Life Between Two Worlds: My Journey from Phnom Penh to Beverly Hills

By Monika Tep

Ever thought of giving up? Success is often defined by adversity and perseverance. It is not given but rather earned.

Monika overcame poverty, hunger, child abuse, rape and sex slavery in Cambodia. Against all obstacles she obtained an education, found love, and became an American citizen. Monika persevered, and has since creat

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lifebetweentwoworlds
• Release date: Jul 14, 2021
• ISBN: 9780996135542

Monika Tep

Growing up fatherless in poverty-stricken Cambodia, as a child I was responsible for gathering my own food. During my adolescence, life wasn't any easier, and I endured physical and emotional abuse by the person I loved and respected the most, my mother. Following that trauma, I then experienced the horror of being raped, and when I thought I'd overcome that nightmare, my boss then sold me as part of the sex slave trade. Rather than cave within my environment, I had realistic optimism that everything I dreamed of was possible. Within that framework of optimism, I learned English, made it to America, attained an education, and even fell in love, before starting a successful business in Beverly Hills, California.

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Life Between Two Worlds:

Published by Monika Tep

Copyright ©2021 Monika Tep

All rights reserved

No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, email Monika Tep at [e-mail].

Condition of Sale

This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, resold, hired out, or otherwise circulated without the author’s prior consent in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published. Additionally this condition applies to any subsequent used-book purchaser.

First edition 2021

Library of Congress Control Number 2021913786

Paperback ISBN 978-0-9961355-3-5

Ebook ISBN 978-0-9961355-4-2

1. Memoir

2. Cambodia — Kampuchea — Cambodge

3. Human Trafficking

4. United States — Immigration

Editing and proofreading:

David Flack and Hayley Flack

Cover and Book design by Keith Kelly

www.PeregrinusCreative.com

built using products from the Adobe Creative Cloud Suite

Fonts:

Adobe Garamond Pro

Helvetica Neue LT Std

Printed by IngramSpark

Distributed by Ingram

Enquiries about this book:

Monika Tep at [e-mail]

Dedication

To my mother. You always provided a stable environment for Leakhena, Dara, Nana and me at a time when stability was in short supply. Within that environment you exemplified strength, even defeating the greatest adversary of your life. I’ve carried with me your lessons that there is no substitute for hard work, and that you should strive to be your own boss. You are my rock. And to the memory of my father. You always taught me that there is no greater sacrifice than giving your life for others. Your courage to fight for Cambodia and your lifetime of generosity inspire me to continue your legacy each and every day. You are my hero. Lastly, to the memory of my grandfather. You always treated everyone equally, with wisdom and a compassionate heart. More than once you told me I could fly high like a kite, and you were right. I was your sidekick and you were my best friend. I hope to continue making all three of you proud.

Acknowledgments

First and foremost, I want thank my editing team, David Flack and Hayley Flack, without whom this edition of my book would not have been possible. Your valuable advice and emotional support as I wrote about some of the more painful episodes of my life was indispensable. Also, thank you Luke Hunt for introducing me to them. I want to thank my mother, who not only helped me during the writing of this book, but also allowed me to speak the truth. To my family: Mom, Leakhena, Dara and Nana; I appreciate you more than words can express.

I also want to show my gratitude to photographer Steven Pressler, for his remarkable cover photo, and graphic designer Keith Kelly for his extraordinary work on the book cover and layout. Special thanks to Matt Peak, John Schoenith, Nancy Harahan, Olivier Renaud, Kulanat Gonzales, Philippe Gonzales, and Vincent Cirrincione. Finally, to the Los Angeles Public Library, for opening your doors so that people like myself can access knowledge and receive a free education from all of your resources, I am eternally grateful.

Introduction

Everyone has faced the problem of wanting to give up, especially during times of hardship. I will show you how to overcome this problem by staying persistent and keeping an open heart. Growing up fatherless in poverty-stricken Cambodia, as a child I was responsible for gathering my own food. During my adolescence, life wasn’t any easier, and I endured physical and emotional abuse by the person I loved and respected the most, my mother. Following that trauma, I then experienced the horror of being raped, and when I thought I’d overcome that nightmare, my boss then sold me as part of the sex slave trade. Rather than cave within my environment, I had realistic optimism that everything I dreamed of was possible. Within that framework of optimism, I learned English, made it to America, attained an education, and even fell in love, before starting a successful business in Beverly Hills, California.

After reading Life Between Two Worlds, I promise you will be able to overcome adversity and conquer your goals. You will then take the word impossible, and remove it from your vocabulary, replacing it with the words, I can, I will, and I did. Don’t wait, or the thought of giving up may very well defeat you. Equip yourself now with the inspiration found in these pages so that you can persevere through adversity and find success. My life story provides many lessons including the importance of being appreciative, why you should never waste what you can share, the power of forgiveness, and how to turn tragedy into triumph.

Table of Contents

Dedication

Acknowledgments

Introduction

PART ONE

CHAPTER 1 : My Hero

CHAPTER 2 : Tough Transition

CHAPTER 3 : Reunited

CHAPTER 4 : Someone Please Help

CHAPTER 5 : Hunger

CHAPTER 6 : Breaking Point

CHAPTER 7 : Thoughts of Suicide

CHAPTER 8 : Return to Phnom Penh

CHAPTER 9 : Hollaback

CHAPTER 10 : Values

CHAPTER 11 : Shattered Glass

CHAPTER 12 : SOLD!

CHAPTER 13 : Losing My Religion

CHAPTER 14 : The Power of Forgiveness

CHAPTER 15 : Kite in the Wind

CHAPTER 16 : A Man Named Mark

PART TWO

CHAPTER 17 : My Journey to America

CHAPTER 18 : Way to Go

CHAPTER 19 : Never Meant to Be

CHAPTER 20 : Hollywood

CHAPTER 21 : Falling in Love

CHAPTER 22 : Let’s Celebrate

CHAPTER 23 : Proud American

CHAPTER 24 : The High Life

CHAPTER 25 : Chicago

CHAPTER 26 : Rise and Fall

CHAPTER 27 : Dreams Come True

PART ONE

Remember you can fly high just like your kite.

c My Grandfather, Chem Choeun d

CHAPTER 1

My Hero

It was the summer of 1988, and the sounds of gunfire pierced the ears of all the villagers in Longvek, while screams of people dying polluted the air with sadness. My mother, less than a month away from giving birth to me, describes this time all too vividly as it was when the war took my father’s life. The memory of my father has inspired me to fight through every obstacle, never giving up along the way.

My knowledge of my parent’s time together comes from stories mother told me. Aside from those stories, I have family photos in which my father appears as a slim, handsome man with an oval face, short wavy black hair, and dark skin. When my mother speaks of him, it is clear how desperately he is missed.

My parents met when my father was twenty-three and my mother sixteen. Their families already knew each other because they both worked in the timber industry. In Cambodia at that time, most marriages were arranged by parents, so it made sense to my father’s parents that he would marry the daughter of a peer; someone who had grown up around the business.

My mother was a hard-working woman and would prove to be a good partner for my father. Considered beautiful by many in the village, she was petite and softly-spoken with elegant features. The first time they met, my father was attracted to her, and she noticed him right back. With mutual interest, my father’s parents reached out to my mother’s family, believing their children would make a good match. My mother’s father gave his blessing, knowing my father to be a kind man who could also provide for his daughter and future grandchildren. After a short engagement, wedding arrangements were underway. My father’s side of the family planned a traditional Cambodian wedding, inviting only their family and closest friends. Some guests arrived with food, including grilled ducks, mangoes, and passion fruit for the ceremonial meal. Others brought gifts and well wishes for my parents’ new life together. The ceremony was held near a large sugar palm tree, which symbolizes long life.

Shortly after they married, my parents started a business, opening a small store. They built it themselves and employed a few family members to work there when it was completed. Their inventory mostly consisted of cigarettes, spices and rice. Occasionally they also stocked a small amount of fresh produce and alcohol. The store was located near the largest military camp in the country at that time, so most of my parents’ customers were Vietnamese soldiers. After a hard day’s work, my father would massage my mother’s feet and say things to make her laugh. My mother told me she never grew tired of working long hours since they were spent next to my father. Unfortunately for my parents, the good times didn’t last nearly long enough.

Just after my older sister Leakhena was born, a group of soldiers came to our village to conscript all the non-disabled men. They were fighting various armed groups who were hiding in the jungle and waging guerrilla warfare throughout the country. Consequently, they needed all the men they could muster, and my father was an attractive recruit. He was well-educated and spoke both Cambodian and French, making him an asset they would not pass up. After the genocide from 1975 to 1979, finding individuals with either higher education or who spoke more than one language was a rare and prized occurrence indeed. Since father was both well-educated and bilingual, this particular combination of achievements became his curse. The group’s leader came to our house and explained how important my father’s educational background and linguistic skills were, but my grandparents begged them to reconsider taking him away for military service.

He has a wife and a child, my grandfather shouted. Please, you cannot take him from his family! My grandparents even tried to pay, offering every cent they had if he would only show mercy and not take their son away to fight. The leader, however, had no interest in the modest savings of a rural family. He needed men like my father and wasn’t taking no for an answer, reminding my family that the punishment for refusing his demands was death. My grandparents were devastated as they had already lived through decades of conflict stemming from the American bombing during the Vietnam War and continuing through four years of extreme hardship under the Khmer Rouge, during which they had lost their oldest son. My father’s older brother only visited home once as a soldier before he was killed on the battlefield, and my grandparents believed in their hearts that the same would happen to my father, but there was nothing they could do.

My mother told me a story about how my dad never had extra money after joining the army but was always willing to share his food and clothing with fellow soldiers. On one of the rare occasions he was given home leave, she said my father arrived home wearing only a tank top. Where is your shirt? Mom asked, puzzled.

My dad just smiled at her, looking perfectly content with his decision. I gave it away to someone who needed it more than me. My mom could not be angry when she saw that giving filled his heart with so much satisfaction. Instead, she laughed and asked him what he would do if someone asked for his pants. If they needed them, I’d give those away too, he told her with a grin on his face. My father never had to give up his pants, but unfortunately for him, his gift of giving may have cost him his life. It didn’t take long for my father’s caring personality to be noticed by his fellow soldiers, and it ultimately was the reason he was promoted to Commander. Being placed in charge of other soldiers was an honor for him and was viewed favorably by the men in the army, but it also positioned him and his unit in the most dangerous part of the ongoing conflict. When I look back at this story, it is not the negative result that I focus on, but rather the positive impact I’m told my father’s life of self-sacrifice had on others. I remember thinking one day I would grow up and do something that allowed me to help people as well.

During my father’s final visit home, my mom surprised him with the news that she was carrying another child, which she was certain would be a girl, in the hope that it would lift his spirit. Replacing the pain in his heart from what he had been experiencing was not easy, but mother tried her best. During this last visit, my mother says she became more aware of the additional burden my father carried; being responsible for other soldiers’ lives had taken its toll, and he acted differently than on previous visits home. To this day, my mother believes dad knew during his last visit he wasn’t ever going to make it back home again. When they sat down together, and he selected my name,