KIM VIREAK: Khmer New Year 2015

April 15, 2015.

My wife took photo with my second son, Kim Monirith.

In Khmer New Year, for my first day, my wife went to the market in the early morning in order to buy food to cook and bring to Pagoda.

We went to Samathi pagoda where is near Ream Beach because we found that most of people have been to the nearest pagodas; hence, we decided to go to the pagoda where is far from Sihanouk province.

First of all, my wife, my daughter, and my sons offered food to the monks and pray to our ancestors to get food from the monks after the blessing ended.

For Cambodian people believe that all their ancestors will be able to get food when the monk blessing (The food offers through the monk blessing). If the ancestors got sin, they would not get food unless the monk blessing done.

Then My daughter and I was holding two dishes carrying rice to put it on the monk's bowls for each spoon of rice until the end of bowls (Khmer called Roab Bath). It means people believe that their ancestors are able to receive food. We were calling the name of our ancestors and relatives by heart and our hand were putting rice on the monk's bowls.

I took photo with my third daughter, Kim Sovanny.

Next we moved to go outside and we continued to offer money to the poor people who were waiting for the kind people to offer food or money.

Although the money were offered to the poor, but we were happy to do the right things

After that we left the pagoda in order to goo back home. When the car was moving to the National Road # 4, my children gave comment that they wanted to visit Bokor resort where locates in Kampot province.

I thought my wife had never been there before so that I agreed with my children to continue to Bokor resort. We had no plan to visit there. Therefore, all of us didn't bring clothes at all. We also made up our mind to stay in Kampot province one night after visiting Bokor.

When the car arrived Veal Renh, we stopped the car for a while to buy rice and friend chicken to put in the plastic bags for our lunch on the hill of Bokor.

My daughter and I offered food to ancestors and relatives.

It was my first time to drive a car to the hill of Bokor. Everything was good and safe. First place to visit was Yeay Mao statue.

My wife, my children, and I were praying to her to be safe and happiness while we were visiting there. We also took some photos over there during our trip.

Then we went to Kokor casino to relax because the weather was too hot. We have spent at least one hour inside the casino with taking some photos at the garden where is surround it.

Next we visited the fountain. Unluckily, there wasn't any falling water because this season didn't have enough water to fall from the hill.

Hence, we just sat under the shadow of the trees until 3:45pm, and we continued to came back home without staying one night at Kampot province.

On the way home, my wife, my children were talking about something that they just visited. For me I just drove my car on the National Road # 4 to home and listen to music on my car. We arrived home at 7:15pm with safe trip and happiness.