Dazed and Confused in Phnom Penh

Chom reap suor! After 26 hours of travel - but you know, door to door so maybe that's reasonable - I landed at my hotel in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. 

I was so excited to shower and explore town, I left the door to my room unlocked. Luckily for me, no one is interested in walking up three flights of stairs in 92 degree heat, not even me, so everything was as I left it. Lesson learned!

I went to the National Museum and saw a lot of sandstone Buddhas and a lot of school children diligently writing in their notebooks as they listened to the museum staff. Having checked a cultural activity off my list, I went looking for a noodle spot that was recommended.

Along the way I opted not to get a snack at the bug cart. Didn't want to ruin my appetite. The noodles were good but I can get hand pulled noodles in Oakland so next time I'll have to try a Cambodian specialty.

One thing I was quickly reminded about as I walked from place to place is the perils of street crossing. Much like in Hanoi and Cairo, there are tons of cars, even more scooters and pedestrians have to find a way to enter the flow without stopping and let the drivers adjust. I tried to cross with other people when I could but had to do some solo scampering as well. Eek. And, when the sidewalk is blocked with cars, scooters, pop up meat grilling stations, tables with people eating said meat, you have to step into the street and walk bravely into the oncoming traffic. That was enough new city, new country adventure for me!

I have a few more days of sight seeing here before I head to Siem Reap to join the volunteer crew to build a house. Will do my best to post again in a few days, assuming I'm not stuck on a corner trying to cross the street.

Feel Good Friday - COVID-19: Zoo cams and opera and art! Oh my.

With the COVID-19 outbreak now a pandemic, it's a challenge to find something to feel good about this Friday. Luckily, I'm not one to shy away from a challenge.

In today's Feel Good Friday we're going to go out while staying in. Before we get to the fun free resources, if you have questions about this outbreak, consult websites from the World Health Organization and your local government, in my case Oakland, California.

Following the advice of Mr. Rogers to "look for the helpers", I've compiled a list of arts and education organizations that are helping people deal with the stress, boredom and loneliness that comes with sheltering in place.

Zoos and Aquariums
Live streams of jellyfish at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, weekday "zoo school" from Elmwood Park Zoo in Pennsylvania and round-the-clock view of giant pandas at the Smithsonian!
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/coronavirus-zoos-aquariums-live-stream-animals-isolation-quarantine/

Opera and Theater
The Metropolitan Opera is streaming shows nightly at 7:30pm which you can watch for free up to 20 hours after the initial stream: https://www.metopera.org

BroadwayHD has a streaming service with a free 7-day trial. Make the most of your 7 days by staying focused on Cats and not the panda cam: https://www.broadwayhd.com

Museums
Google has partnered with hundreds of museums to share their art collections online. Here are just a few - The British Museum, Van Gogh Museum, Uffizi Gallery, Palace of Versailles, Museo Frida Kahlo, Guggenheim... so many museums! https://artsandculture.google.com/partner?hl=en

Exercising Mind and Body
If you're feeling compelled to make productive use of your time at home, you can take hundreds of classes from Ivy League schools to exercise your mind: free classes. Or go to this site to exercise your body: https://www.fitnessblender.com

Thanks to friends who have been sharing these links on social media. If you've found a resource not listed - add it to the comments. Enjoy! And please wash your hands.