Wow. Despicable characters trapped in contrived lives freefalling to hell. No plot. Hackneyed social commentaries. And yet, I loved it!! Don’t read it for a good story. If you want technical brilliance and stylistic writing– cartwheeling between streams of consciousness, juggling fury with humor, in pretentious yet witty ramblings– you’ll enjoy this work.
a list for 2009
Sitting Shiva… auhmmmm…
… and still time also sits, oblivious to the passage of my benchmark years, the march of progress, the arc of the cosmos.
So in great anticipation of bright months ahead, here is my short-list for the very cheery year of 2009:
1. Learn something new
2. Drink more good wine
3. Run faster
4. Put personal finance in order and invest more
5. Take my career to the next level
6. Get more active with the social life
7. Keep in better touch with people who are important to me
8. Read 26 books this year
9. Discover and own more good music
10. Be able to identify the plants, animals and birds that are in my area
11. Begin concrete plans towards the next country
12. Have toned arms
Disclaimer: as with any pursuit providing opportunity for snobbery, said goals are subject to amendment upon further (sober) reflection or fitful caprice.
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Where apsaras dance….
Khmer weddings enact Cambodia’s greatest legend. The first Khmer prince, Preah Thong, fell in love with the Naga Princess, Neang Neak. As a marriage gift, the father of the Naga Princess swallowed part of the ocean and forms the land of Cambodia. 
The wedding can last anywhere from 3-7 days and is a sensory experience– vibrant colors and sounds, the best foods, community involvement– rich with symbolism and traditions:
Hai Goan Gomloh – The groom’s processional, to the bride’s house, accompanied by family and friends, music and gifts
Sien Doan Taa – Call to Ancestors, to include those important to the lives of the couple in their joyous union
Soat Mun – Blessings from the Monks
Gaat Sah – Cleansing Ceremony, where representatives of the deities cleanse the couple spiritually and symbolically to prepare and bless them for their new future together
Bang Chhat Madaiy – Honoring of the Parents, in which the couple perform symbolic gestures indicating their commitment to their parents
Bongvul Pbopul – Passing of Blessings, in which married couples are asked to surround the bride and groom to impart their blessings
Sompeas Ptem – Knot Tying Ceremony, in which guests tie knots around the wrists of the bride and groom, symbolising their wishes for the bride and groom
A more complete description of Khmer weddings can be found at the Khmer Institute.
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Jiminy crickets and arachnid cuisine
These crunchy crickets the Khmers are so wild about are about 2.5inches long, the females huge with eggs at the end of rainy season. Crickets owe their place in the culinary landscape to the art of survival during the starvation period of the Khmer Rouge era.
Today this delicacy has surged in popularity, creating a robust trade with neighboring countries, the heart of which is in Kampong Thom, a requisite stop between Phnom Penh and Siem Reap where they particularly thrive. At night fields light up with the bug-catching contraptions: a flourescent bulb to attract them is hung about 2m off the ground on a bamboo frame 2m wide, with sheets of plastic to catch them mid-flight, and a trough of water below for them to drop into and drown. A farmer investing in such a trap can net up to 10kg of the bugs.
A colleague particularly enjoys it stuffed with a peanut or cashew, fried in garlic and spices. Another wants me to bring fresh ones back from the province when I next go, so she can try stuffing it with cheese. These were 50/$3.50 but that’s quite steep since we were on the tourist track. Trying to describe it is a bit hard, since it isn’t like anything I’ve had before– crispy-crunchy texture (like a tarantula), nutty, earthy… It’s not an unpleasant taste, if you can get past the revulsion…
And remember this post? Today tarantulas are 1000riel each (25cents). Believed to contain medicinal properties for the heart and lungs, they’re farmed in a small town called Skun, which is also in Kampong Thom province. The crispy legs aren’t so objectionable, it’s almost like a potato chip. It’s the rump that brings on the cringe– this has a meatier texture than the cricket’s torso, and has a nutty taste seasoned with garlic and lemongrass.
A gastronomic adventure awaits the uncompromising palate! 
mmmmm….Bon appetit y’all!! (Don’t worry, your chowhounds’ holiday fare wasn’t so aesthetically or gastronomically objectionable! ;)
Xmas tunes: Trans-Siberian Orchestra with Hellsing!
the group’s an all-star heavy metal cast. who’d’ve thunk punk metal rockers with their v guitars goes with classical music goes with dracula anime?? music’s such a unifier…
fun eh?… i see the cringing… :-)
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Facebook Terminates Relationship, Couple Stumped
“I just wanted to toggle a few things,” marveled NA, a relatively new user of the public relations megatool. Her husband KK, suddenly single, is being treated for Facebook hysteria. “It’s gone viral!”
Over the weekend, by simply changing details in their profiles, Facebook remastered the events and issued a statement that the couple ended their relationship, thereby driving traffic through the roof. “I was deleting info that doesn’t necessarily need to be public and it somehow got twisted and broadcast,” says K, as the couple found themselves in a quandary with Facebook for attempting to withhold personal information. “I mean, our friends and family know we’re married. Why bother posting it?”
“What’s happening– who am I married to now?” demanded a baffled N, while K asked more plaintively, “Would I have to move again?”
But Facebook responded that that information is released only on a need-to-know basis. It did, however, retract its request for the couple’s dental records.
“I just worry with them being so far away in a country with crocodiles and– and– mosquitos!” commented one of the parental units, wringing her hands. “If it says so on Facebook it must be true!”
The dramatic affair left an unnamed relative, whose son’s sister-in-law’s nephew’s dog walker has a facebook account and apprised her of the doomed couple, with a case of “the vapors”.
The couple plans to issue a joint smiley-face statement to reassure friends and family… right after N figures out what the poke feature is for.
We love you guys, thanks for calling/emailing to ask if we’re ok! We are! :-)
….and thanks to JW , who masterfully exploited the comic potential and principal-authored the article above for the FarEastern Onion Syndicate! ;-)
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