1
On 14 January, 2008
at 6.00 o’clock sharp in the evening, the sun went down below the horizon
behind the trees. Chi Phat located in Thmar Bang of Koh Kong province is a
small remote village in the heart of the South Cardamoms of Cambodia. Yonks ago
the township on the edge of the jungle, had only dusty string of old houses
running down a red dirt road,which most structures left
over since the 1990s as a site of anarchic loggers.
Shortly
thereafter, the silent nature looked as though it was swept by wind. At that
time, people still lived on logging, slashing and burning for farming. But they
are receiving international tourists enthusiastically.
From the porch of
a dilapidated house lighted by two or three electric lights across from an
office of Chi Phat Community Based Eco-Tourism, learners ‘voices rose
into excited shrieks in the nightfall that that moment there was no star visible
in the sky, but cool breeze with some dew fell. The pupils spoke in English
simultaneously:
-May you have a
good trip for tomorrow!
The students left
the class. Meanwhile, two of the women gave me a smile and spoke with me a
teacher:
-Thank you very
much for your time of our teaching to share our existing knowledge with your
students.
“All
right, but I would be appreciated you two for your helping hands with my
teaching at least one hour.”I replied with my smiling thanks.
Both of the girls
are slim with fair hair and they have fair complexion. One of the two has big eyes
looked like a half blood Cambodian. She is Vilay Soumi Phon from Lao, and
another one has Chinese eyes wearing glasses looked as though a half Chinese or
Japanese. She is called Kim Ngeang from Vietnam.
“This
is the first experience of my teaching. I so much like teaching children, and I
also do like.”Vilay Soumi Phon and Kim Ngeang said to me.
-By the way, how
long have your students been learning English here? They are so
smart. I am surprised to see one who can post a lot of
questions to us.
I did happily
answer while I heard this question, “Actually my students here divided into 5
classes in every day, and this group of children is the class I enjoy offering an
extra one hour for the poor family villagers’ children, they have just been
learning for only 3 months. But this group I applied in a general English
lesson, which is different from the other classes. As you know that I am
employed by an International Organization, so I am responsible for providing a
specific English skill to all members of the Eco-Tourism project. I mean that
they are categories of management team who organize tour itinerary for tourists
like you. Besides, they are group members of service providers such as a group
of home stay and guest house, Eco guide, a group of the ox cart, the cook, the
motor dup ( motor cap) and so on.
“Good to hear that.”Vilay Soumi Phon and Kim Ngeang
nodded and said.
-How many sessions do you remain for
your program? In other word, what time do you finish your teaching?
-Well, I have just
one more hour, that is; it specifies to the group of Eco guide.
Why do you ask me this question? Do you please need me
to help you?
“No, all right! But we are gonna leave here
tomorrow. We think it is better to invite you to join our dinner party this
evening to thank for your facilitation on our recent tour. Is it ok? “Vilay
Soumi Phon said the last word, and left me alone to continuously teaching the
class on the old hour porch.
I smiled and immediately replied, “Thanks
my friend, I am a staff of Wildlife Alliance. I have a daily dinner preparing
by our rent cook. However it is ok to accept your rare invitation because it is
not often to see beautiful girls like you to call me.”
“You’re hilarious. Ok we are waiting for you
at the community’s dining table at seven pm.”Kim Ngeang chuckled!
-Good nite Vithea! Have a benefit teaching for your
Nation community.
“Good nite, See you after this time.”I waved
my hand, both of them left away.
At seven pm sharp, I halted my teaching and hurried down
from my class of the dilapidated house where is known that it has been long
unused. This house no one can stay inside because the
people believe that it is a house of the ghost. Its owner also cannot stay;
this is because his former wife’s soul is angry with him for deciding to marry his second wife. His former wife had been ill and it was thought she would get better if
she did not eat a mongo. Unfortunately,
before she recovered, she died of starvation.
The villagers say that almost every night they see her ghost haunting
here. Many people have seen the ghost carrying a coffin up inside the house -
even foreigners. Now this house is used as an English Class by CBET project
providing English to the poor villagers’ kids and CBET members.
2
At the dining
table under the end piece of the roof of
the Chi Phat
Eco-Tourism office, At about seven and five minute, dinner
dishes Kim Ngeang and Vilay Somiphon ordered had been put on by the group
member of the cook, diffused odor
soaring around. In the blue plastic chairs by the table sat and waited for by
King Ngeang, Vilay Somiphon, an old aged man and another woman in early fifty.
“Hello there, sorry for you all in waiting for
me”, I said to everybody, and saluted to the old, which is a polite greeting
custom in Khmer culture.
“All right Mr.
Vythea, here is your chair”, Visomiphon brought the chair and let me to sit
next to her.
“Please have a
seat”. The man who has white hair, big build in late sixty, said to me in a
muffled voice in Khmer language.
-Well, thanks. Sorry again for your
waiting.
“Please don’t
mention it; you said that two times already. You are really polite I think I am
so lucky to know you. By the way I would like you to know my parents”, King
Ngeang introduced me the old who are her father and mother.
“It is my pleasure
to meet you, Uncle and Aunty”, I joined my both hands paying them my respect
again treated the old that Cambodian always applied.
“I am honorary to
have dinner with you all, please starting the dinner”, said I.
The
extraordinary dinner began in friendship between the Kim Ngeang’s family, Vilay
Somiphon and me. While the dinner finished, I pursued in question:
-As I know you and
Uncle and Aunt are from Vietnam, but Vilay Somim is from
Lao, how come do you know Vilay Somiphon, King Ngeang?
“We have been friends since we went to the National
Graduate Institute, Japan in the scholarship program of politic study. We made
a lot of friends there”, Kim Ngeang brought me up to scratch on the history.
At the end of her explanation, I turned and asked Kim
Ngeang’s father:
-Lately you have spoken in Khmer well.
How do you speak my mother tongue, Cambodian? Where
do you learn it from?
-In point of fact
I love and like Cambodia and Cambodian, Vythea. In the 1980s I voluntarily
joined and sacrificed in Vietnamese troop of Cambodia’s liberation from Pol Pot
regime. During my soldier service I stationed here in Chi Phat. This is why I
visit here.
-I am surprised to
hear that, Uncle. I would respect and thankfully laud all Volunteered Vietnamese soldiers. I have also
heard from people here that in the early 1980s after the killing field ruled by
Pol Pot collapsed. At that time the survivors faced in their shortfall,
however; your Vietnamese troop supported them in rice just got back only a
small amount of population from their fishing activities.
-You are very
smart, Vythea. I would say thank you for your facilitation of our tour package.
Yesterday our tour guide also took us on tour to see the Sun rise in the dawn
time on the top of Phnom Trangor (Bald Mountain) where it was utilized as my
paramilitary barrack. There was the last souvenir in my life.
-What souvenir do you mean, Uncle?
-There
was the Vietnamese military base where we stationed to defense Chi Phat’s
villagers from Khmer Rouge guerilla. In fact, the summit of Phnom Tranor was
full of forest, but the trees were deforested by Khmer Rouge for their farm. Then
the Khmer Rouge rebel was moved to Veal Taprak by Vietnamese army. We were also
taken there on tour, yet what important to tell you, particularly my daughter
Kim Ngeang, that is; here is the place I fell in love with my wife your mother.
“So why
have you never told me, Dad? Really, Mom?
Kim Ngeang turned and asked her mother.
“It is
true. At that time I was military nurse. I cured and looked after your father
while he was shot and injured.”Kim Ngeang’s mother told her daughter.
Tomorrow
came, they were sad to say goodbye to everybody. They left Chi Phat unhappily
looked as though they were dramatically in love with here. And I still worked
as a facilitator and a trainer of the community of Natural and Cultural
conservation. And I have been keeping in touch with them on mail or Facebook.
3
Four
years later, my project at Cardamom was finished. I initially thought of my
alerting new idea on Mekong River where is taken seriously. I have written
songs on the River’s virtue or other articles related to the Mekong. Recently I
sent my closed friend a First Secretary at Cambodian Embassy in Lao one
article. Phea and I were kids born lived on the delta of and Mekong River.
..................................................
Phnom Penh 12 Dec, 2012
Phea! How is
everything with you? I am fine and I hope you too. How about the people there? And
your job in Lao? I really want to visit there. I will submit for my passport
soon in order to visit you, and also visit my Lao mate we became a friend
whilst she visited my worksite Cardamoms Mountain with her visitors four years
ago.
Phea! I miss you.
This is one of my articles, which I have written to remind you to our hometown.
I reckon that Mekong should be cared on. After you finish your reading, please
kindly reply..!
Making Salt Fish at Our Hometown
When the Mekong down at the normal level, it was the dry
season that our villagers started plowing their farmland. Although I am not
sure the exact month, I remembered the time they made a hole on the ground
using the long wooden stick to grow the tobacco plants on every farm where is
on the other side of the river behind our house. During that month, crickets
also started building a mound of soil as their home. It was seen that the
tobacco plantation grew in blue leaves.
April has gone; most farmers already harvested the
tobacco products. Some made a plough on their land again for other crop
rotation such as maize and sesame. The winter came, was the time for a sequence
of harvest of dwellers in our village, Koh Sotin (a village located along the
Mekong River in Kampong Cham province in Cambodia). That was the season fish
egged. In the 1980s Cambodia likely did not have a fishing law to protect the
fish in Mekong River,as our
country Cambodia had just survived out of the killing field by the Vietnamese
Volunteer Military. I also
remembered that season the fishers set gill nets, especially they are Muslim.
Have you remembered that there are Chams dominated in a downtown near Vat Ta
Ouk in our village, they are professional fishers. (There were not many Khmer
fishers at the time.)
At the South Mekong River called by local a river Koh
Chen located at the end of lot of the tobacco farmland about 1 Kilometers long
from a small river behind our house where is the other edge of the tobacco
plantation, Right there it has a broad beach with a beautiful sand perimeter by
the river. The Islams camped as their shelters on the sand compound. That
fishing lot looked as though a busy town. Not only us, but the people ridded
their boats across the small river and walked toward there. On that day we
hoisted heavy buckets of fish back from there.
Marking this event in the 1980s, my father also owned
his gill net with a lot of workers and could catch a lot of fish. After we
brought the fish from the fishing city my mom, your grandma and our neighbors
rotated to make salt fish (Brahok Pha Ork). Besides, I also remembered that
some of the helpers peeled the scales out of the fish and cut open a fish's
belly and marinated them with salt. Some fish were cut the head off and brought
them to simmer for fish oil.
At our hometown in that period, they rarely used a
kerosene lamp because they have oil from the fish. So they light fish oil
lantern instead. Making the salt fish is one part of our villagers’ livelihood.
And we are happier to make the salt fish during the waxing month rather than
waning month.
With my best regard,
Vythea, your home-mate
..............................................................
Shortly, I got an email reply from the
secretary of the embassy to spur me to ask for a fast passport. He pledged to
lead his friends into the goal because his buddies also captivated the Mekong
River should been cared of biodiversity in, and environment for people’s sustainable
livelihood.
4
Shortly after, my
travelling to Lao came. Before that I sent my email to inform Vilay Somiphon
and Kim Ngeang about it, and I hoped I met Vilay Somiphon in Lao,too.
On 12
December 2013, a bus arrived in Vientiane. At dawn at the Dong Dok where the
station for Khmer buses and for Southern people vehicles land, there were passengers
wearing cold jackets because that month was as cold as Cambodia. I got off the
bus after it took me 24 hours. Meanwhile I was looking around for my friend who promised to pick me up here, the voice raised up:
“Eh! Vythea I am
here.”Sophea my buddy the secretary of Royal Embassy of Cambodia held his hand.
“Thank you, Phea
for your coming and waiting. As you know this is the first time for me to have
a trip in Lao.”I hugged my chum.
-How things with
you friend?
-It is ok. What
about you?
So far so good,
what is your impression on your arriving in here?
- I am so
surprised. In all, when I reached Pak Se at around five pm I started to feel
nervous of being afraid of you not coming to pick me up. If so, I was unaware
of going anywhere!
“Let’s go for your
accommodation. We can chat latter on.”My friend took me by a motorcycle about
12 Kilometers from the Vientiane City.
5
At the place Phea took me to is called DongDok Campus, where Cambodian students stayed. Most students are under
scholarship program of Lao, facilitating by Khmer Embassy here. Right there a
man who has dark complexion wearing spectacle, and another man came to welcome
us.
“Brother Phea! He is your friend from
Phnom Penh, right?” the man who has dark skin asked.
-Yes, Chum Nor.
“Good morning Brother!” Chum Nor greeted
me.
Chum Nor was a Cambodia student who
attended Lao Language and Linguistic and telecommunication at Literature Department
of Lao University. Now he has been studying Doctor of Education in Educational
Administration in Thailand. He introduced me to know his accompany.
- Brother! This is my friend from
Thailand. He is Brachub.
“Savatt dhi Brachub”Yindhi thidai ruchak”I
greeted him in Thai.
-Savatt dhi Krab! Dhi Chhan Ko Yindhi
thidai ruchak Khun.
“Vythea! Please come upstairs to have a
rest, for this noon we go to have lunch together at Khob Chai.”My friend led me
up the stair and Chum Nor carried my backpack went up with us. Brachub
followed.
In the bed room Phea guided me:
Here is your bed Vythea. How long are
you going to stay here? Don’t be hurry to go back. we gonna lead you on tour to
visit the cave of the mountain, go swimming, visit Vat Cham Pa Sak temple,
visit at the minority community. Phasum resort,
Pra Korn waterfall and so on. By the way, have you informed your Lao
friend about
your presence here? Does she know you arrival?
- I
mailed them before I decided to travel here. But I haven’t gotten any reply
from them. I reason that they are busy.
-All
right, please take a nap, for we are going to have Buffet by the river this
noon.
6
Lunch
time came; at about twelve o’clock at the riverside of Vientiane city the
breeze blew with a cold air even though in the Sun. We all reached the place
Khob Chai that it was called Sabai Dhi. This restaurant is serving Buffet and
some drinks.
We got
off the Tuk Tuk and walked in a queue to self serve the buffet, and sat at the table together. While Phea,
Chumnor, Brachub and I were eating and talking, three women appeared toward our
table.
“He
Brother Phea!”The three girls spoke to my friend. Getting a glimpse of three I
felt two of them I have known that they Kim Ngeang and Vilay Somiphon. In the
meantime, I made a slip of my tongue:
-You’re Kim Ngeang
and Vilay Somipon, right?
-All right, Mr.
Vythea! We are very surprised to meet you again in here.
-Oh my Buddha! My
goodness, it is taken aback. Why didn’t you reply to my mail and let me know
about that.
“We
want to make you surprise.”Kim Ngeang and Vilay Somiphon said to me and turned
to introduce another girl to us:
- You
all, this is Nai Thuon, our friend from Burmma.
“Nai
Thuon, you look like prettier than before.”Phea patted her hands.
“Aaah!
How come you know her?”I took aback.
“They
are my classmates. We had politic class together at National
Graduate Institute in Japan. As a matter of facts, after Vythea mailed me on
the song lyric script of Nature of River and CC them, meanwhile I knew they are
also my friends. So I organized this meeting to surprise you.” Phea clarified
me.
It was incredible
that you all made friends to each other before I knew them. In reality, Chum Nor
also knew Nai Thuon, as she had a class with him before going to the university
in Japan. Expressing an unbelievable excitement, everybody took a sheet of
paper from their hand bags and put them on the table:
............................................................
Nature of River
Written by Vythea
All right reserved
The river flows into the sea is the nature for people
And the water is all the greatest favor.
The Mekong is the nature as the bond of a friendship
Others even if wide and narrow look like the blood
vessel.
The water coconut trees (Nipa fruticans) beautifully
bend at the channel,
The most beautiful sand on the beach at the Ream,
ChakTomouk is the heritage of the resource,
Good view of the bridges across of the river which are
built by the nation.
Tule Sab River,
It is the fishing lots
Clear sea and river are the property of us.
Imploring all people not destroy an environment
As the river offers our prosperity,
The river is for our Community’s tourism activities
The river also gives love in Cambodia.
................................
Phea stated saying:
- We all like your script so much.
We had never thought that you could be a good writer, and brought us
unprecedented attention to our River. Definitely Mekong is one of the rivers
looks like our blood channel. It is the source only to supply all countries and
people in the Mekong region and sub-region. It not only provides as a tourism
service to generate the local income but it also contains of the biology and
pure water to support the livelihood.
Yet right away the local aware not enough of the Mekong River benefits,
and they are tackling our environmental river pollution by using the toilet on
the water and shedding the poisonous substance into the river as well as doing
illegal fishing. Besides, they are snatching the benefit from the Mekong in
lack transparency, especially not study on it sides- effect from constructing
the hydro- electricity damp and so on. We thank you so much for your initiative
and having today. We all reason that we will disseminate the advantage and the
river impact to the people to aware of caring on the river for our sustainable
livelihood.
While we were concentrating to listen
to my friend who said about the Mekong conservation and attention plan, two
other women and men reached the place and two of them in my dim memory as Kim
Ngeng’s parents. They said simultaneously to us:
Welcome to your action plan. We are
mother and father of King Ngneang and Vilay Somiphon. We are happy to join with
your vision and mission by support fund in publishing the book in order to
educate our people in defending our river for our lives.
For sure, King Ngeang’s father was one of the
Vietnamese soldier saved Cambodia and fully quitted the Pol Pot regime on 7
January, 1079. He also stationed to protect Cambodian out of the Khmer Rouge in
the site of Cardamom in the period of the decade of the 1980s and at that time
he also conserved the fauna and flora especially the Siamese Crocodile at the
site. He likes nature and conservation.
………………
After I was taken to visit most resorts, visited Vilay
Somiphn house, in the evening time the Mekong river side in the Vientiane city
the sky is clear we sat in the concrete bench looking into the Sunset at the
far horizon on the other side of the river but there was another Sun disc
floating on the current was the Sun’s fiery glow on the water surface that the
shape makes us fall into clear understanding that we can loss of one of both
Sun and River. River’s current is compared to our life. So we were pleased to
look forward to seeing the sunlight at the next dawn for everybody to care of
and to not hurt the river of our life.
Written
by Ty Theavy
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