Andrew Mertha, a professor in the Department of Government, gave an intriguing talk with a lot of interspersed humor on a few topics that can hardly be considered funny: the bloody history of Cambodia and the struggles of research. Professor Mertha started with a brief introduction to Cambodia and relations with its monarch before delving into the horrors of Khmer Rouge and the complex politics between China and Cambodia.

What interested me most, however, was Professor Mertha’s description of his process of finding sources for a book while doing research in and about Cambodia. After acquiring many papers he couldn’t fully decipher, he became frustrated and told a student about his efforts, not anticipating that she would be the key to finding the information he needed. It turned out that the student’s grandmother had several contacts who were alive during the time of the Khmer Regime and were more than willing to be interviewed or help him interpret the technical documents. It’s bewildering to realize that world can be a small place, and sometimes help comes from the least expected sources. Besides enjoying this interesting talk about a region of the world I’m very unfamiliar with, I’m glad to be reminded that inspiration can come from anywhere.