"Advice of Mother" by Paula - From The Anjali House Writing Project. - Siem Reap, Cambodia

Paula, like all the work shop participants, is just starting to learn English. Unlike European languages, the structure and grammer of the Khmer language does not share Latin roots with English, making it very hard to master. The two languages do not even share a common alphabet and Khmer is written from left to right.

The Advice of Mother

 by Paula

 

   One year, there was a girl called Neat. She was 15 years old. She lived in Phnom Penh. She studied at Grade 8. One day shewants to travel to Angkor Wat but her mother and father said to her, “This month your school does not have a holiday.”

   Neat said, “I don’t want to study anymore!”

   Her mother said, “Why do you say this? Knowledge can help you to have a wonderful life. You know that.” But she did not listen to her mother.

   Eight years later she became an adult and she wanted to work, but no one wants her to work because she doesn’t have the knowledge. She went back home and said to her mother, “Sorry,Mum, that I said that bad word to you but now I know knowledge can help. We all want to have wonderful days!”

 

 

 

Paula, age 15 (as required by Cambodian regulations, all writers are using Pen Names)

 

   When I was 13 years old I was very very happy because I was going to Phnom Penh with my parents. When I arrived there I met my uncle, my aunt, my grandfather, my brother and my sister.

   One day we went to Dreamland, the place where you could play with anything. We were very very happy because we could play, we could eat and we met a new friend too. I was so very happy then with my family.

Mel u