My home... let me speak of my home. It is a spacious place, complete with gorgeous flowering plants, a meowing cat, and a full size fridge! Though owned by a young couple, it is clear that their three little kids run this nesting ground of insects. They jabber on at breakfast and lunch, spur impromptu soccer sessions post snacktime and beg for bedtime stories after dinner. Questions stream forth from their mouths like mist from a waterfall. "What are you doing?" "Where are you going?" "Will you read to me?" Are just a few of the daily interrogation sessions I receive. We play monsters, blocks, and toys together. Some days we even teach each other new yoga moves, but mostly we fetch water for one another and sit beneath the cool breeze of the ancient metal fans. Of course toys, books, and Dora videos lay strewn about the living room at intervals of the day but it's all good fun. They call that interactive play, apparently it's good for learning. Daytime is pleasant. 
Bedtime is not. Bedtime is when the night crawlers come out. When in the stillness one can hear both the serenading crickets and those pesky termites chomping the wooden closet to mush. Spiders crawl wherever they please, millipedes greet me for morning showers, and my room recently became the safety nest for a gecko mother to give birth to wee ones. Ants in Korea were few and far between, only a slight nuissance cleared by the simple removal of trash. Here the ants smell dinner cooking and at times attack even before preparation is complete. They are nasty little buggers and will even bite when threatened. Biting is ok, but if they pee on you (yes odd I know) it burns like acid and literally leaves a slight wound in the cutanious territory that was "marked". Somedays these things are funny, but more often then not they are uncomfortable. Yet it feels like it, that is to say life, should be more that way; that nature should weave its way in and out of our days rather then sterile homes void of natural excitement.
For better or for worse, this is my Cambodia home.

Ghost Town

Ghost towns are strange eery places. They are not where you want to be usually because something has happened or is about to. Impending disaster or frightful terrors lurk aroung the corner. So why did I choose to stay in the empty and still town of Phnom Penh during Khmer New Year? Well... I wanted to practice riding a moto! Ok, also to save money and cement my bearings of the city while everyone else hopped on motos, bus', planes and trains to return to their home provinces to celebrate. Sure it would have been fun to accept my new teaching assistant's offer to accompany her out to the countryside for dancing, eating and chatting but being the only barang (foreigner) was less appealing then a moto jaunt.

So amidst the deserted streets of the city, Adam instructed Abi and I on how to start, stop, and switch gears on our motorized ponies. Of course this all sounded familiar to my dad instructing me on how to do likewise on a quad, only that had four wheels... not two. Two wheels means one must be far more attentive to potholes, gravel, and corners. The worst of the two wheel balancing act were the round-a-bouts, but after a little practice Abi and I took reign of the surrounding ten blocks. Basics of moto-riding have been conquered, yet the next is to try when there is the usual PP mad dash traffic. Where tuk-tuks putt alongside of overburdened semi-trucks (a junior version of stateside ones) while cars battle to sway away the pesky moto-flies that cut off a normally free right hand turn, truly this is a challenge to be won. It is all just a daily reminder to be thankful for the moments in life you are given. Just make sure if you ever come to Phnom Penh make sure to wear a helmet when riding a bike or moto. Safety first!

Kampuchea Questions

The following are just a few questions one might ask themselves or traveling companions when in Phnom Pehn. Most are quite apt for all of southeast Asian travel, some are specifically Cambodia.
"Did you see that?!"
"Loot at how many people they fit in that trailer."
"Do they always pile garbage on the street like that?"
"Why is that old man exposing his belly?"
"What is that cloth on that woman's head?"
"Did you know Angry Birds was such a fashionable trend?"
"Is it always going to be this hot?"
"Is this country Muslim, what is that noise over the loudspeaker, a call to prayer?"
"How is that woman sitting sideways on that motorcycle?"
"Was that really a Range Rover next to the railroad tracks?"
"Do people really live in those tin shacks?"
"Why is that fish sitting in a basket in the sun? Won't it turn rancid?"
"I see the washing machine, but where is the dryer?"
"Where are we?"
"How did they fit two adults and four kids on that vespa?"
"What are those squiggly swirls? Are those letters?"
"I'm covered in sweat, how can it be so muggy?"
"Where can we get water?"
"What is that smell?"
"Is it always time for a smoke break?"
"Where is the waiter?"
"Do you have air-con (air conditioning)?"
"How much for tuk-tuk ride to Wat Phnom?"
"What are people wearing long sleeve shirts?"
"Why is that river brown, moreover why are people fishing in it?"
"What is that prickly fruit? It smells bad."
"Is that meat in the glass case really safe to eat?"
"How much for this?"
"Did you know coffee could be this strong and sweet?"
"What are we eating?"
"Where is the Russian Market?"
"Is this what dehydration feels like?"

How to Choose an Anti-trafficking Organization

As many anti-trafficking organizations are popping up all over the world, it's quite easy to lump them all together; however, not all should be equally weighted. Particular organizations focus on raising awareness on a local and national scale, others work on research and legislation, some focus on rescue of victims, others work on criminal justice for the victims, and some focus on rehabilitation of rescued victims. Most of these organizations are filled with passionate and well educated individuals working tirelessly for the cause that has been written upon their hearts; so if they all do great things, which should you support? First, be aware of the focus of the organization, does it match what you are most passionate about? Second, know where the organization allocates its funds; what percentage goes to staff, overhead costs, projects, networking, etc... Check out the financial transparancy of the organization, which is usually linked to the NGO's website. Third, do you want to invest locally or globally? Fourth, talk to someone from the organization. Ask questions, be informed! Your investment should be well researched, just like your stock options.
For years, I have been following the growing networks of anti-trafficking organizations. After participating in Seattle based events and collaborations on raising awareness for trafficking, I felt the need to exprience a more hands on experience by working in Southeast Asia. While working at The Garden of Hope in Northern Thailand, I began to tangibly recognize Southeast Asia was a hotspot for trafficking, largely because of the societial view that women are second class citizens and children are valued less then women. There is even an old Khmai (Cambodian) proverb that states, "Men are gold, women are cloth." With all of this in mind, I have now chosen to invest my next year volunteering at Chab Dai, a Cambodia based NGO.
In 2005, Chab Dai, which means “joining hands” in Khmer, began work in Cambodia. "Chab Dai aims to bring an end to trafficking and sexual exploitation through coalition building, community prevention, advocacy and research. In addition to our office in Cambodia, the vision of Chab Dai has been expanded into the USA and Canada," reads their vision statement. Chab Dai is well respected nationally and internationally, for their dedication to coalition building (uniting organizations by acknowledging set standards), researching issues and resourcing organizations with up to date information, advocating and initiating prevention measures for at risk populations, and establishing effective aftercare methods.
Over the next year, I would appreciate your support and prayers. While volunteering in Southeast Asia is exciting, it can also be emotionally draining at times. I am excited to see what this year will hold and am forever grateful for your partnership with me during this time.

If you would like to support my partnership with Chab Dai click here: http://www.chabdai.org/sanstad.html

Body Awareness: Helpful Hint for a Yoga Beginner

Have you gone to a yoga class or two at your local gym, or tried a free online class, or a yoga video at home but still didn't get it? Don't worry! You have already done the hard part by mustering the courage to try.
As much as your mind may say "I need to look like the instructor in this pose," it is not always true. Each one of our bones are shaped differently thanks to genetics and diet. Muscles just like our bones are the same, one side may be larger or smaller then the other due to diet, exercise, injury or repetative motion (such as a baseball pitcher with an overworked right arm). If you don't already know what are the areas in which you hold pain or tension in your body? These generally will be the areas that are overworked and need to be addressed to further your yoga practice. Do you sit in an office all day hunched over a computer? Chances are your downward facing dog pose will be challenging, yet it will also help bring release to that tension.
Write a mental list of these areas and check how they feel when you take your next yoga class. Also, when you see the super flexible instructor or yogi neighbor attempting Mermaid pose don't give into the feeling of competition, remember your body is structured differently. Listen to what it says!

Take some time to try an at home practice to test your body awareness. Doing a slow, breath filled practice at home will allow your body to relax in a comfortable setting without the pressure of following a class pace. Take a few sun salutations to get started http://www.yogasite.com/sunsalute.htm) and then move into Warrior I or Warrior II. (You may choose other poses that are challenging to your practice, if you don't remember which ones or would like to see other variations check out: http://www.yogajournal.com/poses/finder/browse_categories). With your new body awareness in mind, try to relax. Don't force your body into a position it is not ready for. Listen when your muscles feel they are being stretched beyond a comfortable position, stop and come out of or lessen the pose. Breathe here and allow those tense muscles to renew its oxygen supply. Then go back into the pose slowly. Taking these steps will help you dig deeper into the tough poses.

When you have completed your home class take time to see what feels different in your body before rushing to your next project. Ask yourself what feels different and what did you learn? Slowly answer these questions and rest in your rejuvanated body. The best part of yoga is the mental and physical clarity after finishing your practice! Relish in it!

Transitions

Now that my yoga course is completed, I will be heading to Cambodia. Prior to my time on Koh Pha Ngan, I visited Cambodia to interview for an internship with Chab Dai, an anti-trafficking organization based in Phnom Penh. The interview in January went splendidly and over the past few months we have been working out the details of my involvment. As it stands now, I will be working with the communications team, helping to streamline the materials they publish and editing stories written by nationals. It is exciting to finally have the chance to work with such a well respected anti-trafficking organization.

During my time in Cambodia, I will also be networking with other organizations to offer yoga therapy for victims of trafficking and for caregivers. Why does it help victims? Yoga has been used in many cases to help victims of trauma regain self-confidence and physical strength. Yoga can also help victims to regain their voice by allowing past trauma to move through them, rather then continuing to hold it in bodily form. So, why help caregivers? Caring for others requires a great deal of time and attention, most people who do this give selflessly and can easily burn out. Yoga is a means of softening and listening to your body, allowing the caregivers a safe space where they too can work through physical and emotional stress.

I have to say a big thank you to all of the yogis from my Virajati teacher training course that donated their yoga mats and blocks to get this project underway. You all are yoga superstars in my book!

Officially a Yogi

After two months of hard work, I am officially a Alliance Certified yoga instructor. These three hundred hours of training have filled my brain with proper allignment cues, meditation practices, massage and muscle manipulation techniques. Planning classes seems to flow naturally from within; as I've learned to focus on building the weaknesses and expanding the strengths of the class participants. So if you want to see how yoga can expand your mind, ease bodily pain, and rejuvenate your energy take some time to practice with me!