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RETIRED...to Peace Corps!

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Camella Black:
I am near tears... I will miss you friend and envy you as well. I wish you all the best and wait on edge to hear from you every once in awhile and if not I am sure we'll catch up one day... peace to you and yours

Camella

grantime:
Congratulations on retirement.  It sounds like you have quite an adventure ahead of you.   Good luck!

Mike_Koehler:

--- Quote from: UncaBuffalo on Jun 07, 2011, 09:03 ---Okay, I finally got all my ducks in a row financially and am off to Cambodia to teach English for a couple of years!  WOO-HOO!  :)

If any of you make it through SE Asia in the next couple of years, look me up.

--- End quote ---

I will probably be in NE Thailand in 2 years, If you are still there we may pop across the border for a visit.....

Mike

UncaBuffalo:
Peace Corps has three primary goals.   The third one is:

"To help promote a better understanding of other peoples on the part of Americans."


So, here are a few facts about Cambodia...

Background:
Most Cambodians consider themselves to be Khmers, descendants of the Angkor Empire that extended over much of Southeast Asia and reached its zenith between the 10th and 13th centuries. Attacks by the Thai and Cham (from present-day Vietnam) weakened the empire, ushering in a long period of decline. The king placed the country under French protection in 1863 and it became part of French Indochina in 1887. Following Japanese occupation in World War II, Cambodia gained full independence from France in 1953.

In April 1975, after a five-year struggle, Communist Khmer Rouge forces captured Phnom Penh and evacuated all cities and towns. At least 1.5 million Cambodians died from execution, forced hardships, or starvation during the Khmer Rouge regime under POL POT. A December 1978 Vietnamese invasion drove the Khmer Rouge into the countryside, began a 10-year Vietnamese occupation, and touched off almost 13 years of civil war. The 1991 Paris Peace Accords mandated democratic elections and a ceasefire, which was not fully respected by the Khmer Rouge.

UN-sponsored elections in 1993 helped restore some semblance of normalcy under a coalition government. Factional fighting in 1997 ended the first coalition government, but a second round of national elections in 1998 led to the formation of another coalition government and renewed political stability. The remaining elements of the Khmer Rouge surrendered in early 1999. Some of the surviving Khmer Rouge leaders have been tried or are awaiting trial for crimes against humanity by a hybrid UN-Cambodian tribunal supported by international assistance. Elections in July 2003 were relatively peaceful, but it took one year of negotiations between contending political parties before a coalition government was formed. In October 2004, King Norodom SIHANOUK abdicated the throne and his son, Prince Norodom SIHAMONI, was selected to succeed him. Local elections were held in Cambodia in April 2007, with little of the pre-election violence that preceded prior elections. National elections in July 2008 were relatively peaceful.


GDP - per capita (PPP): $2,100 (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 189

Life expectancy at birth: total population: 62.67 years
country comparison to the world: 178
male: 60.31 years
female: 65.13 years (2011 est.)

Improved drinking water source available:
urban: 81% of population
rural: 56% of population
total: 61% of population

Ethnic groups:
Khmer 90%, Vietnamese 5%, Chinese 1%, other 4%

Religions:
Buddhist (official) 96.4%, Muslim 2.1%, other 1.3%, unspecified 0.2% (1998 census)

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 57.6%
industry: 15.9%
services: 26.5% (2009 est.)

https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/cb.html





--- Quote from: Mike_Koehler on Jun 13, 2011, 10:18 ---I will probably be in NE Thailand in 2 years, If you are still there we may pop across the border for a visit.....

Mike

--- End quote ---

Excellent!  Come on over!  :)



...and bring that slacker AtomicPunk with you!  ;)

UncaBuffalo:

--- Quote from: Drayer on Jun 07, 2011, 09:54 ---...without posting weird pictures of the food...?

--- End quote ---

I was BS'ing with one of the guys from Laos & mentioned weird food to him.  He said one of the odder he has seen is when they take a large leech that has been attached for some time....tie both ends off...cook over the fire...instant blood sausage... 

I'm hoping he was pulling the new guy's leg.  If not, I'll warn you before I post a picture of it, Drayer!  ;)

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