Kathen festivities

Last week Cambodians celebrated Kathen, a Buddhist festival. The Codec Director, Mr Kim Choeun, organised a big celebration in his village. About 300 people were invited to his home for a garden party. His home is a typical wooden house on stilts, with no electricity or bathroom. In the garden is a well, cows, pigs and chickens. We all gave gifts for the pagoda and ate rice porridge which was prepared in massive vats. I wore my best white blouse and sompot (skirt) and received even more admiring comments than usual. The day after the party, three open trucks crammed full of people travelled from the village to a pagoda 90 minutes away, where the gifts were given to the monks and a day long service was held. I didn’t make it to the pagoda which was a shame, but the journey would have been very hot, dusty and uncomfortable for me.
Pictured with some of the gifts in his home are Mr KimChoeun and Kaknika’s grandmother. I gave Kaknika’s grandmother a lift home on my moto, and felt I’d truly integrated into Khmer society by having a woman with shaved head and no teeth ride side-saddle while I was wearing traditional dress!