Wordless Wednesday 09: That Red Building in Phnom Penh..

The National Museum of Cambodia located in Phnom Penh. Definitely one red landmark and a must visit!

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Wordless Wednesday 08: Loaded

A common sight here in Cambodia..

Phnom Penh Vendors Galore

I think this would be an understatement – Phnom Penh has a very colorful street scene! That’s one of the things I have grown used to (and in fact, have grown to love..) about this place. I guess there’ s something about this place that really appeals to me. I had been called ‘a lakwatsera’ more than a few times. I’m just the sort to wander around, just soaking in the atmosphere of a place, observing what the locals are up to and discovering more and more about their culture by just observing them. Hi-ace says that’s one the things he liked about me, lol! I spend more time wandering about, being curious and learning than getting rid of blackheads or trying on high heels..

flower vendors @ Psah O’Russei

Anyway, back to topic – Phnom Penh street scene. My obvious favorite are the various vendors you can see on the streets..Here’s some snapshots I’ve collected the previous months of vendors selling mostly snacks, drinks, flowers and toys..I’m just not the best of photographers haha I just tend to snap and snap, but here’s just to give you a feel of the place..

second hand clothes @ Boeng Trabaek Market

roasted pig vendors @ O’Russei Market

Bok Lahong (Papaya Salad) Vendor

sausages, dried squid for grilling

steamed sweet corn vendor

clothes, shoes etc along the sidewalk (st. 47)

balloon vendor @ the riverfront

At the onset, I thought ‘uh oh, another chaotic city!’ but looking at everything around me made me realize that all the ‘chaos’ make this a really unique place. I mean, I certainly can’t imagine Phnom Penh withouth those vendors..

Living in Phnom Penh: Yesterday and Today..

I’ve been in a foul mood since yesterday. No reason at all, I’m just so moody. I spent a good part of yesterday cleaning the house which is really weird because I don’t like doing this when its so hot. I also did the laundry and even stripped all beds of sheets so I could just have some more to wash. I feel so weird, Chinks keep asking me if I’m going to have her little brother now.

I don’t think so. It’s just my hormones acting up  I think. This morning I woke up late, which is again weird considering that I’m always up early even if there’s no classes or work. But at around 8 am I was already in the market buying our food for next week and I also bought ingredients for ginataan. When I got home I cooked that and also made tinola for lunch then promptly fell asleep at around 11 am.

Around 2 pm I was hungry so I had some lunch. The I showered again, then dragged Hi-ace and Chinks to Sovanna Mall to look for some weird movie in DVD to watch tonight. I found nothing but Chinks found ‘Happy Feet’ in DVD so that’s our  entertainment for tonight. I’ll just be scouring torrents again for some movies tomorrow.

We dropped by the grocery coz I wanted to have some eye cream but found nothing that would suit me. I’ll probably be heading over to U-care to look for it tomorrow.

We were about to go home when Chinks announced that she’s starving. I asked her what she wanted to eat, she said spaghetti. Then she pointed at Lucky Seven fast food, a local chain that we haven’t tried yet. I must admit I was a bit turned off by the ambiance like its old but since she wanted it we gave in. She had her spaghetti, which tasted good but a little on the hot side so she didn’t finish it all. I had a ‘Kong Sandwich with drinks and fries’, I liked the bread and it turned out quite tasty. Hi-ace had rice, which he said was just fine.

That’s how the past two days was for me. Now I’m just finishing this up, then I’m waiting for Rafael Nadal’s game..

Food Trip Friday 10: Tres Amigos Pizza @ NYDC Siem Reap

I missed a few Fridays for this meme.. I know I was always out and about plus a lot of things happened. But anyway, here’s my entry for this week..

I’ve mentioned we went for a few days to Siem Reap to give Ouwie a whirlwind tour of the Angkor Wat temples. We took the morning bus and we got there around 2 pm. Since Hi-ace is a little picky when it comes to eating in restaurants we stopped in we were so hungry by the time we got there. After a quick hotel check-in we found ourselves wandering over to Alley Street. Chinks said she wants to eat pasta and pizza so we picked NYDC..

I like their menu.. Coolness!

I ordered their Lemon Sherbet Frizz but guess who finished it? Chinks! It was really delicious..

And here’s our pizza.. The house specialty, the super thin crust Tres Amigos. Yummy!

The rest of the stay there was spent temple hopping, shopping, eating and eating. No wonder I was already thinking of buying adipex p coz I gained a lot of weight!

The photos are kinda blurred, the resto had very dim lighting and I guess I was just too hungry to fix any settings on the cam. =)

Discovering Cambodian Beauty Salons

The first time I came to Phnom Penh I was amazed by the number of beauty salons operating in the city. There’s practically a salon in every nook and cranny here much like the conspicuous “sari-sari” stores (small retail stores selling sundry items in communities and usually run by housewives)  in the Philippines. Of course, there are also “sari-sari” stores here but I just observed that the number of beauty parlors/salons far outstrips the number  of “sari-sari” stores in most neighborhoods.

Hmmn, Khmer ladies must be vainer than I thought. Over time, I discovered the reason for this and why even with the sheer number of salons here, you still have to queue if you want to have your hair done especially during Saturdays and Sundays..

Khmer’s loves parties, wedding parties in particular. While I was used to attending weddings back home simply attired in casual wear or a cocktail dress and minimal makeup, here in Cambodia, its a different matter. No matter what kind of wedding you are attending, whether the guest reception is on makeshift tents on the streets or in a luxury hotel, all guests come in formal dress with matching elaborate hair and makeup and guys in formal clothes even with bow ties (which I think is uggh! I daresay only James Bond looks good in a bow tie). Back home, there’s an unspoken rule – during weddings, it’s the bride’s day so no one should be lovelier than the bride. I guess that doesn’t apply here and I do find it trying most of the time to distinguish which one is the bride (^o^).

At first, I was really bemused by this. I didn’t understand why and I simply assumed it was all for vanity’s sake. I asked my husband why bother to spend about 3 hours in a salon when you’re just a guest and you go there to greet the couple, then you eat so all in all you spend about an hour in the party. If you attend a wedding a couple of times per month then that is several times visit to the salon. Hairstyling and makeup costs about $5 and up depending on the salon you choose. So salons are really good business here. Is it really worth all the time and money? I dunno but who cares if for only for one day you would feel as glamorous as any socialite?

A Khmer co-worker of my friend once attended a wedding on a Sunday. She spent about 2 hours getting her hair styled and another half an hour applying makeup. She wanted to make the most of the time and money spent so after the wedding party she didn’t remove her makeup, slept sitting upright on a chair so her hairstyle wouldn’t be spoiled. The next morning she went to office elaborately made up with an extravagant hairstyle..Now, wouldn’t that be startling to have a co-worker looking like she’s on her way to a grand party?

Out of curiosity, I tried out the hairstyling services in several salons here and I was amazed by the creativity of these stylists. They could come up with extremely elaborate hairstyles in about an hour. I’d say if you want your hair looking like a garden ;P, or a weaved basket or you want to have the Imelda Marcos look, they could easily whip up your hair in any style you want. A friend here jokingly told me, “Cambodian beauty salons are staffed with stylists with Master’s Degree in hairstyling, makeup and hair straightening.” Lol! If there is such a degree, I would say hairstylists here would easily make the grade.

As for makeup, they are pretty good at it too the way I see it, they just prefer using bold colors but if you want something subtle, then tell tell the makeup artist otherwise you might end up with brilliant green eyeshadows ( I saw one and honestly, she looked really odd..). Personally, I prefer applying makeup by myself since I’m kinda picky about the sponges and the brushes they use in salons.

And, oh, another thing I find a little odd here – They love fake eyelashes, so if you don’t want to wear one or you don’t want to look like you have just been electrocuted and have a perpetually surprised expression, tell the stylist beforehand.

All photos are from a fashion magazine I was browsing when I was having my shampoo and drying done. No copyright violation intended, I simply wanted to give you guys an idea of how creative stylists here can be.

Wordless Wednesday 07: I Heart Yellow

Yellow cyclo with driver in yellow shirt against the yellow backdrop of the Royal Palace

Phnom Penh City, Waking Up

I realize the title can be confusing for some, but you can take it to mean two things. One, that yes, Phnom Penh (and the whole of Cambodia) is waking up after decades of conflicts, the city once called the ‘The Pearl of Asia’ is indeed waking up after a long slumber. You can just imagine the developments here and there, lots of tourists trooping to the city, and the younger generation enjoying themselves freely..

in front of Royal Palace..

Or you can take it quite literally, Phnom Penh city after dawn. When everyone is waking up and the city slowly comes alive with activities. This is also what I mean to show in this post. I’ve received a few requests from friends and relatives asking how the ordinary streets of Phnom Penh look like. I could describe things to detail but photos speak better I guess.

Streets starting to get busy…

Every Saturday, Hi-ace and I have taken to biking around Phnom Penh from dawn till about 8 am. This has become some sort of bonding ritual for us and also a chance for me to take snapshots of the city while its waking up..

Starting off after sunrise..

vendor already set up..

where locals usually go for a quick breakfast..

almost deserted Sothearos Blvd. front of Royal Palace

It’s quite noticeable too that there are lots of construction and development all over the city. I’m pleased to see these developments and I’m also crossing my fingers that they would do a fine job of building the city, I wonder do these guys have proper construction training or even a bpi training? Khmers, of course deserve no less. Like this flyover bridge along Norodom Blvd. across Monivong Bridge, I think its the city’s first. Although there are other bridges/flyover’s in construction, they are all a bit farther from the city.

new bridge under construction..

the new Phnom Penh?

Also, a familiar sight on the streets of Phnom Penh, Sambo the elephant taking his daily leisurely strolls. Some get weirded out with this but for us Phnom Penhites, seeing Sambo walking around is quite comforting..

As you can see, Phnom Penh is still a very compact and small city. One of the things I find pleasing here is that you can get from north end of the city to the south end in just under an hour! Not a mega city, lacking in some urban facilities but I must admit, its a very charming city. One that would ensnare you unknowingly and before you know it, you’ve already fallen in love with it. .

More Photos at my Photo Gallery page..