A Photo a Day

APAD 204: Bachelor houses

Posted by The Insider on Dec 17, 2013 in A Photo a Day, Addicted to Meme, All things Khmer, Cambodia life, Cycle 2, That's My World, What's On in Cambodia, work | 1 comment

Continuing with my Ratanakiri story…

Ratanakiri, located in the far northeast of Cambodia, is home to several indigenous tribes most of which still reside in the jungles and practice their traditions pretty much the same way as they have in the past.

The Kroeungs, one of the indigenous hill tribes in Ratanakiri, and has one of the most interesting, unique traditions. It is customary for teenage boys and girls when they are 16-18 years to build so-called “bachelor/bachelorette” houses, such as the ones you see below.

Examples of the unique bachelor/bachelorette houses for teenagers of the Kroeung tribe in Ratanakiri.

To know more about this tradition, please click this link.

APAD 203: Sunset in Ratanakiri

Posted by The Insider on Dec 16, 2013 in A Photo a Day, Addicted to Meme, All things Khmer, Cambodia life, Cycle 2, That's My World, What's On in Cambodia, work | 2 comments

After so many weeks, I’m back to blogging. Sorry folks, I was away.
In fact, I was in Ratanakiri province for Operation Smile Cambodia’s surgical mission there.

Ratanakiri has changed since the last time I was here (2002) but it has retained its rural charm. It’s the “winter” season there; the weather so much cooler than in Phnom Penh. At night, temperature dipped at about 15C. At one point, the parents of our patients built a bonfire in the hospital yard to keep them all warm.

Anyways, I want to share this beautiful sunset in Ratanakiri. The sun was slowly falling down the horizon, slowly hiding behind the hills of Ratanakiri. It was a lovely sight.

The day is done… gone the sun…

APAD 202: Sky-lab-on-wheels

Posted by The Insider on Nov 13, 2013 in A Photo a Day, Addicted to Meme, All things Khmer, Cambodia life, Cycle 2, sights, That's My World, transportation, What's On in Cambodia | 3 comments

Make way, people.
It’s coming your way!

How many styro boxes can one moto carry around?

APAD 201: Fast and furious

Posted by The Insider on Nov 7, 2013 in A Photo a Day, Addicted to Meme, All things Khmer, Cambodia life, Cycle 2, Expat Life, Signs of Times, That's My World, What's On in Cambodia | 2 comments

Taken long time ago during the premier showing of this movie.

APAD 201: Asian condiments

Posted by The Insider on Nov 6, 2013 in A Photo a Day, Addicted to Meme, All things Khmer, Cambodia life, Cycle 2, food, That's My World, What's On in Cambodia | 3 comments

Some of the condiments for making bok lahong, or spicy green papaya salad.

APAD 200: Inked

Posted by The Insider on Nov 5, 2013 in A Photo a Day, Addicted to Meme, All things Khmer, Cambodia life, Cycle 2, sights, That's My World, What's On in Cambodia, work | 4 comments

Two months ago, while on a medical mission in Poipet in northwest of Cambodia, I met a monk in his early 20s. It was Operation Smile Cambodia’s surgical mission there and he was one of the many who patiently queued and waited for their turn to be screened by our international team of doctors.

I was surprised to see him with several tattoos which he consciously tried to hide and scars from previous piercings on his body. He told our volunteer doctor that, in his past life – meaning before he entered the monastery, he used to be a punk and had these “decorations” on his body. But he got tired of that kind of life and sought forgiveness and renewal. He laid down his secular clothes and exchanged them for saffron-coloured robes, as he decided to enter a monk’s life to pay for his past misdeeds, start anew and earn merits.

Inked.

He is quite a character but nice enough to talk freely about his past. All this he told us as he was being screened. At the end of the day, he received a free injection for his keloid scars.