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.
The haircut
So my hair was getting kind of long a few weeks ago and I decided I would get it cut for Cambodian New Year. There are many barbers and hair salons all over town (seems to be a very popular business to go into) and I pass a particular one every day on the way to my radio station class. They actually have a sign of a guy with a haircut and 5000 riel under the painting (that is $ 1.25). So I decided the Sunday before the New Year to try them out.
I have had short hair since last summer. I actually use electric clippers and do it myself for about the last year. I have kept it about half an inch long or so - but now it was almost an inch long! I have seen that this place actually has electric clippers and many customers so I figure this is as good a place as any. They are also open 7 days a week which is another plus.
I arrived around 1pm and there was a man and boy (maybe 8 years old) waiting while the barber cut an older gentleman's hair. The customer waiting moved his bag so I could sit on a plastic chair while I waited. While waiting I looked at the motos that were in front of the barbershop. One was this girlish looking moto that was all bejeweled and tricked out and said Scoopy on several parts of the bike. It is the most feminine looking moto I have seen and I find out later it is actually a big selling brand here in Cambodia - the Scoopy moto model. Go figure. Once the gentleman was finished he paid and left and this other man jumped into the chair. He got a somewhat stylish haircut - lots of careful use with the electric clippers shaping his hair certain ways, etc. During the haircut I could see they were nodding towards me probably saying "What kind of cut will this guy want?" After the barber was finished he took out a straight razor and gave the guy a nice shave - didn't realize but this is also included in your $ 1.25 price!
Once he was done the child jumped in the chair - seems it was the last man's son. The child was too small and the barber made him sit on a booster seat. The boy must have been younger than I thought because he seemed very reluctant to get his hair cut - wincing through most of the haircut. After they were done he looked in the mirror and his apprehension disappeared. The father and son said goodbye to me in English and jumped onto a moto and sped off.
Now it's just me and the barber so I sit in the chair. He puts the apron on me and then signals to some pictures for what style would I like. There are about 5 - 8 photos and magazine pages of actors or male models with very different haircut styles. I point to the electric clippers and motion I'd like him to use those. He nods and then pulls out two plastic guides to be put on the clippers to determine the length of the cut. At home I use 10 or 13 millimeters as my guide/setting. He shows me one guide that looks to be about 25 - the thing is huge and I'm convinced it won't cut much or any of my hair. The other guide is about half that size and actually has a plastic 10 imprinted on it - maybe this is the exact size. So I point to that one and nod and he says ok.
At home when I use to go to the barber they would do a tiny spot at first on the side to make sure the setting is what you thought - before too much damage can be done...not here! The guy takes the clippers and runs it slightly left of center down the middle of my head. I'm not sure what he did but it's like he didn't use the guide or setting at all. My hair is maybe 3 - 4 millimeters high in this strip!!! I am shocked and sit straight up. He noticews my concern and stops. Let's be honest - how can this be fixed? I have a reverse Mohawk which looks plain stupid on me - I can either get upset or smile and tell him to keep going. Needless to say I had very short hair 10 minutes later. He actually offered to give me a shave and even get rid of my goatee if I was interested but I declined.
I pay the barber his 5000 riel ( $1.25) and even give him a 500 riel tip (12.5 cents) and go to my guesthouse. I look in the mirror and realize with my goatee and this super short (almost bald) haircut I look somewhat evil. So I decide I will shave off my goatee as well - it is the New Year why not a new look for me?
When I see Bill later he warns me that people will ask me who died. He says often when a close family member dies men will shave their heads and all of their facial hair to show they are in mourning. Sure enough, several people in town I know ask me if everything is ok and how my family is over the next week. One student will even ask me if one of the monks cut my hair!
Later in the week I walk by the barber who is sitting in a chair waiting for customers. He waves to me and nods in agreement then gives me a thumbs up. Not sure if that meant he thought the haircut good or that I had made the best of a bad haircut. Either way it was an experience.
I have had short hair since last summer. I actually use electric clippers and do it myself for about the last year. I have kept it about half an inch long or so - but now it was almost an inch long! I have seen that this place actually has electric clippers and many customers so I figure this is as good a place as any. They are also open 7 days a week which is another plus.
I arrived around 1pm and there was a man and boy (maybe 8 years old) waiting while the barber cut an older gentleman's hair. The customer waiting moved his bag so I could sit on a plastic chair while I waited. While waiting I looked at the motos that were in front of the barbershop. One was this girlish looking moto that was all bejeweled and tricked out and said Scoopy on several parts of the bike. It is the most feminine looking moto I have seen and I find out later it is actually a big selling brand here in Cambodia - the Scoopy moto model. Go figure. Once the gentleman was finished he paid and left and this other man jumped into the chair. He got a somewhat stylish haircut - lots of careful use with the electric clippers shaping his hair certain ways, etc. During the haircut I could see they were nodding towards me probably saying "What kind of cut will this guy want?" After the barber was finished he took out a straight razor and gave the guy a nice shave - didn't realize but this is also included in your $ 1.25 price!
Once he was done the child jumped in the chair - seems it was the last man's son. The child was too small and the barber made him sit on a booster seat. The boy must have been younger than I thought because he seemed very reluctant to get his hair cut - wincing through most of the haircut. After they were done he looked in the mirror and his apprehension disappeared. The father and son said goodbye to me in English and jumped onto a moto and sped off.
Now it's just me and the barber so I sit in the chair. He puts the apron on me and then signals to some pictures for what style would I like. There are about 5 - 8 photos and magazine pages of actors or male models with very different haircut styles. I point to the electric clippers and motion I'd like him to use those. He nods and then pulls out two plastic guides to be put on the clippers to determine the length of the cut. At home I use 10 or 13 millimeters as my guide/setting. He shows me one guide that looks to be about 25 - the thing is huge and I'm convinced it won't cut much or any of my hair. The other guide is about half that size and actually has a plastic 10 imprinted on it - maybe this is the exact size. So I point to that one and nod and he says ok.
At home when I use to go to the barber they would do a tiny spot at first on the side to make sure the setting is what you thought - before too much damage can be done...not here! The guy takes the clippers and runs it slightly left of center down the middle of my head. I'm not sure what he did but it's like he didn't use the guide or setting at all. My hair is maybe 3 - 4 millimeters high in this strip!!! I am shocked and sit straight up. He noticews my concern and stops. Let's be honest - how can this be fixed? I have a reverse Mohawk which looks plain stupid on me - I can either get upset or smile and tell him to keep going. Needless to say I had very short hair 10 minutes later. He actually offered to give me a shave and even get rid of my goatee if I was interested but I declined.
I pay the barber his 5000 riel ( $1.25) and even give him a 500 riel tip (12.5 cents) and go to my guesthouse. I look in the mirror and realize with my goatee and this super short (almost bald) haircut I look somewhat evil. So I decide I will shave off my goatee as well - it is the New Year why not a new look for me?
When I see Bill later he warns me that people will ask me who died. He says often when a close family member dies men will shave their heads and all of their facial hair to show they are in mourning. Sure enough, several people in town I know ask me if everything is ok and how my family is over the next week. One student will even ask me if one of the monks cut my hair!
Later in the week I walk by the barber who is sitting in a chair waiting for customers. He waves to me and nods in agreement then gives me a thumbs up. Not sure if that meant he thought the haircut good or that I had made the best of a bad haircut. Either way it was an experience.
Tuesday, April 29, 2014
Cambodia New Year - Day # 3 - Part B
So Heng and I are walking back towards my guesthouse after the BBQ at the governor's house and she asks me if I would like to go to another BBQ. Where? When? She says right now at the new guesthouse she recently started working at. Of course I would!
Heng brought me to this "guesthouse" a few weeks earlier while it was still being built. It is on the far edge of town - up a hill and down a very scenic dusty road. It is located on a large piece of land and is really a collection of huts and cabins instead of a traditional guesthouse (think of most guesthouses as motels or bed and breakfasts - mine is like a motel with a restaurant attached). This one is run by a Bunong woman who has built a large traditional Bunong house made of concrete (a circular hut with a thatched roof) that probably can sleep 6 - 10 people in that house. Then there are two small bamboo cabins up on a hill. They are completely made of bamboo - bamboo floors, bamboo walls, bamboo doors and windows - and only a few nails were used most of the time rattan or vines were used to tie things together. The small cabins look like they can hold 2 - 4 people at most. Also, if someone is larger in size and weight they should probably stick to the Bunong house as the bamboo floor of the cabins doesn't look super strong. I actually loved the look of the little cabins and inquired about staying in one. They don't know when they will be done - the woman told Heng it's hard to find craftsmen who know how to build them - seems its a dying craft.
Well this seems to be their grand opening night and since Heng works there she was invited. I can come as a guest of someone since this is Cambodia - what a country!! We stop at Heng's cousin's house where she takes a quick shower while I sit with her cousin and the cousin's 6 year old son and watch some lame Cambodian soap opera. Heng returns in about 15 minutes and then says we will take her cousin's moto to the party to save time. We drive the 5 minutes down the pitch black roads to the entrance of the guesthouse.
This guesthouse also has a handicraft gift shop and will have a Bunong restaurant in the future. The place has room for maybe another 10 Bunong traditional huts on the level ground and another 15 bamboo cabins on the hillside. The place has lots of trees and a small stream going across the property. Tonight they have put up a few torches and lights to light up the field between the gift shop and the traditional home and have several tables set up as well as a few speakers.
Heng introduces me to a few of her friends who work there and to the family of the woman who owns the place. Once again - I am the only barang (westerner/white tourist) there - this isn't a bad thing as often people are fascinated as to why I am there and who do I know? Within minutes a few of the gentlemen there wave me over to enjoy some of the rice jug wine. The wine is made in these large brown/tan clay jugs and sometimes is ok to drink - some people seem to add honey or some sweet fruity taste to it, other times it's like drinking rubbing alcohol! The oddest part is ts has to be sipped through long straws - or really rubber tubes (like an IV tube) and there are a few inserted into the jug at any one time. They just take turns taking sips from the straws - pretty much all night. I had some at the governor's house when I first arrive and it was pretty good stuff but this stuff is pretty rough. I take a tiny sip then quickly switch to beer - Heng laughs. She knows this stuff isn't as good either.
We have plenty of BBQ pork and chicken, although I will admit the chicken wings are the tinniest wings I have ever seen. They are barely big enough to be considered chicken McNuggets much less chicken wings at a BBQ. There is salad and they actually have some type of cake - seems to be maybe a banana fruit cake which is awful good. After we are there about ah hour or so I wander into the gift shop and look around.
The gift shop isn't officially open yet but they have lots of scarves, skirts, and baskets on display (lots meaning maybe 6 - 12 of each). They actually have the most extensive collection of baskets I've seen in one place. I ask what the different size and shaped baskets are for and Heng tells me most of them and asks what the last few are for. There is the traditional backpack style basket, one for picking fruit, one for holding small animals, a few for fishing, and another for picking nuts and berries. There is a huge basket that is used to store grain in as well. This entire place has potential - once it gets up and running it's like living in a village while still being in the big city (yes - Sen Monorom with all 10,000 people is considered a big city for this province - LOL).
After a short time the music starts and I look out to see Heng plus a few of the women dancing on a few mats on the ground next to the tables. I wander out and have a beer with a few of the guys and watch. At this party of maybe 15 - 20 people, no men seem interested in dancing. Heng waves for me to join and I go up and participate in one dance. Then the women all sit down so I dance around with two little girls who are on the mats with me. Within minutes they think my dancing is more of a game and they start chasing me around the mats. Everyone starts laughing. Minutes later the women return and dance for another hour or so.
Around 1030pm the woman who owns the place comes over and asks (thru Heng) if I would like to stay there sometime. I tell her I would be interested in staying in one of the cabins but need to know the price. She will let me know once they are done (I find out later it is $ 15/night). She leaves shortly after that and the party slowly breaks up. Heng drives me back to the my guesthouse but doesn't have a headlight on this moto. What? I thought it worked on the way there. So I am forced to hold my flashlight over her shoulder to light the road as she drives me the 10 minutes back to my house. Once we arrive she starts playing with all of the controls and then discovers how to turn on the lights. She does admit she may be a little drunk (she did have 3 beers at the party) and forgot which button was the lights. We laugh and I tell her I will see her Monday at class at the radio station.
I'm sure people have had better New Year's celebrations - but having 3 days to celebrate is a great idea that I highly recommend! Now how to spend the rest of the holiday week...
Heng brought me to this "guesthouse" a few weeks earlier while it was still being built. It is on the far edge of town - up a hill and down a very scenic dusty road. It is located on a large piece of land and is really a collection of huts and cabins instead of a traditional guesthouse (think of most guesthouses as motels or bed and breakfasts - mine is like a motel with a restaurant attached). This one is run by a Bunong woman who has built a large traditional Bunong house made of concrete (a circular hut with a thatched roof) that probably can sleep 6 - 10 people in that house. Then there are two small bamboo cabins up on a hill. They are completely made of bamboo - bamboo floors, bamboo walls, bamboo doors and windows - and only a few nails were used most of the time rattan or vines were used to tie things together. The small cabins look like they can hold 2 - 4 people at most. Also, if someone is larger in size and weight they should probably stick to the Bunong house as the bamboo floor of the cabins doesn't look super strong. I actually loved the look of the little cabins and inquired about staying in one. They don't know when they will be done - the woman told Heng it's hard to find craftsmen who know how to build them - seems its a dying craft.
Well this seems to be their grand opening night and since Heng works there she was invited. I can come as a guest of someone since this is Cambodia - what a country!! We stop at Heng's cousin's house where she takes a quick shower while I sit with her cousin and the cousin's 6 year old son and watch some lame Cambodian soap opera. Heng returns in about 15 minutes and then says we will take her cousin's moto to the party to save time. We drive the 5 minutes down the pitch black roads to the entrance of the guesthouse.
This guesthouse also has a handicraft gift shop and will have a Bunong restaurant in the future. The place has room for maybe another 10 Bunong traditional huts on the level ground and another 15 bamboo cabins on the hillside. The place has lots of trees and a small stream going across the property. Tonight they have put up a few torches and lights to light up the field between the gift shop and the traditional home and have several tables set up as well as a few speakers.
Heng introduces me to a few of her friends who work there and to the family of the woman who owns the place. Once again - I am the only barang (westerner/white tourist) there - this isn't a bad thing as often people are fascinated as to why I am there and who do I know? Within minutes a few of the gentlemen there wave me over to enjoy some of the rice jug wine. The wine is made in these large brown/tan clay jugs and sometimes is ok to drink - some people seem to add honey or some sweet fruity taste to it, other times it's like drinking rubbing alcohol! The oddest part is ts has to be sipped through long straws - or really rubber tubes (like an IV tube) and there are a few inserted into the jug at any one time. They just take turns taking sips from the straws - pretty much all night. I had some at the governor's house when I first arrive and it was pretty good stuff but this stuff is pretty rough. I take a tiny sip then quickly switch to beer - Heng laughs. She knows this stuff isn't as good either.
We have plenty of BBQ pork and chicken, although I will admit the chicken wings are the tinniest wings I have ever seen. They are barely big enough to be considered chicken McNuggets much less chicken wings at a BBQ. There is salad and they actually have some type of cake - seems to be maybe a banana fruit cake which is awful good. After we are there about ah hour or so I wander into the gift shop and look around.
The gift shop isn't officially open yet but they have lots of scarves, skirts, and baskets on display (lots meaning maybe 6 - 12 of each). They actually have the most extensive collection of baskets I've seen in one place. I ask what the different size and shaped baskets are for and Heng tells me most of them and asks what the last few are for. There is the traditional backpack style basket, one for picking fruit, one for holding small animals, a few for fishing, and another for picking nuts and berries. There is a huge basket that is used to store grain in as well. This entire place has potential - once it gets up and running it's like living in a village while still being in the big city (yes - Sen Monorom with all 10,000 people is considered a big city for this province - LOL).
After a short time the music starts and I look out to see Heng plus a few of the women dancing on a few mats on the ground next to the tables. I wander out and have a beer with a few of the guys and watch. At this party of maybe 15 - 20 people, no men seem interested in dancing. Heng waves for me to join and I go up and participate in one dance. Then the women all sit down so I dance around with two little girls who are on the mats with me. Within minutes they think my dancing is more of a game and they start chasing me around the mats. Everyone starts laughing. Minutes later the women return and dance for another hour or so.
Around 1030pm the woman who owns the place comes over and asks (thru Heng) if I would like to stay there sometime. I tell her I would be interested in staying in one of the cabins but need to know the price. She will let me know once they are done (I find out later it is $ 15/night). She leaves shortly after that and the party slowly breaks up. Heng drives me back to the my guesthouse but doesn't have a headlight on this moto. What? I thought it worked on the way there. So I am forced to hold my flashlight over her shoulder to light the road as she drives me the 10 minutes back to my house. Once we arrive she starts playing with all of the controls and then discovers how to turn on the lights. She does admit she may be a little drunk (she did have 3 beers at the party) and forgot which button was the lights. We laugh and I tell her I will see her Monday at class at the radio station.
I'm sure people have had better New Year's celebrations - but having 3 days to celebrate is a great idea that I highly recommend! Now how to spend the rest of the holiday week...
Cambodia New Year - Day # 3 Part A
I awake early and buy a few rolls from the woman across the street and start walking to the SM waterfall. After I get about two thirds of the way there I see one of my students (he is actually a pastor at a local church who started attending my classes a few weeks ago) driving towards me on his moto. Once he sees me he pulls alongside and asks where I am going - he looks concerned like I am lost. I tell him the waterfall and he insists on driving me - fine by me! The 20 minutes he saves me is greatly appreciated!
Upon arrival I see that Brian is already there with one of Andy's sons (Andy is Brian's boss and runs an English language school - Andy is Cambodian). The son's name is Tanic. When I ask Brian what it means he says that is short for Titanic - Andy and his wife loved the movie so much they named their son Titanic. Thank God my parents didn't choose my name that way or I may have been called Gauntlet (Dirty Harry movie) or Death Wish (Charles Bronson movie)!! LOL.
Brian has already started picking up trash with Tanic and I grab a burlap bag and start doing the same. Once the bag is full (about 15 minutes) we then bring it behind Rain's stall and empty it into a pile where he burns his trash. Burning plastic is done here all the time - and when it is happening you can smell it! After about an hour I notice the place is getting busier as more tourists are slowly arriving (most of these tourists are Cambodians). Eventually two little girls (maybe 5 and 7 years old) start bringing me trash and wanting to drop it in my bag. I notice they are from the stall behind Rain's - their parents seem to run that stall. I walk up and decide to clean up around their stall. Yes it is strange to be picking up trash around someone's business but it just isn't something they do in this culture. Brian and Gina have both told me they are trying to teach schoolchildren to start picking up trash - hopefully it catches on.
After a while the elephants are both giving rides to numerous tourists and lots of people are taking photos of them. We continue to pick up trash. They need to have more garbage cans here otherwise this will all be for nothing. I actually suggest to Brian that they should make barang (meaning white or western) tourists pay a small entrance fee and that money be use to pay someone to pickup the trash (they do this at Bousra waterfall and the place is spotless). Brian agrees and will try to communicate it to Rain - seems Rain is the man is charge here. I eventually see several older Cambodians start bringing trash to Brian and I - not sure if they understand the concept of not littering or they just don't want to right in front of us. The little girls who have been helping me seem to think it is a big game and love helping! Wish everyone had their enthusiasm.
Brian eventually meets a Cambodian girl from Phnom Penh who walks up to him and starts talking to him in English. She is an English teacher in PP and is here on holiday with her family. Her name is Nary and her sister is Sreynin. They talk with us for maybe 20 minutes and then decide to ride the elephants. When the elephants come back from their 15 minute walk I take a few photos of the girls sitting atop the elephants. We continue to clean up and then Nary asks if we can take a picture of her and her sister with her cellphone. Brian takes a shot and then I offer to take a picture of her whole family with my camera. She tells her parents and they all straighten their clothes and gather together. I take a few pictures and show them the results - they seem happy. I actually tell Nary I can email her the pictures if she sends me her email address. I give her my business card and write my local phone number on it as well (Bill insisted on getting me a cellphone so he can reach me if necessary). She thanks me and invites Brian and I to visit her and her school in PP whenever we are there. Brian says he may be going there in a few weeks - me not until late May or the first few days of June. Either way she was very nice to talk to and spoke excellent English.
Brian actually invites me to a BBQ at Andy's neighbor's house this afternoon. Seems it is not unusual to bring a guest (or in my case a stranger) to a party, wedding, etc. I ask him what time and he says we should be there around 1pm - there will be a pig roast, music, dancing, etc. I ask if I can bring a few people (keeping in the spirit as the Cambodians do) and he says sure. So I call Heng and my friend Simon and invite them. We leave the waterfall around 11am so we have time to go and change - we are rather filthy from picking up trash.
Brian has a moto but I want to be dropped off at the local Bunong handicraft stall along the road on the way back to town. They have some scarves, bags, and simple jewelry. I like the place and they offer many things Bill doesn't carry at our shop. I actually pick up one bag/purse and walk back the rest of the way to town.
At 1230pm Simon and Heng meet me at my guesthouse. I walk over with Simon and we each buy $5 worth of beer (10 cans) to bring with us. We walk down to the house and go in. This house is huge - for Cambodia. Probably 4 families live in it, maybe 15 - 20 people. Seems the house owner was the former governor (or assistant to the governor - it isn't clear even after it was explained to me) of this province and it is his party. They actually had a small pig that looked like it was skinned and spread out on a platter with all four legs in different directions and a knife in its neck. Mind you this wasn't a pig roast like at home - it was the smallest pig I have ever seen - think of Babe the pig from the movies! Also it seemed to only be the hide - not lots of meat to this little guy. We sat down on the floor and joined the feast already in progress. There was dishes of fish, salads, rice, and veggies plus lots of beer. Several men were already drunk! I mean blitzed and it is only around 130pm! Same as our New Year's Eve/New Year's Day. After we ate the governor had his youngest daughter (he is in his mid 60's - she is around 10 - 12) get a remote controlled helicopter and he would fly it around the room. Everyone watched in amazement (well not me but I've seen my nephew use remote control vehicles before). After a short while Sy (spelling? A guy around 27 years old) comes in and says the music is ready. The women jump up and head downstairs and outside into the courtyard.
I sit on the deck and watch as Sy uses his laptop to play Cambodian hits from YouTube over some speakers while the women dance in a circle in the courtyard. There are probably 20 people currently here when this begins. Within an hour there will be over 40 people counting children. Seems once the music starts neighbors and friends start coming over joining the dancing and drinking. Heng is in her glory and starts dancing with a few of the women from the house. I know she is having fun now - she is smiling ear to ear. I sit in a plastic chair watching them dance - these are dances done in a circle to particular steps. Eventually one of the ladies motions for me to join them but I motion maybe later. I see Andy arrive with his family and I go over to greet them. He has two sons (Titanic is the oldest) and a daughter plus his wife.
Eventually the woman in blue finds me (I find out later this is the governor's wife) and takes my hand and drags me out to dance. The only other guy dancing is Andy's father-in-law named Rain (same name but not the same guy with the stall at the waterfall) who seems pretty drunk and having the time of his life. With him out there I can't dance that badly - he is all over the place. The woman tries to get me to follow her and Heng with the dance steps - I try but dancing is not my thing. After two songs I escape to hang out with some teenagers watching.
After about an hour there is a break in the music and the governor's youngest daughter sets up some nuts (like large chestnuts) on the ground in a large X formation. She then takes a plastic bag with dozens more of these nuts and walks back about 15 feet. Everyone grabs a few nuts and tosses them at the nuts in the X and tries to knock them over. Seems an odd game - they all just start throwing them all at once and keep doing it until all 5 on the ground are knocked over. Then the girl goes back and sets them up again. This continues for maybe 20 - 30 minutes without anyone keeping score - just happy they have knocked them all down. Bill tells me they only play this game at New Years.
The music starts up again and now there are probably about 20 - 30 people in the dance circle at any time. I'm not sure if it's because I've had 6 - 8 beers by now, or because I am a guest and keep getting invited to dance, or because I don't know any of these people but I keep dancing this time. Heng has not missed a single dance all day - she really does like dancing!
Around 530 pm I tell Heng that I would like to take pictures of the family who hosted the party. I plan on getting a copy developed and bringing it back as a gift to them. The family gathers and poses for a few shots. I also take a picture of Andy's family as well. Several other people who I interacted with I ask to take some photos of and they seem willing. After I take one of an older woman in red and her friend (or maybe her sister) she asks Heng something for a few minutes. Heng then comes to me and asks me if I would be willing to take a picture of this woman and her daughter. She has never had a picture taken with her daughter. This woman looks around 50 - 55 and her daughter looks to be about 16 - 21. Of course I agree and take a few of the two of them. When I show them the digital picture on the camera the woman gives me the huge smile. I make sure that Heng explains that I will make a copy and give it to the governor for her. She is thrilled.
Heng and I depart around 615pm or so, and walk back towards my guesthouse ....
Upon arrival I see that Brian is already there with one of Andy's sons (Andy is Brian's boss and runs an English language school - Andy is Cambodian). The son's name is Tanic. When I ask Brian what it means he says that is short for Titanic - Andy and his wife loved the movie so much they named their son Titanic. Thank God my parents didn't choose my name that way or I may have been called Gauntlet (Dirty Harry movie) or Death Wish (Charles Bronson movie)!! LOL.
Brian has already started picking up trash with Tanic and I grab a burlap bag and start doing the same. Once the bag is full (about 15 minutes) we then bring it behind Rain's stall and empty it into a pile where he burns his trash. Burning plastic is done here all the time - and when it is happening you can smell it! After about an hour I notice the place is getting busier as more tourists are slowly arriving (most of these tourists are Cambodians). Eventually two little girls (maybe 5 and 7 years old) start bringing me trash and wanting to drop it in my bag. I notice they are from the stall behind Rain's - their parents seem to run that stall. I walk up and decide to clean up around their stall. Yes it is strange to be picking up trash around someone's business but it just isn't something they do in this culture. Brian and Gina have both told me they are trying to teach schoolchildren to start picking up trash - hopefully it catches on.
After a while the elephants are both giving rides to numerous tourists and lots of people are taking photos of them. We continue to pick up trash. They need to have more garbage cans here otherwise this will all be for nothing. I actually suggest to Brian that they should make barang (meaning white or western) tourists pay a small entrance fee and that money be use to pay someone to pickup the trash (they do this at Bousra waterfall and the place is spotless). Brian agrees and will try to communicate it to Rain - seems Rain is the man is charge here. I eventually see several older Cambodians start bringing trash to Brian and I - not sure if they understand the concept of not littering or they just don't want to right in front of us. The little girls who have been helping me seem to think it is a big game and love helping! Wish everyone had their enthusiasm.
Brian eventually meets a Cambodian girl from Phnom Penh who walks up to him and starts talking to him in English. She is an English teacher in PP and is here on holiday with her family. Her name is Nary and her sister is Sreynin. They talk with us for maybe 20 minutes and then decide to ride the elephants. When the elephants come back from their 15 minute walk I take a few photos of the girls sitting atop the elephants. We continue to clean up and then Nary asks if we can take a picture of her and her sister with her cellphone. Brian takes a shot and then I offer to take a picture of her whole family with my camera. She tells her parents and they all straighten their clothes and gather together. I take a few pictures and show them the results - they seem happy. I actually tell Nary I can email her the pictures if she sends me her email address. I give her my business card and write my local phone number on it as well (Bill insisted on getting me a cellphone so he can reach me if necessary). She thanks me and invites Brian and I to visit her and her school in PP whenever we are there. Brian says he may be going there in a few weeks - me not until late May or the first few days of June. Either way she was very nice to talk to and spoke excellent English.
Brian actually invites me to a BBQ at Andy's neighbor's house this afternoon. Seems it is not unusual to bring a guest (or in my case a stranger) to a party, wedding, etc. I ask him what time and he says we should be there around 1pm - there will be a pig roast, music, dancing, etc. I ask if I can bring a few people (keeping in the spirit as the Cambodians do) and he says sure. So I call Heng and my friend Simon and invite them. We leave the waterfall around 11am so we have time to go and change - we are rather filthy from picking up trash.
Brian has a moto but I want to be dropped off at the local Bunong handicraft stall along the road on the way back to town. They have some scarves, bags, and simple jewelry. I like the place and they offer many things Bill doesn't carry at our shop. I actually pick up one bag/purse and walk back the rest of the way to town.
At 1230pm Simon and Heng meet me at my guesthouse. I walk over with Simon and we each buy $5 worth of beer (10 cans) to bring with us. We walk down to the house and go in. This house is huge - for Cambodia. Probably 4 families live in it, maybe 15 - 20 people. Seems the house owner was the former governor (or assistant to the governor - it isn't clear even after it was explained to me) of this province and it is his party. They actually had a small pig that looked like it was skinned and spread out on a platter with all four legs in different directions and a knife in its neck. Mind you this wasn't a pig roast like at home - it was the smallest pig I have ever seen - think of Babe the pig from the movies! Also it seemed to only be the hide - not lots of meat to this little guy. We sat down on the floor and joined the feast already in progress. There was dishes of fish, salads, rice, and veggies plus lots of beer. Several men were already drunk! I mean blitzed and it is only around 130pm! Same as our New Year's Eve/New Year's Day. After we ate the governor had his youngest daughter (he is in his mid 60's - she is around 10 - 12) get a remote controlled helicopter and he would fly it around the room. Everyone watched in amazement (well not me but I've seen my nephew use remote control vehicles before). After a short while Sy (spelling? A guy around 27 years old) comes in and says the music is ready. The women jump up and head downstairs and outside into the courtyard.
I sit on the deck and watch as Sy uses his laptop to play Cambodian hits from YouTube over some speakers while the women dance in a circle in the courtyard. There are probably 20 people currently here when this begins. Within an hour there will be over 40 people counting children. Seems once the music starts neighbors and friends start coming over joining the dancing and drinking. Heng is in her glory and starts dancing with a few of the women from the house. I know she is having fun now - she is smiling ear to ear. I sit in a plastic chair watching them dance - these are dances done in a circle to particular steps. Eventually one of the ladies motions for me to join them but I motion maybe later. I see Andy arrive with his family and I go over to greet them. He has two sons (Titanic is the oldest) and a daughter plus his wife.
Eventually the woman in blue finds me (I find out later this is the governor's wife) and takes my hand and drags me out to dance. The only other guy dancing is Andy's father-in-law named Rain (same name but not the same guy with the stall at the waterfall) who seems pretty drunk and having the time of his life. With him out there I can't dance that badly - he is all over the place. The woman tries to get me to follow her and Heng with the dance steps - I try but dancing is not my thing. After two songs I escape to hang out with some teenagers watching.
After about an hour there is a break in the music and the governor's youngest daughter sets up some nuts (like large chestnuts) on the ground in a large X formation. She then takes a plastic bag with dozens more of these nuts and walks back about 15 feet. Everyone grabs a few nuts and tosses them at the nuts in the X and tries to knock them over. Seems an odd game - they all just start throwing them all at once and keep doing it until all 5 on the ground are knocked over. Then the girl goes back and sets them up again. This continues for maybe 20 - 30 minutes without anyone keeping score - just happy they have knocked them all down. Bill tells me they only play this game at New Years.
The music starts up again and now there are probably about 20 - 30 people in the dance circle at any time. I'm not sure if it's because I've had 6 - 8 beers by now, or because I am a guest and keep getting invited to dance, or because I don't know any of these people but I keep dancing this time. Heng has not missed a single dance all day - she really does like dancing!
Around 530 pm I tell Heng that I would like to take pictures of the family who hosted the party. I plan on getting a copy developed and bringing it back as a gift to them. The family gathers and poses for a few shots. I also take a picture of Andy's family as well. Several other people who I interacted with I ask to take some photos of and they seem willing. After I take one of an older woman in red and her friend (or maybe her sister) she asks Heng something for a few minutes. Heng then comes to me and asks me if I would be willing to take a picture of this woman and her daughter. She has never had a picture taken with her daughter. This woman looks around 50 - 55 and her daughter looks to be about 16 - 21. Of course I agree and take a few of the two of them. When I show them the digital picture on the camera the woman gives me the huge smile. I make sure that Heng explains that I will make a copy and give it to the governor for her. She is thrilled.
Heng and I depart around 615pm or so, and walk back towards my guesthouse ....
Cambodian New Year - Day # 2
So decided I would spend the morning at the Sen Monorom waterfall, which is about 3 - 5 kilometers out of town (2 - 3 miles). Doesn't sound far but the first km is up a large hill and the final km is down a somewhat muddy road. I leave early after grabbing breakfast at my favorite market stall!
The walk takes you past one of the lakes in town. The lake is rather small - I'd actually call it a pond. Nobody seems to do anything on the lake - I have seen no boats or canoes, no people fishing and only a few children swimming in it as well as women washing clothes as well. I will find out later in the week than many people dump sewage into the lake - so maybe it's not ideal for boating! LOL.
As I get to the waterfall at maybe 8am it is just starting up. There are four stalls that sell drinks and food. One of the men who owns a stall, Rain (not sure how he spells it but that is how it is said), actually has two elephants who he has chained to a try. He gives tourists rides for $5 each. The stalls slowly unpack their stuff and I am one of the only tourists there. I follow the path to the bottom and find my way over to some rocks and have a seat. I have seen children and teenagers swim in this water but have been warned of all kinds of water borne illnesses I could get, so I merely put my feet in the water. I take out some donuts (more like munchkins) I bought at the market and a orange juice and open my book and start reading. It is incredibly peaceful here with the sound of the running water, the sound of birds chirping and not a moto to be heard anywhere.
After about an hour I notice it starts getting busier. I can look up at the top of the waterfall and see many tourists now standing up there taking pictures of us below. Eventually there are handfuls of people who are making their way down to the bottom where I am. Eventually several teenagers come over and sit a few feet from me and start eating a meal. I was told many people go to parks and waterfalls on the Cambodian New Year with their families - and they seem to be doing it today!
I eventually head up to the top and see my friend Brian at Rain's stall. I go over and talk with him. He says he has been coming the last couple of days to the SM waterfall and loves it there. He asks if I would be interested in coming one day to help pick up the trash. Seems Cambodians think nothing of their country and simply throw trash on the ground without a second thought. I have even been at restaurants and people will just throw napkins or cans on the floor instead of leaving them for the waitress to pick up. Even here at the waterfall there is tons of trash - mostly plastic bags, cans and bottles - all over the place. I tell him I would be willing to help. He says how about tomorrow? I agree to meet him here Wednesday morning.
I walk back to town and when I get to the air strip I see a rather large crowd there. I get closer and see that there are a few carnival games and some kiddie rides and many people in a large circle. I actually see a small band sitting on the ground playing some songs. I work my way up closer and see they are having games for children to play since it is a holiday. They have many of the same games we had as children: a sack race, carry an egg on a spoon and race, eat a dough ball suspended by a string above your head without using your hands - and it seems whoever wins each game gets a cash prize (12 cents for the loser all the way up to 50 cents for the winner (4 kids per game)). I actually see Veasna's girlfriend (Lina), sister, and two friends there. Hayna (his sister) and one of the friends actually participate in the egg race. Hayna is thrilled when she comes in second and wins 38 cents! The games are free and it seems local businesses and the carnival game people offer the prizes. Eventually I wander home - it is now the middle of the day and smoking hot, maybe 90 - 94 degrees. Thank God I'm not in Phnom Penh where the news said it was suppose to be 39 degrees (I think that's about 108 Fahrenheit)!
This night is Lakeana's last night here in Sen Monorom. Tomorrow she heads back to Phnom Penh and Thursday back to work. She has invited me to join her along with her friend Ratana (another female student Bill sponsors at university), Sokha (a local male tour guide who showed her the villages), my student Heng (who also went to the villages with her), and another guy who Ratana knows. The main person missing - well not person but... Mey Mong the monkey!!!
We walk up to the road along the air strip where there are many Cambodian restaurants and they find a nice roadside place. We can hear the music from the air strip playing as we eat. They do all the ordering. Seems to be rice (what else!), vegetables and some pork and beef skewers. We have a few beers to wash it all down. At the end they ask if I want to try a duck egg. I know what to expect this time. They seem shocked when I say OK. I carefully open the egg and sprinkle the salt-pepper-lemon seasoning into the opened egg and take a spoonful. Hard to describe the taste but not awful. I then notice that Lakeana has taken the "duck" from her egg and she only eats a small part of the yoke. She thinks that is the best part. It actually allowed me to get a picture of the baby duck - de-shelled - on a plate!
After eating we wander over to watch the rides which are mostly for youngsters. Heng is upset because she wants to dance and nobody is dancing. Also, other than the rides it is pitch black on the air strip - so dancing could be difficult and dangerous. I guess she loves to dance and when none of us offer to dance with her she announces she is ready to go home. Fair enough - it is after all around 930pm - kind of late for Sen Monorom!
The walk takes you past one of the lakes in town. The lake is rather small - I'd actually call it a pond. Nobody seems to do anything on the lake - I have seen no boats or canoes, no people fishing and only a few children swimming in it as well as women washing clothes as well. I will find out later in the week than many people dump sewage into the lake - so maybe it's not ideal for boating! LOL.
As I get to the waterfall at maybe 8am it is just starting up. There are four stalls that sell drinks and food. One of the men who owns a stall, Rain (not sure how he spells it but that is how it is said), actually has two elephants who he has chained to a try. He gives tourists rides for $5 each. The stalls slowly unpack their stuff and I am one of the only tourists there. I follow the path to the bottom and find my way over to some rocks and have a seat. I have seen children and teenagers swim in this water but have been warned of all kinds of water borne illnesses I could get, so I merely put my feet in the water. I take out some donuts (more like munchkins) I bought at the market and a orange juice and open my book and start reading. It is incredibly peaceful here with the sound of the running water, the sound of birds chirping and not a moto to be heard anywhere.
After about an hour I notice it starts getting busier. I can look up at the top of the waterfall and see many tourists now standing up there taking pictures of us below. Eventually there are handfuls of people who are making their way down to the bottom where I am. Eventually several teenagers come over and sit a few feet from me and start eating a meal. I was told many people go to parks and waterfalls on the Cambodian New Year with their families - and they seem to be doing it today!
I eventually head up to the top and see my friend Brian at Rain's stall. I go over and talk with him. He says he has been coming the last couple of days to the SM waterfall and loves it there. He asks if I would be interested in coming one day to help pick up the trash. Seems Cambodians think nothing of their country and simply throw trash on the ground without a second thought. I have even been at restaurants and people will just throw napkins or cans on the floor instead of leaving them for the waitress to pick up. Even here at the waterfall there is tons of trash - mostly plastic bags, cans and bottles - all over the place. I tell him I would be willing to help. He says how about tomorrow? I agree to meet him here Wednesday morning.
I walk back to town and when I get to the air strip I see a rather large crowd there. I get closer and see that there are a few carnival games and some kiddie rides and many people in a large circle. I actually see a small band sitting on the ground playing some songs. I work my way up closer and see they are having games for children to play since it is a holiday. They have many of the same games we had as children: a sack race, carry an egg on a spoon and race, eat a dough ball suspended by a string above your head without using your hands - and it seems whoever wins each game gets a cash prize (12 cents for the loser all the way up to 50 cents for the winner (4 kids per game)). I actually see Veasna's girlfriend (Lina), sister, and two friends there. Hayna (his sister) and one of the friends actually participate in the egg race. Hayna is thrilled when she comes in second and wins 38 cents! The games are free and it seems local businesses and the carnival game people offer the prizes. Eventually I wander home - it is now the middle of the day and smoking hot, maybe 90 - 94 degrees. Thank God I'm not in Phnom Penh where the news said it was suppose to be 39 degrees (I think that's about 108 Fahrenheit)!
This night is Lakeana's last night here in Sen Monorom. Tomorrow she heads back to Phnom Penh and Thursday back to work. She has invited me to join her along with her friend Ratana (another female student Bill sponsors at university), Sokha (a local male tour guide who showed her the villages), my student Heng (who also went to the villages with her), and another guy who Ratana knows. The main person missing - well not person but... Mey Mong the monkey!!!
We walk up to the road along the air strip where there are many Cambodian restaurants and they find a nice roadside place. We can hear the music from the air strip playing as we eat. They do all the ordering. Seems to be rice (what else!), vegetables and some pork and beef skewers. We have a few beers to wash it all down. At the end they ask if I want to try a duck egg. I know what to expect this time. They seem shocked when I say OK. I carefully open the egg and sprinkle the salt-pepper-lemon seasoning into the opened egg and take a spoonful. Hard to describe the taste but not awful. I then notice that Lakeana has taken the "duck" from her egg and she only eats a small part of the yoke. She thinks that is the best part. It actually allowed me to get a picture of the baby duck - de-shelled - on a plate!
After eating we wander over to watch the rides which are mostly for youngsters. Heng is upset because she wants to dance and nobody is dancing. Also, other than the rides it is pitch black on the air strip - so dancing could be difficult and dangerous. I guess she loves to dance and when none of us offer to dance with her she announces she is ready to go home. Fair enough - it is after all around 930pm - kind of late for Sen Monorom!
Cambodian New Year - Day #1
So Cambodia celebrates their New Year for three days, based on the lunar calendar. This year is was April 14 - 16th. Actually the holiday seems to stretch out for more like 1 - 2 weeks, many people take the week before off for vacation and the entire week of the New Year as well. A large percentage of people travel back to the village or province where their families are from. I am told Phnom Penh gets quiet as maybe a third of the population heads to the countryside. I was told there are all kinds of celebrations, fireworks, traditional dances, and BBQs all over the place. I didn't know what to expect but I was willing to check anything out.
At 4am on Monday the 14th - the loudspeaker from the local pagoda started blaring pre-recorded prayers and chants. This was particularly early - even for Sen Monorom. Whenever there is a wedding or funeral loud music and prayers can be heard but they usually wait until at least 5am! Obviously there is no noise ordinances here. I woke up and got ready, grabbed my camera and went to eat breakfast at my favorite stall in the market. The woman who works there speaks almost no English but she knows I like the chicken noodle soup (a common breakfast dish - I'm not sure it's always chicken but that's what I tell myself ). So I eat there once or twices per week. After I eat I walk over to the pagoda which is about 15 minutes away.
I arrive there around 730am and don't know what to expect. I have been to the pagoda (the Buddhist temple/church) a few times before but never inside. It's a large compound where about 15 monks live. There are also several children who live there - many are developmentally challenged and the monks take care of them. There are also a collection of women, maybe 15 who also seem to live there. In addition to the pagoda, there is a large graveyard with stupas (like a mausoleum where families put the ashes of the deceased), a small school, and the living quarters. I wander around the property for about half an hour and notice a constant parade of people pulling up on motos to the main pagoda building and going inside. I decide to join them.
Inside it is a huge open room with many statues of Buddha on the right side - setup as a large shrine. To the left are some of the older women who are doing some ceremony with sand which I can't understand. Along the back wall are the monks on a small platform about a foot high, each sitting Indian style (or in the lotus position - both feet resting on the opposite thigh). The local people who have come to the pagoda are sitting in front of the monks on mats on the floor. Most of these monks looks young, under 30 or so - but that is pretty much the age of everyone in Cambodia! The monk on the right speaks into a microphone while the rest of the monks chant along with him. About once every minute he dips a brush into a little bucket of water and then flings the water onto the crowd. I will be told by Lakeana later that people think the water brings luck and erases bad karma. After about half an hour of this the monk at the microphone changes places and another monk starts a different chant. People scramble to bring containers of food and place it in front of this new monk. Seems he will say some blessings over the food and then the food is brought to the other end of the room where some women divvy it up into bowls. The monks depend on alms or handouts to eat - if people don't give them food they will not eat that day. This being a special day - they seem to have enough food to feed an army!
I have probably been in the pagoda for over an hour and many of the older women sitting in front of me keep motioning for me to come closer. I finally do and they nod and bow to me. I really didn't want some guy in orange robes to be flinging water onto me but what the heck. At the Buddha altar people are lighting incense and saying prayers. A little girl who appears to have Down Syndrome finds me and sits next to me for much of my time there. She seems fascinated when I take a few photos and video of the monks. She also insists I take a picture of her.
After a while I head outside to see what is happening. Many people are in their best clothes - like our Christmas or Easter. The parade of people going to the pagoda doesn't end. There are a few vendors selling snacks, balloons, and bottle rockets for the kids to shoot off. There is also a large shrine to Buddha with piles of sand and what looks like white paper dolls staked into the sand. Again Lakeana will tell me later that they represent ancestors of people.
By about 11am I head back to my guesthouse and have lunch with Lakeana and she fills me in on all my questions from the pagoda. Around 1pm I decide to explore the neighborhoods on the far side of the airstrip. I walk for a few hours down little streets (dirt roads really), and take lots of photos of daily life. I find a nice wood carving shop that has all kinds of things for sale - some very large and heavy and other things that would fit in a backpack. Seems the old guy and his family do all the carving themselves. A small carving of an animal or person (maybe 8-10 inches high) cost $25 - don't know how much the items that are 3 - 4 feet must cost. They have lots of animal heads - like a deer head people would mount over the fireplace at home - but these are made of wood and look very cool.
After several hours of wandering I head back home. It has been a decent day and tomorrow I think I will try to walk to the Sen Monorom waterfall.
Thursday, April 24, 2014
Dinner with Beauty and the Beast
On Sunday before Cambodian New Year, Bill had a student from Phnom Penh come to spend a few days here in Sen Monorom. Her name is Lakeana (Lake-a-na, not sure of the actual spelling) and she works at a hotel in PP and still takes classes at the university (she is working on her second bachelor's degree).
Bill tells me she will arrive on the express van around 530pm and invites me to join them for dinner at the restaurant at my guesthouse. I go downstairs at 630 and see them at a table over near the bar. Lakeana is a beautiful woman around 25 years old who speaks excellent English. This is the first time she has been to Sen Monorom or Mondulkiri province! Bill has also brought Mey Mong, his pet monkey.
Bill never leaves Mey alone at home. If there is nobody at Bill's house - he will throw a little diaper (really he just wraps a long strip of cloth around his legs several times) on Mey and bring him wherever he goes. Bill says he has brought him to Phnom Penh, on buses, vans, etc. - problem is Mey doesn't like crowds or loud noise.
So the three of us sit talking at the table for a while. Seems the others ordered before I got there and the restaurant is packed tonight. I order a plate of fried veggies and a mango shake. Lakeana tells us about her family, her job, her university studies, etc. Eventually Bill and Lakeana's food comes - here in Cambodia they just make stuff and send it out - NEVER does the food all come out together. No use waiting or your food will get cold. Mey seems incredibly agitated and Bill often has to hold him close to his chest to stop him from squirming around.
Bill will offer food from his plate to Mey and Mey seems to eat anything. Bill says he eats all fruits, most veggies, chicken, clams, ice cream - whatever people put in front of him! But on this night Bill is having a hard time controlling him. Mey has a harness and leash on and Bill is hugging him tightly to his chest but Mey doesn't want to be there. Mey starts biting Bill's arm. Bill has a towel he throws over him to immobilize his arms. Lakeana has met Mey before but the look on her face is priceless - she can hardly believe she is sitting at a table eating dinner with a monkey!
After about 30 minutes, Bill says he is going home. Just as he says that a large bug flies by Mey's head and you guessed it, Mey reaches out his hand, grabs the bug and swallows it! Lakeana and I burst out laughing! Bill finally takes Mey home.
After an hour (not exaggerating) my simple meal finally arrives. Lakeana even seems surprised at the slow service and says something to the waitress. We talk about Cambodia while I eat my dinner. When I am done and ask for the bill (Bill and Lakeana already paid earlier) the waitress actually brings over a plate of sliced bananas - obviously they realize the service was particularly bad - even by Cambodian standards. Actually Cambodian service is a running joke here - it really means no service. You can order a coffee somewhere and then after you get the coffee nobody will check up on you for hours unless you flag the wait staff down.
Either way, this was one of the most bizarre dinners I have ever had. A beautiful woman, my friend Bill, and a very agitated monkey!!!
Bill tells me she will arrive on the express van around 530pm and invites me to join them for dinner at the restaurant at my guesthouse. I go downstairs at 630 and see them at a table over near the bar. Lakeana is a beautiful woman around 25 years old who speaks excellent English. This is the first time she has been to Sen Monorom or Mondulkiri province! Bill has also brought Mey Mong, his pet monkey.
Bill never leaves Mey alone at home. If there is nobody at Bill's house - he will throw a little diaper (really he just wraps a long strip of cloth around his legs several times) on Mey and bring him wherever he goes. Bill says he has brought him to Phnom Penh, on buses, vans, etc. - problem is Mey doesn't like crowds or loud noise.
So the three of us sit talking at the table for a while. Seems the others ordered before I got there and the restaurant is packed tonight. I order a plate of fried veggies and a mango shake. Lakeana tells us about her family, her job, her university studies, etc. Eventually Bill and Lakeana's food comes - here in Cambodia they just make stuff and send it out - NEVER does the food all come out together. No use waiting or your food will get cold. Mey seems incredibly agitated and Bill often has to hold him close to his chest to stop him from squirming around.
Bill will offer food from his plate to Mey and Mey seems to eat anything. Bill says he eats all fruits, most veggies, chicken, clams, ice cream - whatever people put in front of him! But on this night Bill is having a hard time controlling him. Mey has a harness and leash on and Bill is hugging him tightly to his chest but Mey doesn't want to be there. Mey starts biting Bill's arm. Bill has a towel he throws over him to immobilize his arms. Lakeana has met Mey before but the look on her face is priceless - she can hardly believe she is sitting at a table eating dinner with a monkey!
After about 30 minutes, Bill says he is going home. Just as he says that a large bug flies by Mey's head and you guessed it, Mey reaches out his hand, grabs the bug and swallows it! Lakeana and I burst out laughing! Bill finally takes Mey home.
After an hour (not exaggerating) my simple meal finally arrives. Lakeana even seems surprised at the slow service and says something to the waitress. We talk about Cambodia while I eat my dinner. When I am done and ask for the bill (Bill and Lakeana already paid earlier) the waitress actually brings over a plate of sliced bananas - obviously they realize the service was particularly bad - even by Cambodian standards. Actually Cambodian service is a running joke here - it really means no service. You can order a coffee somewhere and then after you get the coffee nobody will check up on you for hours unless you flag the wait staff down.
Either way, this was one of the most bizarre dinners I have ever had. A beautiful woman, my friend Bill, and a very agitated monkey!!!
Friday, April 18, 2014
Some rules I have learned...
Some rules I have learned since arriving:
1. All things are possible in Cambodia.
This rule is ever present. Seems if you have money or influence than you can do whatever you want. I mean anything. I have watched people drive through police checkpoints without stopping. I have heard of people getting out of criminal charges by bribing judges. Child prostitution is a real problem here (although not common or at least not seen in my area). If you want to shoot AK47s or even a rocket propelled grenade you can go to shooting ranges and do it (about $350 to shoot a RPG). My friend Mony had several military officers come to his restaurant and order a big meal. They ran up a tab of over $100 then walked out without paying. He couldn't do anything because they are well connected.
2. Darwin's School of Driving
They use the Darwin school of driving here - survival of the fittest or in this case the biggest. There are no rules here - so yield to whatever can hurt/kill you! A pedestrian must yield to a moto or risk getting hurt. A moto must yield to a car, since the moto driver will get thrown off or worse. A car must yield to a truck or SUV since most cars here are compacts or smaller models. A truck or SUV must yield to buses and tractor trailers or face a unhappy ending! It makes sense in the jungle so why not on the roads, dirt paths, and trails that make up this province? They also like to beep their horns as they come to a blind corner or turn - to let others know they are coming and to get out of the way. Who needs street signs and stop lights, just beep your horn and everything will be ok.
3. Safety is optional
They have this rule that the driver of a moto must wear a helmet or risk a fine ($1.25) but it is perfectly ok to have 6 or 7 people on a moto (including toddlers and infants) all without a helmet as long as the driver has a helmet. Somebody explain the logic of that? Also, many food stalls in the market or on the street like to BBQ meat (pork, chicken, beef) on sticks then leave them out in the sun. I have noticed that if a place doesn't sell them that day they leave them out to sell the next day. Simply warm them up and voila - "fresh" meat on a stick. Not sure that is very safe - thus I'm rather selective about where I eat. One final example is building codes. There doesn't seem to be any. People can build a house however they want and nobody comes to inspect that it is done right. Guess that could present a problem if there is ever a fire or electrical issue or if the house collapses. But again, safety is strictly optional here...
4. Dirt and dust are a fact of life
Living in this province has taught me dirt is a fact of life here. During the dry season the wind picks up the dirt and dust and covers everything in a reddish/orange film. You can't escape it. I watch the staff at my guesthouse sweep the floors and wipe down the tables and within a few hours there is more dust on everything. Even in my room, with the door closed - the dust finds a way to seep in and cover the floor. If you walk around after a shower with wet feet you will notice within a minute that your feet are a bit orange and you are leaving a small trail of dirty footprints. So dry your feet right away and get use to the dust.
5. Just because someone nods doesn't mean they have any idea what you are talking about.
The people here are super friendly and always try to be helpful. At times this works against you. I hired a moto driver in Phnom Penh to bring me back to my guesthouse at night and the guy nodded his head when I showed him the business card with the address on it. After a 10 minute ride he pulls into a gas station and motions for my business card. I hand it to him and he goes inside - seems we are lost. He comes out and a few minutes later we arrives at my guesthouse. Seems he didn't know how to read but was thrilled to have a customer that night. So even when I asked if he knew the place and showed him the card he simply nodded. That nod seems to have been in agreement to me being a customer and not of having any idea where I wanted to go. Luckily I had agreed to pay him $2 for the ride (double the price since it is at night) so other than getting lost it didn't cost me any more.
These are just a few of the simple rules I have learned since arriving. I know there will be more to come...
Monday, April 14, 2014
Cafe Phka
So there are many places to eat here in Sen Monorom: many guest houses have restaurants attached, there are tons of large and small Cambodian restaurants, a few places that cater to westerners, and of course lots of stalls along the street selling all types of foods. Unfortunately there doesn't seem to be a coffee house or somewhere to hang out and relax away from the hustle and bustle of the main streets...
Then I found Café Phka (Phka means flower in Khmer and is pronounced Pka)! This is a peaceful coffee shop at one edge of town. It is on a quiet road and the actual café is about 100 yards down a hill away from the road. They have a small garden and numerous fruit trees in the front yard. The building itself is rather large - upon entering there is seating for about 12 - 16 at tables and also has numerous counters around the perimeter of the place. The kitchen is like a western kitchen - they actually have a real convection oven to bake with and that means baked goods! They have a small back porch which can seat about 6 people and a nice little terrace, under a jackfruit tree, that has a few tables and can sit another 6 - 8 people. Just feet from the terrace is a small stream that lazily drifts by as people sip their coffees and juices. Often in the afternoons when it is hot, several young boys will come down and swim in the river (it looks to be about 3 feet deep) or try to catch some of the tiny fish that live in it.
The staff is absolutely wonderful. Veasna is a Cambodian guy who is about 25 years old. He speaks excellent English and good amount of French and has a great demeanor. He greets everyone who enters with a big smile and is very gracious. Upon your second visit he will start to kid around with you - he will ask what you have been up to, what you are planning for today and tomorrow and ask for your name and where you are from. By the third visit he becomes the true Veasna - always happy and lots of joking. He will say as people leave "See you when I see you" or "See you when I look at you". He must have been saying this for quite a while because when I have gone places with him around town, tourists will say to him "see you when I see you" as we go by. His mother runs the place and does much of the cooking. She is a very pleasant woman who always smiles and bows to customers. His cousins, Sreysros (21 years old) and Sreyneng (19 years old) also work here. These two girls are usually here from opening to closing, 8am - 5pm. Actually closing sometimes doesn't happen until 6 - 7pm if customers are still there ordering food/drinks. The girls are always smiling and do lots of the baking. Sreysros speaks a little English but understands quite a bit while Sreyneng speaks almost none. Often Hayna, Veasna's 10 year old sister, is there as well and she is learning to take orders and delivers the food.
They serve coffee and tea, juices, shakes and sodas. They also have small meals available for breakfast and lunch. They have pancakes with chocolate sauce on top (Nutella) or pancakes with lime and powdered sugar - which I highly recommend. They have chicken lasagna, spaghetti, salads, hamburgers, french fries, soups, BLT and salami sandwiches, and fresh baked breads. Everything here is excellent and I've had many meals here. But the best thing is the baked goods! Nowhere else in Sen Monorom is there a place that makes pies, cakes and cookies! My guess is because they have a convection oven and perhaps nobody else does! They make the following: cheesecake, chocolate cake with chocolate icing, lemon meringue pie, banana spice cake, pumpkin pie, apple mango pie, carrot cake, oatmeal cookies, and cinnamon rolls. Occasionally they even have a new type of baked good when they are trying a new recipe. Most of the baked goods cost $ 1.50 - $ 2.25 per slice. I know their stuff is unique because they get many orders for cakes and pies for birthday parties and special events.
Often I will come here after my afternoon class ends at 2pm and hang out here until 5pm. Nothing beats sitting on the deck or terrace and sipping a lemon juice (made with fresh lemons, honey and mint leaves) and trying whatever baked goody just came out of the oven. This place is mostly frequented by westerners who enjoy the peace and quiet next to the stream, the free WIFI, and the drinks and goodies! It seems once somebody has discovered Café Phka they start coming back every few days. Many westerners will show up for the first time and then inevitably I will see the same person there again within a day or two - usually reading a book or surfing the web.
After I get to know Veasna a bit, and go to the concert with him as in my earlier post, we become good friends. He eventually asks me if his cousins and girlfriend can attend my English classes. They show up to a few classes but realize that getting done with work at 5pm (if customers don't stay later) and cleaning up leaves them little leeway to make it to class 20 minutes away by 6pm. I eventually start talking to them at the café whenever I am there. They seem very interested in learning English as they really need it for this place to run smoothly as sometimes Veasna may be away for part of the day and they must struggle if customers have special requests.
This is an excellent location for a cafe to read or relax in. They actually have a shelf of books and movies that people can borrow. The business has only been open since December but has become very popular. Seems his mother is very business savvy and has some great ideas for the place. Much of the supplies for the cafe (most of the baking supplies, the salami, etc.) actually have to be shipped from Phnom Penh. Veasna orders them over the phone then gives the amount they cost to the bus driver in town. The bus driver then calls the company in PP when he arrives there and someone from the company goes and picks up the money. The next day the company gives a package with all of the ordered items to the bus driver and he brings it back to Sen Monorom with him. Veasna then goes to the bus station and picks up his package of baking supplies. Seems a hard way to run a business but that is Cambodia. So far it seems to be working very well for Café Phka. My only concern is that the tourist season is about to end (roughly the end of April) and then they will struggle. Hopefully they will survive the slow season and blossom again next fall (October is the start of the tourist season).
Either way, if you want to find me most afternoons after my class - try the back porch of Café Phka.
Then I found Café Phka (Phka means flower in Khmer and is pronounced Pka)! This is a peaceful coffee shop at one edge of town. It is on a quiet road and the actual café is about 100 yards down a hill away from the road. They have a small garden and numerous fruit trees in the front yard. The building itself is rather large - upon entering there is seating for about 12 - 16 at tables and also has numerous counters around the perimeter of the place. The kitchen is like a western kitchen - they actually have a real convection oven to bake with and that means baked goods! They have a small back porch which can seat about 6 people and a nice little terrace, under a jackfruit tree, that has a few tables and can sit another 6 - 8 people. Just feet from the terrace is a small stream that lazily drifts by as people sip their coffees and juices. Often in the afternoons when it is hot, several young boys will come down and swim in the river (it looks to be about 3 feet deep) or try to catch some of the tiny fish that live in it.
The staff is absolutely wonderful. Veasna is a Cambodian guy who is about 25 years old. He speaks excellent English and good amount of French and has a great demeanor. He greets everyone who enters with a big smile and is very gracious. Upon your second visit he will start to kid around with you - he will ask what you have been up to, what you are planning for today and tomorrow and ask for your name and where you are from. By the third visit he becomes the true Veasna - always happy and lots of joking. He will say as people leave "See you when I see you" or "See you when I look at you". He must have been saying this for quite a while because when I have gone places with him around town, tourists will say to him "see you when I see you" as we go by. His mother runs the place and does much of the cooking. She is a very pleasant woman who always smiles and bows to customers. His cousins, Sreysros (21 years old) and Sreyneng (19 years old) also work here. These two girls are usually here from opening to closing, 8am - 5pm. Actually closing sometimes doesn't happen until 6 - 7pm if customers are still there ordering food/drinks. The girls are always smiling and do lots of the baking. Sreysros speaks a little English but understands quite a bit while Sreyneng speaks almost none. Often Hayna, Veasna's 10 year old sister, is there as well and she is learning to take orders and delivers the food.
They serve coffee and tea, juices, shakes and sodas. They also have small meals available for breakfast and lunch. They have pancakes with chocolate sauce on top (Nutella) or pancakes with lime and powdered sugar - which I highly recommend. They have chicken lasagna, spaghetti, salads, hamburgers, french fries, soups, BLT and salami sandwiches, and fresh baked breads. Everything here is excellent and I've had many meals here. But the best thing is the baked goods! Nowhere else in Sen Monorom is there a place that makes pies, cakes and cookies! My guess is because they have a convection oven and perhaps nobody else does! They make the following: cheesecake, chocolate cake with chocolate icing, lemon meringue pie, banana spice cake, pumpkin pie, apple mango pie, carrot cake, oatmeal cookies, and cinnamon rolls. Occasionally they even have a new type of baked good when they are trying a new recipe. Most of the baked goods cost $ 1.50 - $ 2.25 per slice. I know their stuff is unique because they get many orders for cakes and pies for birthday parties and special events.
Often I will come here after my afternoon class ends at 2pm and hang out here until 5pm. Nothing beats sitting on the deck or terrace and sipping a lemon juice (made with fresh lemons, honey and mint leaves) and trying whatever baked goody just came out of the oven. This place is mostly frequented by westerners who enjoy the peace and quiet next to the stream, the free WIFI, and the drinks and goodies! It seems once somebody has discovered Café Phka they start coming back every few days. Many westerners will show up for the first time and then inevitably I will see the same person there again within a day or two - usually reading a book or surfing the web.
After I get to know Veasna a bit, and go to the concert with him as in my earlier post, we become good friends. He eventually asks me if his cousins and girlfriend can attend my English classes. They show up to a few classes but realize that getting done with work at 5pm (if customers don't stay later) and cleaning up leaves them little leeway to make it to class 20 minutes away by 6pm. I eventually start talking to them at the café whenever I am there. They seem very interested in learning English as they really need it for this place to run smoothly as sometimes Veasna may be away for part of the day and they must struggle if customers have special requests.
This is an excellent location for a cafe to read or relax in. They actually have a shelf of books and movies that people can borrow. The business has only been open since December but has become very popular. Seems his mother is very business savvy and has some great ideas for the place. Much of the supplies for the cafe (most of the baking supplies, the salami, etc.) actually have to be shipped from Phnom Penh. Veasna orders them over the phone then gives the amount they cost to the bus driver in town. The bus driver then calls the company in PP when he arrives there and someone from the company goes and picks up the money. The next day the company gives a package with all of the ordered items to the bus driver and he brings it back to Sen Monorom with him. Veasna then goes to the bus station and picks up his package of baking supplies. Seems a hard way to run a business but that is Cambodia. So far it seems to be working very well for Café Phka. My only concern is that the tourist season is about to end (roughly the end of April) and then they will struggle. Hopefully they will survive the slow season and blossom again next fall (October is the start of the tourist season).
Either way, if you want to find me most afternoons after my class - try the back porch of Café Phka.
Friday, April 11, 2014
A concert in Sen Monorom...
In mid March there was a two day concert here in Sen Monorom. Seems a few times each year different companies sponsor concerts in some of the larger cities. Sometimes it is a one night concert (the second concert I will attend the following week is only a one night show) and other times it is few nights. These concerts are a big deal since there isn't any nightlife here in town. To call it a concert is a bit of an understatement - think of it more as a small county fair with music.
My friend Veasna invited several of us to attend on Friday night. So after our night class at the boarding school we all meet at our guest house. Gina, Jo, John (a Belgian who is interning with the World Wildlife Fund here for 4 months) and I follow Veasna up to the air strip to see the show. There is a ton of people heading to the air strip for this event. It is easy to see where the concert is - they have two giant searchlights shining into the sky to attract people to the show. As we get to the top of the hill we are able to see cars parked up and down the street and once we cross the road to the air strip we see a sea of motos parked everywhere. The music is incredibly loud.
Veasna leads us around to look at everything that's here. This concert is sponsored by Cambodia Beer, one of the largest brands in the country. We pass many food stalls serving all types of food and numerous beer stands serving - you guessed it, Cambodia Beer. We then stop and watch many children and teenagers trying their luck at carnival games. They have the same games we have at home: pop a balloon with a dart, knock over three cans with a foam ball, shoot a cork with an air gun and knock over a can to win a prize. If you win any of these games your prize is either a cheap stuffed animal or perhaps a nice new pot or pan or set of plastic bowls. Not sure the kitchenware would be a big hit back home but it was funny to see these same games are played everywhere in the world! Veasna and John take turns shooting corks at tiny cans trying to knock them off the shelf - and surprisingly neither can move the can even when they hit them dead on. Weird - just like at home. Could these games be rigged as well?
We continue on and watch the odd collection of rides they have at this venue. These rides have all been trucked in for the event - like some small time carnival in the States. Amazingly, the people running the rides look like carnies at home - an odd collection of people who probably spend their lives moving from one town to the next putting on these little events. These jobs must attract a certain type of people! They have little rides for small children: a tiny train that goes around a small track, and some little ducks that rock back and forth. The also have what I would call flying swings for older people or simply the insane. A large circular platform is in the center and around it dangle large chains that have a seats or swings at the bottom of them. You simply sit in the swing and hold on for dear life. Seriously - there is nobody worried about safety at this ride (or in all of Cambodia for that matter). The ride starts off slowly and swings people in a circle - there are maybe 30 people suspended in the air. Then the ride speeds up and the people start yelling and screaming. The best part is everyone here wears flip-flops to just about everything and of course nobody warned them to take them off before getting on the ride. So you guessed it - once it speeds up flip-flops starting flying into the crowd. I'm amazed nobody falls or is thrown from the ride.
We make our way to the front of the air field towards where the stage is setup. On the stage there are many speakers and a guy and a girl sing while 5 girls dance. They way they dance and perform remind me of the Solid Gold dancers from the 1980's TV show. The main difference is these girls look less than enthusiastic about dancing in front of this audience. There are probably about 800 - 1000 people crowded around the front of the stage and at the two dozens tables setup behind the crowd. We watch them sing a few songs - which are way too loud - but that is how Cambodian's like their music - and then they stop. After each song there is silence. Veasna says people in Cambodia don't clap after a show, performance, etc. - so there is usually just silence. After about 30 minutes of watching the show Gina and Jo decide they are ready to head home. John and I say goodbye - we are interested in trying some food and having a few beers. Veasna says he will see us later - he is going to meet up with some friends.
John and I head over to a few booths and decide to try some BBQ chicken and beef on skewers. They only cost 25 cents per stick and the Cambodia Beer is only 75 cents each (usually $1 each but this is an event they are sponsoring). We get a plateful of food and head over to an empty stall and eat our food. We then wander around and try a pork bun (I don't know the real name). It looks like this white ball of dough which is served hot and inside is bits of pork. They are very delicious and this same snack is served in Vietnam where I tried it a few years ago. John tries it and announces he likes it and would eat these again. This is nothing new - John loves to eat. We all tease him about the amount he eats. No matter what time you meet up with him he always says he is hungry.
As we are walking through the center of the audience to leave we hear someone calling us. We look over and it is Veasna waving us over to a table of his friends. We go over and say hello and they quickly bring over chairs for us to join them. There are about 8 of Veasna's friends there as well as his girlfriend Lina. They introduce themselves and ask a few questions then give us a beer each. We sit around talking with them for a while and as we finish our beers they hand us another. When we offer to pay for the beers they decline. They said they invited us to join them so it is their treat. After the third beer I feel uneasy about them treating us over and over so I ask Veasna is I can get us some snacks to share with everyone. He says they love everything at the concert and to buy anything I'd like. He does mention several of them really enjoy crickets though. I tell John to wait at the table and I wander around for ten minutes and pick up a few "treats".
When I return I make sure to sit on Veasna's left side with John to Veasna's right. I pass the first bag of snacks around the table clockwise and Veasna announces we have bought snacks to share with everyone. When the bag reaches John he asks what it is. It is very dark at the table (we are outside and there are no sources of light except on the performers on the stage). I reach into the bag and grab a fried cricket and pop it into my mouth. I thought this would be an easy thing to eat but... The crickets little legs are pressing against the inside of my mouth and I know it is a cricket I'm about to chew on. Also it has an oil or something on it - probably what it was fried with and it's just weird. Once I chew it a few times I swallow it and surprisingly it doesn't taste as bad as I thought it would. John reaches into the bag - still not knowing what awaits him. The entire table is watching his reaction. He pulls out a cricket and carefully looks at it and says "No way am I eating bugs." I tell him they are good (not really) and that he has to at least try one. After some encouragement from the table he eats one. His expression is worth a million dollars. He decides to stop at one cricket for this snack.
I pass around the next bag of snacks - grilled frogs. These poor little things look like tiny pieces of leather or dried beef jerky. They don't have a strong taste and are a little chewy. Next I pass around a bag of peanuts - and I will say these are the tiniest peanuts I have every had. Lastly I pass around a bag of bugs or insect larvae. Hard to tell what exactly they are - they look like little bugs the size of peas minus the legs and head. They have a slightly hard exterior and crunch when chewed and taste like crap. Several of the people at the table decline to try this snack. John actually says he'd rather eat a bag of crickets instead of these. Not a ringing endorsement for these little critters. The average cost of a cupful of each of these snacks was between $ .75 - $ 1.50, not bad for these delicacies!!
During the show the band suddenly stops. I ask why they stopped mid song and Veasna explains that people are fighting near the front of the stage. He says whenever there is an event like this many people get super drunk and then start to fight. They always stop the show until the fighting stops and the instigators are taken away by the police. After about 15 minutes the show starts up again. This show has semi-famous singers, but the show that takes place next week has countrywide famous singers. People line up for that show early and the crowd is double this size. A brother and sister are the headliners hosted by Metphone (one of the major cellphone companies here in Cambodia). People actually clap after each of their songs and many people in the audience film parts of the concert on their cellphones.
Finally around 11pm (super late for Sen Monorom) we head home even though the concert is still going strong. Gina and Jo don't know what they missed - leaving so early. After next weekend's concert - there will be no more late nights in Sen Monorom for a long time and maybe not as many exotic snacks...
My friend Veasna invited several of us to attend on Friday night. So after our night class at the boarding school we all meet at our guest house. Gina, Jo, John (a Belgian who is interning with the World Wildlife Fund here for 4 months) and I follow Veasna up to the air strip to see the show. There is a ton of people heading to the air strip for this event. It is easy to see where the concert is - they have two giant searchlights shining into the sky to attract people to the show. As we get to the top of the hill we are able to see cars parked up and down the street and once we cross the road to the air strip we see a sea of motos parked everywhere. The music is incredibly loud.
Veasna leads us around to look at everything that's here. This concert is sponsored by Cambodia Beer, one of the largest brands in the country. We pass many food stalls serving all types of food and numerous beer stands serving - you guessed it, Cambodia Beer. We then stop and watch many children and teenagers trying their luck at carnival games. They have the same games we have at home: pop a balloon with a dart, knock over three cans with a foam ball, shoot a cork with an air gun and knock over a can to win a prize. If you win any of these games your prize is either a cheap stuffed animal or perhaps a nice new pot or pan or set of plastic bowls. Not sure the kitchenware would be a big hit back home but it was funny to see these same games are played everywhere in the world! Veasna and John take turns shooting corks at tiny cans trying to knock them off the shelf - and surprisingly neither can move the can even when they hit them dead on. Weird - just like at home. Could these games be rigged as well?
We continue on and watch the odd collection of rides they have at this venue. These rides have all been trucked in for the event - like some small time carnival in the States. Amazingly, the people running the rides look like carnies at home - an odd collection of people who probably spend their lives moving from one town to the next putting on these little events. These jobs must attract a certain type of people! They have little rides for small children: a tiny train that goes around a small track, and some little ducks that rock back and forth. The also have what I would call flying swings for older people or simply the insane. A large circular platform is in the center and around it dangle large chains that have a seats or swings at the bottom of them. You simply sit in the swing and hold on for dear life. Seriously - there is nobody worried about safety at this ride (or in all of Cambodia for that matter). The ride starts off slowly and swings people in a circle - there are maybe 30 people suspended in the air. Then the ride speeds up and the people start yelling and screaming. The best part is everyone here wears flip-flops to just about everything and of course nobody warned them to take them off before getting on the ride. So you guessed it - once it speeds up flip-flops starting flying into the crowd. I'm amazed nobody falls or is thrown from the ride.
We make our way to the front of the air field towards where the stage is setup. On the stage there are many speakers and a guy and a girl sing while 5 girls dance. They way they dance and perform remind me of the Solid Gold dancers from the 1980's TV show. The main difference is these girls look less than enthusiastic about dancing in front of this audience. There are probably about 800 - 1000 people crowded around the front of the stage and at the two dozens tables setup behind the crowd. We watch them sing a few songs - which are way too loud - but that is how Cambodian's like their music - and then they stop. After each song there is silence. Veasna says people in Cambodia don't clap after a show, performance, etc. - so there is usually just silence. After about 30 minutes of watching the show Gina and Jo decide they are ready to head home. John and I say goodbye - we are interested in trying some food and having a few beers. Veasna says he will see us later - he is going to meet up with some friends.
John and I head over to a few booths and decide to try some BBQ chicken and beef on skewers. They only cost 25 cents per stick and the Cambodia Beer is only 75 cents each (usually $1 each but this is an event they are sponsoring). We get a plateful of food and head over to an empty stall and eat our food. We then wander around and try a pork bun (I don't know the real name). It looks like this white ball of dough which is served hot and inside is bits of pork. They are very delicious and this same snack is served in Vietnam where I tried it a few years ago. John tries it and announces he likes it and would eat these again. This is nothing new - John loves to eat. We all tease him about the amount he eats. No matter what time you meet up with him he always says he is hungry.
As we are walking through the center of the audience to leave we hear someone calling us. We look over and it is Veasna waving us over to a table of his friends. We go over and say hello and they quickly bring over chairs for us to join them. There are about 8 of Veasna's friends there as well as his girlfriend Lina. They introduce themselves and ask a few questions then give us a beer each. We sit around talking with them for a while and as we finish our beers they hand us another. When we offer to pay for the beers they decline. They said they invited us to join them so it is their treat. After the third beer I feel uneasy about them treating us over and over so I ask Veasna is I can get us some snacks to share with everyone. He says they love everything at the concert and to buy anything I'd like. He does mention several of them really enjoy crickets though. I tell John to wait at the table and I wander around for ten minutes and pick up a few "treats".
When I return I make sure to sit on Veasna's left side with John to Veasna's right. I pass the first bag of snacks around the table clockwise and Veasna announces we have bought snacks to share with everyone. When the bag reaches John he asks what it is. It is very dark at the table (we are outside and there are no sources of light except on the performers on the stage). I reach into the bag and grab a fried cricket and pop it into my mouth. I thought this would be an easy thing to eat but... The crickets little legs are pressing against the inside of my mouth and I know it is a cricket I'm about to chew on. Also it has an oil or something on it - probably what it was fried with and it's just weird. Once I chew it a few times I swallow it and surprisingly it doesn't taste as bad as I thought it would. John reaches into the bag - still not knowing what awaits him. The entire table is watching his reaction. He pulls out a cricket and carefully looks at it and says "No way am I eating bugs." I tell him they are good (not really) and that he has to at least try one. After some encouragement from the table he eats one. His expression is worth a million dollars. He decides to stop at one cricket for this snack.
I pass around the next bag of snacks - grilled frogs. These poor little things look like tiny pieces of leather or dried beef jerky. They don't have a strong taste and are a little chewy. Next I pass around a bag of peanuts - and I will say these are the tiniest peanuts I have every had. Lastly I pass around a bag of bugs or insect larvae. Hard to tell what exactly they are - they look like little bugs the size of peas minus the legs and head. They have a slightly hard exterior and crunch when chewed and taste like crap. Several of the people at the table decline to try this snack. John actually says he'd rather eat a bag of crickets instead of these. Not a ringing endorsement for these little critters. The average cost of a cupful of each of these snacks was between $ .75 - $ 1.50, not bad for these delicacies!!
During the show the band suddenly stops. I ask why they stopped mid song and Veasna explains that people are fighting near the front of the stage. He says whenever there is an event like this many people get super drunk and then start to fight. They always stop the show until the fighting stops and the instigators are taken away by the police. After about 15 minutes the show starts up again. This show has semi-famous singers, but the show that takes place next week has countrywide famous singers. People line up for that show early and the crowd is double this size. A brother and sister are the headliners hosted by Metphone (one of the major cellphone companies here in Cambodia). People actually clap after each of their songs and many people in the audience film parts of the concert on their cellphones.
Finally around 11pm (super late for Sen Monorom) we head home even though the concert is still going strong. Gina and Jo don't know what they missed - leaving so early. After next weekend's concert - there will be no more late nights in Sen Monorom for a long time and maybe not as many exotic snacks...
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