Holidays

Holidays in foreign places are always an interesting concept, especially in places that don't really celebrate them. Thanksgiving in Cambodia, for example. Given that Thanksgiving is a purely American holiday, no one in Cambodia even considers it. There's not really any such things as "turkey" here, much less "cranberries," "stuffing," "pecan pie," or my grandmother's exquisite Jello salad. Of course, the food isn't what makes Thanksgiving, but it's an important part. Coupled with the fact that it doesn't really get cold here (despite the increased number of locals wearing long sleeves and jackets), Thanksgiving really just doesn't exist. Besides, why would Cambodians give thanks for a peace between Pilgrims and Native Americans? Of course it's silly to think that Cambodians would celebrate the American holiday, but even as an American (albeit a sort of bland one), I almost forgot about the occasion.

Christmas isn't quite the same. People here celebrate it as a secular holiday. Christmas trees and lights and presents are fun no matter what your belief, and although there's absolutely no chance of a white Christmas, the idea is nice. Still, you won't have entire families gathering around a nice fireplace and eating a big meal or opening presents unless you peek into the house of a family of expatriates. Even then, it's just not the same. It still won't be cold; even in Dallas, you usually have to wear a jacket around Christmas.

In other news, I met last night with the director of the NGO sponsoring the classical music festival. He and I both were enthusiastic about meeting each other, and this morning I attended the orchestra concert. It was great to hold a viola in my hands again. Although the orchestra is really just a string octet plus two clarinets and two flutes, it was fun to get back into an orchestral setting. Anton (the director) has actually requested that I participate in the concert with the orchestra. So I have to go find a tux. The other violist in the group actually had a spare viola, and he loaned it to me, not only for the rehearsal, but to take home as well. Although I'm hesitant to practice too much here at home, it's really nice to have. Not a great instrument, but it has four strings and a bow, and I have no room to be picky.

Earlier this week I went out with one of the doctors from the hospital, Gerlinda. We went to dinner at a Chinese restaurant and had some great talking, and then we went to a "T & Coffee Shop" (cute, I know) to hear the new Filipino band performing. I was skeptical when they donned cowboy hats (that clearly weren't from Texas) but completely forgot that they were Filipino when the man started singing. Apparently Filipino entertainers are remarkable imitators, and this guy could twang like you wouldn't believe. I'm sure he didn't talk that way, but he sure could sing. Occasionally he made a mistake that indicated he was just imitating sounds (not like a wording mistake – the wrong phoneme in a simple word), but still, it was quite impressive. The girl was less impressive, as her voice was very muffled through the speakers, but fortunately, the man sang most of the songs. Anyway, it was a very nice evening, and who would have thought I would be sitting outside a café in Phnom Penh, Cambodia listening to a live band perform country music? It would be a lie to say it felt like home, but it was a nice touch.