BAYON TEMPLE - I'm standing next to one of the many smiling stone faces at the Bayon Temple ruins near Angkor Wat. The giant stone faces have become perhaps the most recognizable image connected to classic Khmer (Cambodian) art and architecture.

Week 9
December 22, 2001 - Cambodia
"The Happy Place"

Dear Thor:

The next time someone tells me to go to my "Happy Place," I’m going to think of Siem Reap, Cambodia. Why? The people there are the happiest I’ve ever met.

On every street corner, I see people laughing and playing. The rivers are full of butt-naked kids swimming joyously. Grown men play hacky-sack on the sidewalks. And I’m greeted by smiling people everywhere.

What the heck do they put in the water?

Siem Reap wasn’t always this happy. The people here are only a few years removed from a civil war that killed millions in this tiny country. If you saw the movie "The Killing Fields," you know that the Khmer Rouge was a group of baddies that tried to systematically "cleanse" this country in the 1970’s. They created an Asian Holocaust on the level of Nazi Germany, Stalin’s forced famine, and the more recent nightmare in Bosnia.

The genocidal scarring is noticeable by the absence of an entire generation. I see the young and the old, but very few people in the middle. I also see dozens of legless and armless men begging for money – victims of the countless landmines that still litter the countryside.

So why all the happiness?

Maybe it’s all the bubbly energy from the young. Or perhaps it’s because Cambodian people have a true perspective on life. To be honest, I don’t think it really matters why. It only matters that after years of unhappiness, they are happy… now.

Ooohhh. How’s that for Zen?

Speaking of Zen, I did have an interesting Thor-sign this week, and it came in the form of an extremely cute woman. She had gorgeous eyes (just like you) and the classic petite Irish beauty that I always seem to fall for. I ran into her at one of the temple ruins of Angkor Wat just outside of Siem Reap. We talked briefly, and then she disappeared down one of the twisty walkways that filled the amazing complex. I thought she was gone forever, until I ran into her again at another ruin a few days later.

Was this fate? Was she you? My curiosity got the better of me. So I started a friendly conversation and walked the ruins with her. But from the start, something didn’t seem right. For example, she walked so fast! Here we were, in the middle of this stunning 13-hundred year old complex, and she didn’t even pause once to take in the splendor! It was as if she had this list of things to do and a short time to do it.

We all get that way at times, but I’m now at a point where I want to experience every moment fully. In the present. In the now. I want to savor my food, smell every flower, and walk at a pace set by my inner truth rather than an outer agenda. That’s what this Search is about. In the strangest way, this Thor-look-alike provided me the perfect barometer for me to measure my progress.

So I let her go on her hurried way and then let my inner truth lead me to some amazing Happy Place Adventures.

For example, I met a HUGE MOVIE STAR shooting his latest film at Angkor Wat. His name is Sophea David, and he’s one of Cambodia’s rising movie stars. To date, he’s been the star of six Cambodian movies and 10 Karaoke productions. And he’s so cool! We talked for a few hours in between his takes. That’s where I learned that he has a cousin in my hometown of Denver. (As if!)

My inner truth also got me invited to a Cambodian wedding reception. I ran into the wedding party as they were taking pictures outside the Bayon temple at Angkor Wat. That’s where I befriended the best man Bun, and he invited me to the 850-person reception.

Actually, the word "reception" is a little misleading – a better word would be "feast." The meal had nine-courses and lasted over two hours. I also sat at the table with all of the groom’s uncles. At first I struggled to communicate with them. Then I discovered that beer greatly aids bilingual communication. By the time we received our ninth course of food, we were all laughing and slapping each other on the back.

Also at the reception, two karaoke singers provided entertainment. It was so cool to hear Cambodian folk and pop songs. But then out of nowhere, they sang "I Love You Baby" by Frankie Vallie and the Four Seasons! (As if!) This song has been following me my entire journey, and I never expected to hear it at a Traditional Cambodian wedding!

I’ve since learned that this song signals that one chapter of my journey is about to end and another is to begin. So I now find myself preparing to leave Siem Reap, Cambodia – The Happy Place. My stay here has been too short, but I’ll always remember the smiles and "Puppy Love" laughter that greeted me everywhere. I don’t know if those same smiles will be here tomorrow. But at least they are here now.

I’m heading back to south Thailand to spend Christmas on the beaches of Krabi. I know some people there and look forward to sharing more laughs with them. I hope you are in a Happy Place full of laughter this Holiday Season. I’ll write you again next week. Until then, be well, be present. And Namaste!

Scotty