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Published: January 6th 2010
Wow, another couple of weeks have just flown by already! The saying ‘time flies when you're having fun’ certainly applies to my current situation! On Sunday 6th December we spent the day in the city of Phnom Penh shooting a couple of scenes at a local pharmacy, one of which included the famous rabbit which I had to bring most of the costume for from England (making my suitcase rather heavy in the process). Our rabbit was modelled on Sophea Tongsay who is known in Cambodia for giving good advice to those who need it. Anji and I took many pictures of the rabbit throughout the day and so did the cast and some random passers-by who were really interested in how we had styled and painted the face of Sophea Tongsay.
We then made our way over to the Ta Khmao Market to film Sophea Tongsay giving advice to one of the characters who was definitely in need of it! We had a collection of spectators who were really intrigued by our rabbit - their facial expressions of awe and wonder could have given actors in Steven Spielberg’s films a run for their money. Even some of the extras
in the film were finding it difficult to not take sneaky peeks at Sophea Tongsay. It was definitely a fun-filled afternoon and a great chance to see what the Markets are actually like out here. In some ways they remind me a little of the Watford Market in Town Centre but a lot busier and it covers way more ground - plus a lot of the stores are laid out right next to each other and they have very different things for sale from potions to whole chickens to crockery to fish heads!
The next week was spent filming in Ta Khmao. It wasn’t too stressful as there were no evening or late night interruptions and we filmed some brilliant scenes like the Grand Finale which took place on the same bridge as the opening scene. Again we had an audience, who really enjoyed watching what was taking place and looking at the strange and extremely heavy technical equipment we used, which I thought would have damaged or broken our favourite bridge - luckily it didn’t and was a testament to how strong and sturdy their bridges are, no matter how old! Another scene which really stood out in
my mind was the dramatic confrontation between the main character and her husband - sadly if I told you what it was about, it would give away a lot of the film so you’ll have to wait and see the film to find out what it is!
We filmed
the most important scene in the film which teaches Cambodian women about their hormones, reproductive system and what happens in pregnancy as a lot of them don’t know enough or nothing about it - thinking about it makes me feel so lucky that I had the education I did and I hope that in the future their schools will teach them the same material our schools taught us in the West. On our final day of filming we started off in Phnom Penh city at a local restaurant called ‘Sambo’ owned by Solida, then moved to Cade Advertising after lunch where I had a bit of a nasty run in with a very hot chilli! Finally we ended the night in Ta Khmao to film one of the longer night scenes which we didn’t finish until quite late but was definitely worth it just to spend extra time with the
cast and crew!
The week after filming was extremely busy as we had to organise a wrap party which was hosted at Darren’s rather nice house with lots of space for dancing, chatting, chilling and eating! We also had to spend time working out the Khmer taxing system which is really complicated and so very different from the West - it’s something I couldn’t explain to anyone even if I wanted to! The “Channa and Her Sisters” wrap party was definitely a night to remember! There was karaoke, with the actors from the film singing into the microphone while the rest of us danced around the table, stepping in time with the music and the elegant twisting and twirling hand movements - something which looked easy, but was actually very difficult to pull off. I think it’s safe to say that it was slightly embarrassing for me, being one of the only Westerners who danced, but I had so much fun taking part in that traditional Khmer dance that I really don't care how odd I must have looked! The party moved from Darren’s house to the Riverhouse where Anji, Chas, a few of the actors and I went
to dance the night away, coming back home at 5am! The next day Anji and I went out for brunch as we slept in because we didn’t set any alarms - good thing it was a Sunday. Afterwards, Amy kindly took me out shopping at Pencil supermarket where we checked out some really nice clothes and bartered with the sellers for reasonable prices. It was so much fun, and Amy would probably do very well with the bargaining task that’s always set for the entrepreneurs on The Apprentice!
Wednesday was spent with Kakada mall trawling for Anji’s Christmas presents which I managed to find at Soriya, along with a very delicious new sundae at Swensen’s. That night came the event we had all been waiting for - the first viewing of the rough cut of "Channa and her Sisters". Even though there were no subtitles, I was completely absorbed in the film which was really well edited and I can’t wait to see the finished product in January, which will definitely be exciting for everyone involved! Christmas Eve was spent at Cade Advertising where I helped Solida and Theanly get everything together and create a list of events for
a party in aid of FHI (Family Health International) held on Christmas Day. This work actually followed into the day of the party too where I worked with them closely to make sure everything was ready to go, the DJ was booked to be there on time as well as the singers and dancers who would open the show. During the night, leaving early from dinner, I went to make sure that everything ran smoothly and ended up being the one of the Masters of Ceremonies to explain things to the English speaking audience, which was quite fun, albeit a little nerve wracking.
Christmas Eve night was spent at Chas’ with Anji and Tony (Head of UN Aids who I had met on my first night in Cambodia). Chas had cooked us a wonderful three course meal, including a roast chicken with all the trimmings and dark chocolate mousse pudding which was 'too die for delicious!' On Christmas Day I spent a little over two hours with Jill, Pete, Anji, Chas and some of their friends having Christmas Dinner at ‘The FCC’, which was pretty darn good except they were missing my favourite bread sauce!
The next day,
Rabbit
Yes I tried it on - I couldn't help myself!Anji and I went for brunch at Java Express Café and had a rather interesting meal, which was a goat’s cheese and strawberry salad with turkey on bread and eggs with apple hash all on the same plate! I managed to munch it all, despite feeling so bloated afterwards! I spent the afternoon resting my too full stomach before heading out with Amy to Soriya Mall where we went shopping for headbands, clothes and scrunchies (for Anji). We also dug into some Swensen’s ice cream where we had to run into the store in order to get the last two-seater table as the place was packed! We also went to the Arcade and played some shooting and racing games as well as ‘Air Hockey’ (which I won) and throwing the ball in the hoop. In the evening we made our way over to the Night Market on the Riverside to buy some clothes and see the music entertainment on stage - with backing dancers. After trawling the stalls Amy drove me home on her moto, which happened to break down just before we got to the house. She used her emergency supply of petrol to get me home and then
to the nearest petrol station which was luckily just around the corner!
During the week, Anji, Chas and I went to eat sushi at ‘Himagin’ where we ordered many different things, including the soft and flavourful ‘Miso soup’, which is definitely now a favourite of mine! I also tried some of Chas’ ‘Okonomiyaki’ (Japanese pancake) which was absolutely delicious and something I would order again and again! As expected, that wasn’t the only time over the week I had sushi… Opting for a night in on Saturday 26th December we were joined by Daniel and ordered sushi and sashimi ‘to go’ as well as Lebanese food and sat down to eat the amazing food and watch the brilliant and haunting “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” - a definite must see. Earlier that day, Anji, Chas and I had gone out for brunch at ‘The Quay’ before heading off to Amara Spa where I had my very first massage. Oh my goodness! It was the most relaxing and tranquil experience ever and the oils were so sweet smelling and the whole atmosphere was so soothing! I could definitely become a massage junky and I know where I’m going to
spend my nineteenth birthday - the nearest Spa! On Monday 28th Daniel, Anji and I went back there but for the sushi instead and ordered mass amounts to chow down on because it was just so delicious and the prices were very reasonable - especially compared to England’s ‘Yo Sushi’.
On New Year’s Eve, Kakada took me shopping at the Russian Market and Soriya Mall (again) where I bought some clothes, including a very fancy Kimono and an Asian beach dress. After a six hour shopping spree I went back to help Anji prepare a roast lamb with roast potatoes and vegetables for Chas, as well as a starter since the dessert was provided by Chas. After a delectable three course dinner we made our way to the riverside with a bottle of champers and three glasses to see the midnight fireworks before making our way to Heart of Darkness and Rock for a drink and some dancing.
On New Year’s Day, after getting in at half past two in the morning, I was woken up by my alarm at 8am in order to get ready to travel via minibus with Sophea, Sophanna, Sophan, Sophanet and 8 volunteers
Baby on a moto
All the family travel on these. from ‘Projects Abroad’ to Sophea’s Homeland, Toul Pongro, in the countryside for a party. On the way there we travelled across the Mekong River on a ferry and Georgia and Stephanie (two of the volunteers) tried some fried locusts which apparently tasted like very crunchy fried egg whites - I skipped out on this one as my stomach has suffered enough with the fair share of insects I have eaten already! In the afternoon when we arrived at the house we ate traditional Khmer noodles and rice (never forget the rice) with chicken curry and chicken soup. After lunch we all met the children who go to the school at the house which is run by Sophan and his family. They came up to us in groups with one spokesperson (usually 14 or older) who asked questions on behalf of the group like “where are you from?”, “what is your name?” and “how many brothers and sisters do you have?” etc. they’re English pronunciation was very good and it was clear that they were proud of themselves for learning the language.
Some of us then got on bicycles and rode around the village, stopping in the rice fields owned
Chickens
Live chickens are carried to the nearest town to sell. by Sophea’s family to learn about how you farm and harvest rice - something which takes a lot of effort especially in the sweltering heat as there was barely any shade in the vast field. There were many winding pathways throughout each paddy of rice and just for fun Georgia and I took photos of ourselves in the middle of one of these paths which could be passed off as a photo of an alien abduction… We surrounded the wooden wheel which took water from the lake to each paddy to keep the rice in good condition while waiting for it to be ripe for harvest (it has to be a golden colour before you take scythe looking tools to cut it where it is then taken to a machine to separate each grain of rice - they actually used to do it by hand and offer some to the King as a gift because he would only accept those that had been separated in this manner, I can't even beging to imagine how long that would take). After the tour of the rice fields we returned to the house to present the top three children of each class with
an award. The children were so nervous about standing in front of an audience that they became really shy when they were asked about what it felt like to win but they were so grateful for their awards and it really warmed everyone’s hearts to see them smile. Before dinner, Sophan and Sophanet took Steph, Pierre, Georgia, Claudia, Katie, Sally and I (us all crowded on motos) to the local Pagoda where the villagers go to pray to Buddha. It was one of the most peaceful and serene places I have ever been to as the area is completely silent (except for the sounds of the Village children playing). Sophan told us about the Buddhist religion and that each picture inside the Pagoda represents one of the thousand stories of each reincarnation of Buddha. He also told us that near the Pagoda lies an open grave from the fight between Vietnamese Soldiers and the Khmer people, and as it was getting dark we made our way back to the house as Cambodian people believe in ghosts and spirits and had no desire to stay there any longer, even though I said in comfort that we could always call ‘Ghostbusters’. From
then on we had a traditional Khmer dinner and danced the night away to a mixture of Khmer, Korean and English dance music. Georgia, Steph, Sally, Katie and I even had a go at dancing around the table in Khmer fashion before showing them how we dance in the West (or Australia in Georgia, Sally and Katie’s case) which they found hilarious! We turned in earlier than most people at about 11:30pm as we were so exhausted from New Year’s Eve and travelling down to Toul Pongro and it still amazes me how we managed to fall asleep with music blaring out into the night - but I guess that when you’re tired, you are tired!
The next morning we woke up early to the sound of Cockerels crowing and dog’s barking before we got changed and Georgia, Claudia and I made our way over to the golden rice fields to see the harvest take place. The farmers asked us to come over and let us have a go at harvesting some of the rice. They made it look so easy with their simple and effective tools but it was quite difficult and doing it all day into the
Cracking the coconut
They taste delicious! heat would definitely be back-breaking work! After we got back to the house, Steph and I cycled back to the Pagoda to see it properly in the morning and as we arrived we heard the banging of drums and smelt the incense from the Spirit House. A prayer ceremony was taking place, but we moved quietly around that particular temple and to the main Pagoda where we sat and took in the surroundings and the overall atmosphere of the place before we headed back to the house for breakfast, stopping to buy some rather tasty fried banana on the way. Afterwards we headed for home where I spent the afternoon reading before Anji and I had left-over Roast Lamb with mash, veg and gravy while watching ‘Known Universe’ and “The Notebook” before bed.
On Sunday 3rd January, Anji and I went to lunch at “The Shop” for her to catch-up with two close friends, Richard and Linda, who just arrived from Australia the night before with their son, Tom. We spent a few hours talking to them and in my case getting to know them before heading off home for a relaxing day of chilling out and reading.
On Tuesday 5th, I journeyed with Sophea to his homeland with Richard, Linda, Tom and two of their friends, Judith and Steve as part of the ‘Good Day Cambodia’ tour, run by Mango Cambodia. We took the two hour drive to the homeland, crossing the ferry again and we were tempted to buy some of the chilli mango dipped in salt (a popular snack in Cambodia, which has a very interesting taste to it from the mixture of sweet mango and salt). When we arrived at Sophea’s house we took an Ox-cart ride around some of the village which was rather bumpy but fun, especially when we saw buffalo being washed in the lake and the owner riding them into it. We had a delicious vegetarian lunch, which we thanked Sophea’s mum for and which I will definitely learn to make! I got a chance to see the school in progress and it was so nice to see the children so enthusiastic about learning the language and who we all were as well. After getting back from the village I went out for a drink with Georgia, Steph, Katie and two other girls who I hadn’t officially met from “Projects
Abroad”; Melanie and Caroline. After we each ordered a different cocktail and tried each others we took tonnes of photos of us all and moved on from the FCC to dinner at a Khmer restaurant where Katie and I shared some fried beef and vegetables and noodles which we were adamant was bewitched as the pile of food was never ending! Even though I was pretty full, I tried some of Georgia’s sour lobster soup with vegetables which was actually very delicious. We got into many conversations, one of which was a heated debate about Harry Potter and Twilight both of which have become so popular world-wide and we found it difficult to decide which world was better because on the one hand you have immortality and a very good looking boyfriend and on the other you have magic and a whole other world. It was a hard choice to make but we agreed Harry Potter as using magic you could have all of it. After we finished dinner, we were all stuffed and the thought of eating anything else made us feel ill, but low and behold coconut, pineapple and pumpkin came out and how could I or anyone
else turn down some juicy coconut? It's not surprising that we munched on some of the complimentary desserts until we were fit to burst. And then - I bet you can guess what’s coming next - bananas came out and we had to plead with the waiter not to bring anymore food out and instead took the bananas with us before we decided that we were too full for a massage or another drink and headed home, me directing my tuk-tuk driver in Khmer and getting home without once getting lost - go me!
Now, on Wednesday 6th I’m getting ready to pack for Siem Reap - I can’t wait to see Angkor Watt and the ‘Floating Village’ and tell you all about it in my next update which I can promise will be much sooner than it took for me to post this one!
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Carrie
non-member comment
Amazing!
I can't believe what a fantastic and diverse time you are having over there, meeting so many interesting people and experiencing so much! Ok, you are going to find the Spas very expensive over here! Can't wait to hear your impressions of Cambodia's greatest attraction, Angkor Wat! Enjoy xxxx