The People

I think my greatest pleasure has been talking and getting to know the locals. I spoke to the sellers at Russian Markets, who gave me a local fruit as a present. The hotel staff had gone out of the call of duty to chat to me (like about my tablecloth skirt!); one hotel manager wanted to leave Phnom Penh so desperately and hoped I could provide him some help to allow him to come to work in Australia. I also got to know the local staff who was helping us with the program. They are sweetest group of people who really went out of their way to make us feel welcome.

One girl in particular really touched my heart. We were sitting on the harbourside and she took my hand and told me she’s so glad she had met me. She wished she could speak English well so I gave her quick lesson on learning English: “Practice.” She told me about the province she had grew up in and the life that lies ahead of her. Her ultimate wish is to won her own home in her hometown and have her family around. She is engaged to a man who she loves, a government official who will move to Europe someday. She has no hesitations to follow him there, even if it means leaving behind the life she knows and her dream for a hometown home. She left me with some jasmine flowers she picked from the neighbouring trees.