A Real-Life Learning Experience

A high-school tour of Southeast Asia leads to an inspirational encounter with a remarkable and caring individual

- Sharon Terada, Sudbury

My 15-year-old daughter Sarah and I went on a life-changing school trip during our March break in 2015. Twenty-three students, teachers and parents from Lockerby Composite School toured Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand for 12 days. Our itinerary was packed with world-famous tourist attractions, including the Cu Chi Tunnels in Vietnam; the Temple of the Reclining Buddha in Thailand, known as Wat Pho; and the Angkor Wat temple in Cambodia. It was fascinating to tour these world-renowned sites, despite the mind-boggling heat and humidity and, at times, being amid very aggressive monkeys. It was also eye-opening to see the sheer poverty, especially in Cambodia. But most amazing for us, the highlight of our first trip to Asia, was our visit to “ABCs and Rice,” a school in Cambodia that educates and feeds impoverished children and their families.