EMR Imports Travelogue - Children of Cambodia

Over the past decade I have spent at least five months a year traveling through China, Vietnam, Burma, Cambodia, India, Thailand, Laos and other countries in Southeast Asia collecting eastern antiquities such as furniture, textiles, Buddha images, Hill tribe artifacts and anything old and unusual I find along the way. As a compulsive traveler and collector, the task of searching Asia for unusual antiques and bringing them back to my gallery in New York has given me the ultimate job. Having recorded my travels, I finally decided it was time to share some of my experiences.

My name is Mark Calafatello and I am the owner of EMR Imports where we specialize in Asian antiques.


Over the past decade I have spent at least five months a year traveling through China, Vietnam, Burma, Cambodia, India, Thailand, Laos and other countries in Southeast Asia collecting eastern antiquities such as furniture, textiles, Buddha images, Hill tribe artifacts and anything old and unusual I find along the way. As a compulsive traveler and collector, the task of searching Asia for unusual antiques and bringing them back to my gallery in New York has given me the ultimate job. Having recorded my travels, I finally decided it was time to share some of my experiences. My name is Mark Calafatello and I am the owner of EMR Imports where we specialize in Asian antiques.

I have always enjoyed the children of Asia, they are so adaptive you almost have to stop and reevaluate yourself. Often in tourist areas the kids will speak five or six languages and are able to tell you the exchange rates of most major currencies on any given day. In a way it is a shame that they do not have a chance to be kids, but the result is that some savvy very early in life. My photos are of children in remote places where they still have a fascination with foreigners and do not know the first thing about international currencies.
		These photos were taken on my journeys to Cambodia over the past year. I have always enjoyed stopping for food and provisions in small towns. One of my fondest memories is stopping on a small island near the Vietnamese border where there was very little traffic, not to mention no foreigners. We had stopped our boat to buy food and provisions before continuing on to camp on an uninhabited island further north. I have always enjoyed stopping in small towns for a haircut or a shave, and a few of my friends decided this was the spot for them. It did not take long before we had a crowd around us, it was a perfect opportunity to meet the inhabitants of the town and some of the local swine.
When I am traveling I use a digital camera and often show the kids photos after I have taken a bunch. It is great to see the fascination on their faces when they look at pictures of themselves. However, you have to be careful not to show the pictures right away or you will end up with a crowd of posers grabbing at you to see the digital screen. I have made this mistake on more than one occasion, so now I try to avoid excited groups of children until I am ready to move on.
		If I know I am returning to an area I print photos and bring them as gifts. It is a great gift for people who often do not own a photo of their children or themselves.

		Thanks for stopping by, I hope that you've enjoyed reading about my adventures in Cambodia as much as I enjoyed having them! If you'd like to hear more and see more visit us at EMR and explore more of my Asian adventures.