I don't know honey, Kraft Dinner? How about tomato sandwiches? No, I feel like a Tombstone Pizza, yeah that's it, with some Ranch dressing. It's O.K. to dream right? Well, soon enough I guess.
The ancient ruins of the temple Angkor Wat.
The trees have taken over the ruins at Ta Prohm, Angkor Wat. It's surreal and creepy, yet utterly fascinating.
Babies raising babies. Outside Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Probably the coolest picture ever.Yeah, I know, I should give up writing and become a professional photographer...who knows, maybe a combination of the two?Siem Reap, Cambodia January 11-14, 2007
Wow, Angkor Wat. We can now scratch another one off the "things we MUST do in our lifetime" list. A little history...Angkor Wat is an ancient city dating back as early as the 6th century. It is, in fact, the oldest remaining religious monument in the world. It's a kind of "lost city"in the middle of the Cambodian jungle and within the 70+ Kilometer range there exists hundreds of religious monuments, temples, shrines, libraries, Royal Palaces, and so much more. We were completely blown away by the architecture and the enormity of this spiritual niche hidden within the jungle. We spent two full days roaming and exploring the ruins. We started at sunrise and finished at sunset, and were still not able to see everything. Unfortunately, due to the horrific ambush of the Khmer Rouge in the early 1970's much of these ruins are now bullet ridden and many of the sacred heads of Buddhas have been removed, blown up, or shot to pieces.
I find it tragic that in the United States we offer no history about the rest of the world. Only racist, biased and completely Eurocentic accounts of falsified history, but don't get me started....
This trip has provided us with knowledge and experience that no school has ever even come close to providing. Self educate. I have found it to be incredibly useful and fulfilling to read books by local authors about the country that I choose to experience. Our visit to Cambodia, similar to that of our visit to South Africa (a country ruled by overt racist practices under the Apartheid Party until only 15 years ago) has taught us invaluable life lessons.
We feel that it is our duty to spread and share the knowledge that we have obtained on this trip. We will share everything with anyone who is interested ( and probably to those who aren't interested, but that's just me...). The Cambodian people have been through so much I am honestly baffled at their ability to recover, progress as a people, all while continuing to be some of the nicest, most genuine people I have ever met. It gives me hope. Some more history...
The Khmer Rouge is a communist party that took over Cambodia's weak government in 1975. Pol Pot, the leader of this party believed that everyone who has been living "the good life", meaning anyone living in the cities, anyone educated, anyone who can read, anyone who has ever worked for the government, and pretty much everyone else ....should be exterminated and under Pol Pot's reign, mass genocide swept this nation. From 1975-1979, only 4 years, 4 YEARS, the Khmer Rouge murdered 1/4 of the entire population of Cambodia. This was happening when I was 2 years old. Not ancient history right? Do any of you ever remember hearing about this? I know for sure I have never, ever learned in any history book or class about the millions of people, babies and children murdered, tortured, starved to death and buried alive by the evil reign of the Khmer Rouge. Millions of people. Bullets were to expensive to waste so they would use the back end of a hoe and smash the head in of their victims. They showed no remorse and if the Vietnamese didn't step in and finally take control of the situation, the entire population would have been eradicated by these demons. The atrocities are innumerable and we are not able or prepared to even begin to describe the horrors surrounding this most devastating period. We offer only this meagre blog, a microscopic piece of information regarding the genocide of the Cambodian people. If you are interested in learning more, please ask us, or check out the book called "First They Killed My Father" by Loung Ung. This book destroyed us for many days and still continues to haunt our thoughts and lurk in our dreams.
That said, expand your horizons, learn about the world in which we live...TRAVEL.
Love, Sam and Brad
posted by Sam Scholl/Brad Macpherson at 3:14 AM
9 Comments:
Just one more thing to add to the list of reasons to think that we as Americans are nothing but overprivelaged beings who have been harnessed and used as tools,(consumers), to try to rule the world. Most countries are told how to live their lives by their government and We (Americans) are all machines that are completely controlled by the media. The American Dream. Ya know, what is that. It is whatever the hell the media wants it to be. We are told what to desire. We all work our 9-5 jobs and then go out and spend all of our money on products that we are told to bye and don't need and the list never ends. The problem is that most of the items we purchase at ridiculous prices are made by our companies in other countries where the workforce works 15 hours a day and isn't compensated for an honest days work, they can't even make ends meat. Well who gives a shit , I got my brand new I-pod, and my brand new car, and the cool pad filled w/ the cool stuff that good advertising told me to buy. In the end, I'm just a battery. The cut the goverment gets off what I make and what I spend makes them the powerhouse of Earth that can go in and try to run other counries just like they run this one. I can go on forever but I won't. Just some food for thought.
"EEM UUM BOPM DU B"
I LOVE YOU GUYS AND WILL BE AT THE AIRPORT ON THE EIGTH, PLEASE CALL ME COLLECT.
Sincerely,
The Energizer bunny
There are no words how amazing the pictures are and you two have really became photographers *).
On another note!!!
I disagree with the energeizer bunny. I am not a big consumer. I am happy with no I pod and the land line with an 4 year old crabby $20 cell phone. Ipod? Why? To each his own. But no matter how you flip the coin
AMerica is a great great Country and the People have choices!
I know we see it as horriffic in other countries with child labor and 15 hours days.(Sam & Brad can speak from experience) But ask the people there if we take the jobs away from them...what would they do? How about here in the US where people work for minimum wages are they happy when new ways to have machine replace them even when they work long hours and get underpaid?
Life is not fair..but it is life which is precious and we all live it all over the world. SO all we can do is when possible help out our fellow man. Hey energizer bunny
I'll help you with any new charity
program you want to head up since you have such a heart for people.
I hope you do not have an IPOD!")
Sam & Brad you can be our guiding light!
Love Mom
Hey Brad did you get tired climbing those stairs? You both look healthy and relaxed. It is amazing your last destination is
a place your father was 36 years ago under much different circumstances. The scars of war are there but so is the beauty so glad you both could be there.
Love Mom
Hi guys,
Miss you both very much..
Can't wait till you both come home...
All my love...Alex
So Sam still going back to finish your American Education PHD, ABC, 123, or you think you'll hit the world again. Love you both so so much call me when you get to Chicago. Love Lyndee when are you coming to cali?????????? Febuary in Chi town sounds a little chillllllyyyy after a month in Thailand.
Life Can be great for anyone any where it's all about the law of attaction. Unfortunatly we've all been given a whole hell of a lot of baggage from our own personal generations before us. Get rid of the baggage and life can be great for anyone anywhere any circumstance, this is no lie, for we are human an animal whith out animal instinct where rare in the sense that we are taught what is true wether it is or not it is our truth until we get rid of the shit and become the true creator of our lives.
Hey anonymous, I really like your wisdom, very well said!
Mom
Samintita and Brad,
I got your very nice e-mail no worries my love no matter where you end up there will always be an effort to see each other. Plus i think I'd have an great time visiting you in .....There is this new law I learned that really has seemed to help in my life and I know it would help in yours if your willing to give it a try. It's the law of attraction for example if you keep saying "oh my friends or family are going to be so upset with me for not moving to cali or Chicago" that's what will manifest because your putting out your energy,but if every time that thought came into your head you said NO, and instead said my friends and family love me and will be happy and supportive of Brad's and my decsion no matter where we live. You'd be amazed at what starts happening. basiclly change ever negative thought to a positive one wether you believe it or not, at first, and just see what happens. I just tell you this because I love you and you always need to feel good about your decisions because there for your path for your learning experience. There's so much I'd love to talk with you about and can't wait tell you have a phone that we can talk awhile. Isaiah and I are planning to go to Hawaii in April so I'll make sure it's not the 10th-15th. One more word, worring never did anyone any good! everyone who loves you will always love you and you can't destroy someone elses life it's there life. Oh yea I like the bed and breakfast idea. isaiah and i fequently tallk about having a resort. Well you know how much I love and miss you and I'll always be here for you. Lindo whos planning to back to Indo.
Hey guys, it's Ryan here... your friend from the boat trip and dinner way back in Varanasi India!I was just checking out your blog, and I realized I was in Siem Reap at the exact same time as you were. We must have just missed each other... crap! I hope your trip is going great. You guys made excellent dinner companions in India.
Ryan!
http://www.ryannee.com
Post a Comment
<< Home