Everyday after a two hour morning of school, she spends from 2 to 8 pm earliest selling books along with at least 15 other children.If she sells 3 she can return home at 8pm if not she is to remain selling until 10pm.
I bought a few my first day here and wondered who, what, where & how…
We played yesterday for a couple hours and I asked her lots of questions about herself and her life!! I asked if tomorrow (today) she would want to go to the market with us to explore,she said yes and we met today at 11am .
She decided she would bring 4 of her friends along which was very cute so Kir, Tammy me and the 4 children set out on a tuk tuk to the central market.We FILLED up on yummy fresh sweet fruit and fried treats for our 2 hr adventure. We bought the kids there favorite, a bag full of fried maggots and bags of fruit juice.
We had an experience not to be forgot. Looking around at all the crazy fish,lobsters,crabs,and other unknown sea creatures used as a food source. It was lovely having the children with us, they easily translated khmer to english for us letting us ask & get answers to way more questions. All of which always started with “What’s this?” and always ending with a laugh and a perfect answer.
Our fun ended when the children had to go to work, and we caught a tuk tuk back to the area we stayed.Instead of being dropped off in our normal spot Chanty asked if I wanted to meet her mom? “of course” I answered.
I was able to gain valuable insite into her living area, her reason for selling books, where she gets them from, & how much the profit from each is. I am sure everyone wonders as they see these 8 yr old kids carrying around baskets adorned with a krama scarfs as a handle thats either slung around there neck, shoulder, or back and lugged around with 10 to 20 books in it. 7 days a week 6 to 8 hours a day.
Well not today! I decided if I wanted to undersand her then I needed to know first hand.
Today was her day off, she most joyfully directed me around from 2 to 7pm. Today I sold books for 3$ to each and every non cambodian/african I saw (Chantys rules) I ate when & what she ate, I rested when she rested and I worked how she said to. We drank wintermelon sodas & munched on small spicy clams, sold on the same tin lined carts that they are cooked on sold by the bagfuls for 1,000 riel (25 cents) to the locals. (everyone snags handfuls as they walk by)
We are done early today as I bought a book and paid a 2 weeks salary of 20$ for it so she could go home early..
Now, I can barely type this and need to sleep, i’m sore and tired…
Now imagine your 8yrs old and you do this everyday 7days a week. This is Chanty's world.
As I close this I hear that cute little voice yell CCccccc its Chanty and she has come back to play before bed she is in play clothes and on her bike with her 3 friends!!!
Maybe i’ll stay awake a little longer!!!
Tomorrow we will explore some more of the city as we put it off today.
☆Below is the video I made when I returned home in February 09☆
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