Friday, October 14, 2016

Multi-tasking to the max!

Getting a hair wash while you sit outside with your friends eating dinner.


A Piece of Heaven


So what's KTV all about?

You wouldn’t be blamed for thinking karaoke is Cambodia’s national pastime, with “KTV” clubs of all sizes on just about every street corner.

Varying in style from little more than a TV on the wall and a stereo system in the corner of a family’s front room, to massive multi-storey clubs with huge screens, beautiful hostesses and the latest karaoke technology – there is a KTV club to suit everyone’s level of sophistication.

For the cost of little more than two movie tickets and popcorn back home, you can enjoy hours of fun partying long into the night with your favourite local singing sensations.

If you don’t have any friends in town, that’s never a problem.
Simply for a walk down the street and find the first family sitting having dinner out the front of their home. Say “KTV? KTV?” while mining singing into a microphone – You will have a crowd, and an instant party, in no time!

If you are attending one of the restaurant-style clubs, it’s simple. Sit down and ask for a book. Write down the song numbers and someone will come to collect the paper. Eat drink and sing!

And don’t even think about telling your guests you can’t sing- there is no such thing in Cambodia.
If you can speak, you can sing. In tune, out of tune, it doesn’t matter -you will be applauded enthusiastically either way.  You are miles away from home, absolutely nobody knows you – now is your chance to belt out all your favourite Village People, Abba and Bon Jovi classics.

At the bigger clubs, it can be a little more intimidating.

The first thing you will notice is the long line of girls sitting at the entrance, done up to the nines. If you would rather not have a hostess, you can tell them when you go in. If you would like to choose a lovely lady to pour your drinks, keep you company and smile beautifully all night, you are looking at around $2 plus tip. Once you are shown to your room, the girls will soon follow.

They are not prostitutes so don’t even think about it! Get too touchy and all you’ll end up with is the cold shoulder.

You will be allocated a private room, with stunning Khmer kitsch décor. If you’re lucky, yours will be plush purple velvet. The rooms are well appointed with seating around the walls, mirrors so you can watch yourself singing and a huge screen for the video and words. Each room has its own bathroom and DJ, who will help you with song choices. There will generally be something in English, with song choices in Khmer, Korean and several other languages.

If you really don’t want to sing, they can play music, turn on the disco lights and you have your own ready-made nightclub.

Generally, you will either pay for a box of beer, or for the room, or both. Ask to see a manager who speaks English and negotiate a price.

The snacks are generally expensive, but you only pay if you open them.
Crack a beer, choose a song, pick up a mic and party!

Tuesday, July 5, 2016

Attending a house-warming party in Cambodia






It's different, to say the very least!
The guests sit and wait for the monks to arrive.






Grandma gave a speech and then the monks poured water over her in a cleansing ritual,



Then it was the turn of friends and family - everyone surrounded her and poured water over her.




Monday, August 17, 2015

Koh Rong Samloem Island


Koh Rong Samloem, also spelt Sanloem and Saloem, is situated eighteen kilometres due west of Sihanoukville in the Gulf of Thailand and is reachable in about forty-five minutes by fast ferry or about two hours using one of  the slower converted fishing boats, depending on the conditions.

We paid $20 (off-season rate) for a trip that included snorkelling, a bugget lunch onboard and a couple of hours on the island.




White beaches with almost no litter, sadly a rare sight in South East Asia these days, but what a pleasure to walk on a pristine beach.



Take a slow walk along the beach - there is rustic island beauty everywhere you look.




Fresh water pool at the base of a waterfall - the round things in the water are tables.The top just sticks out of the water, so you can sit in the water with your drinks. Image you and twenty of your closest friends partying here!