Humans of Khmer America

Rob Sok

“Don’t take things for granted, turn a negative into a positive, and live that YOLO life.”  – Rob Sok

“This was my third time back in Cambodia. I’ve always gone to Cambodia to vacation, but I’ve never experienced talking to the street kids and hanging out with them. This has been my favorite trip so far and I have many great memories. One that I will always remember is eating lunch with the kids. This was my first time meeting them; I didn’t know how they would react to me. They were shy at first, until they learned that I knew how to speak Khmer. As I was eating, it began to hit me: how small the classroom was (the size of my bedroom back in the states). I noticed one child next to me wasn’t really eating. When I asked why, she responded, “I’m saving this meal to take back home to share with my family.” This meal that we purchased was the size of my fist, not much. I lost my appetite and gave her my meal and she looked at it in awe. I told her to eat and so she did. It wasn’t until the night before the ACJ2015 group arrived, that I broke down emotionally, thinking about what had happened during my trip so far. I’m glad to have been a supporter of this trip and I’m sure it won’t be my last. Thank you again Bob Cabeza, Ron Ung, Sopheak Sak, and Derek Pan for allowing me to be a part of this Journey.”

Rob Sok, 25
Long Beach, California

Location: Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Photo Credit: Peter Phoeng

Interview by Lauren Imbrock

Most Popular

To Top