Final farewells in Battambang

A silly dream about a boy who could speak to worms scared the crap outta me and woke me this morning. Unable to get back to sleep, in the wee small hours I took a chance to recount the past few days.

My time in Phnom Penh was great. Several visits to 'shabu-shabu' all-you can-eat sushi buffet was very welcome. Evenings often involved enjoying a couple of cocktails with Mel. He really looked after me there in the capital, and has done throughout my whole stay here in Cambodia. 

On Friday we left the city to return to Battambang. A peaceful mass demonstration was scheduled for the following Saturday (yesterday) in Phnom Penh, asking for another count of the votes for the recent election which the opposition party claims was incorrect. I actually wanted to stay for it, but Fr Pedro warned me that I'd probably get arrested if I was spotted by police: it's illegal for foreigners to demonstrate, he tells me. I guess it's seen as outsiders bringing in foreign ideologies, and meddling in politics that shouldn't be of their concern.

When we got back to Battambang, I was hoping to have a small gathering in the evening that Friday, with some of my students: a sort of goodbye party. But my friends here had other plans. When evening came, Mel came came and got me from my room. As I walked into the presbytery (priest's house), I was greeted with a Khmer song played on traditional instruments by children. Then I was sat in a chair, and honoured with two traditional dances by some girls of parish. They dress elegantly and have very slow, controlled & exact movements, that are set to music sung and played by other children. It's very hard to describe; there is nothing like it in the west. But it was beautiful. Then we had a feast and Mel presented me with a gift from himself and Marc: it was a tripod for my camera, that they knew I liked. In fact, Marc stayed behind in phnom penh an extra hour so that he could get it - how generous!  

The food was great! Mel turned the music up and started busting out some moves, making us all laugh. The previously tranquil dancer girls had now appeared to have been injected with some kind of drug that made them go crazy (or, rather, simple act like normal children should), and when I wasn't giving piggy backs I was either being punched or asked to sing (For some reason they just wanted to hear my voice).

As the night closed, I joined another party (the one I was aware of originally) where we ate shellfish dipped in chili sauce, sang songs, and laughed.

With money running low, I decided to stay one more night in Battambang as it saves paying for a hotel and meals. Today (Sunday) I will head out in the afternoon to Siem Reap, after mass in the morn and a final lunch.