Many people never stop to wish or dream for
something more in
their lives. The goals in our lives keep us moving, and we try
to reach
them.
Like my Mom, my goal now is to give to my children a good start
for
their lives. I want them to be good at school--good in academics
and
good people. I want to teach them also what is important in their
lives,
to have hobbies. That way, they can find something to do all
the time.
And on the other hand, I will try for myself to learn some more
English,
and when my kids are done and independent, I can do things for
myself or
I can help other people.
I will try the most to reach my goals, and I feel happy because
I am
healthy and I have the time to be part of my kids' life.
The families were told to grow their own food
to live on. The food we
brought with us ran out, so my mom and I took some clothes
and walked 20
miles to trade it for 25 pounds of rice. It took us all night
to go
there. We slept in a temple, and at 4 a.m. we walked back.
The rice
lasted for three months.
The group leader made the people get
up early and go to work in the rice
fields. Khmer Rouge gave every family 10 pounds of rice once
a month.
They had to work hard to get that. My mom made rice soup with
8 ounces
of rice and 2 gallons of water. It cooked for half an hour
to get soft.
We had sweet potato leaf and crabs with it. Every day we ate
the same
food. Sometimes we picked pumpkins, corn and sweet potatoes
from our
garden.
My mother died in Cambodia. One day my father,
my younger brother and I
escaped to Thailand. Later we came to the U.S.
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