On to Siem Reap . . .

Today we travel from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap for the last leg of our trip. We have had a fabulous time in Phnom Penh. Shanti lives here, so she and her friends have given us a lot of inside glimpses into the NGO (non-governmental organization) scene.

Our most in-depth work has been with Aziza, a tiny international schoolhouse in the Dai Krahom slums. These slums are being threatened with illegal eviction, so the residents are organizing to take control of their neighborhood. We have been to Aziza almost every day since Kompong Chhnang. Here, we have taught English, taught (and learned) a number of songs and games, and even gone rollerskating with some of our student friends (which was too crazy for words, but I will say that no one got hurt). Our students helped the older Aziza students design posters for their garbage awareness campaign. We also worked with the leadership program, a truly inspiring example of how Cambodians from all corners of society are hungry for knowledge and a shot at upward mobility. Together with the Aziza students, we designed and printed a t-shirt, which will be on sale at Yale (all proceeds, of course, will go to the leadership program).

In addition, we have continued our mealtime speaker series. Recent speakers have included the founder of 'Fair Fashion Cambodia', a socially responsible business that employs formerly trafficked women; a Cambodian who works in international peacemaking and reconciliation; and an American lawyer who works inside Cambodia's Ministry of the Interior.

Now, a few personal snippets:

Natalie Gibney has let go of many of her attachments to America, but she continues to challenge every guest speaker with the same opening question: "What's your favorite football team?" When they don't respond, she pretends they are Patriots fans and makes fun of them anyway.

Even though no one on the trip has lice (we promise), Christina continues to freak out every time someone mentions the word. Christina is also looking forward to being our unofficial tour guide in Siem Reap.

Gabby has gotten over her share of medical scares on this trip. Most notably, we thought she had broken her hand playing volleyball; but, after two $3 X-rays and some magic Chinese oil, everything turned out to be fine. Gabby is now an expert on Cambodia's healthcare system, and holds the group record for most prescriptions. Also, she looks fly in her jingly pants.

Betsy (a.k.a. Pepsi) has charmed many of our lunchtime speakers with her probing questions and insightful glances. She may not be the best rollerskater in the group, but she had a fantastic time at the Olympic Stadium. She has also managed to stay caffeine-free for the entire trip.

Sarah was a dancing machine at the Olympic Stadium. She also founded the famous skipping races at Hun Sen park. Even though she was forced to leave her several dozen pairs of leggings at Yale, Sarah has maintained her perky attitude throughout the trip.

Annabelle has been entertaining the Putney masses with her "talking with her mouth closed" act. (It's actually really cool.) When she is not spending time with Li'l Wayne via her iPod, Annabelle enjoys interacting with children, seeking out vegetarian food, and asking to go to Pencil.

Weiner (a.k.a. Izzy, a.k.a. Wee-Wee, a.k.a. Nannerface) has developed a reputation as the sage of the group. Whenever she has something to say at group meetings, people listen with rapt silence. Usually, the silence is rewarded with a nugget of wisdom. Sometimes, though, she just talks about how much she loves bananas.

Nat Morin dove in to the Aziza community quickly; within our first few hours there, she had already pledged her hand in marriage to several of the older students. Her encyclopedic pop culture knowledge has come in handy several times -- in teaching the Soulja Boy dance, for example, or whenever someone forgets the lyrics to a song from Mulan. Still, Nat starts an unfortunate number of her sentences with "This one time, at Chinese camp..."

Lindsey has been our social chair. When most of us are ready to turn in, Lindsey usually wants to hang out with a new Cambodian friend -- without her, for instance, the roller skating trip would not have happened. On the down side, her snorting laugh is becoming a bit of a distraction.

After a bout with staph infection, Erin is feeling better. Erin is one of the most ambitious travelers here, in the sense that she never passes up an opportunity to go anywhere, at any time. Her interest in the arts has led her to develop a lot of friendships, especially at the orphanage in Kompong Chhnang. Her trip was perfect until her sandal broke yesterday.

Caroline bonded with the two Texan ex-pats at dinner last night, but other than that she has been very patient with her bi-coastal peers. Her insights at group meetings, especially in the last few days, have challenged us and enriched our discussions. She is still angry that she was not allowed to swim in the filthy Mekong.

Though we have perfected a full repertoire of impressions of every member of the group, the Lily impression remains elusive. We're not quite sure what that means. Lily has shown impressive energy and enthusiasm through all our projects -- except the one day she had to take a Benadryl after a parmesan scare. She has also made some fantastic contributions to the group journal. Her "free free free" song, co-written with Kheng, has become one of the greatest hits of the trip.

Barr (a.k.a. the Beast) is the resident dance pro of the group. At the Aziza party last Saturday (one of our many sweaty dance parties with Cambodian kids), Barr claimed that she didn't have the energy to be the life of the party yet again. Three hours later, we had to drag her off the dance floor.