Party time

Four of the younger generation at the party, including on the far right, Matey

My excuse for missing the Mia Farrow-versus-Cambodian authorities show-down at Tuol Sleng on Sunday, which turned out to be a non-event, was a party that I attended in Kien Svay, some 25kms southeast of Phnom Penh. It was a house party with about 100 guests and judging by some of my snaps, a multitude of children. The food was generous, the music was loud and everyone had a great time. The water-fight instigated by the host left everyone soaked to the skin, except the top military guests who included a general and colonel! I met many old friends and made lots of new ones. On the way home, we avoided the National Road 1 road-widening dust-bowl that starts at Koki and heads 20kms towards the Vietnam border, by taking a back-road. I also noticed that the massive Buddha being erected at Wat Niraud Rainsey, a few kilometres over the Monivong Bridge, has been reduced to rubble after years of seemingly inactive construction.

Socheata was a can-collector extraordinnaire

This swing-seat provided hours of fun for the kids

Sokheng and her two daughters, carrying her neice

Two of the older generation, at sixteen years old, are Srey Nin (left) and Srey Noch

The four 'ice maidens': LtoR: Dany, Srey Pich, Sampoh, Sophia