Advances in the Interpretation of Ancient Religious Sites in Southeast Asia

Conference hosted by the Centre of Southeast Asian Studies and Monash Asia Institute

13 - 15 July 2005, Ramada Hotel, Melbourne, Australia This path-breaking two day conference will focus on the ancient religious sites of Southeast Asia, and their integration into and interaction with the surrounding cities and landscapes. These extraordinary sites have received considerable attention from the colonial period onward, and a substantial body of documentation has been accumulated over time. While this information has helped advance the understanding of issues ranging from water management to construction techniques, the question of how it affects our understanding of the links of the temples with their surroundings has received far less attention. The temples were socially lived sites, interconnected inseparably with the rhythms of everyday life of the surrounding community. The conference draws on the latest work by over twenty international experts, who will approach the sites from a range of perspectives and disciplines, and illuminate their incorporation into the lived environment - physically, socially, and metaphysically. http://www.arts.monash.edu.au/mai/sacredsites/

Books, books and more books. Meetings at the Federation for the Development of the Book Sector in Cambodia for the next few days, as they prepare for their annual general meeting. First draft of web site at: http://jinja.apsara.org/cbsf/

Check it out: DJ Sdey and Ratanakiri stuff in the works.

 

A good article on English teaching in Cambodia.

We seem to be heading towards blog convergence here; comics and Cambodia. See http://www.qdcomic.com/blog/ for Phnom Penh comics workshop. Meanwhile, in France, more Cambodia memoirs are on the way from Institute Pacome and associates: The weekend illiko May 21, and 22 2005 "illiko" exposure meets draughtsmen authors and contemporary illustrators from the 20 to May 28, 2005 in Kingersheim www.crea-kingersheim.com •You will note the behaviour of an exposure of Simon Hureau and Sylvain-Moizie "Two merry adventurers to Cambodia", presenting illustrations, boards and sketch - Simon Hureau in particular presents "OFFICE OF the PROLONGATIONS", éd. Égo Comme X, second work on his voyage to Kampuchea. - And Sylvain-Moizie presents his work "SEVEN MONTHS - and a week With SAUCE KHMÈRE", work in two parts of which first fate in September 2005, éd. éd. La Boîte À Bulles. •L' Institut Pacôme will on the spot sell its works in the presence of ARIANE Pinel, Sylvain-Moizie, Baptist Virot, and more if interested.

"Water and Earth" : Sera's thoughts on how to represent history via comics.

 

 

The streets are deserted as people visit the temples and their friends during the day, and party in the evening.

For a foriegner, I've been invited to a few parties but have to keep my nose to the grindstone with a few reports. The extra time is welcome.

 

My French lessons continue and the other day we had a little cheese and champagne to mark the New Year. Some days I can't complain much about Phnom Penh.

Under The Drops of Falling Rain by Oum Suphany Been meaning to post about this novel I've been reading on and off. The author is contactable via the office of the Royal Palace. This novel was published in Khmer in 1989, translated into English in 1997. Structurally a romance regarding an arranged marriage during Khmer Rouge time, what's particulary interesting is its discussion of culture. In this book, the KR destruction of culture is a crime just as horrible as what it does to people. "They play the melody of traditional music called Trot but they compose revolutionary verses to go with it. When I hear these songs, they sound like the scream of ghosts asking for souls." Highly critical of the Khmer Rouge but positive toward the PRK government of the time. PRK era songs are mixed with discussion of George Sand's works and Apsara dancing. An intriguing period piece.

 

Was getting some scans printed out when I saw a guy wearing a Titanic t-shirt across the street, loading cooking gas tanks onto a moto. After a moment's consideration I walked across the street and asked if he wanted to trade his shirt for my shirt, or if he would sell it.

 

In Cambodia, the Titanic film went down a treat. And about 5 years ago there was a ubiquitous t-shirt that everyone seemed to have: Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio with the Titanic spelunking in the foreground. These are still seen now but you can't find one in the market for love or money. The Titanic t-shirt is right up there with the the F4 cap, and Britney Spears t-shirt as local pop culture.

 

I am now the proud owner of a smelly shirt. Photos will follow. Be afraid. Be very afraid.

 

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 23, 2005 CONTACT: Christina Kellogg/510.642.9121 ckellogg@calperfs.berkeley.edu

Music and Dance from Cambodia Come Alive in Seasons of Migration: An odyssey of transformation Friday, April 29 at 8:00 p.m. in Zellerbach Hall Ticket Info

SchoolTime: Special 1-hour Show for Students, Friday, April 29 at 11:00 a.m.

Sightlines : Pre-performance talk by choreographer Sophiline Cheam Shapiro

BERKELEY, March 23, 2005– Cambodian-born choreographer Sophiline Cheam Shapiro brings Seasons of Migration: An odyssey of transformation, part of a program of Cambodian music and dance, to Cal Performances on Friday, April 29 at 8:00 p.m. Createdin collaboration with Cambodia’s Royal University of Fine Arts (RUFA),the company of 27 dancers and musicians, sumptuously bedecked in sequined sarongs, golden bangles and high-spired crowns, tells a tale as old as the roots of mythology and as timely as today’s news. The Cambodian classical dance tradition noted for its elegant and highly-stylized gestures and movements is a combination of theater, ritual and storytelling that has its origins in ancient royal ceremonies and religious observances.

Under Ms. Shapiro’s direction, the RUFA troupe will also present the rarely performed Ream Eyso & Moni Mekhala(The God of Thunder and the Goddess of Lightning), a sacred drama of fertility that describes the origin of rain, thunder and lightning. Both pieces will feature the RUFA dancers moving to the rhythms of the pinpeat, the traditional Cambodian ensemble composed of drums, xylophones, gongs, and reed instruments. The dancers and musicians are Cambodia ’s best, and as Ms. Shapiro states, their presentation of a traditional drama alongside her most current work “demonstrates how the new emerges from the old and how one brings new perspective to the other.”

There will be a SchoolTime performance of Seasons of Migration: An odyssey of transformation for Bay Area students Friday, April 29 at 11:00 a.m . in Zellerbach Hall. Tickets available in advance only. A free Sightlines talk will be given by Sophiline Cheam Shapiro on Friday, April 29 at 7:00 p.m.

Seasons of Migration: An odyssey of migration is the most recent of Ms. Shapiro’s creative attempts to both preserve Cambodian classical dance and to render it relevant to contemporary audiences. Its story,rooted in Ms. Shapiro’s own experiences,re-imagines immigration as a sojourn of divinities who descend to earth to live among mortals and undergo, like all immigrants, the psychic transformation that has been called culture shock. Through the colorful and hypnotic language of Cambodian classical dance, the drama’s four parts communicate the stages of that transformation: initial euphoria, followed by disappointment and bitter rejection, and then a period of exhausted and tentative adjustment. Finally comes equilibrium—acceptance of one’s new surroundings and one’s place in it, and even a promise of creative renewal.

SOPHILINE CHEAM SHAPIRO

Only eight years old when the Khmer Rouge invaded Phnom Penh and took power in Cambodia, Sophiline Cheam Shapiro survived the devastation to become one of the first generation of young artists to graduate from RUFA after the regime’s collapse. She subsequently taught at RUFA and joined with colleagues and other Cambodian artists in a movement to revive the rich cultural traditions that had been all but obliterated by the Khmer Rouge. Although Ms. Shapiro immigrated to Southern California in 1991, she returns to Cambodian frequently to teach and conduct dance projects. The trauma inflicted by the destructive reign of the Khmer Rouge during her childhood, her love and concern for her native culture, and her experience as an immigrant artist are all sources of her highly original creative vision.

Ms. Shapiro first received widespread attention in April 2000 with her concert-length dance drama, Samritechak/Othello(samritechak translates as dark prince), which premiered in Phnom Penh and has since been performed in several venues in the United States as well as the Venice Biennale and the Hong Kong Arts Festival. The Los Angeles Times called the unorthodox retelling of the Elizabethan tragedy a “beautiful and illuminating bridge between the two cultures.” Though Ms. Shapiro intends her work to be a fusion of eastern and western traditions, she also sees it as a means to educate her fellow Cambodians and to challenge what she considers her native country’s continued moral and political corruption. For example, Samritechak—her Othello–acknowledges and apologizes for the horror of his deeds and begs for punishment, a pointed reference to the unrepentant surviving members of the Khmer Rouge leadership.

Among other awards, Ms. Shapiro has received a Durfee Foundation Master Musician Fellowship, a Guggenheim Fellowship and an Irvine Fellowship in Dance, the latter which provided support for the development of Seasons of Migration: An odyssey of transformation. She currently resides in Long Beach, California, where she is the co-founder and artistic director of the Khmer Arts Academy, a performing arts organization dedicated to fostering the vitality of Cambodian arts and culture.

THE ROYAL UNIVERSITY OF FINE ARTS, PHNOM PEHN (RUFA)

The Royal University of Fine Arts, Cambodia’s official conservatory of fine arts, was established in 1965 by King Norodom Sihanouk as part of a campaign to bring Cambodian classical arts to the wider world. RUFA serves as a teaching center and the home of many performance ensembles that include the country’s best actors, dancers and musicians. RUFA’s classical dance troupe has toured extensively, with visits to the United States in 1971, 1990, 2001, and most recently in 2003, when it performed Ms. Shapiro’s Samritechak.

TICKET INFORMATION

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Tickets for Seasons of Migration: An odyssey of transformation on Friday, April 29 at 8:00 p.m.in Zellerbach Hall are priced at $24.00, $36.00, and $48.00.Tickets are available through the Cal Performances Ticket Office at Zellerbach Hall; at (510) 642-9988 to charge by phone; at www.calperfs.berkeley.edu; and at the door. Half-price tickets are available for purchase by UC Berkeley students. UC faculty and staff, senior citizens and other students receive a $2 discount, and UC Alumni Association members receive a $3 discount (Special Events excluded). For more information, call Cal Performances at (510) 642-9988, or visit the Cal Performances web site at www.calperfs.berkeley.edu.

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The San Francisco Chronicle is a season sponsor of Cal Performances; San Francisco magazine and Classical 102.1 KDFC are season media sponsors of the 2004/05 performing arts season.

Cal Performances’ 2004/2005 season is sponsored by Wells Fargo.

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CALENDAR EDITORS, PLEASE NOTE:

CAL PERFORMANCES PRESENTS

Friday, April 29 at 11:00 a.m. Zellerbach Hall, UC Berkeley Campus SCHOOLTIME PERFORMANCE Bancroft Way at Telegraph, Berkeley

Program: In a one-hour performance for school children, the music and dance ensemble from the Royal University of Fine Arts, Phnom Penh, will perform excerpts from Seasons of Migration: An odyssey of transformation and Ream Eyso & Moni Mekhala (The God of Thunder and the Goddess of Lightning).

Tickets: $3.00 per student or adult chaperone, available in advance only through Cal Performances at (510) 642-1082. SchoolTime performances are open to students in grades 2 through 12 in Bay Area public and private schools. Supplemental study guides for the classroom are provided. For more information about the SchoolTime program, contact the SchoolTime coordinator at Cal Performances by email at eduprograms@calperfs.berkeley.edu, or by phone at (510) 642-0212.

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Friday, April 29 at7:00 p.m. Zellerbach Hall, UC Berkeley Campus

SIGHTLINES Bancroft Way at Telegraph Ave., Berkeley

Pre-performance talk by Sophiline Cheam Shapiro, choreographer and director of Seasons of Migration: An odyssey of transformation.Sightlines is a continuing program of pre- and post-performance discussions with Cal Performances’ guest artists and scholars, designed to enrich the audience’s experience. These events are free to ticketholders.

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Friday, April 29 at8:00 p.m. Zellerbach Hall, UC Berkeley Campus

Bancroft Way at Telegraph Ave., Berkeley

World Stage

Sophiline Cheam Shapiro, choreographer

The RoyalUniversity of Fine Arts

Program:

Seasons of Migration: An odyssey of transformation

Ream Eyso & Moni Mekhala (The God of Thunder and the Goddess of Lightning)

Tickets: $24.00, $36.00, and $48.00, available through the Cal Performances Ticket Office at Zellerbach Hall; at (510) 642-9988 to charge by phone; at www.calperfs.berkeley.edu; and at the door.

A new creation

Cambodian/French Artist Sera returns to Cambodia for an exhibition of his new book, and some workshops for young artists. The Exposition is open to the public from April 7th. Thursday April 21st (6pm) the artist will present the exhibition to the public, followed by a Café Littéraire / Rencontre and a dedication of his new book, 'Water and Earth' at Carnets d'Asie. More details at link below. April Sera Exposition

 

Folk & Classical Khmer Dance Friday 8th & Saturday 7th April 2005 At 7:30pm Entrance fee: Adults $5 , Children $3

Sovanna Phum Art Association nº111 St 360 ( Corner 105 ) - Phnom Penh Tel: 023 987 564 Fax:023 221 932 e-mail: sp.admin@camintel.com We have shows every Friday & Saturday. Our restaurant & puppets shop are open everyday, except on Sunday.

Sasha Constable takes the prize amongst artsy types for less whinging, more working. It's her second exhibition this year.

Explosions next to PHARE Art School Was saddened yesterday to recieve an email from Sylvain Mozie, who has taught comics and kamishibai at PHARE Art School in Battambang. An ammunition warehouse near the school exploded. PHARE is one of the few truly independent art schools in Cambodia, independently supported, equivalent to USA concept of a ‘magnet’ school for the performing and visual arts. They also house numerous social programs including those in support of abused children. I've been fortunate enough to see the comics workshops at the school, and visited Battambang just two weeks ago to discuss some art workshops. It’s a bit of a shock to hear that a program so dynamic can be affected so quickly. I will leave it to others to philosophize about the legacy of war in Cambodia; for now PHARE needs immediate and practical help. Sources from PHARE indicate that damage to the school totals about $5000, while damage to the nearby community is much higher, about $15,000. PHARE will be coordinating benefits in the service of both the school and the community. Watch this space: http://jinja.apsara.org/phare - J --------------------------- Cambodia Ammo Warehouse Blast Kills 6 By Associated Press March 30, 2005, 11:02 PM EST PHNOM PENH, Cambodia -- A military weapons depot exploded in northwestern Cambodia early Thursday, killing at least six people and triggering an hours-long spray of shells and bullets, officials said. The explosions erupted around 2:30 a.m. about a mile outside the town of Battambang, said Pen Rithy, a provincial deputy police chief. At least six people died in the blasts, he said, adding that the victims included three villagers who lived near the warehouse. Details about the three other victims were not immediately available. Cambodia's co-minister of defense, Tea Banh, said officials were investigating the cause of the blast.The warehouse held a variety of ammunition, including mortars and heavy artillery shells, used during Cambodia's civil war, Pen Rithy said. He said blasts of heavy weaponry lasted several hours but sporadic explosions of small ammunition used for rifles and machine guns were still being heard after sunrise. "Some heavy ammunition flew away and was reported to have landed about 12 miles from the warehouse," he said.Kry Chamroeun, who works at a provincial television station, said the explosion was so powerful that it broke glass windows at many houses in the nearby provincial town. He said his television station, located about a quarter-mile from the warehouse, had been hit by stray ammunition, and that its roof and antenna have been damaged. "Last night people were fleeing the town in panic, like when the Khmer Rouge came to power" Kry Chamroeun said, referring to the genocidal regime that ruled Cambodia from 1975-79. Battambang province was on the front line of conflict during Cambodia's civil war with the Khmer Rouge insurgency. The province is located 155 miles northwest of the capital Phnom Penh.[End]

Dear friends of Phare Ponleu Selpak (PPS), At war times, the Battambang province was heavily bombed and last night events remembered this war to all the people here who already suffered so much from it. An ammunition Depot on military ground located near our village, less than one kilometre away, started a fire last night. Explosions lasted for 4 hours, four very long hours with one especially intense hour of continuous blasts. Children living on our ground where immediately moved to our administrator house in downtown Battambang, and happily they all made it safely. Victim’s figures are still to be estimated, as a lot of the nearest villager houses that where located closer to the site where totally burned down. We do know that PPS-helped families went away from the dangerous area shortly after the first explosions. PPS staff spent the whole night trying to reunite families that were separated during their escape. On this side of things, the morning proved successful, with no one close to PPS missing – Staff, staff families, beneficiaries, all the people that use to be working with us or that we use to help trough our various programs are safe by now. Now for the material damage. While the most important thing certainly is that nobody around PPS was harm, and some uncertainties survive on the destiny of individuals living in the village without being known to us, several buildings on our compound where severely damaged. Rooftops from the Circus school, public school and art school are totally or partially destroyed, ceiling from our offices and toilets fell down damaging the computers. At the time of writing “’we need to secure the rooftops before the rainy season comes”, a heavy rain started, which is probably right now spoiling our pedagogic materials even further. We where caught in a cold, and sure all of us are trying to protect and shelter what they can, but we lack essentials so much. The circus school especially took so many years to achieve its current level of performance. It could be a financial disaster as well, as Circus performances represents a highly significative part of the gross income for PPS. We are estimating an approximate budget of 5.000usd of damage to the buildings, a figure that should be refined trough a serious entrepreneur opinion, but this is only for the buildings damage; we still have to go through the loss in materials (computer, circus equipment, classroom’s furniture…) While the young children are still away (the area is still presumed at risk), PPS is sheltering three families that cannot return to their homes, as a safety zone has been established that encloses their homes. The risk still going on is some concern from the military authorities that even more explosive stockpiled in the basement may still explode. There are actually 49 families who totally lost their housings. These families need support to rebuilt their houses and face elementary needs. Overseas friends can help by sending money to Comite de Jumelage de la ville de Torcy Pour Battambang Jean-Pierre Ossorio 36 rue du jeu de paume 77200 TORCY Or, for those of you living in Cambodia, straight to us, at : Phare Ponleu Selpak Income Canadia Bank LTD. / Battambang Branch / Compte Numéro 04 00 306 001372 Phare Ponleu Selpak will keep you updated with the actual use of your money in total trensparency. Please state if you intent this money to be spent on emergency issues for the villager or to contribute to the rebuild of Phare damaged properties (rooftops, school expenditures, etc…) On behalf of all the people here at Phare Ponleu Selpak, Jean-Christophe Sidoit.

Mobile: 012 482 005

jcsid@free.fr

Should you need any more information on Phare or an update on the actual situation in our village, please feel free to contact:

Jean-Philippe Monteiro,

(Phare representative in Phnom Penh)

Mobile: 012 561 005

Jean-Philippe.Monteiro@Freebel.net

. . .