Nich’s New York City Trip
SHE-CAN:
So How was the trip overall?Nich: It was amazing. I got to meet amazing and inspiring women at the SHE-CAN event. I also loved the fact that I got to share the experience with Vuochnear and Barbara. I got to walk around the city and see the broadway show Pretty Woman.
SHE-CAN: Was it fun sharing the experiences with Vuochnear?
Nich: It was really fun. After watching Pretty Woman we got to walk around Times Square. There were a lot of people but we wanted to experience how crazy it is. There are so many billboards and people and all kinds of interactions. It makes you feel how lucky you are to experience it. I have only read about it or seen it in movies, so being able to be there makes me think a lot about how far I’ve come.
Nich: I never would have thought I would have had the opportunity to see it. I only read it in books or online so it was a very surreal experience.
I hadn’t heard of the movie until Barb suggested the musical. So being able to watch it live was very special because you get to be a part of this exciting audience, and the show itself is so lively and wonderful, and colorful, and the cast is so talented.
After I watched the broadway version I watched the movie. I have to say Julia Roberts has a very hard to beat performance, but I enjoyed both. I really enjoyed the live action experience of broadway. I can’t choose between them.
Nich: It’s very different. I grew up in a small town in the Siem Reap province where there are a lot of open spaces and rice paddy fields. Compared to NYC it’s a totally different place. I wouldn’t use Google Maps in my town because it’s so easy to get around, but I’d have to know how to use it in NYC. There also isn’t subway in Cambodia so it’s a very different experience in New York City.
SHE-CAN: What was the most memorable part of this trip for you?
Nich: Definitely the SHE-CAN event. Vuochnear and I got the opportunity to share our story to the people who came to see and learn about SHE-CAN. To see their reactions and excitement to see and hear about SHE-CAN and how it works and how it helps scholars like me… it made me proud to share my story and see these people willing to help send others like me to get their education. It just made me really proud to be a part of that.
Nich: I took a class in Protesting, Music and Social Change, so we looked at how a lot of artists started in the Villages, so I’d like to go explore more those areas because there are a lot of inspiring artists stories that have done a lot of amazing things. Artists like Bob Dylan and Woody Guthrie all started in that area, so I’d like to learn more about it.
If I had the opportunity I’d go and tour the UN too. I really want to see — growing up I read and heard about these places, so just being able to get a glimpse of what it’s like inside and about the UN and getting people to see how they go about their day in the UN. It would allow me to get a better sense of how things work.
SHE-CAN: And finally, what would you tell incoming scholars to see/do if they ever get the chance to visit NYC?
Nich: I definitely know it’s nerve-wracking, but give it a try taking the subway. It’s confusing and complicated but it teaches you a lot. There are a lot of people who have told me if you make it in NYC — it’s a lot of navigating subways and buses — that you can make it anywhere in the world It’s very scary, but just give it a try.
SHE-CAN: Is there anything else you would like to add?
Nich: I got to see Laura and Justin my lead mentors, and had lunch with them. It was really nice to see them again after a few months (I just saw them in December). They’re really excited about my trip to Namibia this summer. It was just really great to see them and reconnect.