Thursday, April 1, 2010

Angie's Tag

Yes, Cat-in-Sydney, I’m doing your tag now. Bet you must be thinking that I had forgotten about it.

Angelina dear, no, I have not forgotten about it. Tag is fresh on my mind, just that time didn’t permit me (yahh…good excuse kan!!) to google my external hard disk for that number 8 photo folder and select the 8th photo.

Anyway, I finally got hold that 8th photo.


This picture of a floating home was taken during my visit to Siem Reap couple of years back.

The floating village is found on Tonle Sap Lake - a popular tourist spot, 20 - 30 mins drive from Siem Reap. Only accessible by boat, Chong Khneas is a community literally living off, and living in houses floating on, the edge of the great lake. As soon as one enters the village, houses such as these will come into view.

You need to have really strong tolerance to the smell and sight as the boat takes you further into the lake. The smell surrounding the area is definitely not for the weak heart. If fish is not your pleasantry (Angie, you are an exception lah) , you may need to plug your nose through out the boat ride as strong fish stench lingers (heavenly??) in the atmosphere.

I imagine these home owners go about leading life like any normal household on land. As we toured the village, we saw them using water from the lake for washing and bathing. Looking at the murkiness, you realize that it’s not even remotely clean. But such is life with these village people where many of these stateless ethnic Vietnamese, are grindingly poor.

Okay, tag done. And am I gonna pass the baton after this??
Tak kot.... Reason nya, I like the eights to be just "88".

Angie, tak pe kan??? You tak marah kan....
Ooohhh.....jangan marah, nanti kena jual :D

4 comments:

Kak Teh said...

kay, i was there at Tonle Sap Lake too a few years ago. It was sad seeing little children without arms and some paddling in basins to sell bananas. one was only bout six with a snakewrapped around his neck - asking for money sedih tengok. Life is so hard for them. i was told that duringtherainy season, they move with houses and all up the mountains.

Cat-from-Sydney said...

Aunty Kay,
No wonder I was terbatuk-batuk *coughs* the whole day and pressed Mama's panic button as the vet clinic will be closed during this long Easter holidays. Thank you thank you... Indeed, travels to foreign countries and learning of other communities' ways of life make us appreciate our good fortune....right? 88 or 888 tak kisah. Jangan buku hutang 555 sudah! purrr...meow!

kay_leeda said...

Dear Kak Teh,

Yes I have seen those little children too. Some of them paddle all they might to get to the tourists hoping to sell fruits and what they hv with them. It's really sad that at a very young age they have to go thru such hardship in life.

Kita patut bersyukur banyak-banyak kan.

kay_leeda said...

Dear CatIS,

Cambodia was one place that really opened my eyes. It was like Malaysia way back in the 6os. We went to two cities actually, first was Siem Reap and the other was Phnom Phen.

It was in Phnom Phen that I got to see the inhumane acts of the Khmer Rouge. Our guide took us to Toul Sleng Genocide Museum, this was where you'll get to witness the testament to the madness of the Khmer Rouge regime. Depressing really....

Okay...enough of sadness.

Hope you are getting better after visiting the vet. Emmmppp....Easter in Autumn. I've never experienced. Have a wonderful weekend yah. Mine is gonna be work...work..work...sigh