Charlie Dittmeier's Home Page
This is the hottest part of the year in Cambodia. Temperatures are routinely in the high 90ºs and low 100ºs F. The AccuWeather RealFeel is daily from 100º to 115º. And then you have the young women who cover up as completely as possible to avoid any sun reaching–and darkening–their skin.
I was surprised, the day after the official holidays ended, to see a lot of vans full of people returning to the provinces. The night before thousands had made the opposite journey back to Phnom Penh. Click here and scroll down to #5 to see the early morning departures.
Away from the tourist areas and the official celebrations, observance of the Khmer New Year took on a more laid back tone. Click here and scroll to #4 to see the photos.
Most shops and businesses were closed Friday, Saturday, and Sunday because most of the people were gone. But for those who stayed, there were still things to do. Click here and scroll down to #3 to see some of the Khmer New Year city scenes.
Before the deaf people and their families returned to their traditional villages to celebrate with their elders there, the Deaf Community Center had a celebration for all the deaf community the Sunday before the New Year exodus began. Click here and scroll down to #2 to see the photos.
The Khmer New Year is just two days away. The first day of the official holiday is 14 April and people are starting to implement their new year plans. Click here for some early signs of new year activity.
Cambodia’s luxury woods end up not only in more common (although unwieldy) furniture such as tables and chairs, but even the odd-shaped stumps and remnants of tree trunks have great value as they are fashioned into all sorts of art objects. Click here to see some and then scroll down to #11. (I think this is enough about wood for a while so I’ll move on to other topics.)
Some of the heavy, culturally-important wooden furniture is sold in shops. A great deal is also sold on the streets of the big cities. Probably produced in rural workshops, it is brought to the city for sale. Click here to see some of the wares on the street, and then scroll down to #9.
Another type of establishment that invests heavily in massive wooden furniture are the restaurants, especially those on the road. Take a break from driving to have lunch and you’ll likely find yourself sitting on a heavy wooden stool. Click here and scroll down to #5. Restaurants.
In a home, a hotel lobby, a fancy office, the heavy wooden furniture might fit. In a gas station? An auto body shop? No….. Click here and scroll down to #4.