February 11, 2008
by Phally Chroy
After a long day of shooting b-roll for my documentary, I thought of doing something fun with the interns. Cut to the chase, I decided that we were going to eat bugs. You see, I like food, and it would just be ignorant of me not to try insects while I’m here in Cambodia. I mean, if my parents ate them when they use to live in Cambodia, I surely have some insect-eating DNA in my genetic code. So here it is. And just for reference, I have eaten cricket before, but these were Cambodian-style crickets so I didn’t know exactly what to expect.
So what’s on the menu? Black spiders and Cambodian crickets. And these spiders were not pretty at all. I tell you, they were long, black, and hairy. My mind was racing… how was I supposed to eat them? Well, I did and we shot it on video. In fact, since this is a very giving month, a special treat! I also ate a cricket, which is in this video too. Thanks to all the interns, Muth and Kawick for their help with the other camera, and eating the buggers as well.
Accompanying this video is a classic Cambodian song about going to the “New Market.” It is a popular oldie, which the singers sing that they are going to the market to look for girls but in this video, (obviously) we are going to the market to look for insects.
Phally
Click here to email Phally with your questions or comments
The views and information presented are the Fulbright grantee’s own and do not represent the Fulbright Program or the U.S. Department of State.
February 8, 2008
by James Collins
Wow… It’s hard to describe what an incredible experience this was. I was honestly blown away. For some reason, I had pictured the National Workshop as a rather serious affair with lots of practicing and note-taking and all that sort of thing. Though there was certainly a lot of hard work and an incredible amount of dedication on the part of the participants, it was, more than anything, a week of fun, friendship and creativity for everyone involved. This was one of the most inspiring and invigorating things I’ve seen in a long time.
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February 8, 2008
by Larnies Bowen
Talk about being thrust into the “real world.” Only a few months after graduating, I pushed aside my fears, swallowed my anxieties and successfully relocated to a foreign country where I’ve secured my first very-own apartment, made new friends, expanded my network of contacts, and delved head-first into a new field of study. In the process, I have learned a great deal about my strengths and weaknesses. One particularly important epiphany was that somewhere along the line I started equating asking for help with relying on people. Since previous experiences have shown me that people aren’t reliable, this asking for help thing is something I’ve been struggling with. However, my circumstances and the nature of my research have forced me to accept the reality that I simply cannot do everything by myself. So while stepping way out of my comfort zone and overcoming many of fears has been extremely empowering, I also feel as if I have been humbled as well.
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February 8, 2008
by Aaron Shneyer
Yes. It’s time for an update! Heartbeat is off to a great start in 2008. Despite a “blizzard” and security precautions for President Bush that temporarily shut down Jerusalem, we’ve managed to hold three fantastic meetings. Kela, Yael, Sameera, Tamer, Roi, Fouad, Kareen, Samer, Mohamed, Dana, Ron, Isam, and Rami are VERY excited to e-meet you all soon…
The quick low-down:
The first meeting was mostly intros, names, where we’re from, the kind of music we listen to. Each musician played or sang us a little sample of the music they’re into. My feeling is that people left excited, but still a bit confused as to what this experience is going to be like. I continue to insist that the experience is exactly what the musicians choose to make it… Our second meeting was at the Sabreen Studio in Sheikh Jarrah, East Jerusalem, right around the corner from the Palestinian National Theater. We took the first couple of hours to get to know each other a bit more and then we split into small groups (about 4 people per group) for a songwriting activity. They came up with some pretty nice stuff. After about two hours, we cut the meeting a bit short so we could walk down to the aforementioned theater and see Wissam Murad and his band in concert. Wissam is a fantastic Oud player and singer with a unique style, blending new and old sounds. The show was stunning. You can check him out at www.wissammurad.com
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February 6, 2008
by Phally Chroy
This entry is about Bosba Panh, a little girl with a not-so-little voice. It is her innocence, unique vocals, amazing talent, and strong sound that has been floating throughout Cambodia for quite some time. There is an interesting thing about this little girl, Bosba, that so many people find magical. Apparently she sings renditions of popular, iconic songs in both English and French, and then adapts them to Khmer.
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February 5, 2008
by Larnies Bowen
Unbeknownst to me, I arrived justo a tiempo for the beginning of the busy season here in Panama City. The holidays were quickly approaching and January marked the beginning of summer so (affordable) housing was/is scarce in this Latin American hotspot. All the newspapers and websites have been listing apartments at upwards of $600 (yes that is USD). And I’m sorry, but I just couldn’t stomach forking over $600+ per month in rent in Latin America. So…I took to walking.
At the suggestion of some family friends who work in real estate, I walked around choice neighborhoods and spoke with the management, concierges, and residents of various apartment buildings in the hopes of locating a reasonably priced apartment. After much walking (and some tears), I found a decent one-bedroom apartment within my budget. It’s not in the prettiest neighborhood, but it’s centrally located—a quick quarter bus ride or $1 taxi ride to the University of Panama and everywhere else I need to be. One major drawback: it was completely unfurnished. (Apparently, in Panama when you rent an apartment you rent just that—an apartment. Most apartments don’t come with stoves or washing machines, or anything.) In fact, apartments don’t even come with lights! You have to go to an office called Edemet and put down a deposit first.
Further complicating the “settling in process” was all of the red tape concerning registering an apartment, opening up a bank account, obtaining a visa, and getting electricity in my apartment—all of which took about a month. Meaning, after it took about three weeks to locate an apartment, it took another three to four weeks until I could actually move in the apartment. I believe my realtor summed it up best when she explained “This is not the states. Everything here is un tramite…a long process.”
Click here to email Larnies with your questions or comments
The views and information presented are the Fulbright grantee’s own and do not represent the Fulbright Program or the U.S. Department of State.
