Hello folks,

So, it’s been several days since I updated, but I blame that on the lack of wireless at our hotel in Siem Reap. I have to go to Internet cafes to get access, which sucks. I’ve also been busier than I thought I would be since we got here, and kind of just passed out in bed the past two nights.

Let’s see. After two weeks of being dry, I’ve had a few beers the past two nights. They were amazing. It might just because I’ve missed the taste, but the local brew, Angkor, tastes really great. It’s a bit light, but has the good kind of bitterness, the kind that doesn’t taste like piss water. It’s not Chimay Ale, but it’s good.

Odd place for me to start, the alcohol.

Since I’m writing this at a place without wireless, I’m not sure whether or not I’ve spoken about the second concert on the 29th. I don’t think I did, though. Christ, that feels so long ago. You know that feeling where time seems to melt away, and yet when you look back on it, the other day seems like months ago? I’ve been experiencing that sort of paradox to an extraordinary degree lately.

The frame on my laptop monitor is literally broken. As the days pass, it starts to weigh down on the monitor more and more. I really need to get that fixed.

It’s hard to concentrate. I’m sitting in the middle of a bubble tea café, with Vi, Jean-Louise, and John, our former filmographer, sitting nearby. I know what I need to get done (I’m uploading some photos right now), but I’m worried that they’ll wander off. John, especially, I’d like to hang out with.

Right, the second concert. Fuck.

This apple juice is very good. I always forget I’m allergic to apples, though, and they cause my mouth to swell.

Okay, no more tangents.

I’ll make this part brief, since hopefully someone will touch on it better in the main blog. The second concert went really well, arguably better than the first one. The outdoor lighting was awful, so I couldn’t get good shots, but other than that it was great. The audience was not only packed, but attentive, the performances were really beautiful, and we managed to stay close on schedule. My students, Tran and Smay, were once again really great, too, and this time they didn’t apologize profusely for making mistakes. Maybe they’ll read this site one day. I’ll have to direct them to it. Hey guys, if you’re reading this. Hope you can understand enough of the English.

So yeah, after the concert we had dinner back at CLA with all of the students. It was really wonderful. At risk of sounding cheesy, there was so much happiness in the room. People danced and sang, and I took photographs, of course. Kelvin took a nice group picture, though the lighting sucked. I hate bad lighting.

We then said goodbye. What an odd experience. We spend two weeks with these kids, transcend language barriers, make friends and all that, then we pack up and leave, and hope that they got something from the whole experience. The kids were wonderful, though. The farewells were very emotional. Several of the students bought us all gifts. Many people cried (not me this time, though). Then we left.

I wonder how many of them I’ll ever see again. I wonder when.

Those kids are beautiful and talented. I felt honored to have worked with them, even the students I never got to know. I pray that they will achieve their dreams, and I will do whatever is in my power to make sure that they do.

I’ll see them again.

I’m now sitting at a bar with Rith, JL, Kathleen, and Vi. I’m going to go meet John in a bit, along with some old acquaintances, and probably get plastered. I’ve been dry far too long.

Anyway, this brings me to the end of the 29th, when I think I last posted. We got back to the hotel, had an evaluation session, then that was it for the project. Less emotional than I thought it would be, but then again, the emotional intensity of the entire trip has been draining. A bunch of us played a few random games for a while, then one by one we wandered off to bed. I got locked out of my room, but someone else accommodated me. I stayed up late, experiencing one last emotional rollercoaster, the sort I haven’t gone through since high school, and made the conscious decision to avoid. Well, whatever. Maybe I’ll tell you about it in person if you ask.

Then I went to sleep.

Jean-Louise needs to use the Internet, and apparently the bar has reached its capacity, so I need to log off. I’m going to post this now, then update later.

Peace,
-W