I saw this sign in the Night Market while browsing around:
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Weekly Engrish 1: Dr. Fish
Here's a little segment I hope to make a weekly thing with this blog called Engrish. Once a week I'll try to post an example of amusing Engrish (Poorly translated English).
I saw this sign in the Night Market while browsing around:
I saw this sign in the Night Market while browsing around:
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Weekend Recap 2: The Little Loop
So our second day in Siem Reap was a bit more hectic. Yasemine left early in the morning back to Phnom Penh as she flew out on Saturday. Nancy and I went with Narat in a tuk tuk to begin the little loop of Angkor. The little loop is one of two well-traveled routes to see the temples of Angkor. As I learned upon my arrival, there is waayy more than just Angkor Wat at the site. In fact, the biggest complex there is Angkor Thom, the great city built by king Jayavarman VII (1181 - 1219) or "the Donald Trump of Angkor" as Lonely Planet likes to call him. Nancy and I made our first stop Bayon temple, a Buddhist temple glorifying the bodhisattva, Avalokiteshvara, and adorned with many multi-directional faces. It was a nice place to start the day as it is one of the most popular temples and the crowds had not yet arrived at 7:00.
The faces at Bayon
Next up was the rest of Angkor Thom including Baphuon with its enormous reclining Buddha relief built into the back of it, the royal palace and Phimeanakas and its high staircase. One of my favorites was Preah Palilay, a temple a little distant from the center of Angkor Thom but not crowded and with a magical atmosphere. Tep Pranam, Preah Pithu, the Terraces of the Leper King and Elephants were all very nice too. It was a big complex and took a long time to explore. We also spent a lot of our time evading the persistent sales children prowling around the complex trying to sell their wares. It was my first experience with children selling things on this trip and I unknowingly refused a very good deal on 3 magnets for $1.
Preah Palilay
Before leaving Angkor Thom, we changed drivers because Narat had to go back to the hostel to help another customer or something (didn't quite understand his explanation). I was worried about him because of his harsh fall yesterday, but our new driver, Noi was just as nice as Narat. We went to Ta Prohm next to see the temple being devoured by trees. Unfortunately the trees at Ta Prohm are trimmed and manicured so unlike the wilderness at Beng Mealea. It is also the site of the now-iconic (thanks to Lonely Planet) "Tomb Raider Tree" where Angelina Jolie posed in her movie. The layout of this temple was nice and fairly easy to navigate. Somewhere between Angkor Thom and Lunch we went to Chau Say Tevoda and Thommanon, two relatively minor temples near Angkor Thom. A short stop at Ta Keo afforded a magnificent view from the unfinished temple.
The Tree and I
By that time it was getting late and Nancy and I wanted to see sunset at Angkor Wat (it faces West unlike most other Angkor temples), so Noi convinced us to skip Banteay Kdei and Sra Srang (the last few stops on the Little Loop) and go straight to Angkor Wat. Once I stepped through the main gate and beheld the glory of Angkor Wat, I understood why it is hailed as a world wonder. The perfect symmetry and calculated approach down the central causeway make for an experience that builds up suspense before reaching the 3-leveled central sanctuary itself. In order to avoid the crowds, Nancy and I decided to tour the long gallery carvings around the perimeter of the first level. After dodging Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Italian, Spanish, and French tour groups, we deciphered the history carved in the walls. Like a graphic novel it described myths and the reign of Suryavarman II, the builder of Angkor. About halfway around the perimeter, the clouds opened up and let down the most intense torrent of rain that I've seen here so far. Thunder boomed through the sky and crowds touring the grounds of the temple rushed to get inside. Even the tour groups in the outer galleries with us retreated into the innards of the temple. Nancy and I had the entire place to ourselves. It was a creepy feeling looking down the great hallway and seeing no hoards clambering to see the bas-reliefs.
After enough quietude (despite the rolling thunder), we ascended to the second level and found the huddled masses. It was an amazing sight to see the drainage engineering of the ancient Khmer in action with water pouring off the eaves and into strategically placed basins that acted as ponds for water retention and drainage into the large pond outside the temple and further into the surrounding moat. At the third level of Angkor Wat, the central sanctuary was quickly flooding with pouring rain. Luckily, Nancy and I both have waterproof Gortex North Face shoes and had no qualms about jumping into the watery courtyard. Along with us were three crazy Koreans who frolicked about in the rain and under the waterfall-like runoff coming from the upper sanctuary.
Exploring around to the back, we found ourselves alone with a guard and asked him if we could go up into the barricaded upper sanctuary. He chortled and proposed "I take you? How much?" Nancy and I agreed to two people for $15 after bargaining down from $10/person. We scrambled over the little fence and ambled up the restoration wooden stairs. Nobody was there and scaffolding clad some parts of the central tower, a symbolic representation of Mount Meru, home of the Hindu gods. The guard guided us around, always being sure that nobody else was around the next corner. In the central tower was an altar to four Buddha statues. Nancy gave a donation, which the guard I think ripped and tossed up to the altar. Coming down was a bit more of a challenge as the rain had stopped and people were beginning to filter back into the lower courtyard. The guard told us to hide behind some walls while he looked for a clearing in the crowds. After waiting about 7 minutes in the unflattering odor of bat guano, the guard pulled out his cellphone and texted (presumably his other guard friends). Five minutes later after a surreptitious descent we were in an empty section of the courtyard cordoned off by other security guards. After paying our guide, we melted back into the crowd retreating from shepherding security guards claiming "closing time to leave". Nancy and I celebrated our little victory with Cambodian corruption when we crossed the causeway and found Noi patiently waiting in his tuk tuk.
That night after a Thai dinner, we explored the Night Market for a nice foot massage ($4 for 15 min). I bought a couple of t-shirts and souvenirs and we went back to Bun Cao guesthouse for a sound night's sleep.
The faces at Bayon
Next up was the rest of Angkor Thom including Baphuon with its enormous reclining Buddha relief built into the back of it, the royal palace and Phimeanakas and its high staircase. One of my favorites was Preah Palilay, a temple a little distant from the center of Angkor Thom but not crowded and with a magical atmosphere. Tep Pranam, Preah Pithu, the Terraces of the Leper King and Elephants were all very nice too. It was a big complex and took a long time to explore. We also spent a lot of our time evading the persistent sales children prowling around the complex trying to sell their wares. It was my first experience with children selling things on this trip and I unknowingly refused a very good deal on 3 magnets for $1.
Preah Palilay
Before leaving Angkor Thom, we changed drivers because Narat had to go back to the hostel to help another customer or something (didn't quite understand his explanation). I was worried about him because of his harsh fall yesterday, but our new driver, Noi was just as nice as Narat. We went to Ta Prohm next to see the temple being devoured by trees. Unfortunately the trees at Ta Prohm are trimmed and manicured so unlike the wilderness at Beng Mealea. It is also the site of the now-iconic (thanks to Lonely Planet) "Tomb Raider Tree" where Angelina Jolie posed in her movie. The layout of this temple was nice and fairly easy to navigate. Somewhere between Angkor Thom and Lunch we went to Chau Say Tevoda and Thommanon, two relatively minor temples near Angkor Thom. A short stop at Ta Keo afforded a magnificent view from the unfinished temple.
The Tree and I
By that time it was getting late and Nancy and I wanted to see sunset at Angkor Wat (it faces West unlike most other Angkor temples), so Noi convinced us to skip Banteay Kdei and Sra Srang (the last few stops on the Little Loop) and go straight to Angkor Wat. Once I stepped through the main gate and beheld the glory of Angkor Wat, I understood why it is hailed as a world wonder. The perfect symmetry and calculated approach down the central causeway make for an experience that builds up suspense before reaching the 3-leveled central sanctuary itself. In order to avoid the crowds, Nancy and I decided to tour the long gallery carvings around the perimeter of the first level. After dodging Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Italian, Spanish, and French tour groups, we deciphered the history carved in the walls. Like a graphic novel it described myths and the reign of Suryavarman II, the builder of Angkor. About halfway around the perimeter, the clouds opened up and let down the most intense torrent of rain that I've seen here so far. Thunder boomed through the sky and crowds touring the grounds of the temple rushed to get inside. Even the tour groups in the outer galleries with us retreated into the innards of the temple. Nancy and I had the entire place to ourselves. It was a creepy feeling looking down the great hallway and seeing no hoards clambering to see the bas-reliefs.
After enough quietude (despite the rolling thunder), we ascended to the second level and found the huddled masses. It was an amazing sight to see the drainage engineering of the ancient Khmer in action with water pouring off the eaves and into strategically placed basins that acted as ponds for water retention and drainage into the large pond outside the temple and further into the surrounding moat. At the third level of Angkor Wat, the central sanctuary was quickly flooding with pouring rain. Luckily, Nancy and I both have waterproof Gortex North Face shoes and had no qualms about jumping into the watery courtyard. Along with us were three crazy Koreans who frolicked about in the rain and under the waterfall-like runoff coming from the upper sanctuary.
Exploring around to the back, we found ourselves alone with a guard and asked him if we could go up into the barricaded upper sanctuary. He chortled and proposed "I take you? How much?" Nancy and I agreed to two people for $15 after bargaining down from $10/person. We scrambled over the little fence and ambled up the restoration wooden stairs. Nobody was there and scaffolding clad some parts of the central tower, a symbolic representation of Mount Meru, home of the Hindu gods. The guard guided us around, always being sure that nobody else was around the next corner. In the central tower was an altar to four Buddha statues. Nancy gave a donation, which the guard I think ripped and tossed up to the altar. Coming down was a bit more of a challenge as the rain had stopped and people were beginning to filter back into the lower courtyard. The guard told us to hide behind some walls while he looked for a clearing in the crowds. After waiting about 7 minutes in the unflattering odor of bat guano, the guard pulled out his cellphone and texted (presumably his other guard friends). Five minutes later after a surreptitious descent we were in an empty section of the courtyard cordoned off by other security guards. After paying our guide, we melted back into the crowd retreating from shepherding security guards claiming "closing time to leave". Nancy and I celebrated our little victory with Cambodian corruption when we crossed the causeway and found Noi patiently waiting in his tuk tuk.
That night after a Thai dinner, we explored the Night Market for a nice foot massage ($4 for 15 min). I bought a couple of t-shirts and souvenirs and we went back to Bun Cao guesthouse for a sound night's sleep.
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Weekend Recap 1: Siem Reap, Beng Mealea, Kampong Phuluk, Roluos Group
So I just got back to PP from Siem Reap this afternoon. Nancy and I took a 12:30 bus and arrived home around 6:30. This morning we ate breakfast in our fantastic hostel (more about it later) and then went shopping in town for souvenirs before heading to the Butterfly Garden Restaurant for a light lunch. The garden was enclosed with hundreds of butterflies http://www.butterfliesofangkor.com/enter_garden.html check it out.
Nancy and the Butterflies
So here's a review of what happened over the weekend. Nancy, Yasemin, and I left on WEdnesday morning for Siem Reap and saw the Museum when we arrived there in the afternoon. Our lodging was at the Bun Kao Guesthouse, the kindest hostel in the area. Our 3-bed room was well-equipped with a fan and a/c and a private bathroom. Each morning was a free breakfast of eggs, bread, and a banana served by one of Mr. Bun Kao's daughters (grand-daughters? great grand daughters?). The place was definitely family-run and everytime we came back to we were greeted by a child sitting on the couch watching an amusing-looking television show and Mr. Bun Kao behind the main desk. The place was quiet, albeit a bit out of the center of town but this was not a problem as everything in Siem Reap is very walkable.
The next morning we woke up for an early start at 6:30 to go to Beng Mealea, a far temple about 70 km from Siem Reap. We hired a tuk tuk driver through our hostel named Narat (?) who was very nice. The ride out there was a refreshing opportunity to see the Cambodian countryside firsthand. Villagers live in thatched roof houses and food vendors parked their carts along the busy main road. It wasn't quite a highway as there were only two lanes, but drivers here don't pay attention to lines anyway. Beng Mealea was an exciting first ruin to see as it is pretty much untouched and unrestored. Roots and vines have clearly ripped apart the temple as piles of rubble lay strewn about the interior walls. Yasemin, Nancy, and I clambered around over the rubble led by a local guide who sort of trapped us into a tour. He knew where he was going and gave a great description of everything we were seeing. He led us to the old libraries and pointed out places and ponds of interest, as the Khmer were very fond of surrounding their buildings with water. We paid him $4 at the end (quite a good pay for a great tour) as we wouldn't have been able to find our own way around the ruins. As we were leaving we spotted a fashion photoshoot for some Japanese magazine, which presented an odd contrast of ancient ruin and modern glamour.
Beng Mealea ruins
Next up was lunch at a nice restaurant placed near a river before charging towards Kampong Phuluk. Kampong Phuluk is one of the so called "floating villages" on the Tonle Sap lake, the primary water source and natural miracle of Cambodia. The drive was pretty long down there, about 1 hour or so before we hit the end of the road and a detour. The road ended where the water level had previously risen and they had not yet had a chance to repair it. August is the rainy season in Cambodia and the Tonle Sap floods to expand from 2500 sq km to more than 13,000 sq km with its maximum depth increasing about 8 m. The water was quite high when we arrived, so we had to transfer (and pay $15!) to a moto (moped) and then to a boat. Sitting on the back of a moto with Yasemin was a bumpy and exciting ride. The road was in pretty bad condition and should have more accurately been called a sandy trail with large puddles. Suddenly, the large clouds looming overhead let loose and we were caught in a torrent of pounding rain riding on a moto. We pulled over on the side and hid under (literally, they raise their houses above the ground to avoid the flood) a local woman's house. She was hiding along with us and between the cracks in the bamboo floor of the house above was her curious toddler peering down at the three foreigners who appeared below her feet.
The rain stopped and we continued by moto to a river bank lined with boats. We boarded a long, low boat with 10 chairs on its covered deck and puttered down the narrow estuary. The sides of the boat were assaulted with the branches of sunken trees as we squeezed our way to the main river and on to Kampong Phuluk. All the houses were raised very high off the ground and people carried out their daily routines on the various levels between the water and the main house. Children swam, splashed, and bathed in the muddy river water. Our boat continued through the village into the sunken mangrove forest. None of the mangrove's trademark gnarled roots were visible, only strange canopies peeking out from below the water. The mangrove forest floods in the wet season and is a normal forest in the dry season. Many fisher people were setting up nets and traps in the area before resting in hammocks they tied between the uprooted canopies. The main lake was a vast sea of fresh water muddled with the runoff from recent rains. Deforestation is a huge problem here and causes lots of runoff into the Tonle Sap, potentially endangering the lake itself as the silt buildup makes the lake shallower and shallower each year. The lake is so enormous that there is a distinct horizon line and the boat rocked from the sway of choppy waves once we left the protection of the flooded forest.
Approaching the floating village
Turning back, we landed in Kampong Phuluk village and walked around down the main street, presumably the highest point of ground in the area as it was the only bit of actual land. All the houses are lined on this strip of dirt with their high supports and rear ends (of front doors?) sticking out over the water. We met some young kids who wanted to practice their English with us and we chatted with them before getting back on the boat and returning to shore and back on the motos. Once again, a deluge poured down on us right before we reached the shelter of the moto-tuk tuk transfer stop. Before the rain was up, our driver, Narat, went over to the tuk tuk carriage and lifted it to reattach it to his moto when he suddenly slipped in the mud and the tuk tuk carriage fell on him! I was so shocked because he just lay there for a second not moving. I ran out there to help him with a few of the other Khmer with us and he got up alright and we helped him reattach the tuk tuk to his moto. He was unfortunately covered with mud on his backside but appeared to be alright. When the rain stopped and after Narat had a rest, we all got back in the tuk tuk to head to the Roulus Group temples.
Yasemin and a resident of Kampong PHuluk
On the way to the temples we were caught in a cow traffic jam! The cows were moving somewhere but Narat successfully navigated between and around to get past them. The Roluos Group temples are older than the main ones at Angkor Wat, but were equally interesting and uncrowded. We viewed some of them in the rain and ended up visiting three temples: Preah Ko, Bakong, and Lolei before returning back to Siem Reap.
Nancy up top at Preah Ko
We freshened up at our hostel room before grabbing dinner with Bill in downtown Siem Reap near Pub Street. It was an early night that night because we were exhausted from our day of adventuring.
Nancy and the Butterflies
So here's a review of what happened over the weekend. Nancy, Yasemin, and I left on WEdnesday morning for Siem Reap and saw the Museum when we arrived there in the afternoon. Our lodging was at the Bun Kao Guesthouse, the kindest hostel in the area. Our 3-bed room was well-equipped with a fan and a/c and a private bathroom. Each morning was a free breakfast of eggs, bread, and a banana served by one of Mr. Bun Kao's daughters (grand-daughters? great grand daughters?). The place was definitely family-run and everytime we came back to we were greeted by a child sitting on the couch watching an amusing-looking television show and Mr. Bun Kao behind the main desk. The place was quiet, albeit a bit out of the center of town but this was not a problem as everything in Siem Reap is very walkable.
The next morning we woke up for an early start at 6:30 to go to Beng Mealea, a far temple about 70 km from Siem Reap. We hired a tuk tuk driver through our hostel named Narat (?) who was very nice. The ride out there was a refreshing opportunity to see the Cambodian countryside firsthand. Villagers live in thatched roof houses and food vendors parked their carts along the busy main road. It wasn't quite a highway as there were only two lanes, but drivers here don't pay attention to lines anyway. Beng Mealea was an exciting first ruin to see as it is pretty much untouched and unrestored. Roots and vines have clearly ripped apart the temple as piles of rubble lay strewn about the interior walls. Yasemin, Nancy, and I clambered around over the rubble led by a local guide who sort of trapped us into a tour. He knew where he was going and gave a great description of everything we were seeing. He led us to the old libraries and pointed out places and ponds of interest, as the Khmer were very fond of surrounding their buildings with water. We paid him $4 at the end (quite a good pay for a great tour) as we wouldn't have been able to find our own way around the ruins. As we were leaving we spotted a fashion photoshoot for some Japanese magazine, which presented an odd contrast of ancient ruin and modern glamour.
Beng Mealea ruins
Next up was lunch at a nice restaurant placed near a river before charging towards Kampong Phuluk. Kampong Phuluk is one of the so called "floating villages" on the Tonle Sap lake, the primary water source and natural miracle of Cambodia. The drive was pretty long down there, about 1 hour or so before we hit the end of the road and a detour. The road ended where the water level had previously risen and they had not yet had a chance to repair it. August is the rainy season in Cambodia and the Tonle Sap floods to expand from 2500 sq km to more than 13,000 sq km with its maximum depth increasing about 8 m. The water was quite high when we arrived, so we had to transfer (and pay $15!) to a moto (moped) and then to a boat. Sitting on the back of a moto with Yasemin was a bumpy and exciting ride. The road was in pretty bad condition and should have more accurately been called a sandy trail with large puddles. Suddenly, the large clouds looming overhead let loose and we were caught in a torrent of pounding rain riding on a moto. We pulled over on the side and hid under (literally, they raise their houses above the ground to avoid the flood) a local woman's house. She was hiding along with us and between the cracks in the bamboo floor of the house above was her curious toddler peering down at the three foreigners who appeared below her feet.
The rain stopped and we continued by moto to a river bank lined with boats. We boarded a long, low boat with 10 chairs on its covered deck and puttered down the narrow estuary. The sides of the boat were assaulted with the branches of sunken trees as we squeezed our way to the main river and on to Kampong Phuluk. All the houses were raised very high off the ground and people carried out their daily routines on the various levels between the water and the main house. Children swam, splashed, and bathed in the muddy river water. Our boat continued through the village into the sunken mangrove forest. None of the mangrove's trademark gnarled roots were visible, only strange canopies peeking out from below the water. The mangrove forest floods in the wet season and is a normal forest in the dry season. Many fisher people were setting up nets and traps in the area before resting in hammocks they tied between the uprooted canopies. The main lake was a vast sea of fresh water muddled with the runoff from recent rains. Deforestation is a huge problem here and causes lots of runoff into the Tonle Sap, potentially endangering the lake itself as the silt buildup makes the lake shallower and shallower each year. The lake is so enormous that there is a distinct horizon line and the boat rocked from the sway of choppy waves once we left the protection of the flooded forest.
Approaching the floating village
Turning back, we landed in Kampong Phuluk village and walked around down the main street, presumably the highest point of ground in the area as it was the only bit of actual land. All the houses are lined on this strip of dirt with their high supports and rear ends (of front doors?) sticking out over the water. We met some young kids who wanted to practice their English with us and we chatted with them before getting back on the boat and returning to shore and back on the motos. Once again, a deluge poured down on us right before we reached the shelter of the moto-tuk tuk transfer stop. Before the rain was up, our driver, Narat, went over to the tuk tuk carriage and lifted it to reattach it to his moto when he suddenly slipped in the mud and the tuk tuk carriage fell on him! I was so shocked because he just lay there for a second not moving. I ran out there to help him with a few of the other Khmer with us and he got up alright and we helped him reattach the tuk tuk to his moto. He was unfortunately covered with mud on his backside but appeared to be alright. When the rain stopped and after Narat had a rest, we all got back in the tuk tuk to head to the Roulus Group temples.
Yasemin and a resident of Kampong PHuluk
On the way to the temples we were caught in a cow traffic jam! The cows were moving somewhere but Narat successfully navigated between and around to get past them. The Roluos Group temples are older than the main ones at Angkor Wat, but were equally interesting and uncrowded. We viewed some of them in the rain and ended up visiting three temples: Preah Ko, Bakong, and Lolei before returning back to Siem Reap.
Nancy up top at Preah Ko
We freshened up at our hostel room before grabbing dinner with Bill in downtown Siem Reap near Pub Street. It was an early night that night because we were exhausted from our day of adventuring.
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
TWITTER >:o and Yoga :D
The afternoon consisted of working on stuff in Illustrator and setting up my very own Twitter account. You can follow my feed here http://twitter.com/Retto22. I finally gave in to the social networking site, but I promise it'll be my last one.
Went to yoga this afternoon instead of aerobics at the Nat'l Stadium. It was an unusual style of yoga, one that I've never done before. Here's the website for it:http://www.kundaliniyogacambodia.org/The people there were adorable and invited Yasemin and I for tea after the session. There were two people from Australia and one mystery woman who didn't stick around for conversation. The instructor was a petit Khmer woman with a fairly thick accent and the class was held on the roof terrace of this nice building about a 10 minute walk away from our house.
After tea, we walked home in the rain and were late to another scrumdiddlydumptious dinner from our cook. We had guests over for dinner and I felt kind of bad about being late, but they were just other student-types from PP. Natalie and Sylvia, I believe who were very nice. Post-dinner I had a conversation with Yas and Nancy about our expedition to Siem Reap tomorrow. Things will all work out, and I'm really excited about seeing the temples!
Went to yoga this afternoon instead of aerobics at the Nat'l Stadium. It was an unusual style of yoga, one that I've never done before. Here's the website for it:http://www.kundaliniyogacambodia.org/The people there were adorable and invited Yasemin and I for tea after the session. There were two people from Australia and one mystery woman who didn't stick around for conversation. The instructor was a petit Khmer woman with a fairly thick accent and the class was held on the roof terrace of this nice building about a 10 minute walk away from our house.
After tea, we walked home in the rain and were late to another scrumdiddlydumptious dinner from our cook. We had guests over for dinner and I felt kind of bad about being late, but they were just other student-types from PP. Natalie and Sylvia, I believe who were very nice. Post-dinner I had a conversation with Yas and Nancy about our expedition to Siem Reap tomorrow. Things will all work out, and I'm really excited about seeing the temples!
Monday, August 3, 2009
A Day at the Office
So I'm at work now, but I don't have anything to do at the moment because my computer is being fixed and until I get it back and set up AutoCAD, I can't really do much in the office. This morning I went back to the IFL (Institute for Foreign Languages) and went on the roof to take some measurements with the Cambodians in our group (Soklay, Chhoy, Pagna #1 and Pagna #3 [so called because of their year in school]). Vann Molyvann (the architect whose buildings we're documenting) did three buildings at the IFL, but we only worked on the biggest one today. It's three or four stories tall with a large inner atrium and fairly good ventilation. I wish I could post some pictures of it, but they'll have to come later. The people here are fairly friendly and sometimes speak passable English, but the Cambodians we're working with are very well educated and their English is very proficient.
Cambodia appears to have pleasant relations with many other nations as there are monuments to friends such as Vietnam, Thailand, a center for Korean Friendship, and a Cambodia-Japan Connection Center or something like that (they call it the CJCC) on the campus of the IFL. It was done by a Japanese architect and is a typical Japanese building with fine proportions and made with that grey stone ubiquitous to the Tokyo scene.
One important fact to know about Cambodia is that the wattage is 220V (I think. Whatever's the higher one than in the States) and since I'm currently using Nancy's computer with the charger that's used to US voltage, her computer is supercharged and prone to shocking me if I touch any part other than the keys. It's actually a bit unpleasant.
My other impressions of this developing nation include the following:
It's really frightening to cross the street
Riding motos is nerve-racking even if I know the driver, even more so if I don't
They really like crispy money here
The "new rich" as they locals call them love to drive Lexuses and Land Rovers and plaster huge stickers on the side of their cars with the logo and name
The fruit is exotic and okay, even though I've had some of it before at home. It all seems to be less sweet than what we have at home, but perhaps that's because I don't know where to buy the good stuff. One of my new favorites is dragonfruit.
I guess that's it for now. Nancy, Yasemin, and I are leavin for Siem Reap tomorrow morning to see the ruins of Angkor Wat and other stuff too. I booked a hostel last night on hostelworld for $7.50/night because the place that Nancy and the grad students previously stayed, the Golden Banana, was all full.
It's almost time for lunch here, so I think I'm going to go on a lunch break and then I get to go to the National Stadium in the afternoon for the first time! Apparently I have to measure some dimensions for the pool building.
Cambodia appears to have pleasant relations with many other nations as there are monuments to friends such as Vietnam, Thailand, a center for Korean Friendship, and a Cambodia-Japan Connection Center or something like that (they call it the CJCC) on the campus of the IFL. It was done by a Japanese architect and is a typical Japanese building with fine proportions and made with that grey stone ubiquitous to the Tokyo scene.
One important fact to know about Cambodia is that the wattage is 220V (I think. Whatever's the higher one than in the States) and since I'm currently using Nancy's computer with the charger that's used to US voltage, her computer is supercharged and prone to shocking me if I touch any part other than the keys. It's actually a bit unpleasant.
My other impressions of this developing nation include the following:
It's really frightening to cross the street
Riding motos is nerve-racking even if I know the driver, even more so if I don't
They really like crispy money here
The "new rich" as they locals call them love to drive Lexuses and Land Rovers and plaster huge stickers on the side of their cars with the logo and name
The fruit is exotic and okay, even though I've had some of it before at home. It all seems to be less sweet than what we have at home, but perhaps that's because I don't know where to buy the good stuff. One of my new favorites is dragonfruit.
I guess that's it for now. Nancy, Yasemin, and I are leavin for Siem Reap tomorrow morning to see the ruins of Angkor Wat and other stuff too. I booked a hostel last night on hostelworld for $7.50/night because the place that Nancy and the grad students previously stayed, the Golden Banana, was all full.
It's almost time for lunch here, so I think I'm going to go on a lunch break and then I get to go to the National Stadium in the afternoon for the first time! Apparently I have to measure some dimensions for the pool building.
First Few Days in Phnom Penh!
The flight was a long one from Maui to Oahu, then from Oahu to Kansai where I had a 5 hour layover. Then from Kansai to Bangkok where I had another 5 hour layover because my flight got pushed back a couple of hours later. The flight from Bangkok to Phnom Penh was nice and I sat next to a Khmer man and his daughter who live both in Switzerland and Phnom Penh. Nancy and Yasemin met me at the airport and we traveled by tuk tuk back to the house where I unpacked and unwound.
A nice 2 or 3 hour nap later, we went out to dinner at Romday (?), a restaurant/NGO that trains waiters in a nice villa that serves delicious Khmer cuisine. I had Tonle Sap fish Amok, the national dish here, which was yummy! Then we went out for a night on the town to some bars where sleezy old foreigners were taking advantage of poor Cambodian prostitutes. We didn't like the vibe there and went to a different fancy bar and then to a nighclub called Heart of Darkness. It was a hip scene with bumpin' music and good times. After a bit รณ drama outside the club, we went home to sleep.
The next day, we just slept in and hung out. Nancy took me to the market and we bought some food and I purchased a new wallet because I don't want to carry around the fancy Coach wallet that Aunty Tina gave me for graduation because nobody accepts credit cards here anyways. It baffles me how they use both dollars and Khmer real for all transactions here even at the grocery stores and stuff. The price comes up in both dollars and real and they give you change in a combination of the two currencies, which can get confusing sometimes >.< Yasemin, Nancy, and I went for a promenade around the park to see the Independence Monument and saw children flying kites and playing ball on the grassy sward. We also went to two Buddhist Temples, or Wats and poked around. Dinner was at a nice little restaurant that had two cute puppies, but during the course of our meal there was a power outage and the whole city went black. We ended up finishing our food by candle light and enjoyed some fresh fruits afterwards. The DVD store across the street was where we purchased the new Harry Potter movie for $2 and we watched it when we got back to the house that evening.
Today was the first official day of work and I took my computer to the repair store where they said it would take two to three days to fix. I came back on a tuk tuk and haggled with the driver for a good five minutes after I got home. From then, I went on a site visit with Sookly and Pagna #1, two of the Cambodians who are working on the project with us. The site was neat at the university and we hung around there taking pictures and failing to get on the roof to take some measurements, but it was okay. It rained a little and when it stopped we came back to the office to have some lunch while Nancy and I ran a couple of errands getting her phone minutes and some new soymilk because the stuff we bought yesterday was pretty gross. In the afternoon I did some CADding until Chidimma from Yale came knocking on our door around 6:30. It was great to see a friend from Yale and I really missed her for the time we've been apart. It's just so strange not to have all our friends so close to us anymore. Chidimma was traveling with two of her Yalie friends from China, Alex and Eric and they were in Phnom Penh just for tonight. They stayed for dinner and we caught up with a nice visit afterwards. Dinner tonight was fantastic as we had the cook come tonight and for $4 per person she cooked up a storm of fabulous dishes including some of the best Amok I've had so far! Now it should be off to bedtime because Yasemin and I are going to try to go to a soup place for breakfast tomorrow morning which means waking up at 6:45!
A nice 2 or 3 hour nap later, we went out to dinner at Romday (?), a restaurant/NGO that trains waiters in a nice villa that serves delicious Khmer cuisine. I had Tonle Sap fish Amok, the national dish here, which was yummy! Then we went out for a night on the town to some bars where sleezy old foreigners were taking advantage of poor Cambodian prostitutes. We didn't like the vibe there and went to a different fancy bar and then to a nighclub called Heart of Darkness. It was a hip scene with bumpin' music and good times. After a bit รณ drama outside the club, we went home to sleep.
The next day, we just slept in and hung out. Nancy took me to the market and we bought some food and I purchased a new wallet because I don't want to carry around the fancy Coach wallet that Aunty Tina gave me for graduation because nobody accepts credit cards here anyways. It baffles me how they use both dollars and Khmer real for all transactions here even at the grocery stores and stuff. The price comes up in both dollars and real and they give you change in a combination of the two currencies, which can get confusing sometimes >.< Yasemin, Nancy, and I went for a promenade around the park to see the Independence Monument and saw children flying kites and playing ball on the grassy sward. We also went to two Buddhist Temples, or Wats and poked around. Dinner was at a nice little restaurant that had two cute puppies, but during the course of our meal there was a power outage and the whole city went black. We ended up finishing our food by candle light and enjoyed some fresh fruits afterwards. The DVD store across the street was where we purchased the new Harry Potter movie for $2 and we watched it when we got back to the house that evening.
Today was the first official day of work and I took my computer to the repair store where they said it would take two to three days to fix. I came back on a tuk tuk and haggled with the driver for a good five minutes after I got home. From then, I went on a site visit with Sookly and Pagna #1, two of the Cambodians who are working on the project with us. The site was neat at the university and we hung around there taking pictures and failing to get on the roof to take some measurements, but it was okay. It rained a little and when it stopped we came back to the office to have some lunch while Nancy and I ran a couple of errands getting her phone minutes and some new soymilk because the stuff we bought yesterday was pretty gross. In the afternoon I did some CADding until Chidimma from Yale came knocking on our door around 6:30. It was great to see a friend from Yale and I really missed her for the time we've been apart. It's just so strange not to have all our friends so close to us anymore. Chidimma was traveling with two of her Yalie friends from China, Alex and Eric and they were in Phnom Penh just for tonight. They stayed for dinner and we caught up with a nice visit afterwards. Dinner tonight was fantastic as we had the cook come tonight and for $4 per person she cooked up a storm of fabulous dishes including some of the best Amok I've had so far! Now it should be off to bedtime because Yasemin and I are going to try to go to a soup place for breakfast tomorrow morning which means waking up at 6:45!
Filling in the Gaps
So I know I haven't written on this for a longg time since I first started it, but here's the next entry. Just to give an update to any followers out there, after graduating from Yale, I spent a week in New York with my family seeing the sights, etc. then I went to Europe on a 10-day cruise with my mom. The cruise was great and I had a fantastic time seeing the Greek Isles and the Aegean Sea.
Here's a quick rundown of the itinerary:
Began in Rome from Civitavvechia,
Sorrento/Naples where Mom and I explored Herculanaeum (?) a.k.a. a much smaller and less crowded (and less hot) version of Pompeii
Back to Santorini where we went to the archaeological museum
Mykonos and the ruins of Delos
Volos and the Meteora monasteries
Istanbul for two nights where I visited the lovely Yasemin
Craggy Chios to see the Nea Moni and sample mastic soda, dessert, and soap
Ephasus and Kusadasi for a visit to St. John's Basilica and the obligatory carpet co-op
Finally ending in Athens with an overnight stay and double visit to the archaeological museum
After that, Mom flew home to Maui and I flew to Madrid to see Breanna and Jenta (friends from High School). Madrid was a blast and I really liked the people there the best because of their welcoming and friendly spirit. There's a unique vibe to the people there that makes them all seem approachable. Jerry (former roommate from Yale) met me in Madrid and we took off from there on another action-packed adventure:
Madrid for a visit with Bre and Jenta
Then Jerry and I headed south to Cordoba to see the magnificent mosque
We met up with Breanna, Jenta, and Niwat (?sorry!) in Granada some highlights of which were the Alhambra palace and the Arab Baths
After realizing that Cordoba was too hot (42 Celsius! yikes!), Jerry and I decided to head north to Bilbao where we visited Gehry's titanium-clad museum
San Sebastian was our next stop, a touristy and hip beach town where we met Emma from England and stayed in a strict hostel
It was still too hot, so we headed up to Normandy to see Mont St. Michel and a walk in the mud and stayed in a little cabin village
Next up was Bayeux to see the world-famous tapestry and a nice cathedral where we stayed in a super budget hostel
From there we took a bus trip to visit Omaha Beach and the American Cemetery and Pont Orson (?) where the battles of D-Day took place
Catching a train to Tours was the start of our next adventure where we rented bikes and caught the train (ironically) to some of the chateaux of the Loire Valley.
We also biked aimlessly around the area and stayed overnight in Blois before biking to more Chateaux and taking another bus tour to maximize our chateaux-ing. This was also where we got the brilliant idea to enter the Amazing Race television show and we started our video at one of the Chateaux.
After managing to make it back to Tours, Jerry and I took an overnight train to Marseilles where we stayed in Le Corbusier's Unite d'Habitation
After one night in mild luxury, it was off to Nice to stay with Uncle Daniel and Aunty Nadia in a little hotel near their house. Aunty Nadia's scrumptious meals were the first homecooked food I had eaten in 6 months!
Uncle Daniel took us to Monaco where we visited the aquarium and the Grimaldi Palace.
Finally after that, I flew to San Francisco and Jerry to Tehran for some work.
San Fransisco was the site of the biannual Wong Family reunion where over 150 Wongs gather to catch up and see our vast and distant relatives. I stayed there for a week with Tricia and spent time with Grandma, Grandpa, the Boys, Uncle Rick, and even Aunty Deets and Uncle George came to this one. Tricia and I went to the William Stout Bookstore where I found some cool books and I also went to a Giant's game with the family and Aunty Jaylene and Uncle Brian for a blast!
Leaving San Francisco, I returned home for the first time in over 6 months (the longest I've EVER been away from home!). It was nice to be back in my own bed and I had forgotten how plush it is. There was no respite at home, however as I began immediately studying for the GRE once some of the books and flashcards Scott sent me had arrived. I studied for several hours a day and went to the usual doctor's appointments, etc. I took the test on Oahu on July 22 at the UH Manoa campus. Luckily my scores turned out to be way better than I ever scored on the practice tests, even though I didn't finish the math section completely. I think I scored well enough that I'm not going to take it again (depending on what my writing score was, which I'll find out later). I also had a chance to go out to dinner with Aunty Dorine and Aunty Joy and Cousin Sherie to celebrate their birthdays. The last day I was there, I ate lunch with Aunty Kaki at Ala Moana and she gave me a bunch of great tips about traveling in Southeast Asia.
Returning home after passing the GREs, I immediately had to start unpacking all my stuff from college. All my clothes, books, art, etc. was sitting in eight boxes in the garage because I hadn't had a chance to unpack. Dad and I went to Home Depot to buy two extra bookshelves to fit all my stuff and I also started to pack for Cambodia and Japan. I had to prepare all the stuff that I am taking to Japan as I am flying straight from Phnom Penh (I can finally spell it!) to Kyoto on August 31. We celebrated Mom's birthday on the 29th and I left for Cambodia the next morning on the 30th.
Here's a quick rundown of the itinerary:
Began in Rome from Civitavvechia,
Sorrento/Naples where Mom and I explored Herculanaeum (?) a.k.a. a much smaller and less crowded (and less hot) version of Pompeii
Back to Santorini where we went to the archaeological museum
Mykonos and the ruins of Delos
Volos and the Meteora monasteries
Istanbul for two nights where I visited the lovely Yasemin
Craggy Chios to see the Nea Moni and sample mastic soda, dessert, and soap
Ephasus and Kusadasi for a visit to St. John's Basilica and the obligatory carpet co-op
Finally ending in Athens with an overnight stay and double visit to the archaeological museum
After that, Mom flew home to Maui and I flew to Madrid to see Breanna and Jenta (friends from High School). Madrid was a blast and I really liked the people there the best because of their welcoming and friendly spirit. There's a unique vibe to the people there that makes them all seem approachable. Jerry (former roommate from Yale) met me in Madrid and we took off from there on another action-packed adventure:
Madrid for a visit with Bre and Jenta
Then Jerry and I headed south to Cordoba to see the magnificent mosque
We met up with Breanna, Jenta, and Niwat (?sorry!) in Granada some highlights of which were the Alhambra palace and the Arab Baths
After realizing that Cordoba was too hot (42 Celsius! yikes!), Jerry and I decided to head north to Bilbao where we visited Gehry's titanium-clad museum
San Sebastian was our next stop, a touristy and hip beach town where we met Emma from England and stayed in a strict hostel
It was still too hot, so we headed up to Normandy to see Mont St. Michel and a walk in the mud and stayed in a little cabin village
Next up was Bayeux to see the world-famous tapestry and a nice cathedral where we stayed in a super budget hostel
From there we took a bus trip to visit Omaha Beach and the American Cemetery and Pont Orson (?) where the battles of D-Day took place
Catching a train to Tours was the start of our next adventure where we rented bikes and caught the train (ironically) to some of the chateaux of the Loire Valley.
We also biked aimlessly around the area and stayed overnight in Blois before biking to more Chateaux and taking another bus tour to maximize our chateaux-ing. This was also where we got the brilliant idea to enter the Amazing Race television show and we started our video at one of the Chateaux.
After managing to make it back to Tours, Jerry and I took an overnight train to Marseilles where we stayed in Le Corbusier's Unite d'Habitation
After one night in mild luxury, it was off to Nice to stay with Uncle Daniel and Aunty Nadia in a little hotel near their house. Aunty Nadia's scrumptious meals were the first homecooked food I had eaten in 6 months!
Uncle Daniel took us to Monaco where we visited the aquarium and the Grimaldi Palace.
Finally after that, I flew to San Francisco and Jerry to Tehran for some work.
San Fransisco was the site of the biannual Wong Family reunion where over 150 Wongs gather to catch up and see our vast and distant relatives. I stayed there for a week with Tricia and spent time with Grandma, Grandpa, the Boys, Uncle Rick, and even Aunty Deets and Uncle George came to this one. Tricia and I went to the William Stout Bookstore where I found some cool books and I also went to a Giant's game with the family and Aunty Jaylene and Uncle Brian for a blast!
Leaving San Francisco, I returned home for the first time in over 6 months (the longest I've EVER been away from home!). It was nice to be back in my own bed and I had forgotten how plush it is. There was no respite at home, however as I began immediately studying for the GRE once some of the books and flashcards Scott sent me had arrived. I studied for several hours a day and went to the usual doctor's appointments, etc. I took the test on Oahu on July 22 at the UH Manoa campus. Luckily my scores turned out to be way better than I ever scored on the practice tests, even though I didn't finish the math section completely. I think I scored well enough that I'm not going to take it again (depending on what my writing score was, which I'll find out later). I also had a chance to go out to dinner with Aunty Dorine and Aunty Joy and Cousin Sherie to celebrate their birthdays. The last day I was there, I ate lunch with Aunty Kaki at Ala Moana and she gave me a bunch of great tips about traveling in Southeast Asia.
Returning home after passing the GREs, I immediately had to start unpacking all my stuff from college. All my clothes, books, art, etc. was sitting in eight boxes in the garage because I hadn't had a chance to unpack. Dad and I went to Home Depot to buy two extra bookshelves to fit all my stuff and I also started to pack for Cambodia and Japan. I had to prepare all the stuff that I am taking to Japan as I am flying straight from Phnom Penh (I can finally spell it!) to Kyoto on August 31. We celebrated Mom's birthday on the 29th and I left for Cambodia the next morning on the 30th.
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