Meet friends in Phnom Penh on 7/2/2009 - video-clips

3 clips from the party at Raksmey's house.

The first two are the original version. The last one is a mix of clips and pictures.

Meet friends in Phnom Penh on 7/2/2009

Below are some pictures took during the party organized on 7/2/2009 at Raksmey's house. We had spent time together from 11 AM until 6 or 7 in the evening.

Thanks Hok, Raksmey, Vansak and wives for the organization. Thanks for all friends to come for the party. Thanks Vuthy, Ratanak and Mey to make a long trip from Poipet, Battambang and Svay Rieng to Phnom Penh.

I was happy to meet you all...

Above Pict: Ham Vicheth,Chhay Phally, Uth Maren, Vibol, Ouk Ratanak

Above Pict. Sitting: Sakun, Sovannara,
Standing: Kannaro, Bun Eng Piseth

Above Pict: Hok, Vuthy, Sokmach, Sovannara

Above Pict: Sothea (Sovannara), Sokmach, Vuthy, Maren, Kannaro

Above Pict: Maren, Samoeun, Vicheth, Phally, Vibol

Above Pict: Kru Ma Sameoun, Villy, Uth Siramaren, Ven Pov, Phally

All pictures of the party are available here: http://picasaweb.google.com/cheayden/PhnomPenh22009#

If you need high resolution pictures, please let me know.

Turtle eaters

Some pictures took during a dinner in a restaurant in Phnom Penh (Feb. 6 evening).
As you can see we had turtles for dinner. There is not much meat to eat but it is delicious.











More pictures: http://picasaweb.google.com/cheayden/PhnomPenhFeb62009#

Feb. 6 : meet Lieke

Hok woked us up by his call at about 7 in the morning. He came to pick us at the hotel some minutes later. Vansak left for work.

Hok, Sovannara and I went to take Raksmey at his work with us. Together we went for a breakfast in a clean restaurant (no dust, no beggars, no flies)

After breakfast (noodle soup followed by ice-coffee with milk), we went together to see Lieke. She is a big Belgian friend of Fr. Vincent I used to communicate since Fr. Vincent left. She lives and works for an NGO in Cambodia.


We were kindly received by Lieke at her nicely decorated home. I was very happy to meet her there. We talked about Fr. Vincent, about her, about her work in Cambodia, and about us.

Lieke knew how to make us feel confortable at her home. We just met her and we felt already like we have known her since a long time ago....

During the discussion, she whispered at me that she wanted to invite us for lunch. We accpted the invitation with a great pleasure. She brought us to a humanitarian buffet-restaurant called HAGAR where abused Cambodian women work.

More info about Hagar: http://www.hagarproject.org

#23, St. 288
Sangkat Boeung Keng Kang I
Khan Chamkamon
Phnom Penh




It is great to discover this kind of restaurants where we can have excellent food with plenty of choices and at the same time we know that the benefits will serve for a good purpose.

Thanks Lieke for your warm reception and for the lunch. I will remember your smiles each time I think to you. Hope to see you again in the future.

More pictures available at:
http://picasaweb.google.com/cheayden/PhnomPenhVisitLiekeFeb2009#

Feb.5: arriving at Phnom Penh Airport

My flight from Seoul landed in Phnom Penh Airport (Pochentong) at 22h50. I was alone in the range of 3 seats in the plane. There were a lot of Korean businessmen, some Cambodians, a few western tourists...

I went quickly to ask for a visa on arrival. I handed my passport and necessary papers I filled in the plane to a guy in charge of the visas. The guy looked friendly... He asked me to give him some money to do the visa. As a French citizen born in Cambodia, my visa is free (Visa K). I told him that I have no money at all and my pocket is empty. Also I told him that I took this cheap flight because I have not much money. The man looked unhappy with me. He stopped looking at me and told me nothing about my visa. Instead he told some of his colleagues that I gave no money.

I waited... I tried to be friendly and smiley. But in me, it burnt and boiled. I wanted to say: fuck you guy.,why you ask me for money while it is free ? Well last times, I gave 10 bucks to have my visa quickly. But this time, I cannot support this kind of corruption on my back anymore....

I waited for news about my visa.... Suddenly another guy handed back my passport with the permanent visa. Great! I said thank you and left for the immigration.

At the immigration desk, the man looked friendly as well. He asked me the purpose of my visit etc.... And his last question was: do you have some money to give to your little brother? I said sorry brother I have no money this time. The guy kept smiling at me and said "no problem. I ask just in case you have some money to help me to make my living conditions better". He handed back my passport with the stamp and wished me good stay. [ when I left Cambodia, I have the same songs with the immigration guy].

I left the immigration and arrived at the custom service. A man looked at my luggage and said I can go..... Thank you man!

I left the airport and crowd of people were there waiting for their relatives. I looked quickly at them and found no known face. I walked out of the crowd and saw Vansak and Sovannara walking quickly toward me....

We left the airport in Vansak's car. Vansak and Sovannara brought me to eat a bowl of rice soup with chicken in a famous restaurant open 24h near Chinese Hospital (Pet Chen in Cambodian). The soup was excellent.

We left the restaurant around 1 o'clock in the morning for Sydney Guest House.Vansak and Sovannara stayed the night with me. The room was clean enough but the aircondtion was very noisy that I couldn't sleep. I stopped the aircond in the night but water drops of the aircond in the higher rooms made a lot of noise as well. At 3 o'clock, the dancing club nearby closed the door and people came out and discussed. They were noisy.

I thought about the noise and what happened at the aiport, and said to myself: well this is Cambodia. Many Cambodians have to confront everyday these kinds of situations and they have no choice except to suffer.


More pictures available at:
http://picasaweb.google.com/cheayden/PhnomPenhVisitLiekeFeb2009#

Back home from my visit to Cambodia - Feb 17.2009

I arrived home yesterday at mid-night after more than 24 hours flights/waiting from Cambodia. I am exhausted but am happy to be back home with the family.

I was happy to meet family and some friends during my visit. Thanks to Hok, Ra, Raksmey and Vansak for your times and the organisation of the party held at Raksmey's house. My special thanks go to your wives for the preparation of the foods.

Thanks Vuthy, Rathanak and Mey to make a long trip from Poipet (500km), Battambang (+350km) and Svay Rieng (200km?) for the party.

Thanks Lieke for your availability. I was happy to meet you. Thanks for the delicious lunch at Hagar Catering and Restaurant.

Of course like each of my visit, we all remember Father Vincent. I was nicely "surprise" to see the picture below of Fr. Vincent in the sitting room of Hok and Raskmey.




I will put some pictures of my visit as soon as I can.

Cheers,
Sakun

Visit to Cambodia: Feb 4 to Feb 15. 2009

I am on the way to Cambodia. I am now (Feb 5. 17h30 -- Korean time) landing in Seoul Incheon, South Korea and am waiting for the flight connection to Cambodia.

The flight from Paris to Seoul with Asiana Airlines was great. The Korean food in the plane was excellent, the hotess were always available to service you with smiles... and furthermore they are beautiful :-)) Compare to the other companies, I would recommend this airline even the long flight from Seoul to Phnom Penh (5 hours I think compare to 1.5 hour when you go thru Bangkok or Kuala Lumpur). Well, the flight from Paris to Phnom Penh is also the cheapest in the market (636 euros).

Seoul Incheon airport is very clean and easy for flight connections. There is free Internet connection (Laptops near Gate 41 - Desktops near the rest area in the upper level). There are engough things to do (shoppings, massage, food courts; ...) to make a long flight connection easier.


Some pictures from Seoul Incheon airport.

Free Internet Connection Square, near Gate 41

Flight Gate to Phnom Penh

Will post some more pictures later...