One never knows the experience of others. This photo shows a confident Cambodian girl I talked to recently. I simply asked her how old were her parents, this was her reply:

“My mother is 60, she works on a farm in a provence. She cries every day because she still loves my father, I have never met my father, he was taken by the Khmer Rouge. My mother worked very hard in a rice field to feed me, I never went to school. When I was 12 I went to work in a restaurant, I could not speak english so I had to cook and clean. I saved all of my money to send to my mother. My friend taught me a few sentences so that I could tell people in the restaurant that I wanted to learn more english and I needed more money, I am very honest and would explain to people that I would never go back to a motel with them, nothing like that, they just have to give and I would keep in contact and be their friend. Some foreigners gave me big money so I go to big english school, I cannot write Cambodian so very difficult for me as they usually teach that way first. After 2 years working in the restaurant and going to school my english small small good. I get better job. I got a loan and built my mother a new house, (12k), she is getting old and health no good, she has no husband to take care of her. I am about to get married to my boyfriend from France. I love him because he does not love money, he has good heart, love for money no good, have to love for heart. I will work in a very good restaurant in France, I send money to my mother, take care of my family. I have very lucky life, my husband very funny”