Culture – Welcome to Cambodia, and…..

Thursday, March 20, was the vernal equinox, the day when the day and night are equal in length, and the first day of spring. Angkor Wat was built in the 1100s, long before modern developments of science, but it was constructed so that the sun on the vernal equinox rises directly above the main tower of Angkor Wat. This is a stunning achievement with the limited knowledge of astronomy and cosmology and architecture available at that time, and a dramatic expression of the curiosity and creativity and intelligence of the human species. This year more than 85,000 visitors were at Angkor Wat to observe this phenomenon.

Recreating what he grew up with

Most of Phnom Penh’s population has been transplanted from the rural provinces to the capital city. The saying goes: “You can take the person out of the country but you can’t take the country out of the person.” There are many illustrations of that adage around Phnom Penh where the now city dwellers try to recreate the fields, the plants, the flowers the way it was “back then.”

Why do they do it?

This is a shot driving in a tuk-tuk to St. Joseph Church this morning. Notice the two cars in front of us. One has his wheels on the left lane line and other has his wheels on the right lane line. They refuse to drive in the middle of the lane unless forced to by traffic. Why do they do that? My tuk-tuk driver is trying get his wheels on the left lane marker.

Waffles to go

I never buy snacks on the street, but I am always delighted to see these waffles on the snack tables at break time when I go to meetings! They’re delicious!

Funeral Flowers

Lots of people die in Phnom Penh every day. The market for funeral arrangements never slows down or takes a break. Here a woman at shops at Central Market puts together floral displays that will be used that day to note someone’s death.

Lunar New Year #10

It’s been two week since the Lunar New Year but the flowers and decorations
at this furniture store still look good.

Memorial for a King

A memorial for the King Father, King Norodom Sihanouk.

Spirit House

Many Cambodian houses have a little spirit house on the wall or porch, a shrine to appease the spirits who were displaced wehn the people house was built. Most spirit houses are wooden but this one is made of plastic which I’ve never seen before. And it’s BIG! Most such houses will sit on a tabletop or are set on a small pole in the yard.

Lunar New Year #10

Here is a wagonload of Lunar New Year chrysanthemums–a bit bedraggled! They didn’t even last five days past the new year! It must be bad batch or they bloomed too early because in some years the chrysanthemums are still radiant weeks after the beginning of the year.

Lunar New year #9

Today is the second day of the three main Lunar New Year days. Yesterday was a day for visiting parents. Today it’s the sisters and brothers who get visited.

It’s OK to have new year decorations still for sale in the shops–but what happens in a couple days when definitely no one is going to be buying anything like this? Can you pack up and save for a year decorations like the lanterns?