You may have noticed that a lot of my Daily Harts for the Year III challenge have been from Cambodia. This is because I spent over two weeks in Cambodia last month, and it absolutely was the highlight of 2022 for me. In fact, it took me by surprise just how quickly and how hard I fell in love with that country. But I did. And I cannot wait to go back. So to close out the year, it seemed only fitting that my final Daily Hart of 2022 be from Cambodia.
This one is a little different, as I don’t have a photo or anything to link to. This is because today’s Daily Hart comes from the day that I found myself at a school in rural Cambodia, about halfway between Phnom Penh and Kampot, as part of a documentary film shoot. It was a national holiday, so school wasn’t in session. But all the children had come to greet us anyway. They all crowded around the car as we arrived, and stared at us in wide-eyed excitement as we got out of the vehicle. A freshly opened coconut was handed to me to drink, and then the kids started singing. They were not professionals. They were not onstage. It wasn’t a fancy performance in any sense of the word. But it was sincere and joyous and gleeful and excited, and I loved every second of it.
I don’t have a photo of this moment, because I’m not about to put a photo of other people’s children on the Internet. But the photo above is from another stop that day, and a vivid example of the beauty of Cambodia. I hope I get to experience it again someday soon.
Happy New Year!
Suggestions for artists I should check out? Please contact me with your ideas. I hope you enjoyed your daily helping of art!
