Picture sellers are making a brisk business selling the picture of the water spout (Photo: Bunry, Koh Santepheap)
Water spout seen from Phnom Penh (Photo: Bunry, Koh Santepheap)Thursday, August 31, 2006
By Lor Chandara
THE CAMBODIA DAILY
The rare appearance of a tornado-like funnel cloud over the Bassac and Mekong rivers Tuesday had much of Phnom Penh's waterfront buzzing with supernatural theories Wednesday.
Along Sisowath Quay and the riverfront park, young and old wondered whether the appearance of the cloud, which many said resembled a dragon, would bode well or ill for Cambodia.
The waterfront is a perennial place for fortunetelling, so the strange weather was factored into the predictions being offered.
"This was a natural miracle that was mixed with something really supernatural," said fortuneteller Ya Ran. He said that the water spout was shaped like a dragon. According to the Khmer zodiac, in the Year of the Dog, dragons bring rainfall, which means a bountiful harvest. "I predict it is a good omen for everyone," he said.
Fortuneteller Mun Seng did not agree with Ya Ran's interpretation. "I did not see a dragon," he said. "If there is a dragon, like a fish or snake living in the river, Cham or Vietnamese fishermen would catch it in their nets," Mun Seng said.
The confluence of the three rivers in front of the Royal Palace has traditionally been a subject of supernatural speculation, spawned by the annual reversing of the flow of the Tonle Sap.
Rumors that a mythical white crocodile had appeared in the same spot before the end of the Lon Nol regime in 1975 boded ill in the minds of many. In 1997, during another time of political turmoil, the Hale-Bopp comet's appearance in the night sky over Phnom Penh triggered rumors that a "crocodile star" had brought another war.
Funcinpec lawmaker Khieu San, who served in the Lon Nol regime, said he would need a few days of astrological work to determine if any political omen was attached to the funnel cloud's appearance.
"In the Lon Nol regime there were two miracles, one was the white crocodile and another was a stone statue put up in front of the Royal Palace," he said. "Lon Nol built a Republican Memorial and I watched him pulling away the unveiling cloth and then saw the stone pillar tilt over. That was a bad omen for Lon Nol."
Whether or not the water dragon will be good for Cambodia remains to be seen, but it was certainly good for a number of amateur photographers who took shots of the cloud Tuesday. "I printed 50 copies of the photo and sold them fast," one Prey Veng province native said Wednesday. He said they sold for 1,500 riel and were mostly bought by curious Cambodians and tourists.
Along Sisowath Quay and the riverfront park, young and old wondered whether the appearance of the cloud, which many said resembled a dragon, would bode well or ill for Cambodia.
The waterfront is a perennial place for fortunetelling, so the strange weather was factored into the predictions being offered.
"This was a natural miracle that was mixed with something really supernatural," said fortuneteller Ya Ran. He said that the water spout was shaped like a dragon. According to the Khmer zodiac, in the Year of the Dog, dragons bring rainfall, which means a bountiful harvest. "I predict it is a good omen for everyone," he said.
Fortuneteller Mun Seng did not agree with Ya Ran's interpretation. "I did not see a dragon," he said. "If there is a dragon, like a fish or snake living in the river, Cham or Vietnamese fishermen would catch it in their nets," Mun Seng said.
The confluence of the three rivers in front of the Royal Palace has traditionally been a subject of supernatural speculation, spawned by the annual reversing of the flow of the Tonle Sap.
Rumors that a mythical white crocodile had appeared in the same spot before the end of the Lon Nol regime in 1975 boded ill in the minds of many. In 1997, during another time of political turmoil, the Hale-Bopp comet's appearance in the night sky over Phnom Penh triggered rumors that a "crocodile star" had brought another war.
Funcinpec lawmaker Khieu San, who served in the Lon Nol regime, said he would need a few days of astrological work to determine if any political omen was attached to the funnel cloud's appearance.
"In the Lon Nol regime there were two miracles, one was the white crocodile and another was a stone statue put up in front of the Royal Palace," he said. "Lon Nol built a Republican Memorial and I watched him pulling away the unveiling cloth and then saw the stone pillar tilt over. That was a bad omen for Lon Nol."
Whether or not the water dragon will be good for Cambodia remains to be seen, but it was certainly good for a number of amateur photographers who took shots of the cloud Tuesday. "I printed 50 copies of the photo and sold them fast," one Prey Veng province native said Wednesday. He said they sold for 1,500 riel and were mostly bought by curious Cambodians and tourists.
3 comments:
Cambodia never really had an extreme weather like the US or peoeple elsewhere had. This should not be overlooked or ignored.
What would our people do, should Tornato of 150 miles wind or more sweep thru our land?
In present day, our people live in sacks and traw houses. Most of us know that extreme weather such Tsumami and great flood had hit our neighbors most recently. Can it happen in Cambodia?
If the omen is true,, this is a sign of a bad omen....more coming for Cambodia....with the returning of Heng Pov to Cambodia, he's won't survive...and the upcoming election for 2008....God help Cambodia!!.
For above comments, we must not feel dispair or pessimistic about the future of Cambodia. There will never be a tsunami hitting Cambodia where thousands of lives will be killed because geographically, Cambodia is located along gulf of Thailand. If any tsunami from South China Sea Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Phillipines, and Indonesia will be hit the hardest. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think there is a earthquake under the gulf of Thailand to create such destructive tsunami.
I have noticed that Cambodia seems to have been shielded by an unknown force from all the calamities of the world. Of course, there will always be the minor troublesome of politics and poverty but the biggest fearsome force seems to leave Cambodia alone and I think this is a good sign of good omen. Cambodia had suffered long enough, god understands that.
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