This is our 4th Christmas celebrated here in Phnom Penh. And I kinda like the relaxing, quiet pace we have adapted when it comes to celebrating the holidays. Of course, Christmas in the Philippines (home for me!) would always be close to my heart and I do miss it. But there’s much I like about celebrating here. After all, Chinks and Hi-ace are with me. Also my sister is with us. Now if, only my mom and brother could fly over here for Christmas next year, then that would make me feel like I’ve won the lottery a hundred times over.

Here, Christmas is almost a non-event. It’s not a holiday, although I know some Khmers, particularly business establishments have started celebrating Christmas mainly because of the presence of a lot of expats here and you know the ‘commercial’ side of Christmas is too great to pass up. But its nice to see something a little more festive in malls etc. And its also not that hard to buy pressies and decors now compared to the past years. But its still quiet compared to other places, which I’ve learned to like because now I appreciate what Christmas is all about. We also now have simpler celebrations and I’m not in a frenzy. When we were living in Manila, I would always just about go crazy during the holidays. The traffic jams, packed and crowded malls, parties here and there. Well, after the holidays there I would feel like I’m in dire need of being checked in a drug rehab treatment centers! Like a hurricane just passed by..

Now,  our Christmas would just be me cooking a bit,  saying prayers, mass, exchanging gifts, visiting close friends and just spending time with my daughter and husband. I love it this way now. And the morning after Christmas, I still have some energy. Lol. One thing I do miss  - simbang gabi. And of course, puto bumbong. Maybe we’ll have our Christmas next year in Philippines.. Hopefully our schedules would permit this, if not maybe my mom could join us?

Also, the weather here is really fab. Cool and dry. Sun still comes up but I find the heat very mild and tolerable so I’m having fun time jogging in the parks. I wish this temp would last a bit longer.  Anyway, since its cold and were weird we decided to treat ourselves to some ice cream cake. Hahaha. Yes, we love eating ice cream when its cold. My daughter said its to check if its possible to have ‘brain freeze’. In any case, this one from Swensens was really nutty good. Comfort food.

Here goes my random post again. This is beginning to be my favorite part of this blog. Lol. It may not be that ‘SEO friendly’ nor do I think posts like this would get a lot of hits and earn my blog a gazillion but then it makes me happy to write down my most random thoughts. There is just something so liberating about being able to write down even my most convulted thoughts. It allows me some time to be introspective and also marvel at the circuitous way my brain actually works. Hahaha.

So what have I been up to and thinking of these past week?

My first thought yesterday? Oh no. I totally forgot to post my Cambodia Snapshots entries for last week. My excuse: I was swamped with things to do. Hi-ace was going to a week-long meeting in Korea and with a load of things he has to do already, he was left with little time to prepare his stuff. So it was no brainer that I’d put on my ‘secretary’ hat and prepare presentations and such.

Phnom Penh’s see-sawing weather is driving me nuts. Why? I dunno when is the best time to do laundry. Lol. The past week whenever it looks like were going to have some sun, I always make a mad dash to load the washing machine. I know I could make use of the dryer but I still prefer to just squeeze dry our clothes and leave it to fully dry under the sun.

The level of water on Mekong River is scaring me. I know this is the first time I have seen it that high. I don’t want to see more flooding.

I’m sooo looking forward to our trip to Manila on the 27th. I miss my mom and the family will be together for All Saint’s Day. We’ll all be visiting Papa’s grave. This will be the first time I go home and won’t be seeing him and I can’t help but tear up. I miss him dreadfully, I don’t think I’ll ever get over the fact that I won’t be seeing him anymore. Ever.

On a lighter note, I decided to add little somethings to my wardrobe. You know I swore when I was younger that even if I get fat or thin when I age, I don’t want to look losyang. I always believe one should make an effort to look good whatever age, size, color etc you are. Some do it for others (ie to please their husbands, bf’s etc) but me, I do it for myself. I feel good about myself when I’m dressed presentably.

You might ask why I don’t dress up primarily for hubby. Well, he already thinks I’m a goddess so I need not worry. LOL. Kidding! I hope he doesn’t read this. Hahaha.

I do like shopping, but most of the time I prefer thrift shopping. Or bargain shopping. That’s why I just loooove Tuol Tompong Market (Russian Market) here in Phnom Penh. There are lots of branded factory overun clothing in there at just a fraction of its retail price. So this is where I get my everyday and casual clothing. I simply can’t justify spending more than $20 on a clothes that I would just use inside the house or for a casual stroll outside and that’s the main reason I shop at Russian Market for clothes.  They are cheap and chic. I blog more about my shopping and thrift finds at GirlOnaThriftHunt

All items from various stalls in Russian Market-Phnom Penh.

• Leggings – $2 each; Nice fabric, I wasn’t too keen though on the way the ends flare a bit. I like my leggings tapered. But this is definitely very serviceable. And at that price? Huh, great steal.
• One-piece dresses – $3 each; I love this. Can be worn alone or with leggings. The fabric is soft and made of cotton. The sewing though is not perfect but at that price, I’m not complaining.
• Tank Tops – 3 for $5. Very comfy. I got three in neutral colors. Easy to pair with other clothes. Great fabric.
• Cardigans – $3 each. <3 <3 <3. Lightweight and stylish cardigan. Perfect for chilly days without adding a lot of bulk. I’m going crazy about cardigans these days. Lol.

Wanna buy a broom? Some plastic ware? Clay pots? Feather duster? Well, here in Cambodia you don’t need to go to the market for that. Just wait for these ubiquitous stores on bicycles. A sight to see for sure.

We had a long holiday this week here in Phnom Penh. The Khmers were celebrating Pchum Ben and most people took the time off and headed elsewhere for some R & R. We were actually planning on going to Battambang, but since my sister was going home to Manila via Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam, we decided we’ll all tag along and spend a few days there. What did we do? Nothing much, walked about the city, did a bit of shopping{ really, Ho Chi Minh is a bargain shoppers haven, you’ll find everything in their markets apparel, even hospital scrubs sale, bags, home decor etc} and we also ate a lot. Hubby and I, are big fans of Vietnamese Pho Bo so we decided to eat Pho every night Lol.

The first night we went to our favorite Pho place – Pho2000. Here’s some drool worthy pics..

Hubby ordered a large bowl of Pho Bo {Beef Keuy Teuw Noodles} and I was seriously shocked at how huge the bowl was. I thought at first the waiter was bringing it over for us to wash our hands on, hahahaha. And Hi-ace was embarrassed he was the only one eating a huge bowl of noodles. Lol. But he did finish it all up!

Mine was a really delicious seafood Pho. Clams, squid, fish, prawns and lots of onions. I love the spiciness of this one. Definitely going to my favorite list.

I haven’t been out with friends in a while. Hmm, chores really has a way of keeping me too occupied. Thankfully, Phnom Penh’s Legend Cinema are ever generous with their screening invites so we took the chance to go see the advance screening of Johnny English. Perfect excuse to go out for me. I think I needed that break, I need a life I know hahaha, outside of cooking, doing laundry, cleaning and researching Wholesale Insurance. After the movie, my friend and I decided to try out a new Malaysian restaurant near Central Market. I don’t know which side of Central Market as I always get confused with this area. But a landmark would be PTC Computer store, the restaurant is a few doors down PTC.

Restaurant’s name is Nyonya and its good. Everything we tried was good. Here’s my pick: Nasi Lemak.

I love how Malaysians use chili and spices. It’s there but its not overpowering. Just the right amounts to add a zing and more flavor to each serving. For some reason when you look at the photo, it seems like the serving is small, but its not. I actually had a hard time to finish the rice. It would be great if they added more roasted dried fish {my fave!!!} but overall this Nasi Lemak from Nyonya gets my thumbs up.

Also loved the drink I ordered – Three Layer Tea. And the price? All these yumminess for less than $5. Will be doing a more thorough food trips review on our new collab-blog called Go Eat Write. And this resto’s definitely going to be featured there. Soon.