A Day of Hardwork Makes a Person Honest

A series of photographs depicting the hardworking men and women of Cambodia. These are snapshots of everyday strife of men and women who try to earn at least 3$ a day to survive.

River Life 2: Creative@Cambodia Photowalk

Last Saturday, a group of people residing in Cambodia, who happen to work in the creative industry decided to take a photo walk in Muat Tonle. These photos were the result of the said photo walk. As you can see I never get tired of this place, every visit is a new experience.

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Violet Dust

This the view outside our office building. I noticed that there was something odd in the sunset and it was very beautiful. Played around with the tones of the sunset sky to make it look more dramatic. It may sound corny, but I think this is a constant reminder to us that no matter how f*cked up our day might be, beautiful things will come out of it – you just have to look beyond the horizon.

The Court of the Royal Palace

My family and I were going around in front of the Royal Palace in Phnom Penh just to relax and chase birds. Here are some snapshots of what goes on in front of the Royal Palace in a “family friendly” morning.

Robam Tep Apsara

An Apsara is a female spirit of the clouds and waters in Hindu and Buddhist mythology. English translations of the word “Apsara” include “nymph,” “celestial nymph,” and “celestial maiden.” On the other hand Robam Tep Apsara which literally means “Dance of the Apsara Divinities”  is the title of a Khmer classical dance created by the Royal Ballet of Cambodia in the mid-20th century under the patronage of Queen Sisowath Kossomak. The apsara is played by a woman, sewn into tight-fitting traditional dress, whose graceful, sinuous gestures are codified to narrate classical myths or religious stories.

Last week, I got a chance to see an apsara dance performed by a local theater group in Phnom Penh. Unlike western dances, the apsara dance is very slow and refined. It focuses more on the grace and subtlety of every movement of the fingers and the body, simulating angels floating on the sky. Here are some photos from the performance.

N.B. There’s also a photo of the Hanuman, which is the central character in Hindu epic the Ramayana and also present in most of the Khmer Mythology