Cambodia-Day 5

A day for exploring Pnom Penh. First location was killing field or Chouengek Genocidal Center. This is a tragic place where Pol Pot killed millions of Kampuchean with cruel and pitiless.

Pic 1- read this board.


2-This building put might be millions of skulls here.

3-Pol Pot systematic way; there is about ten graves here in killing field; which each of the graves for specified victims.

Second location-Tuol seng genocide museum.
This building contains three stories with divided into 20 cells. Those cells are used for jailing, interrogating and torturing the prisoners.

Pic 1-Security rules


Pic 2-Each cells contain bed and equipment to torture the prisoners. Picture there show the victim and how the equipment to be used to torture them.

Pic 3- Pol Pot soldier’s take the photos of those victims first and wear them a tag number. If the tag number show number 202, it means that he/she prisoner number 202.


Other locations just around the town such as palace, museum and market.Huhuhu..then we went again to Central Market for our last shopping.

Cambodia-Day 4

It is hard to say goodbye with people here. All of them are very sweat and generous. We know that they are not affordable to buy anything but they try to make everything perfect to us. We are touched by their kindness.


Laihai to them.

We were going to Phnom Penh today. Seven hours journey again. Ride by a very crowded van; about 15 people I think. The driver even took four large cupboards and put it on top of the van. Then, surprisingly, the van stopped at petrol station to wash the van. From what had been informed to me, before vehicles enter to the town; they need to clean their vehicles first.




We stayed at IndoChina2 hotel. After having our lunch at Muslimin restaurant which is near our hotel, we went to Central Market by tut-tut for shopping. Here, people can talk English better. But, if want to get more cheaper, try to talk in their native tongue. Hentam jerla betul ke tidak.

There are many handicapped people there; selling books which cost around 4 to 6 dollar per book. For us, our ‘entrepreneurs’selling tissues; but there-books. Not original books actually, they make a copy of it. That’s why those books cheap. My friend can get as low as 2 dollar for one book. In the afternoon; ride a boat along Mekong river. It is quite happening there and also need to be very careful with our belongings. Alang nyer air kene kidnap ngan bebudak kat situ. Huh..horror...


For our dinner; we ate satay and french bread. Orang Malaysia memang kuat makan.:)

Welcome 2008

Promise to continue Cambodia trip later.

Day 3 in 2008.Never too late to wish you Happy New Year. 2008 will be like previous years, we keep our breath and continue our journey on life. Hoping a year great ahead; more joyness, happiness, excitement and successfulness to each of us.

Alhamdulillah, 2007 left me with such kind of good memories. A year that introduce me to the volunteerism world; have more wonderful and great friends in office and Salam; vocation trip to Taman Negara and Cambodia and company trip to Perth; kl trips with my friends coming from Sabah, have my own car; afford to buy digital camera; make a start on small business and more and more list behind.

For 2008, looking forward to be more success in my career and active lifestyles. I would like to try flying fox at Menara KL, rock climbing so I can go to Krabi which is heaven for rock climbing, swimming class, scuba class so that I can swim with shark (Aquaria KLCC) …hehhehe…more teater and orchestra, try crazy thing like audition for One in a million n amazing race, konvensyen salam budi hopefully will be the successful plan for volunteers, bring mak abah go for vocation and many many more wishes in my list. Huh..tamaknyer…Actually most of them bring forward from previous years. :)

Cambodia-Day 3

Still here at Praksantai. We wake up early as we want to go shopping at their market. They use riel as their currency which most of us do not have. We only have USD which is used in big town like Phnom Penh. In village like Praksantai, they use riel.I was very excited to see ‘baby sengkuang’ was sold here and decided to bought it and bring it home. Instead of that, just looking around what they sold.


Then, we went to “New Village”. I not remembered the village name in khmer language. We ride a lorry to go there. It’s not so far actually from this village but the route was so snaking. It was known as new village as this is a new area/territory for them to live. Only a few houses there and another a few still under construction. We were invited to see korban there.Then, lunch with them; nasi putih with daging masak kicap. However, as one of my group is Chinese who do not eat meat, she get special treat from them; egg and vegetables. So together we share her food as we also miss to eat egg. Hehehehe… After lunch we get back to Praksantai village as men want to go for Solat Jumaat.

As nothing much to do in the afternoon, me, Elly, Kak Rin and Hakim take a walk around the village. Luckily, there is wedding ceremony in one of the houses there. We just join with the rest of guest there and take picture with the bride and bridegroom. Here we met Nawal. She very fluent in Malay language and we very excited talk to her. We go to her house then and met another brides there.

As usual, dinner at Hakim’s house. Mama, Alang, K.Ani and Ita had cook deliciously nasi lemak for Hakim’s family and a few peoples who had been invited by Abah. All of them never eat nasi lemak before and the aroma of nasi lemak makes everyone hungry including me.

At that night, there are about ten people get married in the village. We were informed to wear a beautiful dress to go to those wedding ceremonies. We end up by going to six houses only because we were too tired too walk more. Those brides seriously beautiful and totally different from what we imagine. They look so famous and glamorous!






Here, girls are married at the early age as 17 years old. The wedding ceremonies for brides were held separately with the bridegroom. Men are going to bridegroom house and women going to brides house. They also have such daise like us but more simple and use a little bit creativity to make it look stunning.

Then, going back home to Sarah house. There are many people there and we joined them lepak-lepak. Have a chat with them. It is very wonderful night because we are keep laughing with them, although we don’t know what they said and pretty sure that they also not understand us. We learn their language and also do them. Faezah quite good in English; she help us translate words in khmer language.

Cambodia-Day 2

Selamat Hari Raya Haji. I feel amazed and eager to know what will happen today. I wake up as early at 530 to pray solat Subuh. Then, queue in front of the bathroom and wait for my turn as Sarah house sharing the bathroom with the other house.

It is very wonderful morning to hear ‘takbir’ raya here; at Praksantai Village. I can see clearly everyone out from their home walk to one destination; to the field which is near Sarah house; to pray together. Each people need to bring mat there; including us. While people were rushing to go there, I was busing with my camera catch a snap here and there. It is good experience to being together with Cham people and pray together. Although we do not understand their language, but that’s not a barrier; as Quran is universal. Only during ‘khutbah’ which is talked in cham language…hehhehe..we translated ourselves what it means.

After pray, we went to Hakim house. Surprisingly, Hakim’s father; Pakcik Tolos was a ‘ketua kampung’ there. He very keeps an eye on us because wherever we go, we realize he also there. Maybe he wants us to be safe and make sure everything is perfect.

We were given kuih-muih; sort like kuih sepit in Malaysia; for our breakfast in the morning of hari raya. That time I was thinking how lucky we are. We eat a lot! We have a table with full of food like lemang, nasi impit,ketupat,rendang,lontong and a few kuih muih. Huh, pagi2 dah dapat kolesterol tinggi. But later, we were served with another food. Ayam salai and kuah kacang which had the sweet taste. Simple food but yet so special and delicious.

About 930 am, the major function begin. I am not sure but I believe there are about 15 cows to be slaughtered. Those cows donate by concerned Malaysian people who willing to make korban here. If I not mistake, the process begin by collecting funds-one part is rm200. The amounts collected were given to the mufti there. So 15 cows had been slaughtered and distributed to each house at the village.

From what have been told to me, people there hardly ever eat fresh meat. Basically they eat once a day; based on what they produce also like rice and vegetables. And go fishing if they want to eat fish. Cows and buffalo to help them working in paddy fields. That’s why we were here; to be together with other Muslim and cheer up their hari raya haj with the korban. Surprisingly, there are not just us here in Cambodia. There a lot of Malaysian; from Yayasan Amal and other people who volunteered themselves to find funding to make korban in Cambodia. Feel proud to be Malaysian when I found out that there are too many good people here.

As usual, men were slaughtered the cows and women cook. We have our lunch at round 1pm. Just simple lunch, nasi putih with daging rebus.

At the evening, Kareema, local people, invited us to go to the next island by boat. The price is about 1500 riel per person. Nothing much we do there. Just walk through and looking around. Here, we were introduced by Faezah; ‘baby sengkuang’. The taste so sweat and it also so cute. I think we all look like a rabbit at that time.

Dinner with Hakim family.This time nasi putih with daging masak kicap. After having our lunch, we chat with Pakcik Tolos. Actually he don’t know English or Bahasa Melayu and we don’t know khmer/cham. Hakim help us by translate those words. He told us about Pol Pot regime and show us his book.