Man-o-gram #12

Battambang, third largest city in Cambodia, pop’n 120,000, founded in 11th century. Colonised in 1904 and French influence is everywhere, especially in the buildings. Dusty streets that turn to mud with each downpour. Official start of the monsoon season is May 15, so we are underway. Another day another scooter, this ones $8/day a bit krusty but goes.

Blue sky morning and I’m off getting lost down backstreets, trying to find my way back to some recognisable point w/out checking google maps – Which can be pointless anyway, coverage is bleak. Happily lost till I ask/mime for help re directions.

I’m curious to know who lives in these oppulent big houses with keypads on the gates – they pop up sometimes shoulder to shoulder with the majority of the population who live in relative poverty. There’s a lot of new development of private chinese interest, incongruous properties mostly manned by security/cameras.

I wonder when the Khmer people have ever had a break. Directly after the Khmer Rouge killed off half the population in the 1970’s, (not quite but getting up there) the Vietnamese invaded, having given the USA the bumsrush. Hundreds of thousands of Khmer fled to refugee camps on the Thai border. Civil war erupted. and things didn’t settle down till 1994.

Cambodians have taken it up the arse for as long as any of them can recall. The country has indifferent and sometimes questionable infrastructure. There is no social security, teachers double as tuktuk drivers or whatever, most people hustle multiple gigs to keep them and their families on or slightly above the baseline. Lots are below.

Yet these guys smile, laugh, enjoy life and give out the best of humanity.

On the recommendation of X, I went and visited the Peace Museum, on the outskirts of Battembang. I read some buddhist take that helped make sense of it all:

‘The suffering of Cambodia has been deep

From this suffering comes Great Compassion

Great Compassion makes a Peaceful Heart

A Peaceful Heart makes a Peaceful Person

A Peaceful Person makes a Peaceful Family

A Peaceful Family makes a Peaceful Community

A Peaceful Community makes a Peaceful Nation And A Peaceful Nations makes a Peaceful World

May all beings live in happiness.’

So that’s how …

Trying to make sense of somewhere new, trying to uncover the layers, is a bit like peeling an onion, you don’t get far before there’s tears, of both grief and joy 🙏🏽

Till next time :)