Just a rant.

Returned village for the trip to Sangkat (commune) and announcement celebration

Geckos and tokays chirping all night long. Not so bad to sleep through.

But the roosters! From 2 or 3 AM. One starts then the next and finally the family rooster.

Racket dies down around 5 or 6 AM.

Then just the next door neighbor opens up with KTV tunes.

And then the funeral ceremony after that.

Actually I shouldn’t speak badly of the funeral. The guy was actually very hard working good man. He usually sponsored stuff like Pchum Ben celebrations for the village and doing stuff that the village chief neglected to do. Sister had gone to attend now.

Maybe just drag around until I pass out from exhaustion.

prahocalypse now wrote:Who is sister?

Is that your sister or sister-in-law?

Sister in law.

Now need to go to pay for villagers to carry fruit trays, and all sorts of other stuff. Maybe stop by the funeral too. So I can be the lone barang in the sea of Khmer...

takeoman wrote:Perhaps it is different where you are, but in my village fruit trays etc. would be carried by extended family and friends, and no payment would be required. As regards noise, surely you can't hear much from the reinforced air conditioned bunker you built in order to survive the occasional day being ''the lone barang".

Lots of payment is required. Pay for wood for cooking, pay for rice, fruit, food and drink. Platters for carrying the fruit. Tailor made clothes for the ‘bridesmaids’ and ‘groomsmen’ (ie, immediate family). Now talk of 300 guests to be invited for announcement as well as ceremony. Easy for me, just work more overtime. Missus and her family has the hard part preparing for all.

The commune is small. The head man only comes once a week to approve the paperwork.

Tomorrow starts with show the money. Then announcement. Then party.

The bunker is nice with aircon and fan. Beats sitting on a chair baking in the hot sun with the dirt, the dogs, and chickens for company. Unfortunately the bunker is not soundproof.

Just informed that the ceremony will be taking place the in bunker. Must move all the luggage into the toilet tonight. Bunker decoration begins tomorrow.

Sorry to all you die hard villager expats. I was never born to be a villager. Missus is from the village. It’s all to give her face and make her happy.

What’s the price of a woman’s happiness?

@newkidontheblock ...where is our invitation?

I hope you start a thread detailing the entire ceremony, etc. Please include photos. We're all very happy for you, congratulations!