This Cambodian life: #13 The Khmer wedding experience

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Krom apa pipea!

Weddings in Cambodia are one of the most important celebrations of Khmer culture. They can last up to 3 days, depending on how wealthy the family is and the new weds will have at least 8 different outfits throwout the event.
For Cambodians having 'Barang'* in their weddings is an honour because it's generally a sign of social status: it's like hanging out with the cool kids back at home. So volunteers at New Hope get invited all the time to join weddings of people we don't really know. I must confess I was a bit hesitant at first, but it actually turned out to be incredibly fun. A Khmer wedding is all about 2 things: food and music. You'll be eating the whole time, dancing even more and because you're white you are an attraction on your own. Everybody will want to come cheer, dance with you, teach you the traditional way of dancing and chat.
If you're joining one, get ready for a lot of alcohol, food, intense heat, dance moves, very loud khmer traditional music, family members singing drunk (yes, just like at home) and lot's of fun.
Many thanks to Kanha and Thearith for the invitation! ♥


*'Barang' was used historically to refer to the french colonialists; nowadays its refers to white people, westerners. 





















































































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This Cambodian life: #12 So fresh and so clean...

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... clean?
Not really. We are now heading towards April, the hottest month of the year in Cambodia. During this month of March, thermometers are already hitting 38 degrees celsius (100.4 Fahrenheit) and humidity levels raised some days up to 94%. That's a lot of work for your sweat glands. Add this to the dust of the roads, the garbage in the slums, the hugs and hi5's to the kids and we have a bacteria festival.
You'll be taking 3 very thorugh baths a day, washing your hands an endless number of times and still, gooeye is going to be your main state.
I remember when I first got here, I saw a volunteer scrubbing hand sanitiser allover his hands and arms and I thought: 'Jesus, are you sanitising your hands or prepping for surgery?'
Little did I know, he was right. Almost 2 months later, I myself, have the feeling my hands will disintegrate and fall for overuse of hand sanitiser.

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This Cambodian life: #11 A week in pictures

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If you look, see. 


Phnon Phen - Killing Fields & Genocide Museum / Sunrise at Angkor Wat Temple / Pub Street Seam Reap

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This Cambodian life: #10 No country for jogging man

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I have a little tradition of mine: every country I visit, I like to go for a run.
Of course that 37 degree days with 94% humidity had so far discouraged me, but this particular day this naive blogger thought that if I waited until the sun started setting and hydrated properly one hour before, I would be just fine. So I laced my running shoes, turned on my running playlist and walked off the hotel.
Needless to say, 500 meters after I started I was already sweating from pores I didn't even know I had. Before I made my way to halfway my goal my temperature had risen so much I could feel my brain cook, my heart was racing and fatigue settled in like a unwanted neighbor. I wanted to stop and spit my lungs out, but I was so hot all I wanted was my air con back at my room, so I reckoned that running would bring me there faster.
And so I ran. 6,49 km later I was back at my room, drenched in sweat and dust, red from head to toe. It took me 40 minutes to cool down and manage to jump in the shower.

Later that evening I joined the other volunteers to go out for dinner, like we usually do, and trying to decide where to go one of them asked me:

Sinead: ' So, what do you feel like?'
Vio: 'Dying. I feel like dying.'


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This Cambodian life: #9 A week in pictures

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 “Not all those who wander are lost.” – J.R.R. Tolkien  

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