Reintegration

It has been a little over two weeks since I have returned from Vietnam and have started to reintegrate back into my lifestyle in Canada. The first week upon returning home was more difficult than the second because reverse culture shock hit me like a big Hanoi city bus. However, as time progressed and my jetlag weakened, things more or less started to feel normal again; I don’t know how to feel about this. A part of me feels as if the last 8 months of my life were a dream. A blurred dream, because the memories have now meshed together and the details of my experience are starting to fade.

One of the requirements of my undergraduate program, along with the 8 month overseas internship, is to participate in a two week debriefing period upon our return as part of our reintegration process. I think participating in this debrief really helped me re-enter into the Canadian lifestyle without losing the identity the past eight months gave me.

My classmates and I joined in numerous sessions that required us to reflect on our international experience and connect this experience with our life in Canada. I never understood how important it would be to discuss what I had gone through immediately after returning home. One of our sessions focused on reconnecting with our overseas selves and merging that identity with the one we have in our home country. I like who I was in Vietnam, and I want that person to carry forward in Canada; despite what some people may think this is a difficult task.

I try to stay connected with the people I met by regularly emailing them and Skyping them. I have printed off some of my most reminiscent pictures, and I try to continue some of the habits that I picked up in Vietnam such as walking everywhere. Though my placement abroad is over, I don’t want it to stop being a part of me. This was one of the most influential experiences of my life and I plan on continuing to let it shape my character, today and in the future.

- Madiha

Cambodia

Last month I visited Cambodia with one of my friends. Coincidentally, we both had work trips in Southern Vietnam the same Week, and decided to use some of our Vacation days to do some travelling. It was the first time in Asia that I crossed a boarder by land, and because we took the bus from Ho Chi Minh City, I was able to cross an item off of my bucket list – standing in two countries at the same time! I am aware that I could have done this with USA and Canada, but it just does not cut it the way Vietnam and Cambodia does!

I did not know much about Cambodia prior to planning the trip, but before our journey I did my research and read up on its history... and I was shocked at what I read. In the mid 70’s, Cambodia underwent an awful genocide that wiped out over 2 million citizens and left the country in shambles.

History Lesson

In 1962, Cambodia was governed by Prince Norodom Sihanouk and his Royal Government of The National Union of Kampuchea, which was overthrown in 1970 by a USA-backed military coup lead by the Prime Minister General, Lon Nol. You see, the American army was in the region because it was trying to eliminate the Northern Vietnamese Guerrilla forces known as the Vietcong that were hiding in Southern Vietnam during the Vietnamese Civil War. The Americans bombed the border of Southern Vietnam and Cambodia to eliminate any rebel forces, and until 1973, they caused much havoc in Eastern Cambodia, killing thousands of people and causing many others to flee the country and take refuge in the capital city of Phnom Penh. These events stressed the Cambodian economy and military forces, and gave popular support for the leader of the Cambodian Communist Party Pol Pot and his movement the Khmer Rouge. After Sihanouk and his rule were overthrown, Lon Nol became the new leader of Cambodia. Nevertheless his position of power did not last very long as he was quickly overthrown by Pol Pot and his Khmer Rouge. In 1975, The U.S. troops moved out of Vietnam after the South lost the war, and therefore also withdrew their influence in Cambodia. Pol Pot decided to take advantage of this and on April 17^th 1975, he and his troops invaded Phnom Penh to seize control of the entire country.

Pol Pot envisioned Cambodia to be a self -sustainable agrarian utopia enthused by Mao Zedong’s communist China and his Great Leap Forward Program. Pol Pot then began “purifying” the society by exterminating western influence and culture, all religion, and city life. The Khmer Rouge shut down television stations, newspapers, and educational facilities. They eradicated foreign products (including medicine), businesses, and mail and postage facilities. In the 70’s, Cambodia had a film industry which rivaled Hollywood before the Khmer Rouge’s rule, and after, this entire industry was shut down. City dwellers were forced to evacuate their homes and travel to the countryside. Over 2 million inhabitants were forced to relocate, many travelling by foot, and thousands perishing along the way. During Pol Pot’s regime, over 2 million people were killed from overwork through forced labour, malnutrition from insufficient food rations, diseases, and plain execution. Those who were accused of being true to the old society (the educated, wealthy, and religious) and disloyal to Pol Pot were exterminated. Doctors, lawyers, teachers, monks, artists, and former government officials were taken to prisons and the killing fields to be tortured or executed in large masses.

Pol Pot held his rule over Cambodia until January 7, 1979, when the Vietnamese army successfully invaded the country and Phnom Penh fell. The Vietnamese were threatened by Pol Pot and his regime operating so close to the border, and therefore stepped in to overthrow his rule. However, after the four years of his rule which wiped out 2 million inhabitants of the country, and the succeeding 17 years of his counterattacks which lasted until the 1990’s, Cambodia was left unstable, taking five steps backwards with regards to development. To this day, there are landmines all over the country because the Khmer Rouge planted numerous bombs in the earth and made no record of where they were planted. There are many signs throughout the country, warning people not to stray too far from the main path.

Our Trip

While in Cambodia, we had the chance to visit The Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum which was formerly the Security Prison 21 (S-21). We saw photographs of those entered into the prison, the torture chambers (and photographs of people being tortured), and the jail cells. The place exerted an eerie vibe because 1) we were there in the evening when it was getting dark, and 2) because it was evident that many horrible ways of man slaughter were performed in the buildings and many lives were lost. I felt pain for those who were brought to the prison grounds on the backs of trucks with blindfolds covering their eyes. They were men, women, and children who simply wanted what you and I want – a chance at life – but sadly were never given the opportunity. What’s most ironic is that before S-21 became a prison, it was the Chao Ponhea Yat High School – an educational facility altered to torture and dispose of the educated.

While walking on the streets, I saw numerous people without limbs – results of landmines – and whenever I came across anyone who looked to be over 40, my heart hurt because they had gone through the genocide. They experienced the very grotesque acts of human injustice and cruelty I read about... that I couldn’t imagine actually living.

Thoughts

I cannot believe that four years passed before the genocide was stopped. Was the UN not established at that time? Weren’t they supposed to be the peacekeepers and prevent crimes against humanity such as this? Shouldn’t the UN representatives have stepped in? But no, instead the Khmer Rouge continued to hold a seat at the UN during the course of the genocide. The UN did little to intervene and stop Pol Pot’s massacre, and as a result over 2 million innocent people perished.

Anyways, this has been quite the hefty blog post. I apologize that it is not the happiest, but I think it’s extremely important to become aware of historical events such as these so that we can (hopefully) avoid similar tragedies in the future.

Some Sources

http://www.historyplace.com/worldhistory/genocide/pol-pot.htm

http://www.sussex.ac.uk/Users/hafa3/cambodia.htm

Also, a great book to read is First They Killed My Father. It is a story written by a woman who lived in Cambodia during the Khmer Rouge takeover, and is told through the eyes of her as a young girl. Click here to buy a copy!

Leftover clothes in the Killing Fields. This was the site of many mass executions 

Security Prison 21 (S-21)

This rod was used to hang the keys for shackles that kept prisoners in their cells

Rows of jail cells

We are One

Adam, Nafisa, and I created a video from our three placement countries to demonstrate that despite our geographic locations, languages, cultures, religions, and traditions, we - the people of this planet - are more similar than we think!

Cultural Full House

So many of you know that in Vietnam, I live with a host family consisting of a mother (Nhan), her 15 year old son (Kien), and her cousin who sometimes comes to visit (uncle). Life has been great in our homey little 18^th floor apartment on Hoang Dao Thuy Street, but many times things have been so ridiculous and bizarre that I feel as if I’m living in a real-life sitcom.

Take last night for example. But first, a background story: Nhan (my host mother) loves hosting exchange students and for the past month has been looking for someone to fill my room since I leave at the end of April. I guess with a small family of two, it’s always nice to add another person into the mix. So last week, she filled the room with a boy from Korea who is running a cell phone business in Vietnam.  The boy asked to move in a little earlier, so for the time being he is staying in the spare bedroom until I move out. The boy does not speak anything but Korean, Nhan speaks only English and Vietnamese, uncle who visits every couple of weekends does not speak anything but Vietnamese, I speak English, basic Vietnamese, Urdu/ Hindi, and French (the latter two are irrelevant in this case :P), and Kien speaks a bit of Korean, fluent Vietnamese, and intermediate English, so he translates for us. I bet you can imagine how much of a riot dinner must have been.

Anyways, last night after Nhan, Kien, uncle, and I had finished dinner, the Korean boy returned home and insisted to cook dinner for all of us. Nhan didn’t understand this until Kien translated it after the boy had already begun preparing food. Nhan is not a fan of Korean food, so she jumped out of her chair like it was on fire, ran to the Korean boy, and attempted to explain that we did not want any Korean food because we just ate dinner. Her way of using charades to explain the situation was just about the funniest thing I’ve seen all week; it involved flaring hands absurd gestures, and speaking slow English to the Korean boy who did not understand a word of it (I don’t understand why, when we share a language barrier with someone, we speak to them slowly in our native language in hopes that it will help them understand. It just doesn’t make any sense, but I’m definitely guilty of this too!). Anyways, the Korean boy thought Nhan was feeling sick, so he got her some hot water and made her sit back down, while Kien, uncle, and I just stared with confused looks on our faces.

In the end, the Korean boy ended up making enough food for all of us, which I thought was pretty delicious! So good that even Nhan tried some and enjoyed it despite being pretty full from dinner (and not liking Korean food). Being in Vietnam has allowed me to become exposed to many different cultures as I have had several opportunities to travel and meet people from all over South East Asia, and even other parts of the world (other expats, travelers, and volunteers). I’ve learned so much and I definitely want to continue exploring this beautiful planet with so many languages, foods, cultures, and hidden treasures!

This was just one of the many shenanigans that have happened at home, and I can imagine them to only increase with the new house dynamic! One thing is for sure though - I am definitely going to miss every minute of living in our homey little 18^th floor apartment on Hoang Dao Thuy Street. 

I'm Not Asking For It

Pennsylvania Public Service Announcement Blames Rape Victims

I think the most outrageous thing I have heard to date is that rape victims are to blame for the rape. The first time I heard this line of defense for the perpetrator, I thought it was a joke. But after hearing this justification time and time again – through cases from all over the world – it became clear to me that this sickening excuse is actually what some people use to justify rape.

Oh and I suppose it’s also okay to steal that watch in the store display because of the way it is presented – in an "inviting" way. This is exactly the same concept.   

Rape is not and will never be the victim’s fault; it doesn’t matter how they dress (fashion is a form of personal expression that everyone is entitled to), and it doesn’t matter if they’re intoxicated – it does not mean the victim asking for it, it does not mean they want to be taken advantage of, and it does not mean you are allowed to do whatever you want. Saying the way a person dresses or acts is inviting rape is not a justifiable line of defense and to be quite honest, I can’t believe how prevalent victim – blaming is today.

We live in the 21^st century; let's dismiss the ignorance!

Water Part Two

Vietnam, like most countries in South East Asia, does not have drinkable tap water and since I’ve lived here, I think I’ve used more plastic water bottles than I have ever used while in Canada (even in elementary school my mom used to pack my water or juice in a reusable water bottle). What is most ironic is that environmental NGOs operating in Vietnam often use plastic water bottles, be they for conferences, during trips to the field, or even in the office!

Though much NGO attention in Vietnam is given to protecting water bodies from issues such as hydropower development and climate change, hardly enough attention is given to water systems in the cities and to providing safe drinking water to city dwellers. Even in the rural provinces, people would get their drinking water though boiling and storing, but this has proven to be unsanitary on numerous occasions because of poor storing practices leading to recontamination of the water. Hence, I’ve also seen many rural people purchase plastic water bottles. It is also ironic that city dwellers travel to the rural areas in hopes of bringing about “sustainable development” when in reality the cities are far from being sustainable themselves when it comes to drinking and using water. Because tap water isn’t drinkable, people often buy plastic water bottles in bulk, and because there aren’t any proper waste management programs let alone recycling programs in Hanoi, the water bottles get thrown into the streets or worse, into the lakes or other water resources, leading to water deterioration. In Waterloo, the international development program has been a strong advocate for the environment going hand in hand with development practices, especially for cities. Without keeping the environment in mind, city development is flawed.

Water and sanitation comes from the help of governments and their support in the construction of adequate water management infrastructure; these systems can help achieve access to clean water for washing, cooking, drinking, and managing water waste. But just because there is no government involvement, does that mean the environment has to suffer through our unsustainable use of plastic water bottles? All of this reminded me of a Ted Talk sent to me by my friend Moin last year.

“A man named Michael Pritchard invented a machine, Lifesaver, which sterilizes contaminated water so that it is safe to drink. He uses science to explain the technology. Basically, the smallest virus and bacteria are 200 nanometres and 25 nanometres respectively, and the pump has pores that are 15 nanometres large, barricading any unwanted parasites from getting through.” (Read this blog post to find out more).  

This idea suggests that instead of shipping sterile water from developed countries (for example La Vie, a product of the multibillion dollar company Nestle and a very popular water brand in Vietnam), we should just use the water Mother Nature provides us and make it sterile with Lifesaver. Investing in simple technologies is very beneficial because they can be used easily every day and are not difficult to maintain. With Lifesaver, people can sterilize and use water resources available from their taps instead of purchasing plastic water bottles or risking their health by relying on time consuming and sometimes unguaranteed methods such as boiling. Furthermore, these bottles are portable so that people can travel with them! In south East Asia, I’ve visited about 4 other countries already, 3 of which did not have safe drinking water. Naturally, one can expect that thousands of other tourists in cities with the same problem as Hanoi will resort to purchasing bottled water on a daily basis. If these people had Lifesaver, the amount of waste in plastic water bottles can be greatly reduced! It’s a shame that cities like Hanoi have access to water from the turn of a tap, but that water isn’t safe to drink. Once these cities can move away from plastic water bottles and disposing them wherever they please, they can move towards safer development that is harmonious with the environment. 

Climbing To The Top

Ever have one of those experiences that you wish you could preserve forever in jar or capsule or something of the like? And then when you profoundly missed that experience in the future all you’d have to do is simply open the container to relive the very moments that once took your breath away? Here is my attempt at doing so with words.

Last week was a holiday in Vietnam to honour the Lunar New Year – Tet. 2013 welcomes the year of the snake and to celebrate, Vietnamese families spent the holiday together, eating, drinking, exchanging money, and best of all – not going to work! So four of my friends (Dan, Steph, Heather, and Christian) and I decided to spend the week in Bangkok and Bali; we spent a few days in Bangkok and an eventful 5 days in Bali! Bali... I don’t believe there are many words I can use to describe Bali that will do the place justice. Everything was incredible from the beaches to the sunsets to the views to the people. Last week was also a week of extreme activities! We surfed, climbed Mount Batur (an active Volcano on the island standing at over 1,700 m), white water rafted, parasailed (is that a word?), and snorkeled! Surfing was incredible though I felt something like a rag doll being tossed around by towering waves. But my favourite activity by a landslide was climbing Mount Batur!

We woke up at 130 AM to get ready and left our hotel at 2 in the morning to begin the climb at 3:30 AM. The first part of the climb was exciting to say the least – a little chilly, ashy, and reminded me of a horror movie scene in which a bunch of campers get lost in the forest and start to disappear one by one (yes, I watch too many horror movies...). But as we continued to climb, adrenaline pumping and our anxiousness to get to the top before sunrise serving as a drive, each step became easier despite the upward slope. Once we hit the second rest stop we had passed the morning fog and when I looked up, the dark morning sky was studded...covered...embellished with stars! Never have I seen that many stars in my life! It was wondrous! I almost lost my balance upward a couple of times because I was so distracted by the striking picture of hundreds of white specks against the dark backdrop. I’ll never forget the image for as long as I live.

Occasionally I recall passing areas where hot air was emitted from the earth (signs that the volcano is active); this was pretty cool (and warm ;p). As we got closer to the summit I remember using both my hands and legs to haul my body over the rocks multiple times. But finally at 6:40 AM, feeling mighty and accomplished, we reached the top! Watching the sun peak over the horizon from the top of a Volcano in Bali would definitely go on my list of 5 most memorable life moments. Just imagine it. The experience made me feel like a piece of a great big puzzle in which all the pieces are scattered over cities, countries, continents, planets, and even solar systems that exist; I felt like a small yet significant part of something huge and magnificent we call “the universe.”

Even though we got hardly any sleep the night before the climb, even though I banged my knee pretty badly on a rock, and even though after returning to the hotel I felt like I just came back from battle (as my friend Christian would like to say), I would relive the moments at the top of Mount Batur again and again.

Madiha

We climbed this! 

Yes we did!

Sunrise from the top of Mount Batur - Breathtaking!

Me doing yoga on the beach (Photocred: Stephani Higgs)

Stumbled upon this in Bangkok