The day I left Thailand I met one of those stereotypes; an overweight American man in his 50's with a purple nose, phlemmy cough and intelligence disposition, who spends all his time/money on Thai girls in Pattaya a beach famous for child prostitution, but as I'd only heard the reputation of, and given sour faces to, but had never met, gave the man my ear and let him buy me drinks for 2 hours.
I didn't judge, just listened: the way he sees it is that to have sex with a girl over 16 means she has already been with 1000 men, and thus he is "just another number", where as if the girl is 14 (as is his preference) then there is some tenderness, a newness a "connection". This well educated man, truly believes that a girl/woman could possibly fall in love with him (see above description) within a half hour conversation, and that money is just a factor bought about by poverty.......result? more than one sleepless night, and I no longer think of them as horrible beasts preying on the weak and poor, but as unhumanly confused human beings in need of some love, preying on the weak and poor.
Cambodia is bursting at the seams with such men, often a bit younger but just as unconserned with our witnessing their madness. but enough of that.
I arrived on a mad rush to get to the beach for Full Moon, so what I have seen so far is a very flat land covered in red dust. It is the dry season, but I doubt everything becomes lush even with rain...which with the soil being mostly clay, must become mud and pools of stagnant water. I'm not painting a pretty picture....how about if I say the Cambodian people are BEAUTIFUL inside and out....MORE so than the Nepali
The beaches are picturesque white sand that squeaks, and touches waters, but incredible amounts of trash, those who have been attacked by a plastic bag at depths can understand the horror of it
I'm in the capital now Phnom Penh, looking for a job that pays (even a little) and putting my Otago University beer drinking skills to good use ;-D
I didn't judge, just listened: the way he sees it is that to have sex with a girl over 16 means she has already been with 1000 men, and thus he is "just another number", where as if the girl is 14 (as is his preference) then there is some tenderness, a newness a "connection". This well educated man, truly believes that a girl/woman could possibly fall in love with him (see above description) within a half hour conversation, and that money is just a factor bought about by poverty.......result? more than one sleepless night, and I no longer think of them as horrible beasts preying on the weak and poor, but as unhumanly confused human beings in need of some love, preying on the weak and poor.
Cambodia is bursting at the seams with such men, often a bit younger but just as unconserned with our witnessing their madness. but enough of that.
I arrived on a mad rush to get to the beach for Full Moon, so what I have seen so far is a very flat land covered in red dust. It is the dry season, but I doubt everything becomes lush even with rain...which with the soil being mostly clay, must become mud and pools of stagnant water. I'm not painting a pretty picture....how about if I say the Cambodian people are BEAUTIFUL inside and out....MORE so than the Nepali
The beaches are picturesque white sand that squeaks, and touches waters, but incredible amounts of trash, those who have been attacked by a plastic bag at depths can understand the horror of it
I'm in the capital now Phnom Penh, looking for a job that pays (even a little) and putting my Otago University beer drinking skills to good use ;-D
posted by Cathy at 8:00 pm
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