Last day

Today was my last day as an intern in my company. I felt more and more nostalgic as the hours passed. I remember my first day at the office, full of anxiety, wondering how the 6 months I have signed for were going to be. I had to face some challenges and was sometimes under pressure, but I also had great time and met awesome and lovely people. Now it's almost time to pack. It's always a hard time for me and a lot of people I guess. You finally succeed to fit in or something close and start to love the place, but then you have to leave. Plus packing time is a real pain in the ass. But I'm also looking forward to go home, see my family and friends, going out to eat some of my favorite pastries and chocolate I can't find here :).

Exam time is here again, waiting for my return. And anxiety is back stronger than ever, but I believe I can make it. Sometimes I have a lack of self confidence but all of the sudden, I feel that the obstacle is not as big as I though it was and that I can overcome it. And one thing I have learned here is that confidence and hard working are the stepping stone of success. Wish me good luck :).

En français

Encore un article en français, ça se relâche par ici !

Au début, je voulais partager avec vous ma vie au Cambodge, vous faire découvrir comment j’évolue et m’adapte ici. Sauf que je n’ai pas eu la motivation, pas l’envie d’écrire pendant des mois, l’esprit qui tournait en rond. Du coup il n’y a pas eu d’update pendant longtemps, et comme un animal affamé, pas d’écrits décents, des articles maigres en contenu, superficiels et timides (comme moi quoi, sauf pour la partie maigre, puisque une mini bouée autour du ventre et 2 kilos en plus dans les hanches ça se voit).

J'ai commencé à écrire en anglais, parce que mes premiers lecteurs n'étaient pas francophones, mais du coup je sais plus s'ils me lisent encore, donc vaut mieux continuer en français ? En même temps j'aime bien écrire en anglais, des phrases simples, juste l'essentiel. J'ai tendance à trop décrire en français je trouve. J'affectionne l'écriture épurée (mais on est encore très loin de Murakami cela dit...) et puis ça m'aide à progresser. Donc je me dit que je vais peut être ouvrir un deuxième espace, mais en même temps, vu l'allure à laquelle je poste, c'est un peu ridicule.

Bientôt je vous parlerai de la première Fashion Week du Cambodge, de mon tout premier Oktoberfest (et le troisième de Phnom Penh), de la staff party au Sofitel, et puis hopefully de mon premier mariage cambodgien au Cambodge (zavez vu comment j’insert des mots en anglais, c’est pour faire cool et pour déculpabiliser), et je mettrais des photos et tout (ou comment repousser encore et encore l’écriture de son mémoire), oui oui promis (enfin peut être... ça devient pénible ces parenthèses). A bientôt.

Un mois jour pour jour

Un petit billet d'humeur en français, c'est un peu une grande première ici (si on ne compte pas la mini phrase d'introduction de mon premier post). J'avais juste envie de réécrire en français, un peu comme un retour aux sources.

Il s'en est passé des choses entre temps. Pas assez à mon goût, mais surement plus que si j'étais restée à Paris. En 5 mois, je découvre tout doucement ce pays dont je suis censée être à moitié issue, mais dont je ne connaissais pratiquement rien avant mon arrivée. La première fois que j'ai mis les pieds au Cambodge, c'était il y a environ 11 ans. C'était aussi mon premier voyage en avion. Je visitais alors les temples d'Angkor sans vraiment m'en soucier, me levais à 6 heures tous les matins pour manger des bols de nouilles, découvrait des membres insoupconnés de ma famille. En revenant, une toute autre ville que celle de mes souvenirs m'attendait. Dotée du même niveau de khmer qu'il y a 11 ans (orkun, niambai, muy pi bei, huum...), je troquais alors ma période touriste pour un poste de stagiaire de grande entreprise. Phnom Penh est peu à peu devenu un coup de coeur inespéré, très loin du coup de foudre immédiat, et maintenant assez loin de la phase repliement-autisme-je-veux-rentrer-à-la-maison des premières semaines (due en grande partie à un départ précipité et autres raisons personnelles).

Jusqu'à récemment, je me rendais pas vraiment compte que la fin de mon séjour approchait, mais les "when are you leaving" de plus en plus nombreux, m'ont un peu remis la notion du temps en place. Dans un mois jour pour jour, à la même heure, je serai à l'aéroport à attendre que le vol AF0273 décolle et m'emmène progressivement un peu plus loin de Phnom Penh et un peu plus près de Paris. Et entre temps je me rendrai presque pas compte des 15+ heures de voyage, puisque je passerai tout le trajet à dormir. J'imagine déjà l'atterrissage, le torticolis, le déambulement jusqu'au coin récup'baggages, le visage de ma mère et le froid de décembre m'accueillir. Après le reste est beaucoup plus flou. Mais en attendant, je profite de mon dernier mois et je me crée encore quelques souvenirs avant de rentrer.

Do I belong with you ?

I know that it has been quite a long time since my last post, but I didn't had much to say or didn't wanted to.

Being in Phnom Penh for 5 months now, I feel like this place is starting to absorb me, in all the possible meanings this word can have. I feel more comfortable and start to have my marks in this city. I love Phnom Penh for its freshness, its promises, and the lovely people I've met here. I can picture myself living in my own apartment, riding a moto to work, or having evening drinks with friends at the riverside; but I also feel exhausted and bridled sometimes. I'm still wondering if I could possibly belong here (meanwhile humming myself Sweet child O'mine last verse hahaha). I want to extend my stay a little bit longer, but I have to leave for school reasons. Of course I can always come back and I have plenty of reasons to do so. In fact it's a good thing that I have to go home. This will allow me to think about what will my project be if I want to move here and prepare myself if I decide to give it a try.

To sum up, it has been all except a love at first sight, but we all know that many stories begin with that ambivalent love-hate feeling ;).

In between

I'm in Cambodia since 3 months now. It will always surprise me how versatile can be the passing time. I feel like I've been here since so long, and yet, I remember my first step out of the plane as it was just yesterday. Passing from a cold air-conditionned and narrow space to a humid and hot new place to discover, leaving people that I see everyday for ones that I haven't met for a while.

I still have 3 months more to go before going back to France, and my mood is as versatile as the time, going from up to down, and from wonder to bitter feelings.

Tiger Translate

On friday 19th August, Tiger Translate returned to Phnom Penh, for the third time. I had to help to organize and set up the event. It was a really good experience, which allowed me to learn how this kind of event is done, from the conception to the celebration :). I've also met a lot of interesting people.

Balancing between traditions and modernity, and involving both expats and locals, Translate make a 180° turn direction from the previous editions. It introduced concepts that are still new to Cambodia, such as live t-shirt printing, or photo booth, and it was well received and attracted a lot of curious minded people that are seeking to live new experiences.

Traditional Chapey player, Monkey and Giant dancers introduced traditional khmer arts to expats, and appealed memories of the locals. Hip Hop Jazz fusion music by the french band 12Mé & Raph, break dance, and live painting were well received by locals. Khmer Hip Hop collective KlapYaHandz and the battle dance between the traditional dancers and urban break dancers were depicting fast moving Cambodia and rocked Phnom Penh new urban scene. Cambodia is moving forward, improving and heading toward modernity, but without forgetting about its traditions and roots. That night, people can feel it: far from being lost, Cambodia found itself in Translation.

It all started with an empty warehouse, where talented people filled the place with passion.

(more pictures to come when my internet connexion decides to be nice with me >_<)

Sunday Sahara

"How many Sundays – how many hundreds of Sundays like this – lay ahead of me? “Quiet, peaceful and lonely” I said aloud to myself. On Sundays i didn't wind my spring."

In the mood of doing nothing. Pressed the replay button a thousand times.

Live painting: pictures

Here are some pictures of the painting session. The walls were quite big, so it took few days to complete all. It was impressive to see how the artists work.

I was not there when they started to paint the blank wall, but arrived half way.

At night, they started the live painting session.

Shyly asking a picture with the artist.

This is the final artwork, resulting from the live session.

And a view of the two walls.

Week end away

Tomorrow, I will travel to Kompong Som - Sihanoukville, with my colleagues. This place is famous for its white sand beach, so I'm really excited now :).

Live painting

Last week, a new club opened, and my company did its branding there. We organized a live painting session for the opening party, and also two really cool and impressives paintings on the club's walls. The artist is Peap Tarr from New Zealand, but actually living in Cambodia, and he is quite famous here. He was helped with Théo Vallier, a French artist, and Lisa Mam, a local artist. I took some pictures, but the quality is not really good, as I still don't know how to deal with low light, and I didn't want to use the flash >_<. I will upload some pictures from the event later. Here is a link to the artist work: http://peaptarrone.tumblr.com/.

A little teaser of the night.

Relaxing time

Today, I've been to a pleasant place. Driving away from the city, Cambodian families often go to places where they can share a meal, play cards or relax on hammocks. The place I've been is alongside the river, where owners have built stilt houses. It's like a restaurant, you can order food, or even bring yours and pay for renting a carpet. I ate chicken, vegetables, and a soda.

Two weeks later

Everyday my dad drives me to work, and comes to pick me up when the day ends. He’s not reassured to let me go by my own, so I got to see him every day. It is a bit weird situation, since I haven’t seen him for about ten years in a row. Getting used to it is not as difficult as I thought, but hearing him calling me “chérie” sounds quite strange to my ear.

Today he brought me around the city, and to some markets, where I've taken few pictures. Olympic market reminded me about Ningbo “shangye guang chang”. The principle is the same than in China: cheap clothes, Asian style design, over cute things, and bargaining is a must, especially if you’re a foreigner. You can find a lot of things there, from clothes to food, or goods for daily use. I've bought a pair of "tuoxie" (slippers) for $2, drank a coke for 1500 riels. DVDs from Sorya market costs $1.5, frozen yoghourt with toping approx. $2.5. Here you can use both currencies, US dollar or Cambodia Riels, and even combine the two together. Later I went to Lucky supermarket to buy some snacks. I've bought two packets of biscuits, a pack of tissue, and a pack of chocolate milk for 4$.

Now a heavy rain filled all the city’s streets, so I’m back home, waiting for the rain to stop before going wandering again in the city.

Olympic market reminds me a of a bigger Ningbo's "shangye guangchang"

Sorya market, more modern and air-conditionned, but also smaller choice and more expensive than Olympic. Eating a frozen yoghourt with fruits, yummy and refreshing !

Cambodian version of Denver the last dinosaur :)

Satin-smooth

Velvet feelings.

I just had a bowl of noodle soup and an iced cappucino for breakfast, and a drive around the city with my grandpa.

I am currently

Sitting under the porch of my grandparents house, reading old news and enjoying an evening breeze, while watching my grandfather doing some sport on a training bicycle.

First days in Phnom Penh

I just arrived in Phnom Penh this saturday late afternoon. I'm still a bit confused with the jet lag and travel fatigue. As I was packing my luggage at home, it reminded me the preparation to China, a year ago. I can't speak khmer so it will be a challenge for me to communicate with people that can't speak english, and still have to learn a lot about cambodian lifestyle and customs.

On my first days here, I mainly rested and visited relatives. I also ate breakfast and dinner with my grandfather, and went out with my dad.

Today, I visited the office where I will work for the next 6 months. I shook a lot of hands and get many business cards. A nice lady explained me different stuffs about the company and introduced me to co-workers. The position I will take sounds very interesting, and I will sure learn a lot during my stay in Cambodia :).

Roads to Asia again

Life has passed since I last wrote here. 2011 is a good year, full of new experiences. I've been travelling to England, Spain and Switzerland, attending classes with a very new feeling: nostalgy, working for saving money, going out with friends...

Two weeks ago, I went to KTV with some classmates for a farewell party. One of them was leaving for Cuba for his internship, an other one will leave for China. It was a pleasant night, and I had a lot of fun. I will miss them and our pasta nights.

Now school is over, and everybody started to work as intern, most in Paris, and few abroad. I will go to Cambodia to do mine. Current feelings are a mix between edginess and curiosity, about how these next 6 months will be in this country I barely know. I feel like it's sometimes difficult to bound with people you only meet twice in a decade. But I see my stay in Cambodia as an opportunity to better know my family and share good moments, a chance to catch up with them.