is he lying?????

The Toddler lying? Say it ain't so!

Apparently or obviously (choose your poison) he believes that to be misinformed and uninformed is cool as long as he just forges ahead with whatever barbaric mindset he has on any particular day.

This is an excerpt from a sad story in "The Guardian," written in 2009.

So, Toddler, when you continue your sexcapades in Cambodia keep this in mind:

My name is Mei and I'm 19 years old. I live in Phnom Penh but I'm from a small village in Prey Veng province. I went to school when I was younger, but I had to leave to work in the rice fields when I was 13. My family is poor and when there is no food to eat, you have to do what you must to support them – as I'm the oldest it's my responsibility.

When I first came to Phnom Penh, I got a good job in a garment factory. I was making $50 a month but, after I paid debts, I could only send home $20 a month. This wasn't enough for my family. I worried all the time about them; my mum is old and ill, and I wanted my brother and sister to stay in school.

At the time, I was living in a room with other factory workers, and one of them had a friend who worked in a beer bar. My friend said she was earning good money from this and that I could do it too, so I went there to work. At first things were OK as I earned more money. I would sit outside the bar and ask men to come in and drink. The men would ask me for sex but I always said no, I wouldn't sell my body. Sometimes they'd grab me or fondle my breasts, which I hated, but if I complained the boss would shout at me.

A man called Sothy used to come to the bar a lot. He was so nice to me, he spoke to me romantically. One night, he offered to walk me home. I went with him, and he asked me to his room. I really liked him so I said I would, we sat and talked. When I wanted to go, he wouldn't let me. He pinned me to the bed and raped me. I was a virgin and the pain was huge and I bled a lot. He told me he would beat me if I told anyone and that no-one would care anyway as I was a beer girl.

I was so scared after this and so ashamed that I wasn't a virgin anymore. The owner of the bar said he had a friend I could stay with, somewhere safe, and he took me to a guesthouse in the Toul Kork area. I realised it was a brothel when we arrived, but he said I didn't have to sell sex but could work as a cleaner. He lied.

After a week, the "aunty" there said I had to sell sex, that I owed her money. Because I'd lost my virginity, I was ruined already so I had no choice. When a man came to the brothel, he took me into a room. He took off all my clothes and had sex with me. He paid me $6. I realised then in my heart that I'd become a prostitute. I cried a lot. The other girls said it would get easier but it didn't. I slept with between five and 10 men a day. I tried to stop myself from being there in my head and drank a lot.

(The story does go on but doesn't get better.) ( Mei was speaking to journalist C Colley.)