18 July 2016 - KIDS FROM CAMBODIA

KIDS FROM CAMBODIA

G'day folks,

Welcome to another post about kids around the world. Cambodia is a Southeast Asian nation whose landscape spans low-lying plains, the Mekong Delta, mountains and Gulf of Thailand coastline. Its busy capital, Phnom Penh, is home to the art deco Central Market, glittering Royal Palace and the National Museum's historical and archaeological exhibits. In the country's northwest lie ruins of Angkor Wat, a massive stone temple complex built during the Khmer Empire. 

• Continent: Southeastern Asia
• Climate: Tropical. Monsoon season runs from May to November

School:

• Only about 45% of Cambodian kids finish elementary school. The figure is much lower for children who live in rural villages.
• Cambodian children study math, history, geography, science, Khmer (Cambodia's official language), English, and French, as well as art, music, and dance. Most students wear uniforms.

Play:

• Leak Kon Saeng is a popular game in Cambodia. The game is similar to “duck duck goose,” but instead of tapping a person on the head, the player who is “it” places a knotted piece of cloth behind the “goose.”
• Older children enjoy ang kunh. An ang kunh is an oval-shaped seed. Two teams stand about 10 feet apart and place three to five ang kunh in a semicircle. Each team tries to knock down the other team’s pieces by tossing an ang kunh. 

Family:

• Many Cambodians live with members of their extended families. Parents, siblings, grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins may live in the same home. The extended families often work together as well.
• Cambodian parents usually give their children symbolic names that rhyme with the name of another family member.

Favorite food:

• Rice and fish! Cambodians eat rice at every meal. It is served fried, steamed, or in the form of noodles. Fish is eaten fresh, dried, smoked, or as a paste called prahok and is spiced with hot peppers, lemon grass, or mint. Cambodians even use rice in desserts. They combine it with fruit and coconut milk to create a sweet treat.

Interesting animal:  

• The kouprey, a wild forest cow, is known for its long, curving horns. One of the rarest animals in the world, the kouprey is Cambodia's national animal.

 

• Unique holiday: Bonn Om Teuk, or water festival, is celebrated in November at the end of the rainy season when the water of the Mekong River begins to recede. Cambodians hold rowing races on the river during the festival.

• Did you know? Thousands of tourists travel to Cambodia each year to visit the temples at Angkor Wat. The temples were built in the 12th century.

 

Clancy's comment: Considering what these people have been through, they are wonderful, enterprising folks, and the kids are fabulous. Worth a visit.

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18 June 2014 - THE STRANGER - Southern Thailand

THE STRANGER

- Southern Thailand -

G'day folks,

Here is another very short anecdote I have written over the years. And, yes, it is a true story.

One early morning on my way home from a festival in Southern Thailand, I sat on the fence of a large hotel, had a smoke and watched the traffic pass. The location was a famous roundabout that was always busy and a place where I had often sat with my camera, waiting for some spectacular scene to capture on film. Some of my best shots had been taken there, like five people and a dog travelling on a small motor bike or a truck full of workers; some even sitting on the roof.

     I was only there for a few minutes when an attractive woman appeared. I said hello and she stopped to chat. She spoke no English, but that was fine because I spoke good Thai. She was a bright, happy woman with a sweet personality and during the conversation I learned lots about her. She had just arrived in the city by train from Northern Thailand; fourteen hours away, had three kids and was seeking employment. Curious, I bluntly asked her how much money she had. To which, she opened a small purse to reveal 150 Baht which is currently $5.17 Australian. The woman had no idea where she would sleep that night.

     Although I’d had a few beers with some Thai friends of mine, I certainly wasn’t drunk. Impulsively, I removed my wallet and gave her 500Baht and crossed the busy road. Naturally she was gob smacked and asked me why I’d given that much money to a complete stranger. The money I'd given her would have bought about forty meals.

     ‘Farang (foreigner), why did you give me money?’ she hollered.

     I turned, smiled and bowed. ‘Because I have it and you need it,’ I said, and headed towards my hotel.

    

     Further on, I looked back to find her bowing and waving with a beaming smile. Ah ... The 'Land of Smiles'.

     It’s great to share what you have, eh? Life’s short … Use it … There is plenty to do.

*** New review for

'Pa Joe's Place' ***

 “While I was reading, I was in Thailand, going on all those wondrous adventures with Boo. I have read a great deal of excellent books, and this one ranks at the highest end of the scale with all the best ones. First of all, I do not LIKE or DISLIKE your stories, Clancy; I LOVE them. And what I LOVE about them is that every time I pick one up, I am transported to a new world while sitting in my own little bedroom. Boo is the most inspirational kid I have ever read about, and the way that you wrote it, it feels like I knew her.  And not only that I always feel like I am IN the story, experiencing it all with the characters. And I also love the way that I really have to concentrate in order to come back to reality when mum calls me for dinner or bed time. Keep writing your AWESOME stories."

Lauren Crocker, Student, Australia.

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