Not a lot of dancing.

Wowza.

I arrived in Phnom Penh late on Saturday night and pretty much went straight to bed at the Golden Gate Hotel on the popular Street 278. Sunday morning (my birthday yay yay!) I checked out the hotel breakfast (where I indulged my new passion for thick sweet milk and super strong coffee) and then hit the streets. I took a bunch of photos this morning only to realize I am one USB cord short of uploadability on my camera so the one above is from my phone.

To round out my day, I had lunch with James and Athena Pond and later met some of the social workers I will be working with this week. As a big bonus, when Athena and James came to pick me up I got to see Neth who I met when they were in Cincinnati. Neth works as a receptionist at yoga studio now! Neth shared my first tuk tuk ride with me through the entertaining, bi-polar streets of Phnom Penh. In between, a super heavenly Thai Massage to celebrate my birthday.

Phnom Penh is hard for me to describe. I keep returning to the fact that in the late 70s during Khmer Rouge between 1 and 2 million people were killed. Particularly targeted were artists, writers, academics, doctors, etc.

I start work tonight with the girls at Transitions Global, all of whom suffer from PTSD. I think what I am feeling in Phnom Penh is cultural PTSD. It feels like the culture has left its body and is waiting, waiting to return.

Oops. Gotta go. James and Athena are picking me up in a few minutes so I can get to the TLC to meet the girls. But first, coffee and another tuk tuk ride. More later.