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saturday afternoon i went to see my first movie, kmoch neang tey (the ghost of tey) @ kirirom theater.  the experience was quite like no other!

tickets per person was 5000 riels, roughly $1.25 usd.  no popcorns were available for purchase, but instead snacks such as beef jerky, sour mangoes, shrimp chips, and a small selection of beverages. 

in khmer theaters, one cannot sit where one desires.  instead, a staff directs you to cluster in together with others in attendance.  it was a little over half full, which i thought was good considering we caught a 2 pm showing.  maximum capacity maybe 300.

the majority of those watching were teenagers from age 13-21, with very few above that age group.  most were females.

the actual theater screen was 1/3 less than american standards.  the acoustics were mediocre.

so after a movie preview and commericals, the movie began.  if you're familiar with khmer cinemas, you know that the technology behind the development still lags when compared to neighboring countries such as thailand and vietnam.  their film industry has taken off these last several years, but encouraging enough, so has khmer films.

i expected obnoxiously squeakly dub voices.  i was correct.  i expected cheesy special effects.  again, i was correct.   what i didnt expect were how locals interact while watching the film.

everyone talks during the movie, but usually enough that you can tune out what they are saying.  no one ever shuts off their mobile.  everyone screams, then immediately laugh after the "scary" part.

the movie ended.  the leading star, chea samnang was in attendance and two of us dared to get groupie and get a picture with him.  i also picked up a movie poster of the next week's flick which i will come and watch.

so the last couple of days, i was out on a "mini vacation" to cambodia's southcoast.  the cities we made stops were kompong som (sihanoukville), kep, and kampot.  this entry recapitulates our sights and sounds.

so 8 of us got crammed in this toyota corolla.  i knew this wasnt going to be a "comfortable" ride, but hey, i couldnt pass this opportunity and besides, to be "khmer", you must do "khmer things."  and overcrowding in a vehicle is one of them.

our first pit stop came around noon-ish at kep.  during the hey day of french colonial rule, this was a place where french administrators and well-off khmer made weekend trips.  we stopped by the shore and had our first meal. 

among other things, the southcoast is famous for its wide abundance of seafood.  i watched locals snag tons of crabs off the coast using traditional cages.  there were street vendors under shaded bungalows (i think thats what they are called) selling everything fresh from crabs, squids, all sorts of fish, octopus, etc.  it was quite a spectacle!  mmm ... im not much for seafood, but boy, im salivating just thinking about it again.  we played in the beach for a little so, and continued on with the trail.

next stop, kampot.  the city of around 40,000 is famous for its peppers.  again, under french rule, no restaurant table was absent of kampot peppers.  i didnt get to try them though.  a lot of development is underway though, as this city is near the coast.

but in kampot, we stopped by a place named teuk meas (golden water).  there, we rented inner tubes which had a thick rope tied on one end to a tree branch and played in the cool, crystal clear waters.

at first impression, kompong som was nothing like i expected.  from all the readings and knowledge of the town being the hub of cambodia's tourism development, i didnt see all the right "signs."  no building cranes, not many foreigners around, and at first, the city felt very quiet.  boy was i wrong.

once we got further in town, our eyes got struck to the beauty of sokha beach resort, the "first international class beach resort in cambodia." this mega million hotel lived up to its name.  we breezed through the guarded entrance, but theres no way we were going to stay here. 

further into the town, the signs of development came at full force.  so many villas being built, so many shops going up, and central sihanoukville was bustling with vendors, foreigners, and locals.  with only 150,000 in population, one cant imagine how crowded it'll get in the years to come. 

we settled for two rooms, each $10 @ singapore hotel.  cheap in my standards, but an eerie feeling came to me about the neighborhood where the hotel was at.  page me in private if you care to know more.

we woke up a little later than usual (730 am, instead of 6) to start our second day of sight-seeing.  we went to the central market.  a relative bargained for a nice casio watch at $10.  i bought some more books and the rest of the fam purchased lunch as we prepared to go to ocheteal beach.

ocheteal was the spot when we arrived around 11am for lunch.  the bungalows were filled with families enjoying their meals and the lovely blue waters.  the breeze was nice too.  the young'uns like myself went in the water, swam, inner tube, and even rode this hot dog looking floater that was tied to a boat.  but guess what though?  as perfect as the conditions were for being out in the beach,  i experienced my first sun-burn ever.  it has healed up now,  so no worries fam, but yeah.

lunch wrapped up and we left to our last place before heading back to the lady of penh--kbal chhay.  of the beaches and waterfalls we saw, kbal chhay was my favorite and most memorable.  there, more foreigners flock to snap awe-inspiring shots of the waters and rocks.  i too tried to play the role of "typical tourist" when i first step foot out of the congested corolla, but this eagerness nearly cost my life (yeah, that sounds kinda dramatic, doesnt it?).

i felt i found the "perfect" spot for a shot. i asked savroth (khmer american) to snap a picture of me.  i rushed down in my new bob marley flip flops and just as i was about to plant my foot, i slipped and fell right in the rushing waters below!  it mustve been at least 5 feet in height.  at first, things look grim bc sharp rocks were everywhere and me being a poor swimmer (well, i dont swim at all), i thought of the worst.  but to my amazement (and savroth), i only came out with three minor cuts all on my leg.  i was bleeding, but kinda thankful that nothing serious happened.  my bag that had extra dry clothes and books was wet!  eventually i dried up but not until i explored the area.

we left around 330 pm back home to phnom penh in the smooth nicely paved road, the best in all of cambodia. 

i took tons of pics during the trip in a disposable camera but have yet to develop them.  of course, i'll share once i have access.

after much rest and adjustments (ie, weather, time difference, & everything else associated with settling at a new place), i'm finally "exploring" the city of phnom penh.  actually, i can't do much bc i'm on foot today, but hey, its quite daring for someone who has never visited the country.

i'm here at this internet cafe.  its nice and small and the connection is much faster than the one i went earlier this morning.  i chatted with the owner in english.  young man.  very friendly, even offered his lunch as i waited to let a customer use my computer to do some printing. 

the people here are friendly.  at least, so far during my 3 days.  family that i'm staying with who lives 30 min by moto from the city are so loving.  its the khmer way, the way it should be.

after my 3rd hour of internet to catch up on e-mail correspondence and such, i'll have lunch.  (much love to those that replied back with best wishes :))  people here eat soooooooo early!  i had full big meal at 730!  i woke up at 5!  crazy, eh?  next,  i'll drop by the us embassy to register with them too.  the new one thats being built is by far the largest foreign embassy on khmer soil.  it'll be complete later this year, i think.  i bet the french are pissed.  haha. 

so what else do you guys want to know?  so much to share with so little time.  feel free to drop me questions here and i'll make sure to respond. 

farewell seattle & the states.  may you all have a prosperous, successful, & memorable several months as i journy back home to the motherland that is cambodia.  i will make a strong effort to update family & friends during my stay here at this blog.

i welcome you all  to share me your advices, suggestions, tips, recommendations, anything.  i've received many from tons earlier, so it doesnt hurt to get more.  9 months is hella, isnt it?

in less than 22 hrs, i arrive in phnom penh.  well, goodnight, seattlelites.  cu when i ...

=)

sunday.  bbq @ homegirls.  good ass khmer homecooking.  toasted on ice cool lemonade while playing taboo & scrabble.  5th grade spelling champion, what?   haha.

monday.  a blur. 

tuesday.  ohana's for ol reunion of roomies, turned seattle hip hop kings.

wednesday.  hung out with my "kids" of the parks crew.  played bball, pool & fooseball.

thursday.  tommy's for $1 pitcher.  followed up with happy hour @ some burgeiose restaurant on lake union.

friday.  going away party @ jillian's.  -p- was 8-1 for street fighter 2 turbo, 4-0 in air hockey, and 2-0 in tournament style basketball contest.  humbleness, sh*t.  afterwards, bonfire @ golden gardens.  toasted over coronas @ salsa music. 

seattle center.  celebrate cambodia.  full recap soon.

next thing you realize it, the last day of work has come.

pretty chilled day though.  acknowledging our hard work with the parks crew, my director rewarded the crew and i for an all expense paid trip to the enchanted village, a large water amusement park 30 miles south of seattle in federal way.  the day before, the county recognized our work and threw us a special bbq.  damn, if i havent spoiled them enough, they got spoiled all this week!  but they deserve it though.

i enjoyed being a 15-yr-younger all over again.  riding rollercoasters, playing with the water and all the other thrill rides brought that youthful innoncence back. 

suasdey everyone!  for your information, i'll be out of town for the next three days for a work camping trip to north cascades.  no updates or images will be made until then.

have a productive week!

i'd like to take this entry to share you about a great organization and opportunity.  the pepy ride, which stands for "protect the earth, protect yourself" is an educational bike ride across cambodia raising money to build a rural school.  for january 2006 they are seeking a khmer speaking rider to join them in the ride and their cause.

if you are interested, please send an e-mail to daniela papi, danielapapi@gmail.com, co-creator of pepy ride.

more information about the organization can be found at the website, www.pepyride.org.

feel free to pass this announcement along to your friends.

** thanks for passing along this information to me, socheata.