Portraying a goddess, Gina San performs a traditional Cambodian court dance Saturday to offer a blessing to the new year during a Cambodian street festival in White Center.(Photo: JOHN LOK, The Seattle Times)
Pisey Nhek and the rest of the Cambodian Classical Folk Dance group from Tacoma perform an umbrella dance Saturday at the fifth-annual White Center Cambodian New Year Street Festival. (Photo: JOHN LOK, The Seattle Times)
Selena Keo enjoys the moment after her dance group is recognized on center stage. (Photo: JOHN LOK, The Seattle Times)Sunday, April 8, 2007
By Judy Chia Hui Hsu
Seattle Times staff reporter (Seattle, Washington, USA)
Their gold jackets stood out from the crowd.
But Alex and J.B. Keo didn't seem to mind wearing traditional Cambodian garb — not even the cloths wrapped around their waist and between their thighs.
The cousins from Tukwila strolled along the street in their black Nike Jordan and white Converse high-tops, awaiting their turn to perform.
Alex Keo, 16, and J.B. Keo, 25, belong to one of several groups that took the stage Saturday at the fifth-annual White Center Cambodian New Year Street Festival, sponsored by the Cambodian Cultural Alliance of Washington.
"It's happy," J.B. Keo said of the new year celebration. "You see everybody get together, see [the] smile on their faces."
He also looked forward to reconnecting with people, he said. He came to the United States more than 20 years ago with his family from Battambong, Cambodia. "Like aunts and uncles ... basically, people we know from the country, too, that have been here for a long time."
Since the festival's inception in 2003, congregating at the one-day event has become a Keo family tradition. This year, nearly 20 family members came to the event — from the cousins' siblings, parents and grandparents to other cousins, aunts and uncles.
Although the three-day Bun Choul Chhnam Tmey (the Cambodian new year celebration) begins April 13 this year, many families already have begun preparations.
"We've been cleaning since the first day of April," said Pharin Kong, founder of the festival, who lives with his parents, four sisters and a brother.
Besides gathering with family and cleaning the house, other traditions include setting up an altar with food offerings for ancestors and visiting the local temple.
Sothy Keo, 21, of Skyway — J.B. Keo's younger brother — is eager for the new year to arrive so he can attend temple this week.
"We all go as one big family," he said. "It's like getting to know my culture. 'Cause I was born here, so there's a lot ... to be learned."
West Seattle resident Mark Farrell, another loyal festival participant, has missed only one year, he said. "There's a really nice ambience this year," said Farrell, adding he has noticed the kids getting older and the intergenerational bonds strengthening over the years.
"To me, it's emblematic of White Center," Farrell said of the event. "It's really a nice, nice, nice place to come and interact and be with real people."
Marysville resident Nikiy Gubler came to the festival for the first time with her husband, Ryan, and 4-month-old daughter, Madison.
"I'm Cambodian," she said. "It's good to have a Cambodian community event because Seattle is a big melting pot, and it's good to have Cambodians be part of the melting pot."
Judy Chia Hui Hsu: 206-464-3315 or jhsu@seattletimes.com
But Alex and J.B. Keo didn't seem to mind wearing traditional Cambodian garb — not even the cloths wrapped around their waist and between their thighs.
The cousins from Tukwila strolled along the street in their black Nike Jordan and white Converse high-tops, awaiting their turn to perform.
Alex Keo, 16, and J.B. Keo, 25, belong to one of several groups that took the stage Saturday at the fifth-annual White Center Cambodian New Year Street Festival, sponsored by the Cambodian Cultural Alliance of Washington.
"It's happy," J.B. Keo said of the new year celebration. "You see everybody get together, see [the] smile on their faces."
He also looked forward to reconnecting with people, he said. He came to the United States more than 20 years ago with his family from Battambong, Cambodia. "Like aunts and uncles ... basically, people we know from the country, too, that have been here for a long time."
Since the festival's inception in 2003, congregating at the one-day event has become a Keo family tradition. This year, nearly 20 family members came to the event — from the cousins' siblings, parents and grandparents to other cousins, aunts and uncles.
Although the three-day Bun Choul Chhnam Tmey (the Cambodian new year celebration) begins April 13 this year, many families already have begun preparations.
"We've been cleaning since the first day of April," said Pharin Kong, founder of the festival, who lives with his parents, four sisters and a brother.
Besides gathering with family and cleaning the house, other traditions include setting up an altar with food offerings for ancestors and visiting the local temple.
Sothy Keo, 21, of Skyway — J.B. Keo's younger brother — is eager for the new year to arrive so he can attend temple this week.
"We all go as one big family," he said. "It's like getting to know my culture. 'Cause I was born here, so there's a lot ... to be learned."
West Seattle resident Mark Farrell, another loyal festival participant, has missed only one year, he said. "There's a really nice ambience this year," said Farrell, adding he has noticed the kids getting older and the intergenerational bonds strengthening over the years.
"To me, it's emblematic of White Center," Farrell said of the event. "It's really a nice, nice, nice place to come and interact and be with real people."
Marysville resident Nikiy Gubler came to the festival for the first time with her husband, Ryan, and 4-month-old daughter, Madison.
"I'm Cambodian," she said. "It's good to have a Cambodian community event because Seattle is a big melting pot, and it's good to have Cambodians be part of the melting pot."
Judy Chia Hui Hsu: 206-464-3315 or jhsu@seattletimes.com
4 comments:
whites folks said; they look so WEIRD and no shame whatsoever...
Yep, and they are 100% correct.
you're right again kiddo, let's do lunch.
Sound great, and I know this
Vietnamse merchant who made great
Banh Kanh. She's located in the NE
side of Psa Tmei. How about it?
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