pinaywifespeaks » Random Thoughts

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.

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!

Random New Year Ramblings

Lui — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 02:23:02 +0000

Ha! It’s already the 5th day of the first month of 2012 and here I am just greeting everyone a Happy New Year! But then…were still on the first week, right? So I’m sure its ok. Hahaha. As much as I love blogging, I have more important priorities. I’ve been beat and tired so I figured I needed a few days rest from being ‘online’. It was a good call coz now I feel energized, motivated and ready to give blogging for 2012 a big go!

I have tons of plans. And I think its high time I move to other things aside from blogging. I manage multiple blogs, mostly personal blogs with niche topics like fashion and beauty (where I write about fashion finds, things I find pretty etc). I also have a thrift shopping blog, a ‘mom blog’, and a few more. And of course this one, my personal-lifestyle-living in Cambodia blog. And these blogs had been a great journey and a fabulous past time for me (not to mention the shopping money it earns me lol!) and I’ll carry on updating them.

But I’ll be implementing a teeny weeny bit of change here. I’m adding in some recommended products you guys might be interested in. I know I already have a few ads scattered on the blog, but I’m hoping this would make a good addition and would add some more value to each posting. You’ll be seeing ‘featured products’ at the bottom of each post. At least it could help me earn my hosting and domain fees.

I’m also doing a category clean-up on this site. It’s driving me nuts that a few years of disorganized posting habit made this site an almost mess. I need to streamline my categories and re-organize the posts, so if you see something weird around here in the next few days, please bear with me. I intend to come up with a better looking Pinaywifespeaks.

Since its a new year, I’ve decided to pursue another ‘project’. This time I’ll be building niche websites and experimenting with it, trying out different monetizing strategies. Hmm, its going to be a trial and error project, I know the big probability of me failing but I also know its gonna keep me occupied and I’m really really excited since I know this time I’ll be learning more. But whatever the outcome, I don’t intend to quit until I discover what works for me.

Hmm, see I’m pretty much motivated. I must have eaten something really good during the New Years. Lol. Have a great weekend everyone!

From Pinaywifespeaks…

Lui — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 04:07:09 +0000

A Happy Christmas and Great New Things for the New Year…

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.

Food Trip Friday: Boran’s Pad Thai

Lui — Sat, 22 Oct 2011 05:44:44 +0000

I’ve been passing by this little restaurant called Boran, along St. 51 and I keep telling myself I wanna try the food there. The place looks homey, the food they offer looks home cooked and they are always packed full during lunch hours. So I figured they probably have good food. So Sreisaat and I went over there yesterday and my hunch was right on. Affordable (most items on the menu were priced below $3) and sooo yummy Khmer-Thai food. They also have unlimited rice servings.

I had Pad Thai. Love the big serving, how its arranged on the platter. You get to mix it yourself which is a great way to serve it coz say some don’t want bean sprouts or peanuts.. But I do love everything on my Pad Thai and this one exceeds expectations. I love the subtle flavor, its not too overwhelming. Just yummy. Were definitely going back to this place and try out their other offerings.

Harry Potter – The Deathly Hallows II @ Legend Cinema

Lui — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 03:19:04 +0000

Are you a Potter fan? I am. Totally. Madly. My Harry Potter obsession actually started not with the movies but with the books. I remember rushing to National Bookstore in Manila every time a new HP book becomes available. I have all copies in paperback and I also have all books in e-book format. Just so I could read it again and again if the fancy strikes me. Perhaps some might say that is so geeky of me, but I don’t care.

See.. Even my Win7 Theme is all Harry Potter. Hahaha!

Why do I love it so much? Because it transports me to a different world. And whenever I feel like my imagination and creativity is on dead zone, I just read one of these books, and it makes me start imagining. Although I am not as impressed with the movie compared to the books, I still fell headlong into love with the Harry Potter movies as well. Not so because of the CGI effects but more with the actors portraying each role.

My favorite character in the series is Severus Snape. Perhaps I have a penchant for weird characters but I find him incredibly well written, and with a lot of depth. Plus Alan Rickman plays him superbly. From the onset, I always thought Snape must have some connection to Harry. And that there is more to him than simply being a grouch. And the last part of the series proves that. This movie is definitely Snape’s redemption. In the book, I cried buckets when he died and when Harry was walking thorough his childhood memories. While in the movie, it was tad less dramatic, but I was still affected. Yup, that’s how invested I am on Snape’s character. I find it incredibly sad yet happy {yeah conflicting emotions there…} that the last person he sees before he dies is Harry…The last words he uttered is just sooo poignant…”You have your mother’s eyes…” Sigh.

I’m thinking of reviewing the movie Deathly Hallows I and II but I’ll be posting it on my other blog – Unfiltered Musings. I think this is something much more nicer than just blabbing on about raypak heat pump at PoolSupplyUnlimited.com, don’t you agree?

Anyway, for Potter fans Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows I and II is now showing at Legend Cinemas {City Mall}. Do catch it. Part II has a 3D release and I attended the advance media screening, it was superb. Check out the screening schedules in their website. Also, Legend Cinemas has a pretty fun and interactive Facebook Fan Page so do visit and who knows you might just get some freebies from hanging out there.

Cebu Pacific Air Seat Sale Still On!

Lui — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 01:10:53 +0000

Cebu Pacific Juan to Fly? Promo:

Manila to Legazpi or Naga | Cebu to Clark, Davao, Ozamiz, Pagadian or Surigao | Davao to Iloilo – P488
Manila to Tagbilaran or Roxas – P788
Manila to Ozamiz – P888

Manila to Ho Chi Minh – P1288
Manila to Brunei, Guangzhou, Jakarta or Kuala Lumpur – P1488
Manila to Osaka – 2088

Today’s gonna be the last day of the sale! So go hurry and grab yourself some cheap tickets and have a vacation. Lol! I know I should have posted it earlier, but I guess I was too preoccupied scoring deals. Heh. I just got back first week of July and now I’m trip planning again. Sigh. The expense, the expense. But I can’t help myself, I miss my family terribly and unless I could find budget rates for conferencing calling, then I’d have to fly home from time to time.

Were going home again for All Soul’s Day, and kiddo and I will be leaving on the last week of October and going back early November. And yay! I scored discount tickets from Cebu Pacific and were traveling via Ho Chi Minh on the way to Manila. I’m quite giddy with the savings I scored coz that is more than enough to pay for our RT ticket from Manila to Legazpi! Imagine, the usual no discount fare for 2 pax Saigon-Manila would be around $200++ but yesterday I booked and paid less than $128!

So yeah, I’m in a pretty good mood. Hahaha. Anyway, its weekend and I’m wondering what to do..Any suggestions?

Manila-Phnom Penh via Ho Chi Minh City

Lui — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 11:51:01 +0000

This would be a long, word heavy post. A rarity for me, I know. I was actually at a loss on what to post about and has been discussing which motorcycle gps would be the coolest to use with hubby and neighbors when it suddenly occurred to me, I’ve been getting a lot of questions about the easy and affordable way to travel Manila-Phnom Penh and also about the overland travel between Phnom Penh and Ho Chi Minh. So why not post about my recent trip?

Ever since we started living here in Cambodia, my usualy way when going home to Manila would either be Phnom Penh-Singapore-Manila, or Phnom Penh-Bangkok-Manila or Phnom Penh-Kuala Lumpur-Manila. I preferred this route because I usually traveled with a child. I know of some Pinoy friends who suggest going by bus to Ho Chi Minh then taking the PAL or Cebu Pacific flight to Manila. I got the chance to try the route when I traveled last May alone.

It was a really straight forward, hassle free trip. From Phnom Penh, I simply bought a Mekong Express bus ticket. I took the morning trip (8:30 am) coz I wanted to get to Saigon while its still bright, mainly coz I’m alone and scared. Lol. This is actually my favorite bus to ride when going to Ho Chi Minh. For just $12 you get a comfy seat, a bottle of chilled water and a croissant and a wet towel. They also have an English speaking guide on board who would assist you. Before you get onboard, the staff would check your passport/visa, then if you have luggage to deposit, they will be tagged properly. The trip was smooth going and without hassles. The bus has a restroom but I didn’t try using it. They will stop once for lunch very near the Bavet border, the rest-stop place is clean and has good food options. Then the guide would assist you on crossing the border. The process would take about 30 mins and you have to get your luggage and have it screened when you get to the Vietnam immigration. Before 2 pm I was already in Ho Chi Minh. Travel time is about 6 hours including immigration checks.

Got down in Pham Ngu Lao area, walked around a bit. When it was time to go to the airport I simply hailed a Vinasun {Innova} taxi, fare amounted to 140,000 Dong {about $7}. When in Ho Chi Minh, I would recommend using just Vinasun or Mai Linh taxi as taxi scams are well-known in the area. And do ~~ask~~ insist to use the meter. Then I took the Cebu Pacific flight to Manila which leaves at around 1 am.

Now that I’ve tried the route, I think this is a really economical route. You get to save one leg of flight and pay just $12 + taxi fare. Cebu Pacific fares are also cheap so I think I’ll be going by this route more often. The connecting times are also good. If you leave Phnom Penh at around 1:30 pm, you’d be in HCM at around 8pm just the right time to head over the airport and check in for Cebu Pacific flight. If you’re taking PAL, the flight sched is at 2 pm so you’d have to get yourself a hotel for an overnight stay. Which is not a problem too as hotels in HCM are really cheap.

On our trip back from Manila, I was with hubby and Chinks. We arrived in Ho Chi Minh around 1 am, we decided to spend a day there. We stayed in a hotel in Pham Ngu Lao which is ideal since its very near ticket counters of buses going to Phnom Penh. The next day we decided we’ll try out Sapaco Tourist Bus to Phnom Penh. We wanted to compare how it would fare against the Mekong Express. It’s cheaper! Tickets costs just $10 {200,000 Dong} and we got ourselves the 9 am bus. The staff courteous enough but they speak very very very little English. Thankfully, hubby could understand a bit of Vietnamese so we got by. Luggage was properly tagged and we were given a bottle of water. While the bus was clean, it was also packed to the hilt with assorted goods. I didn’t have any place for my carry on luggage and I can’t even stretch my feet since the space under the seats was all filled with goods. I have no idea why they do these, but they should also be mindful of the comfort of their passengers. Also, they have a restroom but the space in front of the restroom door was packed with stuff, then I really wonder how we’d squeeze ourselves to get inside the door.

The immigration stop was a little chaotic as you’re on your own. The bus conductor { who speaks no English} would get your passport, bring it over to the immigration and you wait for your name to be called. We got a bit lost here since the conductor didn’t say anything, thank God we had the good sense to follow the group ahead of us. Anyway, we still got to Phnom Penh at around 4 pm.

Comparing the two bus companies, I would definitely ride the Mekong Express again. But then again, I’m up for a little adventure, maybe I’ll try to ride the other bus companies plying the route, then I promise to do a review..

Mekong Express Limousine Bus

#87 Sisowath Quay Phnom Penh - +(855) (0)23-427518

#275F Pham Ngu Lao Ho Chi Minh – +(84)(8)383733917 / +(84) 935507894

email: mekongexpress@online.com.kh

Sapaco Tourist

#307 Preah Sihanouk Blvd, Sangkat Veal Vong, Khan 7 Makara Phnom Penh – +(855) (0)23 210300 / +(855) (0)23 210324 / +(855) 12 696688

#325 Pham Ngu Lao St. Ho Chi Minh – + (84) (8) 39203623 / + (84) (8) 39206920

email: sapacotourist@vnn.vn

website: www.sapacotourist.com/

Cooking up Something New…

Lui — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 02:26:53 +0000

After the really harrowing past two months that I’ve been through, I’m finally beginning to relax. So I think I could now face blogging. I still have to get back my blogging mojo but I’ve been staring at my blogs since yesterday and I thought I need to prod myself out of melancholy and do something. So I could either make a mad dash to the mall and be a crazy shopper, who knows I might end up with laser barcode scanner, which I don’t even need, but in the mood I’m currently in I might just grab something I would regret buying.

So yesterday, I did my bit of online shopping for some bags and shirts. Then today, I’ve decided to do a total blog dress-up for most of my blogs. Yes, the something new I’ve mentioned is a new look for this blog. So watch out for it. And hopefully, I could write down some thoughts also soon.

And oh, I’m liking how WordPress 3.2 looks like. Very sleek and clean. And on another note, I really miss posting my Cambodia Snapshots series so do expect that to be ~~resurrected~~ back soon..

Back in Phnom Penh..

Lui — Sun, 03 Jul 2011 13:42:05 +0000

This is just a short quickie post. I just wanna buzz people who drop by this blog that, yep! I’m still alive. Lol! I know I’ve been out of sorts and so busy the past weeks and this blog went really stale. But now I’m back and hopefully, I could get back to regularly updating the site in the next few days.

For now, I’m concentrating on resting. I need it really badly. Several weeks of 1-2 hrs daily sleep has seriously made me look like a raccoon. Then I think I need some pampering. For the past week I keep experiencing leg cramps, so I think I need some serious session in a spa. I think its time I pay attention to myself coz the past weeks has really been nerve wracking, and I was on the verge of being depressed. Hubby thinks I’m not on the ‘verge’ of depression but I am actually depressed. Maybe he’s right. Just this morning, I was standing in the duty free shop and was picking up stuff to buy without thinking, like I was in a haze. Good thing I didn’t get electronic cigarette wholesale, otherwise now I’d be wondering what I’d do with it.

What I just got were several bottles of wine (???) and lots of chocolates. Now I don’t know why I bought them..

Appreciating Life..

Lui — Sat, 18 Jun 2011 15:16:50 +0000

I think I’ve lost my blogging mojo, temporarily that is. Not because I lost interest but mostly because I simply don’t have time to write. I’m still in the Philippines and will be here indefinitely coz I’ve been helping to care for my ailing father. Of course, I’ll be going back to Phnom Penh every once in a while but for now Bicol is where I’ll be. Anyway, things are going downhill fast with regards to my father.

How I keep wishing I was somewhere else and doing something else and my most pressing concern is picking out garter belts. But if I ever learned something through all this, it is accepting my lot in life. We may not get everything we want but its up to us to make something out of the things we are given. It might be hard to see positives in this situation, but right now I cling to those positive things.

Yes, my father has been given terminal illness but as he keeps saying, this is the cycle of life. That at some point he will get sick and say goodbye, so somehow he appreciates the time given to him to prepare, to tie loose ends. And most of all, the last time we had a serious conversation, I asked him if he is happy with how his life went and if he has regrets. He said, yes, he has few regrets but he is happy with how his life had been.

As for me, some might say its a perverse thing to be happy but right now I’m choosing to appreciate that I’ve been blessed with a loving and responsible father. And the chance to show that gratitude while he is still with us. To my dad, Happy Father’s Day.

Father’s Day Thoughts

Lui — Sat, 18 Jun 2011 13:41:06 +0000

It’s father’s day tomorrow and I find myself feeling the reason to celebrate. Of course, foremost in my mind are the two dad’s in my life. My father and hubby. I could never find the words enough to show how much I appreciate these two special men. Father’s Day is usually just a quiet affair for us. We often just cook food and eat as a family. I wish I could do this for hubby and my own father.

Right now though I’m choosing to celebrate Father’s Day with my father. It’s something to celebrate having a great dad but its also ironic that he’s now lying down and sick. As of this time, he is in the hospital and were taking turns watching over him. I still think were fortunate enough to be given the chance to care for him. And while I’ve been pondering great gifts for dad, something to bring a smile to his day, I realized that saying ‘thank you’ and expressing my gratitude for everything he did for us, caring for him especially now, are the best gifts I could give him right now.

There’s something like a line of gold thread running through a man’s words when he talks to his daughter, and gradually over the years it gets to be long enough for you to pick up in your hands and weave into a cloth that feels like love itself. ~John Gregory Brown, Decorations in a Ruined Cemetery, 1994

Cambodia Snapshots: Chinese Temple

Lui — Sun, 29 May 2011 10:15:07 +0000

A Chinese temple in Takhmao near Phnom Penh city. This was taken during the Chinese New Year this year. We usually frequent this small temple coz I find it fascinatingly scenic. It’s also located right along the river so the cool breeze is extra welcome. Love how ornate the temples are and also observing how the Chinese make their prayers and offerings.

On another note, I’m still not sure when I’ll be going back to Phnom Penh. Thankfully, I have a good hoard of Cambodia photos and I have the opportunity now to tweak it. Being so stressed out has also gave me some progress on my weight loss goals hahaha! at least without the help of usp labs oxyelite pro. At least I have things to get me distracted from the low downs I’m experiencing now..

Cambodia Snapshots: Independence Monument

Lui — Sun, 29 May 2011 09:27:25 +0000

Missed two weeks of my snapshots post..I’m still in the Philippines and my dad’s condition still has no improvements. I’m taking some time doing some reading mostly about health articles and now I think have had a serious dose of colonetix knowledge. So, I had to while away my time editing some photos. And of course update my blog with some Cambodia Snapshots.

Here’s one of my favorite landmarks here in Phnom Penh, the Independence Monument. Took this shot while I was riding a motorbike hence the blurry effect. Love the light effect…

Pinas In a While..

Lui — Fri, 20 May 2011 12:37:45 +0000

Back to posting! It just feels weird for me not to update this blog even for just a couple of days. In any case, I’m not abandoning the blog. I’m simply on a ‘vacation’. How I wish this is one of those leisurely vacations, where I could just count
challenge coins, eat a lot, have a massage and just walk about a new and exciting place.

My father is sick and I simply cannot stay and wait for news. So my husband and I have decided I’ll fly home and stay in the Philippines for a few weeks at least to help my mom and also I’d like to be given the chance to take care of my father. I know its a tough task but I could only remember how he has sacrificed a lot for us and at the very least I want to show my endless gratitude by being there when he is in pain.

I think everyone goes through something as painful as seeing a parent sick and almost coming to an end. I don’t want life to end for anyone but who am I to say life cannot end. In the end, we have to accept things. I can only wish that he won’t suffer too much pain because seeing it just breaks me. It’s also tough seeing my mom deal with it so I have to be here at least to lend some support. There’s still a tough road ahead, so please pray for my dad and also for my mom.

I hate being melancholic when I post something, but this is exactly how I feel right now. I’m sad, but grateful too because now I realize that really there are people who are there to support us.

Cambodia Snapshots: Phnom Penh Chaktomuk Theatre

Lui — Sat, 14 May 2011 06:08:38 +0000

One of the landmark buildings here in Phnom Penh. The Chaktomuk Theatre. Located along Sisowath Quay. Originally opened in 1961 as La Salle de Conférence Chaktomuk. It is mainly used now for performances as well as business conferences.

It’s small and not as huge as other complexes in Cambodia but its very distinctive and eye-catching. Reminds me so much of plantation shutters, villas etc. This is one Phnom Penh’s architectural landmarks and well worth the visit.

~oOo~

This is also an entry to

Food Trip Friday 49: Iced Wintermelon

Lui — Sat, 14 May 2011 05:35:03 +0000

I missed posting last weeks FTF entry. Not intentional, I was just preoccupied with other things. But yeah, life does goes on…How I wish I could say I was just lazing around, or watching TV or partying or I was shopping for maternity clothes. But I was not.

Anyway, here’s what I’ve been eating and loving so much last week. This usually is my dinner. Ripe wintermelons {trasak srau}, chopped, drizzled with condensed milk and topped with ice. Soooo yummy and refreshing. It looks like avocado, but the texture is like boiled squash, and the taste like cantaloupe. Confused, yet? Hahaha. It is yummy and I could actually finish the whole bowl.

Just perfect for the Phnom Penh summer heat. I’m taking advantage coz this is the season for this fruit, and with $.50 you can get one or two whole fruit already..

Phnom Penh Sunset River Boat Cruise

Lui — Thu, 05 May 2011 03:12:42 +0000

Phnom Penh is such a laid back city. The pace of life is not crazy fast, and you can still actually enjoy walks in the parks, badminton on a side street, group calisthenics along the river side. It’s one of the things that I really love here. That you can enjoy free and simple things. I won’t be surprised when one day I might just be in my sport shoes and jumping/dancing with a group to whatever tune those boom boxes in some corner is playing. Lol.

river boats for rent…

Lately, when we don’t have have much to do we usually end up taking a lazy river boat cruise. These cruises are available at sun down about 5:00 pm and leaves every 30 minutes with the last boat at 7-8pm. We usually pay 5000 Riels {$1.25} and 2000 Riels for kiddo per ride. Expect to pay a little bit more if you’re a foreigner {about $2.} The cruise usually takes about an hour and is a wonderful spot for sunset watching. If you want your own boat you can rent one at the same place {along Sisowath Quay, beside Bopha Titanic Restaurant}. Bargain hard. Prices depends on how long you want to rent the boat. But average prices are from $20-$30 for two-three hours.

Here’s some photos from a recent boat cruise..

@the boat top deck..waiting for some more cruisers..

Royal Palace and riverfront…

fiery sunset..

floating houses..

lovely sunset..

Oh, someone mailed me asking about the photo effects on some of my photos. I usually like making my photos Black & White, Sepia or the Miniature Model Effect {tuts here and here}. My current favorite though is the Seventies look. For some reason, the lonely, old 70′s look appeals to me. You can check out Pioneer Woman for some Photoshop actions to get these effect much easier.

Invites and More Invites…

Lui — Thu, 05 May 2011 02:10:21 +0000

From the title, one would think I’m like some social butterfly. Hahahaha! My friends would be the first ones to laugh at that. I’m okay with socializing, I’m just not soo crazy or obsessed with it. Truth is, I’m a bit shy. {Really.} So a constant avalanche of party invitations was not what I expected when we moved here in Phnom Penh.

Khmers loves weddings and parties. And they would go out of their way to invite everyone they know, even if you’re not close. Even if you’re merely ‘nodding acquaintances’ don’t be surprised to get an invite to someone’s wedding, birthday or house opening etc. It’s nice, really. Sometimes. It took me awhile to get used to it since back home, when we have parties we invite people who really matter to us. Close relatives, family.. I think its a different case here. The more people you can bring to your party the better. It takes getting used to but after almost three years, I’m not surprised to get a lot of invitations every month. More so I guess because hubby is Khmer. But if you’re an expat here and have a few Khmer friends, you’re bound to get an invite sooner or later.

And when you’re invited, you have to show up dressed up. I always make an effort now to be dressed up when attending these parties otherwise you’d totally stand out if you’re so dressed down. Khmers love dressing up and when it comes to weddings they go all out. Formal attire, gowns and with matching bouffant hairdo’s and heavy makeup.

Also, these parties have registers. When you go in, you have to give your invitation and they’ll write down your name on the register. Gifts are in the form of cash. Yes, cash. Although its alright to give something wrapped for house opening parties or birthdays, the most acceptable gift is cash. You have to put it in the invitation envelope with your name and they will also write the amount you give in the register. I was at first shocked at this and badgered hubby why the need to write it down. It’s embarrassing you know. But that is the custom here so…one just adjusts.

My one beef is that, since we get a lot of invites its a considerable dent on the monthly budget. No kidding. The lowest minimum you can give is $10-15. For really close relatives and friends on average you give $20-30. Imagine getting 10 or more invites a month! And don’t include there your dressing up costs! Sigh. I told my husband, from what we ‘contribute’ to these parties we could get ourselves an insurance coverage from Wholesaleinsurance.net! Or I could buy myself 100 pairs of shoes every year.

I know some would say, Oh! just decline the invite.. Yeah, but in Asian society its not very polite to do so. At the same time you’re at risk of burning bridges and hurting sensitive feelings. And hubby says its one way of networking. Sigh. What can one do? At least its an excuse to glam up and eat. Lolz. A friend on mine said, when she goes to Khmer weddings she just pretends its an eat-all-you-can restaurant and eat a lot. After all, she’s expected to pay for her meal.

And oh, one thing. The photo above, those are just a few invites we got last Feb. I do have to say, they love color and stuff a lot of decor on their invites. Really interesting and maddeningly ornate. Makes me want to collect it.

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