The falling, low, and whatever other tones there are in Thai might be harder to navigate, but the roads are much, much easier. We’re talking multi-lane, smooth, high-speed. Traffic in Phnom Penh looks outright chaotic at first glance - though a certain logic, or “calculus” as John likes to say, becomes apparent. The only thing disconcerting about traffic in and around Chiang Mai is the side of the road we’re driving on.

I wasn’t quite ready for another new country. From Sunday through Tuesday, we’d been in four cities (Siem Reap, Battambang, Phnom Penh and Chiang Mai) and six hotel rooms. This flurry of travel came just as I was getting over the gut bug that ravaged me the bus trip to Battambang. Where I approached Cambodia fresh, with awe and wonder, I approached Thailand exhausted.

I’m finding my feet.

Wednesday, we went swimming with some of the kids from Doi Saket 1. We worshiped with them back home that evening, then hit up the Night Bazaar. Yesterday we traveled up to Wiang Pa Pow. More on that is to come. Now we’re off to see about some silkworms and visit Doi Saket 2, 3, and 4 - and maybe the home in Hot Springs, too.

Panith lives at Battambang 5, one of the newest homes here in Cambodia. She’s a couple weeks shy of a full year in the care of Asia’s Hope. At about 20 yards outside of her home, she latched onto me last Thursday. She continued to find me throughout the trip to Siem Reap and Angkor Wat.

She wasn’t shy with the hugs or latching on, but she was only meekly ably to respond to John’s Khmer query concerning her name. What I know about her is only from her bio, what I observed, and what I can intuit.

Such sudden attachment concerned me, but it’s hard to be scared of a small girl with some of the skinniest arms I’ve ever seen on an eight-year-old. I’m kind of an oddity here: hairy arms, no hair on my head. Some of the Battambang kids even discovered the hair on my feet with amusement. Panith’s attachment stands out, so far.

Her father died of TB, and her mother died during the childbirth of what would’ve been her younger sibling. She went to live with her grandfather who was very poor, her bio states. She had very little food to eat, and only one set of clothes to wear. He sent her from the village to Asia’s Hope.

I know there’s more to her backstory. So much of it is tragic, but, I look forward to her future: to the hope of transformation today and tomorrow. I’ve seen the difference Asia’s Hope makes. This staff, this commitment they and the supporting churches have made in the lives of kids with similar stories - I know all that.

Beyond all that, I pray that Panith knows she is loved.

The view from our corner room on the third floor of the PresidentBattambang City Hotel shows bright blue skies, and only partly cloudy.John says the heat's already quite oppressive. The day's only justbegun.

John took a moto into the Central Market. I was curled up into a ballon the bed, cramps reprise from last night, waiting for the immodiumto relieve the cramps and the tylenol to dial back the fever. Godspeedto the cipro I just started taking! I was a few notches above thefeverish state that gripped me the five hour bus ride from Phnom Penhon Wednesday.

Some prayer, meds, a lukewarm shower and shave, and here I amblogging, ready to go meet the kids from Battambang 2 and 3, and seethe silversmithing some of the boys are doing up here.

Not by my strength.

Battambang has been over- and underwhelming.

The underwhelming - Manhattan:Omaha::Phnom Penh:Battambang

The buildings in Phnom Penh are shared wall, with almost 100 percentlot coverage. They're mostly three and four story walkups. That'sabout as dense as you can get without much elevator technology.Tuk-tuks (motorcycles attached to a cab for passengers) abound.

Battambang buildings, even in the densest parts, are only one or twostories. It's provincial. The French colonial/protectorate influencehas been easier to see.

The overwhelming - Prek Eng 1-4 have 88 kids; Battambang 1-5 have over 140 kids

Battambang 1, 4 and 5 are on a shared "campus" with a pavilion forworship, and a playground. Some of the kids at 4 and 5 have only beenunder Asia's Hope care for a matter of months. They're a bit more"squirrely." A little girl from Battambang 5 attached right to me,wanted me to carry her or have my arm around her longer than otherkids. I'll post a picture and name when I've got more bandwidth.

Obviously, my health has been overwhelming too.

But, I'm here and I love it.

Today was a holiday here in Cambodia. Street life was muted, John tells me. The situation’s easing me in.

We’re staying in a room above Coffee Korner, adjacent to the Russian Market. With a jetlagged lack of sync with the local time, we got an early start. Now I’m fading fast, and it’s only just past 8pm here.

I’m not likely to pick up any steam tomorrow. We’re taking the kids from Prek Eng 1, 2, 3, and 4 to the beach early tomorrow. For almost all of them, it will be their first time at the beach. They are very excited, judging by our visits this afternoon. Very, very excited.

My initial thoughts, reflections, reactions to Phnom Penh, the orphans, and all that I learned at the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum will have to wait.

I’m humbled to be a part of an investment in these kids. Tonight, I can only hope to echo the prayers of the kids at Prek Eng 2 who are praying for complete healing for my friend, Joe. Of all the things they could concern themselves with, they are directing their thoughts and prayers to the healing of a man whom they have never met. He lives half a world away.

Location: Over the Sea of Okhotsk, about 1,700 mi or 3.5 hrs out of Seoul

I think it’s still day one - just barely. That is, I should update the time zone on my computer to launch me well into day two.

I do not give to you as the world gives. ~Jesus (John 14:27)

He was talking about peace. And love - or at least troubled hearts.

MethaHouse, job, salary requirements, disposable income, a full stomach, multiple advanced degrees… Peace the world gives, eh?

I can also tell you, the world takes away. I could relate the story here of my unemployment. You know, the circumstance that’s given me the freedom to make this trip. But my story’s got nothing on the orphans I’m about to meet.

I’ve been helping Asia’s Hope with a new sponsorship program. For the last couple of years, different churches and other organizations have sponsored the construction and operation of orphanages. Now, individuals can sponsor the kids in these homes. So, I’ve been helping organize the bios.

Wow. Rough.

But, to see their pictures now… That eases a troubled heart.

I’m ready to go to Cambodia and Thailand. Don’t hear, or rather read me wrong. I’m just not sure I’m quite ready for what I’ll see, who I’ll meet, the food, the laughs, the fears, the tears.

I’m travelling with John McCollum, Executive Director of Asia’s Hope - an organization providing homes, schooling, food, and love for orphans in Cambodia and Thailand. I’ll be blogging my travels here. He’ll also be blogging these travels. I’ve also worked some social media “magic” to get his feeds on:

• twitter: @asiashope
• Facebook: “Fan” Page

For those following my Year with Jane Jacobs, I’ll crosspost the relevant musings and reflections on that page as well. I can’t stop my urban planning ways.

You can also continue to follow my posts on twitter, @veracity, or just check back here: onlineveracity.com/asiashope.