Journey through 10,000 photos (Part II)

Happy New Years and Happy 2016! 

Hope everyone had a blast celebrating it while I was stuck in my hole (dorm room) in Geneva. It was the first time I was away from my family and as you know new years is a pretty big deal in Japanese traditions, but nevertheless I did have some fun here with friends so 2016 is off to a good start. 

I thought to open this year with a continuation from my last post of some of my collections of my favorite pictures

(Angkor Wat, Sept 2013) Angkor Wat of course is one of the most sought after travel destinations, especially at sunrise. You're among hoards of tourists pushing and getting in position to film the magical moment. So much commotion and chaos in order to capture this! But when you see the sun come up, there's this almost eerie silence and all you hear are camera shutters going off; otherwise the world seems very still and it's such a tranquil feeling.

 

(Cambodia, Oct 2013) When I first arrived in Cambodia, I was flabbergasted by my new acquaintances with young monks and their lives. Whereas you'd totally think of them as being reserved and isolated, they're really just like any millennials; they like pop stars, go on Facebook, and take millions of pictures on their smartphones !

(San Francisco, Jan 2014) I love Jack Kerouac Street in San Francisco. There's so much going on with the colors, culture, and people around here. It's in the middle of a cultural enclave stuck right in the middle among Italian, Chinese, and gay communities. Now that's SF for you!

(Rikuzen Yahagi, May 2014) My father is the youngest of seven siblings so as you can imagine I have a huge family. I have more than a dozen cousins, some whom I have never met and many more second cousins. But we've always stayed close and we try to get together whenever there's an occasion despite after the 2011 Tsunami earthquakes and there's not much left in the city. This was the 25th anniversary since my grandfather died and we had 3 generations, 6 families together. And this is not even half of them!

(Tonle Sap, Nov 2014) Khmer people really like to invite foreigners into their homes which I am deeply grateful of.  One of R's students has graciously invited us over to her place for lunch. Little did I know that she lives in a house on top of the Tonle Sap Lake.  All the food you see were made or caught in or right outside their house. If you must know how the house is, it's quite modern, they even have a bed and TV though I'm not so sure how they carried it in.

(Tokyo, Aug 2013) The presence of Tokyo Tower has waned every since Sky Tower opened in 2013, but it's always been of a special presence to me. It has been the symbolic building for decades and I saw it every day from my office window. This was the last that I saw of the tower on my 29th birthday from the hotel I was staying; my last day in Japan.

(Wat Damnak, Feb 2014) Many ask what it feels like daily to work with Buddhist monks. Two words: inspired & humbled. Everyday in every way.
Me: "Ven. Nen, how's your new job [as an English teacher]?"
Ven. Nen: "Very good!"
Me: "Any difficulties?"
Ven. Nen: "No no"
Me: "It's your first time teaching though, it must be hard at times?"
Ven. Nen: (big smile) "It is my duty in society to educate my people. So no, it is not hard at all."

Gold star teacher (and monk) of the day, hands down.

(Seoul, Dec 2013) If I had to take just one picture to describe Korea, this would be it: Kimchi, and it says it all.  Red, vibrant, harmonious, eclectic.  And most of all, delicious :)

(Bangkok, Jan 2014) Sometimes, seeing other pray bring great solace. I was in a rut during this time and seeing this really brought peace and compassion back into me.

(Cambodia, Feb 2014) Among the many things I miss the most in Cambodia are the coffees. The coffee beans come from the Southeast part of the country and are roasted in butter. Then they are filtered through and you add condensed milk and ice. Disgustingly sweet but it's a necessity in the hot humid heat and it's absolutely great.

(Phnom Penh, Feb 2014)  When I was visiting a friend of a friend in one of the villages near Phnom Penh, we stopped by another village for lunch. I saw this girl in one of the houses and she was babysitting her younger sibling. She was very reserved and but she had strong beautiful eyes and I had to take a shot of her. So beautiful

(San Diego, Aug 2014) California beaches need I say more? This is what I always think of when I think of home.

(Siem Reap, March 2014) This is a picture of a boy (probably the son of the electric appliance store right beside) eating a watermelon in the middle of the road. I thought it was such a funny and cute picture I had to take it. Next to it is a chaotic scene of tuk-tuks and motorbikes going by but here is a little boy delving into his watermelon and nothing else matters to him. A bit metaphoric of how life should be, no?

Field Trip

Going to Angkor Wat is always special but it makes it even more special when you’re going there with 20+ local kids. How I became a chaperone for a school field trip was all by coincidence. My coworker Carena also teaches English at a village school about 5km away from Siem Reap as part of a project with my other coworker Kathryn. One day I decided to do a class visit; as an English instructor for the Sewing School myself, it’s always good to see how other teachers conduct their lessons especially someone like me who has minimal teaching experience. While I was visiting the schools the coordinator of the school, Sun also happen to come by. After quick introductions, being the Cambodian that he is,  popped the question if I wanted to come along to Angkor Wat with the children. Sun, whose actual job is a tour guide, wanted to invite the students to a tour of the Angkor Wat as a treat before the term end and Khmer New Years. This was especialy a special treat for the children because most of them have never been to Angkor Wat before.

Albeit let’s admit it, the kids were actually happy to be away from the village rather than being at Angkor Wat. Many children rarely get out of the village, letalone a worldly tourist site. Sun, being in the business had arranged all the drivers and lunch for the students and chaperones which made getting around easier. Still, with the number of children (30+) and the blazing heat, it was quite tiring.

After going around a few temples, we were ready for a cool down. Must of the afternoon was spent splashing around by the watermill which is a local favorite spot –there’s absolutely no indication in tour books so sorry I can’t point out where it is!

I was wiped out after a few hours and ended up leaving early with Kathryn but in hindsight what a special occasion that was. I am sure it was a memorable occasion for many of the kids as well and I’m very I was able to a part of that. 

Hammock Cafe

There's a bunch of Western style cafes complete with AC and wifi but I also like the local Cambodian style cafes as well. I'm sure what they are called but we call them "hammock cafes" that you can relax in while you have your coke or iced coffee. They're all built over the lake like a deck so you have the beautiful view of the lake as well, although this is dry season so everything was just grass. It's especially a treat when you go there late afternoon and watch the sun set as you lay on your hammock. 



Unfortunately when we went the cloud hung over the skies so we didn't get a good view of the sunset but we still had a good session of Yangtze (my first time!). A British, Canadian, and American playing board games while talking about our home countries over non-alcoholic drinks, that doesn't happen quite often.

The highlight of this session must be that the the headlight broke on my coworker's moped; 3 people on a motorbike the only way we made the 15km ride back home in the dark, our iPhone flashlights came to our rescue. Too bad I couldn't take a picture but it must've been quite a funny sight as we've got many strange looks along the road!

Also, I repeat that this venue is over the lake, which I must warn you of mosquitoes. Only when I got back to my room when I realized I've gotten numerous bites on my buttocks!

The other Angkor What

Siem Reap is a funny place. Tourists flood into this tiny city from all corners of the world, mainly to see one big colossal tourist location: the Angkor Wat. Many are drawn to the historical significance as well as the aesthetics and the UNESCO prestige. After their 1-3 day passes are up, the vast majority of the two million annual tourists all pack up their things and are out the door probably to never return again. Those few days are a magical experience to the tourists, seeing beautiful old temples, witnessing exotic Buddhist monks, discovering amazing Cambodian food, meeting hospitable Khmer people, and last but not least partying at Pub Street.

Pub street didn’t really actually exist until the last decade or so. The number of expat bars and restaurants in that area concomitantly sprang up as the number of tourists increase over the years. The booze is cheap: a draft beer starts anywhere from about $0.50 and cocktails average about $2-3. Food is aplenty from authentic Khmer fish amok to pizza parlors. And most of all, what more than you need after a long hard day of walking around the temples and in the heart of exotic Southeast Asia than a little letting loose?

I have heard many stories about the clubbing scene here but I just had to witness it once myself. Out we went to the one and only, Angkor What? Notice that the “Wat” is changed to “What”, giving it a cheesy and lovable name by all who come in through their doors. I swear this club must make a fortune. All you party-goers know that it’s against the rules to go clubbing on a Sunday, Monday, or Tuesday. Oh, but not in Siem Reap where all the tourists are on vacation so days of the week are out the door. So is the clock since everyone is jetlagged anyway. Throw in the fact that there is a 99% chance that you will never see anyone in that club again and the fact that you’re in a foreign country. Security is minimal. No drinking age.  The result is worse than you can ever imagine at a NY club or frat party. You will see girls stripping, boys hunting for girls, shots gulped down like water, and mayhem all over.

In all honesty though, it’s quite amusing when you’re the spectator :) 

 

Cooking Class

Cooking school has been a popular post-Angkor Wat activity to do for the past few years. There have been a slew of cooking classes that have opened up with a wide range of dish and course varieties. The prices and class sizes depend on the class so I suggest that you go do a bit of research before you enroll in one.

Le Tigre de Papier is one of the “old-school” restaurants that exists in Siem Reap and it is a favorite to both old time expats as well as tourists (better yet, it is open 24hours. Now who can’t love that?).  My coworkers and I decided to have our cooking class here because of the proximity from our work place, the price was reasonable, and everyone around us gave us good reviews.

Each person picks one appetizer and one main dish from the actual restaurant menu which is quite extensive. I picked the vegetable fried spring roll and the som'loh machu kreung (sour soup). Each of us each chose a different dish so we can compare. 

We then got a tour of Old Market. I had first thought we were going to buy our ingredients fresh from the market but it turns out it’s a tourist oriented “extra feature”. I felt a bit arrogant but I ignored most of the tour and went on my own within the market. This is where I do my daily shopping so I knew my way around perfectly well without a guide. I even got some groceries done.

Considering we had 10 people in our class, the instructor was surprisingly efficient, going around teaching each step along the way for each person. The downside was that the kitchen tools were limited so we had to wait around a lot until they became available. I quickly became a favorite of my lovely instructor, who liked the fact I can speak Cambodian. She taught me about the different kinds of herbs and vegetables that I can get at the market to make for myself. 

You need a variety of herbs to make any dish but other than that, many of dishes are not too hard to make which I think contributes to the popularity of these cooking classes. I really came to love Cambodian food so hopefully this will increase the popularity on a global level. Considering how many tourists come and how many have taken the cooking class, I think it is already in the works…!

In proper attire!

My deftly skilled instructor

Making fresh spring rolls

What men do when they get bored of cooking

Serious cooking mode