When you travel Asia, you realize that the childen are the heart and soul of every place you visit. I hate people asking "Why do you photograph so many children?" Just look at National Geographic or Professional photographers and you will see that their best photos are children, or babies held by a parent. In Asia, kids who are still infants are propped up in the front of the motorbike and usually motorbikes carry four people at a time with one baby always up front. The close-up was of a boy in the temples at Angkor who obviously should have been in school, but was too poor. What a bright kid. He spoke English, German, French and Russian. As there were not many tourists, he followed to the outdoor restaurant trying to get me to buy some trinket - speaking beautiful English. When I sat down to read the menu, he told me not to bother as he could recite every item from memory in any language. He asked me what I was looking at, and I said "noodles," and then he recited about 10 noodle items and the prices and told me which was best for me. Of course, I bought something from him.
The two little ones on a bike were heartbreaking. Obviously mom was working and the big boy had charge of the little boy all day and they were out in the trees - near nothing but a path - in Angkor trying to sell some miserable bananas they got off of some tree to have enough to eat food that evening. I didn't want their products, but they were so sad and cute that I wanted to photo them, so I did and slipped them a dollar. They were so appreciative.
It is a constant contradiction in travel that we see people living in a kind of paradise of sorts in great misery. I hope fate looks kindly on these kids.
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