Happy New Year!

It's probably safe to say that we'll never experience New Years Eve like we did this year ever again. It was a scene unlike anything we've seen before....

We're quite used to the backpacker scene here. We know what type of things young care free people do when there away from home, and it doesn't take much of an excuse for the backpacker crowd to have a party; so even before last night we had a pretty good idea of what things would look like. You can guess too I'm sure. Lot's of alcohol, people doing all kinds of things they probably won't remember, and just general chaos. What did surprise us though was the way that Cambodians celebrate The New Year.

I'm not sure if we've mentioned this before, but things in Cambodia are crazy! The best way to explain it, is that there are really no rules at all...for anything. You can drive anyway you like, you can wear whatever you like (Cambodian women love to wear flannel pyjama suits all day), and if you have garbage you just throw it on the ground. There are no rules.

The beach was no exception last night. Thousands of Cambodians flocked to the beach for a party. It was packed, and they did whatever they wanted. If you wanted to fire Roman Candles into a crowd of people you could, and they did...and when your firework is finished you can just throw it into the ocean for the fish. If you want to drive your car or moto on the beach you can do that too. If your child soils their diaper and you feel like just leaving at the feet of thousands on the beach, it's no problem go ahead. If you want to take a broom stick, wrap the ends in rags, and then soak it in diesel and set it on fire you can do that....but you don't have to stop at that, oh no...you can throw it as high as you can over the heads of everyone and see if you or your friend can catch it without burning all the flesh off your hands, or lighting someones pyjama suit on fire. (they probably would have set some clothes on fire, but most people swim in their clothes, making them flame retardant; perhaps that's the purpose for it). But most common is do bring a massive seafood dinner down to the beach and eat it with your family in the sand...and when you're finished, you're allowed to just leave all the styrofoam packaging and bags on the sand...we're gonna try this tonight!

As you may have guessed Erin and I didn't partake in the typical backpacker party style or the Khmer style New Years, but we did enjoy a bit of a laugh taking it in, as we stood on the beach in the rain to usher in 2009 with some Belgian friends we met. The party for the Khmers continued today, as it's a National Holiday. The beach is packed with pinicking families and soccer playing youth.

All in all it was a very different night then we would have had at home with friends or family, and although it was good, we missed you. One thing that was similar was the shrimp feasting that we did...I'm just trying to keep up with Rach. :) Happy New Year!

the beach on a typical night