Endings and Beginnings – Cambodia Style
Jan 13th, 2009 by Jinja
The last few weeks have been a busy time.
In addition to the first (of three) New Year celebrations, we saw gifted artist Svay Ken pass away.
Svay Ken was aware his days were short, and requested his family and friends come visit him. In local Buddhist thinking, passing away should ideally be a peaceful time as the spirit prepares for rebirth into another incarnation. For a life that has seen so much change and turmoil, I’m pleased he left the stage in the manner he felt was appropriate. (Below: a very shaky video of the end of the funeral.)
The firecrackers were a little startling, signifying the start of the cremation process and the end of the funeral rituals. I like the idea of celebrating the life that’s past (as in a wake) and heck, when my time comes, I wouldn’t mind some fireworks.
Also during this time Monika and Yeng have been gearing up for their wedding, which they celebrated this last Sunday. It was a great party, mixing the best elements of east and west. The happy couple is now off for a few weeks of honeymooning and catching up with relatives.
(Cheers to Kylie and Phill for the great photo!)
Tags: cambodia,buddhism,khmer,funeral,wedding,
