Living in Phnom Penh: Warm and Friendly Khmers..

Posted by Lui on Aug 28th, 2010 | 6 comments

When we moved here in Phnom Penh, one of my biggest apprehensions was getting along with Khmers. What if they are not nice? What if I find them unapproachable or what if they find me obnoxious? What if I I don’t get along with any of them? I’m famous known among my friends to be aloof and could sometimes be brutally frank. People usually assume at first that I’m unfriendly and I just can’t help the way I am, I’m just not the type to let people close when I hardly know them at all. I’m far from those friendly, ‘social butterfly’ types of person. So, let’s just say, I was scared about how I would fare socially here.

I guess I let my crazy anxieties get the better of me, coz when I got here I was just proven wrong.  I found Khmers to be very friendly and warm. When we arrived I got along famously first with my nephews and nieces mainly because I could easily communicate with them in English. I remember our first day, Hi-ace’s niece set aside half her day so she could tour me around the market and help me buy the things I need. She had always been ready to help with everything.

Cutie Khmer kids..

Khmer ‘Ta’  (grandpa) manning a store..

My Khmer sister-in-law’s are also very very nice. It’s a pity I can only speak and understand a smattering of Khmer but they never left me out and go to some length using sign language to make me understand.

They are tactile sort too. They are touchy and don’t be surprised to see people holding hands even men! I remembered I was really surprised when a few days of knowing me, one of my sister in law walked around in a mall with me and it was just natural for her to hold my arm or drape her hands over my shoulders companionably. I wasn’t used to that, but I must confess I felt touched that she didn’t consider me strange enough to stay aloof from me.

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@ The Singapore Flyer

Posted by Lui on Aug 27th, 2010 | 1 comment

Chinks and I had a brief stopover in Singapore on the way to Manila from Phnom Penh. We only have two days to do our bit of gallivanting around Singapore but I was just so not in the mood to do a thorough tour. We’ll probably do that again when Hi-ace is with us, but since it was just me and Chinks plus I was a bit under the weather that time, we just decided on eating, a little mall hopping and Chinkee just wants to ride the flyer.

Okay, I would have wanted to check out the newly opened Universal Studios but I’d prefer to have somebody else with us. Traveling with a hyperactive kid is just exhausting. Anyway, Singapore is a small city and their transportation system I found easy and convenient, its clean and for some odd reason I find myself thinking of Insinkerator disposals whenever I see the streets of Singapore. .

After checking in our hotel, we hauled ourselves in a cab and went on to Singapore Flyer. It was drizzling a bit and gloomy, and I was thinking it should have been better if we went there in the evening. Singapore Flyer is in this huge, mall-like complex. There are lots of shops, restos, and nice views all around.

Ticket costs S$29.50 for adults and S$20.65 for the kiddo. We got into the tube and prepared ourselves to be dizzy! But I thought wrong, I couldn’t even feel it move! All I know was that we were moving higher up and the views getting fantastic by each minute. One round takes about 20 minutes and we had a cool time snapping photos. It was lucky too that it was just Chinks me and another couple with one kid on the big capsule.

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Twas’ fun but Chinks said riding a roller coaster is better. Haha!

Food Trip Friday 16: Korean Dongas and Bibimbap

Posted by Lui on Aug 20th, 2010 | 9 comments

Not cooking this time, I guess I’m too lazy. I haven’t really tried much of the food courts in malls here mainly because I’m not a fan of the coupon system, its a hassle! And another reason is that I’m not yet even halfway trying those tempting restos all across Phnom Penh.

Anyway, yesterday Chinks wanted to go to the play area in the mall and we discovered that there is an uncrowded, and fairly big play area within Phnom Penh’s Sovanna Mall food court. While waiting for her, my sister and I ended up browsing the food stalls and we were surprised at what we saw. Tempting, yummy food at super affordable prices. The steepest price I saw was about 10,000 Riels for a huge meal!

And since I’m a huge fan of Korean food we ended up making a beeline for the Korean food stall. Not much variety but what we saw we liked. Ouwie who haven’t tried Korean food got herself the Korean version of Dongas, breaded pork cutlets with lots of side dishes, this is of Japanese origin but was adapted by Koreans, I think.

I got myself my all time fave Bibimbap, steamed white rice with lots of veggies, meat, fried/raw egg, with lots of steaming hot sauce and mixed together..

Each set cost just 8,000 R (about $2) and we both made a promise well go back every after few days so we could sample everything they’ve got in that food court. It was that good!

Splashing Fun in Springzone, Albay

Posted by Lui on Aug 18th, 2010 | 3 comments

You know one thing I like about our place in Bicol, Philippines? Proximity to resorts! If I want to have a swim in the ocean, my parents place are right in Bacacay Albay where we are surrounded by black sand beaches! The town right next to us, Sto. Domingo also has their fair share of beaches. If I want to go for white sand beaches and a bit of luxury, I could just as easily hop on a boat a head for Cagraray Islands where beaches are almost as superb as other popular beach spots in the country albeit more secluded.

Camarines Sur Water Sports Complex is also just two hours drive while Caramoan peninsula in Camarines Sur can be reached in half-day. So, we didn’t really need to go on long trips to get the swimming my daughter wants to have during our vacation.

Another great discovery we made is that spring and pool resorts are popping out everywhere! This is a good news specially since it does encourage more active tourism and it provides jobs and us a great variety of place to enjoy. Here’s one very near our house – Springzone Resort in San Jose Malilipot Albay. We could get there in less than 15 minutes! Went there early morning so there’s less crowds and Chinks had a happy time splashing around. The water though is from the spring so its really really cold and just perfect to cool you down.

Wordless Wednesday 10: On Top

Posted by Lui on Aug 18th, 2010 | 5 comments

Photo taken from Singapore Flyer, Singapore

Singapore’s Food Hawker Centres

Posted by Lui on Jul 24th, 2010 | 2 comments

Singapore is known to be a melting pot of cultures, of cuisines. Yes, you can almost be spoiled for choices when it comes to food and top notch restaurants in this small city. But whenever I visit Singapore, I prefer eating in hawker centres! Affordable, authentic, clean and you’ll get dizzy with the choices!

On our brief stop there before flying to Manila, Chinks and I mostly ate in hawker centers. I picked a hotel very near Lavender MRT Station and it was an inspired choice since there was a big food hawker centre right across the hotel. Suffice it to say we ate lots and lots without spending too much and before we left I kept wishing I had time to spare to visit the hotel gym and burn some calories even with just a dip bar. Anyway, here’s some photos..

In Manila..

Posted by Lui on Jul 12th, 2010 | 0 comments

Chinks and I left Phnom Penh last Tuesday, July 6th. We made a brief stop in Singapore just so Chinks could hop on the Singapore flyer (photos when I’m less lazy to sort it out ) and for me to walk around a mall. We ended up in Suntec City and wandered there aimlessly. And one thing I love doing in Singapore is to eat in hawker centers and that’s exactly what we did in our limited time there. Eat and eat lol!

Then we took a plane to Manila, stayed a day and thank God I was too tired to go malling otherwise it’ll be another bomb on my wallet! Haha this vacation is starting to get costly, I keep wishing I have some rfid blocking wallets to keep me from spending too much! Anyway, after staying with my brother for a day, we flew again to Legazpi to my parents house. Then after resting for a day, I flew back to Manila to do a gazillion errands. I’m just halfway through it and tonight I decided to give myself sometime to browse the malls and shops..

I also bought myself a netbook yesterday and I was just ecstatically happy coz I had perfect timing! Asus had a back to school promo and I got a whole lot of freebies, cash discount! Really really good value for my money!

One thing, I could say, Manila is as I remember. Crowded, chaotic, hard on the wallet if you stray in malls, and I just love people watching here. Lots of yuppies with bold fashion sense. =) Glad I’m back though I’m missing Phnom Penh too..

Swimwear Finds in Russian Market (Psar Tuol Tompong)

Posted by Lui on Jul 4th, 2010 | 0 comments

Yesterday, we were supposed to be looking for some new tv stands after visiting a travel agency to make travel arrangements, but we ended up just driving around, then going to the supermarket then piling up on pastries. Ugh, really really bad for me but Hi-ace was on his element trying {and totally succeeding} to make me eat some calorie laden muffins and doughnuts.

Since the shopping trip was postponed yesterday, I decided to go this morning not for tv stands though since I prefer to have Hi-ace when I buy that, and since he’s in Takeo province today, it was just me doing a bit of shopping in where else but Russian Market (Psar Tuol Tompong). I didn’t really have a clue what to buy and I was thinking of buying a pair of sandals but I didn’t like what I was in the stalls. I ended up wandering about the market when one seller called me. I remembered she lives a few doors down from my mother-in-law’s flat and she asked me to have a look at the new things she’s selling..

My, my! Really nice swimwear and lingerie, which is really hard to find around Phnom Penh. I bought a few Merona tankini’s to give to my friends and some Gap bra’s (and no they are not fake, all authentic!!). How much? $6 for the tankini’s and $5 for a lacy bra in nude color. All a steal with those prices considering that Merona tankini’s retails from $15 – $40..

Here’s just some:

She has this really small shop and I tend to overlook it with all the other shops crammed about the market but it was a great find! She has a lot of branded lingerie, bikinis, swimwear, sleepwear and tank tops. And she gives a fair price too and is not really scary to bargain with.

Several stalls down I also bought a sexy little tankini for Chinks for only $3..