Hi! This is Lucy, a sophomore at Cornell University majoring in Global Development. Today is January 5, 2024, my fourth day in Cambodia. Different from yesterday’s emphasis on historical heritage, today we focused mostly on how laborers and workers are organized in contemporary Cambodia. Our morning journey led us to the American International Center for Read More…

When I started the program in Cambodia, I didn’t know what to expect. But what I didn’t expect was the formation of relationships with my fellow peers as we explore the unknown together, as cheesy as that sounds. As we packed onto a bus today at 7:30, it struck me how familiar the people I’m Read More…

Greetings from Siem Reap, Cambodia! My name is Laurel Whidden, and I am a student studying Global Health and Fine Art in HUMEC and AAP. I am so grateful to be on this trip with such a wonderful group of girls and amazing professors. I would like to thank Professor Fincher and especially Professor Vida Read More…

Since we did not have a designated student blogger writing for January 14, I’d like to add a brief report on this day, to round out this blog: it will now cover all the days of our class, Jan. 3-19, 2023. In the morning we left our hotel in downtown Phnom Penh, Cambodia’s capital city, Read More…

For many of my classmates, the morning began with waking up and packing their luggage. For others, it started with an early breakfast around 7:30 am. Today, the class was going to Phnom Penh. After finalizing my luggage, I headed to the ground floor of the Seuya Hotel, where I had ordered breakfast the previous Read More…

On our last full day in Phnom Penh, we started off with a guided tour of the National Museum of Cambodia, which boasts works from several eras of Cambodian history: Pre-Angkorian, Angkorian, and post-Angkorian. When we first walked in, we were greeted by a statue of Garuda, found originally at the large pyramid Prasat Thom Read More…

(TW and CW: Discussion of genocide) This day started very differently from other days, as we explored one of the most tragic aspects of Cambodia’s complex history: the genocide of 1975-1979. Set during a period of violent civil war, Cambodia’s government was overthrown and replaced by the Khmer Rouge regime, also known as Angkar. In Read More…

It is January 10, and we are starting the day off with a quick breakfast at the hotel we were staying at. Our class soon got on to the bus to head further into Siem Reap. Today we focused more on the Niak Ta, or the local spirits that reside in various parts of Cambodia. Read More…

Summary of Events Since we did not have designated students bloggers writing for these last few travel days, I’d like to add a few words on January 17, 18 and 19. On January 17, we left Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia. After three intensive days in the capital, our bus was headed back to Read More…

On Day 9 of our program, we visited two incredibly interesting sites: the Angkor National Museum in Siem Reap and the Angkor Conservation center (which is a non-public site for the professional conservation of damaged cultural heritage materials). After our usual breakfast at the Hotel, our first stop includes visiting the Angkor National Museum. At Read More…

Today was designated as our free day (one of our first!), so many of us attended different activities. Many members of the group seized the opportunity created by the free day to sleep in; even Professor Magnus mentioned that it was the first day he slept past 8 am in the morning! Around 9 to Read More…

Today, we explored the magnificent ruins of the Bayon temple, which was built in the 12th century during the rule of king Jayavarman VII. The structure features multiple mysterious, four-faced towers. Scholars still debate the meaning of the faces – some think they represent the Hindu god Brahma, while others believe they symbolically protect the Read More…