Phnom Penh Party Pooper

Their Khmer New Year party lay in ruins. An electrical storm and a downpour had sent the guests and the band scuttling for cover.

Cambodian Commotion

The rich folk from across the road had another one of their parties.

 They are frequent and they are loud.

Really loud; we couldn't hear the TV in our house at its maximum volume.

For a moment it looked like we were going to be saved by the weather as a thunderstorm circled overhead. Alas it was brief and and didn't provide the much wanted lightening strike required to take out the sound system. And it didn't carry enough rain to ruin all the carefully prepared food either. Nor did it stop the guests from leaving their homes. Pity.

Parties are often loud anywhere of course, especially when teenagers are involved. But Cambodian events, despite a mixture of old and young guests being the norm, are intolerable. So few look like they are enjoying the event; families cannot talk to each other and friends can do little more than acknowledge each other. So often they just sit, eat, grimace and drink. Oh, and how they drink...

One way of coping with the cacophony, I suppose. Mercifully the parties always stops at 12 o'clock. On the dot, lightening strike or not.