Muli po akong bumabalik sa Litratong Pinoy mula sa ilang buwang pagkawala.


Ang litrato sa itaas ay kuha sa bayan ng Kep sa Cambodia noong taong 2006 habang kami ng aking asawa ay papaakyat, patungo sa aming inuupahang. Tumira kami sa bayang ito ng halos limang buwan dahil sa aking trabaho. Kuha ito pasado alas singko ng hapon, ilang minuto bago pa lumubog ang haring araw. Nasa likuran namin ang araw, at, kung inyong mapapansin ang aming anino, ito'y pahaba na para bang kami'y mga matatangkad at payat. Sa tingin ko, dahil dito, nagsilbing panturo (pointer) ng direksyon ang anino namin patungo sa luntiang burol.

The photo above was taken in Kep town, Cambodia in September 2006, while my husband and I were walking up to our hillside guesthouse. We lived there for almost 5months because of my work. It was past 5pm and the sun was minutes away from setting. While we were walking, I noticed our shadows. The sun was behind us that our shadows were elongated, making us look taller and skinnier. Our shadows, it seems, is pointing us to the direction of the lush hills.

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Since I've already resigned from work, I am now at home 24/7. Compared with before when I was working and traveling almost every month for stretches of days, I now have all the time in the world to pursue other things; like doing the shopping at the local markets and cooking, for example.

Shopping at the local markets has become a routine for me and it is one chore that I love doing. I'm not kidding. There's so much happening at the market, varieties of colors, noises, and the odours - aromatic or otherwise - that I find delightful to find myself in, despite the heat. For me, if you want to discover insights into the Khmer way of life, you need to go and explore the markets. You won't be disappointed.

The very first recipe that I made was green mango salad, a hands-down favorite of my husband. Cambodia is abundantly blessed with several varieties of mango - and they are available almost year-round. When ripe, a mango is yellow, sweet and juicy and eaten as dessert. An unripe mango is green, sour and tangy, and is usually prepared as salad or served as an appetizer. Here's a photo of the green mango salad I prepared:


Photo borrowed from www.fudtrips.blogspot.com

With the help of the kind vegetable sellers at Bouengkengkang market, I was able to buy the right kind of ingredients - mangos, shallots, chilli, fish sauce (patis), lime juice, dried shrimps (hebi), dried fish, mint and another herb that I have forgotten the name of. With all these ingredients mixed together, it has vibrant colors, as vibrant as its sweet, sour, and spicy taste. Best eaten as appetizer.

With the success of my green mango salad, I am seriously considering taking up cooking lessons offered by one of the local restaurants here in PP. With this, plus the free tips and advice from ming neak leuk (aunty veggie sellers), how could I go wrong? Who knows, this might be a new career path for me?

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I'm glad the sun is up today. It rained for the most part of yesterday (in Tuol Sangke where we live), so our plan to drive around was canceled, but I was also glad for the cool weather that the rains brought in.

I notice that every now and then I get headaches. Perhaps I'm watching too much TV these days (it's the Wimbledon!!)... or perhaps it's because I'm getting old and creaky? Simba ko (knock on wood). I am always comforted by my husband's words and assurances; and my nephew and nieces still make me laugh and smile. When I call home and talk to them, it makes me forget the aches.




I wish I could also have their childlike innocence.

Okay, enough of the wishful thinking... on to what's happening here - we are flying to Phuket on Saturday!! Wohoo!! Actually it is not a 100% holiday as the husband is taking a course there, but, of course, Phuket is Phuket, and we are bound to do what tourists should do when in Phuket.

By the way, I would like to say thank you to dear Zam of MakiMeji for sharing the love to me...



... and now I am passing the love on to my friends, Redlan, Serena, Lou, J-B-L-O-G-G-E-D, MamaGirl, Sam and KiwiPinay. Let's spread the luuuuv!

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1. The other day I purchased gas for $3.96, which was less than the $4.37 my local station charges per gallon. What is the current gas price in your area for regular?
- Over here in Cambodia, it costs over 5,000 riels per liter (approximately $1.36).

2. Will your vacation plans be altered by the price of gas?
- I hope not!! My husband and I are planning to go to Phuket, Thailand next month, and, although we are anticipating the increase in travel costs, we are hoping it won't be waaaaay above our budget :)


3. Is there any movie this summer that you're looking forward to seeing?
- Hmmm, not really. Moviehouses here in the capital of Phnom Penh do not show Western films at all. We buy DVDs at the market, and you would be surprised at how fast we get new Hollywood movies here. It is only when I go to Bangkok or go back home (Philippines) that I get to watch movies on the big-screen.


4. Gas prices aside, what is your favorite vacation destination?
- I have no particular country in mind, but my husband and I love the beach and the great outdoors.


5. Will you watch more film on DVD than in theaters this summer?
- Definitely. Actually, we watch films on DVD all the time. See #3.

6. Will you fly anywhere this summer?
- We initially plan to go overland to Thailand, but there are lots of budget flights available now, and they are too irresistible. We are still thinking though :)

7. Guess: How high will a gallon of gas peak at?
- Gas is sold here by the liter, and, just a wild guess, the price will peak up to 8,000riels a liter ($2). I certainly hope it won't reach that high.

8. Will gas prices effect (sic) who you vote for in this fall's election?
- Errrm, this question is not applicable to me.

9. How much will the price of home heating oil effect you?
- That's one good thing about living in Asia, we do not spend on home heating at all. We have the sun all year round. But, we spend a lot on electricity for air cooling - we use air conditioners when it gets too hot here.

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Nothing beats soaking on the warm, bubbly waters of jacuzzi, after a hard day's work, or, on a cold night.

Join us here.

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I know have been re-miss with my blogging duties these days, it’s because I feel I have nothing much to blog about. I recently resigned from work – yeah, that is news worthy of a blog post - but I am not in the mood to write about it (the reason for quitting I’d rather not mention here). Okay, I changed my mind. I will blog about it when the right mood sets in. Sige, kapag may pumilit talaga sa akin ay sasabihin ko rin. Come to think of it, I feel sad about quitting because my position is vital and the timing (of the resignation) is problematic, but then, I do not want to be party to something that is against the very principles that I believed in. Oh well.

Part of me wants to go home right away. I could really use a rest, a break from my stressful work. If you were following the few accounts of my work here, you would know that I had been traveling to and fro, to the pilot areas. And if I wasn’t on the road, I was forever chained to my work desk, writing reports and doing stuffs. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed my work and believed in it, but all these accompanied with lots and lots of unnecessary pressure as well as frustration/disappointment from a not-to-be-named source drove me up against a wall. I had to quit, or else, I will just be another angry person in the world. Now that is not healthy. Baka mabaog ako sa sobrang galit. Huwag naman po sana, gusto ko pang magka-lahi. *lol*

But, hey, how could I forget - I have a husband to think of. I cannot just pack up and leave, not like in the old days when I was still single. So with my husband working here, I remain here, taking on the role of a housewife, albeit reluctantly (reluctant is too strong I think). Imagine, me. A housewife? *lol* Even my mother is raising her eyebrow in disbelief. But there’s no harm in trying, is there? Even if, most times, I feel like I haven’t achieved anything and I am itching to go back to work, being at home is also a blessing in disguise. I can keep track of everything – bills, food, appointments, etc. Perhaps, now that I am at home with less stress, I will be able to conceive! *lol*

Maybe in the coming days, I’ll change my banner. I think I ought to replace the blog title, The Sreisaat Adventures in Cambodia (sreisaat=pretty woman), to The Adventures of Prohpohn Sreisaat in Cambodia (prohpohn=housewife). It looks/sounds a bit redundant, but you all know what I mean, right? So, what do you think?

***
Housewife cartoon from www.mocoloco.com.

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Had lunch at an Indian Restaurant two weeks ago.
Mouthwatering chicken samosa - highly recommended.

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No, he's not really drunk.
He borrowed the whiskey bottle from another table and gamely posed for this shot :)
He is Long Dimanche, our Coordinator in the Prey Veng Pilot Project site. Being the head of the team on this part of Cambodia, he does all the preparations making sure everything is ready when I arrive to conduct workshops and meetings. After days of working in and with the community, we, locals and ex-pat staff alike, share what the locals call a solidarity dinner. Everyone gets cleaned up, all dust washed away, puts on new clothes, and wear our best smiles looking forward to a fun night. Dinner is usually accompanied by loads of karaoke singing (all Khmer songs), dancing, and drinks.

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Hi, I am back for this week's Photo Hunt. I was absent from my blogging duties and I want to start making up now...

It is not so difficult to find pictures for this week's theme. Walking around the the streets of Phnom Penh (and China) is like walking around a treasureland of posters and signs where the message being relayed is far from being funny but ended up with a funny message anyway. Here's some.

Let's start from my own inbox:

I do not mind the mistakes in the content, but I DO mind the salutation...

At a hotel in Kampong Thom province:


Along the highway...


Here's one from China...


Here's one poster that I think is nicely done. The message being relayed is a serious one, and it is presented straight-to-the-point to the readers. Even the non-Khmers can the tell the issue right away...


For more funny/creative signs, just head over to the Photo Hunters HQ.

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This is my Wordless Wednesday entry for the Tuesday-Wednesday edition. To join us, go to the Wordless Wednesday HQ.

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Not me! Promise :D

This is my entry for the Tuesday-Wednesday edition of Wordless Wednesday. Photo shows my pet dog Max, in denial :D. Head over to the Wordless Wednesday for more WW fun photos.

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My husband Rob and I are currently in retreat in the coastal town of Kep to get away from the madness of the capital, Phnom Penh. Kep town was, in another era, a tourist centre for the wealthy from Phnom Penh, who enjoyed its beaches, fish and sea breezes. Now, the municipality as a whole is impoverished and relies on inshore fishing and small-scale agriculture. There are a couple of family-run fish sauce factories, and about 1,000 hectares of salt basins providing employment for about twenty family enterprises and seasonable employment for perhaps sixty more.Kep has always been our choice for weekend getaways because, compared to Cambodia’s other beachtown, Sihanoukville, it still has a “remote” feel to it and there is still a small number of tourists coming in. Besides, Kep has a special place in our hearts, having lived here in 2006 when I started IDRC's rural ICT project here.

Our visit this time has another purpose – for my husband to turn over the brand new computer set with sound system and copier-printer-scanner machine to the monks of Wat Kampong Tralach where he used to teach while we lived here. The money used to purchase all of these was collected from the sales of the Cambodian CD maps, plus, the donation from his family in memory of his deceased grandmother and grandfather. The happiness on the faces of the monks was undeniable, and the excitement of the kids was contagious when they saw the computer games they could play with. Apart from computer operations, we spent half a day yesterday at the wat with Rob teaching the head monk, Ven. Pring Phoeun, how to operate the three-in-one machine: photocopying, scanning and printing documents. The photocopy machine is very useful to them to reproduce their lesson plans and exercises for the students, and also for designing and printing signs and leaflets for the wat. The classes are of mixed ages and abilities, and some travel by bicycle from as far as halfway to Kampot for free English classes. These are children of farmers and fishermen who are eager to study the language, but do not have enough resources to go to a private language school. If anybody would like to donate materials, such as books, educational CDs, or similar, Cambodia Maps CD now has a post office box address:
Cambodia Maps CD
P.O. Box 576, Phnom Penh
Cambodia

**
For more information on the Cambodia Maps CD, please click here.

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Tiny Toones: B Boy Benefit for Cambodia
April 26th 2008, 6pm 'til late
At the Greenwood Collective
8537 Greenwood Ave. NW Seattle WA

Featuring the work of:
World B Boy champs Massive Monkees, legendary Seattle photographer Charles Peterson, immigration activist Many Uch & photographer Stuart Isett.

$5 donation at the door
Photographs for sale
All proceeds benefit The Tiny Toones.

Background:
Tiny Toones was born in the Bassac slum area of Phnom Penh, Cambodia and provides free HIV/AIDS, health, drug awareness, performing arts and language education in English and Khmer to underprivileged youth. It also serves as a community center, with an open door policy, where hundreds of children have a positive environment to channel their energy into learning and performing arts. The group was founded by Tuy Sobil, a.k.a. KK, originally from Long Beach, who brought his b boy dance talents to the streets of Cambodia to help the country struggling to rebuild after 30 years of war.

Funds raised from the event will be used to support Tiny Toones as well as purchased a small mini-van so the kids can be driven safely to school, dance performances and rehearsals. A $5 cover will be charged, plus many talented, local photographers will be donating photographs for sale, with proceeds going to the benefit. Donations will also be accepted online and at the event.

For more info and donations, visit: http://greenwoodcollective.com/tinytoones/

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Ito ang moto-dop o moto-taxi. Kung ang Pilipinas ay may jeepney, ito namang moto-dop ang sagot ng mga Khmer bilang pangunahing transportasyon dito sa Cambodia. Bata, matanda, lalaki o babae - silang lahat ay nakasakay sa moto-dop papunta sa paaralan, opisina, palengke at kung saan-saan.

Sangkatutak na motodop ang nakaka-kalat dito pa lang sa Phnom Penh, ang kabisera ng Cambodia. Sa dami nila, hindi mahirap maka-ispat ng isa dahil halos lahat ng moto-dop driver ay madaling makita sa suot nilang baseball caps.

Gusto mong mamasyal? Mag-liwaliw at mag-shopping? Walang problema. Isang tawag lang ng moto-dop at sa ilang saglit ay nandun ka na sa iyong paparoonan. Ganun sila kabilis! Kung noon ay di pa kailangan ng crash helmet, ngayon ay ipinatutupad na ng gobyerno ang pagsusuot nito. Ang halaga ng pamasahe ay depende sa distansya ng pupuntahan at kung ilan ang pasahero - karaniwang nagsisimula sa 1000riels hanggang 10,000riels (more or less P10-100). Ang halaga ng pamasahe ay tumataas ng doble o hight pa sa pagsapit ng gabi.

Sa itaas na litrato, pinapakita na hindi lang tao ang sinasakay ng mga moto-dops. Kahit ano, actually, pwede, tulad na lang netong bisikleta....

*oist, ang hirap talagang managalog. Pasensiya na po.

Here's the English text:

In the Philippines, we have the jeepney. Here in Cambodia, the moto-dop or moto-taxi is the most common means of getting around the city and they’re not that difficult to spot! There are tens of thousands of them in the city, and moto-dop drivers are all wearing baseball caps.

So you want to go sightseeing? Go shopping? No problem. Just hop on a motodop, a 100cc scooter. Before, wearing a crash helmet not required but in the recent weeks the government has just implemented a law requiring everyone to wear helmets when riding on motorcycles. A ride across town will cost around 1,000-10,000riels (P10-100), more, depending on the distance, and if there is more than one passenger. The price goes up a little at night.

Motodops not only ferry people around; it’s also used to transport goods.

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I know I am breaking the rules again, but please allow me to give you a brief background. Two years ago, I left the comforts of Phnom Penh for a work assignment down south of Cambodia - to the coastal town of Kep. Our organization had no office there yet so I had to use the same guesthouse room (where I live) as my office. There was no electricity yet - generator operates only at night - and so I travel to our project areas by day and do the paperworks at night. Each working day I was absolutely knackered from the bone-crunching moto-ride visiting remote villages. But when I go home, all the exhaustion simply vanished because of this:

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The Queen of Spain visits the Royal Kingdom of Cambodia.

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