Well that was different!
on So Now It's Cambodia (Cambodia), 09/Sep/2012 15:55, 34 days ago
Normal0falsefalsefalseMicrosoftInternetExplorer4st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) }/* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;}Those who know us from both England, as well as Cambodia, will know we often extol the virtues of life out here in Phnom Penh– there are many nice things to enjoy – the hot weather, outdoor swimming (without getting goose bumps!), the endless array of cafes and restaurants to choose from, walks by the river, cheap accommodation, a growing classical and jazz music scene as well as opportunities for wine tasting in finesurroundings! There’s also the lovely Cambodian family who live downstairs who are also our landlords.It’s not all good though and like anywhere really there is a downside – the corruption, the impunity, the potholes, the crazy driving (including far too many big, gas guzzling 4x4's), the poor education and health infrastructures and transport systems to name but a few. However, we have a choice.If any of these things (including the heat) become too much for us, we can buy an airline ticket and return home to the land of cooler weather, no corruption (well maybe a little bit!!), expensive accommodation and more highly developed educational, health, social services and transport systems –not to mention quality radio and TV.Of course, we don't need to apply for a visa to return to our home country. We are ever mindful of how lucky we are that we have this privilege of choice. For many Cambodians this has not been and still isn’t a choice available to them. I haven’t “blogged” for a while but I have been moved to write about our most recent artistic and historic encounter:This afternoon we saw an amazing play called:Cambodia, here I am. It was written and directed by a French Cambodian calledJean-Baptiste Phou. It only had a cast of four women plus two Khmer musicians on stage, one of whom also had a "bit part".Normal0falsefalsefalseMicrosoftInternetExplorer4/* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;}It was presented in the magnificent and comfortable Chenla Theatre (see link below).It portrayed, in a thought provoking and entertaining way, the conflicts and dilemmas of those Khmers who left Cambodia during the Khmer Rouge years (1975-79). Many Khmers shared their experience of being separated from family and friends or even of having their family killed. After making it to refugee camps in Thailand many ended up fleeing South East Asia for France and America.It’s one of the slight oddities of life here that we now can hear someone with a strong American accent or speaking fluent French and turn round to find that they’re are Khmer. There are also many architectural and culinary reminders here of Cambodia being a former French colony.The women in the play meet in the waiting room of a visa office in France as they apply to return to Cambodia for their different reasons. They gradually connect and tell their stories, which affords the playwright opportunities to poke fun at modern Cambodian life with the big cars and houses in Phnom Penh, as well as to constantly remind us of their tragic history and the conflicts they experienced leaving their homeland to survive and start a new life, whilst knowing that their country and it’s people were suffering so many miles away.It became clearer as the play developed just how difficult it must be to believe oneself to be French and live a totally French lifestyle (some for well over 30 years) but knowing in your heart of hearts that you’re really Khmer! There were candid references to the current state of affairs in Cambodia with corruption and everyone out for themselves, in contrast to the genteel “Pearl of the Orient” they remember, side by side with enduring and endearing cultural traditions such as the shadow puppets which they mimicked perfectly and with great comic effect! (Alison’s now very keen that we go and see them again asap! –see links below).Towards the end of the play one of the younger women, who’d never been to Cambodia but was born to Khmer parents, was turned down for her visa. She was told she could go anywhere in the world but not Cambodia. Many must have experienced this strange displacement over the years. She was not to be beaten though and planned to try and gain entry overland via Vietnam or other neighbouring countries and prepared herself for adopting the ways of “modern” Cambodia via financial persuasion!!!Another very strong character was the one portraying a worldly wise“Khmer Riche” - with her own salon - who got into a mock fight with a more reserved lady during which she seized the drummer’s sticks as weapons! It was an effective comic moment as he acted very sheepishly to reclaim his sticks from this fearsome woman! She also tried to “administer” traditional Khmer medicine on one of the younger ladies but was mocked by the sophisticated lady "in her Chanel suit", who said she’d advise her to "take Paracetamol and get some rest"!The play had a simple set (all in white)– just the waiting room of the visa office – and the play ended with a kind of chorus of the ladies taking it turn to summarise their heart rending stories. As they took their bows things became typically bizarre!Only one of the actresses received a bunch of flowers (rather sheepishly presented) the writer/director took to the stage with a lady (no idea what she did!) and between them (in French and Khmer) made a series of speeches. These seemed to single out the two younger actresses (including the one who had already received the flowers) while totally ignoring the other two!Just as I thought they were about to give credit to the other two ladies, the playwright took a microphone and started to lead a massed karaoke session!!! What?! Only in Cambodia!!!Normal0falsefalsefalseMicrosoftInternetExplorer4/* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;}Normal0falsefalsefalseMicrosoftInternetExplorer4/* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;}http://www.culturalcenter-cambodia.com/chenlatheater.htmhttp://shadow-puppets.org/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Uv5ysp6NC8(maybe fast forward to the fight scene near the end– we saw this in an English language version).Here’s another review with pictures of the writer and the actresses. In it he refers tothe largely ex pat audience– I’m glad to say it was a largely Cambodian audience when we went:http://blog.andybrouwer.co.uk/2012/09/mood-swings.html