Meeting a Princess

About a month ago I met a woman, Nary, who comes to the gym most every day and runs on the treadmill. The first time I met her she was just returning from a marathon race (I think it was in Malaysia) and she had won it. It turns out that she is Cambodia's top woman long-distance runner. She is also a PhD scientist. This week she invited me to a dinner Christmas party at her home. When I pulled up to the driveway gate I was surprised to see that she lives not just in a home, but in a mansion that she had built 10 years ago. It is really spectacular. The architect who designed this home was also there. His name is Py and he is an avid cyclist. (He invited me to ride a great new route with him the following morning at 5:30. Man, is it ever dark at that time! It was like riding in a tunnel.) The gardens at Nary's home are beautiful - tall palm trees, ponds with lilies, hanging orchids, and vibrant Bougainvillea. There is also a very large elevated balcony that is covered and has a wrap around bench.

When one of the guests arrived Nary asked us all to listen for a minute and Nary put her arm around the guest who had just arrived and said, "This woman is my princess". I thought that was very sweet and wondered what this woman had done in my Nary's life to have made such a huge impact deserving of such a kind introduction. I knew that Nary lived here alone, but wondered, since I don't know her well, if calling this woman "her princess" was her way of introducing her partner. Later in the evening Nary offered to give a tour of her home. Only the "princess" and I decided to go. It was a very nice tour of the beautiful home and I found Nary's friend to be very affable and humble. Later on in the evening I found myself sitting on the bench next to Nary's "princess" wand we began talking about where we came from and the work that we do. Nary's friend has her own NGO to help children and also oversees four departments for a bank. I told her about the business Neth and I have started and we exchanged business cards. I looked at her card and noticed it read "Princess..." and I said, "Oh, so your name really is 'Princess'?" to which she replied, "Well, it is more of a title than a name." I took in a deep breath - contemplating the meaning of this.Yes, I really did meet a real life princess in this way. :) She arrived with no security detail. She behaved with no sign of arrogance or entitlement. And as I learned about the work that she is doing and the values she has I was really impressed by what a down-to-earth, caring and humble person she is.

Left to Right: Julie (a writer), me, Duangjai (from Thailand), Nary, and the Princess