Good Bye Jan, and Welcome Feb….!!!!

A month has passed by, starts  another new month. See! Time really flies…. Nothing to say, just wanna tell you that I got headache all day long….

Little Cousins’ Birthday

Wooooooooooooooo………I was so crazy with dancing last Saturday January 23rd. It was my three cousins’ BD, also my younger brother. U must wonder why there’re 4 BD in a row.

Jan 23rd is my younger brother and little cousin Pukky’s BD, originally. My other 8 year-old cousin was born on Feb 21. Then comes his little brother, the youngest one name PeePee who is 2 years ole born on Jan 25. See the connection?

At first, we have one BD on January and another one on Febraury.  Since the Birth of PeePee, we start to make the three kids’ BD into one. That’s why…..

The party is somehow more like a family and friends gathering party rather than BD. hahaha……we, adult, seemed to enjoy more than the kids. But they enjoy it in a different way from us.

Tomorrow is Monday again….

Monday is coming again…I’m not yet prepared for work after New Year holiday. Still, no choice to choose…..

Monday is not really the problem, but Tilman’s reflection which due on Jan 5th is the main thing. I haven’t even started. I got some more document to read and write down my understanding over Marshall Mcluhan’s theory: Medium is the Message & Global Village. They are so complicated to understand and to apply in Cambodian context. We’re required to write from 8-10 pages. I really have NO idea to manage that.

Anyway, will see.

The feeling of loneliness starts to haunt me again and again. The unsatisfaction of myself, so on and so forth….. Feel like I’m both physically and emotionally lonely. It damn hurts………….once I’m all alone….

01 01 010 nite at River House with my bff–SD

I was last nite with one of my BFF, SD, at River House Lounge. At first, some other friends and her arranged to meet and eat Soup. I was not really wanna go, until I was finally convinced by her. hahah…but we ended up only 2 of us. Those men were so irresponsible….. She picked me up, and we left for a restaurant. We ate quite a lot.  After eating we headed to River House Lounge for some drinks. hahaha… This is a place for like…dancing, people called clubbing. We didn’t go to dance or anything, only drink. I finished 2 glasses of Cocktail. One wa called Siem Reap which is so sweet and not so strong. The other one was Riverhouse Kiss. This is pretty strong. It’s the combination of Gin and many other liquid. These 2 glasses made me sober. I couldn’t make it to read books for G1’s class, hik hik hik…:’(

Now in class still feel a little headache.

2010 is not so Beautiful from the start….

I really enjoy the countdown last nite. It was great time seeing lots and lots of people out there at that late night, especially I was slightly drunk, hehehe… Still, I could stand still. It was not the problem, anyway. Seangheng got the worst ever drunk. It was only because she was not so fine that was why she got drunk with only a few glasses. She’s so strong and advance with spirit, actually.

I was supposed to say Happy New Year to my boyfriend through phone, but he didn’t pick up my phone though I kept calling until this morning. It’s around 11am that he called me back saying that he was counting down with some colleagues and drinking until totally drunk. drink n drink n drink n drink…………..I don’t know what’s really in his mind. He ended up sending me an sms saying “Morning, girl. 2010 is not so Beautiful! Take care. I’m so sorry.”  Sigh….what’s the point of saying the word SORRY????? I have no idea. I think you know how I feel, rite????

It’s been 4 years that I start to do countdown, and there’s NEVER him exists. At least, the last three countdown, we did talk on phone saying Happy New Year, but not this year 2010.

Ok, I gotta go to see Seangheng and discuss about our homework for Susanne’s class.

Happy New Year 2010

Yeah……..2010 is coming in 10 hours more. Cool????

Wanna what I’m gonna do for pre-new year nite???? This evening, my mum and my aunts will cook. Then, we eat with some drinks (either soft or hard is not yet confirmed). Next, we’ll leave for the countdown at the river front. hahah…. Only Girls……..no men involved! There will be my mum, my three aunts, my cousin, my housemaid (she becomes part of our family, and my mum’s assistant in her selling), and me. In total, there will be 7 of us. We’ll leave around 10:30pm after the eating. haha….Gotta bring a camera to capture those funny scene. hehehe….:D We’ll go there by the Tuk Tuk–the best mean of transportation after all.

There will be burning of firework. Firework in Cambodia never change since my first time seeing it almost 20 years ago. We do enjoy it, though.

We’re thinking of whether to keep drinking after coming back from the countdown, hehehe…..–not dream girls, but Drink Girls !!!!

For sure, we will be overenjoyed, jus like every other years.

Before great moment comes, there’s always bad thing happened first. (((( This morning, I was extremely upset, angry, down, and suck……!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You know what? I’m now wearing miniskirt, it’s not too short. It’s at my knee long. The fact that I’m too fat, my thigh is too big, and I have too much hair or fur, make me look really stupid. Actually, I’m happy with my everything. They are only the outside factor. At least, I look acceptable, not that bad. Last time, a month ago, a man riding passed me and said why your thigh is so big and fair. I dunno how to say, but you can imagine that rite? It’s damn………:((( Again, this morning, a man just try to follow me, I felt that he would do the same. What I could do was try to avoid, but I couldn’t. After a few mins, I stopped (pretend to buy sth so that he would ride pass). But what the hell with that SHIT, he returned and rode pass and said some SHIT to me. I was so stunning !!! Can’t believe that such alien does exist in this beautiful world……. I can do nothing, but burst into tears……..sounds too weak rite? This is me, I can hardly hold back my tears. I really need a protection, a shoulder to cry on….but how comes???? how can he be by my side every mins???

What the fucking crazy thing happen on such wonderful day??????? My new year gift??? NO !!! :’((((((

My weekend….:)

I really enjoy my weekend.

On Saturday, I had a family party at home. My whole family was there, and my aunts and their kids. In fact, we don’t have much relatives here in Phnom Penh. So That’s almost all of them were there. We had grilled beef, prawn, and squid. hahahaha….We ate a lot. They all drank beer except me, I was not in a mood of drinking. I drank Pepsi instead. But, Still, we all really enjoy.

Mostly we called it party while it’s not really party. We just like to cook and eat together. That’s defined as PARTY for us. There’s so much fun. We can’t help laughing so loud with one of my talented aunt–she has lots of joke to tell. We always tell her to be a comedian.

Spending time with family is so Wonderful to me, not only me actually. What matter is the Money. Our standard of living are pretty low……

Then, come to Sunday. God! Dada, Seang heng, and I went shopping. Only Dada who thought she had nothing to wear for the evening party that she pushes 2 of us to go with. She ended up getting 2 robes and a T-shirt. Me and Seangheng got a shirt each.

Dada helped make my hair straight. We didn’t wear any make-up. There was not much to eat. The party was organized by Year I and II. They had dance and fashion show. They are very talented in those things.

After all, it was not so joyful. I didn’t make it to the dance floor at all and left for home pretty early. Seangheng said may be we’re too old. hahah….:D I thought it’s not really the reason, but dunno what else.

My someone rode me back home. Before that, we rode to see the light decoration at the US embassy. There’s always a light decoration for Christmas and New Year. I always wish to get into the embassy and feel the light surrounded me. Hehehe….but it’s too hard to get into US embassy. They are extremely strict with security. Hope to be at similar places some day……..:)

That’s Beautiful! Believe me……!

Merrry Christmas

hahaha….at first, I said it does not make any sense to me. But once I see people keep talking about going out for party, I start to feel sth.

I see lots  of people update their status on Facebook that they’ll have party with colleagues, friends, family, or their someone. Me, nothing, but I’ll eat out with bong Seourm who was our fixer and Pross–another production assistant. I just wanna treat him a meal for his help in getting me the job with the crew. I have only 50bucks in my pocket, dunno if this is enough.

So…..I gotta enjoy this evening with two of them…..:D Eat & Drink !!!!

Christmas

Tomorrow is Christmas if I’m not wrong. You have any plan for that? Me, nothing. Christmas don’t make me feel anything.

When I was in high school, people are so crazy about Christmas time including me. We kept wondering who’s gonna show up with a gift. hahaha….this is so ridiculous!!! Since I enter University and start to be more mature, such feeling fade away. We don’t really enjoy it. Instead, we do countdown. It’s been three years already that I do countdown with my family (mainly girls),, hahah….:D.

This countdown, I wanna have a night out with friends. Let’s see! In fact, most of them always agree. It’s only me who dare not. Still sounds like kid, rite?

Enjoy ur Christmas time!

Same Same But Different

Shining a light in dark places

MONDAY, 21 DECEMBER 2009 15:00 DIANNE JANES

Same Same But Different combines gritty realism and romantic idealism in its portrayal of a true story of a Cambodian bar girl and her German boyfriend

Ben (David Kross) and Sreykeo (Apinya Sakuljaroensuk) ride a moto through Phnom Penh in a scene from the German- and Cambodian-produced film Same Same But Different. Photo by: Delphi Filmverleih

REEL REVIEWS

By Dianne Janes

Phnom Penh residents may recall seeing trucks full of lighting equipment and blocked-off streets around town a year ago and wondered what all the fuss was about.

It was German filmmaker Detlev Buck and his crew shooting the story of young love, Same Same But Different.

The crew returned triumphant to Phnom Penh one year later, following rave reviews from screenings at the Locarno and Toronto Film Festivals.

The red carpet rolled out onto Norodom Boulevard at Cine Lux last Saturday night for the Cambodian premiere of a film that the director described as a “declaration of love for Cambodia”.

Many of the 200-plus locals who worked on the film were there to see the results.

Adapted from Benjamin Prufer’s book, the film is based on the true story of a young German backpacker, Ben (played by David Kross from The Reader) who falls in love with a Khmer bar girl, Sreykeo (played by Apinya Sakuljaroensuk).

When Sreykeo discovers she is HIV positive, Ben returns from Germany to help.

In making Same Same, Buck sought to go beyond stereotypical portraits of relationships between men and prostitutes.

“Everybody wants something from each other. That’s a normal relationship,” he insists.

Male lead David Kross reunited with Buck for the film, after working together when he was just 14 in the German film Tough Enough. Coming off such a big production as The Reader he found the experience of shooting in Cambodia a dramatic contrast.

“It was such a different way of working. You have to improvise. It’s very fast,” Kross said.

“I really enjoyed the whole experience. I got to see places you wouldn’t see as a tourist.”

Kross said he felt the film was relevant to his generation in Europe, who often take a ‘gap year’ to travel before settling down at home.
“You think your life is about to start. You have a short period of time where you can do whatever you want,” he said.

That liminal phase of young adulthood can make or break a person. What choices will they make?

The film opens abruptly with the stark revelation from Sreykeo that she is HIV-positive. It is a bold directing choice that immediately raises the stakes, inviting the audience to question Ben’s involvement with her.

Director Buck uses the film to challenge the cliche of the hapless lad lured in by a scheming mistress looking for a sugar daddy, and opens up the whole gamut of modern male-female relationships for closer inspection.

All the men in Ben’s life are predatory towards women.

His brother is casually cheating on his girlfriend with a work colleague, his best friend changes girlfriends more frequently than underwear, and his backpacker buddy in Phnom Penh views all Asian women as sexual conquests.

Ben stands alone as a decent young man, although in falling for a bar girl he failed to read the Sexpats Guide to Asia, in which Rule No 2 is “Never Marry a Bar Girl” – following closely on from Rule No 1, “Never Trust a Bar Girl”.

Ben rejects all the cynical perspectives on offer, looking instead to his father for inspiration, a decent, loving man who also met the love of his life in a bar.

However, Ben and Sreykeo’s relationship seems develop far too quickly. One is never sure what the love between the young couple is based upon. If it were not for the characters’ youth and the ‘true story’ aspect (in real life, Ben and Sreykeo now are married with two children), it could easily be disregarded as naïve fantasy.

Nonetheless, the cinematography by Jana Marsik is excellent and the cast deliver strong performances.

With the current anti-Thai fervour swirling about Cambodia, Buck defended his choice of Thai actress Apinya to play Sreykeo, pointing out that Tom Cruise played a German national hero in the recent film Valkyrie.

“The future here in Asia has to be global, not national,” said Buck.

Same Same But Different is currently in international release, however it will not screen in Cambodia owing to piracy issues and the lack of a suitable venue.

This article is copied from The Phnom Penh Post

I spent my last Saturday evening watching its premier. I do like it though they show lots of bad image about Cambodia cos it’s the fact. What I hate is that the crew failed to get Cambodian actress. Instead, they chose a Thai woman.