Birthdays and Christmas

It's the 30th of November and I've just spend 2 hours marking science tests while listening to the Sufjan Stevens Christmas albums. Such wonderful music, it even made me forget that I just about ripped a toe nail off during breakfast this morning. Teaching barefoot is a dangerous business.

So, I'm guessing most people reading this blog have already been exposed to the Stevens Christmas tour de force. Even the people at church back in Shetland were privilaged to have it inflicted upon them at a Christmas Eve service where I put it in the CD player and superglued it shut (buoy, fits yon treeemendus din??). Such whimsical, sublime and quirky arrangements of all the old classics. If you don't have a copy make sure it goes in your letter to Santa this year!

Shameless pluggery aside, I've been super busy with actuall school work this week in preparation for the dreaded report card writing. It's actually quite an honerous task for a young teacher - perhaps a lack of experience makes me want to be careful that I'm being fair an honest in the grades I assign. This is particularly important in this school where a lot of the kids will be in deep shame if they are not performing to their parents (culturally imposed) expectations (Confucius meets Piaget).

I also turned 24 on monday. Interesting having a birthday celebration with people I had never met until 4 months ago. I really appreciate the friends I've made here - people from all over the globe with an eclectic range of experiences and perspectives. However, I must admit, I did miss not being with longtime friends on that occassion. A curious mix of feelings. We went out for a nice meal though, eaten sitting on the floor at a classy restaurant. Sadly the hilariously luminous cambodian shaving-foam cake was missing. May have to buy myself one for the experience! Is that allowed?

A Khmer Wedding

I was fortunate enough to be invited to a Khmer wedding last night. One of the school secretaries was getting married and the whole staff was asked to come along and enjoy the celebration.

Things kicked off in the morning at 7am with a fruit carrying ceremony, where people bring the happy couple gifts of fruit (and because it's cambodia, this includes coke, biscuits, chocolate etc...!). The rule is that there are two line, and you must bring the same type of fruit as the person you're standing beside. I was still in my bed at this point, so I'm not exactly sure how it's all organised but it sounds bananas...

I rolled up about 9am just as the main ceremony was starting. We had traditional music, some singing from various groups of wonderfully dressed Khmer girls, a band from the school and a hymn or two sung in Khmer. While they weren't actually playing, the band sat at the side and footered away with their instruments, punctuating the speeches occasionally with a drum roll or some canned laughter.

Another oddity... Just off to the side of where I was sitting, a group of older men gathered round in a circle. They promptly all lit up their cigarettes, turned on a radio and started gambling away good style over some vigorous form of card game. Still... the vows were said, the rings exchanged, and a hesitant smooch on the cheek was offered by groom to bride. Hey presto, married!

The evening entertainment was great craic. All night karaoke supported by a live band, and a banquet of Khmer tastyness. The waiting staff only serve a table when it's full so it's a case of flagging people down and making them sit with you if you want to eat. I ended up having a yarn with a theology lecturer at the Phnom Penh bible school... the upshot being the confirmation in my head that hermeneutics really only equals common sense. (I'm sure you'll disagree, oh father mine...!)

There was lots of parading around by the B&G.... and more attempted kissing. Picture a loud excited guy on the stage with a microphone practically forcing the couple together "One, two, three...!" (Moi, bi, bie...!) only for the painfully embarrassed bride to actually run away. Hmmm, Cambodians really don't do public affection! Fair enough!

Anyhoo, it was a right old shindig and I'm glad to have been part of the experience.

Today was a brilliantly sunny day in Phnom Penh. Can't believe it's the 18th November. Things are really getting busy here in preparation for the Water Festival. Easily a few extra thousand people at the waterfront tonight. Allegedly, next weekend there will be between 1-2 million visitors in the capital. I'm wondering whether to stay and try to catch the spectacle or to escape to the coast. Hmmm, isn't life full of choices?!

Chong dahlaing?

It's a mystery why the mighty BBC have chosen to use this stock photograph for the article below. You would think that if the speeding hooligans in question were indeed as plentiful as the beeb makes out then it would be easy to pop down the riverfront and snap a few quick shots. I'd have done it myself if asked... oh wait, no I can't - my camera is busy sponsoring someone in Vietnam.... sigh.

So, please don't get the misinformed idea that the joyriders ("dahlaing" = joyriding) are cruising around 6 at a time on trailers full of bannana leaves, hauled by antiquated scooters. Come to think of it, that might be more amusing than the ludicris reality. Some youngsters here have a very Buddhist attitude to driving - fate is in the hands of the gods, rather than in actually looking where you're going. Mind you, it's not even half as bad as Nam.... that's the real deal for crazy driving - mental!

Cambodia's PM Takes on Boy Racers

Map skills

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Of coffee and caution

This guy is simply one of the nicest cambodian people I've met. He runs a coffee stall in the market that has a sign proudly displaying "The best iced coffee in Phnom Penh". You know, I've tried a few, and I'm not inclined to disagree with him.

George and I stopped off for a coffee there after consuming various artery clogging deep fried rice products (you can take the scotsman out of scotland....?). The coffee dude (who's actual name is Mr Ay Onbounnnareth - it's less damage my "n" key if I just call him the coffee dude) and I fell to talking in my broken Khmer and his broken english (see? such a boring language, doesn't even deserve a capital..).

It transpires that he's 50 years old and pretty open about his time during the Khmer Rouge era. He and his family were forced out of Phnom Penh and fled up to the border with Thailand (a journey of several hundred kilometers). I mentioned that we were going to Thailand next week and his eyes clouded with genuine concern. "Please, please, please don't go to the south" he said. "It is still full of mines, and muslims fighting the government". I've seriously never had a more passionate plea from a (relative) stranger. Such a nice guy. Anyway, I signed his notebook, said I would frequent the stall more often. He promised to find a scottish flag to put up in the collectino above the stall - however, given that his working hours are 4 am to 9 pm, I'll forgive him if this doesn't happen for quite some time. Coffee dude, I salute you.

Calculus and concrete

There is some building work going on at the school just now. Even though we rent our property, landlords in Cambodia expect you to make any alterations to a building you want, as long as you leave the structural supports in place. The school is adding a third storey to the high school building.

When you employ someone to do a long term building project here then their families just move in on site and live there for the duration. Often the families will help out with whatever work is going on.

Yesterday, I was teaching my a class and watching as a young cambodian teenager carried bag after bag after bag of cement past the window. I had the class stop work and watch for a while just to make them appreciate that they were so privileged to be getting and education, instead of having to work really hard in the heat, dust and dirt to earn a hand to mouth wage. Now, I've tried before to make my classes in glasgow realise how fortunate they are, being in the minority of people who live in the developed world. Mostly, this lore from grandmaster dave fell on deaf ears, but yesterday - with the "other half" sweating and toiling outside the room - I think the kids got it. It certainly hit home to me.

Moon festival

Last night, Phnom Penh was celebrating the Moon Festival (or Mid-Autum). Flatmate Dave and I were sitting outside a restaurant having dinner when there was what sounded like gunfire really close by. Turns out it was just kids playing with firecrackers, thankfully! It was then that we noticed a lot of the shops and houses close by had set up little tables with candle, incense and mooncake.

It was really interesting to see the different approaches to celebrating. The family who ran the restaurant hurriedly set out a table, put on a tablecloth, had their adorable daughter light 2 candles on it, place some cake.... and then take it all away within the space of 5 minutes! They seemed almost apologetic but were happy to explain in broken english what was going on. For other, like in the picture above, it seemed to be quite a serious event, quiet devotion at the homemade alter and then a lengthy period staring at the moon. My Khmer skills were enough to politely ask if I could take this lady's photo (she was only too happy!), but I thought afterwards that maybe I was being intrusive. Hmmm, no harm done I hope.

The kids were certainly enjoying themselves! Lots of firecrackers and colourful lanterns. Unfortunately I was only armed with the mobile phone camera which wasn't really up to the job....

Mom, there's rain on my sausage...

Last night all the staff and their families came to my house for a bbq! It was awesome... someone had made real sausages which were tasty as a very tasty thing. It was a quality eveningm even when the heaven's opened and it rained enough to make Noah quiver in his grave.

The whole street (dirt track) outside the house was flooded so I headed out to see what the locals were up to. Most of the families are trying to stop their houses flooding, but the kids were having a great time playing with polystyrene boats. As usual, everyone was only too happy to have their photo's taken! All the school kids were busy in my back yard (get off my lawn!!!) turning it into a swimming pool / mud bath. Very tempted to join in but my sense of professional responsibility got in the way...

In contrast to these happy times, the plight of some of the beggars here is really hard to deal with. It's difficult when people with horrific conditions are asking for your help and your heart cries out to give and give and give, but your head says that the chances are there's a kingpin type guy hanging out in the background waiting to collect the money. Really difficult. I'd appreciate prayer for wisdom in this. At the moment I'm going for the giving food option and at least if I hang around for a bit I can see who's eating.

Must dash... I'm off to see a Bob Dylan tribute band. Surreal!

The times they are a changing...