The Gift of Giving

The usefulness of a gift is dependent on the need of the recipient.

Sri Dharmaraja II of Cambodia (reign 1627-1631)

"High Noon"

 

Hierarchy in Language

Khmer society is hierarchical. Social relationships are based on rankings. Within the family unit, rankings are based on birth orders, outside of families, social rankings are based on a variety of factors such as religious piety, age, profession, gender and education. As such, the Khmer language (both written and spoken) reflects these hierarchies. Some words you’d use to communicate with your friend are totally different from the words you’d use to communicate with a monk, royalty, a senior citizen, or a kid. 

For example: the word for your aunt or uncle is depended on his or her birth order in relation to your father’s or your mother’s

Your father’s or your mother’s younger sister is ming

Your father’s or your mother’s older sister is oum

Your father’s or your mother’s younger brother is pou

Your father’s or your mother’s older brother is oum

It's Friday, It Must be Blue

According to Khmer tradition, each day of the week is associated with a certain color. And that color is linked to a certain divinity that is venerated on that day. People are advised to dress each day according to the color of the presiding divinity to bring health, prosperity, and happiness to their lives. In the olden days, most women, especially aristocratic women, would dress accordingly every day. 

There are several poems written about this over the centuries, and the oldest one goes as follows 

Red is for Sunday,

Monday is orange that looks truly like the Moon,

Purple is reserved for Tuesday,

Wednesday is the beautiful green of the liep plant.

Thursday is the yellowish green of the young banana palm,

Happy Friday is blue, and must be neat and tidy,

Saturday is the color of ripe pring,

As passed down by the ancients.

So blue reigns supreme today. Blue is the color of the vicious and wrathful Durga (another form of the Mother Goddess Shakti). The goddess’ fury and rage are aimed only at evil and demonic forces in order to liberate the oppressed and to ensure the power of creation. Durga is also known as the one who destroys all distress. In Khmer culture, her day is referred to as happy Friday (sok sabay). And to honor her, we are advised to dress smartly and to dress well. If you are planning to move into a new home, Friday is the day to do so. 

Quote of the Day

The red krama goes with a black shirt adorned with a whole troop of buttons.

Victims of the Khmer Rouge 

Untitled Poem

Walking along the stream

I hear the birds chirping

Hiking in the mountains

I hear the bees buzzing among the flowers.

Sunshine from morning to evening 

Gray and wild oxen grazing along the foot of the mountain

Small ones, large ones, separated by size 

Grazing along the foot of the mountain

Drinking from the creek.

I love a tan girl

A Khmer girl full of virtues and beauty

With good lineage, from a noble family 

Waiting for her coming-of-age.

Santhor Mok (19th Century)

Footnotes: 

I used birds in the second line as I could not find the scientific/western name for khveak, a kind of bird in Khmer

Gray ox is kouprey in Khmer

Wild ox is banteng or thounsoung in Khmer 

I could not find the title of this piece, though most people refer to it as Surya Lngeach Thngai

 

 

Tears of the Revolution

“Red blood” are the tears of the baby in his/her mother’s womb and when he/she is three months old — this means his/her mother has worked for the revolution. – Victims of the Khmer Rouge