J.D. Kindle
East Oregonian
It’s not often that one gets to celebrate his birthday in a foreign country. Since Brian and I were in Cambodia for mine, our attitude was to try to pack it with as much as we possibly could.
My birthday ended up falling on our first day in Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia. Our tuk-tuk driver Chomm, whom we had arranged for the previous evening, met us at the cafe in front of our guesthouse in the morning. I asked him what Cambodians do to celebrate their birthday, to which he replied the standard of cake and presents. When I informed him it was my birthday he became giddy and claimed he could take us out for the evening to where his friends could sing me “Happy Birthday,” but in the meantime we would take in some of the major sights and activities in the city.
Sold.
Our first stop was the shooting range. Cambodia has become somewhat notorious for the proliferation of shooting ranges created by leftover weapons from years of civil war and lax government oversight. Travelers who want to play Rambo for a day can try their hand at an array of assault rifles, machine guns and even hand grenades.
Since it was my birthday, I had to treat myself to a hand grenade. The director of the shooting range led me over to a large pond. He picked up a handful of rocks from the ground and tossed them into the pond in order to show me the the correct throwing distance. After I made a few correct practice throws myself, he stuffed a grenade in my hand and pulled the pin. It’s hard to keep your cool knowing you're holding a device that could obliterate your presence on earth, which is seconds away from exploding, so I frantically tossed it in the pond like a hot potato. The ensuing explosion in the water was impressive.
Apparently thrill seekers were once allowed to toss grenades on the bare ground, but the government felt that it was too dangerous a practice and now restrict it to the ponds. It’s nice to know the Cambodian government has some say in how munitions are discharged around here...
Getting the excess out of our system, our next stop was a more sober affair: viewing The Killing Fields near Phnom Penh. Though there are many killing field sites around Cambodia, the one near Phnom Penh was the most prolific, where an estimated 20,000 people were murdered by the Khmer Rouge. The visit was enough to put us especially after viewing the memorial stupa containing bones and pieces of clothing from bodies excavated from the site.
After a brief rest in the afternoon, we met back up with Chomm for a night out. Our first stop was one of the many beer gardens spread throughout the city.
Whereas most American beer companies utilize sexual displays of women in their advertising arsenal to sell alcohol to potential customers, beer makers in Cambodia push it one step farther. Instead of a bartender serving your drinks, there are many “beer girls,” each one representing a different brand. If you are in the mood drink a particular brand then you should seek the corresponding beer girl out, otherwise you should just pick a beer girl that seems the most charming because chances are she will invite herself to sit at your table, partake in whatever beer you just ordered, possibly flirt with you, then coerce you into buying another round.
As a beer-selling strategy, it works quite well and at $2 per jug, it doesn't hurt your pocket book that much either.
Later we migrated to a Cambodian discothèque. Brian and I came across as novelties in the club being the only Westerners there, but the young club-goers seemed to enjoy our presence, smiling at us the entire time and offering us plenty of toasts. After a while, the typical international blend of electronic music subsided, and the DJ played a set of more contemporary Cambodian folk-pop. The style of dance shifted from a free-form style to the crowd slowly stepping around in a mass circular pattern while making expressive movements with their hands. Some of the younger dancers even had choreographed steps and hand movements that were as impressive as any kind of Western line dancing back home.
I feel like I made a college try at the Cambodian dance style. Chomm told me I was dancing just with the best of them. Of course he could have just been trying to make me feel good.
It was certainly not an average birthday and one that won't be forgotten anytime soon.
James Dean Kindle is a local musician and an infrequent (but frequently enough of a) world traveler. When not abroad he is busy making music with his band The Eastern Oregon Playboys and working as a GIS technician in Pendleton.
2 comments:
un mouvement circulaire à la masse ; on les appelle les danses traditionnelles cambodgiennes : ROAMVONG , ROAM KBACH ,
...C'est le plaisir des cambodgiens ou cambodgiennes de danser leurs richesses traditionnelle khmeres .
Si la soirée ne vous convient pas , pourquoi pas le Disco , le Rock ...avec vos DVD ou CD à la maison !!
Vous êtes bien au Cambodge , non !!!
Koh Tral Island must not be forgotten
By Ms. Rattana Keo
Why do Koh Tral Island, known in Vietnam as Phu Quoc, a sea and land area covering proximately over 10,000 km2 [Note: the actual land size of Koh Tral itself is 574 square kilometres (222 sq miles)] have been lost to Vietnam by whose treaty? Why don’t Cambodia government be transparent and explain to Cambodia army at front line and the whole nation about this? Why don't they include this into education system? Why?
Cambodian armies are fighting at front line for 4.6 km2 on the Thai border and what's about over 10,000km2 of Cambodia to Vietnam. Nobody dare to talk about it! Why? Cambodian armies you are decide the fate of your nation, Cambodian army as well as Cambodian people must rethink about this again and again. Is it fair?
Koh Tral Island, the sea and land area of over 10,000 square kilometres have been lost to Vietnam by the 1979 to 1985 treaties. The Cambodian army at front line as well as all Cambodian people must rethink again about these issues. Are Cambodian army fighting to protect the Cambodia Nation or protecting a very small group that own big lands, big properties or only protecting a small group but disguising as protecting the Khmer nation?
The Cambodian army at front lines suffer under rain, wind, bullets, bombs, lack of foods, lack of nutrition and their families have no health care assistance, no securities after they died but a very small group eat well, sleep well, sleep in first class hotel with air conditioning system with message from young girls, have first class medical care from oversea medical treatments, they are billionaires, millionaires who sell out the country to be rich and make the Cambodian people suffer everyday.
Who signed the treaty 1979-1985 that resulted in the loss over 10,000 km2 of Cambodia??? Why they are not being transparent and brave enough to inform all Cambodians and Cambodian army at front line about these issues? Why don't they include Koh Tral (Koh Tral size is bigger than the whole Phom Phen and bigger than Singapore [Note: Singapore's present land size is 704 km2 (271.8 sq mi)]) with heap of great natural resources, in the Cambodian education system?
Look at Hun Sen's families, relatives and friends- they are billionaires, millionaires. Where did they get the money from when we all just got out of war with empty hands [in 1979]? Hun Sen always say in his speeches that Cambodia had just risen up from the ashes of war, just got up from Year Zero with empty hands and how come they are billionaires, millionaires but 90% of innocent Cambodian people are so poor and struggling with their livelihood every day?
Smart Khmer girl Ms. Rattana Keo,
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