Gong Xi Fa Chai
… or Happy Chinese New Year!!! First the new year I am used to 31st of December. And now, 26th of January it’s time to celebrate the new year again. No one over here can tell me what day the celebration actually starts, because it’s longer then only one day but it seems to be 3 days. As any other celebration in this part of the world it wouldn’t be a celebration without the beer! ABC, this time, dark disgusting beer if you ask me :) Had dinner with the owner of a pharmacy and his family. He told me it was his time to win this time, this time I had to get very drunk, he didn’t manage. :)
The neighbours where burning plastic money, I guess it comes from sacrificing the money to their ancestors or some other spirits.
The word Chai mean wealth in Chinese and from what I’ve been told you wish that person you say it to to get wealthy.
A happy new year sms I got ended with: “Money Money come to you forever”. And people say that our Christmas is all about the money…. ;)
On Monday I was excpecting two guests but got four. After a 2 hour delayed flight for Martin and Sofia they arrived to the Phnom Penh airport, but I didnt hear anything from them so I started to think that Khim which I’d sent to pick them up at the airport missed them. But after some phone calls back to Khim to hear the status someone takes the phone and ask me in Swedish, who I am and if I know Martin. It was Fredrik and his girlfriend, I had no idea they where coming too. So an hour later they arrive to my appartment. We arranged a room for Fredrik and Jeanette at Okay Guesthouse and then we went for Libanese cuosine at Le Cedré. After that Martin and Sofia went back to sleep while me and the others went for a drink at Elsewhere.
Martin and Fredrik @ Aria D’Italia
On Thuesday I was supose to take them around town. Took them to Russain Market, Central Market and the Royal Palace, but they were not really interested. So at about 13.00 we went to the balcona of FCC for two jugs of beer and food. And then home for rum and coke they brought for me as a gift for letting them stay with me. Five persons can drink a litre quick, so we went to U-Shop only one block away for one more litre. Dinner at Aria D’Italia and finished the night at around 23.30 at Rubies since their bus left at 7 the morning after.
Wednesday (my birthday), was a quiet day in the office, which ended dinner at the same libanesé resturant I brought my guests two days before. Then we went for Samboka at Gasolina which is located very close to Le Cedré but I have never been there before, before we went home to sleep Khim brought us to Rubies for Samboka and a beer. It’s been a rough week but a very good week, the best week in a very long time.
Still alive
Since I have no new pictures since last post I give you a 10 days old photo from a birthday party for a girl that works as a hairdresser, where I usually go to wash my hair because Im to lazy to wash it myself. As any other Khmere party, everyone wants a picture with the barang (or the french guy, all foreigners are french if you listen to the Khmers). A party with Khmer food, alot of beer, and a not so good birtday cake, but fun as always.
It looks like Martin will show up here in Cambodia on monday next week for a couple of days.
I’m back!
I was on a posting spree during my Singapore trip, and then what…
Last week the Cambodian people celebrated the annual water festival. Late October or early November, at the end of the raining season, start of fishing season every year the Tonle Sap reverses direction. A three day long celebration with boat races concerts and people everywhere! Last year I visited Sweden at this time of year, I heard about it, but I could not imagine this many people at the same time and place as this.
Royal Palace at the time of the Water Festival
After that I spend a couple of days in bed with a fever. Not dengue this time, just plain simple fever. Already back on my feet and back in the office. Hey! 5 o’clock, or beer o’clock as we say on Fridays.
Seems like the prices on everything is dropping again. When I first arrived in Cambodia the price on petrol was about 3600 riel per liter, only three months ago the price was up to 5800 riel for a litre. And today, only 3500 riel per litre. Hopefully the taxi prices will decrease as well, last time I checked the taxi price from Phnom Penh to Sihanoukville had increased 100% since when I first got here.
More pics from Singapore
Martin and Me
Palm at Sentosa Island
Singapore MRT Platform Kovan
Brand new Billabong shorts, can’t wait to go to the beach!
Last Minute Shopping…
I only had about four hours until I had to leave for the airport. Since I didn’t buy anything for myself here in Singapore yet, it was time! Met Martin on Orchard Road, a boulevard full of shopping malls. Gucci, Louis Vitton, Prada, Louis Vitton, Prada, Gucci, Prada, Prada, Gucci… But after a while we actually find some decent stores and I bought myself two T-Shirts in a store called “Flesh Imp” which seem to be a local thing selling only their own label. Had lunch at Burger King, I need this fast food every time I can get it, you never know when you will get it next time! Really wanted that pair of Billabong Board Shorts I saw earlier, so Martin and I headed to the MRT to go to the Billabong store in Raffles City to buy them. After that we had a awesome donut at J.Co Donut in that mall. Then it was time to say goodbye to Martin and Singapore. Headed back to the hostel with the MRT to get my bag, and then catch a taxi to the airport. Singapore was a blast, very different from Cambodia, makes you appreciate it more, even though it not perfect.
Back in Phnom Penh it took about 4 hours to get home from the airport, the rain started only 10 minutes after I sat down in the car, and it flooded the streets, no one could pass the 50 cm water. I don’t know where I’m going next, maybe Vietnam or Laos. I’ll keep you updated, only one more day of work this week. Maybe the pool on Saturday!
Oh, by the way! I got an A (or 5 as we say in Sweden) on my Telecommunication exam!
Singapore Sling
Today is the day that i went for in the first place. iPhone Tech Talk Tour, Singapore 4Th November at Singapore Management University. Martin showed me yesterday the location of SMU so it was really easy to find in the morning. At 8.35, 5 minutes after they opened the registration it was already crowded. The seminar was a good starting point for iPhone development, and now I just need to get me and iPhone and a new Mac Book Pro and then I’m good to go. Mixed quality on the sessions, but overall it was quiet good. And I had a good day networking with many interesting people. And of course I got my Apple swag, a baby blue Tech Talk T-Shirt he he.
Apple Swag
After the event I met Martin in Raffles City Shopping Mall, looked around in every store, didn’t spend a dime. Wanted to, but it is quiet expensive. Might go back tomorrow before I go back to Phnom Penh for some very nice Billabong Board Shorts.
Apparently, something you have to do while you are in Singapore is to go to Raffles Hotel and drink a Singapore Sling. The reason to choose this expensive hotel is that you get peanuts that you peal yourself and then throw everything you don’t eat on the floor. Coolest experience in Singapore so far! :)
Singapore Sling and Peanuts at Raffles Hotel
After the $22 Singapore Sling we went to some English Pub down by the river for a beer, and then back to the hostel.
Had one more beer this evening down by the river. Time to go to sleep, shopping and a flight back to Phnom Penh awaits me tomorrow.
So fresh, So clean!
Singapore is probably the most expensive country in South East Asia, and definitely the cleanest. It seems like there are laws for everything. You are not allowed to spit on the street, chew chewing gum, bring duriand in the MRT etc. But I really like the country. A great mix of people, mostly from China, Malaysia and India. Singapore brags with their slogan, “Uniquely Singapore”, but when Martin told me about it, they don’t have much that is unique, since almost everything comes from these three cultures and religions. But at least things are working like the should, and you don’t have to bribe the cop just to ride a bike.
Wednesday me and the two English guys I met at the hostel went to Sentosa Island. A paradise, or at least that is what they want you to think. A handmade island just south of the main island full of construction work. We took the cable car out there and walked the dirty beaches, and visited the “Southernmost Point of Asia Continent”, but seriously, Sentosa Island is nothing I would recommend to anyone. Its not even a beautiful view, its just full of cargo ships and very dirty water. Took the mono rail back to the Harbour and then the MRT back to Kovan, the district where my Hostel is located.
View from the Cable Car on our way to Sentosa Island
Cargo Ships, not far from the beach at Sentosa Island
Met Martin at around 18:45, got a guided tour around the river followed by dinner at Hooters, bizarre place! A beer in the Sky Tower. And then a beer from 7-eleven down by the river. AN early night, Apple iPhone Tech Talk tomorrow morning!
The River Front
Me in the Sky Bar
Welcome to Singapore!
Back in South East Asia after two months home in Sweden for Uni. Currently in Singapore for a couple of days to attend an Apple iPhone developer seminar on Tuesday the 4Th of November. Decided to take some extra days of to see what Singapore is all about.
I landed at Changi Airport at around 13.05 on Sunday afternoon, had some trouble to understand the lady on how to get to my hostel with the MRT (Mass Rapid Transit) so I decided to take a taxi. S$13 later I was at One Florence Close which is the name on the hostel, and the address.
Just when I was about to leave my room it started to rain. So my trip to Little India had to wait for a while. Anyway, just as I got off at the Little India MRT station the rain was pouring down, so I decided to quickly head to Sim Lim Square for some electronics/gadget shopping. You could get pretty much anything in there, branded/unbranded, genuine/pirate. Everything was cheaper then back home, but still not very cheap. Good fun though, can’t find anything like this back in Cambodia.
The rest of the day I spend just walk around the city. Ended up in a market called Bugis Street and a shopping mall called Bugis Junction. It seems like the people of Singapore love there shopping.
The night ended early just talking to two newcomers to the hostel, Jeff and James from England. Tomorrow I’m going with them to Sentosa Island, and then meeting Martin later for some shopping and dinner I think.
