Narrative Essay – Coming of Age

“My life has only just begun at 14. New adventures await me. I will take the lessons I’ve learned as a kid and teenager and use them to become a better adult. Becoming an adult is a part of life and is the next stage. My life does not stop at 14; rather, it is only just beginning. One of the most important lessons I learned was during my junior year. A wise man told me, “It’s your world,” a quote that stuck with me and made realize how much control I have over my life. I told myself that there is nothing in the world I can’t accomplish. I won’t let anyone convince me that a dream isn’t feasible. I tell myself that there is no such thing as ‘can’t’ because I can have it all-it’s my world! Life is an ongoing lesson in itself. As I grow, I experience and learn, however, this cycle is repeated lifelong.  I will obviously find better ways of doing things I did in the past. Sometimes, I might also feel frustrated, because, by the time I gain enough experience to face hardships of life, most of us have already passed through them. These life lessons can change the way I am and hence, these same life lessons are extremely important for teenagers to comprehend. Everything I teach myself today will affect and play a role in who I become tomorrow.”……………

 

Pchum Ben

Pchum Ben, the ancestors’ festival, is a Cambodian religious festival celebrated by Buddhists. It is one of the longest festivals in Cambodia, lasting for 15 days. A Ben is an offering. The first 14 days are called Kan Ben, where villages take turns making offerings, and the last day is Ben Thom, great offering, where all families make offerings. Pchum Ben is celebrated every year in the beginning of the 10th month, Phutrobot, of the Khmer calendar. (Around October in the western calendar.)

Continue reading “Pchum Ben”