Celebrating Pchum Ben
Pchum Ben Festival is similar to Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead). Like the Mexican holiday, Pchum Ben is a time for Khmer families to remember their ancestors, provide offerings, and have parties with their friends and families. The festival happens on the last day of Pchum Ben, a 15-day celebration. You can read more about it in this article from Phare: https://pharecircus.org/how-to-celebrate-pchum-ben/
I was fortunate enough to spend Pchum Ben Festival with my bong (older sister) Vanna. She’s a graduate of the CVF scholarship program who currently manages the dorm. I was so honored when she asked me to be a part of her family’s Pchum Ben celebration. Wearing a white shirt and a long skirt as instructed, I arrived at her house at 9 a.m. Her family gathered the food offerings and got into my car. Soon, we arrived at the Kaun Khlong pagoda. It was bustling with people, and I even ran into some of my dorm sisters and CVF colleagues.
Vanna showed me how to participate in the celebration. First, I came with her family to give food offerings to the monks. Then, Vanna gave me some lit incense. She told me to kneel, put the incense next to me, and bow to the statue of Buddha three times, bringing my head to the ground. Next, she led me outside, where I placed the burning incense in a large pot.
After this, Vanna led me to a table with around 20 money baskets, each in front of a bowl of rice. Some people put scoops of rice into each bowl, while others put 100, 500, or 1000 riel notes into each basket. I was a bit nervous, since I hadn’t realized I might need small bills to offer at the festival. However, just as I started to worry, Vanna gave me some money that I could offer. One by one, I placed a note into the baskets until I was out of money.
We then left the pagoda to go back to Vanna’s house for a “small party.” I ate some lunch and then laid down for a nap before the party began. Soon, family members began arriving. We sat in a circle, drinking beer and singing karaoke for hours. I sang American jazz songs (my bread and butter) while they sang Khmer songs from the mid 1900s. After a while, I danced “Saravan,” a traditional Khner dance, with a sweet ming (auntie). Then, Vanna and I attempted to sing “Oun Chnam Dop-Pram Muy” [I’m 16], a Khmer rock song from 1967. Though I only knew about 25% of the lyrics, we had fun fumbling our way through the piece. It was such a wonderful cultural exchange, and I felt such joy to be included in such an active way in the family gathering.
Trip to Koh Rong Samloem
Chloe and I had become quite close over the month of September. We decided to take a trip to Koh Rong Samloem, one of Cambodia’s Islands off the coast of Sihanoukville. We packed up my tiny Kia Morning and set off on the 7 hour drive. We had some car troubles along the way but were fortunate enough to find a mechanic who was able to get us moving again. We arrived in Sihanoukville just in time for our speed boat to the island. With the wind in our hair, our worries melted away, and we could focus on relaxing.
We spent the first few nights at a hostel on Saracen bay. It was so picturesque. We hiked across the island to beaches on the other side to swim all day and watch the sunset.
Then, we took a boat to M-Pai Bay, where we spent our last couple days. We stayed in a wooden bungalow, with a hammock on the front porch. Chloe and I rented snorkels and paddle boards, then made our way to a nearby island. The winds started picking up, so we paddled back to M-Pai Bay, fighting the current the whole way. Though it was a bit nerve-wracking, I felt so strong and capable as I approached the shore.
Later that day, we made friends with a woman named Brooke. We decided to hike to a waterfall cascade together. After a short trek through the jungle, we found the waterfall. With the whole place to ourselves, we swam in the cool water, relaxed in a hammock, and took countless pictures of each other.
Chloe and I were so grateful to escape the city and reconnect with nature. It was a restful and successful trip.
CVF English Program Trip to Banan Temple
In order to build community and have fun together, the CVF English Language Teachers decided to take a day trip to Wat Banan. This 11th century temple is excellently preserved and has over 300 steep stairs leading up to the top. In the morning, we all piled into Srey Noch’s car and drove to the beautiful temple. We parked in the shade and unpacked the car. We set up big, bamboo mats and a portable stove top for our picnic. The teachers had prepared veggies and marinated beef for us to cook. We set up a special pan with a raised section for beef and a lower section for stewed veggies. After heating up the stove top, we melted some margarine, poured coconut water over the top, and listened to the sizzle. Piece by piece, we laid bits of meat on the pan and veggies in the hot coconut water. We purchased some peanuts and papaya salad to complete the meal. Over the course of an hour, we played Khmer music, ate the delicious barbecue, and chatted at the base of Banan.
Once we finished our meal, some of us walked to the restroom together. On our way back, I saw an adorable monkey. Blindsided by its cuteness, I stopped, stared, and went to grab my phone for a picture. Then, all of a sudden, I felt someone grabbing my hip. I thought it was one of my colleagues trying to keep me safe from the monkey. When I turned my head, I realized I was wrong. A larger monkey had jumped onto my side and was staring right at me. I screamed and it jumped away. I escaped the incident with just a small scratch, causing me to get a course of rabies vaccines just in case. While it was a bit scary, it was amazing to have such a close encounter with an animal. That said, I’d recommend walking along if you see a cute monkey!
After the he incident, we all climbed the steps to the top of Banan, taking frequent breaks to catch our breath. Vichet took countless photos and videos to preserve our memories. I think the trip fostered teamwork. As we completed the challenging hike together, we grew closer, building each other up along the way.
Phare Workshops for Kindergarten Teachers
I have been leading workshops with the Kindergarten teachers at Phare to introduce ways to teach art to preschool-aged children. So far, we have explored ways to use natural materials and large pieces of cardboard with markers for kindergarten art lessons. It’s been a joy to introduce these practices to Phare.
Water Festival in Sisophon
Bon Om Touk, the Cambodian Water Festival, happens each year in late October or early November, marking the end of the monsoon season. The celebration varies depending on the province. Phnom Penh and Siem Reap have large celebrations with boat races. Since I was just getting over an illness as the Water Festival started, I decided to skip the big city celebrations and celebrate with my friends in the city of Sisophon. Only an hour drive away from Battambang, this small city is surrounded by beautiful rice fields and mountainous quarries.
My friends and I went on a hike, with a gorgeous view of the sunset. Then, we went to the river to experience the Water Festival celebration. There were countless street food vendors and carnival games for us to enjoy. I even won a stuffed sloth, which I named “Slary”.
After these festivities, we bought a floating lantern. Each person wrote a word or phrase about a wish for the future. I wrote “happiness and always finding joy in the little things.” Then, we lit the fire underneath the lantern and watched it fly away amongst the fireworks. It was absolutely magical.
