Gong Xi Fa Cai! Wouldn’t it be convenient to be a kid again and go visit those Chinese aunties and uncles?
Chumree-uhp Soo-uh January 27, 2003
I’m tired but contented, shaken but not stirred… Heeeh. Last Thursday, I accepted a last-minute invitation to travel with a group from MC to Cambodia. Always eager to see new places, I jumped at the opportunity… It took us nine hours including stops for makan and kancing from Aranyapathet-Poipet border to Phnom Penh by taxi. Can’t hardly believe that my non-shock-absorbing buttocks survived the ultra-bumpy journey. I was warned earlier about the poor road condition–unpaved, with various sizes of potholes, and dusty (I might still have reddish dungot to prove it). Many times we saw children, some barely clothed but covered in grime, play happily at the roadside oblivious to the dust billowing as vehicles pass by. Makes me wonder what we, inside the car, were missing. More dust?? *ponder, ponder* Welp, we arrived the capital 8:30 pm. CAM, our host, fed us and graciously placed us girls at–what I’d say–was a 5-star hotel after what we had gone through. There was even cable TV with over 60 channels. Heck, even a TV is an ultimate luxury for Ms. Ah Lian here!
On Friday noon, we roamed the market downtown. I bought four very ciplak (unoriginal) CDs for US$12: Joao Gilberto, Burning Spear, Nina Simone and a compilation of Caribbean music. (Lots of “foreign” jazz artists, Debs!) It was weird and wonderful that such an extensive collection of CDs exists in that humble marketplace. Nevermind, ciplaks… Anywots, we saw the rest of Phnom Penh later: a quite empty city train station, yellowish high schools with bright blue doors, huge monuments, beggars, pretty lasses on motorbikes, the so Malaysian Petronas oil station, single-legged people on hand-handled bikes, impressive mansions with uniformed guards, several “Buaya Club Tournament” banners (what the…!), the grim Tuol Seng Genocide Museum, more dusty roads… Hmmm, there were awe, emphathy, disgust, grief, guilt (for ignoring beggar no. 4), fear, and other in-between thoughts taking turns inside my head. Went back to hotel room mute and dumb.
Throughout our stay the weather was dry and hot. Saturday was pretty idle. We spent a camp-meeting style Sabbath with over 1,000 Cambodians while the GC President spoke. After lunch, I lost touch with the world… *audible cute snores* Woke up in time for dinner. Since there were no night bazaars to get lost in we went back to our rooms to pack. Our hired van came by 2:30 am Sunday. We headed towards Siem Reap province hoping to get a glimpse of the famous Angkor Wat before returning Siam. Unfortunately we lack the time and the moolah to stay. ARGH!! (Future visitors, entrance fee is US$25 and it’s worth it if you can spend one day at the ruins.) Our reluctant driver drove us around the site and we manage to gap maybe 1% of the ruins from across the water bolt. It’s said that there are more than 100 temples in Angkor. Man, it would be nice to come back someday and do my own roving in and around the wats. I can almost imagine me sprinting in slow motion through the hallways and people would sigh, “Aahh, there goes Lara Croft…”
Parenting Skill January 22, 2003
Are you a good parent? Test your parenting skill–Michael Jackson’s way.
Babi Joke January 20, 2003
Dunno if you’ve heard this one. Said to be true but even if it wasn’t I’d still laugh myself to death just thinking about the two jokers in this story: This took place in an American restaurant. Buffet style. A couple of our fellow countrymen were looking at this certain omputeh stacking up his food like gunung Kinabalu or was it chomping down his food with great velocity? Anyhows, said the friend to the other–of course in their own tongue, “Kau tingu itu orang bah. Makan macam babi!” (Tr: Look at that dude. He eats like a pig!) And I’d imagine them snickering while chomping down their own food as well. Later, someone passed by their table and said in perfect Malay, “Ini babi mau jalan sudah.” (Tr: This pig is leaving now.) Both looked up and to their great chagrin saw the omputeh they snickered about earlier taking his leave. Man, I almost peed in my pants laughing. Morale of story: Most babis are smarter than you think. Have you seen Babe??
What Update? January 16, 2003
No UFO sightings. No third nenen growing. No new neighbours to gossip about. Either I’ve been staying here too long or I’m just too self-absorbed to notice anything new or interesting. Actually, I’m just too self-absorbed to notice anything new or interesting. In about four months, I’m leaving this ulu campus for what may not be greener pastures (or no grasses at all). I know what I want but the damning fact is I worry a lot and it makes me nervous to think what if later I find out my choice sucks? Then I’ll say, “If only I don’t know this sucks…” and proceed on with life with an I-want-my-money-back look on my face. Hmph. Actually, all I need right now is a reassurance from the Almighty that I can go anywhere and do anything I want without fear. So what if war is brewing in Afghanistan… err, Jolo? Eh, where dat? Whewww, it’s good not to know…
The New Air Down Here January 3, 2003
Happy new year! And we’re not over the holiday mood yet kan? My brain is still hovering in the ether–between New Year’s Eve and New Year Day. Can I say I have a hangover (minus the real booze)? Teheee. My colleagues are still on vacation and I’m happily bored with lotsa things to do like surfing and looking forward to bed approximately seven hours from now. Hallelujah for Fridays!
