On our second day in Siem Reap, we went Tonle Sap (Great Lake) and Kampong Phluk (Floating Village commune). After checking our tickets, the attendant told a young boy to take us to the boat. The boy did not look happy. He got onto the boat with us and was helping his “Ba”. He sat by himself quietly looking out to the lake or picking at his nails. I was so sad to see him not in school, but working. After a 30-minute ride through the village, we got off the boat at a visitor center. Haung (our tuk tuk driver) said we could hire a rowboat to see the forest while he and the boy waited for us. We said they should come along. The boy was too shy so Haung told him they’ll ride together. Kenric and I rode separately.

Rowboat Ride Through the Flooded Forest

The rowboat ride in the forest was somewhat eerie but beautiful. It was peaceful until we got to the market. My rower lady parked and the vendor started mouthing off all the beer and drinks. Then, “Do you want to buy cake for your driver?” That’s why she parked right there! We got a box of Swiss roll cake for the rower, a pack of notebooks and a bundle of pencils to donate to a school, and two bottles of chrysanthemum tea for USD $20 (down from $25). We definitely got gouged. In our five-day experience, the U.S. Dollar is more widely used and accepted than the Cambodian Riel.

Haung said the boy wanted to sit in my boat. He leaped over, sat in the back and started rowing. Haung also started rowing in his boat. The boy started singing and the rain started to fall (no connection). He has a sweet voice. Kenric thinks so too. I started recording videos of his singing but didn’t dare to turn around and point the camera at him. Then, he started singing a song that I had heard many times while in Laos. I hummed along and he kept singing, but when I turned around (no camera and I wasn’t recording), he got self-conscious and stopped. ? Then, he cracked the tiniest smile and my heart completely melted. He started singing again and was fine with the camera. The rowing boat ride ended just as the rain stopped.

Schools of Kampung Phluk

On the way back, on the bigger boat, we stopped at a small crocodile farm. The boy got to hold a baby crocodile and Haung pretended to be bitten by it. The next time we got off the boat was to visit Kampung Phluk (Floating Village). That’s where we were to drop off the notebooks and pencils at the school. I asked Haung if all children are mandated to go to school here. He asked the boy. Turns out the government school in Kampong Phluk is closed on Thursdays and either Saturday or Sunday, I can’t remember which. I was so relieved to know that the boy was not in school simply because it was a Thursday. I didn’t follow up to find out if school is mandatory for all children in Cambodia. The young boy’s name is Pheng (sp??). He is eleven and the youngest of four children.

Free English Lessons

The place where we dropped off the notebooks was actually a classroom where local children are taught English for free. The classroom is actually the space under a stilted house. It’s part of the Pagna Cambodian Education Fund (PCEF) that has two schools; Kampong Phluk and Lvea Village. The teacher was eager to tell us about the program and it was clear the organization is in need of financial help. They serve many students. The students come here after they are done with classes at the government school. Little Pheng was standing next to the teacher. I asked if he comes here after school. The teacher replied, “He doesn’t want to come.” From the organization’s website, I found out that that teacher and his younger sister both teach English here.

I asked the teacher if I could take photos, he said yes. The class was scheduled to start in about eight minutes (1:00 pm) so I only chatted with the girls who were seated closer to the street. They asked me, “What is your name?”, “How old are you?”, “What is your favorite color?”, and “What is your favorite fruit?” Their answers to the same questions include “I am ten years old.”, “My favorite color is pink.”, and “My favorite fruit is apple.” They are so lovable. Many more students arrived. We looked at the “WISH LIST” and made a donation.

The Government School

Little Pheng was leading us back to the boat. After I confirmed through Haung that Little Pheng goes to the government school, I asked if we could visit that school too. The school was closed but the classrooms were not locked. He brought us to his classroom. I asked Haung to ask him where he sits. Upon hearing me, Little Pheng immediately went to his seat and sat down. I’m pretty sure he understands some English. He even pretended to raise his hand like he had a question. He went to the whiteboard and wrote something in Khmer. Haung said that’s Khmer for Kampong Phluk; “I write for you in English.” He spells it “Kam pong plouk”.

If you wish to donate to the English school which is currently only set up to receive donations via bank transfers, you can find the wire transfer instructions here (it’s actually not that troublesome): https://pcef-cambodia.org/donations/

Map of Places Visited