A few months back, Ma, my mother-in-law asked us if we wanted to go to a pagoda to get a monk’s blessings for the coming new year. Though, I am not Buddhist, I would usually come as a sign of respect and also so I could observe and learn closely their customs and traditions. After all, my husband is a Buddhist and its a big factor for both of us to understand each other’s religion.

Anyway, the trip promised to be scenic as the pagoda is located somewhere in Kampong Chhanang. The day started really early and at 6 am we were already on a tuk-tuk speeding towards Sisowath Quay near the riverside and going towards National Road No. 5. This was my first time to take a really long ride in a tuk-tuk. Ma and Hi-ace says its the best way to go, we get to enjoy the breeze and take in as much scenery as we want to. The price of the round trip ride on the tuk-tuk was unbelievably just $8!! I really am seriously in awe of Ma’s bargaining abilities.

So, it was me, Hi-ace, Chinks, our nieces Sokna and Cheng and Ma in the tuk-tuk.. The ride was really so enjoyable and I almost fell asleep being lulled by the wind and the not so bumpy ride. We had been traveling for about an hour when we turned left (lol! don’t ask me where..) towards a small market then onwards. The road became smaller and unpaved and both sides mostly lower with lots of water and some houses on stilts. We stopped for a bit to buy some lotus seeds (Ma and the nieces loves snacking on these..) and also some lotus flowers to offer in the pagoda.

The views were absolutely fantastic and so rural.. Then we reached a place with lots of cows being herded we turned right, then suddenly there was a bang! We had a flat tire and it was in the middle of nowhere, with nothing but the cows, ponds, lotus flowers and rice fields. The nice tuk-tuk driver told us to wait by the roadside and he’ll go look for a vulcanizing shop. So then, we proceeded to occupy ourselves by taking photos of ourselves and the stunning rural landscape.

After about 20 minutes of waiting, the tuk-tuk came back well and fine, then we were off again. We passed by a small cemetery for the Chinese and I just had to take photos of those. Cambodians usually cremate the remains of their dead relatives and they keep the ashes in stuppas in pagodas. As far as I know, its only the Chinese-Cambodians who have cemeteries and bury their dead in tombs. And these cemeteries are less seen near the cities so I was definitely fascinated.

After the cemetery, we came into a huge compound and that’s where the pagoda was. Our group went on to light incense the a monk approached us to tie some colorful yarn bracelet on us for good luck and some sort of blessing. Then we all waited for the head monk, gave our offerings then he proceeded to pray over us, then he was holding this short staff made of elephant tusk and carved with various images. He put some ointment on the tusk then rubbed some on our hands, on the cheeks of the kids, then he uttered some more prayers. Afterwards, an assistant brought a vase full of water, the monk blessed it, then sprinkled it over us.

Afterwards, Hi-ace, the kids and Ma had to change clothes because they also joined the ceremony where they had to be showered with holy water. Ok, I didn’t join this part for some reason so I just watched the going ons.

After that showering/blessing ritual, we all piled ourselves back on the tuk-tuk as Ma was anxious to return to Phnom Penh around lunch time. It was a marvelous experience for me. I was able to see some religious customs and also enjoy some Cambodian countryside scenery..

Click on the thumbnails to view the photos..

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©2010 pinaywifespeaks. All Rights Reserved.

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Kung Hei Fat Choi!

Things have been hectic for me the past few days, not to mention that I was again having an asthma attack. This is the 3rd time were celebrating the Lunar New Year here in Phnom Penh and there’s a lot for me to do. We had some major cleaning to do around the house (which we usually do before the Lunar New Year comes around) to sweep away the bad luck and the hardships of the previous year. Cleaning also means we welcome the new year on a clean start. So, you can assume my muscles are really tired at the moment, so blogging will be on hold for a day. =)

Aside from cleaning, there is that offering to do and almost never ending food preparations. Thankfully, my in-laws mostly does that for me, with just me occasionally slicing some veggies and tasting the finished product. We prepared a lot of food since yesterday, I’ve already lost count on how many dishes there was. All of it was fixed on a ceremonial altar, with cups filled with tea and rice wine, and loads of incense burning.

The we all feasted on the delicious food prepared. I sure ate a lot, I bet I’ll be badly in need of diet supplements again soon. After eating we gave the kids their ‘ang pow’ or their red envelopes with money. Chinks is of course grinning from ear to ear as she amassed a lot of ang pow.

I’m now beat and needing some rest. And oh! I just remembered it Valentine’s Day tomorrow! Whew.. I’m in a bit of a panic now I forgot about that.. Anyway, I wish everyone a great 2010. Good Health, Good Fortune and Harmonious Relationships for the whole year..

©2010 pinaywifespeaks. All Rights Reserved.

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Hi-ace then told me he’ll bring us over to one place that is uniquely Khmer. Hmm, that was enough to pique my interest. I know Khmers loves picnics so I was expecting somewhere in a park or a place with lots of mats, you sit down and order food..

After crossing the Japanese bridge, he drove on for more than 30 minutes and I was beginning to wonder where he was taking us. All I could see where fewer and fewer houses and big empty fields. Then we reached a place with houses built on top of stilts and towering over a huge pond filled with lotus plants..

I just love discovering out of the way places like this and when I saw these, I knew I was in for a treat.. Hi-ace told me this is where a lot of Khmers go for food and some R & R. So how’s the inside of those houses on stilts? Here..

You can choose which nook you want to stay in. There’s a mat and a low table in the middle and hammocks made of dried hyacinth. And I was so surprised that those hammocks was so comfy! It was no wonder I fell right into sleep after we had lunch. It’s hard to resist anyway, the food and breeze made me so sleepy..

Anyway, these places serve Khmer food and surprisingly the menus have English translation so it was easy enough for me to choose. We had beef loc lac, stir fried noodles, seafood fried rice, banana heart salad and a serving of ‘balut’. And sorry I totally forgot to take photos of the food coz I was already starving. Lol! I hope you all can cut me some slack. But take my word for it, the food was really, really good. Better than most fancy eating places in Phnom Penh!

I already swore I will drag Hi-ace back there the next chance I get! Now I know why those Khmers are so into those kinds of places. The food is great, and though the decor is not fancy but the comfy hammock and the cool natural breeze is more than enough to make up for it, and best of all, the price! I was shocked, we ate a lot and it didn’t even cost more than $20!! The only thing I didn’t like much was the karaoke singing. I wouldn’t have minded it really except that it was super loud, I swear my eardrums where hurting. Good thing it started when we were already done with our naps. But they do seem to be enjoying it a lot so I’m fine with it.

Hi-ace now keeps laughing at me coz I keep asking him to go there every chance I get and I know he’s secretly laughing at me coz I’m having a hard time losing weight here especially with all those delicious temptations. Wait till I bug him about buying me a dip machine or elliptical. He sure won’t be making fun of me anymore..

©2010 pinaywifespeaks. All Rights Reserved.

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Lol! The ceiling was low and the sign was just a kind warning. I’ve now decided to be on the constant lookout for funny signs like this, uniquely Khmer!

Guess I’ve posted enough for now. Off now to check out some Korean stores and look for a dehumidifier. Both me and Chinks keep having colds and since we both have asthma, we need this pretty badly Ciao!

©2010 pinaywifespeaks. All Rights Reserved.

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Tatai Waterfalls, Koh Kong Cambodia

Better late than never. That’s my motto. Hahaha! For this post anyway. I keep forgetting to schedule posting this.. Forgive the memory gaps.Anyway, this is all about our trip to Koh Kong, Cambodia last August? Seriously, I even forgot the date already .

We were looking at another boring weekend that time and Hi-ace suggested we go over to Kompong Som (Sihanoukville) so we could roast ourselves a bit (I really mean we could have a good rest at the beach). So that was the plan, till my sister-in-law heard we were going and pretty soon there were about 10 more people wanting to join us. I so appreciate my Cambodian family, they are almost always having itchy feet. You know, they are what my father usually calls ‘layas’ that’s a Bicolano word meaning ‘wanderlust’.

Instead of taking a bus, we all just decided to rent a van. Then we just realized all of us had been to Sihanoukville several times already, and since we had a van at our disposal, why not go someplace else we all haven’t been to. We picked out Koh Kong, mainly because it has beaches too, less touristy, plus we all wanted to see the Mangrove forests. Koh Kong was IT then. Our Mondulkiri travel was a superlative for me, so I was really excited too about this Koh Kong Trip since well a lot of people had been raving about the place.

Koh Kong is at the southern part of Cambodia, and the city is about 8 km from the Thai border. Krong Koh Kong has also been dubbed before as Cambodia’s Wild West. This province is just so vast, with little houses around, sparse population, lots of beaches, rainforests, mountains etc. Simply a great place to explore (I just wish we had more time, but we could always go back )

Traveling with my Khmer relatives was fun and educating as well. Well, educating for me anyway, in terms of their culture and made me realize more how Cambodians are really into picnicing. Anyway, we took off early morning, the van was all packed, lol! we were almost bursting full (not with people!) but with the goodies and foodies my mother-in-law insisted we take. You know, she knows how much we love eating and what if we get stranded or something, in any case, lets just say if we get stranded in the middle of nowhere, we had enough food and water to last 10 of us for 2 days with more to spare.

My nieces and nephews were also lugging in luggages and I did wonder what’s in there coz we were only going for two days. I know, this kinda weirded me out, since I usually travel light, with just the essentials. Another thing I noticed, most of them were dressed to the nines and for a minute I felt left out. I mean, two of them were wearing heels and dresses, others were wearing pants and long sleeved shirts like they were going for a job interview or something, and Hi-ace, Chinks, me and another niece, well were the only ones wearing shorts, shirt, and slip-ons. Ok, so I thought maybe that’s just how they like to travel.. No sweat.

One good thing about going to Koh Kong is that the road condition is excellent. I could still remember how numb my butt was when we went to Mondulkiri so this was a great thing for me. And once you get past the intersection between National Highway 4 (going to Sihanoukville) and National Highway 48 (going to Koh Kong) the views are just stunning! Everything is all green and there are a couple of bridges you have to pass through and the water is all clear and reflecting all green colors of surrounding lush mountains. The road is mostly winding, carved from mountains, with very little houses almost all the way.

A few kilometers before we reached Koh Kong, around 10 am, the driver said were stopping for a swim at Tatai Waterfalls. The van traveled on something like a dirt path away from the main highway for something like half kilometer, then we came upon a small er and really steep path and the driver told us we just had to go on by foot. Okay, I’m a total klutz and I just keep imagining myself simply tripping and rolling over and just finding myself plunging on the waterfalls.

None of that happened though, thankfully Hi-ace had the good sense to order me to remove my slippers so I could go down barefooot. God! Even Chinks got there ahead of me. It was really that steep and I wasn’t even carrying anything. You could guess how amazed I was when I saw my nieces carting their luggages (which they told me has their clothes so they could change after swimming), and they were going down the steep hill like it was nothing.

And was it worth climbing down? Totally! The water levels were not so high so the river was gently flowing. We had to climb down a couple more rock formations, and wow! just wow! something like 4 meters of thundering water and it was awesome! The water was crystal clear, you can actually see little fishes swimming all over.. The kids had a great time swimming and of course, we adults had a picnic! I think any Cambodian outing is incomplete without this… I know my description won’t do justice to Tatai Waterfall, so here are the photos..

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After about two hours swimming, we all had to go.. It was hard to do, it was just so pretty I could even live there (if there was a Starbucks right beside my hut, yeah!) and another reason I didn’t want to leave, was that I was scared of climbing up the hill to get to the van. Going down was another matter but going up, wow! I went with a headstart of 15 minutes, I was really panting (and scared I was having a heart attack!) and those kids still caught up me. Hahaha and they kept laughing at me..

More later.. Will have to go and check out acne treatment reviews. Got some zits showing up and I need some treatments fast =)

©2010 pinaywifespeaks. All Rights Reserved.

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I’m really pretty good at this, hehe pretending to be part of their discussion, nodding my head occassionaly, haha but really I understand only bits and pieces. If I hear something interesting, I just give my husband, Hi-ace a nudge (sometimes a kick ) to translate for me. Other times, Chinkee would do the translation, though sometimes I highly doubt the accuracy of her translation, like last time we were watching TV, and the host said,

“Sohm, Aw Kohn. Sohm Chum Reap Lear.”

Chinkee’s translation: “Zero, Thank You. Zero Goodbye.”

Hubby says it simply means, ‘Thank you. Goodbye.’ Though they added ’sohm’ which more or less means ‘please’ in English to make it more formal. Chinkee thinks that ’sohm’ is the same as ’sown’, the Khmer word for zero and she refuses to believe otherwise. Talk about being stubborn.

Anyway, where was I again? Oh last Sunday, while they were talking, Ma (my mother-in-law) asked if I was bored just being in the house most of the time and doing work online. She was thinking maybe I should learn how to ride a motorbike so I could go wherever I please whenever I feel bored. Which is what I usually do but I normally just flag a moto-dop (moto taxi) or a tuk-tuk in case I want to go somewhere and Hi-ace is not there to drive me around. I have no problem with this really, I even semi-mastered the art of bargaining with the drivers and telling them where I want to go.

But Ma and my nieces and nephews think that I’ll have more freedom if I drive around by myself. I was thinking, duh!!! It scares me enough to walk a couple of meters in any road here in Phnom Penh because of those suicidal drivers. I’ll probably die of anxiety if I ever drive a motorbike here. Hi-ace told them though that I have the heebie-jeebies whenever the subject of driving around Phnom Penh comes up. I mean, come on! The utter chaos on the streets here just drives me nuts and scares me a lot. I’ll never say never but then if I ever do take on the streets of Phnom Penh, then I need to have a solid medical assistance program at my beck and call, plus I should be helmeted from top to bottom. Which Chinkee now says would make me look really ridiculous. (This is really so like my daughter to think of vanity in life and death situations!!)

Besides, another reason I have little interest in learning how to drive a motorbike or even a car, is that I am a total klutz, my hand and eye coordination is a mortifying ZERO, and I’m a nervous wreck around anything with wheels and anything mechanical. I think I would suffer an anxiety attack and like what if a maniac driver just decides I would make a great collision partner and I need to step on the brake and in panic I step on the accelerator or things like that? You know, I always think similar situations would happen to me and I would freak out. The slogan down below really best describes me..Those who really know me would agree..

Driving anything is one of the things I don’t do well (the other one is multiplying/dividing/adding/subtracting fractions in my head) but I’m thinking its something that I should overcome.. I know, my daughter rides her bike better than I do, but if I could learn learn how to ride a bike 18 something years ago, maybe I could try learning how to drive a motorbike or a car?

Maybe I should make that a goal before I turn 35? Hi-ace is laughing his head off at this and assures me it wouldn’t take 4 1/2 years for me to learn how to drive. He’s positive I could learn in less than a month or two. Hmmm. It’s sad, Hi-ace totally doesn’t know I’m horribly inept in this area. Haha he even volunteered to teach me. Well, I’m sure he’ll regret it once we get started.

©2010 pinaywifespeaks. All Rights Reserved.

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November to February. My favorite months here in Phnom Penh. Mainly because of the lovely weather. I love it coz its cool yet dry. No rains, we still have a bit of sunshine during daytime but the breeze is really cool.

I just love curling up in bed with a good book. Or having a steaming mug of coffee or tea. I don’t even bother day dreaming about ski vacations and snow coz this is really cool enough for me. Which reminds me, in the Philippines it’ll be cold now too but then we still generally get some rain which is really a hassle coz this is also the busiest time of the year. Hmm, I’m sad we’ll be missing Christmas with my family (Chinks has a really short school break and Hi-ace has a jam-packed teaching schedule during the holidays and I don’t fancy going home alone) but then we could also have our own quiet celebration here, and anyway, sis is coming over in January so I’m quite satisfied with the way things are.

Perhaps I should be putting on some christmas decor now, hmm? Maybe, but then I’m feeling lazy. That’s really what lounging around, just reading books could do to a person. Hehehe. Anyway, let me just enjoy my little R and R for a few more days, then I’ll be back to my hectic schedule again.

©2010 pinaywifespeaks. All Rights Reserved.

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©2010 pinaywifespeaks. All Rights Reserved.

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Image credits: Cambodia.org /Khmerization

Although there is also a smaller scale version of the festival held in Angkor Wat, but the exciting happenings are right in Phnom Penh. Yesterday, we took a stroll along the riverside and whoa! there are loads of stalls in construction, workers touching up on the pavilion that will serve as viewing stand for the boat race, more workers cleaning up the river from floating water hyacinth..

Water Festival 2009 Preparations..

Water Festival 2009 Preparations..

Early Morning..@the Riverside

Flags are Up..Phnom Penh Riverside

The annual Water and Moon Festival is also called the Bonn Om Toeuk in Khmer. This festival celebrates the start of the fishing season. It also marks the reversal of the current in Tonle Sap river. The most watched out for event is the boat racing, and there is fireworks, lots of fairs and mini concerts.

The Boat Race or Pirogue Racing, the highlight and worth watching. Some 300 boats all propelled by synchronized rowers. Most of the rowers are from different provinces and some from other countries. Loads of people from provinces come over to cheer on their rowing team.

The Moon festival coincides with the Water Festival and for Khmers the full moon means bountiful harvest. During this time, Khmers give offerings, light incense and say prayers to the moon.

©2010 pinaywifespeaks. All Rights Reserved.

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A friend asked me before if he is single, well, yes he is. So ladies who wish to be a queen and mother of the future king, well King Sihamoni is single. He is multi-lingual and can speak Khmer, French, Czech, English and Russian so knowing this languages can help . Anyway, I haven’t had the pleasure of meeting or even seeing him in person but he does have a very gentle aura and serenity. Perhaps that is why Khmers love him.

Anyway, what did we do with the rest of our free day yesterday? Woke up real early for a jog around the riverside. We like doing this coz its free of crowds compared to evenings and no traffic. After a couple of hours of brisk walking, we went to Tuol Tompong Market to for food shopping.

I was in a mood for Pinoy food so I cooked chicken tinola and stir-fried pork with tomatoes and onion. My Khmer niece said the chicken tinola is so ‘chungun’ (delicious) and I guess that made my day.

Afternoon was spent having haircut. Chinks had her hair styled with bangs (so 60’s and cute!) and I also had my hair cut and gave the stylist free rein on what to do with my unruly mane. He just amazed me and churned out a layered do for me which definitely minimized the crazy volume of my hair and it appeared toned down. Love it and love the price too.. Just $6 for me and Chinks complete with blowdrying. He advised that I should get my hair straightened to get the maximum effect of my layered hair and I might just do that next week…

Late evening, we went to buy wine for Hi-ace. Got home around 6:30. Some friends were inviting us to go to the riverside to see the fireworks for King Sihamoni but we opted out. We don’t like big crowds and no way are we braving that area with Chinks in tow…

Just the same it was a really an enjoyable day.. And more holidays to come.. Next week is Cambodia’s Water Festival so that’s a couple more days of holidays..Yahoo!

©2010 pinaywifespeaks. All Rights Reserved.

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A sign on a CD/DVD Shop in a mall here in Phnom Penh..

©2010 pinaywifespeaks. All Rights Reserved.

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Assorted Mooncakes Pack

What's inside...

A couple of days before yesterday, you can see shops all over Phnom Penh selling assorted mooncakes. There were also shops selling cute little lanterns in red and gold colors. Not surprising since the Phnom Penh has a sizeable Chinese-Cambodian population and naturally some Chinese traditions has evolved to be part of Cambodian culture.

Mooncake Festival Lanterns

Image Credit: Zoom2see

Hubby’s family is Chinese so they celebrate Chinese festivals and their way of worship is a bit different from traditional Khmers. And of course, the main offering for this festival are the – whatelse, but scores of mooncakes. Mooncakes are usually offered on the altars, and also given to family and friends as festival gifts. Mooncakes are served with tea to balance the sweetness.

I’m not really too much for sweets but I must admit I love mooncakes not really for eating but I appreciate its decorative value. It’s cute and I feel like much effort has been given to perfect each piece. Mooncakes are typically round or rectangle in shape about 10cm wide and 4cm thick. The outer layer or the crust has tiny decorations, some engraved with Chinese characters.

It has a thin crust filled with different kinds of fillings, but the most common are yolks, sweet beans and salted eggs. There are now different variations of mooncakes and each year the flavors and the fillings are becoming more diverse. I ate one durian flavored mooncake yesterday and it’s uhmm, well let’s say durian in not one of my favorite fruits . I also saw chocolate, coffee, nuts, fruits, yogurt flavored cakes being sold in the supermarkets and elegantly packd too. Just perfect for giving to friends.

So that’s what we did yesterday.. Made our offerings, visited some family and friends, ate lunch with Hi-ace’s family, and yep, we had a lot of mooncakes.

Happy Mooncake Festival, Everyone!

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We roamed around the mall and I was thinking of buying a handbag but I feel like their too expensive (the one I liked was $60) when I know that they are just replicas and not really good ones at that. So I put it off and headed to CityMart and bought  slip-on sandals. I loved it, super comfy and costs just $10.

I had an espresso at LuckCafe but Chinks decided she wanted to eat  hamburger with fries. I bought her the pack and geez she could actually finish it. I mean she’s just six but she could work up an appetite like an adult and I was betting she’d be hungry again by the time we get home.

Hubby picked us up around seven pm on a motorbike and we drove home. Then when were just like a block from our house, there came this motorbike out of nowhere, take note with no headlights at night and driving at full speed, and it narrowly missed hitting us. That scared me, coz here its quite common to see motorbikes with headlights on during daytime and no headlights at nightime.  I figured maybe it’s thrilling to drive around without your headlights and these guys probably never heard of hid kits and they have fun driving around like a blind and not caring if they hit somebody. It might be something that we have to learn to get used to but I certainly don’t like it!

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Pchum Ben Festival is a religious festival, and is one of the most celebrated festivals among Khmers. For them, this time is for the Commemoration of the Spirits of the Dead. The festival usually falls on the first few days of September. On the Khmer calendar, the Pchum Ben Festival is on the 15th day of the waxing mmoon on the 10th month, also referred to as the Pheaktrobotr. And this festival lasts for 15 days.

The Pchum Ben Festival is so much a part of Cambodia culture whose daily lives are intertwined with Buddhist religion. This time is where Khmers pray for their departed loved ones and would visit the pagodas and give offerings for their dead loved ones whom they believe are trapped in the spirit world.

Khmer blogger Kim Heang has a good collection of Pchum Ben photos. Check out his blog and find really good photos as well as write ups about Cambodian culture and traditions.

Within the 15 days of the Pchum Ben Festival, Khmers bring offerings to the pagodas. Offerings usually consist of sticky rice balls and cakes wrapped in banana leaves. They also place incense, flowers as well as candles with these offerings.They also bring cooked rice as well as some more home-cooked Cambodian dishes which they share to the monks. The rice is the also divided and placed on several containers.

Trooping to pagodas for the offerings usually happens early in the morning as they also believe that most souls are afraid of sunrise and would wander around during dawn or early in the morning.

The festival is held for 15 days (:D bit long isn’t it??) and the first 14 days is called Kan Ben or holding the offering and last day is called the Phcum Ben or the Gathering for the Offering. The last day is specially important for the Khmers, and they would all go to the pagodas, usually make small boats from banana trunks, fill it up with rice cakes and let if float in the rivers to journey with their loved ones.

This festival is another fascinating insight to the Cambodia culture. My in-laws are Chinese-Cambodians and their rituals varies slightly from these but I was nonetheless fascinated by it. One difference I’ve noticed is that among Chinese they have a small altar at home built for their ancestors and that is where they offer food and prayers instead of going to a pagoda. However, they would pick one day out of the 15 day festival and also go to several pagodas for offerings the same way as Khmers.

We have also opted to visit pagodas that are farther out from the city. Most of these pagodas are really out of the way and the offerings and donations are much more needed by the monks..

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That’s one the things I miss in Manila. The malls and shopping . From where we lived in Cavite, an SM Mall was just a couple of minutes stroll so I usually have my retail fix every so often. Here in Phnom Penh, though there are air-conditioned malls I find them too smallish and some vendors are really in for the kill (I mean they really overprice!) so I prefer going there with a Khmer (more bargaining power..) or I just go over to Tuol Tompoung Market. I guess malling isn’t yet so much a part of Cambodia culture .

I decided to play a little game and see what I could buy with $20. I figured not much. I was wrong. One of the reasons Tuol Tompoung Market is really popular with the tourists – Brand Name Clothing @ a fraction of its original price. No, they are not second hand. All brand new, I don’t have any idea how it got there but I have a few guesses. They are all from garments factories from all over Phnom Penh. Brands like Calvin Klein, Levis, Gap, Colombia, Billabong, Banana Republic, Dockers, Old Navy, H & M to name a few and in-house brands of some US chains like K-Mart.

So, if one really has a thing for brand name clothing at super discounted prices then you wouldn’t mind, the hot and claustrophobic market. It’s actually fun and reminded me so much of Divisoria, Manila on its not so crowded days.

After about an hour shopping around, I spent a total of $16 and here’s what I got!

2 Old Navy Tank Tops, 3 Old Navy Stretch Pants (perfect for working out!) and 2 H & M shirts for Chinks. Not Bad for less than $20 bucks. Now, I’m planning my next shopping outing..

If you’re visiting Phnom Penh, Tuol Tompoung Market (check the map here) is a must visit. Not only can you find Western clothing at bargain prices, but this place is also full-packed with quality souvenirs, Cambodian silk, and if you’re gastronomically adventurous, try out the yummy Cambodian food on the food stalls in the middle of the market.

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I assumed before that this style was because of the frequent flooding in the lowlands but then traditional houses in the uplands are the same so that must be really the traditional style. I asked a couple of Cambodians why traditional houses are high up and help up on stilts and they said its mostly because farmers and families in rural, agricultural areas usually have oxes or cows for farming and they are sheltered under the house. The extra space down below also give them extra space to do housework with a lot of breeze. That made sense to me.

Minority tribes here are very welcoming and when we went to the village school they even prepared a welcome dance and prayer in their own tribe dialect. The tribes elders all gathered around in a circle with a big jar with bamboo straws for drinking. I was curious about the contents and I was later told it was a traditional wine and since the place was an upland and cold at night so they like drinking wine. It also part of their tribal ritual. After the tribesmen said their prayers and extended their welcome to us, they all took out their simple “gong-like” instruments. It looked simple but they could definitely whip up some good rhythm out of it. Then they danced in simple steps in a circle.

Tribe elder

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I was fascinated by their colorful cloth, the women’s hair accessories and the earrings. Check out the photos, you’d obviously see why.. This visit to the minority village certainly added a different, eye-opening aspect to our trip. For a foreigner like me things like this brings valuable insights about Cambodia culture. I really hope that though these tribes embrace modern conveniences, immigrant as well as foreign influences, they’d still be able to hold on to their beautiful and unique culture.

©2010 pinaywifespeaks. All Rights Reserved.

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The road was pretty narrow, then after a couple of meters you’re suddenly on top of the hill with a really astounding view of emerald tree tops..Now I know, that’s why they call it “The Ocean of Trees”. Can you imagine being on top of a hill looking out across the ocean? Only this time it’s not water there,  just a vast valley full of trees. Jaw dropping view, definitely. I was just super frustrated my camera ran out of batteries so I had to snap photos with my cellphone..:( which sadly did’nt capture much of the beauty of what I was seeing..

The breeze was getting cool and we lazed around and decided to wait for sunset.. And we weren’t disappointed. The sunset was beautiful.. A fitting end to our Mondulkiri sojourn..

View from Phnom Bai Chuw

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I’m a bit late posting all of these Mondulkiri photos and stories and I still got a lot more interesting Mondulkiri photos. Perhaps, I don’t wanna let go of it. To say that this place would be one of my favorite places of all time would be an understatement. I don’t know but Mondulkiri simply got to me.. Maybe, its the natural beauty of it, the isolation, or perhaps the interaction with the tribes people. Whatever it is, I got so hooked and I definitely will be going back sometime soon..

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One is the road trip itself. Getting to Mondulkiri was an adventure – we got down in some portion because it was too muddy for the van to carry us so we had to ‘trek’ till it wasn’t so muddy. We got down the second time because a road construction bulldozer was blocking the way and we had to wait a couple of hours to pass through. It was altogether a funny and memorable road trip for us. Check out more of the story and photos – Cambodia’s Wild East – Mondulkiri: Trip Chronicles 1

Second is the school outreach programs we had for two different schools. Interesting to meet people and kids from Sen Monorom and the tribal villiages in Putang. More of that here – Cambodia’s Wild East – Mondulkiri: Trip Chronicles 2

The third is the Bousra Waterfalls. It’s located in a mountainous ( is that even the correct term? I wonder coz everywhere in Mondulkiri is a mountain or a hill..:D) area some 23 km from the provincial capital Sen Monorom. The road going there is surprisingly okay. Although most parts were not paved but it was interesting to see the nice contrast of the red earth with the surrounding greens. The area is thickly forested with lots of wild flowers so I got wild taking photos of one of my fave subjects – flowers.

There is a minimal fee to the waterfalls and the facilities there are at the minimum. After the entrance, you have to walk a few meters and take on some hundred steps or so down. And the view is just awesome! The water was gushing and hitting the rocks so strongly that you’d get wet even if you’re about a hundred meters away from the cascades. And lol! I was so gaga taking photos I didn’t notice the camera lenses got wet..Luckily, no damage was done..Now, I’ll let the photos do the talking for me..

Picture Perfect..

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What do you think? Awesome, isn’t it! It’s a view I won’t forget. Ever. I wonder when we could go back? And this time I won’t pass on the chance to take a swim there, even if its freezing cold.

I have yet to post photos of the tribal villagers as well as our last stop – Phnom Bai Chaw or the “Ocean of Trees” and hopefully I’d be able to do a blog post on that before the month ends. This weekend, were off to Koh Kong in the south coast of Cambodia right next to Thailand. A lot of people tell me its one of the most promising places here in Cambodia so I’m looking forward to the trip (though I’m complaining why we could just go for a two days). Hmmph, hubby says most people don’t have a flexible like mine. Oh well, let’s wait and see.

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Is it paranoia? Ever since I’ve witnessed an awful car accident here in Phnom Penh last time I was here in 2004, I’ve always been paranoid about the driving safety here.

For one, motorbike drivers here don’t need license, I mean you could see teenagers driving around and most don’t even follow the basic traffic rules. Traffic comes from all sides so if you’re driving don’t be surprised if somebody is driving against the traffic as if its the normal thing to do. Traffic lights are largely ignored too plus making a call or texting while driving is prevalent.

Khmers are probably used to it, but that’s what I have a hard time adjusting to. Afterall, car accidents can result in really scary damages. Insurances are also a somewhat vague concept for them and hospital services are not at par with international standards yet.

If you’re an expat here, try not to get involved in an automobile accident. Things aren’t as easy here as in other countries and calling your Tacoma car accident lawyer wouldn’t be of much use either.

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Yesterday, we went around to different pharmacies to replenish our medicine/first aid supply at home. We usually have medicines for headache, diarrhea, common colds, some antiseptics, benadryl for my allergies, medicines for our daughter (mostly kids paracetamol, cough and cold syrup), bandages etc. Before it could be hard to get hold of quality meds here in Phnom Penh but thankfully the pharmacy services have improved a lot and we could easily get what we need. There are also new pharmacy/health stores already open all throughout the city like UCare and Pharmlink which offers a good variety of imported medicines, vitamins, supplements like diet supplements, cosmetics, personal hygiene products.

I’ve also noticed that in some pharmacies, people would simply come and ask for medicine for example, a cold and the pharmacist (I dunno if they really are pharmacists or simple sellers) would mix several medicines and prescribe it as treatment. Like when my niece had a cold, the pharmacist gave a big bunch of medicines including anti-biotics which she doesn’t need coz a cold is a virus.. I guess they would include it in the pack just to sell more. I don’t usually gripe about things that can be considered trivial but I find it dangerous if they do things like that.

That’s why whenever I go to a pharmacy here, I already have a presciption from a doctor or I know what medicine brand, and the quantity I would be needing. Another thing is to be mindful of the expiration dates of the things you buy. Check each one for expiration dates.

As for hospital and medical services here.. I have not much to say in that area though there are some hospitals that are considered to have acceptable services. Last time my husband was hospitalized, we went to Calmette Hospital, a French-government funded hospital and everything was allright though you have to wait a couple of weeks before you can have any lab test results as tests are sent over to France for analysis. There’s also Royal Rattanak Hospital run by international specialists and affiliated with a hospital in Bangkok. I do hear a lot of foreigners saying that it’s best not to get sick in Cambodia, and for serious medical treatments, its still best to head over to Singapore or Bangkok.

©2010 pinaywifespeaks. All Rights Reserved.

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