Category Archives: Awareness
Ho Chi Minh City with Scott and Cesar
We flew just an hour from Phnom Penh to Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC), but it felt like a time warp. Phnom Penh reminded me of African cities I’ve been to, with lots of large, dusty SUVs transporting NGO workers … Continue reading
The Fight Against Human Trafficking in Cambodia
As we traveled around Cambodia, we heard mention here and there about the problem of human trafficking inside the country–as well as across its borders–but in Phnom Penh we learned much more about the issue. We visited two international NGOs … Continue reading
Phnom Penh and the Khmer Rouge
After a harrowing six-hour drive from Siem Reap to Phnom Penh, John, Anne and I arrived into the heart of Cambodia’s capital city after nightfall and headed out to Cantina, a Mexican restaurant owned by a man from Santa Barbara … Continue reading
Hiroshima and Miyajima
A few days after we’d gotten to Kobe, once we’d gotten our energy back, we headed west on the shinkansen–Japan’s bullet train–for an overnight trip to Hiroshima and Miyajima. From the time we’d started planning our trip to Japan, we … Continue reading
The Great Wall and the Real China
On our second day in China, we drove about an hour and a half out of Beijing to visit a section of the Great Wall. In several places near Beijing, the wall has been rebuilt and has opened more or … Continue reading
Doing a Good Deed…Through Self-Indulgence!
I’ve always assumed that getting a massage is an inherently self-indulgent act. I suppose that in the process I’m helping someone to make a living. But not until we got to Chiang Mai did I learn that I could be charitably minded while … Continue reading
Elephants
Thailand is a land of contradiction when it comes to the Asian elephant. On the one hand, elephants are revered, sometimes religiously, for how they have helped shape and develop Thailand into what it is today. On the other hand, … Continue reading
Citizenship Rights for Thai Hill Tribes
Today we had the chance to meet with a human rights organization that is based in the United States but has offices around the world working on various initiatives, from fighting sex trafficking in India to ensuring land rights for … Continue reading
Information Gathering
We’ll be writing on our blog about social, economic, environmental, human and animal rights issues that we learn about on the way. Stay tuned!