else.

This guy was grazing just outside our bungalow.

... from Siem Reap, Cambodia (Part II)

"Have you guys ever seen a monkey in the wild?" Paul asked on the plane. Neither of us had.

In just one day in Cambodia, however, we saw dozens of them. We spent almost as much time outside Angkor Wat watching the monkey families playing as we did climbing around inside.

So far the best thing I've seen is a monkey sitting on a fence drinking a beverage out of a cup with ice cubes. I can’t help but thinking about how much smarter and more capable they seem than the toddlers we tried to teach English to in Korea. 

Running from a baby monkey like a scared child.

... from Siem Reap, Cambodia

We explored the ruins in Siem Reap with only a couple of minor setbacks.

Just outside a temple, Andrew suddenly shouted out in pain.

"What happened?" I asked, very concerned.

"A coconut hit me on my shoulder," he announced, stunned.

I burst out laughing.

Also, an ATM machine informed me, unsympathetically, that my card "had been captured." The bank employees at first refused to give me card back because it's in my maiden name, unlike my passport. But for some reason, I have my birth certificate here. Upon showing it, they begrudgingly released the captured treasure back to me.

Angkor Wat (of course the first post actually is from a giant tourist spot.)

...about the Site

My tiny posts and pictures from around the world are about the small things that constitute life abroad.

Going to famous world destinations like the Grand Canyon or the Great Wall is spectacular. But travelers spend 99% of their time abroad not at giant landmarks. These 100 word posts are about the in-between moments. The lost-in-translation, the terrible bus rides, and the re-learning how to do everything are what make us new people when we go home. More importantly for this blog, they’re also what make us belly laugh and want to scream at strangers.