Sharing Our Journey
  • Home
  • Spring Trip 2022
    • VT to VA
    • VA & NC
    • VA to VT
    • VA Wildflowers
    • Mad_River_Canoe
  • 2019-2021
    • 2021 >
      • Winter 2021
      • Spring 2021
      • Summer 2021
      • Autumn 2021
    • 2020 >
      • Winter 2020
      • Spring 2020
      • Summer 2020
      • Fall 2020
    • 2019 >
      • Nov - Dec 2019
      • Oct 2019
      • Sep 2019
      • Jun - Aug 2019
      • Mar-May 2019
      • Jan-Feb 2019
  • 2017-2018
    • Hiking/Biking Sept-Dec >
      • December 2018
      • November 2018
      • October 2018
      • September 2018
    • Moving to Vermont
    • Cambodia >
      • Intro Phnom Penh
      • First Days
      • Temples & Drumming
      • Organic Farming
      • Khmer New Year
      • On the Beach
      • Royal Palace
      • Siem Reap
      • Water Sanitation
      • Teaching
      • Bits and Pieces
    • Super-Blue-Blood Moon
    • Great Allegheny Passage
    • Texas Motorcycle Trip-1
    • Texas Motorcycle Trip-2
    • Short Travel Videos
  • 2014-2016
    • Azerbaijan >
      • Nakhchivan May 2016
      • Quba Apr/May 2016
      • Museums Feb 2016
      • Friends & Gatherings Baku
      • House and Plants
      • Around Baku
      • Qax June 2015
      • Billy's Decade Party
      • Ganja & Goygol Oct 2015
      • Lahij Feb 2015
      • Yanar Dag/Ateshgah
      • Petroglyphs/Mud Volcanoes
      • Oguz, Xal Xal: Oct 2014
      • Absheron Park: Sep 2014
      • First 2 Wks Baku: Aug 2014
    • Turkey >
      • Cappidocia Nov 2015
      • Trekking Lycian Way >
        • Overview
        • Kayaköy
        • Ovacik-Faralya
        • Faralya-Alinca
        • Alinca-Gey
        • Gey-Sidyma-Gey
        • Patara Day 1
        • Patara Day 2
        • Patara Day 3
    • USA >
      • Amtrak Cross US Nov 2016
      • Summer 2016 >
        • Vermont 2 Trips
        • Long Island, Connecticut
      • Summer 2015 >
        • OR, WA, IN
        • Long Island, Connecticut
      • 2 Birthdays: Jan/Feb 2015
      • Long Island Winter 2014/15
  • 2011-2014
    • Germany: 2011-2014 >
      • Berlin & Koblenz 2014
      • Year End Summary 2013
      • Romantic RoadOct 2013
      • Jan - May 2013
      • Ahr - Blankenheim Oct 12
      • Aug - Dec 2012
      • Trier, Luxembourg: 2012
      • Nov 2011-March 2012
      • Mainz Frankfurt: Feb 2012
      • Windeck: Oct 2011
      • Eifel Park & Ahr: Oct 2011
      • Vineyard Tour 2011
      • First Impressions
    • France: April 2014
    • Netherlands: May 2013
    • Ireland: July 2013
    • X-Country Motorcycle: 2012
    • Paris: Oct 2012
    • Spain: Oct 2012
    • USA >
      • Summer 2014
      • Motorcycle MA & VT: 2014
      • Mom Memorial: Feb 2014
      • Wedding & Ft Wayne: Feb 2012
      • Greg & Jess Wed: July 2011
      • Summer 2011
  • 2008-2011
    • 2011 Video
    • Xian, Chengdu, Leshan
    • Yang Shou: Apr 2010
    • An Hui Province: Apr 2009
    • Harbin: Jan 2009
    • Singapore: Dec 2008
    • Nanjing: 2008-2011
    • Habitat Humanity: Nov 2008
    • Chinese New Year
    • New Zealand: 2009-2010
    • USA >
      • Road Trip to Florida 2010
      • Motorcycle Trip: 2010
      • Long Island Winter 2009
      • Summer 2009
  • 2006-2008
    • Zambia >
      • Northern Zambia 2006
      • Zambia Travels 1
      • Zambia Travels 2
      • Vic Falls & Chobe: 2007
      • Vic Falls & Chobe Videos
      • Zambia Thoughts
    • South Africa Hiking
    • Kenya & Congo
    • Romania
    • USA >
      • Summer 2008 Book Video
      • Summer 2007 Around USA
  • 2003-2006
    • Hong Kong >
      • HK & Macau: Aug-Dec 2004
      • NY Visitors: Oct 2004
      • Jon's Visit: Aug 2004
      • New Flat: May 2004
      • Spring 2004
      • Butterfly Hike
      • Nov 03 - Jan 04
      • Richard's Visit: Oct 2003
      • Mao Ping: Spring 2004
      • Intro to Hong Kong
    • Guilin Tour: Spring 2004
    • London
    • Northern Thailand
    • Malaysia
    • Mekong Delta Bike Trip
    • North Vietnam
    • USA
  • Cars & Motorbikes
    • Cross US Trip 2012
    • Honda Goldwing GL1800 >
      • Goldwing Details
      • Goldwing Extras
    • BMW K1200GT
    • 1984 Honda V65 Sabre
    • Chang Jiang 750
    • Rocky SX Daihatsu
    • Honda NightHawk 750cc
    • Nutmeg: 1971 Super Beetle
    • Volvo C70 T5
  • Mom & Dad

Khmer New Year

Khmer New Year, literally "Enter New Year", is the name of the Cambodian holiday that celebrates the traditional Lunar New Year. The holiday lasts for three days beginning on New Year's Day, which usually falls on April 13th or 14th, which is the end of the harvesting season, when farmers enjoy the fruits of their labor before the rainy season begins. There is a mass migration as people leave the city and head back to the province where their families are from. Most everything in Phnom Penh shuts down for a couple of days, roads are crowded, and people flock to the countryside. During the celebration they visit family, make offerings at the pagoda, play games, sing, dance, eat special foods, throw water, and more.

Khmer people love to play games - games which to westerners might seem silly, but are lot's of fun. The school organized an afternoon where the Khmer staff at the school hosted a roof-top party to play traditional games and eat traditional Khmer food. It was SO much fun! We all got to act silly and play games for the afternoon. When is the last time you played 'musical chairs'? Remember that childhood game where a group of people circle a group of chairs where there is one less chair than people - then the music stops and everyone has to grab a seat and sit down - if you are left without a seat, you are out...and so it continues until there is a winner. Another game is like a 'hit the piñata' game where a person is blind-folded and turned around and around, then with verbal directions from on-lookers has to find and hit a clay pot hanging on a rope - when it breaks it doesn't shower down small candies with white powder! Other games included a hide the towel and chase game, a tug of war (men against women - happy to report that the women won 2 out of 3), a game of transporting water from a cup into your mouth, and into a bottle, and other games too difficult to explain! All in all, it was great fun!