Svay Rieng

I went to Svay Reing this past weekend, a province near the Vietnamese border. We dined at a friend of Pou Youk’s who lived in the countryside. They welcomed us with kindness and with great hospitality. Pou had told me that his friend, who now was a teacher, built his whole house himself. He recently built a kitchen for his wife, which was very touching to me. Cambodian people in the countryside work very hard and do not gloat about their accomplishments. They sit humbly watching their guest, hoping they are happy. The lady’s mother told me to not mind them because they are countryside people. They may feel embarrassed but I have nothing but admiration for them. Making their own food, harvesting their own rice, building their own shelter is nothing to be ashamed about. I find so much strength in Cambodians and see it in our culture overall. That is why we cannot lose that part of our culture, it is very important to the lives of Cambodians. The land they live on is so precious and cannot be given up to the evils of the growing industries. I hope they will preserve their land and understand how valuable their land is compared to money. I hope all the countryside people understand this very important fact. I felt so peaceful, so enlightened by their way of life. Nothing I have ever really seen before. I appreciated the moment we all had together because together we shared something special.