We were all young once... ...
Tonle Sap, name of the biggest freshwater lake in Cambodia, and South-East Asia. Home to many Cambodians, Vietnamese and other immigrants, where they bathe, cook and make a living. There, along the Tonle Sap, I witness for myself how the children of Cambodia live.
As I bought a bunch of bananas from a little Vietnamese girl for USD$1, I wonder what her life will be like say 10, 20 years from now. Will she be like her mother, selling what little fruits they grow onboard that little boat, to tourists and locals for a meager sum of money, trying to make ends meet, while her newborn son clings on to her bosom, feeding.
The Angkor Wat historical sites are phenomenon and breathtaking, but what lingers on my mind is the images of the little ones, loitering around the sites under the scorching sun. Some, slightly better off, sells little trinkets, postcards. Barely 10, some can speak more languages than me, counting and greeting me in Japanese, Korean, Hokkien, Chinese and English. Some, hang out in little groups, just amusing themselves by the walls of temples of Angkor Wat, seeking what little shade they can find. Little topless girl stare right back at me with her large innocent eyes while I took her picture. Her older brother came forward with a little makeshift ring he made from a strip of leaf, securing it round my little finger and slipping a lovely yellow flower into it. It may be the most inexpensive ring I own, but it definitely the most heart wrenching one.
