Class Time

Just another day at the Foreign Language School.

All are welcome to learn, including dogs.

 ....if only they were more studious



Monk Stories

I must dedicate one post solely on monks telling stories.

Growing up, I was always told to listen to the monks. They are our teachers, community leaders, erudite intellectuals. They are wise, profound, and compassionate. Whenever they tell a story, we must stop what we are doing and listen to them. As an adolescent, I loved to listen to them because they were easy to understand but had a greater deeper meaning.

For some reason, the monks that I interact with are a bit different.

They just CRACK ME (and all the other volunteers) UP!

I tried to write some of their stories down but it just doesn't do any justice. I vowed to myself that I will record it one day and post it up. 

Sometimes I seriously think that monks must carry a joke book around to entertain others. And yes laughing is a form of enlightenment so they are under the rules! 

Halloween in Cambodia

I always thought that Halloween was a uniquely American holiday for gluttonous kids (as if they need any more sugar).

Welcome to the Twenty First Century.

It was shocking enough that kids in suburban Tokyo now have trick-or-treat events in their local neighborhoods. But even more surprising are how much the adult expats celebrate it; and most expats were anything but American! Supposedly the holiday is evolving as a "dress-up-in-kinky-clothes-and-drink-and-get-away-with" day aka it's (yet) another excuse to party hard in Tokyo.

Cambodia is no exception, albeit I am pretty sure it's only celebrated in expat-rich cities such as Siem Reap. Pub Street (as usual) was infested with inebriated Western tourists, but more surprisingly local teenagers and college kids were out dressed up in costumes and dancing away to the music which was nice to see.

While I am not a fan of dressing up in costumes, it was certainly fun to overlook the street party with a great company of co-workers over a few beers!



And I must note that if ramen is the Japanese way to finish off a fun night of drinking, then it's definitely pan-fried rice noodles (kuy teuv cha) in Cambodia! Nothing beats eating hot chewy noodles out by the riverside, far away from the mayhem of Pub Street. $1 well spent :)



漬物

最近発覚したのですが・・・・

世界のどこにいても漬物がないと生きていけないようです（東北万歳！）

左から生姜の醤油漬け、きゅうりのピリ辛付け、もやしのさっぱり漬けなり♪

なにせ毎日暑いのでさっぱりした漬物を体が欲するようです (;^^)  しかも漬けるだけで簡単にできるので台所がなくても作れるのが嬉しい☆  これにお惣菜屋さんで買ってくる白米と干物をプラスした３点セットが毎日の夕食の定番。これらさえあればカンボジアでずっと暮らせそう　笑

Rain, Water, and Moon

As I've wrote before..rain here is no joke.. It's a both a blessing as well as a total disaster.  

Time to walk in the rain ahem ahem I mean sewer water...

So as you can imagine it's a great relief when the Monsoon ends. First there's the Kathina Festival  followed by the Water Festival.

Traditionally, there are boat races (similar to the dragon boat races in China) and carnivals along the Tonle Sap Lake or rivers throughout the country. But ever since the disaster accident in 2010 in Phnom Penh the country has been in mourning and no "official" celebrations have been held since.

Although, what is interesting is that there is a lot of controversy surrounding over the accident. Many activist organizations and even monks are acerbic towards and brutally excoriate the government over this issue; putatively there may have been some conspiracy act committed and that certain details of the accident were shrouded away. Cambodia's mendacious and fraudulent government (and shockingly overwhelming ex-Khmer Rouge politicians holding office including the President) has been a sore spot for the Cambodian people as well as been an big reason for the hindrance of economical growth. Many of the monks who are on Facebook use pseudonyms for the sole reason of expressing their criticism towards the government. I digressed but in any case, the Water Festival holds a dark meaning for the people here in many ways.

Nevertheless, other traditions are still intact. On the full moon (on Friday), many homes had am-bok parties in which family and friends take their wooden pestles to gather to mash sticky rice in a stone mortar to make sticky rice cake. It is then mixed with coconut and bananas and then offered to the moon with prayers. This tradition has a striking resemblance with the Moon Festival in Japan - I am not sure of the historical origins of the two but it always makes me happy each time I find similarities between the two cultures.


東南アジアの雨はすさまじいので雨季が終わるとさまざまな祭典やお祭りが行われます♪
今週末は水祭り。国中の湖や川沿いでボートレースが行われて、縁日のようにお店がズラーっと並ぶそう。ただし2010年の大惨事以来正式なお祭りは自粛されているとか？

でも各自家庭での祝賀行事は変わらず行われるそうです。生徒達との片言の英語とクメール語での会話なので詳しいことはわからないのだけど（汗）、なんとなく日本のお月見に近い行事だということが発覚。日本と同じく杵と臼で餅をついて満月の日にお供え物をするそうな。もっともカンボジア版のお餅はココナッツと一緒に頂くようです☆　カンボジアと日本、一見縁がなさそうでも実際は細かい所でいろいろと共通点もあって、なんとなく嬉しく感じます　（＊＾＾＊）

At Dusk

Despite the fact that the dust and the gas emission will probably kill my lungs, for the vibrance and energy that I feel from the rush hour here is quite something. There's something oddly soothing watching women driving one handed with big bags of groceries in the other and small children clinging on their parents or other siblings for dear life on the back of a motorcycle. It's certainly much better than the overly congested trains in Tokyo full of of inebriated, crass, tepid people squished in together like a can of sardines.

夕暮れ時のシェムリアップ。通勤ラッシュは場所を問わず苦手だけど、エネルギーと活気で道が溢れていてなんとなく落ち着くというか懐かしく感じるというか不思議な感覚。さてさて、市場に立ち寄って野菜を買わねば。

Preah Vihear

As expected, Cambodia has won over the dispute with Thailand over the land and property of the Preah Vihar Temple. It's a beautiful UNESCO World Heritage site full of glory of the old Khmer Empire, yet the dispute with Thailand been going on for over half a century with frequent clashes resulting in shootouts. The most recent was in 2011 in which there were casualties on both artilleries guarding the borderline.

Since then International Court of Justice bas been reviewing the case and yesterday the Cambodia was grated soverighnty over the area and for Thai forces to withrdaw from the area.

I'm glad the case has been settled peacefully as it has been in the back of the minds of people for many decades. Since the court did not specify on the details on the borders, hopefully both governments can amicably talk things out  Although,  I am a bit worried about the the hot headed Thai Nationalists who were quite unhappy about it and adding heat to the recent protests occuring in Bangkok.

Land disputes go beyond politics and are much more historical and cultural rooted so I do not want to go into too much detail about it - but what is usually overlooked by these international issues is the local people.

The province of Preah Vihear is one of the least infrastructure developed areas in the country. Though it is merely 150km away from Siem Reap, it takes about six hours to get there on a mostly bumpy unpleasant road. The region is vastly agricultural and the population is scattered around the region. Only about half of the population is literate and many speak their tribal languges in addition to Khmer.

Some of our nuns and monks set out early this morning to deliver stationary, supplies, and most importantly goods for the Kathina Festival for their local Wat.

I wish them a safe trip and a big hats off to my monks who constantly tirelessly work to help others in addition to their monk duties, studies, and work!

1962年以来ずっとプレア・ビヒア寺院（UNESCO）において国境紛争が続いていたカンボジアとタイ。昨日やっと国際司法裁判での判決でカンボジアに正式に主権が渡されたと同時にタイ兵の撤去も命じました (*^o^*) この件に関してはカンボジアを応援していたので嬉しい限り。

ただ裁判で判決が渡されたとはいえ、国境問題は政治以上に歴史問題も大いに関わってくるのでかなりややこしいのだけれどこの50年間で両国合わせて多数が犠牲となったので今後は平和に向けて双方で話し合いを進めていけるといいんだけどね~...

ただこういう国際問題で影になってしまうのが地元の人達。プレア・ビヒア地方はカンボジア内で最もインフラ開発が遅れている場所。過疎地区なので人口はまばらで読み書きができない人も多く、貧困に困ってる人も多数。ここのエリアのお寺は雨季の終わりを示す迦絺那法要（僧達に年に一度新着の衣を贈呈する儀式）を開催する費用がないので、うちのお坊さん・尼さん達がお金を出し合い、物資を届けに今そっちに向かっています☆ シェムリアップ市からはわずか150kmなんだけど、何せ道路が整ってないので悪路の中6時間ほどかかるそう 汗。

それにしてもうちのお坊さん達は自分たちの仕事や勉強でも十分忙しいのに忙しい合間を縫って奉仕活動をする姿には頭が上がりませんっっ！