Two Countries in Transition: Cambodia and China

Ni Hao my friends!

Indeed, I’m on the road again: my internship in Phnom Penh has just finished and China – perhaps one of the world’s most fascinating countries – is waiting to be explored!!

Let me tell you what has been on my mind for roughly the previous month. When I left you last time, I was already quite enthusiastic about my legal internship at the Cambodia Tribunal (officially called the ‘ECCC’, Extraordinary Chambers in the Court of Cambodia). It only got better and better, starting with a 5-day ‘field-trip’ to some of the Northernmost Provinces, close to the border with Laos. During my two-month internship, we went into the countryside on several occasions, however this particular field-trip turned out to be the best. A short impression:

Monday morning, 06:00AM: I’m leaving home with my backpack to meet my colleague who will take us with the 4x4 to the other side of the country… “Sir, sir: moto?!? Moto??”... “No thank you, no moto!”. After picking up my boss and two other staff members, we are complete and start to head off towards the North, on what will be the last (pretty) good road for the next few days. The rainy season has begun so soon it starts to pour down on us and within no-time the road (which was supposed to be good) turns into a swimming pool. Noodles for breakfast and after a scenic ride with more than one of us getting sick, we arrive in the Province. We leave the main road and after about fifteen minutes with the 4x4 on dirt roads we arrive in the village. People come out of their houses, dogs and cattle are running around and the children seem to think that the circus is (finally?) in town.

At some point, we have to go to a small island in the Mekong river and we arrange a boat to go there. The Mekong, which is in this region home to some rare Dolphin species, is strong but our captain manages to get us safely to the other side. At the end of the day, exhausted but satisfied, we return to our hotel in the provincial capital and we’re back right on time to see the opening match of the World Cup with the locals, what an adventure :-)

Although these field-trips were the most exciting of my internship, of course we also worked in Phnom Penh quite often: some days at our own office (the Legal Aid of Cambodia), other days at the so-called Victims’ Support Section of the ECCC and sometimes at the ECCC itself. My boss, made sure that I had enough interesting work to do, that I participated in several congresses and workshops and that I got to meet interesting people who were all involved with the various sections of the ECCC. But also after work, the staff would go out for dinner at their favourite local restaurant (‘Snack Anana’) or we would cruise around the city on our motorbikes. I spent my free time watching the World Cup (at ridiculous times during the night), hanging out with my roomies, going to the (fancy) Gym once in a while to play tennis or to swim, socialising with new friends and strolling down the markets of Phnom Penh.

As I could have expected, the two months were over before I knew it and – as many others had already told me – at that point I just started to know my way around. The last week of my internship was all about saying goodbye to the people I got to know, visiting places for the last time and helping our new intern (a bright girl from Hamburg (-:) to settle. Yes, that’s the way it is and although I wouldn’t have mind to stay in Phnom Penh for a bit longer (or to go back in the future, this time for a paid job), a new adventure was about to start as well and within a few days, I would already be on a plane to meet my brother in China’s fascinating capital…

And that’s where I’m right now, writing to you at my desk in a dormitory in Beijing, on walking distance from the Forbidden City and the World’s largest square. I arrived here last Tuesday and was welcomed by Ana, one of my friends from McGill University (Montreal) who I had also met in Kathmandu at the start of my internship. Sander arrived on Thursday and we’ll explore (necessarily only the highlights of-) China for the next few weeks. Our plan is to stay here for one or two more days and then to head for Xi’An, world-famous for its Army of Terracotta Warriors…

After two months of (finally) making myself a little useful again, my long-distance-travel-batteries are charged and I’m looking forward to spend some quality time with my brother and to see what China has to offer us. Of course, I will tell you all about that next time! Thanks again for your messages, and I hope that everyone – wherever you might be – is doing fine.

‘Zai Tijen’ and best of luck,

Marijn