It was always a struggle trying to tell people about my background, so I'll go ahead and put it out on the table now.
The story is, both of my parents were born and raised in Cambodia. My dad from a Chinese ancestral background and my mom from a Cambodian ancestral background, which is why I tell people, I'm half Cambodian and half Chinese. Of course my upbringing was predominantly Cambodian since that is where my parents lived, but we do keep up with some Chinese traditions. You're probably wondering, Mandarin or Cantonese? Well, it's Teochew to be exact. You can read more about it here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teochew_people
For those of you that don't know, Cambodia is in Southeast Asia and borders Thailand, Laos, and Vietnam. Most people know where Thailand and Vietnam are located but no one really knew that Cambodia was it's next door neighbor. That's because you don't meet very many Cambodians, so we are sometimes forgotten. I mean, how many Cambodians do you know? Also, since my last name was Lao, most people thought that I was from Laos. And now that I'm married and have taken on the last name Pena, people are really confused.
Story is, I'm a 28 year old Cambodian/Chinese girl who is finally getting to visit the country her parents left behind a little over 30 years ago. I've decided to call this adventure "The Angkor Story," after one of the architectural wonders of the world. When most people think about visiting Cambodia, they will most likely go to Siem Reap to see the ruins of Angkor, which use to serve as the seat of the Khmer Empire years ago.
The next 3 weeks will be an eye opening adventure for me and I would like to think of it as one of my life's wonders. This will be my first trip to Asia and more importantly, my first volunteering trip http://www.razoo.com/story/Every-Child-Is-An-Artist. I really have no clue what to expect, but I'm definitely going to make the most of it, so hope you're ready to hear all about it!
T-27 hours until take off!
Nary
The story is, both of my parents were born and raised in Cambodia. My dad from a Chinese ancestral background and my mom from a Cambodian ancestral background, which is why I tell people, I'm half Cambodian and half Chinese. Of course my upbringing was predominantly Cambodian since that is where my parents lived, but we do keep up with some Chinese traditions. You're probably wondering, Mandarin or Cantonese? Well, it's Teochew to be exact. You can read more about it here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teochew_people
For those of you that don't know, Cambodia is in Southeast Asia and borders Thailand, Laos, and Vietnam. Most people know where Thailand and Vietnam are located but no one really knew that Cambodia was it's next door neighbor. That's because you don't meet very many Cambodians, so we are sometimes forgotten. I mean, how many Cambodians do you know? Also, since my last name was Lao, most people thought that I was from Laos. And now that I'm married and have taken on the last name Pena, people are really confused.
Story is, I'm a 28 year old Cambodian/Chinese girl who is finally getting to visit the country her parents left behind a little over 30 years ago. I've decided to call this adventure "The Angkor Story," after one of the architectural wonders of the world. When most people think about visiting Cambodia, they will most likely go to Siem Reap to see the ruins of Angkor, which use to serve as the seat of the Khmer Empire years ago.
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| Angkor Wat |
The next 3 weeks will be an eye opening adventure for me and I would like to think of it as one of my life's wonders. This will be my first trip to Asia and more importantly, my first volunteering trip http://www.razoo.com/story/Every-Child-Is-An-Artist. I really have no clue what to expect, but I'm definitely going to make the most of it, so hope you're ready to hear all about it!
Nary
So proud/happy/excited for you! Can't wait to hear your story. You are an inspiration and the kids are going to LOVE you!! Be safe!!
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