[In January 2003 I accompanied an expedition that was conducting a survey of river dolphins on a stretch of the Mekong River in Cambodia. The expedition was led by Isabel Beasley, who was then a PhD student specializing on Orcaella brevirostris: also known as the ‘Irrawaddy Dolphin’ this species is found in many Asian river systems and deltas. The journal I kept during the expedition will appear on this site as a continuous series of posts. This is part 28 of the series.]
Mr Somany and I were talking earlier in the evening and he told me that his mother and wife want him to stop working for the government. They want him to join their business – they make vermicelli noodles. He said that he tries to help them as much as he can – his job usually requires him to be in his office only from 8 to 11. After that he manages to take himself off to help with his mother’s business. But they want him to give up his job altogether, which would be a waste of his hard-earned degree in fisheries.
He took his degree from Nha Trang University in Vietnam. At first it was very hard foor him there – he found it difficult to be away from his family. Food was difficult too; he didn’t like the food there. Even though Vietnamese food is quite similar to Cambodian food it wasn’t what he was used to. But then he made Vietnamese friends and learnt to speak Vietnamese and that made it much easier. Even though he felt that he was missing some words, he knew enough Vietnamese to manage in class. It was in Vietnam too that he started learning English. He became friends with an American who was teaching English in Nha Trang University. Later, back in Cambodia, he started taking private lessons. Working with Isabel has been a great help in his learning English.