I have been distracted

I have a very good excuse for skipping a few days of posting and/or just giving you fluff stuff. I went to the local library and got some VERY good reading material that has occupied all of my time.

Last week I read a book, “Stay Alive, My Son” by Pin Yathay. This book chronicles the desperate fight of a man caught up in the horrible Killing Fields of the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia during the last half of the ’70s.

This week I am re-reading the book, “First They Killed My Father, a Daughter of Cambodia Remembers” by Loung Ung. She was a child during this same time period.

Next up is, “Lucky Child: A Daughter of Cambodia Reunites with the Sister She Left Behind” as by Loung Ung.

I am still shocked to know this all occurred in my life time. I read the one book a few years ago and still can not believe humans are capable of this kind of brutality. I was 5 when this started in 1975, obviously too young to really know it was going on. However, I do vaguely remember hearing about the Cambodian refugees or “boat people” with not so positive undertones. It saddens me that we did not learn more about it in school and as far as I know, it still isn’t covered besides the little snippets of American rhetoric and obviously biased views, not really giving the “real” story”.

A few years ago, I also read, “When Heaven and Earth Changed Places: A Vietnamese Woman’s Journey from War to Peace” and “Child of War, Woman of Peace” both by Le Ly Hayslip then watched an incredible documentary (sorry can’t remember the name of it, but got it from the library) which gave an extensive history of the Vietnam war, from how it started with the French, to how the US got involved, during and then the aftermath.

I’m ashamed of the US for not educating us better and more truthfully as to what has occurred in Southeast Asia. It’s as if we are ashamed of our role (or lack there of) when it comes to places like Vietnam, Cambodia and even the more recent turmoil in Myanmar (previously Burma).

Do yourself a favor, educate yourself on it. You could read these books or others, plus there is a wealth of information online. I would also recommend a blog I found recently Borin’s Blog to get a glimpse of modern day life in Cambodia. Stunning pictures of Cambodia and Vietnam as well on the Flickr.

Don’t even think for a second I wouldn’t love to visit Vietnam or Cambodia. I spent six weeks in Thailand in the early 90′s and would jump at the chance again to go back to Southeast Asia. To me it is the most fascinating place on earth.