Soles of a travelita

Drinking my coconut, heading back to the mainland. Sambat in the background trying to protect herself from the sun. Cambodians alike associate white skin with wealth, and dark skin with poverty. Its very silly actually, they go to the extent of wearing ‘whitening’ cream, and in the sweltering heat wearing long sleeved shirts and pants. Sambat would not even go swimming with me during the day for fear that her skin would turn more dark. I tell her to accept who she is, and that her dark skin is beautiful but this odd cultural belief I am afraid is embedded in most of the Cambodians minds.