Posted by Abby Rae LaCombe, Rocky Mountain/Canada Regional Director

Hi all!  My UBC Golden Key contact sent along this shot today.  He’s basically coordinated and collected all of the books himself – already has 48 boxes packed and more to go!
 
Woot woot!!

Posted by Aaron King, Director and Yanna Ogilvie, Senior Regional Director

Phi Theta Kappa Members Walk for Sudan

~

We all know that Phi Theta Kappa members are great, and we count on them to run some of our best Book Drives.  We were recently touched by a story of a group that is not only running a Better World Books book drive, but also reaching out to try to help coordinate something amazing.

Many of us have heard the plight of the 27,000 “lost boys” of Sudan, their perilous 1,000 mile walk  left more than half dead, and the rest came home to a country devastated by war, bare of essentials like clean water and schools. Matt Hoffman, a Phi Theta Kappa member at Illinois Central College, was touched by these horrific stories and moved to immediate action. Matt reflects, “A good friend of mine, Sean Fahey from Endless Eye informed me that his 501C3 had committed to raising funds to shoot a documentary film to raise awareness about the situation in Southern Sudan.”

Sean’s organization has been working with Justin Machien Luoi (www.pacodes.org), a Lost Boy, to build a library, a school, and provide clean water for Panyijiar County, Southern Sudan.  Matt wanted to know how Upsilon Mu, Illinois Central College's Phi Theta Kappa chapter, could get involved.  They talked for a few hours that night and decided to design a "walk event" in Peoria, Illinois. That is how Walk Sudan was born.

Walk Sudan is a project intended to raise awareness and funds to build a library in Panyijiar County, Southern Sudan, a region that has been devastated by 20 years of civil war and ethnic conflict.

Matt is reaching out to Phi Theta Kappa members to help with this great cause, “I’ve been fortunate to witness the generosity, passion, and perseverance exhibited by Phi Theta Kappans and I know that, with a little effort, we can help rebuild Southern Sudan and become part of something bigger than ourselves!”

In addition to helping coordinate the walk, Matt and his chapter are going to run their campus Better World Books book drive as usual; only this time, they are going to take the funding they earn from this book drive and graciously give it to the Sudan Project!

Better World Books and Books for Africa have begun working on a partnership with Walk Sudan to help pay for the shipping of books to Sudan. Pat Plonski, Director Books for Africa, comments "The need for books in Sudan is enormous because of the difficulty involved in shipping to that country.  The roads are very bad, and going to Southern Sudan represents a shipment almost to the very heart of Africa, which greatly increases the costs and logistical hurdles involved. For these reasons, we really appreciate the opportunity to work with partners like these who are willing to go the extra mile and get these books where they are so desperately needed."
Better World Books will be using money from the newly created BWB fund in addition to money generated by Walk Sudan to help cover the cost of shipping. If you are interested in helping Walk Sudan reach their goal of building and stocking a library in Southern Sudan please contact Matt Hoffman (mhoffman23@mchsi.com).

Links to more information:
http://revver.com/video/698354/walk-sudan/ - our video (produced by Endless Eye)
http://pacodes.org/
www.endlesseye.org
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1177134747 - our Facebook
http://www.bismarcktribune.com/articles/2007/12/10/news/state/144197.txt - some press re: Justin's efforts

Posted by Jack Hanlon, CBO & Evangelist

We're on Facebook!  Yup.  If you go here you can become a fan of Better World Books, along with the myriad others who have done so (100+ in the first 4 hours!).

Also, if you check our YouTube channel (yeah, we're kind of a big deal) then you can check out the latest videos and some of our favorite videos as well. 

If you're feeling a little lazy and already added us on Facebook you can check out one video here...

Posted by David Murphy, CEO

Hello everyone.  Take a look at the attached .pdf from Books for Africa. 

Sullivan Summit.pdf (911.48 KB) 

This flyer was sent to all 500+ delegates attending the "Sullivan Summit" in Arusha, Tanzania.  Note that Better World Books, through the Better World Books Fund within Books For Africa, is sponsoring the shipment and that the books will be distributed by the Poverty Eradication Network (PEN) in Tanzania. Natasha Harris, Niko Tomlinson, Mary Murphy, Jaime Knabet, Dustin Holland and myself visited the PEN folks in the summer of 2006 and have continued to stay in touch with them (Mungwe and Andrea).  They do fantastic work (based in Dodoma, the national capital of Tanzania) throughout the country.

To find out more about the Sullivan Summit VIII, go to www.thesullivanfoundation.org/summit/.

Posted by David Murphy, President and CEO

Make sure to read the March 21st article in the New York Times written by David Brooks, entitled "Thoroughly Modern Do-Gooders".  This is an excellent article on Social Entrepreneurship and there are many points from the article that connect directly with what we have built here at Better World Books.

Posted by Aaron King, Director of Campus Acquisitions

When this company was in it's youth there were 3 founders and their friend from Purdue who started book drives around the state of Indiana.  Throwing books in the back of a van, that friend, Aaron King, is now a book drive General, managing the campus divisions 1500+ schools.  Check back here for tips on how to make the most of your drive from the best in the business!

-Tip 1
-Tip 2
-Tip 3

Here is your final tip to get as many books as you can even if your semester has ended:

TIP #4: Offer professors and departments an office clean out service!

Students are not the only people on campus with books; Professors and faculty are often sent sample copies all throughout the year, and there are many offices that are just overflowing with books. Most faculty would love the chance the de-clutter their office, support a good cause, and help with your group's fundraising efforts. You have heard of a car wash fundraiser; offer your campus an Office Wash fundraiser.

BOOK DRIVES THAT COLLECT BOOKS FROM OFFICES AND DEPARTMENTS INCREASE THEIR BOOKS BY 50%!

• Send out a mass email or get a blurb in the campus newsletter alerting all faculty on campus of your "office wash" opportunity.
• Put collection bins in major buildings in easy to reach places.
• Offer a door to door service to come by and do pickups from any office or department that wishes to donate.

Remember, any books that we receive by 7/31/2008 will count as part of your spring book drive totals. As always, our Campus Acquisitions Team is here to make it as easy as possible for you to collect as many books as possible on your campus.  Contact us any time.

Thanks for reading, I hope the end of semester goes smoothly for all of you, and I hope this short series of tips has helped you maximize your campus book drive. Have a great summer!

Posted by Aaron King, Director of Campus Acquisitions

When this company was in it's youth there were 3 founders and their friend from Purdue who started book drives around the state of Indiana.  Throwing books in the back of a van, that friend, Aaron King, is now a book drive General, managing the campus divisions 1500+ schools.  Check back here for tips on how to make the most of your drive from the best in the business!

-Tip 1
-Tip 2

Without further ado, here is Tip #3:

For some of you finals just ended; for others, finals are just around the corner.  In either case, I hope your book collection is in full swing.

And now, the moment you have been waiting for, tip #3.

TIP #3:  CAPITALIZE ON END OF YEAR MOVE OUT!

Yes, the prime place to collect books is near or in the bookstore, to get every book that the bookstore cannot buy back.  However, there are many books that just do not make it to the buyback that still get dumped in the trash when people clean out their rooms.

BOOK DRIVES THAT COORDINATE WITH THE END OF SEMESTER MOVE OUT HAVE INCREASED THEIR BOOKS BY 40%!

• Forge an alliance with the Residence Halls, their directors, managers and RA's.  No one really wants to see books get thrown away.  Some schools have had a lot of success having the RA's have one final event for their students, which floor or which hall can accumulate the most books?
• Reach out to Greek houses, Co-ops, or any other off campus housing properties; these areas are often neglected, but think about it: that senior moving out of his or her apartment for the last time probably has a lot of books they accumulated that they really are not going to want to lug around.  Make it easy for them to donate to your book drive.
• Contact your campus building services or facilities departments;  if books tragically do end up in the trash,  these departments are often burdened with hauling them around campus to their eventual demise at a recycling center or sadly, a landfill.  They would gladly give books over to your book drive.

I hope that these strategies can help make sure that no books fall through the cracks and you are able to get as many books from your campus as possible.  And remember, our Campus Acquisitions Team is here to make it as easy as possible for you to collect as many books as possible on your campus.  Please contact us any time.

Thanks for reading, and stay tuned for Tip #4.

Posted by Jack Hanlon, CBO & Evangelist


(the author of this great article, Amanda Brouillette)

Over at the Red and Black, the student newspaper of the University of Georgia wrote an article that simultaneously talks about how sweet we are:

Better World Books has given more than 864,600 books directly to Books for Africa, as well as the National Center for Family Literacy, which helps here in the United States.  They've also raised $900,000 of unrestricted funding for Books for Africa, www.booksforafrica.org, since May of 2002.

A warehouse full of books at the Books for Africa headquarters in Minnesota is useless without the incredible amount of funding necessary to ship the books all the way to Sudan, Darfur or Ethiopia. This unrestricted funding ships the books across the Atlantic, and ensures their transportation inland to different countries and villages.

It's hard to comprehend being forced to share my only book with six other students, but Fresew said that is the case, even in Africa's private schools.

while talking about what the local Bulldogs can do to help:

As you finish your finals, get closure on that ridiculously hard class - take a walk to one of the bright green boxes that says, "Book Drives for Better Lives," and let the bane of your semester save someone else's life. I promise you, it's worth it.

Check out the full article here.

Posted by Aaron King, Director of Campus Acquisitions

When this company was in it's youth there were 3 founders and their friend from Purdue who started book drives around the state of Indiana.  Throwing books in the back of a van, that friend, Aaron King, is now a book drive General, managing the campus divisions 1500+ schools.  Check back here for tips on how to make the most of your drive from the best in the business!

-Tip 1

Without further ado, here is tip #2:

TIP #2:  PROMOTE YOUR BOOK DRIVE ON ALL CHANNELS!

An ideal book drive will have collection boxes and posters and fliers all over the campus to make book donation easy;  the sad truth is that there are still a lot of people out there who would gladly donate their books, but for some reason they just don't know your book drive is happening!  There are a few easy steps you can take to remedy this problem:

• Create a facebook event and invite EVERYONE;  here is an example I just made that you can copy: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=16553624047&ref=share  Make sure you  include details about where and when people can donate on your campus!  
• Get the student newspaper to write an article about the amazing book drive project you are coordinating.
• Tell all your friends. (and have them tell their friends.  And their friends' friends.  Eventually, your friends' friends' friends will come congratulate you on your book drive)
• Ask your professors to make announcements in classes.
• See if campus radio will make an announcement for you
• Competition: I can provide you with details on how your biggest rival schools are doing with their book collection efforts.  Sometimes, the best way to bring your campus together for one great event is by sticking it to your rival...
  

Hopefully, these strategies can ensure that everyone on campus knows to give their extra books to your book drive.  And remember, our Campus Acquisitions Team is here to make it as easy as possible for you to collect as many books as possible on your campus.  Please feel free to contact us any time.

Thanks for reading, and stay tuned for Tip #3.

Posted by Aaron King, Director of Campus Acquisitions

When this company was in it's youth there were 3 founders and their friend from Purdue who started book drives around the state of Indiana.  Throwing books in the back of a van, that friend, Aaron King, is now a book drive General, managing the campus divisions 1400+ schools.  Check back here for tips on how to make the most of your drive from the best in the business!

Episode 1:

TIP #1:  PLACE COLLECTION BINS IN YOUR CAMPUS LIBRARY

You probably know that high-traffic areas are the best places to collect books this spring, including near/in the bookstore, in residence halls, and in student unions; an area on campus that is often neglected is your Campus Library. 

BOOST BOOK DRIVE PERFORMANCE MORE THAN 20%:

It’s true!  Book Drives that include the Campus Library often increase the number of accepted books collected by more than 20%.

MAKE SURE TO:

• Obtain permission from the library administration
• Order extra collection bins from your BWB representative
• Check and empty the bins regularly
• Sort the books according to the Qualifying Books document provided by your BWB representative
• As a nice gesture, at the conclusion of the drive, send a handwritten “thank you” to the library administration thanking them for their support of the book drive
  

So, if you are looking for a way to increase the number of accepted books you collect this spring, contact your Campus Library and see if they will allow you to set up a collection box—it’ll be worth the extra effort.  And remember, our Campus Acquisitions Team is here to make it as easy as possible for you to collect as many books as possible on your campus.  Please feel free to contact us any time.

Thanks for reading, and stay tuned for Tip #2.

Posted by Mary Murphy, Southeast Senior Director

The Phi Theta Kappa International Convention was everything we expected it to be…an amazing group of people from throughout the United States and as far away as Guam and the United Arab Emirates with positive energy, intellect, enthusiasm and compassion!  It was so much fun to see everyone – thank you to everyone who came by our table to say hello!  Here is a picture of Broward Community College – South Campus, a stellar Phi Theta Kappa in Florida!



In the picture, L to R,  Heather Dulman, Darwin Lopez, Troy Jeffers, Gracia Bonilla, Kendall Ramsijewan, (recipient of the Guistwhite scholarship) Natassicia Pemberton, Mary Murphy (Better World Books) and Tayna Hall-Harris.

Posted by Jack Hanlon, CBO & Evangelist

Senior Director in the Southeast, Mary Murphy, forwarded me an email indicitave of the great efforts being put in around the country (and Canada!) as book drives begin to pop up (at over 1400 campuses this semester!)

I received all of the boxes and the posters so thank you for sending all of that so quickly!  We have already started the drive and have began collecting!  I just want to tell you how much I appreciate all of your hard work, this is a wonderful company and it is people such as yourself that truly make the world a better place!  Thank you again from myself and the entire Charleston Southern Family!

Alissa

Posted by Abby Rae LaCombe, Rocky Mountain Regional Director

Niko [Tomlinson, Midwest Senior Director] and I got to meet up with Dustin [Holland, Head of Acquisitions] and LPTZ (the Library Division) yesterday to see John Wood speak here in Minneapolis. It was really awesome. John Wood is a FUNNY guy, and handsome as heck, and he started Room to Read – very cool cat. Very sincere cat. He really believes in the mission of RTR. He was discussing the ultimate dreams of the organization and said that anywhere there is illiteracy is where Room to Read eventually wants to be. They are planning to expand farther into Africa this year and eventually, who knows, perhaps the whole globe will have RTR schools and libraries available.

Anyhoo, he gave a bunch of new RTR numbers that I thought I’d pass on. I think a lot of this is available through their website, but why fish in a lake when you can aim in a barrel?* Exactly.

Read the rest of the article after the jump.

Posted by Niko Tomlinson, Midwest Senior Director

Having worked with the Human Services Club at Dakota Wesleyan University
since the Spring of 2006 book drive (5 straight semesters, excellent
commitment to book drives and service!), I admit that I didn't know much
about the amazing work they were doing outside of the bookdrive.  I think
one of the more impressive things about many of the student groups we
partner with is that they not only put forth a great deal of energy and
passion into the book drives but also lend this commitment to their
communities, their schools and their fellow students.  I want to let amazing
deeds shine here because they are a great example of the impact student
organizations can have:

Posted by Aaron King, Director

[This is Part Six of Aaron's "Campus Division in Cambodia" story. Here's Part Five and this is the final installment!]

Friday January 4, 2008

I think it can go without saying that we began our day with a delicious breakfast at the hotel. Our first stop today was to visit a couple of floating schools; schools actually on large boats in the river. Apparently as the seasons change, and the fishing areas change, and the level of the river changes, this school can be in several areas up and down the river. We were told that one challenge is that sometimes during the rainy season, some families will leave the village, and the students are unable to attend school.

Posted by Aaron King, Director

[This is Part Five of Aaron's "Campus Division in Cambodia" story. Here's Part Four and look out for the subsequent tales in the coming week...]

Thursday January 3, 2008

Believe it or not, we again began the day with a phenomenal breakfast. We met up with a few RTR staff, and then took a van out to see the first school. Upon entrance, all the students were lined up and clapping for us. Similar to the fanfare of our first night, this was quite humbling; these students were so appreciative of RTR, and I was left feeling like I hadn’t done enough.

Posted by Aaron King, Director

[This is Part Four of Aaron's "Campus Division in Cambodia" story. Here's Part Three and look out for the subsequent tales in the coming week...]

Tuesday January 1, 2008

5am felt more like the end of the night than the beginning of a day. Unfortunately, this was too early for the breakfast buffet, so we had to forgo it and instead have breakfast to go in a box. We drove and hiked out to the temples in almost complete darkness. To our surprise, there must have been hundreds of people out there making the trip to see the first sunrise of the New Year over the temple. When the sun rose up over the temple, and cast a reflection on the pool in front, it was quite astonishing. I cannot imagine a better way to ring in the New Year than the overall experience I had in Cambodia.

Posted by Abby Rae LaCombe, Rocky Mountain Regional Director

At the conference, IMPACT invited Better World Books to discuss our awesome business model in a three hour forum entitled "Blurring the Lines: Public Good in the Private Sector."  Jack represented us on the panel, which also had a fellow Holy Cross grad, Ken DeBlois of the Venture Consortium in Providence, RI and some folks from the Willamette University MBA program.  It was very interesting and the attendees had a lot of great questions, but it was very clear that we here at Better World Books are doing something decidedly NEW.  So new and innovative (I LOVE our business model) that folks at times have a hard time comprehending it.  The example that jumps to mind is regarding the triple bottom line – “Even if you do value social and environmental, won’t profit always be most important?”

Now I’m no business major, but I’ve spent a lot of time trying to understand some business theory as Better World Books offers a unique opportunity to see something very exciting and new in the world of business from up close.  I always start my research projects on the Wikipedia and while you won’t feel like you have an MBA by the time you’re finished with the article, you will have some ideas of good terms to use in your triple bottom line research!

Triple Bottom Line

Social Enterprise

If you want to hear a little more about the topic, a full podcast of this forum will be available later this month!

Posted by Jack Hanlon, CBO & Evangelist

We're currently at the Northeastern IMPACT conference (see previous post) I just got back from my forum (which was awesome!).  I'm going to do some editing of a recording of the forum so a podcast of the talk is coming up soon, great stuff indeed about mobilizing students and the differences in the sectors in the business world.  People asked me hard questions and I gave them honest answers [insert warm and fuzzy feeling here].

Now I'm playing Scrabble with three students at Middlsex Community College in Edison, NJ, and let me tell you, despite their smiles, they're rough customers.  Erin just laid down "Quell" on a triple word score for 45 points and is absolutely killing us.



Garima, Erin (hustler), Barum and Ham from MCC

Posted by Jack Hanlon, CBO & Evangelist


(Abby, me, Roselle) Yeah, ok, the bookmark is mirrored.  You can handle it!

Hey all, I'm currently at IMPACT/Idealist conference at Northeastern University this weekend.  After setting up our gear and breaking out Scrabble (I just put down "Fastens."  64 points!  All others, owned.  (Without Niko here I'm totally going to win).)
 
You can find us in the ballroom between the lovely ladies (Jessica and Amanda) at Hostelling International USA and the folks at UNICEF USA who are soon to arrive.  Later today I'll be an expert (seriously...) on a forum entitled "Blurring the lines: Public Good in the Private Sector" whilst my killer coworkers (seen above), Roselle (Mid-South Regional Director (ATL baby!)) and Abby (Rocky Mountain Regional Director (Reppin' Minnehaha!)), are kicking it live at the table.

Today's highlights will include my super sweet forum (look for a podcast coming soon), our ongoing scrabble throwdown, these sweet new www.BetterWorld.com

Tomorrow is our workshop and more well-meaning shenanigans... check in often for updates (and tomorrow for photos!) shirts and the very un-Boston 50 degree weather.

Posted by Aaron King, Director

[This is Part Three of Aaron's "Campus Division in Cambodia" story. Here's Part Two and look out for the subsequent tales in the coming week...]

Monday December 31, 2008

Before departure, we had breakfast at the hotel restaurant. This was hands down the most amazing breakfast buffet I have ever seen. Big trays of rice and noodles and stir fries and meats and eggs and bread and fruit were everywhere. The fruit selection alone would have been enough to put this breakfast over the top as one of my most amazing ever. I don’t think I even recognized half the fruits there.

Posted by Aaron King, Director

[This is Part Two of Aaron's "Campus Division in Cambodia" story. Here's Part One and look out for the subsequent tales in the coming week...]

Sunday, December 30th, 2007 After a few hours sleep we got up to explore the city. Our itinerary was to take us to Cambodia later that night, so we had limited time. Our consensus was to visit a nearby Pagoda. There were golden statues and tributes to Buddha all around where people could light incense and pray to Buddha and hope for good luck. The atmosphere was peaceful, serene, refreshing and relaxing, a good omen for things to come.

Posted by Abby Rae LaCombe, Rocky Mountain Regional Director



Niko and I are in San Antonio, TX attending a variety of educational sessions at CAMEX 2008 and celebrating warm weather (come check us out at booth 1145, next to Publisher's Row!  Massive floorplan here).  I was in a session discussing textbook rental programs and a question arose regarding what to do with the books when they are no longer applicable to the class.  What was the resounding answer (I promise I didn’t say it first!)?  “Better World Books!”  All I could do was sit back and glow with pride (and scheme how to get in to the totally sweet Jansport party this year...)

Posted by Natasha Harris, Pacific Senior Director

We've been getting a lot of requests to see photos from our Cambodia trip, so I thought I'd include a few below from our shared repertoire.  Click on the individual link of any picture to make it bigger.


I'd also like to take this opportunity to say that I feel so lucky to be part of such a passionate and amazing team of people.  Spending these weeks together visiting Room to Read projects was as reaffirming and incredible as I could ever imagine.  You're a great and talented bunch and I'm so glad I've had the opportunity to learn from each of you!

Posted by: Damara Catlett, Northern Mid-Atlantic Regional Director

It’s been about a week since I and four other Better World Books employees visited Cambodia to see first hand the incredible impact that Room to Read is making in Cambodian schools through their library, computer classroom and Room to Grow Girls' Scholarship progroms.

The most soul stirring part of the trip was our visit to the family of a Room to Grow scholar named Yum Sophally. To reach her home we traveled almost 2 ½ hours each way using 3 modes of transportation. The first hour we traveled by car and to our surprise transferred to a hummer truck in order to traverse the rocky and practically road less terrain. Lastly, a 30 minute boat ride brought us to a small fishing community by the name of Thnot Leam Bot which translates into “broken palms”. This small village is the home of 17 Room to Read scholars.

Prior to Room to Read’s assistance these girls would have had to make the very expensive 2 ½ hour trek each day to and from school. However, thanks to the scholarship program, room and board is provided for the scholars close to the school where they are cared for by their teachers.

We were graciously welcomed into the home of Yum’s mother, In Lavy. In Lavy is a 58 year old widower and 16 year old Yum is her only child. As a testament to this woman’s generosity and warmth she has taken in her orphaned niece and nephew who did their homework in the next room as we spoke. In Lavy described Yum as a quiet, gentle, and studious girl who is incredibly cautious and thoughtful. In Lavy, knows that her investment in her education is crucial to Yum fulfilling her dreams of becoming a teacher or doctor.

Although, mother and daughter only see each three times a year they have fully embraced this opportunity as only 19% of Cambodian girls are enrolled in school at the secondary level. As we closed our interview In Lavy promised that “As long as I’m on the earth I’m committed to helping my daughter continue her education.”

Posted by Better World Books

Letter from Birmingham Jail

Christian Blue, Account Representative: I know I'm not the only one to get goosebumps when I hear his voice resonate "I have a dream" It's always been that way, but it was not until I read "Letter from Birmingham Jail" in college that I understood Dr. King's strength of purpose and character.  It's a true testament to why he led the movement he did.   Since any further attempt at describing his impact would surely fall short, I will leave you all with the attached letter (above link). I like to read it every MLK Day and it never fails to inspire.



Damara Catlett, Northern Mid-Atlantic Regional Director: There is so much to love about this picture (below) including the religious diversity in the background, the cultural diversity of the students, the BFA video playing (courtesy of Maura) and of course the posing-love it!

Jack Hanlon, Northeast Regional Director: Martin Luther King did what he did, and was who he was, for scenes like this: that students could sit together, regardless of color, class or creed and be together, to study, to share experiences and to work for a common goal: to help those in need and create a Better World!

Posted by Natasha Harris, Pacific Senior Director

(The following is a two part post, follow the link below for the rest of part two and part one is the post beneath this one)

I think back on my childhood and on the privileged path I’ve been on since the age of two. I’ve always been a reader – a passion that was heavily supported by my family and my teachers throughout my formative years. In all my life, I’ve never suffered for the lack of a good book to read. I’ve also been given plenty of recognition and offered numerous scholarships to help me achieve my dreams. I grew up in a country where I was taught that if I think big and believe in myself there is no threshold I cannot cross – no barrier to keep me from my dreams. How much of this have I taken for granted? How many classes have I skipped in my life because I had something “better” to do? I look back on myself and my classmates growing up and I realize that all of us – the richest of us, the poorest, the most clever and more challenged – we all approached our education with at least some degree of indifference, at least some of the time. And why not? Education was always a given, at least through high school. I remember whining about going back to school after a long vacation, wishing I could spend my days outside instead of being cooped up in a classroom with all of its rules and expectations. Cambodia put that all in perspective.

Posted by Natasha Harris, Senior West Coast Director

(The following is a two part post, follow the link below for the rest of part one and part two will be the post following this one)

I’m currently sitting in a Los Angeles coffee shop sipping on a rather tasty latte that cost (gulp) a whopping $3.65. That’s some perspective. Just last week I would probably have been sipping an even more delicious cup of Vietnamese coffee (probably at this very moment, as it’s 6pm here, and Vietnam is 15 hours into the future – 9am breakfast) that cost all of $.33 and came from a cup that did not have the Starbucks label on it.

Since back, I’ve sat down several times to put down a few words about my experiences in Southeast Asia for all of you. It’s been difficult to find words to express all that I experienced while there, and several times I’ve put aside my notes for other things, waiting for the words to come to me.

Posted by Aaron King, Director of Campus Acquisitions.

Our first experience on the streets of Vietnam was a breathtaking one; not in the “oh-wow-this is so amazing and beautiful-I can’t even breathe-I’m so happy” kind of way (which does technically describe their sunrises over the South China Sea), but rather breathtaking in a “hyperventilating, oh-my-god-we-are-all-about-to-die” manner. 

First of all, you need to know that Vietnam is the land of the motorbike.  Motorcycles and riders outnumbered the cars at least twelve to one.  The only cars out there were primarily taxies and delivery trucks.  Now imagine a very fast river, with rapids pounding all over rocks, water cascading everywhere.  Now substitute water and rocks for very large mass of these bikers and cars, and you have this amazing fast paced moving stream of traffic.  Traffic lights were few and far between, and even then only occasionally obeyed.   It was like a huge stampede of wild horses running through the jungle. Really fast. 

Our taxi driver speeds away from the airport at a fairly fast clip, (tough to say, we were too nervous to do the metric conversion).  Upon approaching the intersection of vehicular chaos, our driver did not slow down a bit (as we might have expected), but if anything accelerated, and dove right in.  Amazingly, it was perfect.  Not a single rider was overturned.  It was like the traffic was one single organism, moving as one.  Some motor bikes swerved a bit, some slowed a bit, and our taxi immediately became engulfed as part of the stream, picture perfect osmosis.  We then proceeded to begin passing and merging other vehicles with complete abandon, again with no harm caused.  It was like every single rider was completely aware of his or her surroundings.  We even saw many bikes with families on them, a mother, father and small child all sandwiched on one fast moving bike in the middle of the stream.   At a certain point we had to let go and imagine we were actually watching a high speed chase in a movie, and hope to high heaven there would be no overturned fruit trucks in this scene. 

Upon arriving safely and soundly at our hotel, our driver then had the audacity to demand a big tip on top of his already jacked up price as a reward for how quick he got us there.  Let’s be honest, I gave him 2 dollars, cause I was definitely impressed.