Ponheary Ly’s father was a well-respected high school teacher in Siem Reap, Cambodia, until the Khmer Rouge came to power in 1975 and began killing citizens showing any form of culture or intelligence in a massive genocide that didn’t end until 1979. [Read more…]
Is it possible for a traveling family to bring too many electronics on their long-term trip? Apparently, not for us. [Read more…]
When I hear, “Saigon,” I immediately think “Fall of Saigon,” as in that last day in April, 1975, when the People’s Army of Vietnam and the VietCong (both on the side of North Vietnam) captured Saigon, the capital of South Vietnam, thereby ending the American-Vietnam War and reunifying Vietnam under communist rule. [Read more…]
Any story about Cambodia needs to start with the killing fields, at least in context. For those who don’t know or remember, about 3 million of Cambodia’s 8 million people (UNICEF’s estimate) were mostly tortured and viciously executed in a massive genocide in these fields. [Read more…]
When we planned our visit to Vietnam, I admit that I didn’t know much about this culturally rich country other than they make great Pho (noodle soup) and were part of a massive thorn in America’s political-historical side: the Vietnam War. My only impressions came from the many Hollywood movies that I’d seen about that war. [Read more…]