Monthly Archives: November 2011

Family Portrait ~ Proyyut Village, Siem Reap District, Cambodia

There is something special about being a “visitor” instead of a “tourist” when you are travelling: getting a glimpse into the real, everyday lives of ordinary people, rather than the “show homes” set up by tour operators. Let me introduce you to an “average” rural Khmer family: Mum and her four children. I met Sony,…

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A Morning in First Grade ~ Sandan Elementary, Siem Reap, Cambodia

Cambodia is a youthful country with a sad history. One third of the country’s 15 million people (32.2%) is under the age of fifteen (July 2011 est.). Given the genocide perpetrated by Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge between 1975-1979 when two million Cambodians were killed, it is not surprising that less than 4% of the population is 65 or…

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Time out for Remembrance: 11:11:11 on 11/11/2011

Do you ever have those times when you get so busy you almost forget to breathe? In a country like Australia, you get used to covering a lot of ground to get from A to B and to C. Since arriving in Sydney from Bangkok a week ago, I’ve spent most of my time in…

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Looking for Lara Croft ~ Beng Mealea, Angkor, Cambodia

After bumping along narrow Cambodian roads into oncoming trucks and buffalo carts for what seemed like a very long time, our bus pulled to a stop on the shoulder in the middle of nowhere. Our Khmer guide assured us we were at the back entrance to Beng Mealea, one of the less-visited temples of Angkor….

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