Khmer Language: Counting and Amounts the Cambodian Way..

I’ve been amiss writing posts about learning the Khmer language. Truth is, I haven’t progressed that much but I can now (though I’m hardly an expert yet) get a ride on a motodup, bargain in wet markets..

Khmer numbers

I’ve been trying hard to learn some basic Khmer so I could get around and I decided to share this to everyone. So learn with me Aside from the basic greetings and form of addresses (see my previous post – Basic Khmer Language for the Traveler) , I believe its a must for any expat living here in Cambodia to learn about the numbers, amounts and their counting system. Why?

• Majority of the streets in Phnom Penh are in numbers. So if you want to be more mobile or you want to easily learn your way around, then first learn the numbers. Check out Canby Publications map and you’ll get what I mean.
• Yes, there are plenty of supermarkets now where prices of goods are tagged in dollars and you don’t need to haggle but all markets and some restaurants quote their prices in Khmer. I’m sure you don’t want to miss the opportunity to haggle and score bargains.

** Note that these are just approximate ‘English’ translations so we can get the closest sounds to Khmer words. These are less than perfect so to improve pronunciation and to get ourselves easily understood, its best to listen well to Khmer native speakers and practice..

• 1  -   muuy
• 2  -   pii
• 3  -   bai
• 4  -   buhn
• 5  -   phrum
• 6  -   phrum muuy
• 7  -   phrum pii
• 8  -   phrum bai
• 9  -   phrum buhn
• 10 – dop
• 11 – dop muuy
• 15 – dop phrum
• 16 – dop phrum muuy
• 20 – m’pai
• 21 – mpai muuy
• 30 – saam-suhp
• 40 – sai-suhp
• 50 – haa-suhp
• 60 – hok-suhp
• 70 – jeut-suhp
• 80 – paet-suhp
• 90 – kau-suhp
• 100 – muuy roy (* hundreds use ‘roy‘)
• 101 – muuy roy muuy
• 200 – pii roy
• 1000 – muy puan (thousands use ‘puan‘)
• 1,000,000 – muuy lian (millions use ‘lian‘)

Tips:

• Cambodians count in increments of five. After you reach the number 5 (phrum), you just then add one to five (phrum muy for 6) and so on. When you reach 10 (dop) , the cycle begins again by adding one (dop muy for 11).
• You will also often encounter some Khmers who reverses the orders of the numbers especially for numbers between 10-20 and they usually insert dun between the numbers. Example, for 12 – instead of saying dop pii, they usually say pii dun dop.
• Khmers usually also use shortcuts like instead of saying ‘muuy roy‘ for 1,000 they would say ‘ma’puan‘..
• The trick is to listen well. If you simply don’t get it, you can ask them to speak slowly, say ‘Sohm, niyeay yeut yeut..’

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Khmer Hammocks and Food

This happened a few weeks back.. It was a weekend and with Hi-ace having a day without anything scheduled, so he asked me where I want to go for the rest of the afternoon. That day, I didn’t want to eat in any fancy resto or even go malling, I simply wanted to have some wind and rest and I was thinking I wanted to eat grilled sweet corn.

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..

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Me? Learning to Drive a Motorbike?

Last Sunday, after a sumptuous lunch at my mother-in-law’s house (again ), the family were having some lively discussion about motorbikes and driving around Phnom Penh. I was merely listening (ahem! pretending to listen I mean) though I hardly understood what were all talking about.

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.

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Video: Day 1 Cambodian Water Festival 2009

Here’s a video from KhmerLiveTV of Day 1 of Cambodian Water Festival 2009. Though curious about this occasion that is so much part of the Cambodian culture, I didn’t want to brave the crowds to watch the events so I was just content watching it on tv and those curious about the going ons this video would give you an idea about the Cambodian Water Festival.

Cambodian Pchum Ben Festival

I’ve been amiss updating my blogs since I’ve been quite busy with other web projects and coincidentally, the rest of Cambodia has been celebrating the Pchum Ben Festival. So it was holiday for sometime, with lots of going ons specially around the markets and of course, the pagodas. This festival has a solemn quality to it with most people going to pagodas for prayers.

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..

Getting Medicines in Phnom Penh

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.

Litter Here and Everywhere, I’m Ranting!

One of the things I don’t like here in Phnom Penh is trash and litter in some parts of the city. Specially in parks, people just keep throwing this and that. When I was in Manila I ranted about the same thing and here I’m seeing the same things. I mean, if you eat something say in a park you have a picnic, is it too much a pain for you to gather your trash and throw it in a proper place?

I don’t have any aversion to eating in places in the market or those “cheap” places but sometimes I do get irritated. Khmers are big fans of tissue paper and they use excessive quantities of these whenever they eat. I been to eating places where the floor is almost literally covered with tissue paper and what irks me the most is that in most of these places there is a trash bin under each table! How difficult is it to place the tissue paper on the bin? Or are we too engrossed with eating to bother?

I had a discussion with my husband about this and we both asked ourselves, is it because of real ignorance or do we simply not care what we are doing to our environment? We are producing
trash that is more than enough for us to handle. In some places, the trash buildup can be too much for the government services that there are already private companies doing business with garbage, an example of this is the NJ trash removal in New Jersey.

How do we build awareness about these simple things? We could get some insights from programs like Integrated Waste Management which has been successfully implemented in other places, schools, the media could also play a very influential role if we want to make people more aware of the environmental effects of trash and litter.

Cambodia is Changing My Eating Habits :)

As for most things in life, eating healthy and right can be difficult at the start. Specially since I lived most of my life in the Philippines where fast food as well as canned and processed food has become a way of life for a lot of people. The are a lot of tropical fruits and great variety of vegetables in the Philippines but with the massive onslaught of attractive marketing and advertising of not-so healthy food plus lifestyles that are becoming more and more busier, people have forgotten that its still better to eat natural. Thankfully, there is now an organic movement there that is slowly gaining popularity and I hope it does gather momentum so more and more people will be aware of it.

When we moved here in Phnom Penh last year, it was such a drastic change for me when it comes to eating habits. There are a lot of similarities between Filipino food and Cambodian food but perhaps its my in-law’s lifestyle that made the big difference. We lived with my in-laws for a few weeks and after we moved to our own place I would still eat with then whenever I feel not up to cooking. Here we eat a lot of vegetables, fruits and drinks a lot of tea. Tea is considered the “unofficial” national drink in Cambodia. Most households have a pot brewing fresh everyday and in most Khmer eating places a fresh pot of tea would always appear in front of you and this is free of charge.

Breakfasts usually consists of porridge with either pork, beef or fish as flavorings or just plain porridge eaten with fried eggs or fried marinated pork. Fish is also an integral part of meals as there are plenty of freshwater fish available. Every meal consists of a soup (with veggies of course!), several kinds of sauteed veggies with some meat or seafoods thrown in and rice. Then this is followed by big helpings of in-season fruits. Before I would only eat mangoes, banana, pears, grapes and apple, here I’ve sampled and grown hooked on mangosteen, dragon fruit, rambutan, lychees and those local oranges! For snacks, yes there are chips and junk food widely available, but they are not very fond of it. Snacks are usually home cooked foods like boiled/fried bananas or sweet potatoes, they also have many varieties of steamed rice cakes or if you are feeling particularly hungry, there are noodle soups everywhere.

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Techno-Savvy and Gadget Trendy Khmers

Seven years ago, when I told my brother that I was marrying my Cambodian boyfriend and we plan to live in Phnom Penh, he had this incredulous look in his face that just made me burst into laughter. Whhhatt??! Can we even call you on mobile?

My brother is a gadget-worshiper, a fashion-slave, a trend follower and for him Phnom Penh, being unheard of for decades is simply like being in exile. Some people could be really so naive and he still gets that incredulous look whenever I tell him Khmers are techno-savvy and really trendy when it comes to gadgets and they could easily be compared to their more affluent neighbors.

Perhaps so because Cambodia is a poor country and still on the path of development, that’s why people usually assume they don’t have the latest in gadgets and technology. But they couldn’t be more wrong. I’ve seen LCD TV’s here selling like hotcakes, there are mobile phone stores in almost every corner, shops with the latest laptops, computers,ipods,and every other conceivable gadget and gizmos can be easily found here. You’ll see teenagers and yuppies sporting über trendy PDA’s, the latest laptop models, iPhones. In fact, I love going shopping here for my gizmos coz they are much cheaper and I can easily cruise around looking for different choices.

Gee, even small internet shops here sports those flat screen monitors! Even when it comes to home appliances they all have the latest. No, they rarely use the box type airconditioners, they prefer those stylish split type aircons. Perhaps so because they have missed a lot. Like they didn’t get to enjoy the era of betamax, the black and white TV, the analog mobile phones etc so they jumped right up and they are enjoying the latest technology gadgetry.

Khmer-Pajama Connection

When I first came here in Phnom Penh, one of the things I found amazing and strange is the penchant of Khmer ladies on wearing pajamas. You can see them everywhere all in different shades and prints. It is considered “normal” to wear them anywhere and everywhere. I love pajamas, but only here do I see them worn with much fervor outside of the house. And to top that, I’ve seen some who have no qualms about pairing pajamas with stilettos and full make-up!

Pajamas means “nightclothes, sleepwear or nightwear” and are usually worn just inside the house. If you’re an avid fashionista you might consider wearing pajamas to malls, markets, well just about everywhere as a fashion faux pas. Don’t think Khmer ladies are unaware of what pajamas are, they are. In fact, the word pajamas in Khmer literally translates to “sleep wear”.

I asked my niece why most ladies here are fond of wearing them, she said, it’s “comfortable and conservative”. Makes sense to me now. A lot of these ladies work and using skirts or tight jeans are simply a no-no for them. Pajama’s are loose and have elastic waistbands then they can move around and do as they please. Women here are also generally more conservative. They prefer long sleeved shirts and long skirts or pants and doesn’t really like showing too much skin. And besides, the weather here is hot and humid and since most pajamas are made of cotton so for Khmer ladies, they are perfect.

It takes time to get used to it and at first I thought it is simply hilarious, but then once I understood their reasons, I learned to appreciate it. Comfort is the main reason. Foreigners might find it amusing, but what’s to stop these Khmer ladies from being themselves and at ease with their pajamas?

I’ll let you on a secret too.. This intense liking for pajamas must be contagious.. I just bought myself several pairs of pajamas last week and to tell you the truth, it’s really so comfortable. Though I don’t wear them out of the house and I doubt if I’ll ever do, I can’t seriously fault the Khmer ladies for doing so. Who cares much about fashion, when you are utterly comfortable.

Yes! to Bluetooth for Khmer Motorbike Riders

To say that motorbike drivers here in Phnom Penh scares me is an understatement! It really gives me the shakes to drive around the city with motorbike riders who seem to think they are invincible. It’s normal to see people on motorbikes driving on any lane they prefer, wherever they are going, to U-turn when its not allowed, to go when the traffic light is red, driving at night without headlights… I think they could all double as stunt men and women!

Traffic here never really ceases to amaze me, and to top all that you can still see a lot of motorbikers holding their mobile phones texting or making a call, with the other hand holding the motorbike and going at full speed. It’s quite natural and expect to see a lots of  road accident here in Phnom Penh. Since I came last October, I actually lost count already of how many motorbike accidents I’ve encountered.

Whenever I see someone driving and talking on a mobile phone I just wish they would just do others a favor by simply stopping or they could get themselves a Bluetooth headset! I know some people might say, that could be expensive but hey having an accident could be more costly. I wonder though when I could ever get used to all this… Anyway, I wish these drivers would be more cautious and practice safe driving..

Basic Khmer Language for the Traveler

The Khmer (or Cambodian) language is the official language of Cambodia and it is spoken by majority of Khmers. Though English is fast becoming the second language specially of younger Khmers, it is still great if those taking Cambodia vacations know a little of Khmer. It’s a great help in learning and gaining more understanding of Cambodia culture. This is particularly helpful if you are traveling independently and it goes a long way when you are bargaining in the markets.

A little intro: The Khmer language has 33 consonants and about 24 vowels and diphthongs. The Khmers have also retained French pronunciation of the Roman alphabet and of some words. When it comes to grammar, the language is quite simple. Adding a few words can make a sentence tense to past, present or future.

Learning the language can be a bit tricky and difficult but a little Khmer will really go a long way. The Khmers just love it when foreigners show the effort to speak in their language. Here’s some basics for every Cambodian visitor:

Greetings and other Basics:

Hello – jum reap sour (formal) | sua s’dei (casual)
Goodbye – jum reap lear (formal) | lia suhn hao-y
See you later – juab kh’nia | th’ngay krao-y
Thank you – ow-kohn | ow-kohn charan
You’re welcome – awt ei te | sohn anjoe-in
Excuse me / I’m Sorry – sohm-toh
Yes – baat (for men) | jaa (for women)

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Cambodia, The Kingdom of Wonder…

Hmmn, I realized I’ve written some posts already about living in Cambodia but I have yet to write down some basic things you need to know about Cambodia. Most people conjure up images of Khmer Rouge, genocide and at times, Angkor Wat when the word Cambodia comes up.

But then, living here made me realize this country is awesome, unique and totally fascinating. And yes! There is more to Cambodia than just the Khmer Rouge and its horrible legacy. This country has a lot of natural beauty waiting to be explored, not only the magnificent Angkor Wat temples but its scenic countrysides, national parks, lovely beaches that is not “yet”so crowded, its cuisine, and its people. Cambodia has a lot to offer in terms of rich natural, cultural as well as historical heritage. It’s now also called the world’s newest and one of the most exotic travel destinations.

Here’s some basic facts about Cambodia:

Official Name: Kingdom of Cambodia.
Motto: Nation Religion King
Form of Government: Constitutional Monarchy
Capital City: Phnom Penh

Cambodia covers 181, 035 sq. km. It is located in Southeast Asia It is bordered by Laos on the northeast, Vietnam on the east and southwest, Thailand on the west and northwest and the Gulf of Thailand on the south.

Dominant features of Cambodia’s geography is the Mekong River as well as the Tonle Sap Lake. The Mekong one of Asia’s longest, flows from Tibet down to Laos, then to Cambodia, continuing to Southern Vietnam to the South China Sea. Because of this river, Cambodia has a very fertile agricultural lands. The Tonle Sap Lake is the largest lake in Southeast Asia and it is the main source of fish and irrigation for majority of Cambodia.

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