Pchum Ben ~ Festival of Souls (Phnom Penh, Cambodia) - 10 October 2015

The two major Cambodian holidays are the Khmer New Year and Pchum Ben (pronounced 'choom bun'). The latter is a 15-day celebration in which many Cambodians pay respects to their deceased relatives of up to 7 generations. During this 15-day period, many Cambodians believe that they have to visit 7 different pagodas to offer food to the monks and pray to their ancestors to receive protection and blessings at home. The final 3 days, which fall on October 11-13 this year, are the most important days of Pchum Ben. Like the Khmer New Year, many Cambodians return to their provinces to celebrate Pchum Ben with their family. As such, the streets in Phnom Penh this week have emptied out and consequently, there was a nice respite in the traffic. The peace was very much welcome. I visited a pagoda near my home today to catch the festivities, and I was captivated by the display of faith, respect, generosity, and family-togetherness ~ such great values to impart to the young.

As I have the coming week off from work, I will be heading out to Mondulkiri for a change of environment. Stay tuned for the next post!

Above: It's customary for families to bring food for the monks during Pchum Ben ~ this was the largest potluck feast I've laid my eyes on yet. I was stunned.

Above: The great buffet typically begins after 11AM when the monks stop eating for the day ~ others from all walks of life then come to share in the feast

Above: This was where people emptied their food from their containers/tins onto bowls provided by the pagoda. People then lay the bowls on the buffet table; I think these women were nuns

Above left: A graceful and beautiful Khmer woman; Above right: Kids I met horsing around outside ~ they were offering incense sticks to people for a small token

Above: When you give to one, others will come... this woman was hounded, but she took it in stride :)

Next post: Sen Monorom and Pulong Village, Mondulkiri, Cambodia - 11 & 12 October 2015
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The Deluge of September 3, 2015 - Phnom Penh, Cambodia

The monsoon season is currently in full swing here, and it is not fun. AT ALL. Dark, thick clouds form quickly at any time of the day and hang above us for some time, as if to taunt us, before they burst open like a balloon overfilled with water. Thunder and lightning rainstorms soon ensue ~ a persistent one of which caused some heavy flooding in Phnom Penh over a week ago. Floods are not unheard of in this country. In fact, they are to be expected.

I can now say with confidence that I have fully lived in Phnom Penh having finally experienced a flooding in the city. The experience was both enlivening and sickening. Pelleted with heavy rain from above and soaked from the knee down while riding in the flood (another first), there was a certain energy in the atmosphere around me ~ perhaps it was a combination of being hammered by the elements and the irony of seeing some kids chortling and playing happily in the water without any care or concern; or perhaps it was the unbelievable sight of waves forming from the placid water whenever a vehicle audaciously drove through it. I felt flustered as the scenes made no sense in any ordinary way, yet they were all so real. Furthermore, my mind was perturbed by what lay beneath the water and in the water. The murky water might not be as polluted and filthy as the Ganges, but I bet it contained sufficiently high levels of fecal coliform bacteria and all kinds of filthy waste. Ugh, the thought of that still gives me the squirms.

Despite my resolve, I couldn't make it to work and had to call it in, citing force majeure. I returned to safer grounds and had to get my bicycle looked at. Turned out, my little red riding hood sucked up some trash from the cesspool water. The mechanic managed to remove some plastic strings, green vegetables, and other scraps of garbage from its chains. The poor thing also received a few nice squirts of oil, and I was set back by just US$0.50 for this job.

Overall, it was an inconvenient experience, but it served as a great reminder of how fragile and weak our humanity is against Mother Nature. It was humbling, for the only thing I could do was surrender to the situation.

Above: Taken after the rain stopped and at the point when I decided to turn back ~ I could not go any further, not in that dirty water.

Next post: Pchum Ben ~ Festival of Souls (Phnom Penh, Cambodia) - 10 October 2015

Previous post: SG50 - Singapore's Golden Jubilee Celebration (August 2015)

SG50 - Singapore's Golden Jubilee Celebration (August 2015)

My recent visit to Singapore coincided with the nation's SG50 Golden Jubilee anniversary celebration. During the week that I was there, I had observed many SG50-related events, promotions, and decorations. Though I had missed the weekend preview and fireworks of the (upcoming) national day parade (to be held on August 9, 2015 at the Padang), I did, however, manage to catch the Lee Kuan Yew (LKY) musical and visit the Istana grounds when it was opened to the public for the day (free for Singaporeans and Singapore Permanent Residents; S$2.00 donations for foreigners).

I enjoyed the LKY musical, which depicted the life of Singapore's first prime minister, Mr. Lee Kuan Yew, who passed away on 23 March 2015 at the age of 91. From his studies at Raffles College to his founding of the People's Action Party to fight the communist and seek independence from the British, the musical portrayed a determined Mr. Lee who, with the aid of others, including the support of his intelligent wife, transformed Singapore from a third-world village into an urban metropolis. I liked how the musical played the national anthems of the U.K., Japan, and Malaysia to signal Singapore's transitions from one foreign governing body to another; its subsequent build-up and transition to Singapore's own national anthem was moving and heartfelt. Unfortunately, no one in the audience stood up to sing when the Singapore anthem played - spontaneity, alas it seems, is not a strong suit of many Singaporeans.

Rated this year as the most expensive city in the world, this little dot that is Singapore has her work cut out for her and her citizens/residents. I can't fathom paying S$15 (US$11) for a plate of food or S$5 (~US$3.70) for a cup of tea/coffee in the downtown area on a regular basis. I did succumb to paying S$50 (~US$37) per person for high tea at the swanky Fullerton Hotel; the experience, however, did not live up to my expectations. As I visit Singapore every couple of years, the price increases over time were to me stark and shocking. It seemed like the people in Singapore had gradually become desensitized to these ridiculous prices - not unlike the boiled frog anecdote. This, in my humble opinion, is a dangerous thing.

Things are changing fast in Singapore and it's no doubt an uphill battle for the government to maintain an annual growth rate of 6% with limited resources and productivity. I wish the Singapore government wisdom, strength, and courage as they leap forward to lead the country for the next 50 years.

Above right: Singapore's first prime minister, the late Mr. Harry Lee Kuan Yew

Above: Modern Singapore meets old Singapore (in Tiong Bahru)

Above: The Istana (where the President of Singapore resides) was open to the public on Sunday, August 2; Above right: a young girl participated in an art contest at the Istana

Above left: Vanda Miss Joaquim (aka the Singapore orchid is Singapore's national flower) at the Istana; Above right: The main building and fountain of the Istana

Above: The LKY Musical at the Sands Theater

Above: SG50 decorations

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