pinaywifespeaks » Living in Phnom Penh

Living in Phnom Penh: Whirlwind April

Lui — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 05:58:24 +0000

This morning I took our my planner thinking I should really organize myself coz I’m guilty of having done almost nothing this month. And I just had to sigh coz April is almost over.

Everything.. the days of this month just passed me by like it was some tornado. I guess it was the overabundance of Khmer holidays that set me to thinking I have all the time in the world to finish things but really, I am always cramming.

I’m almost done with my Khmer classes, with just a few more weeks to go on. And I’m pretty much pleased with myself coz I could now read (very very slowly – ha!) simple Khmer sentences. Yay! to me. Level 2 would make things easier in terms of speaking and writing and I’m looking forward to enrolling in that class.

During Khmer New Year, we stayed in Phnom Penh deciding we didn’t want to go with the hordes of people traveling out of the city. It was a very good call coz friends and relatives told me a lot of places in the provinces were pretty much crowded. And I loathe that. Too much crowd gives me claustrophobia and we usually stay away from places in need of serious crowd control. We had Phnom Penh very much to ourselves and I loved it.

My husband however didn’t feel that happy that we didn’t go anywhere. Lol. Between the two of us, he has an ‘itchy-er’ feet. And since it was going to be a start a new semester in his university, he decided we need to go somewhere.

So we decided to climb up to Bokor Mountain in Kampot. Have a look around at the new casino, take photos of the awesome mountain views, then go down to Kep for some downtime, swimming and seafood. I’ll be posting about the trip with photos and videos (of the trip up Bokor Mountain) soon. I just need to sort it out and do a bit of editing first.

More later.

Food Trip Friday: Khmer Stilt & Hammock House

Lui — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 14:04:00 +0000

A friend told me a few weeks ago that I’m lucky, I’m in the front row seat when it comes to experiencing Khmer cuisine. I mean real Khmer food. The one’s cooked at home, not those delicious but often ‘fusion’ or tweaked food to suit the visitor’s palate. I never really thought about it, but then most of these things I consider ‘normal’ or a daily routine. I eat mostly Khmer food now, so I guess I took it for granted.

Sure there are a lot of Khmer restaurants around, but those catering specially for tourists don’t really offer the real Khmer food. More like a semblance of Khmer food. I think its a bit hard to find, authentic Khmer food in those restos. Probably, the most usual Khmer fare that tourists and some expats taste would be amok and lok lak which is a shame coz the country has a lot to offer in terms of food. Take for instance, their wide variety of samlors (soups), its a must try but they are often hard to find. That’s why if you have Khmer friends and you get invited to their homes to eat, I would suggest jump at the offer (I know it sounds mercenary but..) you might be in for a little palate adventure.

While its a bit hard to find authentic Khmer fare in most city restos, you can still find something close to it across the Japanese bridge. I’ll let you on a little secret: this place is my favorite place to relax during weekends – those little stilt huts with hammocks along the river! Mind you, these places aren’t posh, and not for those who prefer their napkins to be sparkling white. But its an experience you’d find in no other place. This is an entirely Khmer affair and celebrates the Khmer love for lounging around on mats, hammocks and food.

There are a couple of places like this a few minutes drive away from the Japanese bridge, but the ones we usually go to are the one’s near the Chinese temple. I’m not sure exactly about the directions and the restaurants usually have Khmer names. But these places are a fantastic places to relax, be with family and friends. The food is also cheap and really really really delicious.

Just a few weekends ago, we went there again to enjoy the food and some quiet time. Here’s some pic spam..

The food..

grilled shrimps with garlic-chili sauce, served with herbs, cucumbers & tomatoes

chicken stir-fried with ginger & spring onions

samlor koh kor – veggies, fish, spices and flavored with roasted rice..this is super delicious.

Nice, relaxing place..

fabulous river views..

little huts for some privacy

the super happy to be there kiddo. she loves the hammocks obviously.

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Owning a Home in Phnom Pehn

Lui — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 11:52:08 +0000

I’m going to talk real estate here. So I can’t guarantee its going to be interesting. Hahaha. I personally find finance, real estate blah blah boring. But since I’m a wife and a mom with a family to think of, such things I have to deal with. A little disclaimer, I’m not an expert in real estate nor am I a broker. I also have no knowledge about foreign ownership of real estate in Cambodia and its legalities. So what I’ll be discussing is our own personal experience in owning a home in Cambodia.

We have our own lot and a small house here in Phnom Penh. It’s within the city limits and very accessible to the markets, and other conveniences. We love the place coz its quiet, safe but very accessible. We’re not moneyed folks and a ~~billion~~ trillion light years away from being an ohkna (equivalent to tycoon), so owning a house and lot was a big hurdle for us.

If you’re just like us, regular working folks, then buying a lot and a house is almost impossible here. For several reasons: (1) Prices are so steep-really crazy steep and unregulated! (our neighbor’s lot 6×20 m is priced at $80,000! I find this amount obscene! It’s not even a commercial area!) (2) Home financing is not widely available nor is it popular, and its not a very practical option either as loan interest are sky high.

Before we decided to settle here, I was full of complaints about how real estate in the Philippines was so expensive and how lame was the government backed home financing – Pag-ibig, was. BUT when we got here and was faced with the realities of how we can own and not rent our own place, I had to appreciate that the real estate prices back home was regulated and people could at least have some access to home financing without being buried in debt and interest.

I could only thank my lucky stars that my husband has some financial genius tucked in there somewhere in his brains. Early on in our marriage, when prices are not so high here in Phnom Penh, and instead of spending a lot on a lavish wedding, we decided to just invest in a piece of land. That time, this lot was pitiful looking. With a smelly creek at the back, not much neighbors/houses around, pot holed streets, and I lamented that this place can’t possibly get any internet connection (ha!) and it ‘seemed’ far from the city. But hubby argued that the city is expanding rapidly, and we won’t have to wait long till the area is developed. So we shelled out a couple of thousand dollars and got ourselves that lot. I was consoling myself that at least we won’t have to rent a place when we moved here.

After purchasing the lot, we also built a small 1 bedroom house just enough for the three of us. That time budget was really tight and we really had to scrape to build the place. Constructing it was a hardship too coz here if you want something done with passable quality, you have to be involved. Construction skills/services at that time were mediocre at best and how I wish there was something like san diego synthetic turf, where you just call someone and voila! they’ll install a gorgeous backyard for you. But since it was going to be a temporary home, we made do.

Fast forward to eight years later, our neighborhood is now crowded. Were surrounded by houses, the smelly creek at the back a thing of the past since a neighbor decided he wanted to build a house on top of the creek so he filled the area up. And I have internet, unlimited, not expensive and a wifi at home. Wahahaha. And I hail hubby as a genius coz now that we think about it considering how much our neighbors lot’s are worth now, our place is a very good buy.

Some things I have noticed:

Prices of houses and lots in the city centre and within its immediate vicinity is astronomical. Seriously astronomical, perhaps a lot more expensive that other more developed cities. You just have to check out various real estate classified ads to know what I mean.
Rental prices on the other hand I consider to be fair. Perhaps because of the fierce competition so you can have a variety of options for a temporary stay. I think furnished apartments are a really good deal here in Phnom Penh.
It’s good to see that there are some home financing offers already cropping up. They are still considerably expensive but at least its a start. I’m hoping this will improve in time, so housing would be more readily available to most Cambodians.
If you’re considering purchasing a lot, then it wouldn’t hurt to look at the available places on the suburbs. In fact I would recommend this. As I’ve mentioned the city is expanding so fast, I’m sure in a few years time those places that used to be ‘far’ would be near enough. And the prices aren’t as dear as those within the city.

As for us, right now were saving up to build a proper house in our current lot and we also have our sights on another place in the outskirts of the city. For sure, when were older we want somewhere with a little less noise, fresher air and little more space for greens.

Image: Naypong / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

An Almost Empty City

Lui — Sun, 15 Apr 2012 15:03:43 +0000

Hmm, I think I just found my favorite time of the year to be in Phnom Penh: Khmer New Year! Why? The streets are almost empty, I had a crazy time driving around. Lol. The only time I could actually brave to drive. Hahaha. Yes, those careening motos and speeding SUV’s makes me a coward so I’m really scared to drive here and I’m trying to overcome that sloooowly.

Phnom Penh Street During Khmer New Year. Yay! Almost empty!

The past few Khmer New Years, we joined the exodus of city dwellers to some vacation destination. But this year, we have decided to stay on. And I’m so happy we did decided to stay behind. The only downside is that most shops were closed from the 13th, so if one suddenly gets inspired to shop for test sieves, I doubt if there is any place open.

an almost deserted junction. this place is usually packed with traffic..

The only places open for business were biggie supermarkets and a couple of restaurants and mostly just along the riverside area. Our neighborhood which is usually noisy has been eerie with too much quiet. Even our neighbors dogs are out of town!

my kind of street. I can drive here. hahaha!

But sigh, this moment of peace and quiet is almost at its end. I’m sure lots of those who drove out of the city are now hurrying back. Hmm, still, I’m happy we got to loosen up a bit.

Living in Phnom Penh: Celebrations…

Lui — Sun, 15 Apr 2012 14:27:33 +0000

There are always reasons to celebrate. Just the fact that we can celebrate is a reason to celebrate. Lol. That was a mouthful. I have always believed that everyday is a day to celebrate but there really days that are extra special.

This time of the year is specially hectic with celebrations for us because its Khmer New Year and it coincides with my daughter’s birthday.

Cambodians (as well as some other countries around the region like India, Burma and Thailand) celebrate a separate New Year from the international new year (Jan 1) and Chinese new year. The Khmer New Year lasts for 3 days but the declared holidays usually start a day before and then a day after the said days. This new year simply means the end of the harvest season and the time for the farmers to enjoy the fruits of their labor and they also await the incoming rainy season.

During this time, Khmers cook special dishes for the family and for offering in pagodas/temples. They also make an offering table and place it on their patios. Offerings usually consist of fruits (bananas in particular), sodas, candies, flowers, etc. I even saw our neighbor place cigarettes, perfumes & cosmetics on their Khmer New Year offering table.

This is a really merry time for Khmers and they usually hold parties, with dancing and often part of these parties are traditional Khmer games. A Khmer friend told me that this is the time when Khmers really spend their money and splurge. They also believe that wearing new clothes is lucky.

On another note, we had a quiet but super fun birthday celebrations for the kiddo. That’s our rule, during birthdays, we do what the celebrant wants to do as long as its reasonable. Ha! I mean we had to stipulate some ‘limits’ coz she might one day take it in her head to ask for a trip to the moon on her birthday. Lol. I’d much rather she ask for Godin Bass instead of something totally outrageous and one we cannot afford.

For this year, she just asked for a whole day of swimming on a pool, lots of spaghetti and not to forget her favorite double chocolate ice cream cake. Of course, since she had been a good girl she got what she wished for plus some more.

And whoa! this ice cream cake is totally awesome. Sinful, specially for a serial dieter like moi.

Living in Phnom Penh: Khmer New Year, Almost!

Lui — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 12:05:38 +0000

Yay! Time for my random blurbs. Why is it that now that I am doubly busy, I am more motivated to blog? I’m weird like that. Or perhaps I just have a lot of stories struggling to be told. Hahaha. I know it sounds serious but what I have are just mundane everyday stuff.

Phnom Penh was in a bit of a frenzy this past week. The ASEAN Summit was held here so traffic jams, soldiers in full uniforms, attentive police (for once!), journalists, convoys abound. Some universities were told to suspend classes to lessen the traffic jams. And I did have a lot of fun getting stuck in the traffic and watch out for those wang wangs and diplomatic bigwigs and their convoys.

And yup, a big indicator if there are some foreign dignitaries/visitors in this country: lots and lots of flags scattered throughout the city. Here’s a big lot of them in front of Chaktomouk Theatre along Sisowath Quay.

I’m very very excited. Why? Khmer New Year is almost upon us and I’m always happy when it comes around. Not that I would stop working on my online projects and blogging, but the one week vacation would be a wonderful reprieve for me. And besides hubby and the kiddo won’t have work/school so we’ll all be together. We might go somewhere else for some R & R but at this time our plans are fluid. Bwahaha.. It’s subject to change and follow our whims.

My Khmer language classes are going really well. You won’t believe how happy I was the first time I was able to read a sentence written in Khmer. I was practically giddy, I dunno why. Perhaps because I have always thought this language is difficult to learn and here I am actually making some progress in learning it. As of now, I only know about 15 consonants and a couple of vowels and I still have a long long way to go, but right now I’m all positive I could do it.

Going back to school, even if its just a short course, is bringing some excitement back in my life. Not that my life now is not exciting but I kinda feel old. But going to school and seeing kids like these in the photos makes me feel a bit younger. Ha! I think there really is some truth to some advice I heard or read before that when you surround yourself with young ‘uns you’ll feel younger. See.. The snapshot below looks idyllic. Sigh.

Living in Phnom Penh: It’s Mid-March!

Lui — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 04:02:00 +0000

I was browsing my blog last night and it suddenly occurred to me, I had been posting mostly photos the past few months and writing less and less. Sigh. So much for trying to use this blog to practice writing. One of the main reasons I post a whole load of photos is that I’m obsessed with taking snapshots and I have this little belief that my photos share a better story than I do.

But this isn’t exactly how I envisioned my blog to be. And I have to slowly steer myself to writing more, at least alternate the photos with some articles and stories about living in Cambodia.

Right now I wanna get on with my weeky random ramblings..

Cambodia is now getting sooo hot. It’s scorching hot that I rarely venture out because I always get migraines because of the heat. And were just in mid-March, my husband reckons it’ll be hotter in April. And that just scares me.

I’m doing a bit of window shopping for some jewelry. My mom fancies some gold chains and we figured we’d gift her with some, if the quality and the price is right. Has anyone of you had any experience buying gold from those shops near Central Market? I also checked out some shops in Russian Market for made-to-order jewelry, but I’m scared about making a mistake and buying some fakes. I don’t know much about jewelry and I doubt I ever will know much. It’s just not an interest with me. But I want to have some nice ones for my mom so..

I’ve been receiving a lot of emails from readers and I love interacting with them, and answering questions that I can. Majority of them are very nice folks and its just makes me doubly passionate about blogging knowing that there are indeed a few people who reads this blog.

Among those who email me, there are also those I find very rude. Some demand information from me (usually about traveling to Cambodia) without so much as a please. I am NOT a travel agency and while I take pleasure in answering emails or tweets with tips on traveling, please be mindful of your manners too. I find it disgruntling when I receive an email demanding me to book a hotel or send them a hotel address.I would gladly help out with recommendations but please ask nicely. And it’ll be nice too if you learn how to use Google.

I’m getting busy planning trips. April is my daughter’s birthday and it falls on a holiday. So we are planning going somewhere. She and (both me and hubby too) are not big on parties and during birthdays, we usually travel to someplace where we could enjoy being together and have some relaxation time. I’m looking up some hotels and let’s see where we end up.

Were also going to the Philippines in June for my father’s 1st death anniversary (how time flies..) and as of now we have plans to also spend a few days in Malaysia. My daughter is itching to go up Petronas. I wonder why when it really just makes me feel queasy. Last time I went there, I went running to the bathroom the moment the ‘tour’ was over. Lol. But since she seems really interested, we’ll brave it again. Then after a few days we’ll fly to Manila. Going back we’ll be trying the Manila-Siem Reap, Cebu Pacific direct flight.

And uh, its my birthday this weekend. Yay! I’m getting older and yes, more fabulous. Choz! Hahaha. My plans? Hubby wanted to go somewhere to celebrate, but moi? I want to stay here in Phnom Penh, eat a lot of steak, have a total spa pampering (scrub, wrap, massage, sauna–the works!). And my birthday wish is not to do any chores for two whole days. I’ll miss scrubbing the bathroom if its more than 2 days, noh?

I miss having fish massage. I just had one a week ago in Siem Reap. It’s a totally weird experience but maybe I fancy being tickled while drinking a can of cold soda. Lol. And WOW! my legs and feet look humongous! They are NOT really like that in real life. Hahaha.

Rant About Pseudo Travellers

Lui — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 02:16:36 +0000

Let me start off by saying this is a semi-ranting post. I feel like ranting because I’ve had a distasteful experience with some people who were playing travelers and whom I have hosted here in Cambodia. I feel like I should really just write it down and hopefully some people with similar mind frame as them would find this helpful and just cancel their trips if they won’t bother giving the place a chance. I have seriously thought that traveling is to see something different, not look for the same things as what you have in your place?

First thing first, I know people travel for a variety of reasons. Some travel for enjoyment, relaxation, some to educate themselves, some for a totally new experiences, some simply because they want to have photos of a different place to post on their Facebook accounts and show off to their friends. I don’t have any problem really about anybody’s reason to travel. Different strokes for different folks right?

What I have a strong beef about is when a ‘pseudo-traveller’ just goes to a place with not even an inkling about that place. I’m not saying you should swallow a whole guidebook about the place, but it really does help things if you do a bit of background check about where you are going. For example, if you are going to Angkor Wat, at least have an idea about what temple’s history and the location etc etc. It doesn’t need to be an in depth knowledge just an overview. And the internet is one of the best places to do a bit of research. There are lots of forums one can visit if you are really interested. And I do wonder why would one go to a place if you don’t really have any interest in it?

I’m guessing this was what actually happened to my guests. They booked an Indochina backpacking tour with a stop first in Ho Chi Minh where they were supposed to stay for 3 days but they cut it short to 1 day. Why? They said it was uninteresting and boring. I was really surprised there. Sure, Ho Chi Minh has limited ‘places to go’ to but its a fascinating city to explore. I wondered why they didn’t even bother to check out the must-sees, even those that are heavily touristed. A simple browsing of a basic guidebook or any travel forum would have helped them. They could have hired a guide or booked a city tour if all else failed. But nah, they just didn’t give the place the chance to charm them.

That made me wary, apprehensive and I thought, ‘uh oh. Pseudo-travelers. No sense of adventure and maybe a tad closed minded’. They arrived in Phnom Penh a day earlier than I anticipated and guess what they only wanted to see places that were air-conditioned. And that means missing out on Tuol Sleng Museum and Killing Fields (and I seriously think they missed out on something vital about Cambodia). Russian Market was also out because it was ‘too hot’. The Royal Palace they only half-enjoyed (no air-con there either) They only thing they enjoyed was the food. Perhaps because I only brought them to air-conditioned and comfortable restaurants. Sigh. I wonder why they didn’t just book a tour to the North Pole if they want cold?

The next day, we braved taking them to one of those traditional and very Khmer restaurants with hammocks and really authentic Khmer food. As usual, I sensed that they weren’t exactly ecstatic about it but thank God they seemed to accept it as the food was really sooo good and very affordable. Seasoned travelers would be very glad about that experience coz that’s something uniquely Khmer and not every tourist that passes this way gets to experience that.

Then we went on to Siem Reap. There were various things to complain about.

Trip took too long. – we took the Ford transit vans. Express. Those little road monsters are faster than buses by 1 or 2 hrs and with only 1 short rest stop. If they wanted fast, I wonder why they didn’t just book a flight? And this is where that little research I had been talking about comes in. If you knew its supposed to be 6-7 hr drive then you won’t have a reason to complain. In this case, I did inform them we have about 5-6 hrs travel time, but still they complained.
The road is too dusty. – Duh? It’s summer and long stretches of road going to SR is being extended. Yes, Cambodian soil is the reddish, sticky when wet but so dusty when dry variety. But I wonder why they complain about this when the dust didn’t even touch them. We were in an air-conditioned van for goodness sake! I guess it offended their eyes?
Not much green. The fields are all dry – offensive to their eyes. Hmm, I wonder if they saw all these during wet season? I know coz for me the scenery is jaw droppingly beautiful. But I guess the rain would offend them as well.
Siem Riep is too dusty - see my comment above.
Temples are too far apart and road is dusty & looks exactly the same. – I would suggest reading on history and Khmer architecture for a bit of a background. Hahaha.
It’s very hot, and they don’t like sweating. They also don’t want dark skin – I’ve never experienced summer that is cold. And its not like they were not from the tropics. Duh?
Traditional music is not that nice. They better play Bruno Mars. – I reasoned, why should they? That is something unique to Cambodia and I love it. And you can just as easily listen to western music in other places, but only here can you listen to Khmer music. I just thank God, there were no Khmers with us.
The apsara dancers were not really ‘pretty’ and for sure it was obvious they did not appreciate Khmer dance. – Which is a pity. Lol. You can go and see hip hop dancing everywhere, but these you can see only here. And you don’t give a hoot about it? A real pity.
And this list, folks is just a condensed version. So can you imagine our consternation?

All in all, we just managed to visit 2 temples – Angkor Wat and Ta Phrom. Why, because Angkor Wat is on the flag and Ta Phrom is where Angelina Jolie shot a movie. We actually took them to Angkor Thom, The Bayon (which for me hands down is the most interesting temple in Angkor) but they refused to explore because its all just the same look. Sure,everything is just a huge heap of stone. But a true discerning eye would realize that those stones are shaped, carved and all piled together to make something jaw-dropping beautiful and unique. But appreciating things like this cannot be forced, so we just let it go and went off. That would be a record breaking visit to Angkor. My sister and I were laughing out heads off about going back to the hotel after just less than 5 hours.

The only thing they enjoyed about the trip to Siem Reap: good massage.

I simply can’t imagine anyone (who is not blind) who won’t be in awe at this:

Or perhaps I’m biased. If they don’t find this pretty, awesome would do at least. Hahaha..

Can you blame me if I’m pissed off? My sister and I took the time off to show them around, and we took time off from work. And yes, we paid for our own expenses. We didn’t ride on their wallets. Lol. So we just wasted a big bunch of our time and money on some people who we both decided are just simply ignorant, not to mention offensive (if they didn’t like one place – a comment would surely come with a cringe-worthy expletive), and very shallow tourists. They just wasted money (theirs, hahaha) and our time and money too . My sister said next time, somebody asks us to tour them around they have to sign a pledge confirming they are not primadonnas. Lol.

Suffice it to say, it has been an eye opening trip and I totally agree with Mark Twain when he said this:

I have found out that there ain’t no surer way to find out whether you like people or hate them than to travel with them.

And now that I have ranted here, I feel so much better. I hope I would never encounter guests like that anymore. And just in case you guys are wondering, no they don’t know about this blog and they don’t read this blog. But a part of me wishes they read this.

Living in Phnom Penh: Random Ramblings

Lui — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 01:50:24 +0000

Was really busy last week, gallivanting around Phnom Penh then we went off for a short trip to Siem Reap. We had some visitors and truth is, playing travel agent / tour guide doesn’t suit me. It just tires me out hahaha… So I’m really very exhausted and in a very pissed off mode right now.

But I do have a lot to say about our recent trip and about people traveling here without much knowledge or research about Cambodia. It’s part of the reason why I’m in a really bad mood right now. I will make a separate post, a full post rant about that later.

For now I have tons of chores to do (sigh….), huge pile of laundry to wash, I still need to go to market coz were out of food. And I have to look for discount dvds for some other project.

Phnom Penh now is extremely hot so I loathe going out after 9am. Not because I don’t want to turn dark but because the heat will just trigger my migraine on. I really dread the time when April/May arrives, since its bound to be even more hot here than now.

Will be back later..

Random Posts

Cambodia Snapshots: Intersection

Lui — Sun, 26 Feb 2012 00:04:29 +0000

One of the things I like about Phnom Penh: low buildings. I guess I had too much of high rises but I know time will come that Phnom Penh will be crammed full of high rise bulidings, judging by the constructions going on all around, but for now, I like looking at and enjoying low rise buildings, busy intersections like these.

Snapshot taken along Monivong Blvd. Phnom Penh.

Living in Phnom Penh: Random Bits

Lui — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 12:54:52 +0000

Here I go again with some random stuff..

Last week passed by like whirlwind. Everyone was busy and I was struggling to keep up with house chores and some work online. Sigh. Weeks like this just drains me no wonder I could never keep up with updating this site. But that’s okay. That’s a mom’s life. Full to the brim as always.
We started our own DIY project. We are fixing up our kitchen and we decided to do it ourselves. Yay! I’m just so excited about this. It’s a bit hard to find laborers here in Phnom Penh specially if you just need to fix something small. Oh, you can find someone to do it but based on our previous experiences hiring them, its not really worth it. So we decided to work on painting and stuff by ourselves during weekends. I’m so looking forward to how our new kitchen look. When we finish it. I have no idea when though. Hahaha.
Phnom Penh is currently experiencing almost daily power cuts. We’re lucky if we just get only about 3 hours per day power cut. I don’t why this is but its so frustrating. I miss a lot of computer work and also its hard to finish chores at home and I’m not the type to sit idly and count poly mailers. Just today, we had a three-hour power cut and occurred just while I was washing clothes. So instead of me finishing washing in an hour or so, it took me over 5 hours. And I’m getting more scared, if this would keep happening during summer months. Can you imagine the sweltering heat without even a fan? I’m really sweating just by the thought of it.
Another thing I’m excited about: a weekend trip to Mondulkiri. While its not exactly a leisure/pleasure trip, I am so looking forward to it. I think, Mondulkiri is one of my favorite places here in Cambodia. It’s a breathtakingly beautiful place. Almost unspoilt and tranquil. My kind of place…

Ocean of Trees, Mondulkiri Cambodia. Photos doesn’t do justice to this place. One of the most beautiful spots I’ve seen here in Cambo..

Bousra Waterfalls..

Of course, I’ll be taking loads of Mondulkiri snapshots, so watch this space

Food Trip Friday: Phnom Penh’s Napoli Pizza

Lui — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 14:29:06 +0000

Yes, you all already know me, hubby and the kiddo are really just pizza eating machines pretending to be human. Lol. And a few Saturdays ago, we were just driving around when we thought of refueling out tummies with what else but pizza. So we headed over to Kampuchea Krom Blvd, thinking of just grabbing a pizza at Pizza Company. But parking there is like expecting to find a 100 dollar bill on a crowded sidewalk so we just drove on.

A few blocks after, my daughter screamed, ‘ I see PIZZA!!’. She was pointing at a resto called Naples Pizza. So of course, we had to go try it. And thank God we did. I think I have a new favorite pizza place here in Phnom Penh!

I like the huge variety of pizza’s you can choose from on their menu. They also have Greek, Canadian pizzas and lot and lots of other choices. But of course, we had to try out first the thin crust, sausage stuffed seafood pizza. And it was soooooo good.

I had iced coffee..

They also had free desserts (taro and tapioca pearls in sweet coconut milk) which was nice, though I forgot to take photos of that.

The service was also efficient and friendly. Prices are affordable, and they also have free pizza promotions during weekdays. Let’s just say, I’ll be going back there again soon to try the other pizzas. I do wish they’d have more branches closer to city center..

Living in Phnom Penh: Randomeness #3

Lui — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 06:41:50 +0000

Hey, how was your Chinese New Year celebrations? Ours was really fun and merry with lots of food involved. Lol. Khmer-Chinese really celebrate the lunar new year with much fervor. Even local Khmers are now joining in with the festivities! While this is not an official holiday, well, people do take a break. Lots of shops and businesses are closed for three days. So the cities empty out and a lot of people go to provinces to just relax and have a bit of downtime.

Chinese lanterns @ Koh Pich (Diamond Island) Park

As for us, we observed the usual Chinese rituals, offering food, incense and prayers to departed ancestors. Then the next few days were spent eating, playing cards, spending time with the whole clan and it was capped with a road trip.

Now, I’m pretty much tired but revved up. I feel like I’m all in good mood and hearing good music. I guess that little break has done wonders to my mind set.

The food and celebration though has wreaked havoc on my diet so I started today doing vigorous high impact aerobic exercises. I feel really good afterwards and its like my own body metronomes are all in tune and working! And the good news is that when I checked the weighing scale..I didn’t gain any weight. Uh, thank God for healthy Chinese food and the workouts. Lol.

A Visit to Wat Vihear Sour in Prey Veng

Lui — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 05:55:59 +0000

Prey Veng is a Cambodian province not usually mentioned in tourist guides, and for some reason places like these appeal more to me. So when my sister-in-law suggested we go there, visit some family friends and also visit Wat Vihear Sour, a well known pagoda, I was all set to tag along. We also heard that in this pagoda, there is one temple that is home to a deity, said to be generous in granting wishes of good luck, wealth and specially fertility. I think this is one of the reasons why my in-laws wanted to make the trip. My younger brother-in-law and his wife have been trying for a baby for some years already and now they wanted to make an offering in that pagoda and ask for help to make their wish come true.

When I heard about this I was mighty curious. I’m not Buddhist but that doesn’t mean I don’t try to learn more or understand more of their beliefs. I always try to keep an open mind about these things and who knows if your wish can be granted. We’ve also been talking about having a second child, with the kiddo very eager to wear her little nurse uniform and be a ‘baby sitter’. Lol. So it wouldn’t hurt if we pray for one while we are there. And besides this reason, drives to Cambodian provinces is always delightful for me. You never know what you’ll see or encounter, aside from the lush, almost undisturbed countryside.

We left about 9 am and the drive was really pleasant. Just under 2 hrs with the roads all new and paved. To say that it was a picturesque drive would be an understatement. Most of the places around Phnom Penh are vast and unpopulated. Most are farmlands. Which makes me realize that Cambodia really has a smaller population compared to other places or perhaps majority are just concentrated on urban areas. Anyway, I’ll let the pics tell my story now…

Wat Vihear Sour has this huge ‘lake’..

This pagoda complex is huge and has several temples you can offer prayers and receive blessings. One can offer food, flowers, incense. In this pagoda you can also get some blessed water and wash your face with it for good luck.

A small temple located a few hundred meters from the big main temple is where the fertility deity is…Here you can make offerings, then a group of clergymen called a’chaa will pray with you. If you are wishing for a child, the a’chaa will bless a small lotus flower and put in the swollen belly of the deity and the girl will ‘pick’ it out of her. The couple would then wipe blessed water on their abdomen, then also drink three times. You will then be given the lotus flower to bring home and once you are home, to soak it in water and take a sip three times.

You can also ask for luck for business etc, by offering any bill and putting it inside the deity’s bag. Then after praying for a short while you can get back the bill and keep it for luck. It’s a pretty interesting ritual to see and I do feel privileged to see, experience and be a part of this. This is a part of Cambodia culture one doesn’t easily experience from your usual tourist places..

Gong Xi Fa Cai From Phnom Penh!

Lui — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 04:42:08 +0000

Everybody (well, almost everybody that is, hehe) is in a frenzy. The streets are getting clogged, the markets are getting more jampacked (if they could get more jampacked) and I keep seeing those pretty red lanterns on a lot of houses and shops. Well, Cambodia is celebrating along with Chinese! The Chinese New Year is one of the biggest festive events here in Cambodia, and while its not an official holiday, the rest of the Khmers are all celebrating this. I think this comes second to Khmer New Year in terms of their celebratory fervor. So now, we’re all getting ready to usher in the year of the dragon!

As for me, I’m leaving all the cooking to my mother-in-law. Hahaha. I’m a lucky, lucky girl! So it’ll all just be eating, offerings, leisure time for the weekend. On another note, I dread the havoc the holidays will wreak on my diet. I guess it’s time to bring out the plus size dresses or maybe I should be doing more intense exercises now to counter the effect of too much eating? Or maybe I should just stick to this particular favorite of mine…sesame seed snacks! Hahaha.

Enough of my blabbing. I just wanna wish everyone, good health and wealth for the coming new year! Gong Xi Fa Cai!

Food Trip Friday: Swensen’s Vanilla Brownies Ice Cream Cake

Lui — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 05:08:22 +0000

One should really stop wondering why my efforts to lose weight seems to be futile. Here’s one of the reasons: Ice Cream! We love it and lately we’ve been so into Swensen’s Ice Cream cakes. It’s a whole new way to enjoy ice cream eh? But the added calories with those creams and toppings…Oh well. I always say, I’ll just exercise more. Heh.

Vanilla Brownies: vanilla ice cream on top of chiffon cake. Then topped with cream icing, chocolate shavings, cherries and brownie chunks. How’s that for sugar rush?

And oh, all their cakes have a ‘happy birthday’ thingie on top. But it was nobody’s birthday, we were just craving for some ice cream. Hehe..You gotta love how they pack their cakes. It includes ice on both sides of the cake box, then they give out free paper plates, plastic spoons, plastic cake cutter and candles. And since we had those free candles what else could we do but light it up and take turns blowing it out. Lol.

Living in Phnom Penh: Mission Impossible @ Legend

Lui — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 01:37:41 +0000

I really should be doing this regularly. I know some friends and a small group of readers who are movie buffs and I’ll be posting ‘what’s showing’ feature regularly from now on. If you’re looking for some weekend and New Year entertainment, check out Legend Cinemas (City Mall) and they are showing a bunch of cool movies at this time. The latest in the line up is Tom Cruise’s Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol.

Huge fan of Tom Cruise, I am not so I was actually dilly dallying about watching the advance screening of his movie, but I was surprised that I really enjoyed the movie (in fact I think its the only MI film I actually enjoyed). It was fast paced, lots of fantastic action sequence, a cool enough plot and of course Simon Pegg’s witty dialogue was in its favor. I also must admit to developing a size-able crush on Jeremy Renner. I didn’t know this guy could be funny, but he is. And he does have that really soulful looking eyes. Ha! But that’s another story lol and I know I kinda have it bad.

Do check out Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol. Visit Legend Cinema’s website for the screening schedules.

Random Posts

Khmer Street Snacks: Grilled Rice Wrapped Bananas

Lui — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 03:36:01 +0000

Khmers have some really filling, yummy and cheap street snacks. Here’s one I’ve taken a liking to. Banana wrapped with sticky rice and some have bits of grated coconut, then wrapped in banana leaves then grilled. It’s not sweet and specially good when its still hot. It doesn’t look that appetizing at first glance and truth is I’ve passed on trying this for sometime mainly because it didn’t look too appealing to me. It took Hi-ace to persuade me to give it a bite, and I surprisingly liked it. I’m not big on too sweet snacks so maybe that’s the reason why.

Now I haven’t taken on Dietetic Technician Jobs, but I can guess this one’s a lot healthier than eating junk food. And what I love about it is that its soo filling. And I love grabbing it when I’m really hungry. Perhaps its all because of that rice. Lol. But its like and instant carbo boost. The inside looks like the Pinoy version of suman but that’s where the similarity ends.

You can find this yummy snack in a lot of street corners or in the markets and it sells for something like 1000 Riels..

Living in Phnom Penh: Celebrating Christmas in PP

Lui — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 03:46:33 +0000

This is our 4th Christmas celebrated here in Phnom Penh. And I kinda like the relaxing, quiet pace we have adapted when it comes to celebrating the holidays. Of course, Christmas in the Philippines (home for me!) would always be close to my heart and I do miss it. But there’s much I like about celebrating here. After all, Chinks and Hi-ace are with me. Also my sister is with us. Now if, only my mom and brother could fly over here for Christmas next year, then that would make me feel like I’ve won the lottery a hundred times over.

Here, Christmas is almost a non-event. It’s not a holiday, although I know some Khmers, particularly business establishments have started celebrating Christmas mainly because of the presence of a lot of expats here and you know the ‘commercial’ side of Christmas is too great to pass up. But its nice to see something a little more festive in malls etc. And its also not that hard to buy pressies and decors now compared to the past years. But its still quiet compared to other places, which I’ve learned to like because now I appreciate what Christmas is all about. We also now have simpler celebrations and I’m not in a frenzy. When we were living in Manila, I would always just about go crazy during the holidays. The traffic jams, packed and crowded malls, parties here and there. Well, after the holidays there I would feel like I’m in dire need of being checked in a drug rehab treatment centers! Like a hurricane just passed by..

Now, our Christmas would just be me cooking a bit, saying prayers, mass, exchanging gifts, visiting close friends and just spending time with my daughter and husband. I love it this way now. And the morning after Christmas, I still have some energy. Lol. One thing I do miss - simbang gabi. And of course, puto bumbong. Maybe we’ll have our Christmas next year in Philippines.. Hopefully our schedules would permit this, if not maybe my mom could join us?

Also, the weather here is really fab. Cool and dry. Sun still comes up but I find the heat very mild and tolerable so I’m having fun time jogging in the parks. I wish this temp would last a bit longer. Anyway, since its cold and were weird we decided to treat ourselves to some ice cream cake. Hahaha. Yes, we love eating ice cream when its cold. My daughter said its to check if its possible to have ‘brain freeze’. In any case, this one from Swensens was really nutty good. Comfort food.

Living in Phnom Penh: Bliss, Places and More Random-ness

Lui — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 11:47:39 +0000

Hey. I’ve been out and about so I didn’t have much time to blog. It’s almost Christmas but I’m not really feeling the season since Cambodia is not really much into it. But the breeze and the weather is just great. Very cool and dry. I could just spend days just lazing around, drinking my espresso and doing nothing. I wish. Lol.

But we’ve been taking advantage of the cool weather to do our bit of gallivanting. For the past three weekends, we’ve been out and about. Our Saturdays usually start with jogging at the parks, drive around and end up having lunch somewhere. Just last week we discovered a great lunch place popular with Khmers. The one with hammocks, raised platforms and nipa huts. We had a hearty Khmer lunch and napped on hammocks. I keep thinking this is what life is about. Heh.

Another weekend we visited a farm belong to Hi-ace’s friend. It was a totally lazy day with us just eating non-stop, lazing around in floating huts like this and trying our best to catch some fish.

Sigh. This is one of the best things I love about living in Cambodia. I really get to stop, relax and have a look around. And what I see, I really really like.

Next week is back to reality for me. I’m in an ‘almost panic mode’ now coz I haven’t really done any planning for Christmas and New Years. We were supposed to go to some beach for New Year’s Eve but that would cancelled since most hotels we want are now fully booked. We’ll probably be having a party with family and friends instead. So now I’m on hunt for pressies, so spyder jackets here I come! And thankfully, markets and malls here are not as crowded as in Manila. My friend tells me malls in Manila are danger zones now. I know too well how the Christmas rush there goes.

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