January 10, arrival in Phenom Phen

We flew into Phenom Phen today and are staying at the Amanjaya Hotel which overlooks the river. We got settled by mid afternoon and met Se at the hotel for lunch. We decided to eat at The Friends, which is a restaurant that trains street kids from waiters, cooks, host, etc. Their organization is devoted to getting kids off the streets and training them in various jobs. The food is so healthy, unique, and filled with customers there to support The Friends. Se is a 25 years old and a young Cambodian we met last year. Paul really connected with Se and decided to support him in furthering his education by financing his advanced degree in Public Administration. He works at the NGO: In This Life Cambodia during the week and travels every week-end to Phenom Phen to do his graduate work. He is very grateful for our support, and we love being with him. We asked him if he could stay over in Phenom Phen and assist us in our agenda. He was more than happy to be part of our project, so spent 2 hrs. listening and taking notes on his life in Cambodia. We are thinking that Se's story will be central to our film. After lunch the three of us took a boat ride around Phenom Phen for an hour and then had a light dinner before heading home. Se is an extraordinary young Cambodian because of his ambition and drive. He grew up in a village 1.5 hrs from Phenom Phen, and through the support of his family and their encouragement, he found his way to Siem Reap after finishing high school in his village. He worked at a hotel 8 hours a day and then went to school another 4 hours 5 days a week. His English is quite good, but more than that is his cleverness and ability to conceptualize his future. I personally love watching Paul and Se together. They care so much about each other. Lauren