Kampuchea Crossings

Bump to baby on the beaten expat track

Travels

A Chinese-Khmer tradition slowly fading

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Neak Ta Chen
I’ve been in Cambodia for over seven years now and have never heard of this annual tradition that takes place around the full moon, signaling the end of Chinese New Year. The Chinese I know who live in Phnom Penh don’t have a clue of it, and Khmers don’t want to claim it as their tradition. The most prominent community still practicing it around Phnom Penh is in Takmao (the biggest celebrations). Festival activities include a wide range of spirit mediums, channeling the gamut of intentions towards their human communities. These mediums will draw blood and use it to facilitate a prediction, guide decisions and confer protections.

Given I have little interest in seeing it, I have very scant knowledge of the event. So here’s a Cambodia Daily piece on it: Spirits, Possessions Mark End to Chinese New Year, by Dene-Hern Chen and Chin Chan, February 27, 2013

Scene in Sihanoukville

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I was browsing through Keith’s photos of Sihanoukville (the above are cropped by me). I’m not much of a beachgoer, and dislike the in-your-face sexpat scene on the most touristed beaches on this coast (thanks to tightened regional visa restrictions). But if you avoid Serendipity and move farther east along Ochheuteal Beach there are less sexpats and more local crowds, so it can be a nice day trip from Phnom Penh for the family. Most of the other beaches have been / are being privatized, with fees to enter those areas. They’re nice and quiet if you really want to get away from people.

Khmum Ang (Bee larvae cake)

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This is a bee larvae cake, a dish from the ever-popular Sovanna restaurant (No 2C St 21, just south of Sihanouk Blvd). It’s steamed with spices in banana leaves, and picked at like a snack. We had a friend visiting Cambodia who wanted to sample Khmer cuisine, and what better way to do that than to get a big group together so you can toss something like this into the meal mix? ;-) It has a gummy sort of texture, and the larvae pop like a pocket when you bite down on them. It’s got a nutty taste, a little sweet, with a hint of honey. No one disliked it, though it won’t be something we will normally order. Photo from Keith Kelly.

Cambodia Opens China-Funded Hydro-Electric Dam

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I’m remembering the floods in 2009 when the cause was hush-hush (it wasn’t the rains)… The dam in Kampot begins operations today. From the comment stream, on Chinese-style development:

seems everything China does is bad and should be criticised by the west.lol it is same in my home country(Cameroon), however most of us Africans know this is just geopolitics and the fact that china threatens the west hegemony and power. Anyway I op the U.S will see reason and accommodate the rise of China, since there is nothing much they can do about this( as the bible says: Kingdom rise, kingdom fall) no matter what u do, u cant change this fact. the earlier the U, S understand this the better. I like and respect the U.S its one of my best countries(values culture and musics etc), but in less than 15years China have built and improve my home country unlike the west(mostly France:former coloniser”) hasn’t done in centuries, and for that I have a profound respect and love for the Chinese. since they treat Africans with dignity and equally, not like the whites who think they are superior. enough said, just hope we don’t witness a second cold war.

via VOA

Surviving a long haul flight with a 10 month old

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Last month the most direct route from our house in Phnom Penh to my parents’ doorstep in NYC took 29 hours. We took two flights: Phnom Penh – Hong Kong for three hours, then Hong Kong – JFK for around 16 hours. It’s a long time on the road with an infant. Our baby practically lives in a suitcase, and has been on numerous flights since he was born – always as a lap child (at $1520 a seat on this flight, I think we’re going to take him as a lap child as long as we can!), so he’s used to flying and is generally manageable on flights. Nevertheless, I’m always anxious before the trip and packing “his” carry-on is de-stressing me.

We’re preparing for our trip back this weekend — yes, after I’d finally adjusted to the time zone and the cold weather. And grr we lose a day going back to Asia. But after several weeks of on-and-off colds and coughs, we’re ready for some tropical weather! With the rainy season over (though the floods in SE Asia sadly are not..), it’s the start of the cool season there.

So for keeping the baby constantly entertained on the plane? We’d irritate fellow passengers after Old McDonald belts out his farm song for the 20th time so no loud toys. Nor bright blinking toys, since they dim the cabin and passengers sleep to adjust to the time change. We’re packing a couple of his favorite snacks and activities. Here are a few ideas, but these are too things many to lug around. It’ll be just as chaotic keeping track of them as it is to keep the baby entertained or asleep.

  • Snacks – cheerios, grapes, a bottle or sippy cup to put juice in
  • Lollipops – candy to suck on in case he doesn’t want to nurse during takeoff or landing
  • Markerboard with a washable marker and magnetic alphabets
  • Balloons – great for the layover for him to chase around the lounge and tire himself
  • Bubbles – for the layover
  • Bottle caps eg from Snapple, Starbucks etc – lots of them and put them in a container to double for a rattle
  • Stacking cups – I just collect the unused cups and bowls during mealtimes since the airline sets stack well
  • Colorful pipe cleaners
  • Long strings knotted together
  • Hand/finger puppets
  • Baby books
  • Ergo carrier for walking him up and down the aisle if needed
  • Ipad loaded with music and baby touch and hear apps – A flight is the only time that watching a screen enters the repertoire of entertaining diversions, and I’ve found apps for babies which are well done (educational) and simple, for very little ($0.99) or free.

Not to mention other necessities like an extra change of clothes (for both of us and the baby), enough diapers and wipes, and low expectations: Six months ago as a four month old, he did well on the same cross-Pacific trips because he nursed and slept a lot back then. But on this trip here he’s a mobile and easily engaged tot with an intense curiosity. I went into the Phnom Penh – NYC trip with some trepidation, and I found I had a significantly more difficult time than when I’d previously embarked on flights with an open mind and low expectations. Good thing hubby has a more laid-back and calm personality so the baby didn’t have just my frazzled self to soothe him.

Here’s hoping for smooth flights and a soundly asleep baby for most of the trip..