LATE DECEMBER

Well, it's been a while since I've paid any attention to this site,  the kids in school and our homestay have occupied most of my time.  The weather is beautiful at this time of the year; the rain has stopped and the evenings are wonderfully cool.  Unfortunately for the kids the wind is starting to die down bringing the hint of an early end to kite season. 

As the can see from the picture the last harvests are taking place.  It's been a bad year for them due to the uneven rains.  My sister-in-law got a 50 % harvest and others thought she was lucky to get so much.  It was so bad that my mother-in-law is going to switch over to planting lotus flowers-less work, but she'll have to hope for better rain next year. 

JUNE UPDATE

IF WE DON'T GET SOME RAIN AND I MEAN SOON, PEOPLE WILL BE MAKING THATCH FOR SHADE, NOT FOR RAIN PROTECTION.   IT HAS RAINED SINCE MY LAST ENTRY, AT LEAST NOT HERE.  


IT MUST BE RAINING SOMEWHERE, THE DARK STORM CLOUDS COME AND FLIRT OVER THE VILLAGE AND DELIVER THE GOODS SOME WHERE ELSE.
THE VILLAGERS CANNOT REMEMBER SUCH A PROLONGED DRY SEASON; I KNOW THAT THIS IS THE DRIEST IT HAS BEEN IN THE SIX YEARS THAT I HAVE LIVED HERE.  THE LOCALS ARE LIVING OFF OF THE RICE THAT THEY STORED FROM THE LAST HARVEST, BUT THEY ARE QUITE CONCERNED THAT THERE WILL BE NO RICE FOR NEXT YEAR.Y HOPE THAT OTHER RURAL AREAS ARE FARING BETTER.   

THIS WAS A  YEAR OF  DWARF  PINEAPPLES,  RUNT  BANANAS  AND  A LIMITED MANGO HARVEST, EVEN THE LIME TREES HAVE LOST THEIR BLOSSOMS. 

THE MONTH OF MAY

THE RAIN FINALLY CAME.  THE CLOUDS HELP BLOCK THE SUN, AND THE BREEZES DO THE REST.  NONETHELESS IT CAN STILL BE HOT DURING THE DAY.   NIGHTS ARE DEFINATELY MORE THAN BEARABLE ( 25-27 DEGREES C.)

THE BANANA TREES RAISED THEIR LEAVES IN PRAISE TO THE RAIN AND THE PINEAPPLE PLANTS ARE THREATENING TO ADD A FEW EXTRA GRAMS TO THEIR SCRAWNY BODIES.  WORST OF ALL MANGO SEASON IS OVER, NOT A SINGLE FRUIT BOBS IN THE TREES.  AND THEY ARE GOOD, THE BEST IN FACT.  THESE 50 YEAR OLD TREES ARE OF THE VARIETY CALLED "SVAY KTICK JEN" WHICH TRANSLATES ROUGHLY AS CHINESE COCONUT MILK MANGOS.  THEY ARE HIGHLY PRIZED BY THE LOCALS FOR THEIR SWEETNESS AND LACK OF STRINGYNESS.

The Month of April

If you're currently reading this post (April 11) you know that you're traveling during the Cambodian New Year.  If your bus ticket seems quite expensive-well it is, but don't think that they're just sticking it to foreigners, even Cambodians are shelling out more. 
Along the highway you may see what appear to be scare crows, they're meant to ward off the evil spirit of cholera.   It is merely a protective measure and does not mean that the disease has entered the village.  The buddism that is practiced in our village is a mixture of old animist beliefs entertwined with Buddhist principals.  I've little doubt that there is much that Lord Buddha would neither understand nor aprove of.  But then it isn't too hard to imagine The Buddha, Jesus Christ and Carl Marx walking down the streets of Southeast Asia and saying to each other "This is not what I meant, not what I meant at all."

Additionaly, you will see what appear to be sails waiting for boats- rolled up sheets of plastic hanging from a mast with a light on top all along the highway.  That means only one thing-it's cricket season again.  The little buggers are attracted to the light at night, hit the plastic sheet and slide down into a large bucket that is waiting for them.  The are collected and sold to be fried.  The really "haute cuisine" crickets are cleaned and a peanut is stuck in their bellies.  Chacun a son gout.

During this time of year there is much celebration, especially at the wats, but at many private homes as well.  Work gets put to the side and partying becomes the main format.

HARD TO BELIEVE IT'S BEEN ALMOST A YEAR SINCE MY LAST ENTRY

I JUST LOOKED AT MY LAST ENTRY IN THIS BLOG SITE AND I WAS SHOCKED TO DISCOVER THAT IT'S BEEN ALMOST A FULL YEAR SINCE I'VE BEEN HERE.  EVEN MORE DEPRESSING IS THAT ANOTHER BIRTHDAY IS LURKING AROUND THE CORNER.  THERE IS WORSE THINGS THAN BEING OLDER, EXCEPT WHEN YOU'RE ALREADY FEELING OLD. 

I SUSPECT THERE'S A GREAT DEAL OF LAZINESS IN THAT SELF PITY  SO I PROMISE TO KEEP THIS  BLOG MORE UP TO DATE.  THE FAMILIAR SIGNS OF DRY DEASON ABOUND, THE MANGO TREES ARE PREPARING TO BLOSSOM,  THE STICKS OF CHILDREN'S KITES HANG FROM THE ELECTRICAL LINES IN A FLAPPING PARODY OF OF THEIR ONCE LOFTY ACHIEVEMENTS, AND THE DOG'S PREGNANT AGAIN.

LIFE IS GETTING MORE EXPENSIVE  IN RURAL CAMBODIA  AND WORK IS HARD  TO FIND  AT THIS  TIME OF YEAR.   BECAUSE OF THE POLITICAL PROBLEMS WTIH THAILAND, MANY OF THE LOCALS WHO USED TO WORK THERE ILLEGALLY ARE AFRAID TO DO SO.

BUT, ON THE BRIGHTER-AND LOUDER SIDE-THE  VILLAGERS  ALWAYS  SEEM  TO FIND ENOUGH MONEY FOR DRY SEASON WEDDINGS.  THERE'VE BEEN PLENTY LATELYAND THE VILLAGE WILL NOT SUFFER A POPULATION DRAIN. 

EVERYWHERE PEOPLE ARE FISHING, IT'S THE TIME OF YEAR WHEN FISH CALLED TREY RIEL ARE COMMING DOWNSTREAM.  MANY WOODEN BOATS CAN BE SEEN FROM THE BRIDGE AT KOMPONG CHAM, WORKING BOTH SINGLY AND TOGETHER IN ORDER TO CATCH THE FISH FROM WHICH TRADITIONAL PRAHOK (FISH PASTE) IS MADE.   IT IS AN ACQUIRED TASTE REMINDING MORE OF SOMETHING THAT SHOULD BE A NUTRIENT FOR CORN.

SUMMER IS A COMMIN IN

IT'S GETTING TO BE THAT TIME OF YEAR AGAIN WHEN TOURISTS DWINDLE AND THOSE WHO COME PREFER THE AIR-CONDITIONED COMFORT OF MARGARITA BARS AND THEIR NEON TAN LINES. I KNOW IT'S HAPPENING BECAUSE I HAVE AN ANALYTICS OPTION WITH MY BLOG SITE. I KNOW WHAT COUNTRIES ARE READING MY BLOG SITE AND HOW LONG THEY SPEND ETC...

IN ADDITION THERE IS THE ECONOMIC MELTDOWN, THE FINANCIAL CRUNCH OR WHATEVER JOURNALISTIC METAPHOR YOUR NEWSPAPER CALLS IT. IN SHORT THINGS DO NOT AUGUR WELL FOR TOURISM IN ASIA AND CAMBODIA IN PARTICULAR. THE BUREAUCRATIC GREED EVIDENCED AT THE BORDERS DOES LITTLE TO INSTILL BUYER CONFIDENCE.

THERE ARE OTHER CONSIDERATIONS, ALL LESS THEORETICAL. IT JUST PLAIN GETS HOT AT THIS TIME OF YEAR. BETWEEN MARCH AND MAY, WHEN THE RAINS ARE INFREQUENT, IF AT ALL, SLEEP COMES LATE WITH NO BREEZE. LATER WHEN IT RAINS, THE RAIN AND ESPECIALLY THE CLOUD COVER COOL THINGS DOWN A BIT, BUT YOU PAY DUES IN MUD. IT'S THE WEATHER CAMBODIAN FARMERS LOVE TO HATE! IT'S WHEN THE WORK STARTS AND THE SWEAT POURS ONLY TO EVAPORATE QUICKLY. IT'S NOT FOR EVERYBODY!!! DO NOT CONSIDER COMING TO RANA AT THIS TIME OF YEAR IF YOU'RE NOT PREPARED TO PAY DUES FOR YOUR REWARDS.

THE MONTH OF FEBRUARY AND MARCH

AFTER LOOKING AROUND AT THE UNCOMPLETED WORK LIST AND THE WEEDS THAT ARE THREATENING TO TAKE OVER OUR YARD AGAIN, I'VE DECIDED I'VE GOT TO CUT BACK ON THE TIME I USUALLY SPEND ON THE INTERNET. MOST IMPORTANTLY, I'VE GOT TO GET THE GARDEN IN BEFORE THE HEAVY RAINS COME. EQUALLY IMPORTANT, THE THATCH ROOFS HAVE TO BE REPLACED. ENOUGH OF THIS FAT AND LAZY LIFE, IT'S TIME TO PUT CALLOUSES ON MY TOO SOFT HANDS. FOR MORE INFO ABOUT OUR RURAL LIFE GO TO http://rana-rural-cambodia.blogspot.com/

WELL I JUST HAD MY BIRTHDAY, I TURNED SIXTY-FIVE AND WAS FEELING KIND OF SORRY FOR MYSELF. THE ANTS HAD EATEN THE FIRST SEEDS THAT I HAD PLANTED IN SEED TRAYS AND THE AMERICAN EMBASSY COULDN'T FIND ANYONE WHO KNEW ANYTHING ABOUT SOCIAL SECURITY. THEY KEPT GIVING ME DIFFERENT NUMBERS MOST OF WHICH ENDED UP WITH THE INTELLIGENCE OFFICE BASED ON THE ASSUPTION THAT "SECURITY" HAD SOMETHING TO DO WITH DEFENSE. THEN I DID A GOOGLE SEARCH IN KAMPONG CHAM AND FOUND OUT THAT PAYMENTS WILL NOT BE SENT TO CAMBODIA ALONG WITH CUBA AND NORTH KOREA. GO FIGURE!!! ANYWAY, AS I LOOK AT THESE PHOTOS OF MY FAMILY, I FIGURE I'M A PRETTY LUCKY GUY. AND AS FOR NOT GETTING MY SS.-AS THE POET ee cummings SAID, "TO HE WHO ASKS THE MORE BEAUTIFUL QUESTION-ALWAYS THE MORE BEAUTIFUL ANSWER..."

THE MANGO TREES HAVE BEAUTIFUL FLOWER STALKS, CALLED PANICLES. HOWEVER, ONLY FEW WILL REMAIN AFTER BEING CULLED BY HEAT, WIND AND SAP WHICH WILL SMOTHER THE DELICATE FLOWERS.

IT'S BEEN THREATENING TO RAIN EARLY, THE DARK SKIES BRINGING THE FEAR OF WHAT THE VILLAGERS CALL "WRONG SEASON RAIN". THE WORRY IS THAT IT WILL RAIN, THEY WILL PLOW, THEN THE WEEDS WILL GROW, BUT THE RICE WILL WILT, FORCING THEM TO REPLANT.