Kampong Chhnang

Kampong Chhnang is a quiet colonial town. It is situated beside the Tonle Sap.  The town is well known for its fishing activities. It is here that Infantia Cambodia is located. There is nothing glamorous about this town and there is no real nightlife to speak of. One might be able to find a few karaokes that operate till slightly after midnight. Nothing more. In fact when I first arrived I was shocked to find out that the town was dead by 8pm. Worse, as there were no street lamps around, most part of the town can enter into total darkness during the night. But that's Cambodia for you...

The event that gave me the most pleasure got to be riding a motorbike. Rural area like Kampong Chhnang is a heaven for biking because of its enjoyable dirt road and the lack of traffic laws around. The motorbikes here are easily to ride as there are no clutch and you can't really go very fast with them. I had my accidents before but somehow I find it quite fun despite hurting myself. It's kind of a liberation from the well protected world that is S'pore. It's good to be crazy. I once rode a bike with 3 of my students behind me. As we were on the road we screamed and shouted like the f..king road belonged to us. That's life at it's best.

The town is susceptible to flooding during the rain season when the water of the Tonle Sap rises over the river bank and onto the mainland. Last August there was a flood and by the time I arrived in December, the water had already subsided. It has already begun raining these days... perhaps it will be another flooded rain season. Who knows...

During late January this year, there was a fire in one of the villages. It was a frenzy. While one house was burning, many others were busy evacuating. There was only one fire engine and the road was narrow. The end result was quite predictable. More than 100 families lost their homes. The school did the best it could by providing the homeless with rice and a small amount of money. What surprised me most was the way the homeless came forward to collect their relief. Probably so used to all kinds of sufferings, they approached without much show of grief.

The nice part about the rain season is the sunset. The setting sun blocked by a few dark clouds with the skyline bright orange. Day after day, such a sight keeps appearing. Best viewed from the school's dining area with a fag and a can of beer.

Sunset @ Infantia K.Chhnang

 

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