Cambodia

The People

The children are the cutest you will see anywhere.

War Toys

Thinking it inappropriate to give candy to kids, I bought little plastic toys for about five

cents each as presents. Mieko questioned the propriety of giving a toy gun to a child

in a country where the people have suffered so much from war.

Merry Christmas

In a country that is overwhelmingly Buddhist, it might seem strange that the staff of this

cafe would dress up in Santa Claus hats to celebrate Christmas. Can you imagine the

employees of McDonalds in Des Moines, Iowa, dressing in saffron robes to celebrate

the Dalai Lama's birthday? Actually, southeast Asia is very accepting of Christianity.

In countries where there are so many religions (Buddhism, Taoism, animistic religions

and Islam) and so many gods, welcoming one more was no problem.

More Kids

If you want to take pictures of children, you will find plenty of opportunity in Cambodia.

Floating Village

A floating village has grown up on the water south of Siem Reap.

Floating School

Because the water level can change several meters with the advent of the monsoons,

the shoreline shifts a few kilometers. To accommodate the education of the children,

who move with the shoreline, the elementary school is on barges.

The Classroom

The school welcomes tourists, who are encouraged to make a donation. The children

certainly look like they could use a little extra money. A close inspection of the desks

show that they were donated by Mr. Sam Jones and Party, Tour to Paradise in

November 2000. This is a poor district, even by Cambodian standards. Each

barge has a plaque showing that it was donated by the Republic of Korea, the

people of Japan, or the United States of America.

Child Care

The older girls in the family always seem to have a little sibling in tow.

Show for the Tourists

Many of the cute little kids remain cute even into adulthood.

Cambodian Dance

Cambodian dance is fantastic.