Posts Tagged "Communal Global"

APAD 193: Cash cow

Posted by on Oct 15, 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 | 5 comments

Amidst the sea of Lexuses, Toyotas, Range Rovers and the hundreds – if not thousands – of motorbikes and tuktuks in the streets of Phnom Penh, one can still find ox-carts or cow-drawn carts like this slowly making its way into the city.

apad 193 cow-drawn cart

These carts come in from the provinces plying their homemade clay pots, bowls and other cooking utensils.

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APAD 188: Fishing

Posted by on Oct 8, 2013 in A Photo a Day, Addicted to Meme, Cambodia life, Cycle 2, sights, That's My World, travel, What's On in Cambodia | 4 comments

Some years ago, I surprised my husband with a half-day ATV-adventure ride. It was one of the best experiences we both had together. In one of our rest-stops, we saw this man trying his luck at fishing in this small river, one of the many tributaries of the Mekong River.

Fishing Mekong River

Fishing solo in the murky river. I wonder how much fish he caught that day.

To those who are not in the know, the Mekong River is one of the most dynamic rivers in the world and home to multitudes of freshwater species and other aquatic resources. Sadly, recent developments along the Mekong river countries that include Thailand, Laos, Burma, Cambodia, Vietnam, and most especially China, have resulted to profound, negative effects on this mighty river. Local fishermen talk about dwindling catch, and fish caught are smaller in sizes compared to the last decade or so. It is troubling indeed. I hope the government and other organisations will work towards protecting the Mekong river – focusing on the issues of deforestation, construction of dams, as well as over-fishing. I would also like to include provision of alternative sources of livelihood for the locals.


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APAD 185: Food

Posted by on Oct 1, 2013 in A Photo a Day, Addicted to Meme, All things Khmer, Cambodia life, Expat Life, food, That's My World, What's On in Cambodia, work | 0 comments

While on our way to returning to Phnom Penh after a successful surgical mission in Poipet, we stopped in Battambang province for a quick lunch.

Lunch in Battambang

Lunch in Battambang

There was pouring rain when we arrived in town; it was wet and cold. But all the weariness and coldness quickly dissipated after a hearty meal.


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APAD 182: Lok Ta Dambang Kranhoung

Posted by on Sep 24, 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 | 0 comments

Howdy, my friends.

Please excuse my absence. I just got back from a successful surgical mission in Poipet, a border town northwest of Cambodia. Operation Smile Cambodia and its team of local and international volunteers traveled to Poipet for eight days to provide free surgeries to children and adults alike born with clefts and other deformities.

Poipet is an 8-hour bus drive from Phnom Penh, passing through provinces such as Kampong Chhnang, Pursat, and Battambang. The statue below is known as Lok Ta Dambang Kranhoung.

Lok Ta Dambang Stick King

The statue of Lok Ta Dambang Kranhoung sits in the roundabout of Battambang along National Road 5.

Lok Ta” means grandfather, “Dambang” means stick, and “KraNgoung” refers to a kind of black wood which is very precious and strong.


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APAD 180: Monks walk

Posted by on Sep 3, 2013 in A Photo a Day, Addicted to Meme, All things Khmer, Cambodia life, Cycle 2, Expat Life, sights, That's My World, What's On in Cambodia | 2 comments

The sight of monks with shaved head (and eyebrows) clad in orange robes, and holding bright yellow umbrellas, never fail to catch my attention. These two I saw this morning are no exceptions. Every morning each day, Buddhist monks quietly go out of wats (pagodas, or temples), most of the times on bare feet, to their community to solicit or collect alms.

apad monks early morning walk

And how fast they walk, too!

These alms come in the form of food or other offerings. For the monks, this is the only food they will have for that day. They’re not allowed to have food till the next day again. For the devout Buddhists, it is one of the ways they can earn good merits, or karma, in other words.


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