The Optimist Podcast

The Cambodian Teacher

On the season finale of The Optimist Podcast I chatted with Melany Danielson. Melany is a Peace Corps Volunteer in Cambodia educating her community on health and teaching English. We talked about her work, why she joined, how hard it was to learn the language, and the Cambodian version of carnaval.

The Senegalese Handwashing

On this episode of the podcast I chatted with Sajani Khondker about her Peace Corps service in Senegal. We talked about Senegalese culture and her village, the project she's working on, and what made her run out of her house in terror on her first night in site.

The Ecuadorian Rockstar

I talked with Daniel Zozaya on this episode of the podcast. We chatted about his Peace Corps service in Ecuador and his experience playing in 2 Ecuadorian bands, including one that got radio play.

The Cambodian Health Center

On this episode of the podcast we talked with Ben DiNapoli, a Peace Corps Volunteer serving in Cambodia. We discussed Buddhism and its impact on Cambodian culture, how Cambodian kids grow up a lot quicker than American kids, and weighing babies. Ben also told some really funny stories about poop, shared his “Welcome to Peace Corps” moment, and described what it was like having to leave all his bags in South Korea on his way to Cambodia for the first time.