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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…
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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…
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Warmest Welcome to May
Barely a blink of an eye and May has arrived. I am not sure about you but I am glad April is over! It’s been a crazy month, working during the day and preparing for the UNPFII early in the mornings, late evenings and weekends! Reminds me of times before the pandemic happened and yet…
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April & the blessings of the Khmer New Year
As we turn the corner into the month of April, Cambodians around the world are preparing to celebrate the Khmer New Year, chol chnam Khmer, which falls on April 14th through 16th. A three day event and a national holiday in Cambodia, the new year celebration marks the end of the harvest session, allowing farmers…
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For the Love of One’s Identity and Religion
It was Friday, February 8th 2007. I was staying at a hotel in Phnom Penh city, Cambodia, when the phone rang. Two hundred Khmer Krom monks were conducting a peaceful demonstration, one that has not been seen in decades.
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A fitting name for this site
I decided to name this site, Cher Teal, a word in Khmer for “Wood Teal”. It is the name of a sacred tree that lies in the heart of Preah Trapeang province. According to local Khmer legends, this tree was planted by Chao Vay Son Kuy, a Khmer Krom Governor in the nineteenth century prior…
Cherteal 