So at the end of March or early April we had the biggest event of my stay in town!
I was sitting at my guesthouse having a mango shake (my standard drink of choice at the Sovannkiri Restaurant - best mango shakes in Sen Monorom!) and using the internet. Suddenly I hear the sound of popping like small firecrackers. I think nothing of it and continue using the internet.
After 5 minutes Calem, the owner of the Sovannkiri, says the guesthouse diagonally across the street is on fire. The popping sound was of bricks exploding under the intense heat. I look over and see smoke rising from the front of the building. This guesthouse is not being used currently - it is being remodeled. So I quickly pack up my computer and run up to my room to put it away and head over to see the excitement.
When I arrive the upper left room is clearly where the fire is located. From my angle I can't see the fire but can clearly see the reflection of the flames on the wall facing me. A few men are running around trying to pass a fire extinguisher to each other while balancing on the roof trying to subdue the flames. The property owner next door is frantically running around with a small hose trying to help put it out but the water doesn't even reach half way up to the fire. A huge crowd - maybe 400 people - has gathered and many are using their cell phones to record the excitement. This continues for about 20 minutes and the fire is slowly spreading. The problem is the frame of the building is wood so the fire can't be put out with a little hand held extinguisher.
Finally two large tanker trucks pull up. These things look like 1950's water trucks and they have a little turret that a fireman sits on and points a high pressure hose at the fire. The firemen yell for everyone to get off the roof and then he lets loose with the water cannon. The second water truck just sits there watching. I ask another westerner I know, Harry, why it is waiting. He informs me that if/when the first truck runs out of water it will head down to the lake to get a refill and the second truck will then go into service. If they both use their water supply and then have to leave the whole town could end up on fire! He says it can take 20 - 40 minutes to refill the tanker trucks.
So we watch the water cannon blast the siding and some tiles off of the building. This cannon is powerful and could inflict some serious property/personal damage if misused. A few firemen climb on the roof and use an ax to smash some ventilation holes. This takes place over about 15 minutes and the crowd continues to watch and video the entire thing like it's a fireworks show. Finally after about 30 minutes the police arrive and tell people they have to leave the scene. People slowly disperse. Within an hour the entire street is empty of emergency personnel.
The building looks like a wreck on the side the fire was located. In the next two months I am there they continue to remodel and the room the fire started in has yet to be repaired before I depart. My friend Heng told me the local television station has some video clips of the fire on their nightly newscast. Biggest event in SM in my time there...
Wednesday, May 28, 2014
Saturday, May 17, 2014
My boarding school class
My favorite part of my time here has been with my boarding school class. I initially didn't think I would really enjoy the teaching component of this project but accepted it as part of the assignment. Was I ever wrong! I go out of my way to make sure I have something new for them to study nightly and to make sure I am never late to class - I often turn up 15 minutes early so students can come early if they have questions.
The first week I was by myself but once Gina and Jo arrived we split the class into beginners, which Jo taught, intermediate (meaning they speak at least a little bit of English - even just hello, my name is, thank you, and can count to 10) which is what I teach, and advanced (which means they can hold small conversations) which Gina teaches. Having students of such varying levels is incredibly difficult - you can't hold conversations with people who have no vocabularies and if you go to slow the advanced students get bored and stop coming.
These classes are strictly voluntary - if they want to come they do - if not nobody really cares. This has meant I have many students who have dropped in for a class or two and then are never seen again. It also seems many of the boys come for maybe a week and then usually disappear - especially if there is a soccer or volleyball game they could be at instead. So class sizes range from 2 (once during a holiday only two students showed up) to my high of 17. I have probably had over 45 students wander into my class over the 10 weeks I have been here and Gina and Jo probably had another 15 students I haven't met also attend their classes as well.
I have a regular core of about 6 - 10 students, mostly girls although there are two boys who come quite a bit, who attend probably 4 - 5 days per week. The students range in age from 15 - 20 years old and there are also a few non-students who also attend our classes. Gina has a local teacher who is 27 years old and another local man who is also 27 years old attend her class. I had a girl named King attend for 6 weeks, she was 26 years old, but she went to study at a university in Thailand about a month ago.
The students who attend regularly vary in abilities and that sometimes scares me. They are not use to native English speakers talking to them - so they read English much better than they can speak or listen to it. Thus I am forced to write everything down on the dry erase board and then I ask them the questions I just wrote. They copy everything I write down word for word - so if I misspell anything - a dozen copies of it will exist in their notebooks. How is that for pressure! Also, if a student doesn't know the answer to a question, within a few seconds somebody else in the class is saying the answer either in English or telling them in Cambodian or the Bunong language. At times they will even debate things in their Bunong language for several minutes - arguing about what I mean or how to translate something I said. I just stand at the front of the room until the debate ends since they seldom let me in on what the problem was.
Of my core students I have two boys, Sroy - age 20 who wants to be a teacher and Sa - age 15 who also wants to be a teacher. Sroy's English is pretty good. The girls range in ability but in general the girls seem much more intent on learning English. The girls are: Sreynhurk - age 15 who wants to be a doctor, Namta - age 15 who wants to be a teacher, Dary - age 17 who wants to be a teacher, Sreypov - age 17 who wants to be a hairdresser, Sophy - age 17 who wants to be a lawyer, Narady - age 17 who wants to be a teacher, Sreynet - age 17 who wants to be a doctor, and Dani - age 20 who wants to be a teacher. Have you noticed any patterns to the jobs? There are few career jobs in this province - so many people only know about being a doctor, nurse, or teacher. If this was Phnom Penh there would be many more career options but here in the sticks - there is no factories, large companies and most students really have no idea what opportunities exist. I was actually happy to see that someone wanted to be a hairdresser and a lawyer! Two much more unique opportunities!
The ages of the students vary widely. While most students are between 15 - 20 that is in no way an indication of their year in school. Many students seem to take a year or two off if they are needed on the farm or to help out at home - so sometimes a 20 year old could only be in grade 10. Seems it doesn't really matter to the school system. I actually had one boy who was 20 come to a few classes - he seemed rather big compared to the other students and when I asked what grade he was in he said grade 9. A few other students laughed but I give the kid credit for at least trying to finish his high school education! He is the exception to the rule here in rural Cambodia!
Seems in August the grade 12 students take an exam to get into university. If they pass the exam they can attend university, if they fail they have to wait a year and can try again. Also, depending on how they do, that will determine which university they can attend and if they will be offered financial aid. Obviously lots of pressure rides on that one exam. Seems most of the universities are also in Phnom Penh - a 5 hour bus trip from here, and a world apart from rural Mondulkiri province! Currently there are 7 local Bunong students attending universities in PP. Several of the students in Gina's class graduate this year and will take the exam this summer. Several of them speak decent English and I'm hoping some or all of them qualify for university and will also be offered financial aid! Otherwise their career prospects are rather slim.
Other provinces have training programs run by NGO's (non-governmental organizations - similar to of non-profits at home) that teach people how to work at restaurants to become cooks, waiters, and managers and also at guesthouses to become housekeepers, receptionists, and mangers along with tour guides and drivers. While these aren't great white collar jobs they do offer a constant salary and options to many people who have few opportunities. Unfortunately, no such training schools or programs exist in this province.
I hope to talk with some of my students and ask what happens to most of the Bunong students who graduate high school and either don't pass the university exam or don't receive sufficient financial aid to attend university. While I am somewhat scared of the answer (I figure many return to their villages and become farmers or laborers) it will help me understand their plight better.
The first week I was by myself but once Gina and Jo arrived we split the class into beginners, which Jo taught, intermediate (meaning they speak at least a little bit of English - even just hello, my name is, thank you, and can count to 10) which is what I teach, and advanced (which means they can hold small conversations) which Gina teaches. Having students of such varying levels is incredibly difficult - you can't hold conversations with people who have no vocabularies and if you go to slow the advanced students get bored and stop coming.
These classes are strictly voluntary - if they want to come they do - if not nobody really cares. This has meant I have many students who have dropped in for a class or two and then are never seen again. It also seems many of the boys come for maybe a week and then usually disappear - especially if there is a soccer or volleyball game they could be at instead. So class sizes range from 2 (once during a holiday only two students showed up) to my high of 17. I have probably had over 45 students wander into my class over the 10 weeks I have been here and Gina and Jo probably had another 15 students I haven't met also attend their classes as well.
I have a regular core of about 6 - 10 students, mostly girls although there are two boys who come quite a bit, who attend probably 4 - 5 days per week. The students range in age from 15 - 20 years old and there are also a few non-students who also attend our classes. Gina has a local teacher who is 27 years old and another local man who is also 27 years old attend her class. I had a girl named King attend for 6 weeks, she was 26 years old, but she went to study at a university in Thailand about a month ago.
The students who attend regularly vary in abilities and that sometimes scares me. They are not use to native English speakers talking to them - so they read English much better than they can speak or listen to it. Thus I am forced to write everything down on the dry erase board and then I ask them the questions I just wrote. They copy everything I write down word for word - so if I misspell anything - a dozen copies of it will exist in their notebooks. How is that for pressure! Also, if a student doesn't know the answer to a question, within a few seconds somebody else in the class is saying the answer either in English or telling them in Cambodian or the Bunong language. At times they will even debate things in their Bunong language for several minutes - arguing about what I mean or how to translate something I said. I just stand at the front of the room until the debate ends since they seldom let me in on what the problem was.
Of my core students I have two boys, Sroy - age 20 who wants to be a teacher and Sa - age 15 who also wants to be a teacher. Sroy's English is pretty good. The girls range in ability but in general the girls seem much more intent on learning English. The girls are: Sreynhurk - age 15 who wants to be a doctor, Namta - age 15 who wants to be a teacher, Dary - age 17 who wants to be a teacher, Sreypov - age 17 who wants to be a hairdresser, Sophy - age 17 who wants to be a lawyer, Narady - age 17 who wants to be a teacher, Sreynet - age 17 who wants to be a doctor, and Dani - age 20 who wants to be a teacher. Have you noticed any patterns to the jobs? There are few career jobs in this province - so many people only know about being a doctor, nurse, or teacher. If this was Phnom Penh there would be many more career options but here in the sticks - there is no factories, large companies and most students really have no idea what opportunities exist. I was actually happy to see that someone wanted to be a hairdresser and a lawyer! Two much more unique opportunities!
The ages of the students vary widely. While most students are between 15 - 20 that is in no way an indication of their year in school. Many students seem to take a year or two off if they are needed on the farm or to help out at home - so sometimes a 20 year old could only be in grade 10. Seems it doesn't really matter to the school system. I actually had one boy who was 20 come to a few classes - he seemed rather big compared to the other students and when I asked what grade he was in he said grade 9. A few other students laughed but I give the kid credit for at least trying to finish his high school education! He is the exception to the rule here in rural Cambodia!
Seems in August the grade 12 students take an exam to get into university. If they pass the exam they can attend university, if they fail they have to wait a year and can try again. Also, depending on how they do, that will determine which university they can attend and if they will be offered financial aid. Obviously lots of pressure rides on that one exam. Seems most of the universities are also in Phnom Penh - a 5 hour bus trip from here, and a world apart from rural Mondulkiri province! Currently there are 7 local Bunong students attending universities in PP. Several of the students in Gina's class graduate this year and will take the exam this summer. Several of them speak decent English and I'm hoping some or all of them qualify for university and will also be offered financial aid! Otherwise their career prospects are rather slim.
Other provinces have training programs run by NGO's (non-governmental organizations - similar to of non-profits at home) that teach people how to work at restaurants to become cooks, waiters, and managers and also at guesthouses to become housekeepers, receptionists, and mangers along with tour guides and drivers. While these aren't great white collar jobs they do offer a constant salary and options to many people who have few opportunities. Unfortunately, no such training schools or programs exist in this province.
I hope to talk with some of my students and ask what happens to most of the Bunong students who graduate high school and either don't pass the university exam or don't receive sufficient financial aid to attend university. While I am somewhat scared of the answer (I figure many return to their villages and become farmers or laborers) it will help me understand their plight better.
Wednesday, May 14, 2014
Try this...
Ok, so I'm willing to try just about anything food wise while I'm here. I have already tried water buffalo, crickets, fried frogs, and some other bugs plus some odd desserts - anything as long as it isn't super spicy.
- One day my friend Mony calls invites me to his wife's BBQ restaurant for dinner. I have probably eaten there half a dozen times already - all they serve is BBQ beef - and literally every part of the cow is served. They also provide a plate of salad with each plate of beef. It is very good and a very popular place here in town. On this day Mony tells me he has venison (deer) - it's for one night only and I should come and try it. I tell him I will come at 730pm after my class to try the deer.
At 730 I get to the restaurant and Mony is not there but his wife, who speaks no English, invites me in and when I sit down she proceeds to make me a plate of deer and a salad. I wait until about 8pm before I finally start eating the deer - which is pretty decent tasting. Eventually Mony arrives with his three boys and asks if I ordered the food. I tell him no - his wife just gave it to me. He says that isn't why he invited me. He then goes to the cooler and takes out a plastic bag that has some beautiful pieces of deer meat inside. He puts them on the grill and sits down and has a beer with me. After about 20 minutes he goes back to the grill and brings over a plate of this perfectly cooked venison. I've only had venison once before in my life and enjoyed it - but this stuff is heavenly. So tender and flavorful! I ask why the special bag and he says they have deer only once or twice a year and always save the best cuts for friends and family to enjoy. Hearing that made me feel very honored to have been invited. When we finish the plate he then goes back to the cooler and grabs another few pieces of meat and grills those. Again we share another huge plate along with another beer until I am stuffed. I ask him how much I owe him for this special meal and he says I only need to pay for the initial plate his wife gave me, the special cuts of deer and the beer are on the house! Best $5 meal I have had yet in Cambodia. When I tell my friend John, who is an intern with the World Wildlife Fund here in Cambodia, he asks where the deer came from. How do I know? I tell him it was probably a poached deer (just kidding) and next week we are having fresh panda if he wants to join us. He gives me a dirty look as the other people at the table burst out in laughter!
- One day Chamroeun calls and asks if I would like to go out for dinner. I had told him I would buy him dinner one night to thank him for bringing me to his cousin's wedding. He brings me to a little BBQ restaurant an hour away - a place I have seen alongside the road and a place I wanted to try. The place has numerous huts in the back where guests sit and the waitress brings out plates of meats and salads for the guests. Seems there is a little grill at each table and the guests actually cook the stuff themselves! Well the first plate arrives and it is bits of beef and some chicken. Chamroeun grills them. We share the plate of salad and there is some horrible sauce to dip stuff in - not sure if it's the local cheese (which I had at Mony's and I strongly dislike) or what but it's bad. We joke around and have a few beers. The girl then brings out two more plates of meat. One plate I can't identify, the other is strips of beef - almost like small pieces of steak. He grills the steak pieces and says to try the other plate. It looks like meat but has these little hair-like parts to it. I take a forkful of it and try it - ughhh! What is this crap? He then tells me it is the cow's stomach! I'm not sure how cow's stomach is eaten but I don't think this stuff was cooked first (and it is never cooked that night). It is so bad that I have to resort to dipping it into the horrible sauce to help hide it's hideous flavor! I focus on eating all of the salad that remains until he is done with the steak bits. Once he puts that on the table I casually devour the steak and leave most of the cow stomach for him. He notices and comments how I really enjoy the steak and I nod and tell him he did an excellent job cooking it. Two beers each plus two plates of meat, one plate of stomachs and a large plate of salads came to $ 16 total for the two of us - yes $ 8 each! I insist on tipping our waitress who was very helpful and attentive (which is not the typical Cambodian idea of service). Chamroeun says it is not necessary but I tell him she was exceptional. He leads me back into the kitchen and I hand her $1 and tell her thank you very much in Cambodian. She bows to me and says thank you in Cambodian and has a gigantic smile on her face.
As we drive off I ask how often waitresses get tips and he says almost never by other Cambodians and maybe once or twice a day by foreign tourist if there are any that day. Since most waitresses are salary positions and make around $ 100/month - any and all tips are certainly appreciated! Amazingly, this was one of the most expensive meals I've had here in Sen Monorom thus far. The cow stomach was rough - I'd rather eat a bag of crickets than eat that again! But the rest of the meal was excellent.
- Went on a three day trek with Mony this past weekend and we went northwest to the next province to a large town called Ban Lung. The town is rather flat and a river runs through the town. On the Sunday night he brought me down to take photos along the riverfront. It was beautiful with the sunset along the river. He then says we should try some of the local seafood at a stand across the street. Ok I'm up for anything. He orders something and then asks if I eat shellfish and I tell him I do. After 15 minutes they bring over a large plate of shellfish - these things are huge. Brown shells that are about the size of 1.5 - 2 eggs in size. All they give you to eat these things are a long wooden toothpick to pry the little critters out of the shells. The family who owns the place is watching a movie at the table next to us and turn to watch me struggle to get the shellfish out of the dang shell. They have big smiles and laugh a bit as I give it a go. Eventually I free one and dip it in a sauce and try it - kind of rubbery and with a little of a bitter taste. The actual animal is about the size of a golf ball. After I eat a few Mony says I shouldn't eat the heads of the animal. What? I am not able to identify any body parts on this over sized clam - head, legs, arms, mouth - anything! He points out part of the animal and says eating too many of the heads can give you a stomachache! Great - now he tells me. I eat a few more then call it quits. I'll stick to fried clams at home for my fresh seafood option in the future.
- One day my friend Mony calls invites me to his wife's BBQ restaurant for dinner. I have probably eaten there half a dozen times already - all they serve is BBQ beef - and literally every part of the cow is served. They also provide a plate of salad with each plate of beef. It is very good and a very popular place here in town. On this day Mony tells me he has venison (deer) - it's for one night only and I should come and try it. I tell him I will come at 730pm after my class to try the deer.
At 730 I get to the restaurant and Mony is not there but his wife, who speaks no English, invites me in and when I sit down she proceeds to make me a plate of deer and a salad. I wait until about 8pm before I finally start eating the deer - which is pretty decent tasting. Eventually Mony arrives with his three boys and asks if I ordered the food. I tell him no - his wife just gave it to me. He says that isn't why he invited me. He then goes to the cooler and takes out a plastic bag that has some beautiful pieces of deer meat inside. He puts them on the grill and sits down and has a beer with me. After about 20 minutes he goes back to the grill and brings over a plate of this perfectly cooked venison. I've only had venison once before in my life and enjoyed it - but this stuff is heavenly. So tender and flavorful! I ask why the special bag and he says they have deer only once or twice a year and always save the best cuts for friends and family to enjoy. Hearing that made me feel very honored to have been invited. When we finish the plate he then goes back to the cooler and grabs another few pieces of meat and grills those. Again we share another huge plate along with another beer until I am stuffed. I ask him how much I owe him for this special meal and he says I only need to pay for the initial plate his wife gave me, the special cuts of deer and the beer are on the house! Best $5 meal I have had yet in Cambodia. When I tell my friend John, who is an intern with the World Wildlife Fund here in Cambodia, he asks where the deer came from. How do I know? I tell him it was probably a poached deer (just kidding) and next week we are having fresh panda if he wants to join us. He gives me a dirty look as the other people at the table burst out in laughter!
- One day Chamroeun calls and asks if I would like to go out for dinner. I had told him I would buy him dinner one night to thank him for bringing me to his cousin's wedding. He brings me to a little BBQ restaurant an hour away - a place I have seen alongside the road and a place I wanted to try. The place has numerous huts in the back where guests sit and the waitress brings out plates of meats and salads for the guests. Seems there is a little grill at each table and the guests actually cook the stuff themselves! Well the first plate arrives and it is bits of beef and some chicken. Chamroeun grills them. We share the plate of salad and there is some horrible sauce to dip stuff in - not sure if it's the local cheese (which I had at Mony's and I strongly dislike) or what but it's bad. We joke around and have a few beers. The girl then brings out two more plates of meat. One plate I can't identify, the other is strips of beef - almost like small pieces of steak. He grills the steak pieces and says to try the other plate. It looks like meat but has these little hair-like parts to it. I take a forkful of it and try it - ughhh! What is this crap? He then tells me it is the cow's stomach! I'm not sure how cow's stomach is eaten but I don't think this stuff was cooked first (and it is never cooked that night). It is so bad that I have to resort to dipping it into the horrible sauce to help hide it's hideous flavor! I focus on eating all of the salad that remains until he is done with the steak bits. Once he puts that on the table I casually devour the steak and leave most of the cow stomach for him. He notices and comments how I really enjoy the steak and I nod and tell him he did an excellent job cooking it. Two beers each plus two plates of meat, one plate of stomachs and a large plate of salads came to $ 16 total for the two of us - yes $ 8 each! I insist on tipping our waitress who was very helpful and attentive (which is not the typical Cambodian idea of service). Chamroeun says it is not necessary but I tell him she was exceptional. He leads me back into the kitchen and I hand her $1 and tell her thank you very much in Cambodian. She bows to me and says thank you in Cambodian and has a gigantic smile on her face.
As we drive off I ask how often waitresses get tips and he says almost never by other Cambodians and maybe once or twice a day by foreign tourist if there are any that day. Since most waitresses are salary positions and make around $ 100/month - any and all tips are certainly appreciated! Amazingly, this was one of the most expensive meals I've had here in Sen Monorom thus far. The cow stomach was rough - I'd rather eat a bag of crickets than eat that again! But the rest of the meal was excellent.
- Went on a three day trek with Mony this past weekend and we went northwest to the next province to a large town called Ban Lung. The town is rather flat and a river runs through the town. On the Sunday night he brought me down to take photos along the riverfront. It was beautiful with the sunset along the river. He then says we should try some of the local seafood at a stand across the street. Ok I'm up for anything. He orders something and then asks if I eat shellfish and I tell him I do. After 15 minutes they bring over a large plate of shellfish - these things are huge. Brown shells that are about the size of 1.5 - 2 eggs in size. All they give you to eat these things are a long wooden toothpick to pry the little critters out of the shells. The family who owns the place is watching a movie at the table next to us and turn to watch me struggle to get the shellfish out of the dang shell. They have big smiles and laugh a bit as I give it a go. Eventually I free one and dip it in a sauce and try it - kind of rubbery and with a little of a bitter taste. The actual animal is about the size of a golf ball. After I eat a few Mony says I shouldn't eat the heads of the animal. What? I am not able to identify any body parts on this over sized clam - head, legs, arms, mouth - anything! He points out part of the animal and says eating too many of the heads can give you a stomachache! Great - now he tells me. I eat a few more then call it quits. I'll stick to fried clams at home for my fresh seafood option in the future.
Tuesday, May 13, 2014
The wedding
So Sunday morning I awake and put on my nicest clothes (a pair of khakis and a nice three button izod style shirt with a collar) and head to Bunong Place to meet Chamroeun to go to his cousin's wedding. Around 930am he arrives and picks me up - luckily he is dressed like I am, simple attire - nothing fancy. With that I jump on the back of his moto and we head off.
The village we go to is maybe 15 minutes away - towards the Sen Monorom waterfall but instead of turning left to the waterfall you head straight and go another 2 kilometers or so. It seems to be a small village of maybe 30 - 50 huts and homes located on the side of a hill. It would be roughly an hour or so walk for me to get here.
He explains that this morning is the traditional Bunong wedding ceremony and this afternoon is the wedding reception. OK by me - I want to see the traditional ceremony. We arrive at a decent sized house (it is the bride's family's house) and next door to that in the yard a huge tent is setup. Tonight there will be numerous tables (I am told 300 people are expected) for guests and dancing will follow the reception. Chamroeun leads me to a porch where tons of people are sitting on the floor and he says for me to go in and sit down in there.
This room has around 15 - 20 women and perhaps the same amount of children all sitting around. There are only one of two older men in the room. Seems some of the women are putting together bundles of gifts then they hand them out to people sitting in the room. They take a new scarf and spread it out on the floor, then the woman in charge takes a scoop of dry rice and drops it in the middle of the scarf. Some of the bundles are then given another new scarf that is still wrapped in plastic and the whole thing is tied up into a little ball and with a little speech handed to someone in the crowd. Some women actually seem to get numerous bundles - one woman receives 6! Some of the recipients hand small piles of riel to the woman handing out the gifts in return. I snap numerous pictures of the women during this event - but can't really understand the whole meaning of this event. Several of the small children who are sitting near me are fascinated by my camera and want to see every picture I take. So quickly I show them a few and then they suddenly want to be in some pictures. I snap a few and more children appear wanting to join in the fun. One little girl (maybe 4 years old) sits in front of me with a little boy (her baby brother?) and she has a little dress on. Unfortunately from the position she is sitting in, I can clearly see she isn't wearing anything under her dress. I shake my head when she smiles. She just sits there waiting for me. Young children here often walk around with no pants on - seems diapers aren't used by the majority of people. It is very common to see toddlers and young children standing along the side of the road or on motos with only a shirt on and nothing else. After a few minutes of this impasse an older woman sitting nearby looks at the girl and says something to her and pushes her into another sitting position that is not so revealing. I snap the photo and the children laugh when I show it to them. There is one older woman, she looks about 80 but is probably in her 60s who is sitting on the floor and smoking a hand rolled cigarette. When I ask to take her photo she nods in disapproval. This would be an incredible shot - her face has so much character and it would also be a great photo showing how glamorous smoking can be! Over the next hour or so I am able to take a shot of her from a distance but it's not the shot I wanted.
Eventually this ceremony ends and everyone files outside. Chamroeun leads me to the back of the house. There is a large stick or vine that is bent over forming an arch, maybe 4 feet high. At the bottom of the arch on one side is a small jug of rice wine and the jaws of a cow - both the top and bottom jaws standing on edge. At the other side of the arch base there is a leg of a pig and the head of a puppy. They sacrifice animals and pour some of the blood onto the ground to appease the spirits. If the spirits are pleased with the sacrifice they will bless the wedding. Seems the bride and groom walk through the arch with people standing around it - but this all happened before I arrived this morning. I am told the animals are butchered after they are sacrificed and they will be some of the food served tonight - not sure what has happened to the rest of the puppy... or if he is also being served tonight!
I wander around the area and see there are tons of people there to cook for this party tonight. There are easily 8 large pots cooking all types of food and a staff of over 20 people peeling veggies, cutting up chickens and preparing salads. They seem very amused that I am wandering around taking photos. They probably think to themselves, "hasn't this guy ever seen people cook for a wedding before?" We eventually meet an old Bunong man who looks very distinguished. He has a scarf on his head and has large wooden circles in his ears - where earrings would be - they are maybe an inch to an inch and a half in diameter. I am told he is one of the village elders and many older Bunong men wear this type of earring. He also has some nice beaded necklaces that he wears. He is suppose to be around tonight wearing all traditional Bunong clothing!
Chamroeun tells me he will now take me to see some of the land his family owns. We drive about 20 minutes further away from town and end up going down some dirt trails that lead up onto some large hills. From here the view is incredible - you can look out over the surrounding hills and forests and see huge tracts of forests and an occasional tiny village of a few huts. Chamroeun and his family own the hill we are standing on and he says they call it Avocado Mountain. He has a small hut he built (it is made of wood with a metal roof) and says he would like to see if Westerners would like to spend a night there. He thinks many people would enjoy sleeping out in the wilderness - I agree it is beautiful here but... there are no toilets (he tells me you can just use the natural toilet - meaning go where you wish outside), no running water, and its so remote that without a moto you are stranded there and of course there is no electricity either. His idea is to build a few other cabins here for people to stay in and maybe he can start a nice little business. He says maybe even build a pool - that makes me laugh. He says there is a small river at the bottom of hill and he could pay someone to bring water up to fill the pool. Guess he doesn't know that the water needs to be filtered and chlorinated otherwise it will be toxic and a breeding area for mosquitoes and thus malaria. A pool would be nice but not in the middle of the forest on top of a large hill! I tell him maybe people could just walk to the river for a swim if they wish. Either way, he says if I know any potential investors or partners to let him know.
After an hour on Avocado Mountain we head back to the village and stop at his father's house. His father is not there but we wait outside for a while. Eventually several children, some from the wedding ceremony, wander over to us. They ask him lots of questions and he tells them I am from America and a teacher. They motion that they want me to take their picture and I do. I ask how old they are and if they are in school. They range from 8 - 12 years old and most are in school although one boy has dropped out - he is 11. Seems he didn't like school and would rather just be a farmer and stay with his parents. Chamroeun tells me how he is the only person from his village that went to high school - most of the children he grew up with just finished elementary school and a few attended middle school. This is normal for many parts of rural Cambodia.
After about 45 minutes he decides his father won't be home soon and we drive back to my guesthouse. He asks if I would like to attend the reception tonight - of course! He looks at me and says my clothes are ok but I need to wear shoes not sandals to the reception. Fair enough. He also says I should bring a small gift (money is expected). I tell him I will and he says he will return at 430pm to pick me up.
After I run some quick errands and going to the bookstore to buy an envelope (to put my wedding gift of cash into) I put on some shoes and head down to meet Chamroeun. Oops - he is wearing a very stylish shirt and nice dress pants - I have the same outfit on but now with shoes instead of sandals! He doesn't say anything as I hope onto his moto and we zip off to the wedding.
As we arrive at the wedding I now see the tents are filled with tables - 30 tables with 10 chairs each. There is also a police roadblock, well really a caution sign on both sides of the road and one police officer wandering around to make sure traffic goes slowly by the wedding since it's literally alongside the road. There is a big tent where the wedding party greets people when they first arrive then the guests walk through that tent after having pictures taken with the wedding party. Then they get to the main tent and sit at which ever table is almost full. They don't use seating charts here - you sit at any table and once there are ten people at the table then the food will start to be served. If you table does not fill up you will never get food! Also once you are done eating and people start leaving the table the wait staff comes over clears the table then removes the chairs and dismantles the table. So as the night progresses the room gets emptier and emptier of not only people but also of tables and chairs!
So we seem to have arrived early since there are only about 15 or so guests there so far. There are many people milling about and I stand near the front porch of the bride's family's house and watch as the photographer takes wedding photos of the bride, groom, and both of their mothers. I am surrounded by many little children who are watching with great amazement at all of the excitement and the beautifully dressed bridal party. After about 30 minutes several of the little girls want to see my camera so I offer to take a picture of a few of them. When I show them the digital copy of the picture I just took they go crazy and keep following me around asking for me to take more photos of them. Actually some of these photos are quite nice since many of the little girls are dressed up in fancy clothes for the wedding.
Eventually I decide to wander around and see what else is going on since I can now tell the reception is still over an hour from really starting. I wander over to the food preparation area and see that now there are easily 20 people cooking on the numerous fires and putting the finishing touches on the salads and several other dishes I can't identify. This time they pay little attention to me since they are all heavily involved in last minute preparations. I wander down towards the back of the house, near where the gift giving ceremony was this morning, and find several nicely dressed older people sitting around drinking some rice wine from a jug. One woman waves me over and indicates she wants me to take a picture of her and the young boy who is sitting next to her (I'm guessing it may be her grandson). I gladly take a picture of the two of them and when I show it to them she gives me the biggest smile and even gives me a thumbs up! I wander down a bit further, past the sacrificial wedding arch with the animal body parts to a small hut. Here there is a fire with a large kettle on it and they are also roasting a pig. While I watch for a few moments an older gentleman notices me and runs over and opens the kettle to show me that it is some kind of soup (that's my best guess). He also motions towards the pig, this very small pig has been stretched out with all four legs pulled in every direction, and indicates it will be delicious by rubbing his stomach. I smile and nod in agreement.
I wander back up to the greeting tent and find Chamroeun hanging out by the front of the tent. He asks if I can take his picture in front of the tent of both him and one of his relatives which I think is one of his cousins. I gladly do. The tent is adorned with lights and large bunches of bananas, one bunch is spray painted silver and the other bunch gold. A sign is above the tent with the date of the wedding and the names of the individuals that are being married. Finally a little after dusk, about 630pm or so, the wedding party comes out of the house and assembles in front of the greeting tent for more wedding photos.
The bride is now wearing a new wedding dress which is beautiful with lots of detailed lace and bead work. The groom wears a jacket that kind of makes him look like he is from a Star Trek movie or perhaps in a foreign navy. There are several medals hanging from his jacket and when I ask Chamroeun what the medals are for he tells me they come with the jacket when you rent it. The groom will actually change jackets later that night and I am told many brides have up to 7 different dresses they wear throughout the night! I only will see two but both are beautiful. The bridal party has about 6 people and the bridesmaids look horrible compared to the bride - dresses that just aren't that flattering - seems similar to home. How many times have you been to a wedding where the bride looks gorgeous and the bridesmaids are wearing hideous colored dresses? Well it's good to see nobody here will upstage the bride on her special day. The best man is the oldest brother of the groom and I am told this is because the father of the groom is deceased thus the oldest son takes the place of the father at all family events! The mothers of both the bride and groom are dressed in beautiful dresses and there are some other women who are also eloquently dressed.
During the photos the photographer constantly runs over and adjusts somebody to turn the slightest bit one way or another. The bridal party is very serious and doesn't seem to smile for the photos. It seems most photos are either of the people being dead serious, like its a police mug shot, or they make little rabbit ears with their fingers to indicate it's a fun picture with friends. I take several photos as do several bystanders of the bridal party. As guests arrive they walk over and greet the bridal party, pose for a photo with the bride and groom then walk through the tent and to a table. There is also a table at the entrance that has a large box shaped like a heart and a ledger on the table. Seems somebody at the table will take all gifts (they don't seem to do wedding gifts - cash is expected), open the envelope then record the name and amount donated in the ledger before stuffing the gift into the heart shaped box. Bill tells me it is often common for them to announce the name and amount given by each person. The better you know the family the more you are expected to give. I am told $ 10 - $ 15 is expected, I find this out after I donated only $ 8. Oops.
Chamroeun finds me and brings me to a table he says I should sit at. I then notice he goes to another table with some of his relatives. My table has an older couple (I find out later they are not a couple - they are just two single individuals sitting next to each other), two other couples across the table from me, and three gentlemen (who are either brothers or close friends) who are talking and joking around with each other. Within minutes of me sitting down the food starts rolling out, maybe they seemed excited to see me because I am the 10th person to sit at the table and thus I trigger the food to start flowing! The wait staff brings over a plate of salad, and a dish with pork and veggies, and another beef dish that is more like a stew. A girl wanders over and holds a bowl of rice and will scoop some onto your plate if you indicate you need some. A few young men wander the room placing cans of Cambodia beer on the table if your supply starts to run low - each table probably has 10 - 14 cans at the ready, they also have bottles of water and some generic type of soda as well. All the men and some women drink beer - and lots of it. The children and most women seem to stick to water and soda.
The gentleman to my right keeps indicating for me to try each of the different dishes. He also indicates to the rice girl to keep giving me rice every time she passes by. The Cambodians love to toast and clink their glasses every time someone takes a drink of their beer. I mean sometimes I can't get three spoon fulls of rice into my mouth before someone is signaling to toast and they all wait for me to raise my glass. The man to my right also makes sure my glass of beer never gets below half full - if it does he quickly starts refilling it to the brim. As the dinner continues the gentlemen around me continue to drink and toast the night away. I eventually take a few photos of them and they seem thrilled - nothing better than pictures with your drunken friends. Once my camera comes out people at a neighboring table signal me to come over and want me to take a picture of them as well. A few of them also want to take my picture with my camera and their friends. I let them but most of them have never used a camera and I get dozens of pictures that are out of focus or with somebody missing a head or half their body. LOL.
When I get back to my table the girls who wanted me to take their pictures when I first arrived are back waving and posing - waiting for me to take more picture of them. This one little girl wants to be in every single picture. She will run next to anyone I point the camera at and she will smile for the camera. Now it is pretty dark and fortunately the constant use of my flash seems to ward off incessant requests for more pictures.
Eventually the music starts and the gentlemen from my table drag me up to dance. Once again the dancing is done in a circle, everyone walking/dancing in a counterclockwise rotation. At first there are only about 20 people dancing - most of the people know the dance steps to each song and I try my best to follow along. As the night goes on, and many of the men become drunk, the dance steps are somewhat ignored and freeform dancing begins to take over. Somehow being the only non-Cambodian.non-Bunong seems to make me somewhat of a celebrity. My friends from my table constantly run beers over to me when mine is finished and they insist I don't sit down for more than one song before returning for more dancing! I hate dancing in general and avoid it at all costs at home but here - with me not knowing a soul and obviously knowing I have two left feet - I rather enjoy it. Within an hour there are easily over 100 people dancing in this circle! Everyone seems to have a great time dancing until who knows what time. Around 10pm Chamroeun comes over and says we must go - remember this is a Sunday night and we both have classes to teach in the morning. I ask if we can say goodbye to the bride and groom and he leads me into the house.
The bridal party has not made an appearance in the main tent as far as I have seen. As we walk through the house we come upon a beautiful woman who is in street clothes - it is the bride. She says to me in English, "Thank you for coming to our wedding" and bows to me. I bow back to her and tell her it has been one of the most enjoyable weddings I have ever been to. We continue back into another room and see the groom who is sitting with some other men. I tell Chamroeun to thank him for letting me attend and the groom jumps up and shakes my hand. Once again the Bunong people reinforce my view that these may be some of the friendliest people that exist anywhere. With that we get onto Chamroeun's moto and head back to Sen Monorom.
On Tuesday afternoon I was at the Steak Out having a beer with my friend Brian and a few other western tourists when my phone rang. I answer and a girl is talking fast about something I can't quite make out - I actually thought it was one of the recorded calls that the cell phone companies do here about new promotions. Just as I was about to hang up the woman's voice says, "Hello, Hello?" I talk slowly - still not understanding but it seems it was either the bride or someone from her family thanking me for the very generous wedding gift ($ 8). I again thank them for allowing me to attend their special day. I will develop a few of the photos I took and bring them to the village for the bride's family. It's the least I can do.
The village we go to is maybe 15 minutes away - towards the Sen Monorom waterfall but instead of turning left to the waterfall you head straight and go another 2 kilometers or so. It seems to be a small village of maybe 30 - 50 huts and homes located on the side of a hill. It would be roughly an hour or so walk for me to get here.
He explains that this morning is the traditional Bunong wedding ceremony and this afternoon is the wedding reception. OK by me - I want to see the traditional ceremony. We arrive at a decent sized house (it is the bride's family's house) and next door to that in the yard a huge tent is setup. Tonight there will be numerous tables (I am told 300 people are expected) for guests and dancing will follow the reception. Chamroeun leads me to a porch where tons of people are sitting on the floor and he says for me to go in and sit down in there.
This room has around 15 - 20 women and perhaps the same amount of children all sitting around. There are only one of two older men in the room. Seems some of the women are putting together bundles of gifts then they hand them out to people sitting in the room. They take a new scarf and spread it out on the floor, then the woman in charge takes a scoop of dry rice and drops it in the middle of the scarf. Some of the bundles are then given another new scarf that is still wrapped in plastic and the whole thing is tied up into a little ball and with a little speech handed to someone in the crowd. Some women actually seem to get numerous bundles - one woman receives 6! Some of the recipients hand small piles of riel to the woman handing out the gifts in return. I snap numerous pictures of the women during this event - but can't really understand the whole meaning of this event. Several of the small children who are sitting near me are fascinated by my camera and want to see every picture I take. So quickly I show them a few and then they suddenly want to be in some pictures. I snap a few and more children appear wanting to join in the fun. One little girl (maybe 4 years old) sits in front of me with a little boy (her baby brother?) and she has a little dress on. Unfortunately from the position she is sitting in, I can clearly see she isn't wearing anything under her dress. I shake my head when she smiles. She just sits there waiting for me. Young children here often walk around with no pants on - seems diapers aren't used by the majority of people. It is very common to see toddlers and young children standing along the side of the road or on motos with only a shirt on and nothing else. After a few minutes of this impasse an older woman sitting nearby looks at the girl and says something to her and pushes her into another sitting position that is not so revealing. I snap the photo and the children laugh when I show it to them. There is one older woman, she looks about 80 but is probably in her 60s who is sitting on the floor and smoking a hand rolled cigarette. When I ask to take her photo she nods in disapproval. This would be an incredible shot - her face has so much character and it would also be a great photo showing how glamorous smoking can be! Over the next hour or so I am able to take a shot of her from a distance but it's not the shot I wanted.
Eventually this ceremony ends and everyone files outside. Chamroeun leads me to the back of the house. There is a large stick or vine that is bent over forming an arch, maybe 4 feet high. At the bottom of the arch on one side is a small jug of rice wine and the jaws of a cow - both the top and bottom jaws standing on edge. At the other side of the arch base there is a leg of a pig and the head of a puppy. They sacrifice animals and pour some of the blood onto the ground to appease the spirits. If the spirits are pleased with the sacrifice they will bless the wedding. Seems the bride and groom walk through the arch with people standing around it - but this all happened before I arrived this morning. I am told the animals are butchered after they are sacrificed and they will be some of the food served tonight - not sure what has happened to the rest of the puppy... or if he is also being served tonight!
I wander around the area and see there are tons of people there to cook for this party tonight. There are easily 8 large pots cooking all types of food and a staff of over 20 people peeling veggies, cutting up chickens and preparing salads. They seem very amused that I am wandering around taking photos. They probably think to themselves, "hasn't this guy ever seen people cook for a wedding before?" We eventually meet an old Bunong man who looks very distinguished. He has a scarf on his head and has large wooden circles in his ears - where earrings would be - they are maybe an inch to an inch and a half in diameter. I am told he is one of the village elders and many older Bunong men wear this type of earring. He also has some nice beaded necklaces that he wears. He is suppose to be around tonight wearing all traditional Bunong clothing!
Chamroeun tells me he will now take me to see some of the land his family owns. We drive about 20 minutes further away from town and end up going down some dirt trails that lead up onto some large hills. From here the view is incredible - you can look out over the surrounding hills and forests and see huge tracts of forests and an occasional tiny village of a few huts. Chamroeun and his family own the hill we are standing on and he says they call it Avocado Mountain. He has a small hut he built (it is made of wood with a metal roof) and says he would like to see if Westerners would like to spend a night there. He thinks many people would enjoy sleeping out in the wilderness - I agree it is beautiful here but... there are no toilets (he tells me you can just use the natural toilet - meaning go where you wish outside), no running water, and its so remote that without a moto you are stranded there and of course there is no electricity either. His idea is to build a few other cabins here for people to stay in and maybe he can start a nice little business. He says maybe even build a pool - that makes me laugh. He says there is a small river at the bottom of hill and he could pay someone to bring water up to fill the pool. Guess he doesn't know that the water needs to be filtered and chlorinated otherwise it will be toxic and a breeding area for mosquitoes and thus malaria. A pool would be nice but not in the middle of the forest on top of a large hill! I tell him maybe people could just walk to the river for a swim if they wish. Either way, he says if I know any potential investors or partners to let him know.
After an hour on Avocado Mountain we head back to the village and stop at his father's house. His father is not there but we wait outside for a while. Eventually several children, some from the wedding ceremony, wander over to us. They ask him lots of questions and he tells them I am from America and a teacher. They motion that they want me to take their picture and I do. I ask how old they are and if they are in school. They range from 8 - 12 years old and most are in school although one boy has dropped out - he is 11. Seems he didn't like school and would rather just be a farmer and stay with his parents. Chamroeun tells me how he is the only person from his village that went to high school - most of the children he grew up with just finished elementary school and a few attended middle school. This is normal for many parts of rural Cambodia.
After about 45 minutes he decides his father won't be home soon and we drive back to my guesthouse. He asks if I would like to attend the reception tonight - of course! He looks at me and says my clothes are ok but I need to wear shoes not sandals to the reception. Fair enough. He also says I should bring a small gift (money is expected). I tell him I will and he says he will return at 430pm to pick me up.
After I run some quick errands and going to the bookstore to buy an envelope (to put my wedding gift of cash into) I put on some shoes and head down to meet Chamroeun. Oops - he is wearing a very stylish shirt and nice dress pants - I have the same outfit on but now with shoes instead of sandals! He doesn't say anything as I hope onto his moto and we zip off to the wedding.
As we arrive at the wedding I now see the tents are filled with tables - 30 tables with 10 chairs each. There is also a police roadblock, well really a caution sign on both sides of the road and one police officer wandering around to make sure traffic goes slowly by the wedding since it's literally alongside the road. There is a big tent where the wedding party greets people when they first arrive then the guests walk through that tent after having pictures taken with the wedding party. Then they get to the main tent and sit at which ever table is almost full. They don't use seating charts here - you sit at any table and once there are ten people at the table then the food will start to be served. If you table does not fill up you will never get food! Also once you are done eating and people start leaving the table the wait staff comes over clears the table then removes the chairs and dismantles the table. So as the night progresses the room gets emptier and emptier of not only people but also of tables and chairs!
So we seem to have arrived early since there are only about 15 or so guests there so far. There are many people milling about and I stand near the front porch of the bride's family's house and watch as the photographer takes wedding photos of the bride, groom, and both of their mothers. I am surrounded by many little children who are watching with great amazement at all of the excitement and the beautifully dressed bridal party. After about 30 minutes several of the little girls want to see my camera so I offer to take a picture of a few of them. When I show them the digital copy of the picture I just took they go crazy and keep following me around asking for me to take more photos of them. Actually some of these photos are quite nice since many of the little girls are dressed up in fancy clothes for the wedding.
Eventually I decide to wander around and see what else is going on since I can now tell the reception is still over an hour from really starting. I wander over to the food preparation area and see that now there are easily 20 people cooking on the numerous fires and putting the finishing touches on the salads and several other dishes I can't identify. This time they pay little attention to me since they are all heavily involved in last minute preparations. I wander down towards the back of the house, near where the gift giving ceremony was this morning, and find several nicely dressed older people sitting around drinking some rice wine from a jug. One woman waves me over and indicates she wants me to take a picture of her and the young boy who is sitting next to her (I'm guessing it may be her grandson). I gladly take a picture of the two of them and when I show it to them she gives me the biggest smile and even gives me a thumbs up! I wander down a bit further, past the sacrificial wedding arch with the animal body parts to a small hut. Here there is a fire with a large kettle on it and they are also roasting a pig. While I watch for a few moments an older gentleman notices me and runs over and opens the kettle to show me that it is some kind of soup (that's my best guess). He also motions towards the pig, this very small pig has been stretched out with all four legs pulled in every direction, and indicates it will be delicious by rubbing his stomach. I smile and nod in agreement.
I wander back up to the greeting tent and find Chamroeun hanging out by the front of the tent. He asks if I can take his picture in front of the tent of both him and one of his relatives which I think is one of his cousins. I gladly do. The tent is adorned with lights and large bunches of bananas, one bunch is spray painted silver and the other bunch gold. A sign is above the tent with the date of the wedding and the names of the individuals that are being married. Finally a little after dusk, about 630pm or so, the wedding party comes out of the house and assembles in front of the greeting tent for more wedding photos.
The bride is now wearing a new wedding dress which is beautiful with lots of detailed lace and bead work. The groom wears a jacket that kind of makes him look like he is from a Star Trek movie or perhaps in a foreign navy. There are several medals hanging from his jacket and when I ask Chamroeun what the medals are for he tells me they come with the jacket when you rent it. The groom will actually change jackets later that night and I am told many brides have up to 7 different dresses they wear throughout the night! I only will see two but both are beautiful. The bridal party has about 6 people and the bridesmaids look horrible compared to the bride - dresses that just aren't that flattering - seems similar to home. How many times have you been to a wedding where the bride looks gorgeous and the bridesmaids are wearing hideous colored dresses? Well it's good to see nobody here will upstage the bride on her special day. The best man is the oldest brother of the groom and I am told this is because the father of the groom is deceased thus the oldest son takes the place of the father at all family events! The mothers of both the bride and groom are dressed in beautiful dresses and there are some other women who are also eloquently dressed.
During the photos the photographer constantly runs over and adjusts somebody to turn the slightest bit one way or another. The bridal party is very serious and doesn't seem to smile for the photos. It seems most photos are either of the people being dead serious, like its a police mug shot, or they make little rabbit ears with their fingers to indicate it's a fun picture with friends. I take several photos as do several bystanders of the bridal party. As guests arrive they walk over and greet the bridal party, pose for a photo with the bride and groom then walk through the tent and to a table. There is also a table at the entrance that has a large box shaped like a heart and a ledger on the table. Seems somebody at the table will take all gifts (they don't seem to do wedding gifts - cash is expected), open the envelope then record the name and amount donated in the ledger before stuffing the gift into the heart shaped box. Bill tells me it is often common for them to announce the name and amount given by each person. The better you know the family the more you are expected to give. I am told $ 10 - $ 15 is expected, I find this out after I donated only $ 8. Oops.
Chamroeun finds me and brings me to a table he says I should sit at. I then notice he goes to another table with some of his relatives. My table has an older couple (I find out later they are not a couple - they are just two single individuals sitting next to each other), two other couples across the table from me, and three gentlemen (who are either brothers or close friends) who are talking and joking around with each other. Within minutes of me sitting down the food starts rolling out, maybe they seemed excited to see me because I am the 10th person to sit at the table and thus I trigger the food to start flowing! The wait staff brings over a plate of salad, and a dish with pork and veggies, and another beef dish that is more like a stew. A girl wanders over and holds a bowl of rice and will scoop some onto your plate if you indicate you need some. A few young men wander the room placing cans of Cambodia beer on the table if your supply starts to run low - each table probably has 10 - 14 cans at the ready, they also have bottles of water and some generic type of soda as well. All the men and some women drink beer - and lots of it. The children and most women seem to stick to water and soda.
The gentleman to my right keeps indicating for me to try each of the different dishes. He also indicates to the rice girl to keep giving me rice every time she passes by. The Cambodians love to toast and clink their glasses every time someone takes a drink of their beer. I mean sometimes I can't get three spoon fulls of rice into my mouth before someone is signaling to toast and they all wait for me to raise my glass. The man to my right also makes sure my glass of beer never gets below half full - if it does he quickly starts refilling it to the brim. As the dinner continues the gentlemen around me continue to drink and toast the night away. I eventually take a few photos of them and they seem thrilled - nothing better than pictures with your drunken friends. Once my camera comes out people at a neighboring table signal me to come over and want me to take a picture of them as well. A few of them also want to take my picture with my camera and their friends. I let them but most of them have never used a camera and I get dozens of pictures that are out of focus or with somebody missing a head or half their body. LOL.
When I get back to my table the girls who wanted me to take their pictures when I first arrived are back waving and posing - waiting for me to take more picture of them. This one little girl wants to be in every single picture. She will run next to anyone I point the camera at and she will smile for the camera. Now it is pretty dark and fortunately the constant use of my flash seems to ward off incessant requests for more pictures.
Eventually the music starts and the gentlemen from my table drag me up to dance. Once again the dancing is done in a circle, everyone walking/dancing in a counterclockwise rotation. At first there are only about 20 people dancing - most of the people know the dance steps to each song and I try my best to follow along. As the night goes on, and many of the men become drunk, the dance steps are somewhat ignored and freeform dancing begins to take over. Somehow being the only non-Cambodian.non-Bunong seems to make me somewhat of a celebrity. My friends from my table constantly run beers over to me when mine is finished and they insist I don't sit down for more than one song before returning for more dancing! I hate dancing in general and avoid it at all costs at home but here - with me not knowing a soul and obviously knowing I have two left feet - I rather enjoy it. Within an hour there are easily over 100 people dancing in this circle! Everyone seems to have a great time dancing until who knows what time. Around 10pm Chamroeun comes over and says we must go - remember this is a Sunday night and we both have classes to teach in the morning. I ask if we can say goodbye to the bride and groom and he leads me into the house.
The bridal party has not made an appearance in the main tent as far as I have seen. As we walk through the house we come upon a beautiful woman who is in street clothes - it is the bride. She says to me in English, "Thank you for coming to our wedding" and bows to me. I bow back to her and tell her it has been one of the most enjoyable weddings I have ever been to. We continue back into another room and see the groom who is sitting with some other men. I tell Chamroeun to thank him for letting me attend and the groom jumps up and shakes my hand. Once again the Bunong people reinforce my view that these may be some of the friendliest people that exist anywhere. With that we get onto Chamroeun's moto and head back to Sen Monorom.
On Tuesday afternoon I was at the Steak Out having a beer with my friend Brian and a few other western tourists when my phone rang. I answer and a girl is talking fast about something I can't quite make out - I actually thought it was one of the recorded calls that the cell phone companies do here about new promotions. Just as I was about to hang up the woman's voice says, "Hello, Hello?" I talk slowly - still not understanding but it seems it was either the bride or someone from her family thanking me for the very generous wedding gift ($ 8). I again thank them for allowing me to attend their special day. I will develop a few of the photos I took and bring them to the village for the bride's family. It's the least I can do.
Tuesday, May 6, 2014
Shirt shopping and the Steakout
So when I was at the BBQ at the governor's house a man named Chamroeun invited me to his cousin's Bunong wedding on Sunday. Chamroeun is about 28 years old and has a job working for the government in an office and he also teaches English classes to some local students. His English is pretty good. When I ask if his cousin (who is the bride) would mind if I came to the wedding he said no problem - there will be around 300 people there.
So I decide on Saturday I should look for a dress shirt to wear to the wedding. I go to a few places in the market and look around. Seems they like crazy styles here - many bright designs or odd colors. I find one place that has a few nice simple dress shirts in blue, red, green - some have a little fancy trim on the shirt cuffs or collars but they are rather simple. The salesman says they are $10 each - fair enough. When I ask if they have them in medium or large he shakes his head no. He points to several that are all size small. Of course, at home I am considered skinny and slender but here I am larger than 85% of Cambodians and easily weigh more than 90% of them. The salesman picks out a few shirts from a rack that are medium and large sizes - they are pink, yellow, or have very odd designs - mostly for teenagers. I decline his offers and wander to another store.
I find a few other stores that have dress shirts for adults instead of teenagers but the prices vary greatly. Some people tell me $18 per shirt and another says $55. I actually check the $55 shirt to see if it is silk or cashmere but it is merely cotton. I decline these shirts even though some are exactly what I am looking for and head to get a dinner at the Steakout Bar and Grille.
The Steakout Bar and Grille is a new place owned by two sisters, Palli (Paulie) and Paula (not sure of spelling but it is said Paula). They run this little place that is maybe 20 feet wide and maybe 40 feet deep. They have put bamboo on the walls so it looks like you are in a hut. They have 5 tables, an actual bar with a few stools, a flat screen TV and a stereo system. Palli speaks excellent English and she tells me she worked at a restaurant in Phnom Penh years ago and learned to cook there. Paula speaks minimal English but it trying to learn more. I actually visited the Steakout weeks ago before it officially opened... Palli's boyfriend, a guy named Carrot from Australia (his name is really Stevie but he went by Carrot) and his friend were in Cambodia for a few months and they invited John, Simon, Veasna and I to come down and see the place. It wasn't finished but it looked ok and they offered us some beers and some happy chicken soup... Yes, in Phnom Penh they have Happy Pizza (pizza topped with marijuana) and it seems Palli sometimes makes a special version of chicken soup with a bit of marijuana mixed in. I would have tried a spoonful or two but she also says she puts in lots of chili peppers - and that is always my cue to not sample something since my mouth is on fire for hours after a single chili pepper!!
I was actually the first official customer here at the Steakout! Seems Brian from Ireland, has been helping out to get the place ready and he told Palli many people would come on this opening night. I was the only person other than Brian who came in. She was thrilled when I arrived and I ordered dinner (rice with grilled veggies and cashews) as well as a few beers I drank with Brian. I told Brian my experience with shirt shopping and he called Palli over. I told Palli the story and she said it is often like this when barang try to buy clothes in many shops.
She says when Carrot comes to visit they will go shopping together for clothes. He points out which shirts he likes and then he asks how much they cost. Often the price is between $ 15 - $30 each. Then they leave and Palli will return a few days later and ask how much the shirt is and she is told $ 6 - $8 each. Needless to say the price is much different if your not a rich barang! Seems clothes are one of the main things they gouge you on for the price. Up until now all of my transactions at the market seem to be the same price as the locals. Palli even offers to go with me to see what I like then I can give her the money and she will return and buy the item at a significant discount. I appreciate the offer and may take her up on it later.
Brian actually tells me to ask to see the kitchen. I ask Palli if it is ok and she proudly takes me in the back. We actually pass through her house/living quarters - basically a small bed on the right hand side and another on the left hand side along with some simple boxes they keep their clothes, etc. in. After that there is the kitchen - and it is very impressive. It is maybe 15 feet by 20 feet in size and ultra clean. On one side is a small gas stove where they cook, then a sink and microwave. They have a large hutch that they keep all of the dishes in and a cooler that the meat is kept in (by cooler I mean a large ice chest with a block of ice on top of it). When I comment how clean the place is she says she knows it must be very clean because Westerners have weak stomachs and if they get sick somewhere they will never return to that restaurant. I am very impressed with how she keeps the place and the way she thinks.
I stay at the Steakout until late - maybe 10pm - after all, as Brian says, "this is the only late night bar in Sen Monorom!". Palli has big plans for this place and knows it will take a while for it to catch on. It's in a nice location but away from most of the guesthouses - she needs to advertise. I will visit the Steakout many times in the coming weeks - good food plus they have free WIFI!!
So I decide on Saturday I should look for a dress shirt to wear to the wedding. I go to a few places in the market and look around. Seems they like crazy styles here - many bright designs or odd colors. I find one place that has a few nice simple dress shirts in blue, red, green - some have a little fancy trim on the shirt cuffs or collars but they are rather simple. The salesman says they are $10 each - fair enough. When I ask if they have them in medium or large he shakes his head no. He points to several that are all size small. Of course, at home I am considered skinny and slender but here I am larger than 85% of Cambodians and easily weigh more than 90% of them. The salesman picks out a few shirts from a rack that are medium and large sizes - they are pink, yellow, or have very odd designs - mostly for teenagers. I decline his offers and wander to another store.
I find a few other stores that have dress shirts for adults instead of teenagers but the prices vary greatly. Some people tell me $18 per shirt and another says $55. I actually check the $55 shirt to see if it is silk or cashmere but it is merely cotton. I decline these shirts even though some are exactly what I am looking for and head to get a dinner at the Steakout Bar and Grille.
The Steakout Bar and Grille is a new place owned by two sisters, Palli (Paulie) and Paula (not sure of spelling but it is said Paula). They run this little place that is maybe 20 feet wide and maybe 40 feet deep. They have put bamboo on the walls so it looks like you are in a hut. They have 5 tables, an actual bar with a few stools, a flat screen TV and a stereo system. Palli speaks excellent English and she tells me she worked at a restaurant in Phnom Penh years ago and learned to cook there. Paula speaks minimal English but it trying to learn more. I actually visited the Steakout weeks ago before it officially opened... Palli's boyfriend, a guy named Carrot from Australia (his name is really Stevie but he went by Carrot) and his friend were in Cambodia for a few months and they invited John, Simon, Veasna and I to come down and see the place. It wasn't finished but it looked ok and they offered us some beers and some happy chicken soup... Yes, in Phnom Penh they have Happy Pizza (pizza topped with marijuana) and it seems Palli sometimes makes a special version of chicken soup with a bit of marijuana mixed in. I would have tried a spoonful or two but she also says she puts in lots of chili peppers - and that is always my cue to not sample something since my mouth is on fire for hours after a single chili pepper!!
I was actually the first official customer here at the Steakout! Seems Brian from Ireland, has been helping out to get the place ready and he told Palli many people would come on this opening night. I was the only person other than Brian who came in. She was thrilled when I arrived and I ordered dinner (rice with grilled veggies and cashews) as well as a few beers I drank with Brian. I told Brian my experience with shirt shopping and he called Palli over. I told Palli the story and she said it is often like this when barang try to buy clothes in many shops.
She says when Carrot comes to visit they will go shopping together for clothes. He points out which shirts he likes and then he asks how much they cost. Often the price is between $ 15 - $30 each. Then they leave and Palli will return a few days later and ask how much the shirt is and she is told $ 6 - $8 each. Needless to say the price is much different if your not a rich barang! Seems clothes are one of the main things they gouge you on for the price. Up until now all of my transactions at the market seem to be the same price as the locals. Palli even offers to go with me to see what I like then I can give her the money and she will return and buy the item at a significant discount. I appreciate the offer and may take her up on it later.
Brian actually tells me to ask to see the kitchen. I ask Palli if it is ok and she proudly takes me in the back. We actually pass through her house/living quarters - basically a small bed on the right hand side and another on the left hand side along with some simple boxes they keep their clothes, etc. in. After that there is the kitchen - and it is very impressive. It is maybe 15 feet by 20 feet in size and ultra clean. On one side is a small gas stove where they cook, then a sink and microwave. They have a large hutch that they keep all of the dishes in and a cooler that the meat is kept in (by cooler I mean a large ice chest with a block of ice on top of it). When I comment how clean the place is she says she knows it must be very clean because Westerners have weak stomachs and if they get sick somewhere they will never return to that restaurant. I am very impressed with how she keeps the place and the way she thinks.
I stay at the Steakout until late - maybe 10pm - after all, as Brian says, "this is the only late night bar in Sen Monorom!". Palli has big plans for this place and knows it will take a while for it to catch on. It's in a nice location but away from most of the guesthouses - she needs to advertise. I will visit the Steakout many times in the coming weeks - good food plus they have free WIFI!!
Exploring the edges of town
So the Thursday and Friday of New Year's week I spent wandering around the far edges of town. Most everyone here takes a moto everywhere - they just seem to dislike walking in general and many of my students will pull up alongside of me and offer me a ride - even if I only have another 100 yards to go to my destination. Since I don't have a moto I gladly walk everywhere.
Now I often don't know exactly where some of these dirt roads lead. I know this one is the way to Bousra waterfall or that one is toward Phnom Penh but I don't know specifics. So on these two days I grab some bread rolls from the girl who bakes them daily across the street, my water bottle, backpack, and camera and head out on one of these roads. Within 15 - 20 minutes I have left the confines of Sen Monorom and am now perhaps a kilometer from town. People wave and smile as I walk by. When I walk I am able to see many things up close: trees, flowers, birds, many different styles of houses, and many children will come to the roadside to greet me. I follow this road for perhaps an hour or so, that is usually my limit since I will have to walk back the same way to find my way home. I actually reach a small restaurant, they actually have a sign posted literally in the middle of the road, which Sochea had pointed out on our trip to the house warming party. He told me it is only open at night so I look inside then start back home. When I cross the road I hear a small stream along side the road so I wander down the embankment to see it.
I wander around some bushes and find a small stream running along some trees and rocks. It is beautiful here - the sound of birds, the running water, the shade of some trees. I take out a book and sit here for maybe an hour and relax. Eventually I hear some strange grunts - not sure if it is a sick cow or maybe a wild animal, perhaps a wild boar which are common around here. After another 5 minutes or so I hear the animal again only closer! I decide I should probably head back to the road since nobody would ever find my body if something happens to me here. With that I return to the road and head towards home.
I pass a large field that has hundreds of butterflies flying from one side of the road to the other - I mean hundreds if not thousands. These are small butterflies but if you stand there and count to ten you probably would see 40 - 50 crossing the road. I'm guessing they must be attracted to the bushes on either side of the road here.
Eventually I return to my guesthouse. The following day I will explore yet another road that will bring me to another remote area of town (actually I am told these are separate villages from Sen Monorom even though they are only a 10 - 20 minute moto ride from town). Here I see a few tiny restaurants built onto the front of people's houses plus some very small guesthouses (maybe they have 2 - 4 rooms). I actually find an area where they have several traditional Bunong houses (circular houses with thatched roofs) not far from the police station.
The rest of these days are spent at Café Phka enjoying a cold lemon juice and a piece of pie or some cookies. I work on some lesson plans for my classes for next week. Life is good!
Now I often don't know exactly where some of these dirt roads lead. I know this one is the way to Bousra waterfall or that one is toward Phnom Penh but I don't know specifics. So on these two days I grab some bread rolls from the girl who bakes them daily across the street, my water bottle, backpack, and camera and head out on one of these roads. Within 15 - 20 minutes I have left the confines of Sen Monorom and am now perhaps a kilometer from town. People wave and smile as I walk by. When I walk I am able to see many things up close: trees, flowers, birds, many different styles of houses, and many children will come to the roadside to greet me. I follow this road for perhaps an hour or so, that is usually my limit since I will have to walk back the same way to find my way home. I actually reach a small restaurant, they actually have a sign posted literally in the middle of the road, which Sochea had pointed out on our trip to the house warming party. He told me it is only open at night so I look inside then start back home. When I cross the road I hear a small stream along side the road so I wander down the embankment to see it.
I wander around some bushes and find a small stream running along some trees and rocks. It is beautiful here - the sound of birds, the running water, the shade of some trees. I take out a book and sit here for maybe an hour and relax. Eventually I hear some strange grunts - not sure if it is a sick cow or maybe a wild animal, perhaps a wild boar which are common around here. After another 5 minutes or so I hear the animal again only closer! I decide I should probably head back to the road since nobody would ever find my body if something happens to me here. With that I return to the road and head towards home.
I pass a large field that has hundreds of butterflies flying from one side of the road to the other - I mean hundreds if not thousands. These are small butterflies but if you stand there and count to ten you probably would see 40 - 50 crossing the road. I'm guessing they must be attracted to the bushes on either side of the road here.
Eventually I return to my guesthouse. The following day I will explore yet another road that will bring me to another remote area of town (actually I am told these are separate villages from Sen Monorom even though they are only a 10 - 20 minute moto ride from town). Here I see a few tiny restaurants built onto the front of people's houses plus some very small guesthouses (maybe they have 2 - 4 rooms). I actually find an area where they have several traditional Bunong houses (circular houses with thatched roofs) not far from the police station.
The rest of these days are spent at Café Phka enjoying a cold lemon juice and a piece of pie or some cookies. I work on some lesson plans for my classes for next week. Life is good!
Wednesday, April 30, 2014
I love you!?!
So on Wednesday when I was walking back from the tribal handicraft stall on the way back from Sen Monorom waterfall I was passing several houses. The young children here love to yell "hello" and sometimes "What is your name?" as you walk by. Others will just wave. This is a daily ritual for many of them - a chance to be kids and yell to the foreign tourists. So I'm walking along passing some houses and the little stalls that are in front of so many houses here in town selling drinks, snacks, gasoline sold by the liter, etc...
I hear the voice of a little girl of maybe 5 or 6 yell "hello". I look around at the three stalls on the left of the road and see a little girl in sitting in one of the booths waving frantically at me. I walk by and say hello and wave back to her. I get another 20 feet down the road and hear her again yell, "hello". I turnaround and wave again and say hello then keep walking... I play this game dozens of times everyday here in town - sometimes they will yell until I can't hear them but this is a road not walked down by many tourists - most people take motos to save the hour long walk.
I get another 10 - 15 feet steps further than hear "I love you". What?!? Where did this little girl actually learn this saying? The only thing I can think of is she heard it from another foreigner who thought it was cute. The Cambodians are well known to not show any emotions other than happiness and never show any signs of affection in public with one another. You never see a couple (husband and wife or boyfriend and girlfriend) holding hands, hugging or kissing, especially here in a very traditional province of Cambodia. Hearing a child say this and knowing the culture somewhat - it just makes me do a stutter step. What do you say? So I yell back, "I love you too!" And with that I continue back to my guesthouse.
The following Friday I tell Sochea and Sopheap this story and they both burst out laughing. Sopheap insists it probably wasn't a child but really a woman who wanted to be my girlfriend - she is kidding of course but for days asks me how my girlfriend is. Sochea laughs and thinks I made the whole thing up - he says he has never heard of a child yelling such a thing. They are both kidding (I think) and continue to this day to ask about my "girlfriend" down by the waterfall.
I hear the voice of a little girl of maybe 5 or 6 yell "hello". I look around at the three stalls on the left of the road and see a little girl in sitting in one of the booths waving frantically at me. I walk by and say hello and wave back to her. I get another 20 feet down the road and hear her again yell, "hello". I turnaround and wave again and say hello then keep walking... I play this game dozens of times everyday here in town - sometimes they will yell until I can't hear them but this is a road not walked down by many tourists - most people take motos to save the hour long walk.
I get another 10 - 15 feet steps further than hear "I love you". What?!? Where did this little girl actually learn this saying? The only thing I can think of is she heard it from another foreigner who thought it was cute. The Cambodians are well known to not show any emotions other than happiness and never show any signs of affection in public with one another. You never see a couple (husband and wife or boyfriend and girlfriend) holding hands, hugging or kissing, especially here in a very traditional province of Cambodia. Hearing a child say this and knowing the culture somewhat - it just makes me do a stutter step. What do you say? So I yell back, "I love you too!" And with that I continue back to my guesthouse.
The following Friday I tell Sochea and Sopheap this story and they both burst out laughing. Sopheap insists it probably wasn't a child but really a woman who wanted to be my girlfriend - she is kidding of course but for days asks me how my girlfriend is. Sochea laughs and thinks I made the whole thing up - he says he has never heard of a child yelling such a thing. They are both kidding (I think) and continue to this day to ask about my "girlfriend" down by the waterfall.
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