Khmer Wedding Bells

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(One of my several VERY overdue posts!)

On the 23rd of December, 2005, while much of the world was preparing for Christmas, those of us in Cambodia were preparing to attend the highly anticipated wedding of my counterpart Chanthea, and his fiancée from Melbourne, Ra.

Ra and Chanthea were introduced by Chanthea's aunt living in Melbourne. In August, after a year of long-distance communication, Ra (whose parents left Cambodia in the 80's) flew to Phnom Penh for the first time in her life. Three weeks later, Chanthea and Ra announced their engagement.

The wedding was the usual Khmer affair - lots of food, whiskey and 'out there' pop music. A very bizarre tradition towards the end of the night was that we all make a circle around the couple, and their 10-tier wedding cake, and proceed to throw water, flowers and silly stream all over them.... messy!

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Photos

Outfit 1 of 12....
Ra and Chanthea in traditional Khmer costume.

saart ladies!
my work colleagues, all dolled up!

my colleagues
Reggie, Srong, Yasak, myself, Katie, Carol and Srong's daughter.