The Sreisaat Adventures in Cambodia

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Photo Hunt #24: Hair - The 70s
2008-06-07 12:27:00
I know he would skin me alive when he sees this, but I am posting this anyway. Phnom Penh is thousands of miles away from my hometown of Roxas City (in the Philippines) so I am safe and far from his wrath *lol*. That's my uncle and his posse, their big hair and side-part are trademark of the 70s. . I am not saying it's a bad hair as it was the big thing in the 70s... all I am saying is... watta hair!
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Saturday 9 #001: Sharing blog habits
2008-06-07 12:16:00
Hi. I got this from Le Bric a Brac de Cherie and thought of joining this week.1. How long have you been blogging?- More than 4 years2. How did you start?- My Indonesian friend, Ifeh, introduced me to blogging. It started as a way of keeping in touch with my family as long distance phone calls are very expensive on this side of the planet. From there, I went on to blog about my work here in Cambodia 3. How often do you post on your blog?- Not regularly; once or twice a week.4. Have you made good blogging friends?- Yes, indeed. 5. Have you talked to someone on the phone you met through blogging?- Yes, I think 3 or 4 of them and they're all very nice! 6. Have you met anyone from your blogging?- Yes, about 5-6 bloggers actually, namely Allan, KazumiToe, JBLOGGED, and Yvonne. I also hope to meet Redlan the next time I go to Iloilo. 7. Have you had a crush on anyone you have not met?- Nope.8. Have you had a romance with someone you have met?- Nope.9. Do you suspect you get comments from ...
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Wordless Wednesday #40: Watch out, ducks crossing!
2008-06-04 07:23:00
Go to Wordless Wednesday for more entries.
More About: Watch , Sights , Crossing

Tuesday Tags: Something About Me
2008-06-04 04:02:00
Here's a fun tag from Sis Era of The Life of a Tatapilla. The rules are:1. Add your blog/s to the list. Feel free to add all your other blogs. It?s okey if you only post this questions in one blog as long as you answer them.2. Get back to YEN and she?ll add your blogs to the master?s list here! Yup, another linking thingy but this one has 15 questions and you get to enjoy answering them too!3. Tag as many friends online you know. But you don?t need to be tag in order to join.QUESTIONS:1. When you buy a greeting card, are the words or the picture more important to you?Both the words and picture are considered.2. What?s your favorite kind of cake?Anything with chocolate, and without nuts.3. Do you ever make gifts for people, if so what, or do you buy them?Yes, I make gifts for people very dear to me. 4. What?s your favorite holiday?When R and my holidays coincide, so we could do things together.5. Are you going on holiday this year? If so, where?R's school break, and we're planning...
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Photo Hunt #23 - Myself
2008-06-01 11:02:00
Ta Prohm TempleSiem Reap, CambodiaMy first visit to Angkor Wat was unforgettable. It was when going to the great land of Angkor Wat, and walking the same path as the ancient Khmers who lived thousands of years ago; seeing the crumbling ruins, some still hidden in the midst of the jungle - unleashed the Indiana Jones in me. Above is a photo of me at Ta Prohm temple. It is an eerie sight - rubble all over the place with overgrown trees and tangles of tree roots that seem to grab at unsuspecting tourists (see pic) and give it an almost supernatural feel. I got so carried away most of the time, hopping from one pile of rubble to another, that I forgot I was with someone (my husband), and that I was just one of those millions of excited, camera-toting tourists who visit Siem Reap every year.
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Litratong Pinoy #5 - Hangin (Wind)
2008-05-29 06:13:00
Windchimes from Japan Ito ay mga wind chimes na gawa sa Japan. Isa ito sa mga karaniwang palamuti hindi lang sa mga temples kundi pati na rin sa mga kabahayan doon. Bakit kaya mahilig sa wind chimes ang mga Hapon? Tinanong ko ang aking kaibigang si Kanako-san at sabi niya, ang mga chimes daw ay naghahatid ng good luck sa mga nakarinig sa kaaya-ayang tunog na nagmumula dito. Ayon sa isang article sa internet, ang mga Hapon ay in tune sa sounds o tunog, at sila rin ay sinasabing may koneksyon sa hangin na nakapalibot sa kanila. Sinasabi pa sa article na ito na ang dalawang elementong ito ay pinagsasama ng wind chimes. Ang hangin o ang ihip ng hangin ang siyang nagbibigay ng tunog dito. Kaya naman tuwing sasapit ang summer o tag-init sa kanila, isang paraan na nakapagbibigay ng ginhawa sa kanilang pakiramdam ay ang pakikinig sa kaaya-ayang tunog ng wind chimes. Translation:These are wind chimes from Japan. I took this photo two years ago when I was in the Asakusa area of Tokyo. Everywhe...
More About: Travels , Wind , Pinoy

Redlan's Tag
2008-05-29 04:53:00
Here's the rule:Join us on this flight.Let all they bloggers around the globe come together in unity bblog linking. All you have to do is add your name to the list. Don?t forget to specify the country where you are from and of course, link your name to your respective blog. If you have two or more blogs, add and link them all. Then invite 8 or more bloggers to do the same.Okay, here we go:Juliafrom Philippines, Catherine from Malaysia, Shi from USA, Mitch from Philippines, Hailey from Philippines, Sexymom from USA, Liza from Philippines, Sasha from Philippines, Thess from Netherlands, Marie from Philippines, mind bubbles from USA, Evi from Canada, Christine - Marikit from AU, Christine - Strawberrygurl from AU, Mel?s Untamed World from PH, Mel?s Uncensored Life from PH, vanity kit from USA, something purple from USA, em?s detour from USA, Sassy Finds from Philippines, My Charmed Life from Philippines, Mommyhood and Me from Philippines, Changing Lanes from Philippines, Pit Stop from...

Wordless Wednesday #39: Headless Chicken?
2008-05-28 05:00:00
Had lunch at an Indian Restaurant two weeks ago.Mouthwatering chicken samosa - highly recommended.
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Litratong Pinoy #4: Tubig (Water)
2008-05-22 05:22:00
Ito ang Boeung Tonle Sap, o Great Lake, na matatagpuan dito sa Cambodia. Kung titingnan ninyo ang mapa ng Cambodia, ito ay napaka-prominenteng yamang tubig sa Cambodia at napapaligiran nito ang limang probinsya. Ang Tonle Sap ay itinuturing na isa sa mga pinakamalaking freshwater lake sa Asya, at, noong taong 1997, dahil ito ay isang ecological hotspot, idineklara itong biosphere na protektado ng UNESCO. *Map from Wikipedia.Kung tayong mga Pinoy ay tinanong kung ilang isla mayroon ang Pilipinas, binabalik natin ang tanong kung ito ba ay base sa high tide o low tide. Dito sa Cambodia, kung ako'y inyong tatanungin kung gaano kalaki ang lawang ito, tatanungin ko rin kayo ng "dry season o wet season"? Bakit kamo? Dahil ang Tonle Sap Lake ay may sukat na 2,500km2 at may lalim na isang metro lamang kung dry season. Subalit, kapag panahon ng tag-ulan o wet season naman, ang Tonle Sap ay lumalaki. Dahil sa tinatawag na reversal flow ng Mekong river na kung saan konektado ang Tonle Sap, lu...
More About: Sights , Water

Photo Hunt #22: Candy
2008-05-18 12:27:00
Photo borrowed from my other blog.This is my favorite childhood treat, ampao, or rice crispies, in the Philippines. When I was a kid in the province, we seldom eat chocolates (they are expensive). Chocolates and other candies were a rare treat, and we usually had them only on Christmas, birthdays and other special occassions. Rice crispies, however,were our everyday treat. They are sweet and crunchy, sometimes sprinkled with peanuts and most of all, very affordable. It is rectangular in shape and because it is quite thick, one has to open its mouth wider than usual to have a bite of it.
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Litratong Pinoy #3: Nag-aapoy
2008-05-15 08:19:00
Sunset over the Gulf of ThailandKep, Kingdom of CambodiaAng nag-aapoy na Haring Araw, ito ang napili kong litrato na sa tingin ko ay angkop sa tema natin ngayong linggo. Kuha ito sa bayan ng Kep kung saan ako ay naka-base sa loob ng apat na buwan noong taong 2007. Ang Kep ay napapaligiran ng Gulf of Thailand, at sa aking opinyon, ito ay may pinakamagandang sunset sa buong Cambodia. Kung inyong pagmamasdang mabuti, naglalagablab pa rin ang araw sa kabila ng unti-unting pagdilim ng kalangitan, na para bang pinaglalabanan ang pagsaklob ng dilim sa sanlibutan.
More About: Sights , Pinoy

Wordless Wednesday #38 Drunken stupor?
2008-05-14 05:51:00
No, he's not really drunk.He borrowed the whiskey bottle from another table and gamely posed for this shot :)He is Long Dimanche, our Coordinator in the Prey Veng Pilot Project site. Being the head of the team on this part of Cambodia, he does all the preparations making sure everything is ready when I arrive to conduct workshops and meetings. After days of working in and with the community, we, locals and ex-pat staff alike, share what the locals call a solidarity dinner. Everyone gets cleaned up, all dust washed away, puts on new clothes, and wear our best smiles looking forward to a fun night. Dinner is usually accompanied by loads of karaoke singing (all Khmer songs), dancing, and drinks.
More About: Friends , Faces , Work , Wednesday

Sawasdee kah!
2008-05-06 08:44:00
This is how the people of Thailand say "welcome". And like our very own mabuhay, it also connotes a host of other meanings mostly for wishing people well.So by now you have an idea that I am in Bangkok for some business matters. I'll be in PP soon. To those who come and visit this blog from time to time, please excuse me for not being able to post or visit your blogs regularly. I have so many things on my mind and a lot more to do that blogging has to take a backseat for now. But I do promise to resume blogging when I have completed my tasks.See you soon and kap kuhn kah (thank you):)
More About: Vacations

Photo Hunt #21 Funny/Creative Signs
2008-04-27 02:59:00
Hi, I am back for this week's Photo Hunt. I was absent from my blogging duties and I want to start making up now... It is not so difficult to find pictures for this week's theme. Walking around the the streets of Phnom Penh (and China ) is like walking around a treasureland of posters and signs where the message being relayed is far from being funny but ended up with a funny message anyway. Here's some.Let's start from my own inbox:I do not mind the mistakes in the content, but I DO mind the salutation...At a hotel in Kampong Thom province:Along the highway...Here's one from China...Here's one poster that I think is nicely done. The message being relayed is a serious one, and it is presented straight-to-the-point to the readers. Even the non-Khmers can the tell the issue right away...For more funny/creative signs, just head over to the Photo Hunters HQ.
More About: Funny , Creative , Sights

Updates from where I am
2008-04-27 01:14:00
Hello everybody!Thanks for dropping by even if I have no updates.I slipped out of Cambodia and in to the Philippines quietly. I am here for matters concerning my health. I do not wish to divulge details about it as I do not want to dampen everyone's mood but let me just say that after some tests, there is no immediate cause for concern, thank God.From my end, I am enjoying my time here at home in Roxas City, eating home-cooked meals that I sorely missed. A close friend based in Norway commented on my non-existent gimik schedule as biglang natahimik, as opposed to my being a curacha when I was in Phnom Penh where I was almost always out of town doing something in the community.I must admit though that after a couple of days here in Roxas, I kind of miss Cambodia already. I miss my husband (he still has work - school holiday is two months away), and thanks to modern technology, we exchanged sms and talk through YM almost every night. I still have to stay for more tests but for now, I...
More About: Family , Travels , Sights , Updates , Vacations

Cheap phone cards
2008-04-17 18:55:00
For overseas workers like me, we always get homesick. Almost always, a phone call to our loved ones helps to counter this problem, but the crippling rate of overseas call is preventing most of us to get in touch as often as we want to. Calling long distance through land-phone amounts to sky-high phone bills prompting most of us to go for calling cards instead because it is cheaper. Here at therich.com, they are providing an extensive selection of cheap prepaid phone cards and international calling cards touted as one of the best in the market today. With just a few clicks of the mouse, one can search through therich.com?s site for the best and cheapest rate phone card for long distance calls in many destinations worldwide.One of the better advantages of therich.com?s service is that purchasing phone cards online is as simple and as easy as counting 1-2-3. Just choose the destination and the card with the lowest rates, check out, get the PIN for the phone card and access numbers o...
More About: Phone , Cheap , Cards , Phone cards

Emergency
2008-04-17 18:43:00
It's been a crazy 48 hours and I am still reeling from it all. After receiving an unexpected news I hopped onto a plane to Manila, and now, I am in Roxas City where I am awaiting for developments. I would like to apologise for not posting my Litratong Pinoy entry. I thought I could still squeeze it in earlier but the flash disk where I stored my photo got infected by virus. I will make it up next week. Pramis.
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Wordless Wednesday #37: Preparing to work
2008-04-15 10:52:00
This is my Wordless Wednesday entry for the Tuesday-Wednesday edition. To join us, go to the Wordless Wednesday HQ.
More About: Sights , Work

Suosdey Chhnam Thmey!
2008-04-12 12:14:00
That's how we say Happy New Year in Khmer.It starts today, Friday, 11th of April and ends on Sunday, 13th of April. Thousands of locals left Phnom Penh as early as last week, to go to their hometowns and be with their families on this special holiday. Sige, hala, magsi-alisan kayo para naman matahimik ang Phnom Penh!Today being the first day, people clean their house, believed to drive away the evil spirits, and wear new clothes to greet the new year. Okay, I'm off now - gotta go clean the house before the New Angel arrives.In case you didn't notice, this is the third time we are celebrating the new year in Cambodia .
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Litratong Pinoy #2: Tatlo ang Sulok Ko
2008-04-09 08:51:00
Ito ang Cambodian wat o temple. Paki-click ng litrato upang palakihin ang litrato. Kung titingnan ninyo ng maigi, kapansin-pansin ang tatsulok na hugis ng roof o bubong nito. Ito ay karaniwang disenyo ng mga Buddhist wats dito sa Indochina, na kinabibilangan ng mga bansang Thailand, Burma, Laos at Cambodia. Ang litratong ito ay kuha malapit sa Oudong, may humigit-kumulang na 50kilometro ang layo mula sa capital ng Phnom Penh. Ang Oudong ang siyang dating capital ng bansang Cambodia, at dito matatagpuan ang mga stupas kung saan nakalagak ang mga labi ng mga miembro ng Royal family ng Cambodia.
More About: Sights , Pinoy

Wordless Wednesday #36: Who Ate All the Rice?
2008-04-08 18:17:00
Not me! Promise :DThis is my entry for the Tuesday-Wednesday edition of Wordless Wednesday. Photo shows my pet dog Max, in denial :D. Head over to the Wordless Wednesday for more WW fun photos.
More About: Pets , Rice

Wat Kampong Tralach
2008-04-07 08:21:00
My husband Rob and I are currently in retreat in the coastal town of Kep to get away from the madness of the capital, Phnom Penh. Kep town was, in another era, a tourist centre for the wealthy from Phnom Penh, who enjoyed its beaches, fish and sea breezes. Now, the municipality as a whole is impoverished and relies on inshore fishing and small-scale agriculture. There are a couple of family-run fish sauce factories, and about 1,000 hectares of salt basins providing employment for about twenty family enterprises and seasonable employment for perhaps sixty more.Kep has always been our choice for weekend getaways because, compared to Cambodia ?s other beachtown, Sihanoukville, it still has a ?remote? feel to it and there is still a small number of tourists coming in. Besides, Kep has a special place in our hearts, having lived here in 2006 when I started IDRC's rural ICT project here.Our visit this time has another purpose ? for my husband to turn over the brand new computer set with s...
More About: Travels , What , Vacations

Public Service Announcement
2008-04-07 07:58:00
Tiny Toones: B Boy Benefit for Cambodia April 26th 2008, 6pm 'til lateAt the Greenwood Collective8537 Greenwood Ave. NW Seattle WAFeaturing the work of:World B Boy champs Massive Monkees, legendary Seattle photographer Charles Peterson, immigration activist Many Uch & photographer Stuart Isett.$5 donation at the doorPhotographs for saleAll proceeds benefit The Tiny Toones.Background:Tiny Toones was born in the Bassac slum area of Phnom Penh, Cambodia and provides free HIV/AIDS, health, drug awareness, performing arts and language education in English and Khmer to underprivileged youth. It also serves as a community center, with an open door policy, where hundreds of children have a positive environment to channel their energy into learning and performing arts. The group was founded by Tuy Sobil, a.k.a. KK, originally from Long Beach, who brought his b boy dance talents to the streets of Cambodia to help the country struggling to rebuild after 30 years of war.Funds raised from the ev...
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Photo Hunt #20: Glass
2008-04-07 07:34:00
I'm late, but here it is anyway :DA shot glass of B-52Gone in seconds...
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Litratong Pinoy (LP) #1: Ako ay Bilog
2008-04-03 06:34:00
Ito ang moto-dop o moto-taxi. Kung ang Pilipinas ay may jeepney, ito namang moto-dop ang sagot ng mga Khmer bilang pangunahing transportasyon dito sa Cambodia. Bata, matanda, lalaki o babae - silang lahat ay nakasakay sa moto-dop papunta sa paaralan, opisina, palengke at kung saan-saan.Sangkatutak na motodop ang nakaka-kalat dito pa lang sa Phnom Penh, ang kabisera ng Cambodia. Sa dami nila, hindi mahirap maka-ispat ng isa dahil halos lahat ng moto-dop driver ay madaling makita sa suot nilang baseball caps.Gusto mong mamasyal? Mag-liwaliw at mag-shopping? Walang problema. Isang tawag lang ng moto-dop at sa ilang saglit ay nandun ka na sa iyong paparoonan. Ganun sila kabilis! Kung noon ay di pa kailangan ng crash helmet, ngayon ay ipinatutupad na ng gobyerno ang pagsusuot nito. Ang halaga ng pamasahe ay depende sa distansya ng pupuntahan at kung ilan ang pasahero - karaniwang nagsisimula sa 1000riels hanggang 10,000riels (more or less P10-100). Ang halaga ng pamasahe ay tumataas ng d...
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Wordless Wednesday #35: Where Am I???
2008-04-01 09:23:00
For more WW fun, head to the WW HQ.
More About: Travels , Sights , Wednesday

Photo Hunt #19 - High
2008-03-29 07:55:00
In 2004, my husband went on a cycling tour of western Europe starting from his native England, to France, Spain, Portugal and ending at the Rock of Gibraltar. He sent me this photo while he was on a pilgrimage to the Camino de Santiago. This photo was taken in Cebreiro, Spain, in between Ponferrada and Sarria on the Camino de Santiago. It was a tough day for him - a full-day climb, 60 miles from Ponferrada to Sarria, with this hill in between. You can find more on his cycling tour here.
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Yen's QoTW #2
2008-03-26 09:59:00
1. Have you ever had a summer romance? Care to share?- No.2. Do you believe in love at first sight?- Not really, maybe attraction.3. ?You don?t marry someone you can live with, you marry the person who you cannot live without.? What do you think of this quote?- It was made by my dog.4. Where does true beauty lie? On the inside or on the outside?- Define true beauty.5. Did you ever had a crush on a classmate or teacher? Who was it?- Neither, but I had a huge crush on one of my housemates - Teban Espina *blush*6. Summer wear?.shorts or capris?- Shorts, of course!7. Would you ride a roller coaster or sky dive?- Sky dive. 8. Last stupid thing you have done?- Pick a fight with my husband.9. Any summer plans? Trips, vacations and etc. Where?- Celebrate Khmer New Year in Kep (in one week?s time), sat in a hammock with an ice-cold beer, waiting for the shrimp to jump out of the Gulf of Thailand and land on our plates. 10. In one word, define yourself!- Okay, I find this a bit difficult so I...

Thinking of changing your web-host? Read this.
2008-03-26 09:51:00
I have been using Blogger for more than four years as my host and so far, I am very satisfied with the service Blogger is providing. However, most of my friends have been telling me that they are going to have their own domains and that they are moving on to other web-hosting services. Sounds tempting, and I have to agree with them considering that there are lots of web-hosting sites that offer a lot of nifty features. However I have heard of horror stories, ranging from experiencing long period of being offline to slow technical support, and t is making it difficult for me to decide.Of course, having your own domain is a great idea but then I want only the best web hosting site if ever I decide to do so. Good thing I came across Kaushalsheth.com?s site. There, the site owner talked about his difficulties with his previous host and shares his recommended list of excellent sites. I think bloggers like me who are not so familiar at techie stuff should take a look at Kaushalsheth.com?s...
More About: Read , Changing , Host , Thinking

Wordless Wednesday #34: This is where I go home to...
2008-03-25 09:25:00
I know I am breaking the rules again, but please allow me to give you a brief background. Two years ago, I left the comforts of Phnom Penh for a work assignment down south of Cambodia - to the coastal town of Kep. Our organization had no office there yet so I had to use the same guesthouse room (where I live) as my office. There was no electricity yet - generator operates only at night - and so I travel to our project areas by day and do the paperworks at night. Each working day I was absolutely knackered from the bone-crunching moto-ride visiting remote villages. But when I go home, all the exhaustion simply vanished because of this:
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