A FROG LEAP TO NEW YORK CITY

Now, a new chapter began!

During one week at Sister's Denise's house in Tuol Kork (near Phsar Moan Aing), I rode my bicycle and my brother rode his to report ourselves to the UNTAC Personnel Office near Wat Langka. I was curious about my potential trip to New York for intensive training. Before I left the camp, Dr. Ann Dystra, who was at that time UNBRO coordinator, told me that she had registered me as a candidate for going to New York for the training. I kept going back and forth at least three days before a UN personnel directed me to UNTAC 11 -- the Electoral Office near the French Embassy. There, I met Ms. Mary Murphy (I don't remember what position she was in). I introduced myself and told her that I was a candidate from the border camp Site Two who was nominated by UNBRO to go for computer training in New York. She sent me to an American man, Tom Riddle, who interviewed me and put me in front of the computer as he wanted to know how well I could type. After that, he took me to meet a guy at UNICEF who helped me proceed with the US visa, and later on, we went to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to apply for an exit visa. The next day, Tom took me again to the US Embassy in Phnom Penh. I didn't really understand the process as it was my first time preparing for traveling abroad. It took us quite a number of days to clear everything in processing the visa application.

Here comes the departure day! It was about two weeks from the date I set my foot back in Phnom Penh after 17 years away from this city. Early in the morning of August 17, 1992, many family members of my cousin in two cars (Toyota Camry) took me to the airport. On the way, we stopped at a restaurant right in front of Calmette Hospital to have breakfast. Just as I came out of the restaurant with all the cousins, a Thai UN personnel, Ms. Suchada (sp?), who I met a couple of times during my interaction with UNTAC, ran after me, and quickly pulled money from her purse and handed over to me: "Here is some money for you to use during your trip"; I was kind of stunned with her gesture. I told her the I had a few hundred USD also in my bag, but she told me "that would not be enough-- take it." I accepted the money from her with great thanks, which was around $200 with some few hundred baht. She wished me a good trip and we left right away as we did not want to be late for the flight. Until now I am still now sure whether she actually gave that money to me, or was it a loan. I should have just asked her at that time to clarify, but I seemed to run out of words as she just encouraged me to take it.

After an hour's flight, I arrived in Bangkok, I took a taxi and headed to Comfort Inn, where a room was reserved for me there. I was kind of nervous as I had not had a U.S visa yet, but I need to coordinate with the UNESCAP there in Bangkok. And to be honest, I did not know where is where, as Bangkok was a big city, and I was alone there. I called my former teacher, Fr. John K. Bingham, who was a Jesuit Priest staying in Tapraya close to the Thai-Cambodian border. He was very excited about my trip, but he was concerned that I had to travel alone. He drove down to see me that afternoon. It took him at least 5 hours to get to Bangkok. The next morning, he came to see me at the hotel and took me to the UNESCAP and we went further to the US Embassy to obtain a US visa. The next morning he drove me to the airport, took me to the check-in counter. He even called his brother in New York to come to pick me on my arrival. I had to tie my ponytail with a blue scarf as a sign so that his brother can identify me.

Upon my arrival, Father John's brother and his niece, Mary, were there waiting for me. I also found Tom Riddle, who also came to New York for the same training. We all sat in the car driven by Father John's brother taking us to the hotel YMCA -- I assumed it's the cheapest hotel in New York.

You can imagine how fluctuated my life at that time -- after spending 13 years in the barbed wire camp on the border, I moved to Phnom Penh, my home city where I had been away for 17 years, and only two weeks after I set foot back in this city, I had to travel to New York -- my first international travel. It was really a big move Cambodia-Thai border camp - Phnom Penh City - New York City. That is why I called it a Frog Leap.

I Will tell you more about my impression of New York City