Study Abroad in Cambodia
by Dani Cichon, Nursing Student

Our first experience with the “Russian Market” can only be described as… overwhelming. Overwhelming in the way of smells (some delicious, some too bad to even put into words), colors, shouts of “Miss, you want something? You want something?”, feelings of anxiety when struggling to bargain…just overwhelming. But the good, this-is-so-different-but-awesome kind of overwhelming! Plus, Dr. Taplin knew the places to go, and hooked us up with “the silk lady,” “the silver lady,” and “the gold lady.” It’s safe say that most of us had a lot less money and space in our carry-on bags afterwards. But who can resist a silk scarf being sold for $2? After a few hours there, we headed back to the hotel to prepare medical supplies that would be taken to Sonja Kill hospital in Kampot.  Later, we went to a Khmer restaurant and feasted on dishes such as fish amok, striped snakehead, and fried ice cream. With the sounds of Chapey music playing in the background (traditional Khmer dance/ceremony music) and the help of a makeshift crown and corsage made out of balloons, we also celebrated Sarah Hintz’s twenty-first birthday there.

The night finished with many group members receiving well-earned massages, and the rest getting what was probably our first full night of sleep since before the trip began.

Study Abroad in Cambodia
by Cassie Scott, Nursing Student

To begin this adventure, we started our day having Dr. Taplin and Mrs. Morse show us around Phnomh Penh which is where we will be living out of the majority of our trip. It also gave us our first dose of what the Cambodian heat would do to us. We got to see such sights such as the Royal Palace, the Tonle Sap river, and many of the surrounding stores. This was also our first dose of the Cambodian culture and interactions with the Khmer people. We happened to arrive during a national holiday, the King’s birthday which meant that most of the city was in celebration mode. We passed by the Prime Minister’s motor escort twice during our city tour. We took our first tuk tuk ride back from this walking tour which was an adventure. That was nerve wracking since Cambodian traffic has no rules and you feel as if everything is going to hit you, but overall a great experience. It’s a good way to watch the people interact in the city while getting a nice breeze to cool you off for a few minutes. Continue reading →