Moving Out

It's been a long time since I've updated this site, and I regret my negligence. After a few weeks of illness, I am feeling much better and am now enjoying my last day in Phnom Penh, as I will be moving out to Kompong Speu province tomorrow. I also recently returned from Battambang province with the yike opera class from Phnom Penh. The kids performed for the opening of a new school in a village about a half hour from Battambang city. It was a really inspiring event in many ways, both in terms of the care and thought that went into the new school and the talent and dedication of the many children who performed. I also had a chance to visit some of the arts schools in the Battambang region, and I am continually reminded how important the arts are for creating healthy and dynamic societies.

As I will not have internet access in the countryside, or electricity, running water or refridgeration for that matter, I will be able to update this site only on a weekly basis, as I currently plan to return to Phnom Penh on weekends in order to continue study on the tro sau instrument. As my path of research unfolds, I am also finding more and more books and documents in the Buddhist Institute and in other libraries that are relevant to my study of smote chanting, so I also plan to be using these resources when I return to Phnom Penh periodically. I must admit that I miss going to school, and I am getting really excited about my research here. I hope I will be able to post more about it here in the future.