Cherteal

Welcome សូម​ស្វាគមន៍

ឈើទាល I Cherteal

“Life is like the Cher Teal tree, one can only flourish if one knows one’s roots.” – Sothy

Hi, I’m Sothy!

សួស្តី! As the first generation Khmer Krom living abroad, it can be mighty confusing to figure out who you are or why you are here. This site was created for two reasons. Firstly, to help you explore your culture, identity and ultimately help you find your place in the world just like what I am doing right now. Secondly, to help advocate for the voices of the Khmer Krom people, who like the cherteal tree, stands unrecognized as the Indigenous Peoples of the Mekong Delta and its surrounding region.

Whatever reason brings you here, know that you will learn, find inspiration, belonging and be unstoppable in helping to make our world a better place.

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● Latest Posts

  • A cup of thanks

    Are we truly only 18 days until 2022?  Where did that time go? During this time last year, I was contemplating whether I should create a website with a blog. After some deep reflection and encouragement from a friend (Thanks Don!), I took the leap and created something that I could call my own. A Read more

  • Holding This Space Together

    Are you feeling grumpy when you wake up? Tired? Unappreciated? Are you feeling like you are stuck and unable to do anything? If any of those words speaks out to you, then you and I are in the same place in life. Perhaps it is being under the strain of living under a pandemic for Read more

  • A hello and a thank you!

    A hello and a thank you!

    It’s been awhile. How are you? It’s been madness in my world. The start of the school year. The drop off, the pick up and balancing of work and life in general. And yes, we are still living under the pandemic.  You are probably asking, Is it over yet? And feeling SO over it. Yes, Read more

  • A moment of stillness in a world of chaos

    It’s a quiet morning here. There is no rain, no wind. Just the sound of an occasional snore from Boran against the stillness of the early morning. Usually there is the sound of the wind and yet it’s a silence that seems flat and lifeless. As if the world is holding its breath in anticipation Read more

  • Grains of Hope and a call for help

    It’s a bright and sunny day in the State of Florida. Outside my window, there is a gecko resting on a small wooden crate, its yellow neck ballooning in anticipation of air and food. A moment later, a tongue forks out and captures a flying insect and swallows it, its hunger satisfied. As I gaze Read more

  • Elsa and the rain

    I woke up to the rain this morning. Falling from the sky to the roof, I could hear it rushing down the gutter and flowing into a puddle of water waiting to be soaked up by Mother Earth again.  I could hear the roar of the wind in the distance and see it’s gentle touch Read more

  • The Story of My Father and His Values

    My father Sang, is a humble man. Born into a family of eight, he grew up surrounded by rice fields in Preah Trapeang province in an era of chaos and war during the 1970s. At the age of 17, he became a Buddhist monk at Wat knong srok, a local temple in the village of Read more

  • Five Quotes to Inspire You Today

    Here are some of my favourite quotes to brighten your day and keep you moving towards your goals and aspirations! If you don’t go after what you want, you’ll never have it. If you don’t ask, the answer is always no. If you don’t step forward, you’re always in the same place. Nora Roberts Yup! Read more

  • Remembering June 4th

    Today marks an important and sad day for many Cambodians and Khmer-Krom. Many of us know the current country as Vietnam but very few are taught the true history before they came into power.  Kampuchea-Krom was formerly part of Cambodia and when Vietnam started to rapidly expand into the region, Cambodian King Norodom seeked the Read more

  • A time to unwind and a moment to remember those that passed

    Happy Saturday! Hello, long weekend! It’s memorial weekend and if your month of May has been anything like mine, you may be looking forward to slowing down and finding time to rebalance. Or perhaps you are meeting up with family and friends for the traditional BBQ parties by the pool or beach to commemorate this Read more

  • Meet Dara. A star of inspiration and my brother.

    In our Khmer language, Dara means Star. Like the light that shines amongst the darkness of the universe, he never lets life put him down. Not even when it gave him lemons at the tender age of 7 in the form of a virus, spiking an almost deadly fever, one that would change the course Read more

  • Four Ways To Celebrate the Mothers In our Lives

    Happy Mother’s Day! A day that mothers around the world are getting recognized and appreciated. How does one even begin to express their appreciation to one of the most important people in our lives? The ones that keep everyone fed, the house clean, the bills paid and keeps our world from spinning out of control? Read more