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Floating Misery /02/
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| [Ligne directrice - Note] Note du photographe |
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Chong Kneas is the village floating on Tonle Sap Lake where Vietnamese live on houseboats and transport by boat.
While adults use boats to make the living (mostly fishing), children have no “ground” to run around and play. To handle this difficulty, kids simply use the family metal or plastic washing bowl as a mean of transportation to make their way around the village as you can see the boy in the photo on his way to floating school.
Before 1970, Vietnamese minority settled in upstream of the river, especially at Bak Prea between Battambang and Prek Toal. Between 1970 and 1975, they were attacked by the Khmer Rouge four times. This political situation forced them to relocate to the area close to or inside the Tonle Sap Lake where they could have a better chance to escape killings, as in Kbal Toal and Chong Kneas where safety was more secured.
The Vietnamese population in Tonle Sap is currently a lot less assimilated than the Chinese and Cambodian. For historical reasons, Khmer people are sometimes prejudiced against Vietnamese. In this area, the historical dislike is fuelled by the belief that Vietnamese fishermen are often more advanced in their fishing techniques and are claimed to have introduced certain types of illegal fishing methods.
As with other fishing communities in the flooded area of the lake, the Chong Kneas community has adopted a way of life tightly integrated with the seasonal rise and fall of water in the Tonle Sap. The inhabitants are moving their “residences” according to the water level. In the dry season, the floating village of Chong Kneas anchors in a small inlet on the perimeter of the lake where there is ready access to fishing grounds and some protection from storms and waves.
Whether in dry or high-water season, there is a permanent issue of drinking water. Villagers were drinking the lake water, which they also used for bathing, toilet, cooking, and washing dirty dishes. The health problems became even worse in the dry season when the water level was lower, muddy, full of dead fish mixed with human manure. This is when contaminants increased to the worst and when children living on the lake were particularly susceptible to diarrhea due to a lack of hygiene.
By the time I was at the village, Asian Development Bank was conducting studies to reduce the incidence of water-borne diseases affecting the Chong Kneas community and to provide safe drinking water to the inhabitants through the introduction of appropriate, small-scale, low-cost, community-managed water treatment at the household level. The mentioned good news is 14 months old now. I don’t know how long it takes to convert a study into project, and how long it needs to have a project being funded, before the dream comes true. The best we can do now is just to hope.(Compiled from online multi-source)
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siolaw, Yuanclarkson, cobraphil8, patriik, noborders trouve(nt) cette note utile
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Very nice photo. What I like most here is special mistery mood. Nice B&W. And of course your subject in his "boat". Good work with difficult light. Very good captured. Yeah... I like that photo a lot. good luck
Very sad subject, but very nice shot... Incredible flat mirror effect and good deep.
I think BW is necessary for this sort of pictures.
Nice!
Successful backlight picture!
Did you shot from ground, or from another boat? I like the dark background that gives more effect on contrast.
Good luck to your serial!
Regards,
Excellent subject, I like these childs on this village, see my last posts.
HERE
I send a WS for a new idea of framing.
good WE
Philippe
- TRASH
![Gold Star Critiquer [C: 199 W: 0 N: 0]](http://i1.trekearth.com/misc/g-n-n.gif)
(0) - [2006-05-19 5:48]
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Your photo turned me back to NgocSon's page where he quoted Cesar Kike Velazquez's statement:
It takes a heart to take good pictures.
You got to have heart, eye and camera aligned to do it.
It is not how you handle shutter speed, ISO settings, aperture...
it is the way you feel and how able you are to seize the moment without even thinking.
The above statement fits your picture and your current set about Chong Kneas Village. God bless them and bless your work.
MQ
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- ALSOM
![Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 644 W: 95 N: 596]](http://i1.trekearth.com/misc/g-g-g.gif)
(6612) - [2006-05-19 9:28]
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Nice image, the chinese shadow really stands out. Beautiful b/w.
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- stevep
![Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 114 W: 25 N: 89]](http://i1.trekearth.com/misc/g-s-g.gif)
(552) - [2006-05-20 11:15]
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This photo is charged with atmosphere and mystique, it's almost mesmerizing. After reading your notes I will definitely put Tonle Sap on my travel itinerary during my next vacation to South-east Asia. Thanks!
This is a strong composition with perfect depth of field.
B&W is absolutely right for this.
I have been on Tonle Sap but I never knew about the Vietnamese community there - but what a life they must live.
So a good photograph and also education - great work.
best wishes
Brian
Very good shot! Great example of perfect black&white!
I like these tones, POV and light!
Well done!
Regards!
Patryk
Hi, your photo "take one" has led me here and I feel transfixed - fantastic subject, very well isolated and I'll take the time to read your note later on.
Bravo and best regards,
Cath.
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(97)
Very nice picture with perfect deep of field and excelent moment wich make a mark on the social problems in vietnam.