Things I learned

Now that I've had several days to absorb what I could hear from our live conversation with Jack, I will try to memorialize some of the things I learned.

I knew that I would be assigned an individual elephant, and I had spent considerable time poring over the cast of characters to see which one I might be most compatible with. Click here for the candidates, and kindly make any suggestions.

I felt myself drawn to Bob, perhaps because of the engaging name, or perhaps because he's the only male elephant there . . . and well, as one of my favorite characters (Billy Fish) in one of my favorite movies (The Man Who Would Be King) said, "I be likin' boys."

Turns out male elephants are rather unpleasant and sometimes a little combative. I've had enough of that with our 60-pound Airedale, Aramis. A five-ton elephant? No thanks. I guess I may be "likin' girls."

Hmmmmm. I am in the same age group as Happy Lucky and Buffet. I share an all-consuming (ha!) interest in food with Buffet!

But I won't be the one doing the choosing anyway. Apparently Jack introduces the volunteers to the elephants and does a little analysis of whose personalities match whose--rather like eHarmony.com, I suppose, "e" as in "elephant". So I'll have to wait until I'm actually there to focus on "my" elephant.

And, on a more serious note, I was much taken with what Jack said about his motivation to devote himself to this project for over five years: "I came for the elephants, but I stayed for the people." I definitely need to get my head straight and figure out how to be a good guest of the people of Mondulkiri. Any ideas for appropriate "hostess gifts" for me to take would be greatly appreciated. Really.

Reality via Skype

The whole thing took on a weird, sci-fi feel.

I did get my shots. And ate my LIVE (?) typhoid pills. And checked to see if all was well with my passport. And I still occasionally startled people with my plans. AND I ordered some "wicking" ["wicking??!? What the hell am I supposed to do with'em, set 'em on fire?] shoes, shirts, and underwear. But still, the trip just didn't feel real.

Then I got the idea to email Jack--Jack Highwood, that is, the guy who runs the Elephant Valley Project. I wanted some ideas of useful things I might be able to bring over with me, things that actually might be of use to the elephants.

I was surprised that he did email back. And I noticed that he had a Skype address! Well, hey, I'm SO experienced with Skype! Why, I think I've had 2, maybe 3, Skype conversations already!

And then I got the idea that maybe Jack and my environmental ethics class could Skype together. I have this great bunch of students at the college, some of whom seem to have a genuine interest in trying to DO something as a result of the dreadful things we've learned. But there's this feeling of helplessness, like "There's nothing one individual person CAN do."

But, it seemed to me, here was Jack, an individual person, and not so very different from my students as far as age and economic status, and he's DOING SOMETHING!

So, it worked. It actually worked. We had a LIVE conversation! Nicolet College's environmental ethics class and Jack, Sen Menoram, Cambodia. And here's proof!

Untitled from Northpith on Vimeo.