Definitely ate too much in December. Definitely need to get my eating habits back under control.
And then I stopped and thought,
“How fortunate am I! There’s always been a roof over my head (mind you it leaks every now and then). I’ve never gone to bed hungry. I’ve never been cold or desolate. My world has never been ravaged by war and my home has never gone down in the river.”
On January 5, 2025, we were hit with a raging storm – high winds, heavy rains, storm surges. A lot of communities along the coast were in the midst of flooding and severe damage. I was not in the throes of the worst of it but lost some land along the river bank and my ‘Little Gingerbread House’ was renamed “The Leaky Basket”. But all-in-all, not too bad.
Within a couple of days, the weather settled and things went back to normal for most of us. I looked out over the river. There was a bit of patchy ice and still some open water. There were no rafts, no houseboats, no sign of human life – a few birds off in the distance, but otherwise quiet and still. My thoughts went from the storm a few days ago to a book I was reading. It had mentioned Tonle Sap Lake.
It had been years since I heard that name and it took me back to stories some of my colleagues from England had shared with me. Yellow/muddy waters, rafts held together with old boards and ropes, scraps of metal and wood for the roof and walls, barely space to sit. My colleagues were raising money to assist children in Cambodia and had decided they would bicycle through parts of the country to get to know it better.
Although they visited a couple of the urban areas, their focus was on Tonle Sap and the floating villages. It was amazing to hear of their adventures and to get a glimpse of a life so vastly different than mine.
There are more than 1.5 million people living in the area around the lake and when the monsoons start, the water levels rise, flooding the surrounding flatlands. Many of the villagers who live in stilted houses during the dry period (November to April) will relocate to rafts as the water levels of the great lake swell. Sometimes a raft will house two or three families who will live together for several months during the wet season.
These people had grown resilent out of necessity. Life had never been easy. In the late 1990s the people of Cambodia faced tight controls on freedom of opinion and expression. There was intense fighting in the region, violations of human rights, civilian casualites, the destruction of homes and schools, and thousands of displaced residents. Then as the fighting slowly stopped, the people had to pick up the pieces of what was left.
They also had to deal with nature – the annual flooding of the lake as a result of the monsoons. All too often they watched the few possessions they had that had not been destroyed by war disappear in the watery depths. Somehow they learned how to cope from one day to the next. It was all they knew and they needed help, particularly the children.
What would it be like to live in such conditions? When disaster strikes we do what has to be done and pull our lives back together as best we can. But try as I may, I cannot imagine living on a makeshift raft with several other families – not even for a few days, let alone six months of every year.
January is drawing to a close. Christmas decorations have been put away and life has returned to normal. The Leaky Basket will get a new roof in the Spring.
Walk gently in truth and with purpose
for you are a traveler on life’s Journey
In quiet spaces, you feel your heartbeat
In the stillness you are alive with singing
In the wind your story is being written
~ You are the author
~ Beulah Peyton Bouzane
from The BoBo Collection
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A great read. When I was in Malaysia a couple of years ago my son took his dad and I on an island hop through the South China Sea and along the way we saw a number of homes built in clusters on stilts in the sea and while we were schooled in the communities by the pilot of the boat, he never mentioned what they do during the monsoons. Now I’m very curious.
Interesting indeed. Sometimes I forget how fortunate I am. I have seen the poverty in Cuba in the small villages that tourist do not see, and like Cambodia they adapt to what is thrown their way. Need to remember to appreciate the life we have. Happy New Year Beulah, maybe the leaky basket will water the flowers.
Beulah, as always, your ability to bring the reader on an emotional adventure, through words, is incredible. We often need reminders of how good we have it; unfortunately it’s at the contrast/comparison of someone/where else’s misfortune. The reminder, nonetheless is powerful. Thank you for sharing your words, your imagination, your reality and your gift.
Happiest New Year Beulah my beautiful friend! Another beautiful story that you captivated me into reading once again!
You never cease to amaze me with your writings & how you draw me in as I eagerly read every word!
You are so so right in that how lucky we are to be living in this part of the world & where the odd major snow storms, or winds may play havoc with Mother Nature! We are indeed blessed to be living where we are & have our family & friends ( some of them) living close by! Keep up the good work & I look forward to your next adventure about the little things! 👍❤️
Awesome read! A real thought provoker to start 2025.