Uncovering the Devastation

January 3, 2012

The Thai Embassy. The next morning, I wanted to try my luck at the Thai Embassy. I heard the Thai Embassy in Cambodia was very stingy about their visa issuance policies. They also tend to manipulate foreigners and exhort bribes from them. I met one person who just got their visa from the Thai Embassy in Phnom Penh. She explained that she had a tough time trying to get out of the building without giving away extra money. I guess, they were telling her that it was going to take four days to process her visa; it usually only takes one day to process visas at most other places. In order to get her visa processed normally, she had to bribe the embassy workers.

I want to avoid this situation as best as I can. Participating in this type of bribery can lead to bad consequences. First, you can be arrested and jailed if involved with extortion. Additionally, you are giving up extra money to a corrupt and flawed system. So since I refused to give a bribe (and since I probably don’t even have enough money to pay for just the visa), I was afraid I would have to wait the four days for it to be processed. It’s a really ridiculous system. I had four days for my visa to be processed but only two days left in the country. It wasn’t enough time. And I couldn’t stay longer. I was required to be back in school by the end of the week. But I had to try anyways and see what happens.

When arriving at the Thai Embassy, I was excited to see that it was open. Thailand was actually on holiday for a couple days for New Year’s. Whenever Thailand is on holiday so are the Thai businesses or embassies outside of the country. I got lucky! I started to think that things were looking up and that I was going to get my visa successfully. But I was still nervous. I sat in the back of the embassy building, incessantly shaking my legs and anxiously staring at the number counter sign displaying the next number to be called up. The odds weren’t really in my favor. Some factors against me included:
 

1. I didn’t have a working permit or contract because my school found it inconvenient and too expensive to get for me.

2. I brought with me this informal-looking document that looked like it was thrown together at the last minute.

3. I needed my visa ready by the following day so I can leave the country in time to come back to school.

4. I didn’t have a plane ticket itinerary, which was looking to be a requirement.

I watched three different people ahead of me get denied because they were missing one or more of the documents. They threw a fit and furiously stormed out. Watching people get denied was making me more nervous. Is that going to be me? So I waited. I waited as the numbers on the counter sign clicked down.

Then, they called my number. I slowly walked up to the counter, nervously clutching my application, horrendous passport photos, passport, and school document. Please just let them accept my paper. I traveled so far and spent a lot of money to get here. I need this visa. I handed the embassy worker my paperwork and watched him intently as he rummaged through my papers. Then he asked me to take a seat as he went into the back of the office. It felt like he was in there for hours as I waited in the back seats, furiously being bitten by wretched mosquitoes. He came out of the back room and called me back up to the counter.

Denied. My application was denied. I didn’t have the right paperwork. The document that my school gave was just a flimsy sheet of Thai writing that had no relevance to my non-immigrant B visa application. Or maybe it did. Whatever it was, it wasn’t enough. I didn’t know what to say or do. I was even thinking about impulsively throwing money at him but I didn’t know how to initiate this type of extortion proposal. I continued to ask the employee, “What’s wrong with my document?” “Why can’t I use this?” “My school gave this to me and said it would work. Why doesn’t it work?” He didn’t tell me anything positive and told me to come back with the right paperwork. But, I can’t. I would have to go all the way back to Thailand to get the right paperwork.

I was on the verge of tears and I stormed out of the embassy, just like the three other denied applicants did right before me. I was in disbelief. I stood outside and cried for a minute. Why would my school send me all the way out here so unprepared? Why would they tell me that this one document was the only thing I needed? I asked my supervisor several times before I left, “Are you sure this is all I need for my visa run?” “Do I need anything else to apply for my visa?” I wonder if they just couldn’t get their act together in time and just answered yes to all my questions, since a negative response would lead to confrontation. Thai people will supposedly do anything to avoid confrontation. I hope this wasn't the case. I hope saving face wasn’t considered more of priority than my time, money, and sanity. Then, after some reflecting, I pulled myself together.

Though outraged at my school’s lack of organization and assistance, I didn’t want to mourn and waste the day away. Since I couldn’t get my visa, there wasn’t really anything else I can do except wait for the day I was supposed to leave. I wanted to enjoy the time I had left in Cambodia. And at least I have this opportunity to travel to Cambodia, despite the troubles I went through to try to get my visa. And now, I have to go to another country, which isn’t bad thing in itself.

Khmer Rouge. As substantial as Holocaust and as recent as the Rwandan Genocide, the mass murder composed by the Khmer Rouge is an incident unfamiliar to most of the world. While trying to break away from French rule, the ideals of communism caught Cambodia’s attention. Thus, communism rapidly swept across the country like an infectious, deadly disease.

The Khmer Rouge and their leader, Pol Pot, wanted to create a brand new society without any institution and hierarchy. He called the start of this new society ‘Year Zero’ and he forced thousands of people to work in the agriculture industry. The Rouge killed over three million people within a couple years. They killed anyone who was did not like the new society and the new rules. They also killed anyone who was educated or religious, to ensure everyone was on the same level and no one would resist the tyranny.  For those who escaped the Rouge’s lethal wrath, they usually died from grueling labor, disease, and starvation instead. The Rouge’s reign ended once the Vietnamese invaded Cambodia. The five surviving leaders of the Rouge are facing extreme charges against humanity and are currently going through trials.

Before coming on this trip, I actually learned a lot about Cambodia and the Khmer Rouge. Much of what I studied in college was about Cambodia and I’ve interacted with many refugees of the Khmer Rouge. In college, I worked at a Cambodian refugee center teaching classes to kids from refugee families. As a non-profit organization created by a refugee family, I was able to work with people who had suffered through the genocide.  Many of them were tortured. Many of them were forced to watch their family members die. Many of them escaped to the States without anyone or anything and found a way to start a new life. Hearing their story both saddened and inspired me. I wanted to hear more and more. Better yet, I wanted to see where it all happened. So, now I’m here in Cambodia, seeing where it all happened.

S-21 Detention. This wasn’t the typical holding center for defiant students who were tardy or a nuisance in class. It was the last stop before death. People who disagreed or even appeared to disagree with the Rouge would be arrested and placed in the detention center called S-21 Prison. This school turned prison was unnerving to walk around. The complex and buildings looked like your typical run down school but once you got closer, it was so much more. It was sickening peering into each of the classrooms, which turned into prison cells. Each cell seemed to get smaller and darker as you moved down the hallway. In each cell, there laid a broken iron bed with several erect fragments of metal, making it difficult to visualize anyone even curled up on such a barbed structure. Each room displayed a picture of the lifeless mangled body that was found shackled to the bed or tossed about on the floor. Some of the classrooms even had more than one cell. The small openings that qualified as cells could barely fit one person. But solders manage to fit several people in anyways.

It is such  sensitive issue, you are not even allowed to laugh or smile for pictures.

Surrounding the prison and the idyllic blossoming garden and courtyard where children probably used to have their lunches were a variety torture devices. Some devices included a post that used to hang people by their feet to submerge their heads into a bucket of water and a restraint laced chair with a revolving drill in the headboard. Lastly, some other prison cells exhibited the mug shots of thousands of prisoners who came through the prison before heading off to the killing fields. The prisoners weren’t only Khmer. They were of all ethnicities, genders, and ages. Pictures of young children, soiled and unclothed, seem to stare back at you with their empty eyes. But you can’t seem to return the glance. It’s hard to look. When the Vietnamese army finall drove out the Rouge, there were only seven survivors left in the prison out the 14,000 that had served their time.

Victim's graves in the school's courtyard

Killing Fields. If you survived the prison, you were shipped off to the killing fields. One of the most visited killing fields is Choeung Ek, located right outside of Phnom Penh. This was one of the most depressing sites I have ever visited. It’s hard to imagine the amount of people who died right on the ground you’re standing on. It’s hard to imagine that people were killed using machetes and household objects because bullets were considered too expensive. It’s hard to imagine lining up an entire family and shooting them down one by one into a pile of decaying human corpses. It’s hard to imagine soldiers grabbing children by the ankles and swinging their bodies and heads into a large bloodied tree (now, called the Killing Tree) or throwing infants up in the air only to catch them with their knives. This is when I couldn’t hold back tears anymore.

The holes where victims would be dumped. You can still find clothing and teeth from the victims in these mounds.

The Killing Tree is a tough place to observe. You become furious because you wonder why they would kill children. Babies and children were killed just as a precautionary cleaning, to ensure that no one will be coming back for revenge. As you walk around, you can see people dabbing their faces with tissues and being consoled by their loved ones. It was more abnormal not to be sobbing. During the Rouge reign, they used to play loud music every night to drown out the sounds of the screaming. But prisoners awaiting their time knew what the music represented—and it wasn’t long until they would be listening to that same tune close up. About 8,000 bodies were found in this field alone. Most bodies have not been excavated yet. The site now displays clothing, teeth, graves, and skulls of the victims to demonstrate the reality of this mass murder.

The building where they keep all the remaining skulls and clothing.

Yeah, after absorbing all that, I definitely don’t feel bad about my visa situation anymore.

It’s For Charity. Cambodia seems to have a lot of services rendered to support the less fortunate. After making a couple purchases at an HIV supportive shop and a massage from a blind masseuse, we decided to have dinner at a restaurant that supported orphans and disadvantaged families. It was the last thing on Bobby’s list to do before he had to go back to Thailand. The restaurant, Friends, was this cute little eatery adjacent to an orphanage that helped teach kids essential life and work skills. Friends specifically teaches the kids how to cook and serve. The teachers and the students work at the restaurant. You can tell who they are because they wear shirts that say ‘Teacher’ or ‘Student’.

The profits from the restaurant are used to fund the children’s education and livelihood. The food was more expensive then I was used to but it was worth it for charity. And it was amazing. There was such a great variety of food that we had to get several dishes each. I was so full and my wallet was almost emptied from that meal. It ended up being a $20 meal each. It was the most expensive meal I have gotten since traveling. I could’ve bought a pretty decent cellphone in Thailand with that money. Oh no, I’m going to be thinking in Baht for a while I think.

A Local Friend. My mom was extremely scared for my life. When she found out that I was going to be in Phnom Penh alone, she immediately called my dad and they both held an intervention for me over Skype. I realized I shouldn’t have told them. They continued telling me that I was going to be putting myself in danger, among other things. I was annoyed and impatient with their constant badgering. So I was a little vulgar in my tone and choice of words during the conversation.

This is an excerpt of the online intervention:

Christy: I can’t force people to stay with me in Cambodia…no one else can go…I’m lucky that my friend is able to go with me at all. He doesn’t even need to go on a visa run. He is going to keep me company.

Dad: How long have you known your friend?

Christy: I just met him today.

Dad: And you trust him already?!?

Christy: I’m just messing with you. You and mom are way too protective. I’ve known him for 5 weeks now. He is another teacher.

Dad: Don’t do that. Have you ever seen the movie: “Taken”?

Christy: I’m too old to be “taken”.  I’m too old and used to be part of the human trafficking system in Asia.

Yes, I saved this conversation. It was too amusing to dispose of.

Since I didn’t listen to my parents (again), my mom gave me a phone number of someone she knows in Cambodia. My mom seems to know everyone in every country I visit. It’s so strange. I had no idea who this person was or how my mom knew her but I was excited to meet someone who actually grew up here. I was excited to hang out with a local. Once Bobby left, I was able to get in touch with Sothyta. So I met Sothyta for the first time when she came to pick me up from my hostel. She is a beautiful young woman with such an elegance and maturity you don’t normally see in a 21 year old . She is in her last year in college and she plans to go to America to get her Master’s degree. She is very well traveled as she has studied abroad in Malaysia and has trekked through many other Asian countries. I was excited to learn more about her.

She took me to a nearby mall to meet up with some of her friends. She knew a good amount of English so I was able to have a much deeper conversation with her than I expected. But I must have overwhelmed her since I asked a million questions on the way to the mall. I wanted to know about her life and what she does. I wanted to know about Khmer culture, language, society, food, and everything else that I can fit in my already exhausted brain.

We all went to dinner and I had even more food. Even though I just ate a lot at Friends, I continued to stuff myself since I didn’t want to pass up the opportunity to try authentic Khmer dishes. After, we went to a popular ice cream shop in Phnom Penh. Surprisingly, I found my milk tea! So far, I have been lucky enough to find milk tea in every country so far. I didn’t expect to find one in Cambodia though. While talking about topics ranging from corrupt educational institutions to Khmer family values, I was in bliss drinking away this milky green concoction. I had a wonderful time with Sothyta and her friends. I definitely learned a lot about Khmer culture and each of their travel experiences.

I went back to my hostel at the end of the night. Afterwards, I realized I missed my chance dancing with the hip hop flash mob on the street. But I figured they should be there the next night. I’ll just try to join in then. I really liked my guesthouse and room. I felt like royalty as it was called the Royal Guesthouse. For about $7, I was able to get a pretty large room that had large regal looking curtains and window panes. But I missed Bun Kao Guesthouse. Free Internet, crocodiles, hammocks, running water…wait…no water at all. It was still wonderful. I missed the friendly, old owner who smiled more than I’ve ever seen anyone smile before.


This guesthouse had its moments as well. It had water, which was a plus. But it lacked electricity, which meant I showered and felt my way around the room in the pitch black. The shower also didn’t drain so my bathroom and room flooded. I didn’t know what to do and it was too late to report. So I waded through the inch of drain water to my bed, hoping that I wouldn’t drift off to sea.