weddings part II

Wouldn’t recognise ?? – Wedding watch

“tin eh?” is the usual greeting of a morning by the usual market stall holders at the usual time buying my usual veggies …. Its common greeting asking if buying something

giggles, pointing and whispering is not usual. Likewise admiring looks from sellers certainly not usual

hmmmm, think about it, I tell myself. Is my skirt caught up in my knickers? Hmmmm definitely giggles and more pointing. I can see info being passed along the line of stall holders, squatting behind their baskets of goodies. Maybe its not about me. I try to casually look behind me; impossible in the congo line that forms in the narrow space between the floor level baskets of goodies.

Finally feeding my curiosity, the older male stallholder who has been friendly from day one (and thus receives regular buying from me) tells me that last night they saw me and that I was very very beautiful. He tells me all the women say so.

I am so surprised! I want to ask, but not, “How did they see me? Were they at the wedding I went to?” Can I ask them who say me? I am flustered so all is say is thanks and that yes I had fun last night. Many people from my office went to the wedding I say. “We know” they say in a way that leaves no doubt they know all and everything

If I had been looking for them, would I have recognized them at the wedding? They crouch behind wares and I never seeing from any other angle other than the giantess reaching from the momentarily halted congo line of purchasers, for my own supply of limes, capsicum, carrots etc. Was it at the wedding they saw me, or maybe someone at the hotel where I met up with 3 other expat women to scooter over to the wedding space? Or maybe they were along the street somewhere and just saw us from afar on our motos doing that delicate scootering in all our finery?

No I think some were at the wedding. Pity I didn’t even try to see who I knew in all the crowds of people. Except work colleagues and ex-work colleagues from previous organisation, I not look out for others I might know

cutest traffic wardens

Traffic hazard warnings

Nah don’t need them! Instead use the kids of that street …..

A wedding of Sal and her Aust long term partner took place last week and their road is considered one of the worst roads in town. Really big ruts and soft red dust piled high that slips and slides in the dry and of course becomes treacherous in the wet season

Anyway with the road works as roads are getting sealed, (see for more on road works: http://joanna.electronicway.com.au/index.php?cat=32) their road is ignored. I assume the road is designated anti-govt and thus the govt won’t spend on an opposition party’s road. That is all guesswork

Anyway back to weddings and traffic hazards. Leaving my place after pre-wedding sunset drinks with a friend, I am warned at dusk to mind the huge hole in the road that is not marked. Well when we get to the corner I see the entire road has been cut up for large pipes to be laid across the road. But for now the ditch is the entire width of road and really deep. At least metre and half, maybe more. Lots of laughs while on our motos negotiating the hazard, as we wonder if any drunk wedding guests will end up in that enormous obstacle, in a few hours’ time. No street lights here to guide us!

But when I left at 9.30pm the cutest traffic wardens ever were available. The little waif kids waving me down and calling out for me to be careful. One tiny little girl, up to my knee in height, carefully waves me to the far edge where there is space to maneuver the bike. I tell her, jokingly, I am ever so scared and she giggles and said no, no, that I can do it. So I tell that only cos she is there, doing this important task is it possible for me to use the moto (had a few beers by now of course so we always far more humorous and chatty aren’t we?). She says no problem as she very happy to help everyone cos “the road have very big problem and not good now.”

“It does indeed”, I say to the tiny helper as I scooter on home

Cambodia wedding invites

Khmer style printed wedding invites are absolutely normal. The system is that the envelope that the card comes in, is used to place your money gift in it. At the wedding you leave the envelope and money with someone who sits by the door as you leave.
The red diamond print below is the really traditional colours and the two almost kissing is the ubiquitous image. It was only to this wedding season (dry season Oct - April is time to marry) that I ever saw any colours or styles different to the mostly red print. Check out the pretty pink that is very modern!


Envelopes look like this: