The Insider | Inside Cambodia

>Photo Hunt #24: Hair – The 70s

Posted by The Insider on Jun 7, 2008 in family, people, Photo Hunt, yesterday | 0 comments

I know he would skin me alive when he sees this, but I am posting this anyway. Phnom Penh is thousands of miles away from my hometown of Roxas City (in the Philippines) so I am safe and far from his wrath *lol*. That’s my uncle and his posse, their big hair and side-part are trademark of the 70s. . I am not saying it’s a bad hair as it was the big thing in the 70s… all I am saying is… watta hair!

>Wordless Wednesday #40: Watch out, ducks crossing!

Posted by The Insider on Jun 4, 2008 in Cambodia, Cambodia life, funny, Kep, rural, sights, travel, Wordless Wednesday | 0 comments

We were driving back to Kep from Kampot when we were stopped by this group of ducks. Oh look, they all have made it across, except for the last duck which we think was the bodyguard.

Go to Wordless Wednesday for more entries.

>Photo Hunt #23 – Myself

Posted by The Insider on Jun 1, 2008 in ancient temples, Cambodia, culture, Photo Hunt, sights, travel | 0 comments

Ta Prohm Temple
Siem Reap, Cambodia

My first visit to Angkor Wat was unforgettable. It was when going to the great land of Angkor Wat, and walking the same path as the ancient Khmers who lived thousands of years ago; seeing the crumbling ruins, some still hidden in the midst of the jungle – unleashed the Indiana Jones in me.

Above is a photo of me at Ta Prohm temple. It is an eerie sight – rubble all over the place with overgrown trees and tangles of tree roots that seem to grab at unsuspecting tourists (see pic) and give it an almost supernatural feel. I got so carried away most of the time, hopping from one pile of rubble to another, that I forgot I was with someone (my husband), and that I was just one of those millions of excited, camera-toting tourists who visit Siem Reap every year.

>Litratong Pinoy #5 – Hangin (Wind)

Posted by The Insider on May 29, 2008 in Around the World, Japan, Litratong Pinoy, sights, travel | 0 comments

Windchimes from Japan

Ito ay mga wind chimes na gawa sa Japan. Isa ito sa mga karaniwang palamuti hindi lang sa mga temples kundi pati na rin sa mga kabahayan doon. Bakit kaya mahilig sa wind chimes ang mga Hapon? Tinanong ko ang aking kaibigang si Kanako-san at sabi niya, ang mga chimes daw ay naghahatid ng good luck sa mga nakarinig sa kaaya-ayang tunog na nagmumula dito.

Ayon sa isang article sa internet, ang mga Hapon ay in tune sa sounds o tunog, at sila rin ay sinasabing may koneksyon sa hangin na nakapalibot sa kanila. Sinasabi pa sa article na ito na ang dalawang elementong ito ay pinagsasama ng wind chimes. Ang hangin o ang ihip ng hangin ang siyang nagbibigay ng tunog dito. Kaya naman tuwing sasapit ang summer o tag-init sa kanila, isang paraan na nakapagbibigay ng ginhawa sa kanilang pakiramdam ay ang pakikinig sa kaaya-ayang tunog ng wind chimes.

Translation:
These are wind chimes from Japan. I took this photo two years ago when I was in the Asakusa area of Tokyo. Everywhere I went, from the city to the rural town of Kiyosato, I noticed wind chimes in various shapes and sizes. Wind chimes are a common sight not only on the four walls of temples in Japan but also in Japanese homes. I asked my friend Kanako-san to explain to me their fascination on chimes. According to her, chimes bring good luck to anyone who hears the sound it makes and are protected from misfortune.

In an article from the internet, it was said that the Japanese are in tune with the sounds around them, and, they are also connected with the wind. The wind chimes bring these two traits together by taking the wind and creating sound with it. No wonder the Japanese finds it relaxing to hear the pleasant, soft sounds of a wind chime to beat the heat of summer.