Khmer New Year

With the advent of Khmer New Year, everything in my newly settled home and schedule that I was starting to get used to was suddenly turned upside-down. Things got crazy at work, I started traveling, and even more time-consuming, I started planning lots of travel. So I apologize for not posting at a time when I have the most to post about, but I'll try my best to catch up!

Khmer New Year is celebrated in Cambodia, Thailand, and Laos during the week of April 11th, though I think it goes by different names in the other countries. Regardless, it’s an all-out week-long celebration during which most Cambodians go home to their villages to celebrate with their families. I was torn on whether to travel in rural Cambodia to partake in the celebrations or to take advantage of the week off to explore another “must-see” country on my Southeast Asia wish list. In the end, four other volunteers and I decided to take advantage and embark on a trip-of-a-lifetime (more for the company than for the sights :) to Vietnam. Luckily, before I left, I got to experience some laid-back Khmer celebration during our half-day office party at a riverside restaurant…

We left around noon on Wednesday (April 8th) and drove for over an hour, crossing the river to the outskirts or even suburbs of the city. This was my first opportunity to finally see rural Cambodia, and I must admit, it was a bit of a shock. Rural Cambodia, with its remedial dirt roads, is nothing like the capital city. Most of the homes are stilt houses, which are actually really cute, but there are some more pathetic-looking slums as well. The cows are sickeningly thin and bird-flu roosters, geese, and chickens run rampant. Some of the countryside is green and beautiful, but most of it is just muddy and dirty, overflowing with garbage.

The place we went to was absolutely gorgeous. It was a large open wooden structure with hammocks instead of chairs separating each square eating area on the floor, no tables. It was also empty save for us so we spread out and lounged in our own hammocks drinking fresh coconut juice out of coconuts. We played cards (universal entertainment) during which I learned some new games and lost a dollar or two. I learned that you can’t play cards in Cambodia unless you play for money and that everyone slams cards down in an exaggerated manner; it’s just how they play. We had some corn and delicious lychee fruit for snacks and ate a not-so-amazing lunch mostly consisting of fish, rice, and vegetables. There was also a whole chicken, which I had a few pieces of, being very careful to avoid the head, beak, and feet that others were eating like a delicacy.

After the meal, some took naps while others played more cards or just hung out and chatted. I had an amazing time getting to know my co-workers better and finally got the opportunity to take some really good pictures of them that you can see with their descriptions if you click on the link to my Picasa photo gallery to the top right!