Cremated King and Kenyon in Cambodia

As January came to a close, I found myself in Siem Reap with my friend and fellow volunteer, Neysa, attending an agronomy training conducted by USAID. After four days on everything from soil preparation to irrigation techniques we were rewarded with a four-day weekend. The occasion: the King Father's cremation.

Three months after the King Father passed away and his body was on display outside the Royal Palace in Phnom Penh, he was cremated yesterday in front of millions. Here is a link to BBC's coverage: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-21318842. I watched the events (the processional of the body started on Friday the 1st) on the TV from Siem Reap because PCVs were not allowed to travel to the capital (i.e. safety reasons). Although Siem Reap was not quite Phnom Penh, there was a processional, plenty of flags at half-mast, and billboards to commemorate the King Father.

 

While millions State-side poured over their TV's wondering if the 49ers would pull off a post-power outage comeback, millions in Cambodia were saying a final good-bye to their beloved leader. My friends, Neysa and Trophie, and I might have been able to catch the game from our guesthouse room at 7am Monday morning...

Oh Neysa.

So February started with quite a lot of excitement, but to add to it all I also spent the weekend at the 2nd Angkor Wat International Film Festival (http://www.angkorwatfilmfestival.com/index.html) and reminiscing about college and catching up with Leigha and Madli (my Kenyon classmates) who were traveling from southern China where they are spending the year teaching English. Here we are at the entrance of one of the many night markets in Siem Reap on Sunday.

Leigha, Madli, and me!

And now I am back at site where I am cursing the Punxsutawney Phil for not seeing his shadow. I was really hoping for 6 more weeks of "cold" season (70s), but alas as my host mom said over dinner, "the heat has begun." And when the locals are saying it is hot, you better believe that it is boiling, and I am melting. My sweat glands are getting a serious workout.