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Phnom Penh Post, Issue 15 / 10, May 19 - June 1, 2006

By Phatry Derek Pan

Don't tell wiz-kid Dy Kuchsa that Cambodia's young scholars aren't ready for international competition.

The 16-year-old Phnom Penh resident has just returned from the International Junior Science Olympiad (IJSO) in Indonesia with Cambodia's lone gold medal - its first at the prestigious annual event.

"My family is poor. My country is poor. But never underestimate the ability of our people, especially the students," Dy told the Post at his parents' one-bedroom home near the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum.

The IJSO featured grueling competition between 200 of the brainiest students from 36 countries including England, Russia, Thailand and Taiwan. Two separate committees evaluated each student's knowledge in the fields of physics, biology and chemistry through three rounds of testing.

The exhausting three-day examination featured a rigorous three-hour multiple-choice test, a writing analysis and a laboratory experiment on water absorption performed before a live audience. Dy scored a total of 79.75 points out of 100 possible and received one of only 20 gold medals awarded.

Fame has followed. Since winning the prestigious prize, Dy has been interviewed by Phnom Penh radio stations, featured in newspapers and has made several appearances on TV.

According to postings on the most-visited Khmer web site, Khmer Connection, dozens of Cambodians have stepped forward to praise the efforts of Dy and the other local students who competed in IJSO. Some overseas Cambodians are talking about establishing a foundation to support gifted students in their pursuit of education in Cambodia and abroad.

"Undoubtedly, we are proud of Dy's and the others' accomplishment at IJSO," said Puthearorth Kov, 24, a graduate student at the University of Washington's College of Education in Seattle. "Though early in the stage of dialogue, some of my colleagues have started brainstorming ideas on what to do next. Ideally, we want to foster their educational needs, even if that means bringing them to study in the US or elsewhere."

Though his family is overjoyed with Dy's achievements, and the prospect of support from overseas, Dy's father still lectures him about maintaining a strict studying regime.

"I do this to all my five kids, not just Kuchsa," said Dy San Thlang, 50. "Every day, I limit their television habits. They usually study for three to four hours after school, then read English, French and Khmer literature and do their homework. In their free time, I urge them to spend it wisely and productively."

Dy is now cramming hard for Cambodia's annual National Science Competition for incoming high school seniors.

"I am in the tenth grade, so I have over a year and a half to prepare myself for the competition - I can't stop now," Dy said.

"If I had the opportunity to study abroad, I would select Japan out of all the countries in the world simply because the country is so technologically advanced. When I grow up, I want to be an engineer."

By Phatry Derek Pan


One may argue that Angkor is best experienced through an air-conditioned car or bus. Another might rebuttal, sincere that by mode of a speeding motorcyle or tuk tuk is the way to go. And the lavish spenders would drop their two riels with the argument of a hot air balloon ride overlooking the majestic temples. But in my opinion, neither options leave an everlasting experience more memorable than the simplicity of a bicycle.

Seven in the morning signaled our start for Friday, the official start of the three-day new year festivities. Susan and Tony, in their motorized tuk tuk, dropped me off at Orchidae Guesthouse where I rented my cheap $1.50 per day ol' skool Schwinn.

"Peace and sayonara," I screamed towards the two and off I peddled towards the Angkor Archealogical Park.

Thirty minutes have now eclipsed before arriving at the entrance. Susan had to stop and purchase day passes -- $15 per day (I think).

"K'yom jea koun Khmer," I smiled proudly in response while passing uniform staffs that guarded the entrance.

The long paved road leading to the first turn before seeing the first peak of the Angkor towers seemed endless under the blistering sun. At the foot, one can see the humongous moat that surrounds the complex. In ancient times, crocodiles were strategically placed in these waters to fend off intruders. Today, young kids are more commonly found swimming inside.

"Oh, magical Angkor! Our people will rise again because of the perfection you have inspired us everyday!" Time and space at a standstill as I gaze out in the distance…

…

We stop to enjoy a bowl of Khmer noodles (ka-tiev) at one of the many food stalls paralled to Angkor Wat. With food and morning coffee in my system, I was ready to resume my adventure.

As I parked my bicycle to walk on the steps leading to the center of Angkor Wat, Steffen and Emilia appears out of nowhere among thousands that have now mushroomed the complex.

"Are you guys ready for the ride of your life?" I asked the two. Both smiled to the challenge and off we left from Angkor Wat to begin the long journey that awaited us.

I lead the team in the opposite direction of the 25+ kilometer trip. This route proved best as I rightfully anticipated less traffic and people.

About 10-minutes into the ride, we stopped to observe two girls encounter with the local monkeys. The sweet corn that they had in their plastic bag triggered two small adorable macabe monkey's attention and appetite. What started as an innoncent observation ended with an uneasy weariness as the monkeys aggressively tried to "attack" the couple. The girls smartly threw the corn off into the woods and we all jetted the scene in our bicyles and motorcyles! We laughed it off.

We're now off the paved road and onto the dusty red dirt path. Here, I lead them to one of the entrance gates of Angkor Wat that looms out in the far distance. Many snapshot flickers and gallons of water consumed to catch our breaths before we resume.

Prasat Kravan, characterized with its red laterite stone passes our trail as we are now on concrete road. Many kilometers later, we find parking to Banteay Kdey temple.

This pedestrian friendly temple is strikingly similar to Preah Khan with its long symetrical layout. Disabled and limbless mine victims play traditional music and groups of choir boys with decorated banana leaves crowns entertain tourists and locals as they walk their way to the main complex. I snapped some photos of the kids and donated 1000 riels to each before proceeding.

It took us about 30-minutes before leaving the complex to the adjacent Srass Srong. In ancient times, the king would meditate on the elevated platform overlooking the large reservoir. We did not meditate, instead, we mesmerized our eyes at a group of kids enjoying a nice swim inside the warm waters while waiting for our fresh sugarcane drink. Nothing beats a refreshing cold sweet sugarcane on a typical April day in Cambodia.

I extended my stay in the area to chit chat with loyal vendors who I made friends in previous trips.

"Oun, do you remember bong?" I asked several familiar faces who fight for our attention to buy their products.

"Jaa, of course, I remember. Last time, you came with three barangs (foreigners) from the States," rightfully, the kids answer. This was months back when friends from Washington state visited. We left the area after purchasing several traditional Khmer pajama-like pants called "kao a-jaa."

Our next stop came at Ta Prohm, the famous complex known for its larger than life trees that devours out the crevices of the temple walls. My two Swedish friends were amazed at the spectacle -- a strange natural phenomenon only concurable with our own eyes. I tried to find the temple caretaker, an elderly man made famous after the front cover cameo of Lonely Planet 2004 edition. I was told by a guard that he suffered an illness and have been recovering. Our priviledge bellies were growling again.

We had a simple yet tasty, but overpriced stir-fried noodles at the entrance of Ta Prohm. Exhausted and satisfied, we rested under the shaded vendor stall for 30-minutes to enjoy our meal before resuming our trip.

At this point of the bicycle trek, we have acculumated at least 15 frequent peddler mileages and about two-thirds complete of the 360 revolution. The other major temples we explored before leading up to our final stop of Bayon were Ta Keo, Baphuon, Vimean Akas, The Elephant Terraces and The Leper King.

The last four temples in the previous series are clustered together. We had an adventure going through almost impossible tracks with our bikes. Many times, we had to carry it up endless stone stair steps, low level gate entrances, and oversized pebbles that made our maneuvering difficult.

Bayon ranks on the top five most visited temples in the Angkor region. The others, in my view, are Angkor Wat, Ta Prohm, Banteay Srey and Phnom Bakheng. As usual, we had to fight the overcrowdedness with other international tourists from virtually every language imaginable. The smiles of the four face Bayons are all unique -- and all fight for the right position to take a picture in front of the most "fullest" smile face on the top level. I also sat through a round of fortune telling by a local wise man. Here, two girls, crowded by spectators like myself surround to easedrop in the conversation. The langauge used was too advance for me so I cannot recall what the lok ta said.

Completely exhausted, our bodies ached after we arrived in front of Angkor Wat, completing our 360 revolution. By now, we have accumulated around 25 miles of peddling. We took a very lazy stroll back to our separate hotels to rest before contemplating our evening plans.

Initially, we had plans to catch the sunset on top of Phnom Bakheng, a must visit for all tourists. Here, on the highest natural point in Angkor, thousands make the pilgrimage to catch a glimpse of Angkor Wat, surrounding temples and the main attraction -- the postcard snaps of the sunset. As many readers might recall, my first experience at Bakheng in early September 2005, the crowd gave a standing ovation. Foolish as it may seems to skip such opportunity, we enjoyed a relaxing night at the Cambodian Cultural Village (CCV) instead.

The CCV is the closest equivalent to America's Disneyland. It's an amusement park but with no rides. Instead, in this mega-size complex are re-creation of the diverse communities of the country. For example, the Chinese-style temples, hilltribes of the Pnorng, fisherman quarter -- around 15 in total. In each of these communities, visitors will be entertained by CCV's talented group of young artists -- as they dance, sing, and act. Cambodia's Halloween (Pachum Ben) holiday, I glued myself watching a beautiful horror show -- Khmer style. But today's visit was on the occasion of the New Year, so the performance reflected the festive fholiday.

CCV is a popular spot among the middle to upper echelon of society on any weekend, but today's visit was beyond my anticipation! The road leading to the park dots with tons of magnificent pieces of architecture, as new high rise hotels emblazes the overcongested road. The scene was in casual chaos when we arrived.

For Khmers, entrance fees are a cheap 5000 riels (USD $1.25), whereas foreigners, a well-worth the price tag of $7.50 (I think). Of course, all of us aneakajun (expat Khmers) talked in getting the Khmer rate. My two Swedish friends and I thought they got away, but once we walked through the gated fence, they refuse their entrance. They reverted to purchasing a non-Khmer tickets. It was worth a try, right?

Once inside, we visited two Museums. One has artifacts, paintings, and other props glorifying the Angkor time period. On the wall, a beautiful larger than life painting depicts an epic battle with the Cham people. The adjacent building houses a wax museum that spotlights Khmer icons ranging from the King and Queen of Khmer music, Sin Sissamouth and Ros Sereysothear to King Ang Duong, respectively.

Several thousands converged to the village scene to watch a live performance under the full moon. Congested and sticky because of the humid weather, all of us fight for position to catch a glimpse of the stage.

It's around 9pm now. Exhausted from walking and sightseeing, it was time for dinner. Today's choice: The Soup Dragon, which specializes in Vietnamese and Khmer cuisine found on the far west end of Bar Street. As usual, Tony ordered on behalf of the group. Our dessert was an unlisted treat created by Tony -- three deep fried bananas dipped in flour topped with two scoops of vanilla ice cream, chocolate syrup with one luscious red cherry. Satisfied, we left to our hotels and guesthouses at around 11pm.

That night, the three of us (Tony, Suko and I) stayed up talking out in the garden until the wee hours of morning. At 3:30 am, we called it a night.

Day III teaser ... The Pilgrimage to the sacred Phnom Kulen

By Phatry Derek Pan

At just 26 years old, Nath Keo had developed a case of ennui. Despite a successful multi-faceted career as a belly dancer, pop singer and occasional author of mystery thrillers, Keo was decidedly discontented.

Plagued by what he described as an "empty void inside," Keo, a Khmer-Canadian performance artist recently returned to Cambodia, turned his back on dancing, singing and scribing, and has taken action to address his spiritual needs.

"I have vowed to be a monk for at least one full year," Keo said. "It is the right thing to do at this stage of my life."

According to industry reports, Keo's Khmer-language pop album S'gath S'gath, or Keep Quiet, has been successful and earned the top spot in Root's Canada East Asia's World Music category.

As incongruous as it may seem, Keo told the Post that trading Canadian stadiums for Buddhist chants at Wat Tuol Towng in Banteay Chakrey, Prey Veng province, was a natural step.

"My father spent many years during his youth at Wat Tuol Towng," Keo said. "Much of my reason for committing to the monastery was to pay respect to my parents."

Born in Kav Lan refugee camp on the Cambodian-Thai border, Keo left Cambodia and has been living as an aneakajun - the Khmer word denoting an expatriate Khmer - in Canada ever since.

Some observers report that the term aneakajun has negative connotations in Cambodia. According to the stereotype, an aneakajun lacks understanding of their cultural heritage - specifically the ancient traditions of Buddhism.

"Many Khmer children abroad forget about our religious heritage," Keo said. "But it's harsh to say Khmer children raised abroad do not understand their own culture."

When Buddhism is removed from daily routine, children do not grow up with an instinctive understanding of their religious heritage, Keo said.

"Look at the practice of moving into a new home," he said. "In Victoria, we throw a party, we don't invite monks to give chants and blessings as is the case here in Cambodia. Buddhism is not visible in most Khmer-populated communities."

Although this means many young expatriate Khmers are unfamiliar with the rituals and practices of their native culture, Keo - seemingly drawing on Buddhist philosophy - suggests such aneakajun "have been chosen to be ignorant."

Keo's choice to immerse himself in his religious heritage was not a career-oriented decision. But he does hope to write his second book about his experiences as a monk.

His first book entitled, Bada, a fictional mystery thriller released in Canada in December 2005, had a first print run of 3,000.

Most of Keo's current responsibilities - teaching English to young monks and fundraising work for the pagodas - present few problems. But the mammoth task of learning the Buddhist rules and verses has proved more difficult.

"I may be thin but I eat a lot," Keo said. "In Buddhism, we cannot consume anything after noon apart from water. This rule, one of around 227 in total, is the hardest to abide."


Phnom Penh Post, Issue 15 / 09, May 5 - 18, 2006

By Phatry Derek Pan


Leading up to climatic return to Siem Reap, my body began to quiver with excitement -- numb in all the senses but my fingers beg to caress the walls of Angkor once again. But this fourth visit in eight months came on the auspicious occasion of the Khmer New Year -- The Year of the Dog.

Our driver was a middle-aged local man, who wears two disguises: a government military staff by day but for the four day pilgrimage, he's our friendly neighborhood tour guide.

The trip began late as anticipated because of Tony's high maintenance ass (different entry). Accompanied in the 4-door Corolla is Susan, an American teacher who has called Cambodia home for more than a year. We are to stay at her newly acquired restaurant -- The Butterfly Garden Bar.

Three hours into our pitiful, barely blowing air conditioning ride, our stomach growled in unisom cueing our first major pit stop.

Some hole-in-the-wall restaurant in Kompong Thom province satisfied our four stomachs; and off we resume our trip northward.

Tony "Re-al" Roun is a Khmerican artist from Lowell, Massachusetts, and one-third of the hip-hop pop trio, SEASIA [www.seasiamusic.com]. He's in Phnom Penh for a few months to work on his solo album slated for a 2007 releasal.

At around early 4 pm under the no mercy April sun, we arrived at our destination.

The Butterfly Garden Bar is situated east of the Siem Reap River near the Old Market (Phsar Chas). According to the Lonely Planet: Cambodia, the tropical garden here is home to hundreds of live butterflies flitting about under a huge net. It's a quiet spot in which to pass the time when it's hot, and the small menu includes drinks and international dishes.

After Tony and I unpacked our luggages to the guest bedroom, we unwind on the comfortable sofas and fans. The lady charmer, Tony, introduced himself to the three young staffs, while two visiting tourists caught my attention.

Steffen and Emilia are two young adventurists from Sweden. They have been travelling much of SE Asia prior to arriving in Cambodia before they continue their journey into Vietnam and Laos. I happily shared my knowledge about Cambodia and Siem Reap's many must-see spots. After the thirty minute conversation, I comfortably gave my Phnom Penh Post business cards and encouraged they call if they want the "real Angkor experience."

Evening time came around and so was our appetite. We decided to take a casual stroll to Bar Street -- a long strip dotted with fancy restaurants and bars. With so many attractive places to choose from, the selection became an unexpected dilemma. Eventually, the Temple Bar's decorative façade lured us three in.

Tony is quite possibly the biggest Khmer food connosieur I know. For the three dinners we shared together, we gave him full responsibility in ordering. He would customized every little dish and dip drenching sauces, and even went as far as "inventing" a dessert that was not in the restaurant menu! But after four mouth watering dishes washed with fine Italian red wine, we weren't complaining; he does have good taste (no pun intended).

Day one wrapped up after the long satisfying meal at 11pm.

Day II teaser ... the ride of our lives