Cambodia week 4: CEO Party and slumber parties!

It is getting quite hot in Cambodia now and the rainy season is approaching (starts around May). This week's highlight was that it was a short week. Monday was off, and friday I stayed home because I got slightly sick due to the heat. On thursday the electricity broke down at work and I found myself dripping before I knew it. So we all got off in the afternoon since we couldn't work in those conditions. After having a fresh juice with Charlie, my british colleague I took a moto home and stopped to get some badminton rackets on the way. I realize that I don't exercise at all here, I sit on my behind all day and eat and drink and eventually walk up and down the road. Soooo...a nice way to move and have fun: Badminton.
So I got home and took a nap because I was feeling a bit dizzy. I was being picked up by my friend Max to go to a VVIP party called CEO Party, a business networking dinner before the WorldCam Exhibiton (business expo). So we got there in a huge white tent and got seated near the stage. I was able to meet some interesting and successful people despite the lack of organization that the "party" showed. There was a nice dinner and wine (for free hehe) and we made a party out of our table because everyone else around were all way too serious.

Rong Rong and Melissa were fun girls and very smart one too

The next day was a little harder. Because of the heat the day before, I felt a bit sick so I stayed in bed most the day and drank lots of water and slept. The air cooled down a bit after a nice and rainy day so it felt better at night and we had the Projects Abroad monthly dinner at this really cool BBQ-yourself place where boxes with hot coal are put into the holes in the table and a sort of steamer pan is put on top. Water is the poured all around the dome shaped top and then you put on veggies in the water so that they boil while the meat is being grilled on the dome part. It was good and great fun and...really hot. The staff was in a very good mood and most of us ended up at Happy Guesthouse (as usual) to have a bit of a party. Sophan and Sython 2 of the funniest staff members were on fire and being hilarious. The night went on until only us girls from apartment 4 remained...after a group hug and a really creative new found team slogan "Apartment 4! Apartment 4!" we all went home in a tuktuk singing "I'm a Barbie Girl, in a Barbie Woooooorld! Life in Plastic, it's faaantastiiiic!" followed by a very loud and off key "Doctor Jones, Doctor Jones, Calling Doctor Jones, Doctor Jones, Doctor Jones wake up now!"...Do I need to mention we know our AQUA classics??? LOL. Getting into the apartment we realized no one was home so we could be as loud as we wanted...so after another shout of our slogan and group hug we went to bed. Bet the night guard was happy to see us go to bed.
Yesterday Shannon and I played some badminton in the gardens not far away from our home and were pretty bad...it's the heat. We blame everything on the heat.
That night we had a "slumber party". All of us girls took down some mattresses and pillows and watched movies and ate candy...we felt really girly but was much needed after going out so much.

Shannon and Katherine setting up the slumber area while the night guard watches us amused

Katherine and Margaux

I told you a while ago that the trend here is pajamas...that is our cook

Signe catching us from above..."I am a Golden God!!!!"

Today I woke up early in time to go with Shannon to the Russian Market and check out the stuff they have there...I'm guessing I will be shopping there a lot before I go home (silk and silver especially). Now I am sitting at the pool writing this. It is nice and a nice way to end the weekend. This week will be my last week at the Globe. Starting Easter Monday, I will be taking care of the kids at CFC orphanage for my last month. Did I already say time flies here? Well it does. This last month I intend to take every occasion to go out and discover new things, perhaps travel a bit around the country. We have Khmer New Year coming up mid April so that's 3 days off plus weekend, nice eh? Probably will go to Siem Reap to see the Angkor temples and hopefully go up north one weekend and do a jungle or elephant trek.
I wanna go back to the beach in Shianoukville too and go boating...oh well we'll see if time and money permits it. I also have 2 days off right before I leave so we'll see how I get organized.
Anyways, that was all for my 4th week here. Starting on 5th tomorrow...oh my...cheerio or as we say here Chow Moy! (cheers)

Cambodia week 3: Beach time and wedding bells

This was really a very nice looong weekend. Starting on Saint Patrick's day (March 17th) with a few drinks and then with a 4 hour bus ride to the beach early the next day! Weeehee! Corinne, Katherine, Jasper, Shannon and I took the bus to Sihanoukville after a rushed "breakfeast" at Happy Guest House. Shannon and I beofre we fell asleep

The bus ride was long and the honking was incessant because of the crazy drivers on the roads (yes, driving here is chaotic and people drive in all directions making the roads looks like an ant farm). We arrived at the bus station in Sihanoukville and were immediately harassed by dozens of tuktuk and moto drivers who were all desperately looking for customers.
We settled at Otras Beach, a nice beach but quite far away from the city center (you go there, you stay there). After sitting down for about 3 seconds, we had 10 people around us trying to sell some bracelets, massages, pedicures, manicures, deep fried lobsters (which were NOT good) and whatever else they had to offer. Of course we bought some things...but once you buy from one, you never get peace (they were on our sunbeds with us all weekend), furthermore, they all are extremely jealous and think that it is unfair if you buy from one and not from them as well, they say "You come Cambodia, you rich, you must help Cambodia. You buy from me? But you no fair, buy from her and not from meeee. I have no moneeey, buy something now. I must go to school and I have no moneeeey..." (but they all sell the same stuff, what are you supposed to do??)

Otras beach

"I don't know" our hang out place during 3 days!

Beautiful sunsets

Our wondeful shower

The room...vodka Shannon?

So after a lot of beaching and lazying in the sun I decided to find a place for my last night as I was leaving on sunday early to go back to Phnom Penh for my boss's wedding. The others stayed at the beach another day, so I took a bus back to the city alone and sat next to a teacher from Tahiti who was explaining to me all the problems Tahiti was facing. It was interesting and I got to know more about a place I had no idea was in such bad shape and so artificial (as he put it).

Getting off the bus was liberating and I grabbed a moto home where I left my stuff and headed over to Central Market in search of a dress to wear at the wedding. By the time I was done shopping my stomach was eating itself, as I hadn't had breakfeast or lunch, so I went over to Happy guest house for some food and then I headed home to rest and get ready. I did not really want to go to the wedding, I was feeling a bit under the weather from all the sun and not enough water. But I forced myself to go anyways and was not disappointed. I mean the place was beautiful, it was at Himawari Hotel, a very nice one and the reception was held in the garden over-looking the Mekong river. Wow, flowers everywhere, so many tables all draped in white, beautiful decorations, a stage, long catered tables, open bar, and surprise, Sambo the elephant was a guest for the evening as well!

Sambo, my new pet!

These were just some of the tables...

The stage and "red carpet"

The bride, Yimei, looked stunning in her dresses (she apparently changed 9 times, I saw 3) and had been up since the early hours (5 am). One thing that struck me is that they didn't show much emotion during the evening, but I think that is part of the culture.

The bride and groom

Yimei

During the dinner I sat next to the magazine's printers (not the machines, the guys who print our stuff haha) and next to a chinese guy who was into perfume marketing and with whom I had a great conversation about perfume...what else?
After the dinner was over and most people had left, we all (most of the colleagues) sat down at the table with the newlyweds while they were finally able to eat something. Some of us decided to go out to a few bars and we had a really fun time and also it was nice to be able to bond more with people I work with.

The Cambodia Globe staff

The next day we all had off and it was probably a great thing because I think most of us were quite tired, if not reduced after such a grand party. Right now I am sitting at work again, but it will be a short week, already tuesday!

I have been here for 3 weeks now and it seems that it wasn't too long ago that I was wondering why on earth I came here, but now I feel good with my surroundings. I find it great to feel the change from unfamiliar to familiar. When whatever you become aquainted with is new and the places you go to and the people you meet are new, you feel like an outsider. But suddenly there is a point where you realize the change has occured and you find yourself included and in trust the environment around you. That makes it 6 more weeks to go and plenty more to experience!

Cambodia days 10-17

I have been a bit lax lately with the blog, but it is mostly due to working soooo hard hehe. No actually I was having troubles uploading photos so voila. Here are some updates!

The past weekend couldn't begin in a better way!
On friday I felt really productive at work and completed 6 news stories that I had to write. Pises, the Projects Abroad director came to work to see how I was doing...what do you think?




Yep, hard working indeed :)


Then I took a well diserved detour to the Riverside and sat down at the Riverhouse Lounge and had myself a Cosmopolitan and a chilled glass of white wine while skyping with my mom and my brother. Grabbed a taxi moto home and after a quick dinner was out and about again with Corinne, Shannon, Jasper and the newly added Katherine (or America as we call her). Then Sophan and Sithan, two Projects Abroad staff members joined in and we all went to a Khmer karaoke...private room, private female company (well the guys were happy...we however, had a bit less eye candy). Although the sound was quite bad we had a fun time and then left to go to a real cambodian night club: Spark. Well we got there an hour or so before closing time but we were able to drink a few cocktails and own the dancefloor for the last 20 minutes (where we were harassed by cambodian girls wanting to dance with us...ladies). It was quite funny to see how the DJ wouldn't keep his mouth shut...I mean, we weren't there to hear him speak to us, we were there to dance!

The next day, we decided to go to Mekong Island (apart from Corinne and Jasper who were having troubles waking up), which is about 45 minutes away from Phnom Penh and needs a ferry cross-over. The kids at the cross-over were so cute...I know, I always say that about the kids here but it is true!

Our tuktuk getting settled on the ferry

Katherine and I

Some monks were part of the ride too

Then we got caught into a shopping spree at a local's weaving house and got slightly ripped off (2 scarves for 8 dollars and when we got to the beach the same scarves were half price), we learn the hard way sometimes.



After the rip off, we continued our way with our musical tuktuk (we were so lucky to have music in the tuktuk and felt like we were in a music video all day). It is quite impressive to see the houses there who are almost all on wooden posts quite high up because of the rainy season's floods. Right now it is very dry here, but I can just imagine how much it must rain in the wet season.

After a little while of tuktuking around we soon got a few followers telling us: "Hello! Where you from? You have very nice skin! How many brother and sister you have? How old you are?" I think most of them are trained to ask these questions...and then they say: "I have beautiful scarf for you, I make you good price. You buy from me?"

Hello how are you?? You have beautiful skin! You buy scarf?

We finally arrived at the "resort" (with these people still on our tails) to find that now not only had we got scarves everywhere but fruits and other types of food were being pushed up our faces. What a nice relaxing afternoon we were set to have! "Please you buy? I have no moneeeey. Very cheap very good." "Tay Tay, orkun..." (means: no, no thanks).

Enjoying a break from the fruit vendors...who kept coming back every 30 minutes

Oh well we finally did get some peace from the vendors. But then some really cute kids then caught all our attention.



After 2 hours spent in a hut, we felt like moving back to the mainland to get some food. On top of that we were going to have a roof party that night so we had to go back and get ready :) But first we stopped at Happy Guesthouse, our hangout place to eat something.


It was the first time I saw the place in day time and it was sad to realize that the "lake" Boeng Kak is now just a large pond...Developpers are filling it with sand in order to build in the area. Soon there will be no more lake :( and probably no more Happy Guesthouse...

The view from the guesthouse

And the party begins! This is our roof...where we eventually just have drinks sometimes


And the party roof

Almost all the volunteers...there were 3 guys there that night, one of which was 60 and french...very french (pessimistic that is)

The next day was pool day and movie night. I think most people felt slightly reduced after the roof party. I was fine :)

Monday was Jasper's 18th birthday so we all went out to what we thought would be a french restaurant, La Croisette...(turns out it was more italian than anything else) The company was good and the cocktails abundant...

Birthday boy and I enjoying some wine

Corinne and America and I about to leave the resto

Sophan, Shannon and I at Happy Guesthouse...where else?

Well that was quite a night and the next day was tough. I was so lucky to bump into my boss twice that evening: once at the restaurant and the second time at a bar...haha.


Well I have been in Cambodia for 15 days now...feels like a long time but it still flies. I have 7 weeks left here. Tomorrow I will be off with the others to Sihanoukville to see the beach and party a little! Woohoo! I am taking off 2 days from work since our magazine goes to print tonight. I will come back to Phnom Penh on sunday because the editor in chief is getting married and I have been invited :)...was difficult to explain that to the cook this morning "Catina no pek lunch?" "No, no lunch and no dinner thursday, friday, saturday and sunday" "Ok, pek lunch monay?" "Yes I need a packed lunch on monday".
Phew. Hope she got it. She is very sweet though, always smiling but never really understanding what we say...so sometimes it is hard to get the message across without getting lost in translation.
Every morning I wake up around 8am and since I don't leave before 9.30, I go up on our roof and sit out in the sun and read a bit. It is nice a nice way to slowly wake up. Then I go and shower and my driver takes me to work on the moto. I work from 10am to 5pm, usually researching news and following what is happening around Southeast Asia. I leave at 5 and my driver is there to take me home. I get back from work usually around 5.30, depending on traffic and usually go back to the roof or just relax for a bit on my bed until dinner which is always at 7pm. It's always nice to look around on my way to work and there is always something to see. For instance I saw 2 monkeys walking on electric cables the other day. Sometimes I see Sambo the elephant walking around the city. He is 50 years old and apparently the only elephant that was not killed by the Khmer Rouge. He gives tours of Wat Phnom, a hill which apparently has a nice view of the city. Also there are a lot of smells around the city. Some make your mouth water, some make you regret being out. There is a lot of street cooking here, BBQs on the street and you see people eating out all the time. And then at night when most Cambodians are in bed, you see the less fortunate ones going through the garbage which is generally tossed on the street.

Well this was a bit of my everyday life shared with you.
I will probably post something on monday or tuesday depending on the time I have. Until then have a great weekend...I have a long one :)

Cambodia day 8: Sipderwoman day!

After a long day at work, I was looking forward to going out for dinner with my volunteer friends. Andie, one of my roomates is leaving soon so we wanted to have a traditionnal Khmer dinner.

The restaurant was beautiful, it is run by students and is part of a program helping them into the workforce and also to keep them off the streets. It aims at letting them expand their knowledge and talents in several areas and also make some money in the process.

I was really excited because I heard they had spiders to eat...yup, you heard me, SPIDERS to EAT! Apart from my phobia of spiders I was pretty much set on trying it out and testing myself a bit. The tarantulas came deep fried accompanied by a few greens and some lime sauce

Hmm, aren't you dying to try one out???

The first part of the challenge was just having the guts to put it in my hand...

Oh my god...

I can do it....

Well maybe not the whole thing...

I only bit off a couple of legs, they were quite crispy and didn't taste bad...but just the mere fact of knowing what you are eating is enough to make you lose your appetite. So I was Ok with leaving the spider-eating experience at that and have something more...um, well less...something that doesn't crawl!

Besides the price of the evening (around 19 USD), which was extremely expensive for Cambodia (a small glass of wine was 4.50 USD!!!!!), we had a nice time. Not so much more happened that day...except for spiders on a plate.

Oh and by the way, I read this article in the Phnom Penh Post about the fire victims. Human Rights issue? Definitely something fishy going on...

http://www.phnompenhpost.com/index.php/2010031033355/National-news/relocation-may-be-offered-to-victims-of-tuol-kork-fire.html

First week in Cambodia

One week down!
It feels like I've been here for a long time already. Everyday I feel more and more comfortable with my surroundings, though I still need to venture out a bit more on my own and just explore. But that will come. So far my experience of Cambodia is a good one, yesterday we had the first rainfall since I got here and it has cooled the air a bit. There are many things that I see everyday and that always amaze me.

One thing that kind of worries me is the security issue. There are locks everywhere and on everything! What if there is an earthquake in the middle of the night? There is no way anyone can get out of the houses in less than 3 minutes! So yeah i started thinking about those things and trying to figure out what i would do if something like that happenend.

Locked in...

Another thing is when I got here I thought people were crazy walking around in their pajamas...turns out that they actually use them as clothes here! So it is not unusual to see people wearing a hello kitty or some heart covered ensemble: LA CLASSE!

Nice clothes eh?

Seeing more than 2 people on a scooter or motorbike is not unusual either, usually I see most of them after work or during weekends...they actually use the bikes as family transportation here...

Notice the 5 people riding that thing!

Of course poverty is an other thing that hits you and it is really tough to resist giving. The kids constantly ask for money and we are not encouraged to give or else they would get used to it and start expecting it from everyone. This one just wanted some water...of course I gave him some!


There are a lot of monks here and Cambodia. They are really colorful and intriguing to watch. But I believe Cambodia and some parts of Southeast Asia are suffering from a bad monk reputation because of some scandals (fake monks go around begging for money or setting up fake charities and some monks have been accused of raping and murdering people).
I always enjoy seeing monks on scooters because it just looks funny.



The last thing I can think of that really stands out here are the kids. They are everywhere and apparently Cambodia has a very big percentage of young people...and they are soooo cute!

Not unusual to see small kids or even babies on a bike

Aww...

Well this was a short summary of my first week, which has so far been rich in experiences and hopefully there will be many more to come. Mind you I have already been invited to a wedding! sounds promising eh?