In September 1970, I was assigned to teach in a prestige high school, Lycée Sisowatt, in Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia. I taught Natural Science in French language to grade 12 students. Most students were well disciplined and eager to learn. They respected the teachers which made my teaching job very easy.
Six months after our marriage, Richard got a Full Bright scholarship from the American Embassy to continue his education in the Untied Sates of America. Family was not allowed to accompany the recipient of Full Bright scholarship to the States. Richard left Cambodia in January 1971 while I was pregnant six months. Our daughter, Podaly, was born in March 1971 while Richard was in Washington DC studying English.
Richard in the United States:
Our school system in Cambodia was mostly conducted in French. Richard had to learn English at Georgetown University in Washington DC in 1971. After finishing his English courses in Washington DC, he got accepted at School of Mines in Golden, Colorado, to continue his master degree. Richard was the first Cambodian who came to Denver, Colorado, 1972.
I came to America to visit Richard during the summer of 1973 for three months. My daughter stayed with my father during my trip to The United States. I was pregnant during my vacation in Golden, Colorado. I went back to Cambodia to continue my teaching job in September 1973. My baby boy, Porendy, was born in May 1974 while his dad was in School of Mines preparing his theses. Richard got his Master Degree in Mining in September 1974. After graduation, Richard could not stay in America because of his student visa. He must go back to Cambodia. At that time, Dr. Charles Frush who was Richard’s advisor wrote a letter to the Immigration office in Denver requesting them to grant Richard to stay in the States as he got a job for Richard in a mining company in Idaho Springs, Colorado. It would be a good experience for Richard to learn in the mining field before returning to Cambodia.
Towards the end of 1974, the political situation in Cambodia was getting worse. For Richard’ safety, his professor did not want him to return to Cambodia and with his recommendation, Richard got a contract as a mining engineer with a big mining company, Gécamines, in Zaire (Congo), Africa. He left the United States in December 1974 for his new job in Congo while I was teaching in Cambodia.
Cambodia was a neutral country. But in 1974, the Vietnamese guérillas, Vietcong, infiltrated along the Eastern border of Cambodia with the consent of the Cambodian King Sihanouk. This was an act against the neutral Cambodia. At that time people lived with fear as the United States began to drop 2,000 tons of B52 bombs every day for sixty consecutive days on Cambodia lands (“New York Times” 1974) as it was to chase the Vietnamese guerrillas who secretly hided in Cambodia. During that time, the value of Cambodian money devaluated so much. People had a hard time to adjust to their living as everything including the food became too expensive. People who had money began to send their children to France. People began to exit the country in February 1975.
Richard was so worried about the situation in Cambodia, he sent a telegram asking me to leave the country with our children as soon as possible. I applied for a visa to enter France with my two children and it was granted. I had to pay many fees with the Department of Education in order to leave the country legally. My father paid all expenses including the air tickets for the three of us to France. I left Cambodia on March 23, 1975 with my daughter, 4 years old, and my son, 11 months. The new chapter of my life was to continue my journey in a new country.