Friday, April 04th, 2014

Mira Costa School - Way Outside the Bubble: Cambodia Day 1

by Mhernandez on April 2, 2014 in Letters From CambodiaIt’s been nine months in the making but we finally made it to Cambodia.Pre-departure photo at LAX.In those nine months, 17 of my students learned about making documentaries, practiced making some short documentaries, and attended webinars about the history of Southeast Asia. They’ve contacted NGOs on the ground and arranged for interviews with artists, activists and… [Read Full Article]

Tuesday, April 01th, 2014

Westridge School - Vietnam 2014 - March 31st

This morning, we had a fantastic breakfast at our hotel, the Palace Hotel Saigon. They had noodle soup (fish or pork), sticky purple rice, toast, omelets, silky, rich coffee, and tons of other options. The rice redefined sticky: it was like it had been cooked in glue! After breakfast, we met in the lobby and walked to the center of Saigon.… [Read Full Article]

Monday, March 24th, 2014

Cambodia Alive! … Emma Willard School, March 2014

A group of sixteen students and two chaperones from Emma Willard School in upstate New York headed off to Cambodia on a 'people to people' exploration of the country's history and emerging cultural renaissance.First stop, Taipei.We made it to Cambodia, just outside the airport andeager for the adventure to begin!Images of Phnom Penh.Exploring the city via tuk tuks!Our fantastic chaperones!Lunch… [Read Full Article]

Thursday, September 12th, 2013

13 moments of culture shock for the first-time American traveler

MY FIRST TIME ABROAD, I knew things were going to be different the moment I saw my European host dad strip down to a speedo tighter than my bikini bottoms and dive into the Baltic Sea. Cultural differences will surprise you, but you have to learn to live with them to enjoy traveling.When you realize you’re not as smart as… [Read Full Article]

Saturday, April 06th, 2013

Investigative Journalism - Xieng Khuang to Luang Prabang and Home Again

"Thongchanh discusses monastic life with a young novice." We ride aloft in air-conditioned comfort, our safe passage facilitated on a ribbon of concrete threading through bomb-riddled mountains. Scenes of endemic poverty roll by the tinted bus windows like history repeating itself. Thatched-roof dwellings frame the margins of the road, bamboo-woven walls, mud-packed floors.  Barefoot children chase chickens, women bathe unselfconsciously outside,… [Read Full Article]