Three words that you have to think of for the upcoming Khmer New Year are “Make a Move”! Be well prepared or you may taste a lonesome New Year. Beggars and even better-off persons are going to make a move, so why not you?
First of all plan a move. Phnom Penh may look like an abandoned city as most of the residents are leaving for their hometown. Most parts of the town are quiet. You should set up a plan and make sure you have somebody to stay with if you don’t want to be haunted in this hushed city.
Then make your move before New Year. If you need clothes or anything, you’d better go shopping at least two weeks or one month earlier as everything may be the double price. Save some money so you can afford to buy a rain coat to protect yourself from water-throwing on New Year’s day.
Beside, you can enjoy a lot of music from your neighbors to celebrate, sometimes even weeks before the big day. It may bother you but it can save electricity from having to turn on your music player. However, don’t enjoy it too much like the cicadas. Go find some foods to store like ants. Most markets will be closed for three days, and you have to be prepared if you don’t want to look skinny after New Year.
While a market is a daily kitchen for street-boys, they usually eat the foods that are left from people, so where else is their reserved kitchen if it is closed? Well, that is why they too have to make a move. Neither far from a market nor outside town, pagodas are their temporary kitchen. There is going to be plenty of food that people bring to pray for the monks. Lucky for those guys, even though they are not monks, they can share the monks’ food. For the moment those guys are around, you should move watch your shoes too. There always shoes stolen but no court to judge besides issuing these two words: “be careful.”
After these preparations, it should be time to move for your New Year fun. Although the town is quiet, there are also some places that can entertain you. Wat Phnom is one remarkable area where many people play popular games and dance. However, make sure you join a real popular game, not a popular gambling game, if you don’t want to spend your time in detention.
At sundown, many people join this celebration but among those huge crowds, there are bad people who take advantage of innocent people like you. Don’t be careless with your property. With only few police versus large groups of people you’d better bring only a little money, no phone nor nice shoes if you don’t want to go back home with an empty pocket and one shoe. A special alert for women is to bring a male-guard so you won’t experience a stranger’s dirty hand with baking powder on your face like me.
For those who go to the countryside, you should pay much attention to the road. In previous years, people have died when escaping from water-throwing and got into accidents, some with broken necks and unconsciousness. So, you had better stay calm and make a smart move if you still want to join the next New Year.
©Boramey
Make a move for Khmer New Year!
{ May 6, 2009 @ 9:51 am } · { Cambodia }
{ Tags: Commentary, Khmer New Year } · { Comments (1) }
Three words that you have to think of for the upcoming Khmer New Year are “Make a Move”! Be well prepared or you may taste a lonesome New Year. Beggars and even better-off persons are going to make a move, so why not you?
First of all plan a move. Phnom Penh may look like an abandoned city as most of the residents are leaving for their hometown. Most parts of the town are quiet. You should set up a plan and make sure you have somebody to stay with if you don’t want to be haunted in this hushed city.
Then make your move before New Year. If you need clothes or anything, you’d better go shopping at least two weeks or one month earlier as everything may be the double price. Save some money so you can afford to buy a rain coat to protect yourself from water-throwing on New Year’s day.
Beside, you can enjoy a lot of music from your neighbors to celebrate, sometimes even weeks before the big day. It may bother you but it can save electricity from having to turn on your music player. However, don’t enjoy it too much like the cicadas. Go find some foods to store like ants. Most markets will be closed for three days, and you have to be prepared if you don’t want to look skinny after New Year.
While a market is a daily kitchen for street-boys, they usually eat the foods that are left from people, so where else is their reserved kitchen if it is closed? Well, that is why they too have to make a move. Neither far from a market nor outside town, pagodas are their temporary kitchen. There is going to be plenty of food that people bring to pray for the monks. Lucky for those guys, even though they are not monks, they can share the monks’ food. For the moment those guys are around, you should move watch your shoes too. There always shoes stolen but no court to judge besides issuing these two words: “be careful.”
After these preparations, it should be time to move for your New Year fun. Although the town is quiet, there are also some places that can entertain you. Wat Phnom is one remarkable area where many people play popular games and dance. However, make sure you join a real popular game, not a popular gambling game, if you don’t want to spend your time in detention.
At sundown, many people join this celebration but among those huge crowds, there are bad people who take advantage of innocent people like you. Don’t be careless with your property. With only few police versus large groups of people you’d better bring only a little money, no phone nor nice shoes if you don’t want to go back home with an empty pocket and one shoe. A special alert for women is to bring a male-guard so you won’t experience a stranger’s dirty hand with baking powder on your face like me.
For those who go to the countryside, you should pay much attention to the road. In previous years, people have died when escaping from water-throwing and got into accidents, some with broken necks and unconsciousness. So, you had better stay calm and make a smart move if you still want to join the next New Year.
©Boramey