Khmer New Year 2012

Khmer New Year has been and gone. * Phew*. I tell you what it does not get any easier on the liver or the wallet with every year. Wednesday night we threw a party for the staff here at work. With just 24 hours’ notice from the boss we had to organise monks to bless the office, beer to quench the boys thirst, food to fill their stomachs, a tent for shade and a band for music and dancing. Luckily in Cambodia – that’s all one simple phone call away. Wednesday itself was full tilt combat party set-up and the night itself was a blast.

Blessing the office

Prepping the grub

The kitchen

Thursday was organising everything we needed for the next several days of celebrations so this meant a visit to Psar BKK for bananas,incense,flowers and several sets of new flip flops. For no other reason than I needed them. While mum shopped Grace and I chilled at out the little coffee shop. Iced Milo for her. Iced coffee for me. BKK Market is my new favourite market. I thought always thought it was really dingy inside but nothing could be further from the truth. It is huge, cheapo and has it all.

Gracie at BKK market

Friday was Turtle Day. Some lady gave away 4 huge red eared sliders and I was first on the block. Grace loves them and we have one really smart one who can easily get out of the pond. Think it’s a female as we find it burying itself in the sandpit!

Saturday was Pagoda day and I dropped all the family off, deftly dodged the draft and took Jirra and a soundly sleeping Angus over to Koh Pich for a walk and some 4wd action. I cannot believe how much that place has changed since I used to walk Karma over there several years ago. What has not changed is being able to drive anywhere you want unchecked! After the Pagoda we headed back to our house and had a huge nosh up but not before I got stuck at the local corner shop with some of the local boys . ” You must drink with us”……

@ the corner shop. 5 beers in an hour.......

Turtles out

Turtles in.

Saturday we headed out to Paul and Alins place at Stung Meanchay and with land levelled and lawn laid, the place looks amazing and is no longer a construction site. Several hundred beers and a roast cow leg later and Paul and I are sleeping on a mat next to a fire under the stars while everyone else is tucked up inside. I had to move to the car early am as the mozzies were trying to kidnap me and I woke up..er..dusty. We bailed early and I went home to sleep all day only to wake up Sunday to even more people in our house and more beer and more food and more music. Struth. Tra last an hour. I lasted a couple more but was asleep well before all the other revellers.