22.11.10

Millions of people, all packed into a small corner of phnom penh. I am thankful that I was able to experience this in my time here. I still haven’t come up with the proper words to describe the sheer amount of people on the streets that night, but incredible, overwhelming, and joyful sum it up in my mind. It was the third night of water festival, one of Cambodia’s largest holidays of the year, so people from all over the country were drawn to the riverside in Phnom Penh to watch the boat races, see friends and family, and unwind for the weekend. I was also there for the evening, making my way with friends down the riverside, buying snacks and taking in the overall mania of the night.. After a long day on a bus, however, we decided to head back to the hotel a little before 10 oclock. I am thankful for this as well. I didn’t know it at the time, but at this same time, panic was building on a nearby bridge and tragedy followed all too soon. Getting into bed that night and hearing sirens, I thought to myself “it’s going to be a loud night.” It wasn’t until I woke up, however, did I realize just why there were so many sirens the previous night.

So now it is several days later and the number of fatalities from 22.11.10 keeps rising. The last I heard, it was about 350, with double that number of people injured. I’ve been told that nobody in my village has been injured or killed in the incident, and I am thankful for that. I teach at a large school, however, and students travel from far ends of the district to attend class. It seems quite unlikely that the school completely escapes this tragedy, especially being within reasonable travel distance of Phnom Penh, but I will find out in the coming week of class just how my district and province was affected by this tragedy.

November 25th is Thanksgiving in America this year, but in Cambodia it has been declared a National Day of Mourning. Candles have been lit and offerings have been placed in front of every home in my village the past few nights, lighting up streets that are normally completely dark after sunsets in rural Cambodia. This event will surely have an impact on Cambodia for a long time to come, long after I am finished here. If anything, Cambodians know how to deal with tragedy and pain, and this will eventually just be another event that has strengthened them over the years.

So this Thanksgiving, be thankful for where you are and the friends and family that you have, whether you are able to be with them or not. I know I am.