Beautiful Blogger Award..

What?!  I’m sure the ‘beautiful blogger’ part will raise some eyebrows hehe but who cares. I’m pretty sure Z of Sreisaat Adventures in Cambodia still has 20/20 vision and her eyesight is working just fine when she gave me this award. And oh, I suddenly remembered ’sreisaat’ in Khmer language means ‘beautiful lady’ so she knows about beautiful, di ba Z?

Anyway, do drop by her blog. It’s a great read and she has really lovely lovely photographs of Cambodia and places she has visited. Yes, she’s my friend and I think I’ve mentioned before that I knew her through blogging and I’ve met her a few months back but I’ve been hooked reading her blog entries much longer than that. Do visit..

Blog award mechanics. Oops, this award comes with some strings attached, hmm? The recipient is asked to reveal seven things about her/himself. Ok, (you can hear me heaving a sigh of relief now..) it’s not really requiring me to recite tongue twisters while rolling my eyes and dancing to the tune of Lambada (grrr I super hate this song..). Hehe, just 7 things about me..

• I was born and raised in Albay Province, Philippines. So that makes me a true-blooded Bicolana. Uragon ( Bicol term meaning – a live-wire, go getter, a fighter) ako noh!

• I love watching Korean/Japanese movies/dramas. Mainly for the cinematography and I love hearing spoken Korean/Japanese language. And for some really really poignant stories..

• I am an experimental cook and my husband is my ‘guinea pig’. So far, he hasn’t been poisoned or rushed to the hospital because of my cooking.  And I do turn up some delicious stuff every now and then.

• I’m a shop o’ holic. Shopping and bargain hunting is a favorite pastime.

• I love the beach and nature. I grew up in a farm and we were just a 5-minutes walk away from the beach.

• I love playing tickle-till-you-surrender games with Chinks and Hi-ace. I always end up the loser.

• I’m addicted to taking strolls, long walks and soaking the atmosphere of every place I visit. When I travel you can usually find me in a market, a corner cafe just sitting and observing how life is for the locals.

I’m passing on the award to.. (I can’t come up with 15, so here’s some of my favorite reads..)

• I Love/Hate America - thought provoking yet very sensible posts from Bingkee. Always worth the visit..

• A Simple Life – I love Liza’s practical tips and tidbits of her life she constantly posts.

• Buhay sa Korea – a Filipina’s insights and experiences while living in Korea. Very informative and entertaining posts..

• Taxi Diary – Inspiring, moving stories. This is one of my absolute reads. The author even got publishing deals from his blog. I’m not sure he’ll post this but his blog is definitely going to my beautiful blogger award.

• Life of a Breadwinner – informative posts, places and events and best of all, very nice blogger =)

• American in Davao – unique insights to Filipino culture and tradition. A very interesting read.

• Coriander Dreams – laid back and personal. that’s how I would describe Coriander Dreams..She’s also into traveling which makes her blog all the more interesting.

• Brown Pinay – another favorite. Read on her latest experiences, tips, opinions and more.

And don’t forget the blog award mechanics..

1. Thank & link the person that gave you the award.
2. Pass this award onto 15 bloggers you’ve recently discovered and think are fantastic.
3. Contact said Blogs and let them know they’ve won.
4. State 7 things about yourself.

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I Wanna Get Into Crafts Again!

I woke up really early today. For some reason I was not really sleepy though I went to bed very late last night. I fixed breakfast for Hi-ace and Chinks (not a very hard thing to do anyway, they like eating light breakfast..), then I just stood near the sink, holding my acne face wash, and staring at the mirror. I didn’t realize I was standing there for more than five minutes when Hi-ace finally gave me a nudge.

This is not me, but I look like this when I’m thinking..Really.

When I’m being like this he’s just cool with it. I guess he already accepted the fact that he married a semi-lunatic moody wife, with a weird artistic temperament. Okay, so he just raised an eyebrow and asked, “Are you okay, Hon-hon?” That woke me up from my reverie, mainly because he quit calling me “Your Highness” and reverted back to calling me “Hon-hon”. Or maybe he could guess I was not in a joking mood, hmm?

Anyway, the reason I’ve been having tulala bouts (err long stretches of absent mindedness) is that I’ve been longing to do something with my hands again. I’ve always been the arts and craft type, I need to always have something where I could channel my creative drive to. Otherwise, I usually end up always obnoxious and overbearing lol! For the past few days I’ve been surfing the net like mad for some crafts supplies but not much luck really.

First Try on Spiral Seed Bead Bracelet

I’ve decided to do more beading and jewelry. Not on a commercial scale but more like a hobby, a pastime for me. Making a business out of it is also a little hard here in Phnom Penh as materials cannot be easily sourced. I’m very picky when it comes to materials for making patterned beading. For one, the quality of the beads really makes or breaks the piece. I prefer even sized beads which I could only find in Japanese made beads, which I can’t find here in Phnom Penh. Another thing is that, beading takes time and effort so I would want my pieces to be of top quality. So, the next best option for me is to order online and have it shipped here.

Beaded Cellphone Charms From My Leftover Beads

Shipping is also another concern. I’ve looked into creating my own beads using metal clay and polymer clay. The clay is relatively inexpensive, but it is heavy and bulky and though shipping rates are just okay, but I’m pretty concerned about customs and duties that I’ll be billed with when it arrives here. I’ve been searching like mad too for customs and duties rates here in Cambodia, I’ve also been asking around but I only got really frustrated. It seems to be that the rates are on a whim? And being a foreinger, I’ll probably be billed a couple more times than the usual..

Another idea I have been pondering on is having custom made handbags in simple, functional designs then I’ll have it embellished with beads, crochet items etc. I found lots of patterns I like online and I picked some that I can make with muslin fabric and I also like bags using denim fabrics..I’ll probably have some sewed by my tailor when I go home in July then I’ll bring over samples and look for a tailor here to do it for me.

Just like the sling bag above. I want to have it sewn in a different fabric, preferably plain, then I’ll have it embellished, free form. Hayy, I’m actually chokefull of ideas.. I wish I could get my hands into some materials soon. I’ll be exploring O’Russey Market within the next few days and I’ll see what I could come up with..

Road to Preah Vihear

I was unable to sleep again last night so I downloaded Hi-ace’s photos from their recent Preah Vihear-Siem Reap- Battambang trip. It was his students from PUC who organized the tour mainly for their community outreach projects. We were supposed to join but we were unsure about the road conditions and we don’t want to drag Chinks on a road trip that would last for 3 days. Hi-ace also told me that the landscape would be pretty dreary and dusty because its dry season.

He was right. Not much greens around and it was really really dusty. Road conditions were okay. Though there were certain parts going to Preah Vihear where the bus had a hard time going through particularly some bridges.

Once they reached the base of the mountain where the temples are, buses cannot go on anymore. The Preah Vihear temples are located on a mountain and I was surprised to learn, its not just one temple but several, all around the mountain. So you are in for a steep climbing and walking exercise till you reach the last temple perched near the summit of the mountain. I guess this makes these temples extra special. And Hi-ace says, the views not to mention the temples is more than enough to make up for the effort in going there..

The road going up the temples is well paved but it was very steep. Scary, really just looking at the photos but they seemed to be having the time of their lives and if it was me, I would be enjoying the adventure too (sans Chinkee though)..Only those hardy 4×4’s and expert drivers can really navigate these roads, I think. Makes me think that really you’re in the middle of nowhere..

Some of the  photos were taken while on the bus so some might be blurry. I demanded err requested Hi-ace to take lots of photos and he did. lol!  Hmm, I guess if you’re looking for some adventure this is one place to go..

Will post Preah Vihear Temple photos next. Check out my PHOTOS page for more photos.

Koh Kong Trip Part 2: Mangrove Forest Park and Koh Kong City

Another long overdue post.. This is the sequel to my Koh Kong Trip, Part I, which I know I should have posted ages ago but due to combined reasons of laziness, procrastination, convenient memory gaps, on top of Facebook addiction, well, I am now months late in posting this update.

After that refreshing Koh Kong Tatai Waterfalls picnic and swimming, we all piled ourselves in the van and headed towards Koh Kong City. This was another scenic drive and in just thirty minutes we were in Koh Kong town proper. Hmm, a very typical Cambodian town, the only difference was that the roads were wider or maybe it was because it was 12 noon and no one wants to beat the heat of the sun and stay on the road..

Photo above is the riverfront and that long bridge going towards the Thai border – Had Lek. After a few minutes driving around and checking guesthouses, we settled on Bopha Koh Kong Hotel. Not exactly five star accommodations but the rooms were huge and comfy. We got a twin room with ensuite bathroom with hot shower, a TV with lots of channels though mostly Thai, a personal ref and AC. Not bad at all for $18 only per night. In Koh Kong, Thai Bahts are generally more acceptable than the US Dollars or Cambodian Riels.

It was already 1 pm and you can bet I was hungry already. Thankfully, our relatives were done with their quick showers and we all piled up on the van again to have lunch somewhere. We stopped in a small resto, no signs on it, but its right on the riverfront, with several vans parked in front. I was pretty apprehensive about eating on the shack-type restaurant but I went along as this seemed to be the choice of my sister-in-law. But wow! I shouldn’t have been that scared. Let me just put it this way, that must have been the tastiest Khmer  and Thai food I’ve ever had, and I’ve had plenty. To this day, I could still imagine savoring that spicy Tom Yum soup we had, and I’m not even exaggerating. It’s just too bad I wasn’t able to take photos and I was also shy about asking them to wait before sampling the food whilst I was taking pictures of it. They already think I’m plenty weird so I settled on not having photos of the food.

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Living in Phnom Penh: A Day Trip to Kirirom National Park

Last Sunday, Hi-ace got a call from his best friend inviting us to spend the day at Kirirom National Park. Chinkee was ecstatic coz she misses playing with Noel,their 2-year old son. So we set off for the 3 hour drive at around 8 am.

This is actually my second trip to Kirirom, though last time we went there it was raining hard, so no good photos and I also forgot to write about it. This time though the weather was awesome so I have plenty of photos. If you’re living in Phnom Penh, this is one of the places to escape to if the chaos of Phnom Penh gets a little unbearable.

Ok, so what’s with Kirirom? Its a National park located about 112 km from Phnom Penh, with a lush forest and pine trees. If you’re from the Philippines just imagine the place to be a little similar to Baguio or Tagaytay but with a lot less people around . It’s a very popular picnic area for Khmers as it allows them to escape the hustle and bustle plus the heat of Phnom Penh. Most Khmers go to several waterfalls near the area  and these usually have picnic huts you can rent. I noticed though that the streams were a little dried out so swimming is a little out of the question. Must be because its summer time.

Going there by public transpo is a bit hard I was told but its still possible. I saw some foreigners there too and they hired motorbikes to get there. The best way still is to have your own transportation. National Highway 4 (NH4) is pretty scenic but I was very much on my toes as there are lots of cars, taxis with kamikaze drivers. And not only that, there plenty of cows roaming around the highway so things are interesting. Once you turn towards the National Park, there are less cars, more greens…

We reached the place around 11 am, picked a picnic hut near the stream. Khmer picnic huts are usually elevated, with some nipa thatch for roofing, and mats for lounging around. Khmers love eating sitting lotus-style so its hard to find huts with tables in their picnic places.

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Affordable Spa Indulgence @ Bamboo Spa

Who doesn’t like experiencing a bit of pampering every now and then? I love massages and here in Asia its quite easy to indulge with lots of spas and salons in most major cities. It’s a tradition that has sprouted different kinds of salons as well as types of massages like Balinese, Thai, Shiatsu etc.. And it has been good to know that Phnom Penh also has it share of spa’s tourists, expats and locals frequent.

I’ve been looking for a spa here in Phnom Penh where I could regularly have my full-body massage as well as foot massages. True, there are lots of spas and massage parlors to choose from and I’ve tried out several in the area, but most of them are quite pricey and its a little hard to indulge when I keep thinking of the cost of each massage haha. I know every since I became a mom, I’ve been a little hard on myself and I tend to be really thrifty.

Anyway, a few weeks ago, I met a lovely Filipina friend and she invited us all to her newly opened spa. It’s called Bamboo Spa and its located at No. 21 St 228. It’s quite easy to find, its  very near Pasteur (St.51) along the same street as International SOS and three doors down from the Italian restaurant – Le Dou.

They have a good range of services and their full-body massage comes highly recommended. I love the small spa ambiance, the scents of the oils and of course, the super relaxing massage. And another thing to love is the price! Full body massages cost less than $10 for more than an hour of pampering. At that price, I could easily make it a weekly indulgence! Bamboo Spa – exactly what I’ve been looking for. Pampering at an unbeatable price..

It’s a must visit.. Check out the link to the map for the Bamboo Spa location. Will post photos soon. =) And you can email  Bamboo Spa at bambootree_house@yahoo.com or call 089-630791 and look for Elma.

View Bamboo Spa in a larger map

Scenic Cambodian Countryside and a Visit to a Pagoda..

A few months back, Ma, my mother-in-law asked us if we wanted to go to a pagoda to get a monk’s blessings for the coming new year. Though, I am not Buddhist, I would usually come as a sign of respect and also so I could observe and learn closely their customs and traditions. After all, my husband is a Buddhist and its a big factor for both of us to understand each other’s religion.

Anyway, the trip promised to be scenic as the pagoda is located somewhere in Kampong Chhanang. The day started really early and at 6 am we were already on a tuk-tuk speeding towards Sisowath Quay near the riverside and going towards National Road No. 5. This was my first time to take a really long ride in a tuk-tuk. Ma and Hi-ace says its the best way to go, we get to enjoy the breeze and take in as much scenery as we want to. The price of the round trip ride on the tuk-tuk was unbelievably just $8!! I really am seriously in awe of Ma’s bargaining abilities.

So, it was me, Hi-ace, Chinks, our nieces Sokna and Cheng and Ma in the tuk-tuk.. The ride was really so enjoyable and I almost fell asleep being lulled by the wind and the not so bumpy ride. We had been traveling for about an hour when we turned left (lol! don’t ask me where..) towards a small market then onwards. The road became smaller and unpaved and both sides mostly lower with lots of water and some houses on stilts. We stopped for a bit to buy some lotus seeds (Ma and the nieces loves snacking on these..) and also some lotus flowers to offer in the pagoda.

The views were absolutely fantastic and so rural.. Then we reached a place with lots of cows being herded we turned right, then suddenly there was a bang! We had a flat tire and it was in the middle of nowhere, with nothing but the cows, ponds, lotus flowers and rice fields. The nice tuk-tuk driver told us to wait by the roadside and he’ll go look for a vulcanizing shop. So then, we proceeded to occupy ourselves by taking photos of ourselves and the stunning rural landscape.

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Happy 2nd Birthday, Pinaywifespeaks

Time passed by just like a breeze and I was browsing through my archives that I realized February 2008 was when I first started with this blog. And now its hard to believe that I have been at it for 2 years already. There where reasons why I didn’t blog earlier, but I’m glad I did.

This blog has been my virtual playground, a place to take out my frustrations, to rant and vent. How many times did I mess up with my Wordpress installation – read posts here and here, that time when I forgot that I exceeded my bandwidth limitations, my paranoia about transferring web hosting, how many times the whole site went into frenzy just because I could not get enough of tweaking the themes?  It’ll be an understatement if I say I learned something from blogging. I should say, I learned a lot. I also discovered a lot of things about myself and blogging..

…That I have the aptitude for things technical and for tweaking this and that. For understanding what’s behind the blog – the themes, the plugins, the site structure etc.

…That yeah, though I’m not a great writer I can work on it and practice more, still some people somehow survive reading my entries

…That yahoo! I could actually earn from blogging! This blog supports itself. My initial outlay was for the domain registration only, while the monthly hosting bills are all taken care of out of the blog’s earnings. I know some blogging purists would say inserting paid links is something almost like a crime but hey! this is my blog, I’m sure people who visit understands that while I love to blog, write, share thoughts, I’m still a practical person, I don’t have bottomless pits of money to support the blog, so occasional paid links are fine and I do strive my best to be discrete and choosy about paid links.

…  I realized I could actually find lots of people who share the same views, who could somehow appreciate what I have to say. I love receiving emails and comments from readers. Some would email me when they are coming over to Cambodia, asking for travel advice, some would give me suggestions, some would critique a post.. This is for me, is one of the most gratifying things about blogging – connecting with people who reads the blog.

… that I could actually find friends through this blog. I found friends I could constantly correspond with through email, some blogging friends from all over, and here in Phnom Penh, I found a great set of Filipina friends (Zarah, Josiet, Che..)  all thanks to blogging.

Blogging has been a superb learning experience for me. Being able to earn from it is an added bonus and I love the extra income I get out of blogging. So what’s in store for this blog for the next year? More posts, just more.. Things I dunno yet, so do keep visiting, explore and experience blogging with Pinaywifespeaks.

Changes, Changes and A New Blog

I’ve been doing the laundry this morning and its one of the chores around the house that I don’t particularly enjoy. And since I almost loathe it, I would usually allow my mind to wander and ironically this is usually the time when ideas and plans are best conceptualized.

Here’s what I’ve been mulling on while the sheets were being laundered. I’ve decided to make more changes to this blog. When I first started this I really had no idea what this will be all about, more like a random thoughts – personal blog thing. Then it just evolved by itself I guess and just last year I made changes to organize all posts. For sometime, Pinaywifespeaks.com  has been my blog for musings about living in Cambodia, about life in the Philippines, and also about blogging and the web.

I found myself getting more and more immersed in Cambodian culture and lifestyle so lately that seemed to be what I had been constantly writing about. So then from now on this would be focusing mainly on three things:

• Living in Cambodia and exploring Cambodian culture
• of course, Philippines is still home for me, so expect some occasional posts about Pinas
• and my other passion, Travel. Just featuring travels, places, travel promos and deals.

I’ll be removing the blogging and web categories soon. Though previous posts on these categories will still remain under Exploring the Web category. I will be running a featured Cambodian blog soon too.

Last year, on a whim I registered another domain – Lui-bloggera.com, then I promptly forgot about it and it has been sitting on my hosting account like a wet blanket. I should really bang my  head often on the wall! It’s time I make use of this domain and not let it go to waste.

I’m developing it into a new personal blog where I could blah blah about my other interest. Topics would be…

• blogging – Wordpress, earning with blogs, blogging tips etc,
• trend hunting –   i love trends! ,
• latest buzz  - celebs, gossip, luxury lifestyle,tech, fashion – yeah I’ll be indulging my gossiping tendencies a bit..

I’ll be awfully busy these next few days to get this off the ground and I’m super excited. =) I guess I’ll be loosing some sleep over this and getting some pimples again, but that’s nothing acne scar removal creams can’ t take care of. I’m always excited about new things, new projects.  Things are looking up and I do hope you check out my latest blog – Lui-Bloggera.com..

O’Russey Market, Phnom Penh

Phnom Penh has several large traditional markets selling all kinds of goodies and its advantage over supermarkets? you can also haggle to get a good bargain. As an expat, I’m more used to supermarkets and it took sometime for me to brave these traditional markets on my own. I first got hooked with the Russian Market (Tuol Tompoung Market), then I began exploring other big markets.

One of my all time favorite Phnom Penh Markets is the O’Russey Market. It’s a six-story building, market stalls are on the first three floors, and on the surrounding streets. O’Russey Markets is a well-known wholesale market for food ingredients, seafoods,textiles, and clothing. You can also find some gardening items, mechanical tools, and electronics. Toys and food stuff you usually see being retailed in small stores across Phnom Penh are usually bought from here in bulk.

Be forewarned, this market is huge, and the pathways in between stalls are very narrow so be prepared to squeeze your way in. I always make sure I’m in my best (Divisoria-Manila like) mood whenever I venture to this market. It also helps if you can take walks for extended periods of time as there are limited resting areas around the market so best prepare with your joint supplements, a bottle of water, and something to wipe the sweat off your face. And do be careful also with your valuables.

The first floor contains mostly food items, goods for reselling, electronics, gardening supplies. But what interests me the most about this market is the upper floors. The second/third floor houses wholesalers of books and other school materials, clothing, accessories. You can also find textiles, tailoring supplies, ready-made clothing, tailoring shops and some hair and nail salons.

The best part for me is the second-hand clothing/shoe/bags/home items. We Filipinos call this UK or ukay-ukay  and this is where you can find designer items @ bargain prices not to mention unique pieces. O’Russey’s Ukay-Ukay/Second Hand stores holds a lot of great finds. I found some cute bags and shoes here but what I really really love are the curtains I discovered here. Second-hand shopping can be a bit difficult and only for those who has the gumption to sort though all the piles, but its very rewarding too..Try it for once and you’ll get hooked and one place to start your ukay-ukay hunting is the O’Russey Market.

I found this really interesting video on YouTube featuring O’Russey Market and the surrounding streets. Video courtesy of MSA Production

O’Russey Market on Google Maps

View Larger Map

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..’

Living in Phnom Penh: February 2010 1st Week

Hmm, time for my Living in Phnom Penh snippets. Hehe I realize that most of this blog’s readers (“what!!? you have readers??” – I guess Hi-ace is reading again from behind me! )aren’t really reading this but I like writing these kinds of posts the most so I’m trying to make these at least once per week..

One reason I like posting my life bits is that I get to look back and put things into perspective, whenever I write short snippets of how it is like living in Phnom Penh, I appreciate new things and experiences more. I also get my chance to gloat and tell myself, ah! so I’ve accomplished that this week! If you call shopping or gossiping with friends an accomplishment =). And the best reason I like posting snippets of our life here in Phnom Penh – it saves me a LOT on my phone bills. Combined with Facebook, well this blog sure saves me a lot. I simply ask my relatives back home to check out my blog for the latest and they get updated. Sometimes they leave messages on my shoutbox (and it sometimes gets weird..) or just send me their comments through Facebook.

Okay, before I get really carried away with the why’s and wherefore’s of this post.. Here’s what I’ve been busy with the past few days..

umm, i kinda like this cartoon..

Wednesday was fun day for me with new friends I found here in Phnom Penh. Josiet invited everyone to her place and cooked a super yummy lunch for us. Pinoy favorites chicken-pork adobo,  ensaladang talong, crab meat omelette, fish in chinese-style sauce, pancit bihon, and dessert was sticky rice with mangoes. Pure yumminess, thanks J! As usual there was never ending laughter and chika with Che, Zarah, Mel and I’m glad I met another two Phnom Penhers- Ate Elma and Janette. I’m looking forward to more bonding times with these fab ladies..

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Loner..

Recently, Ouwie and I have been doing walking exercises often walking several kilometers every two days. A few days ago we walked from our house in Boeung Tompoeun to St. 271 and stopped at Monivong Bridge near Phsar Chhar Ampoeu. From the bridge,  I was gazing down the quietly flowing waters of Tonle Bassac  river, I saw this and I just took a shot with my mobile phone camera.

I don’t know. For some reason, it made me feel lonely and so solitary. Like I’m in the middle of nowhere with nothing around me but just the vast expanse of water. Perhaps, it simply struck a cord with me since I’ve been feeling some homesickness lately..

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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There’s a Mine!

Cambodia is the Land of Mines.. See I saw this sign in an internet shop here in Phnom Penh..

Lol! The ceiling was low and the sign was just a kind warning. I’ve now decided to be on the constant lookout for funny signs like this, uniquely Khmer!

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Job Search Websites in Cambodia

Since my sister came last week and has been looking for a job here in Phnom Penh, I’d been familiar with job sites here that she has been constantly checking. Previously, I have also received emails from readers (lol! I have readers pala.. I thought only my relatives read this ) about which sites are best to use when searching for jobs here in Phnom Penh. I then came up with listing of which sites are currently being used for posting job opportunities. Surprisingly there are several sites offering this type of service which is a good thing for Cambodia.

There’s room for improvement though and I’ve noticed that most of these sites contain similar job postings, so best check all out and choose which sites has the functionality and interface you feel at ease at. Just click on the site name and it’ll link you up with the website..

• CamHr – good interface, easy navigation plus the categorization are a big help. Focused primarily on jobs and recruitment. Good listing and constantly updated.
• BongThom – popular classified ads site with job openings section. I like the wealth of information you can find here but I do wish they could improve how the site looks.
• KhmerWS – job listings, forums, chat. Clean interface though the listings available are not as extensive as the two sites mentioned above.
• EBMCambodia – well designed website, good navigation, easy to use. Good number of job listings plus ability to filter your job search. You can also find language training, career training as well as overseas study postings.
• PelPrek – good listing, clean and simple interface. Also features some downloadable resources for job seekers.
• CambodiaJobPage – more like an aggregator of several Cambodia job sites. Jobseekers can also post their resumes for potential employers to browse.

Other useful sites:

• CambodiaJobs –  a blog brimming with information about Cambodia job postings, scholarships, training, volunteer posts etc.
• JobsAbroad – excellent resource for teaching, internship, volunteer and job opportunities abroad.

Cambodian Rice Porridge – ‘Bobor’

Typical breakfast for Khmers is a French baguette with fillings or plain with coffee or a bowl  of kuyteow (white noodle soup in beef, pork or chicken) or a bowl of porridge called ‘bobor’.

‘Kuytwew’ soup is Chinese but has been adapted by Khmers. I’ve tried it countless times already and its really delicious. But I am more interested in the Khmer version of the porridge, the ‘bobor’ . Actually, ‘bobor’  is an all-day meal for Khmers. Porridge shops are open @ dawn every morning till early afternoon. Those wanting to eat ‘bobor’ again in the evenings can still get it from traditional Khmer restaurants as well as those vending carts that set up near the markets. My fave ‘bobor’ places are those that set up @ around 6 pm near the Tuol Tompoung (Russian) Market parking lot (the one adjacent to St. 163).

Cambodian Porridge - Bobor

Sorry the photos is kinda blurry LOL! I guess I was too hungry to care. Here’s a close-up..

Cambodian Porridge - Bobor

The Cambodian ‘bobor’ is made of rice cooked soft with lots of water, then mixed with either chicken, beef, fish. You can also request to add chicken liver, gizzard, blood. Then this is topped with roasted garlic, chopped mint leaves, onion leaves. And it just tastes so good! Super nourishing, an explosion of flavors, an all around comfort food. And it’s cheap too, a bowl would cost about 5000R or less than $1.5. If you’re here in Cambodia, don’t just take my word for it, it’s a must-try!

Ouwie’s Intro To Phnom Penh..

My siste, Ouwie arrived Wednesday evening from Manila. She’s planning on staying here for sometime, an extended vacation maybe and to also check out if she could work here.. Anyway, after she had a good night rest after arriving, we have all started orienting her to all things Khmer.

Living in Cambodia is quite easy and exciting too and now Ouwie is finding that out. We all consider it an everyday adventure just discovering things about Cambodia culture. So, Chinks have started teaching her some really basic Khmer language, like numbers, how to ask ‘how much’ etc..

We spent a good part of Thursday afternoon orienting her to the traffic and some landmarks around Phnom Penh. We went first to Tuol Tompoung Market to shop for some silk scarves and slippers then we walked around the Royal Palace, and on her request near the Royal University of Fine Arts and we ended the walk in the park Sothearos St. around 6pm. Then we all decided to get some coffee, and instead of going to the nearest designer cafe, we opted to try out the Cambodian coffee at a coffee and burger place near the park. It took us a couple of minutes to give our orders to the waiter (my Khmer is really rusty..) but we managed to order a steaming cup of hot and brewed coffee for her and iced coffee milk for me. The verdict, yummy and cheap too! She says better than Starbucks espresso! We only spent about 6000 Riels or about $1.5.. I agree…

For dinner last Thursday we had her try the Cambodian roasted chicken found on the streets.. Goes for about 15,000 Riels, about $3 for the whole chicken, plus slices of cucumber and mint, and two kinds of sauce (sweet-sour-spicy and the salt-pepper mix).  This was really so good we ended up finishing a whole pot of rice hehe. Bad bad for those on the diet!

Friday morning we had to rush out for her interview with some company and afternoon we all had her try out Cambodia’s own ‘Subway’ sandwiches. And yeah she found it really really good, plus with the price of 3000-4000 Riels ($1) for the whole loaf filled with butter, mint, onion leaves, mixed sardines and pork sauce, and two kinds of pate filling in a crunchy French loaf, who wouldn’t fall for it?

She ended up liking it so much that yesterday afternoon, she bugged me to go walk to the market to buy some again.. So now I told her if you see a cart similar to this..

then she could have her fill. Last night we tried out (again.. the one on the streets..) ‘Mee Chaa’ or the fried noodles.. We went to Orussey Market around 8 pm and ate our fill of yummy fried noodles. Wow!  The whole plate just cost about 4000 Riels ($1) – all yellow noodles, with green veggies (they call it ‘katna’), lots of soft and chewy beef and topped with sauce and best eaten with chili sauce! Seriously, we could barely breathe with our tummies so full..

She has yet to the Khmer fruit smoothie – the ‘teuk kralok chek’. Maybe this afternoon. She says if this keeps going on she’ll be needing weight loss diet pills in no time. That’s not to say she’s complaining coz now were scheduled to have a hearty lunch again in my mother-in-law’s house. Yahooo! Home cooked Cambodian food again. =)

Airfare Promotions Updates

Awhile back, I’ve started to post updates on airfare promos and deals from airlines servicing Asian and mostly Southeast Asian city routes. I have lots of relatives and friends who share my love for backpack traveling and would constantly ask me about airfare deals (simply because I’m always online =)). Anyway, I’ve been getting emails from them as well as some blog readers to keep this going so I’m going to keep it up..

Hope you guys can grab a good deal! =) Just click on the images and it will redirect you to the airline’s website.

CEBU PACIFIC Promo – System Wide Sale

Book Cebu Pacific Seats on January 6-8 2010 for Travel Period of February-April 2010 and get 50% off New Year seat sale to all destinations.

I always get great deals with Cebu Pacific, but the thing is, you have to book really fast and if you can on the first day the promo runs. These seats run out really fast so grab it as fast as you can =)

AIR ASIA Promo – ‘ a New Year Gift For You’ Promo

Book Air Asia seats from Jan 4, 2010 – Jan 10, 2010 for travel period Jan 11 – Feb 4, 2010. Applicable for all seats, all flights from Monday, 12pm to Thursday, 12pm.

Same with Air Asia. Great deals but hurry when booking. This is one really good value airline and is really popular not just among backpackers.

TIGER AIRWAYS AirFare Deals – ‘Tis the Season to Book Your Getaway’ Promo

Book Tiger Airways flights to Jakarta Indonesia, Bangalore and Chennan India, Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Langkawi, Kuching Malaysia and Bangkok, Phuket, Krabi Thailand and get low, low fares..

Book your 2010 flights from Clark, Phlippines for only $85 (including tax) OW for Travel from Mar 28 to Oct 30, 2010.

Also, Tiger Airways Early Bird Savers Deals are still on. Flights till October 30, 2010 is still on sale.

BANGKOK AIRWAYS Cheap Flights – Best Buy Plus

This Bangkok Airways promo is valid for online bookings only via www.bangkokair.com only. Booking period: 16 November 2009 to 31 March 2010 and Travelling period: 16 November 2009 to 15 April 2010. You can find good deals for domestic flights in Thailand as well as flights from Bangkok to Siem Reap, Phnom Penh and Luang Prabang (Laos)

HONGKONG AIRLINES Early Bird Saving Deals

Hongkong Airlines bargain airfares on sale till January 15, 2010 for travel period February 22, 2010 to March 27, 2010. Bargain flights to Sapporo, Denpasar, Hanoi, Harbin, Kunming, Okinawa, and Beijing are up for grabs.

HONGKONG AIRLINES Special Online Offers

Low low airfares for flights from Hongkong to Changsa, Sapporo, Denpasar, Haikou, Hanoi, Hangzhou, Harbin, Kunming, Guiyang, Guilin, Manila, Nanning, Okinawa, Beijing, Shanghai, Sanya, and  Xiamen.

MALAYSIA AIRLINES Special Offers

Great service and facilities at fabulous prices? Yes you can have that even if you are on a budget. One of my favorite airlines, Malaysia Airlines usually has great deals on their website. Sign-up for their Get-The-Deal Alerts for airfare sale alerts, check their Stimulus Packages as well as their Holiday Packages.

Latest special offers:

• Bandar Seri Begawan – Kuala Lumpur Only BND 80 (OW)
• Ho Chi Minh – Kuala Lumpur Only USD 85 (OW)

MALAYSIA AIRLINES -ASEAN PASS (Not actually a promo, more like a regular service  but a great bargain nonetheless..)

One really fabulous deal! Imagine flying an airline with all amenities and perks but at budget prices.. This is what I thought  of when I first chanced upon Malaysia Airlines ASEAN PASS.

ASEAN Pass gives you the freedom to enjoy up to 4 flights within ASEAN countries at a truly amazing price – 1049 MYR (roughly US $310). Up to 6 months travel validity. You can use it for 4 flights within Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines, Cambodia, Vietnam and Myanmar. Easy to use – just buy the pass, then if you get the itchy feet, then exchange it for your travel tickets!