The Sreisaat Adventures in Cambodia

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Articles: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7

Khmer New year Give-away from PinayWifeSpeaks!
2011-04-27 13:19:00
Would you like to have these beautiful Cambodian scarves? Cambodian silk (2.5 metres) dark red with embroidery.  You can have this tailored to make a dress or long skirt or anything you fancy doing with them. 2 Silk scarves in deep purple and dark red. My friend PinayWifeSpeaks is celebrating her third year blog anniversary with fabulous giveaway items.  As the turnout was overwhelming, she announced recently that two more consolation prizes, also scarves but of different design and fabric, are  added. So if you?d like to have some Khmer souvenirs without actually leaving your house, head out to her blog, PinayWifeSpeaks. Hurry up, deadline is end of April!! Oh, and don?t forget to tell PinayWifeSpeaks that you heard it from me  here at Sreisaat Adventures!
More About: New Year , Give

Wordless Wednesday 103: Flags
2011-04-27 08:59:00
Seen along Russian Boulevard, on the way to Pochentong airport.
More About: Sights

Photo Hunt 058: dusty much
2011-04-23 15:52:00
Photo taken when we left Phnom Penh and we?re heading out to the dusty roads of rural Cambodia. We didn?t have any particular destination that time but a road trip in Cambodia is always fun and worth your while. We made stops at roadside stalls selling fruits, coconuts, and boiled corn.  Visited temples and chatted to young monks and the achars (laymen).  Smiling and waving back at   schoolchildren on bicycles and on foot screaming ?hellooo? at us. There was dust everywhere but the kids seemed not to mind. It?s free powder for everyone? and, if you are not careful enough and talk too much all throughout the trip, you will literally eat dust.
More About: Photo , Travels

Wordless Wednesday 102: Construction boom
2011-04-20 04:39:00
To my Phnom Penh friends, do you know where I took this photo?
More About: Cambodia , Construction , What

Well?
2011-04-19 15:38:00
What can I say? may the new year bring us more blessings and opportunities to go, grow and glow! LOL. Seriously, let?s hope for the best to come this new year. Did you notice my new template? This kept me busy over the holidays, searching for templates, testing them on my dummy blogs, and tweaking codes to fit my preference. So far, I?ve managed to complete only one blog ? and that?s for my Sreisaat Crafts blog. Go, have a look if you like, and tell me what you think :) Anyways, this will be my template for this blog at the moment. I?m not 100% satisfied yet so expect this will change in the coming days. I?ll continue my search for the ?it? template. This is all for now? Grow thick anodyne flowers. Ciao.

Wordless Wednesday 0101: Painted temple walls and ceiling
2011-04-06 02:00:00
  This is the interior in one of the wats (temples) in Ou Krasar commune, in Kep province.
More About: Travels , Cambodia , What , Temple , Vacations

Wordless Wednesday 0100: Stairway to nowhere
2011-03-30 04:36:00
  Yay, my 100th post! *drum rolls, please*  
More About: Travels , Sights , Cambodia

I?m here?
2011-03-23 08:06:00
? crawling back into the blogosphere again. I was actually busy blogging in my other blogs. Obviously this blog was neglected and needing a major blog-CPR. I?ll do my best to resuscitate this once again ? just as what I did with my photo blog Inside Cambodia. Let me begin by posting a photo of one of my pet dogs, Joe. This was actually posted to my photo blog. So far, I?m doing okay in terms of my Project 365 after learning how to be organised and systematic from - who else - my husband. No, he didn't sit down with me and give lectures and assignments. I just learned vicariously. I actually started this project last year but couldn?t cope with posting one photo a day (yeah, tamad talaga ako!). This year though I am determined to be off my butt more often, to be more productive and so I?m making efforts to shake off procrastination and my manana habit to complete whatever project I undertake this year! So come back often and you will see more of Sreisaat from now on.
More About: Pets

Photo Hunt 057: Mostly black
2011-02-26 11:47:00
  My entry for this week is not mine, but my sister?s. She sent this to me in January when she and her family went to Kalibo, Aklan to experience the Ati-Atihan Festival.     Ati-atihan is one of the most popular, most fun, and wildest celebrations in my native Philippines. Every second week of January, local and foreign tourists troop to Kalibo, in the Western Visayas region, to take part in the culminating three-days of merry-making and celebrations. These days the Ati-atihan festival is held in honor of the  province?s patron saint, Senor Sto. Nino.  But it all began a long, long time ago when the dark-skinned, short kinky-haired natives called ati, or aeta, inhabited the lowlands of Panay Island. A group of Malayan datus (noblemen) escaped Borneo and landed in Panay island to seek a new home. The Malayan datus and the king of the atis, named Marikudo,  made a pact allowing the Malays to stay in the lowlands and the atis to settle in t...
More About: Photo , Black

Wordless Wednesday 099: Pink tuk-tuk
2011-02-23 10:35:00
 
More About: Sights , Pink , Transportation , Phnom Penh

Photo Hunt 056: Silhouette
2011-02-19 09:37:00
This is a ?lucky? shot. It was late at night and the moon was full. My husband and I were driving home from a party when I just couldn?t resist taking a photo. Of course, I wasn?t driving. My husband was and he didn?t pull over to let me snap the picture.        Good thing I have a very dependable digi-cam that I can just whip out anytime, aim, and shoot. The photo turned out alright and I?m satisfied with it. It?s very atmospheric ? eerie, creepy with the partially hidden full moon. To the left is a silhouette of apartment rows facing an empty lot the size of a football field.  What looks like a line at the bottom of the picture is actually the car window. Notice the round spots? In paranormal terms, they are called ?orbs? and are believed to be ghosts or some sort of psychic energy.  But of course, these could also be floating dusts or dust motes. Who knows.
More About: Photo , Phnom Penh

party?s over
2011-02-14 14:03:00
Last Saturday we had friends come over the house for lunch. We had 25 people in our list, that included our landlord and his family plus his brother and his brother?s family. But it ended up with only 20 people as the others have prior commitments. One friend asked me what was the celebration or reason for the BBQ party. Actually, there was no particular reason behind it at all. We just thought that it?s about time we invite and catch up with friends at home. It was the first time my husband and I were hosting and it?s been awhile since we?ve caught up with our friends here in Phnom Penh . That the BBQ lunch was held two days prior Valentine?s day was merely a coincidence. To make it easier on ourselves, we decided to do a BBQ party. We prepared pork, beef and shrimp with pasta carbonara,  potato salad, green salad with creamy ginger and soy dressing on the sides and chocolate refrigerator cake for dessert. Beer and red and white wines were also served. Rob wanted ...
More About: Food , Friends , Party

On being quoted out of context
2011-02-04 03:08:00
Halloooooooch! Happy Chinese New Year everyone. It?s been weeks since I last posted here. After recovering from procrastination and laziness, I had to combat viruses and malwares lurking in my laptop before I could be able to sit down and write. Well,   the laptop is now declared 100% clean and virus-free so I have no more excuses why I couldn?t blog. So what?s up, Sreisaat, you ask? I feel there?s not much happening around worthy of a blog post ? except for the little excitement we had about two weeks ago when Blogger.com and all blogspot sites were blocked in Cambodia . It created quite a stir and had a lot of us netizens, expat and locals alike, in Cambodia scratching our heads and clucking over this unprecedented move; seriously, block all blogspot sites? Commentary and speculation inside the country spread like wildfire and were carried over through Facebook and Twitter sites. Thankfully, these two sites didn?t get banned, too. Access t...
More About: What , Advocacy

Blogspot sites-blocking in Cambodia
2011-01-20 15:19:00
After all the brouhaha over the alleged government-blocking of KI-media and all blogspot sites by ISPs operating in Cambodia , the sites are now back online, except, reportedly, for Metfone users. Yes, access to blogspot sites have  been restored. However, since early  in the afternoon today, Ezecom?s connection is  P.A.I.N.S.T.A.K.I.N.G.L.Y.S.L.O.O.O.O.O.O .O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.OW. It is such a waste of time! Fellow blogger John Weeks suggested I change ISP service providerss? Oh, I?m at the brink of doing just that. Seriously.  Ezecom, you better give me a better service before the weekend begins, or else?... I digress. So when Blogger.com and all blogspot blogs were offline and inaccessible, the reactions and outrage over this issue were sent through Twitter and Facebook.  I have not much to say about KI-media because I am not a reader of the site anyway, but blocking all the blogspot sites was just waaaaaaaay tooooooo muuuuuuuuch. Anyways, just wan...
More About: Sites

Photo Hunt 055: Shadow
2011-01-15 08:46:00
  I could not believe that 15 days have rolled by so quickly without me noticing it! 15 days, can you believe it!?! I was holding on dearly to 2010, wishing there?d be extra days for me to finish some unfinished business. But 2011 did come and I?m still clueless. Anyways, I?m creeping in again into the blogging groove. I?m actually pretty busy but with my other blogs. I felt a little guilty for neglecting this one, my original blog, and so I?m going to jumpstart again through Photo Hunt. It?s one of my favourite photo memes in the blogosphere and I sure keep on coming back whenever I can. This week?s theme is shadow. Interesting, as this could be interpreted literally or figuratively. I think this photo contains both: That?s me supporting the ladder while my  husband was fixing our faulty lights.  You can see shadows there, from my the ladder and from my husband?s knee. Also, you see my ?shadow?, Joe. He is such a sweet and excitable do...
More About: Meme , Pets , Shadow

1.1.11
2011-01-01 08:54:00
Maligayang Pagdating 2011? Welcome 2011! I miss celebrating the New Year in the Philippines. January 1 is the most colourful day in the Philippines. Why, you ask? It?s because everybody is wearing their new and most colourful clothes today. I kid you not. Try driving around your city or locality and you?ll see what I mean =) But for us in Phnom Penh, it is an ordinary day. New Year?s eve and New Year?s day celebration here aren?t like that in the Philippines or any other western countries for that matter. Both days are not an official public holiday and can actually be uneventful, if not boring. However with the ever-increasing expat-community and tourists and the Khmer?s fascination for anything western, the international new year, and Christmas for that matter, is becoming more and more popular that restaurants, bars and hotels have made it a big deal ensuring endless dining and partying options not only in Phnom Penh but also in other key touristic locales like Siem Reap...
More About: Memories , Milestones

What dogs do when their human is not around...
2010-12-20 11:20:00
I should be posting this to my pet blog but whaddaheck - this is too funny not to be shared here. Made my day, really. You have to see this YouTube video to believe... Actually, there is nothing scary about this video - unless you are the pillow! *lol* Dimly lit bedroom + water-bed+Marvin Gaye background music=Paranormal Dogtivity What do you expect? That the dog is claiming the pillow for himself? *lol* I'm still haunted by the memory of my Joe leaving a mound of his you-know-what in our guest-room then occupied by our guests Isi and Zaida. But that's a different story. I'm so glad we don't own a water-bed and we don't allow Max and Joe on our  bed. It's a no-zone for them, a restriction they have learned to obey, otherwise, I'd be forever plagued with the urge to change bed-sheets and pillow cases.
More About: Dogs , Pets , Human

Wordless Wednesday #98: Push
2010-12-15 06:22:00
Seen yesterday: Unbelievable, eh? Only in Cambodia.
More About: Transportation , Phnom Penh

The PELUKA Sisters at Le Duo's Christmas Village
2010-12-14 16:57:00
Yes, if you want to see the PELUKA sisters in person, just visit us at Le Duo Restaurant! *lol* Seriously, we joined the Christmas Bazaar at Le Duo. It?s one thing  in our wish list that we were able to do this year. The first time was at the Mith Samlanh?s fair, and now here. We are all into this for fun and experience, and of course, if we can sell our handmade items then GOOD for us! Le Duo is one of the popular Italian restaurants in the city. A week ago, they held a very successful bazaar and due to public demand, they extended it to ten more days (started yesterday and will run through Dec 23). Anyone who is looking for great Christmas shopping ideas, including fabulous Christmas decors, should not miss the Christmas Village at Le Duo. The Christmas Village bazaar is not as big in terms of vendors and space compared to the one hosted by the Women?s International Group (WIG). However small the area may be there are rows of booths with lots of stuffs for the family and fo...
More About: Friends , Cambodia , What

Template under construction... again!
2010-12-12 11:05:00
But yes, you are looking at Sreisaat Adventures in Cambodia blog. Feel free to browse around but, please, excuse the mess. With a lot of time today, I suddenly had the itch to mess around with my template. So far, I am satisfied with the changes I made with the original theme but it is still a long way to go.  I feel it lacks the ooomph! hahaha. I have problems with the "after the jump-read more" feature as well as the body post size so I'll keep on searching for THE ONE. Otherwise this Artarius theme by Premium Blogger Template s looks okay for me for the meantime. Leave me a note if you like the changes, or not. Just let me know. ^-^
More About: Construction

Of swollen lips, ANTM, and sweets
2010-12-09 15:18:00
It?s been awhile since I last posted here. But no worries, I?ve been well?. and so has my husband.  I?m still in the throes of idleness. Perhaps it?s the holiday blues. But that?s not what I?m writing about. I am sure by now you are scratching your heads regarding the title. They are all somehow related and that?s how or what prompted me to blog this time. Well, I had this strange dream last night. It wasn?t any other dream I?ve had. I dreamt that I woke up with a swollen bottom lip. The size many, many times more than its supposed-size. When I tried to get up to look at myself in the mirror, I was weighed down by its heaviness. It?s not the usual bee-stung lower lip that many women covet, but a massively horrendous lip just like what you see on cartoon shows. Aaackk. I?m glad it was only a dream and I didn?t have a nightmare. Gah, what have I been watching these days? I wracked my brains trying to think of what movie or television program I watched or things I discussed wit...
More About: Sweets , Lips

Wordless Wednesday #97: Of flowers and hope
2010-12-01 10:00:00
Not so Wordless Wednesday. I had nothing much to do and decided to play with Adobe Photoshop. I think this photo needs more editing but I hope you agree with me when I say that this ?card? could cheer someone up. Happy WW!
More About: Flowers , Hope

Photo Hunt #56: Written
2010-11-27 12:55:00
Christmas arrived early in our household when, not one, but two boxes of goodies came from R?s parents in England. It was filled with all kinds of stuffs that my husband miss while living here in the Penh. My in-laws lovingly packed canned goods, packets of sauces, stock cubes, tubes of mustard, etc., and most of all, assorted sweets that my husband loved when he was growing up (he still does). One of the boxes also contained vintage postcards for my collection ? yipeeee! ? as well as video CD of my FIL?s birthday bash, which, by the way, was on Guy Fawkes' day, so there was a spectacular fireworks display. Happy birthday, Dad! Wish we could come to your party next time ^-^ Anyways, did I already say we were like kids opening pressies on Christmas day? After being in a somber mood for days, the parcel was a welcome surprise and we were smiling from ear-to-ear! There?s this one candy that my husband proudly showed me:So where does the PH theme come in? Let me tell you, look at the ...
More About: Family , Photo

Please keep Cambodia in your thoughts and prayers...
2010-11-23 10:47:00
Today we woke up to a very somber Phnom Penh . The whole country is mourning the tragic death of hundreds of people during a stampede that broke out on Monday night. It was the last hour of the last day of what should have been a happy celebration of the Water Festival. More than 300 people were dead and 500 injured when a stampede broke out at a bridge in Koh Pich (Diamond Island), a spit of reclaimed land in the river and developed by a private company. What a terrible way to end the festivities and an awful news to wake up to. By now you will find lots of sources online, but you can find a story here, and an eye-witness account here. Please spare a few minutes of your time and join us in offering prayers for the dead and the survivors, as well as for their families and relatives to get through this difficult time. The Cambodia n Prime Minister Hun Sen called the stampede the "biggest tragedy" to strike Cambodia since the Khmer Rouge reign in the 19070s and he also o...
More About: Prayers , Thoughts

Wordless Wednesday 096: Go, go, armpit power!
2010-11-03 07:00:00
One of the rare moments when my niece allowed us to take a photo of her
More About: Family , Power , Faces , Milestones

Remembering our dearly departed
2010-11-01 11:05:00
Today is known as All Soul's Day in the Philippines. On this day, families go to cemeteries to visit their dearly departed, place flowers, light candles and offer prayers for the eternal repose of their souls. Some families like mine back in Roxas City take this opportunity to get together, sponsor a mass for our dear Lolo (Grandpa) Jesus, Lola (Grandma) Auden, Uncle Roger, and Auntie Lucy.  Today, as is the tradition, I picked flowers from my little garden and placed it on a vase, lighted a candle and said a little prayer for my grandparents, uncle and auntie, and other deceased relatives. My heart aches that they are no longer with us today but their memories are cherished and forever etched in our hearts. 

Rainy season gear in the Penh
2010-10-28 11:38:00
After yesterday's lovely sunny weather, today we have a cloudy, almost gloomy Thursday. And just as I got out of the house to walk to the market this morning, the heavens opened and down came the rain. So I ran back to the house to get an umbrella but it was nowhere to be found. I was already running late so I dissed the umbrella and bought a disposable plastic raincoat instead. Baka PASYONISTA, pwede pa! Fa-show-nees-tah? NOT!!! When it rains in Phnom Penh, wear what the Phnom Penhnois wear - this plastic rain gear is a common sight everywhere you go. Here, umbrella is out  and this plastic rain coat is very much the in thing! Locals tend to favour the plastic rain coats over umbrellas because it is more convenient, and that's because most of the Cambodians go around on small motorbikes. Umbrellas, however, are commonly used by the monks only, rain or shine. Plastic rain coats like this usually last one wear or two, and, unfortunately, the fabric (plastic) used is ver...
More About: Season , Gear

Wordless Wednesday 095: Max and Joe
2010-10-27 09:07:00
Early trick-or-treaters. Awoooooooo! Trick or treaaaaaaaat.....!!! Anybody hoooooooome???
More About: Pets , Phnom Penh

Photo Hunt #55: Stripes
2010-10-09 11:45:00
Don't be surprised by the blog posts that I've done one after the other. Thanks to the long holiday, the Bon Pchum Ben, my husband and I are enjoying, relaxing, and doing things together without the usual stress that goes with our normal routine. I have written about Bon Pchum Ben long time ago, but I'm happy to share with you again what this celebration is all about. The familiar striped tarpaulin greets the faithful who flock to the wats (Buddhist temples) during  Bon Pchum Ben. Bon Pchum Ben is the annual commemoration of the spirits. It is one of the important celebrations, and one of the grandest religious holidays, in Cambodia. I'd like to think it's somewhat analogous to the Philippines' Todos Los Santos.  While our Todos Los Santos lasts only for one day (some stay up until midnight), the Bon Pchum Ben lasts 15 days, and is divided into 2 parts. This year it started on the 24th of September and ended yesterday, 8th of October. The first 14 day...
More About: Photo

Happy birthday, Joshua!
2010-10-08 08:41:00
Six years ago, everyone in the household in Roxas City was frantic, rushing around in preparation for your arrival... of course, I had to come home, too, albeit 5months later, just to see you! At 5months, you were already an epitome of little boy charm and cuteness. You were the first apo (grandchild) in the family, and every one fell in love with you. Grandma would rush to check on you the moment she heard something. Grandpa beamed with pride when you showed him your toothless smile. Tito Bigg and Tito Jeck forgot about their barkadas after work and school to rush home just to play with you or see you before you sleep. I spent my short holiday looking after you so that Mamagirl could have some time for herself. It was a special moment for me having seen you, and held you in my arms, even only for a short time. Time flew so fast... from being the family's Superboy... I remember your Mamagirl telling me how you refused to take off your Superboy costume! ... to your current ...
More About: Family , Faces , Happy , Birthday , Milestones