2012 October | Inside Cambodia

APAD 026: Offerings for the King-Father

Posted by The Insider on Oct 24, 2012 in A Photo a Day, Addicted to Meme, All things Khmer, Cambodia, Cambodia life, Cycle 2, sights, That's My World, What's On in Cambodia | 0 comments

Flowers, candles, and prayers for the King-Father. Cambodians light candles and incense sticks and offer prayers and flowers outside of the Royal Palace.

Go to Wordless Wednesday for more entries.

APAD 025: Rest in peace, King-Father.

Posted by The Insider on Oct 23, 2012 in A Photo a Day, Addicted to Meme, All things Khmer, Cambodia, Cambodia life, Cycle 2, people, That's My World, What's On in Cambodia | 3 comments

It is a sad, sad time for the Cambodian people and for the country that I call home for more than a decade now.

The Royal Carriage carrying the body of His Majesty the King-Father Norodom Sihanouk during the funeral procession last week.

The King-Father’s body lies in state at the Royal Palace. A State Funeral is said to be held after three months.

Tens of thousands flock to the Royal Palace grounds every night and day to pay their respects to His Majesty. They light incense sticks and candles and offer their prayers for his journey to the next life. The sheer number alone will tell you how much the King-Father is loved and respected by the Cambodians, young and old alike.

Here is an article on the life and times of the King-Father Norodom Sihanouk. Please click the highlighted link.

Another one from The Cambodia Daily.

APAD 024: Dengue mozzie

Posted by The Insider on Oct 22, 2012 in A Photo a Day, Addicted to Meme, All things Khmer, Cambodia life, Cycle 2, What's On in Cambodia | 3 comments

I think I may have taken a photo of the deadly dengue mosquito, aka, Aedes aegypti. What do you think?

Something yellow is reflected on the can.

I believe it is so! The tell-tale sign is there – the prominent black and white strips on the legs and body! As it was glued to the yellow can of condensed milk, I had no trouble exterminating it with a piece of cloth. To prevent the spread of dengue this monsoon season, it is advised that everyone clean their homes, dispose of their garbage properly, make sure nothing in your house or yard holds water (keep everything dry). Use an effective disinfectant, if necessary. I also looked at available mosquito net (can’t go wrong with this) and spray repellents and I found a lot, some are safe for kids, too. There’s also this cool mosquito repellant that you wear outdoors. Cool bracelet, eh?

According to this online news, there are 34,483 reported dengue fever cases, 146 children killed in 9 months (Jan-Sept 2012); a scary 147% increase in the number of reported deaths compared to 59 last year in the same period. For the complete story, please click the link of my source. Please take all the necessary precautions to avoid getting ill with dengue.

APAD 023: Signs of mourning

Posted by The Insider on Oct 18, 2012 in A Photo a Day, Addicted to Meme, All things Khmer, Cycle 2, faces, Signs of Times, That's My World, What's On in Cambodia | 6 comments

The whole Kingdom of Cambodia woke up to a very, very sad news of the King-Father’s death last Monday.

True, we knew that the former King Norodom Sihanouk was ill eversince he stepped down as King in 2004 but news such as this always comes as a shock.

Yesterday, the King-Father’s body was flown back to Cambodia from Beijing, China where he had resided in the last years receiving medical treatment there.

Yesterday, the King-Father was flown back to Cambodia; he is finally home in his motherland, and with his people.

With this picture (which my brother took yesterday at the Royal Palace), I am going to pursue a different take on the “signs”meme this week.

The whole country is mourning. A sea of people lined up at Phnom Penh’s main thoroughfares to wait for the King-Father’s funeral procession.

Men, women, and children – young and old alike – gathered at the Royal Palace (and the city’s main streets) as early as 11am despite yesterday’s scorching heat. They wore white and black clothes with black ribbons and armbands, a conventional sign of mourning. It was difficult to estimate how many people were on the streets yesterday but it was clearly more than the expected 100,000.

I also observed that there are a lot of young Cambodian males who shaved their heads, such as the one in the picture. Young Buddhist males shaving their heads is a also sign of mourning and respect to the dead, usually an older family member.

I’m sure many of you, by now, have read articles about the King-Father’s colourful, controversial life. I like what my friend said the other day. The King-Father may be all kinds of things but he is larger than life. He really embodied Cambodia, its ups and downs, weaknesses and strengths.

Watching yesterday’s live coverage was very touching and emotional and it gave me goosebumps. No matter how cynical some foreigners may be to the Royal Family, I have seen with my own eyes how the Cambodian people truly, truly love the King-Father.