Cambodian Dining in Boston

My family has a deep affection and attachment to Cambodia.  We all belong to a Tokyo-based NPO called, in Japan, “Caring for Young Refugees“, and in Cambodia, “Caring for Young Khmer“.  My mother in the ’90s used to visit the country for the NPO as a trustee every year for about ten years.  The last time we were there together was in December, 2009.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

So when we found out that there was a popular Cambodian restaurant on the edge of Boston within a walking distance from where we were staying in Brookline, we quickly agreed to visit for lunch.  The food was great.

A nice view from our table on this first real nice day out during our stay.

My starter. May not have been authentically Cambodian but delish nevertheless. (And the restaurant is supposed to be Cambodian-French so this dish may be one of the best representations.)

The Elephant Walk

Pictograms

My cousin gave me this book for Christmas.

A book of pictogram warning signs.

It has organized different warning signs that use pictograms into various categories by giving actual examples.  It’s written humorously and the pictogram photos are fun.  You can see similar stuff here:  http://www.pictosan.com/ (Enter site and scroll down.)

So I looked for my “Pictosan” – the name used by the author of the book to personify the guy in the warning sign – from trips I’ve taken.  I thought I had more but found just a couple of the “warning sign” kind.

At Angkor Wat, Angkor, Cambodia. This can be categorized as "region specific"（ご当地） Pictosan.

I should've gotten the text but didn't. I'm not actually sure if this is meant to prevent you from using the hand drier from blowing into your face or if it's telling you that it's the correct way to use it. Found in a hotel powder room in Cannes, France.

More pictograms below but these are non-warning types.  I just find them really cute.

Restroom signs @ “Tesco” in Prague, the Czech Republic.

Subway stations in Prague.

In a shop window in Helsinki, Finland. Don't think it's for real but anyway...

In Vienna, Austria.

In Harajuku, Tokyo, Japan.

Sorting Through Travel Photos – a New Year Ritual

Yes, that’s what I do every new year holiday season – I sort out photos, along with other sortable stuff such as receipts and shop cards, I have taken on trips.  In the past, it was photos taken with a camera that used films so they had to be developed and printed and as soon as they were printed, I got into the mood for sorting them out and putting them in a photo album.  These days since photos are taken on a digital camera, the number of photos can just grow and since you can view them as soon as taken, there is not so much urge or desire to sort them out (in my case anyway).  However, I still prefer that I print my photos from the “major” vacations I do and put them in an album and continue to do this.  The only problem, apart from cost, is that I am behind by a couple of years in getting all that done.

So this new year’s holidays, I was working on sorting out photos from my October 2009 trip to Prague, the Czech Republic which was followed by a half vacation/half work trip to Helsinki and Tampere, Finland.

The album opening page of the Prague trip.

I obviously have many food photos and restaurant receipts and cards. A page dedicated to Cafe Louvre in Prague.

The opening page of the Helsinki leg of the trip.

More Helsinki.

The Tampere leg which was a business trip for me. Yes, I was working!

2009 was the year I probably travelled the most compared to any other year.  For my new year’s card (a Japanese tradition) for 2010, I did a photo summary of my trips during 2009.

Left to right, top row: Cannes, Rome, the Vatican, Oslo, Shanghai. Bottom row: Prague, Helsinki, Rio de Janeiro, Buenos Aires.

From the above I’m missing the trip I did at the end of December, 2009 to Phonm Penh, Cambodia, as below.

@ an elementary school in the suburb of Phnom Penh run with Japanese funding.

And when I was done with that, I went to finish sorting out the photos I never finished sorting out from last new year’s holidays, meaning photos taken in 2008 that I was working on at new year’s 2010.

The opening page of my Turkey trip in August, 2008.

More Turkey - Istanbul.

It can get tedious if you work on it too hard for too long but it can be really fun trying to remember what you may have done or eaten or drunk on your trip.

Caring for Young Refugees – “CYR”

CYR　（http://www.cyr.or.jp/）, my favorite NPO, which is dedicated to bringing better lives to Cambodian children and women, published a very good book celebrating 30 years of its activities.  I was given the book sometime ago by the organization for being a long-time supporter but it was only recently that I took a closer look at it.

It’s packed with wonderful pictures of Cambodian kids, amongst other things such as detailed history of the organization as well as what “graduates” of child care centers it runs currently do, and I truly believe that they are the cutest, most adorable ones around.  (I admit they could be brats in real life.)

Some of my photos from my last visit to Cambodia at the end of 2009.

At an elementary school built and funded by CYR near Phnom Penh.

At a child's care center run by CYR outside of Phnom Penh.

Another child's care center nearby run by CYR but in a different village.

Kids have a routine washing hands before a meal. @ a child's care center close to Phnom Penh, funded by CYR and a Korean organization.

A silk weaving training center outside of Phnom Penh. Women in small villages can learn how to weave and earn a living that's free of human trafficking and prostitution.

CYR provides training, housing, food, a liitle allowance (I think - need to check), and support when they finish training and set up businesses of their own.

An award-winning silk piece woven by a graduate. The pattern is very difficult to weave.

CYR runs a shop in Phnom Penh that sells products made from silk woven by the women they look after. All proceeds go back into helping them.

Inside the shop. I feel they really should promote themselves more in the English-language press in Cambodia.

Please support!!