Phnom Penh friends

Valerie (in red), David, Donna and LJ (back). Thanks guys for showing me around Phnom Penh and for making my stay wonderful!

Phnom Penh Airport again

LV sighting at the airport

Phnom Penh Airport

The First KFC in Cambodia

The news of KFC opening here in Phnom Penh was met with much excitement, not by Khmers, but by the Pinoys.

On regular days, lunchtime, it takes an hour to order! That according to my friend who's always there.

Eh bakit kasi dun pa kumakain eh!?

I'm a chicken person before but I surely don't miss it anymore.

And I wouldn't wait an hour just to order that damn chicken noh!

So 9am, KFC store opening, I was outside the door already. Hahahahaha!

I promised my friend Indra that I'll bring KFC.

Their giveaway toys were cute. Didn't get one though, sayang.

We Pinoys love gravy. Heck, my friends go to KFC because they love the gravy there, and because it's gravy-all-you-want. I don't eat chicken anymore but I had to buy a bucket (which they didn't put in a bucket btw but in a carton box) for my friends at the hotel. I was surprised because instead of gravy they put ketchup. And they sell the gravy if you ask for seconds. Ngek!

Pho with friends

Three days of running around in Phnom Penh was tiring. My last night there my friends and I went to eat at this pho resto.

Donna

Valerie

David

A bowl of hot, delicious vegetarian pho. Yummy!

moi

SONG

A new shop in Phnom Penh opened called Song.

You know moi, any shop that's new I'm there! Mahalia Jackson! I like the cotton boxers set (3 pcs) for $35. Didn't buy anything. Maybe next time.

Reyum Exhibit 2

Ok, the runnng theme of the exhibit is identity. This piece of folded paper is nice and all but I don't get it how a Naga (mythical snake creature) relates to identity. It's so very Issey Miyake that's why I like it. hehehe

And then you get this painting of a pot or vessel. This one is seriously ugly. And wala din sa identity theme. Hay...

But then you get this traditional portrait, well sort of. It's kinda popular here that type of rendering. The twist is the consumerist take where the dress is filled up with the packaging of a soap brand. Brand+identity.

Pixel drama. Glass shots with colored milk inside. Mother chuva concept. Pwede na.

Di ko na-gets.

But i like the cool pencil shaving media.

This one i like. Very simple pero avant. He made a drawing of Cambodia on the wall. For each province he placed a transitor radio and tuned it to a particular station. What you get is cacophony of sounds. He likens it to what is happening in Cambodia, theres a confusion of what to listen to.

The artist dressed up into certain Cambodian archetypes and had himself photograped in a regular photo shops. The concept is okey but the execution I don't like.

The artist's mother died when he was very young. The only memory he has left of her is 3 photographs. He rendered them in pencil and stacked it together. He said that even though he doesn't know her mother, she is still part of her identity.

The 'blackhole' picture.

But actually it's a shot of cooking oil in a pan. The artist comments on environmental issues, our connection to the stars, our ways and how everything is interelated.

This piece is also nice and well conceptualized. Cracked mirror reflects the video images of Cambodian pop culture. Khmer Rouge propaganda slogans were remixed to Khmer hip-hop music.

The whole set-up. I'm impressed. He totally gets the identity concept.

Nice, a comment on Buddhism. Gold leaf details and installation of those ceremonial bowls. Di ko nagets masyado ang meaning.

This one is wonderful! The video is about the artist showing pictures of their flags and asking them what the flags meant to them. He embroidered flags on the side. Ang ganda, super. I did get his identity concept here. So simple yet so profound.

Winner ang embroidery.

Tracy Emin isdatchu? Hay naku nagpaka-British ang artist na ito. I hate this piece. Kakainis.

Spoon sculpture detail

I also love this piece. The artist photographed through a rolled paper, so the image that you see is partially obscured. It's a collection of everything about her. The artist was the only girl in the group. Basta gets ko sya.

Reyum Gallery Opening

Reyum is an art institution that is funded by several art oriented groups from around the world. They try to develop and nurture the growing artists in Cambodia. This latest opening gathered several artists who attended a workshop about contemporary art. The outcome of the workshop is this exhition.

Utensils and metal chair sculpture.

Lots of people cramped in the small gallery

I kinda like it. Our current exhibit by Loven Ramos has exactly the same materials of utensils and ready-made items from the market. What a coincidence.

I was impressed by this photo. It looks like a shot of a nebula or a black hole. It's actually a shot of cooking oil in a pan. A very environmental face but clever. I love it!

It amused me that they served Khmer kakanin/traditional cakes and fruits to guests. Odiva! Very grassroots and cocktail!