STORIES

Khmer New Year is a three-day celebration. It usually falls on April 13th or 14th and marks the end of the harvest season and the beginning of a new year.

The first day of Khmer New Year is called Moha Sangkran, which means “Welcome the Angels”. They believe that the new gods will come to take nourishment from the fruits and give their blessings to the home.

During the past few years, Cambodia has done exceptionally well in rolling out vaccinations and keeping Covid numbers down. I was proud to see Cambodia up there with wealthy nations regarding the percentage of the population who were first double, then triple, and now quadruple vaccinated.

.. luckily, Cambodia hasn’t had many Covid-19 cases, so traveling around the country in 2020 was still possible and safe. Since there is not much to do, I’ve taken advantage of this time to visit my own backyard, crossing destinations off from my domestic travel bucket list.

The people, the place, the culture, the experiences! This placement allowed me to truly immerse myself in an unfamiliar culture, country, and healthcare system.

We really enjoyed being immersed into the community culture, during our stay in Siem Reap. Our community project was building an outdoor seat under a tree at a local school, and in the afternoons our students got to play football with the local students, which was enjoyed by all.