A Long Journey Starts With A First Step

HA.

So when people usually ask me “What is your most embarrassing moment?”, I usually have nothing to say, but after tonight, I finally have a story to tell.

We all decided to go out clubbing seeing how this was going to be our last weekend before we all part. Julie said she wanted to go to CLUB PLATINUM cause she read a review saying how it was a pretty schnazzy place. There, rich Cambodians and Foreigners would congregate and dance the night away, but that wasn’t the case at all, lemme just say, it was NOT POPPIN! Since it was pretty dead, we decided to go to the other club which a friend had suggested to us… he said it was “Poppin.” So once we finished our Long Island Iced Teas, we headed out to the other club, ELEMENTS. When we got there, the club looked pretty sketch from the outside because there was no businesses lit up or open. To my surprise, the club was actually pretty legit in comparison to club Platinum because there were no cockroaches running around (gross I know!) The only problem with club ELEMENTS, was the damn MUSIC! This was seriously the worst club I have ever been to in Phnom Penh. They played a bunch of techno music and did a really awful job of mixing songs and choosing songs, I mean, who in their right mind would make a techno remix of the Happy Birthday Song or Justin Bieber? There are no words to explain the excruciating pain I felt when on the dance floor. But oh wait, I almost forgot to tell you about the most embarrassing thing that has happened to me. So it was “BLACK DRESS NIGHT,” or whatever and girls who dressed accordingly could get alcohol (which I never got!) But anyway, there was a moment where they stopped all the music and had some laaaaaame emcee asking girls who were wearing black dresses to come up to the stage… for what, I did not know and did not understand (he spoke Khmer). So of course we pushed Phary to go first since she never objects and is always a good sport about things. Then, the next thing I remember was my friends pushing me to go on stage, which I did. BIG MISTAKE! My first thought was that we were going to have a dance battle, which of course I would win. I mean, I am not cocky at all, but I do know that people in Cambodia have no rhythm when it comes to dancing. So I hear Usher’s jam playing and I am like oh shit, it’s going down now… I start to dance and the music stops. All of the sudden I see the emcee asking Sophary (who was in front of me) for her name and then pulling her into the middle of the stage. Next thing I know, he asks the crowd how many of you like her and waits for the audience to cheer. After he does that, he says the percentage out loud and shoves you back into place. I got 40% which was fairly high in comparison to some of the other girls. He was really rude to some of the other girls and would just shove them back in line not giving them a score. But yes, it was completely awful! I felt like I was in some sort of auction. I felt like a piece of meat :( But yeah, the girl that won, won because of her skimpy ass dress. I guess people don’t dig class in Cambodia.

So after that embarrassing show, we went back to dancing to the sucky music. All in all, I will give this night a 30% in comparison to all the other nights I have been out.

Random Rant:

Being a woman in Cambodia, it’s a tough life

You gotta deal with people seeing you a a piece of meat, a lesser being, that shit aint right

Gotta take care of the family, cook, clean, look after the house

Gotta be soft spoken, an obedient spouse

If we were to follow the ច្បាប់​ស្រី we must walk without making a sound, be shy and when we walk we must make sure that we អោន​

….And I guess that is why I love being a Cambodian Woman

So I can go against the grain

Make people question the culture that remains

Encourage the women to challenge the status quo

Make their own decisions that will enable them to grow

No more putting ourselves on the back burner as a result of culture

No more having to deal with men looking at you like vultures

Because we are not an item to be bought, sold, and thrown around

We are strong ass women and its time to make a sound

So lets stop the domestic violence that is prevalent in our city

Stop with the trafficking of women and children

Change up the gender roles and let women hold positions of power

So that we can once stand up to men and have them cower

Its time for a change in our society

We need to get a grip of reality

Recognize wrong from right

Learn to stand up and fight

and really recognize the Cambodian Woman’s plight

so i am here to elaborate on my prior post

and I am going to talk about some privileged ass folks

you signed up for this កម្មវិធី knowing that we would be studying our native tongue

and it irks me to see what you’ve gone and done

instead of rolling your tongue to make the sound រ

you go and stick that shit down someones throat

we are here to discover our parents roots while at the same time planting our own

so really appreciate this opportunity you have to learn

we are not here to exploit women or find wives

we are on this journey to learn about the lives

of our parents, grandparents and ancestors

really dig deep and try to find some answers

about who we really are and where we come from

the Khmer music is already playing we just here to play the drums

to keep the beat going

to keep the culture flowing

to pass on the knowledge and give folks the power

to rise up from the struggles cause its the final hour

the only way we can make that change is by changing the system

and the only way we can do that is by knowing what the states done

so you gotta open up your mind and learn about our history

cause that’s the only way we can make the change that we wish to see

so step yo game up and get the f*** with it

you really need to recognize exposure to our culture is truly a privilege

so my weekend trip to Kompong Som has come to an end, and what an interesting weekend it was. I shall briefly recap because lengthy blog posts can be boring… especially when I write.

Friday:

After class, I went to Psa Thmey with Sokha and Sophary because they had to pick up their Khmer clothes that they had made. Sokha’s shirt looked really nice, exactly like mine, but different material. Before we went to pick the clothes up, I made sure that I got some flowers to give to our seamstress because she was about to have her baby boy in a week and because she made my clothes brilliantly :) It was cute, because she said it was the first time she had ever received flowers, and it felt good to make someone else feel special. It’s odd, cause I guess not too many folks give flowers as a kind gesture, but in the states I do it all the time (learned from my sister). But yes, flowers do go a long way… I mean who doesn’t love nature and its beauty? Quick tip: It is good to know a persons favorite flower because if someone ever needs a pick me up, or to know that they are appreciated, flowers do just the trick. So take note that  my favorite flowers would have to be stargazer lilies or calla lilies :) But anyway, our departure time was at 2, but in Cambodia, you gotta add an hour, so we ended up leaving at 3ish. After the long car ride to Siem Riep, I was dreading this car ride. Time went by oh so slowly and my naps were not as great as before… maybe it was because I was wearing a dress which prohibited me from sleeping a certain way. I don’t recall how long it took us to get there, probably 4 hours, but when we got there, there was an overcast and slight showers. So one of the big problems with this ASK program is the lack of communication, and it was evident in regards to the ROOM RESERVATIONS, which we didn’t have. So it was pretty annoying and stressful when we got there because we were wandering aimlessly trying to find a place to sleep. We ended up staying at a nice guest house near the beach so it was pretty convenient for us the next couple days. It was 7 girls in one room which wasn’t too bad, but it ended up being like $7.25 a night which was more expensive than we thought (lack of miscommunication, yet again!) After the girls had got settled in, we made our way to the beach. It was pretty dark out, but we just wanted to go check out the water and just see what the nightlife was like out there.

the ocean was PEACEFUL, SERENE, VAST and MYSTERIOUS, these are the many reasons why I love bodies of water. I could literally sit in front of the ocean for hours thinking endlessly about life…oh life, the adventures that await :) (note: I just saw a mouse in my apartment…gross :X)

Soon after, we walked toward people playing with sticks of fire. It was actually a club with pretty poppin music, Lauryn Hill, Kanye, Black Eyed Peas etc. Once again, it was the crew that got the dance floor started… WHAT IT DO? haaha. It was one of our rather interesting club outings because there was a pole dancing session (which I did not partake in), a dance battle, and then drunk escapades (swimming, climbing rocks, feelings of “flying”, you know, the works). The dance battle was HILARIOUS though because some guy brought out a mat to break on, and I was expecting a dope ass performance, but it was pretty beginner and so when everyone went to battle him, he kind of lost. Mardi, Samrin, Vannet and Nikum were the brave soldiers to battle with moves ranging from the moonwalk, c-walk, khmer dancing, the worm, and Vannet’s lone grinding with unbuttoned pants?! Odd, I know. We spent a good 4 hours at the club, dancing, drinking, observing all the foreigners and their interactions with the locals, but once folks got a little too tipsy, we made our way back to the guest house.

SAAAATURDAY: BEACH DAY!

We all woke up after a long nights rest and went and grabbed breakfast… probably the best breakfast I have had here because it consisted of a bacon and cheese omelet, toast and coffee :) Tasted almost as good as Ann’s Kitchen in Berkeley and only $3.50 for a huge plate :D Afterwards, we went to the beach and swam. It wasn’t as warm as I would have liked, but the water was the perfect temperature. I was hesitant to wear a bikini top (thanks Mardi) in Cambodia, but who the eff cares… I do what I want! So Mardi and I were the first to go in. The water was pretty crazy cause the waves were really inconsistent so sometimes we would have unexpected waves coming at us and pulling us under and YES that DID happen, and it was hella scary… we both thought we were going to drown until we realized that we could stand up and be above the water. Probably one of the scariest moments for me thus far though. One other sucky thing was the waves consumed my sunglasses. I guess I need to go to the PSA and buy some there :) When everyone else got to the beach, we just sat and chilled. It was pretty nice because all the folks that were selling stuff spoke to us in Khmer and  for once, I felt Khmer :) No HELLO LADY! this weekend. The only thing that the saleswomen need to work on is the way they sell there product. For instance, women that do threading, they come up to you and say, “would you like to thread your eyebrows and make nice shape?”, “what about your legs? If I thread, you won’t see these ugly black marks from your ingrown hairs, and it won’t hurt when they grow out” and ” if you do it, you will be pretty and look nice for the guys.” They basically point out all your flaws and say if you purchase their services, you will magically be beautiful. NOOOOOOOTTTTTT! Twas quite annoying because 15 women will approach you and say the same thing over and over…talk about a self esteem killer. Around 1, we had lunch, which was probably one of the best lunches I have eaten in Cambodia (thanks V). Lunch consisted of CRAB, PRAWNS, LOBSTER, STEAK and SOUP. It was the best seafood I have ever had, so fresh and no fishy odor at all.

Once our stomach had settled, almost all the girls went out to swim. Our goal: get as far into the water as we could. It was quite difficult with the waves crashing on us and because we were so short we kept going under. It wasn’t until John, Joanna, Charmaine and Nikum let us use their intertubes. PRETTY FRIGGIN AWESOME! cause we were able to get pretty far into the ocean, but it was hard because each wave would push us back. We ended up linking together to make a little intertube unit so that we could keep track of one another. My legs worked so hard to swim, but it didn’t feel like we moved at all. It was probably because these other Cambodian folks linked onto us and weighed us down a bit. But damn, I swear we swam for at least 2 hours and the next day we were all sore! The day consisted going of swimming and eating… PERFECT huh? Our last activity was sandcastles :) OBJECTIVE: Replicate Prasaat Angkor Wat. Which our team did (Kenda, Sophary and myself), but it was pretty awesome for my first sandcastle! (Damn I realized that I haven’t done a lot of things in my life). I’ll post up pictures later. Once we were finished we walked home in the pouring rain -___- The day pretty much ended here cause we napped, went to dinner where I ate an awesome cheeseburger, and then we went back home and KO’d.I never knew how much I would miss “American Food” but I really do and it feels weird to say that.

SUNDAY

We made our way back to Phnom Penh today. Before we left, we had breakfast and just chilled on the beach, ate and played pool. This day was kind of annoying because there was a bunch of back and forth with plans and one thing I hate is lack of organization. The car ride ended up being 5ish hours which was pretty damn long! But I am home now :) Overall, it was a good weekend trip to the beach :) I am happy, tan, and well rested! Time for school tomorrow.

FUN FACTOIDS:

1. I learned to ride a MOTO thanks to Mardi! Glad you and Kenda are OK by the way :)
2. Neak Kruu Sisotha got game!
3. In Seattle, girls like to dance behind their guys?
4. John does really good animal impressions
5. Kenda can sound like a Jaguar
6. Samrin was into a LADY BOY :)
7. Pictures can be deceiving- lol Alenie
8. Cambodians like to take credit for other peoples accomplishments- i.e. building sandcastles
9. They have PUGS in Cambodia :DD
10. People like to swim fully clothed jeans and shirts
11. Sokha got a beach!
12. Tiny Lobsters with pepper and lime are delicious!

and that is the end of my weekend! Sorry for not posting, but I will recap my other days out of order. I just don’t have time :(

My days here are slowly winding down so why not make a list of what I should do before I leave. Since I saw Julie’s bucket list, I think I shall make one of my own just to make sure that I don’t miss out on anything. I have done a bunch of things so far so my list will be pretty short :)

1. Visit Angkor Wat, along with all of the other temples like Banteay Srey and Bayon
2. Kompong Som to view the pristine beaches
3. Get fish foot massage. AKA have some little critters eat the dead skin off of my feet.
4. Have one Khmer Karaoke song memorized and actually sing it when we go karaoke-ing (I’m sure we will go again)
5. Drive a moto (with someone on the back of course)
6. Visit Tuol Sleng and find out about my uncle who died there
7. Get some Khmer Outfits made
8. Eat some crazy food that I wouldn’t eat if I were in America. Who cares about diarrhea right? (Crickets fo sho)
9. Happy Pizza! I wouldn’t do drugs back home cause its illegal (well unless you have the medical card), but there are no laws against it here. SIMONE, sorry you won’t be with me when I try weed for the first time.
10. Learn a new Khmer Dance. Currently learning Robam Chun Po
11. Climb Phnom Sampov (I heard the steps up there are pretty crazy!)
12. Write my own song in Khmer, with the help of my tutors.
13. LEARN and MEMORIZE at least 50 new vocabulary words out of the bajillion that Neak Kruu assigned in class.
14. Be able to play a musical instrument hopefully the Tro
15. Be able to play សី (a khmer toy you kick around with your feet)
16. Learn how to cook 2 Khmer dish recipes… preferably ត្រី​អាម៉ុក​ and a បង្អែម​(fish with coconut milk and a dessert dish)
17. ព្រះ​វិហារ​ Temple which is along the Thai-Cambodian Border
18. Go to a Khmer concert or some theatrical performance
19. Memorize the Khmer equivalent of the star spangled banner ខ្មែរអើយ…
20. Compose a really long spoken word piece about this entire trip
21. Work out at the Olympic Stadium, run around the track, and shoot some hoops(Lets hope I go on a cooler day)
22. Do some agricultural work like how my mother used to
23. Ride a កង់ in the street (bicycle)
24. Get a massage and maybe a mani and pedi (since I never do those things in America)
25. Go watch a movie as well as buy a shit ton of Chinese Kung Fu Movies!
26. Go to វិត្ត​and pray and maybe actually use some of the Monk/Temple words I learned in Khmer class from Lok Kruu Frank
27. Durian… I don’t like you, but I shall eat you since you are right in my backyard. Lets hope somewhere they have some good sticky rice to go with you
28. Buy Angkor Wat paintings
29. Take a shit ton of pictures with Nimbus. He is doing great so far and has captured beautiful things here in Cambodia.
30. Donate some money to one of the NGO’s we went to. (most likely going to donate to friends international because I like the work they are doing)
31. Hit up every single ផ្សារ (marketplace) and buy souvenirs for my loved ones back home. I still have like 40 people left to buy stuff for. Lets hope that I don’t run out of money by then.
32. Pray at least once a day… to bad I don’t have incense or a picture of ព្រះពុទ្ធ
33. Buy photoshop and other items that would be expensive in America
34. Take pictures that remind me of friends, and tag them in the pictures. It feels good knowing that people are thinking of you. Yes I miss you friends.
35. Skype with Ryan and Family more often.
36. Have fun!
37. Find something to appreciate everyday :)

This week will be the end of my 3rd week in Cambodia. Only 5 more weeks to go…  it’s CRUNCH TIME BABY!

It is so exhilarating riding on a moto in Cambodia :) I am merely a passenger sitting in the back, but it is still fun nonetheless. I wonder how much better it would be if I were to be driving it!? One day before I go… I will. FO SHO! 

Thank you to my family for picking me up and making me an awesome dinnnnnnnner :) And also for taking me out on a tour of Cambodia… specifically Koh Pich (I probably butchered the spelling). I love family!

Time to go wash the smog and oil off my face.

So I haven’t posted for a while, but after yesterdays boat trip, I feel like I have a lot to say. So yesterday began with a trip to the Royal Palace and lemme tell you it was awesome. I just really admired the architecture and the placement of all the buildings, the surrounding foliage as well as the landscaping. I was in love! If only I could go over there whilst the place is empty so I could sit and stare at the story of the Ramayana which was painted on the ceiling of the coronation hall. I couldn’t get any pictures cause no cameras were allowed, but the picture is still engrained within my mind. I was so happy that Nimbus was working (he had a little problem earlier in the morning with his lens, but he is now fixed… WHEW!) because I was able to capture some amaazing photos. And yes, I will brag because my pictures are pretty dope… I feel like with each shutter, I capture something beautiful and when I look at the pictures at home, I can still see the liveliness that I once saw before.

After the Palace, we went home for a break, and I just ate and napped ( I was still recuperating from last nights festivities so the nap was much needed). At 4, we left the apartment and made our way to the waterfront, a big tourist attraction as well as a hang out spot for locals to exercise, enjoy conversation, and eat :) As we made our way down to the docks (which were rickety planks of wood,) I realized that I don’t think I have ever been on a boat. Quite sad for a 21 year old college student to say, but its true. I am not adventurous, I don’t have much free time, and my parents don’t have money, so I guess I never got to experience a boat ride. But now, it was my turn. As we boarded the boat, I could see boat houses in the distance, as well as merchants who set up shop in their boat. The purpose of the boat trip was to see 4 bodies of water meet: The Tonle Sap (large) Tonle Sap (small) Bassak River and the Mekong (I feel like its technically 3, but whatevs). It was  kind of a quick boat ride, but it felt so peaceful. I felt like I was able to admire Cambodia and all its beauty. It was one of those moments where you needed the perfect song to listen to as you look out into the water. I had a hard time trying to find a song to sing to myself, so my girl Lauryn came to save the day…

“You’re just too good to be true.

Can’t take my eyes off you.

You’d be like heaven to touch.

I wanna hold you so much.

At long last love has arrived.

And I thank God I’m alive.

You’re just too good to be true.

Can’t take my eyes off you.


Pardon the way that I stare.

There’s nothing else to compare.

The sight of you leaves me weak.

There are no words left to speak.

But if you feel like I feel.

Please let me know that it’s real.

You’re just too good to be true.

Can’t take my eyes off you.


I need you baby, and if it’s quite all right,

I need you baby to warm a lonely night.

I love you baby. trust in me when I say ok:

Oh pretty baby, don’t let me down I pray.

Oh pretty baby, now that I found you, stay.

And let me love you,

Oh baby let me love you, oh baby…. “

Yes Cambodia, I do love you. As different as it is in America, I do love it here. Everything is so simple, the people, the lifestyle. It is quite refreshing. It really makes me appreciate all that I have, while at the same time, realizing that I don’t need any of it. Cambodia has really made me see the beauty in life. This program has also allowed me to see the beauty in people. My family, who may not be the most well off, still manage to cook me food or take me out on the town, or even call to see how I am doing or if I need anything. The students in the program are also beautiful people, who are generous and really think about other people. They are fun, caring, and inclusive and just really want to make sure that everyone is comfortable. I really do enjoy this group of ASK and CKS folks. I really would like to get to know everyone and just sit down and really dig deep. I am only here for 5 more weeks and I feel like that isn’t enough time.

I felt really privileged just to have the opportunity to come to a different country and just be apart of the culture as well as learn about it. Sure, people always talk about the genocide, but why the fuck not? It was a part of our history and drastically changed the culture and changed the way of life. I think its important to always acknowledge history and keep it alive. NO HISTORY NO SELF, KNOW HISTORY KNOW SELF. Every time I utter those words, the meaning becomes stronger and stronger. Its even more powerful when I say it in Cambodia where my parents history took place. Though Cambodia was once broken, the people remain strong and resilient and that is truly beautiful.

That is right. I look like a scrub here, every single day. Didn’t want to bring makeup to Cambodia cause I aint trying to impress nobody, and also because it would melt off my face the instant I step outside. But after the first week of intense learning and a jam packed schedule, I find myself needing makeup to cover up my dark circles and just to make me look a little livelier. DAMN. What sucks too is this air and humidity which is awful for my skin too… I am breaking out like crazy. Maybe its from the heat, or maybe all the stress from school. Yes indeed… school in Cambodia is stressful. I shall just recap most of my week here. Its the same-ish schedule everyday with the exception of some family coming to visit me every now and then. So here is the usual schedule.

6:00am Wake up and get ready for school.

6:45am Go grab some breakfast (usually Kuy Tiev, noodle soup)

7:30am Leave for RUPP (Royal University of Phnom Penh)

8:00am Begin Class, which usually consists of reading a passage, answering questions, and my teacher going on about certain topics such as the creation of Wat Phnom, Phnom Chiso, Khmer Food and so on and so forth. We usually have 2 breaks before school ends. However they are pretty short.

12:00pm Leave RUPP

12:45pm Get Home

1:00pm Run errands or go out to eat lunch and throw in a quick nap if possible.

2:00pm FIELD TRIPS! These aren’t the typical field trips that one usually looks forward to in elementary school where you go visit a site, play around and eat some good food. These trips are more like field study, where we go to NGOs or monuments, learn about the origins, and interview and answer questions. Once we are done, we usually have to submit a journal entry in Khmer to our professor. Seems pretty fun, except there is so much work involved. For me personally, I just want to go to these sites, sit, and absorb the culture and just ask my own questions that I would like to know which could benefit me in the future. It kind of sucks that they pick the NGOs for us cause sometimes they are just boring and can’t really help us in anyway. But I will keep an open mind.

5:00pm-6:00pm-ish Arrive home

6:30pm STUDY. Studying for me consists of finishing the work that was assigned in class and writing vocabulary sentences and doing all that journal crap. The readings are somewhat interesting, but after a long day, I am usually too pooped to do anything. It really sucks cause I don’t have time to roam around and explore the city.

12:00am SLEEP

And then it happens all over again from Mon-Fri. We have school Saturdays too but it is an all day field trip usually. Today was our first field trip, and we went to Phnom Chiso which is in the Takeo province, about an hour away from the city. We’ve been reading about this monument and it was actually quite beautiful. The only thing that was bad was the hike up. So this mountain/temple has over 300 steps in order to reach the ruins. Mind you, these are not regular steps that you would find in a stairwell of a hotel, these were steps were made I believe in the year 1000 (I am going to double check for the specific date). Crazy huh? These steps were pretty atrocious because they weren’t your run of the mill steps… I actually had to lift my leg up higher than a 90 degree angle to where my knees where almost hitting my stomach. I really did think I would faint on the way up… thank goodness I didn’t though. When we got there, we went to visit a temple dedicated to Brahmanism. It was pretty awesome! I will post up pictures later :) The stones just looked amazing. They were worn and eroded but still breathtaking. Some of the carvings were still in the ruins, although a little bit faded. When we walked outside the temple onto the other side, we saw a view of the countryside. Cambodia has so much empty land. Some dedicated to rice fields while others uninhabited as a result of the mines left from the civil war. While taking a rest, there were some merchants who were selling shaved ice stationed atop the mountain. I usually wouldn’t eat ice because I am so paranoid about getting sick, but it looked to good to pass up… plus I was so tired from climbing up that I needed a little pick me up.

After our trip to the Phnom (Mountain), we went to grab lunch by the lakeside of Tonle Batii. It was beautiful and so relaxing. We ate on these little houses which were on mini stilts which kept them just above the water. We had to cross from the shore to the house on a tiny bridge made from the trunk of a palm tree which was kind of unstable. It was an amazing view and it was cool because there were merchants selling food from their canoes. We ate a bunch of little snacks like these jackfruit pastries wrapped in banana leaf, Cambodian donuts which tasted of the sesame seed balls that they sell at the supermarket, Lok Lak a Cambodian salad which is French influenced, and a bunch of meat on skewers. After a good amount of relaxation and conversing with our fellow classmates, we made our way back to Phnom Penh. It was actually a pretty productive day for me cause I was able to do my laundry, write a blog entry, and I also had the chance to go out and explore the town.

Vannet took Sophary and myself to a local bar that he and his friends usually go to. The bar was pretty modern, and the area it was in was really tourist-y and had a lot of White/American people. I honestly felt like I was in America which was kinda odd. At the bar, I ordered a Raspberry Mojito which was really good… I had yet to try a freshly made one. Then a little bit later, I had a Passionfruit Mai Tai which was pretty good too… (I usually don’t like Mai Tais). I really enjoyed our excursion to the bar just cause we were able to converse with one another and really speak about something ther than academics. Later on James, Marty, Samrin, and Alenie joined us which was good because we had a good amount of the group out together. After they came and had a few drinks, we went to go……………. KARAOKE-ING!

The place we went to was pretty fricken legit. There were waitresses in our room helping us with the music and constantly refilling our glasses (I usually don’t like special treatment, but I guess thats what they get paid for?). The room had tables with their labels etched in the glass and what was cool was that they lit up :) The room had ample seating and the sound system was really good… unlike the one at Ranch 99. The boys sang Khmer songs most of the time and Marty and I picked American songs to which we could dance to. I did however sing one Khmer song, Aneacha Neak Srai (song which I sang for culture show, and the only Khmer song I have memorized -___-). We danced, sang and ate til about 3 in the morning and took the TUK TUK home. Pretty legit night and I am glad we were able to finally explore on our own (well with the help of Vannet) and just be able to have time for ourselves.

I am excited because next week we are going to Kompong Som to the beach :) I will need to buy a kramaa to make a makeshift swimsuit top since I didn’t bring any. But yes, I am excited for that!