Dress code

Wedding dress code

Men
For men it’s easy. Anything goes. Typically you’d wear a dressy shirt and pants (even jeans). No tie!

Women
The whole she-bang: princess fairytale evening gown in bright colors, Vampire-like make-up (ultrawhite foundation, fake lashes, mascara, eyeliner, powder, lipstick and what not) painted nails, fancy hairdo, the whole lot.
More modern women nowadays however go for a more understated and elegant (western?) style.
Nika often goes for a naturel look which makes her stand out of the crowd - in a good way!

Foreign women are usually are more modestly dressed and made up, but don’t let that stop you from going completely overboard!

Here are some examples:

Nika and Tom (tie = overdressed)

Tom and Nika

Three princesses

Two princesses

Father of the bride (casual)

Morning ceremony at our engagement party (modern vs. traditional)

A whole new world

I work for a different school now.
It was time for a change. I got tired of the laissez-faire atmosphere and lack of discipline of staff and students at my previous school. My new school seems pretty tightly run. I hope it works out.

One of the great benefits of a new school is a new library. A new library is like discovering a whole new country. Whole new worlds even! It feels just wonderful.
First book I read (selected at random): A High Wind in Jamaica, by Richard Hughes. Recommended!

Things I don’t understand pt. 2

Export quality.
Does that mean it’s better than regular? The same? Worse? (As in: let those foreigners have the crap, we’ll keep the best for ourselves.)

Did you know that many food products exported from Thailand (for example to Cambodia) can’t be re-imported into Thailand because they don’t meet Thai food safety standards (or so I’ve been told)?

Good things about Cambodia pt. 1

Sean Kingston should stay away, or he’d have to kill himself a thousand times a day.
(Or would he just get really really excited?)

Things I don’t understand pt. 1

Those wooden bars with a slit in the middle hotels, restaurants and other places use to keep newspapers and magazines.
What are they for? How do they work? What’s wrong with a staple?

Dancing in the streets of Phnom Penh

Part-ey!
Preah Vihear, an ancient Hindu temple perched high on top of a cliff in the Dangrek Mts., has been officially recognized as UNESCO World Heritage.
The Thais aren’t very happy though. Preah Vihear sits right on top of the Cambodian-Thai border. The temple legally belongs to Cambodia, according to a verdict of the International Court of Justice in 1962 - a verdict many Thais refuse to accept. The area around the temple though is claimed by both countries. On top of that, Thailand is in political turmoil, and some “politicians” use this issue to stir up misplaced feelings of Thai nationalism.
If you think your politicians are short-sighted sometimes, check out Thai politics for childish behavior!

Anyway, it’s good for Cambodia, but bad for the temple… Angkor Wat is already crumbling to pieces because of too many visitors and mismanagement - did you know that the ticketing to Angkor Wat is handled by an oil company? Will this be Preah Vihear’s fate too?

I haven’t been to Preah Vihear yet, but I will soon, before the masses find out about it.
I have seen more UNESCO World Heritage in South East Asia than in my native Belgium.
So all you people in Belgium: next free weekend, get in your car, on the train or on your bike, and visit those places! Don’t take these things for granted - like I used to do.

Ms. Pon goes to Washington

Job with signed contract? Check!
Valid passport with US visa? Check!
Ticket? Almost…

The big news: Nika’s going to Washington, DC for a new job, nanny/domestic helper.
For a year, or more… I’ll stay in Phnom Penh - unless she decides to stay longer than a year.

A new adventure, a new experience. Starting this September.

Talkin’ Trash

Trash is a common sight on the streets and sidewalks of Phnom Penh.

This is how waste disposal works:

• everyone throws their rubbish on a pile;
• poor scavengers sift through it to pick out the valuables (e.g. plastic bottles, cans, etc.);
• CINTRI, the waste disposal company, comes by a loads it into their garbage truck to bring it to the dump (which is full by the way).

Dirty, smelly, and a haven for the world’s biggest rats.

Shake it

I’m not a big fan of fruit shakes: it’s wasting perfectly good fruit.
But anytime I have some overripe bananas I make a banana cocoa shake.

Needed:

• some bananas
• one heaped teaspoon cocoa (Van Houten is dee-licious)
• two teaspoons of unrefined sugar (palm sugar is my choice)
• half a teaspoon of paprika powder
• a mug of milk

Drop it all in the blender, blend for 30 seconds, and enjoy.
The paprika really adds zing to it.

Room with a View

A view from the balcony of our new apartment.

Not yet the skyline of Beijing.