A Khmer Wedding and the Culture

Jasmin is having a gastritis syndrome (she said ada ulat dalam perut dia) yesterday which made me to take emergency leave as she really insisted me to stay with her everytime every second every minute. Jasmin said, NO NENEK! Sigh~~ Okay lah Jasmin. Perhaps my gastric syndrome has become a progeny for Jasmin. Heeee.... 

And the time I had yesterday afternoon while Jasmin was sleeping made me to write something regarding my parents visit to a Khmer Wedding last month and today baru continue balik and published this entry sebab loads of pictures yang nak story. This Cambodian family is actually has become like a family to my parents. They have known each other for a very long time since 1993 when my father actually bertugas sebagai polis pengaman under UNTAC.

Generally, Cambodia is a country very femes with their great history, especially the war history and also the Angkor Wat which is one of the seven wonders of the world and not forgetting the Tonle Sap (lake). Their cultures is no big different from any other South East Asia country, and same can be found in Malaysia too. Majority of the peoples are Buddhist and Muslim people can be found all around Cambodia but many Muslims were in Kampong Cham and Kampung Thom. *kampung = district.

Nurrunaim Mosque KM8

The boat house of Tonle Sap

Busy Market view of the Tonle Sap

Untungnya budak-budak sekolah di Malaysia, di Cambodia pakai selipar je pergi sekolah.....

Cambodia is very femes untuk shopping batu permata......

Also heaven for watch lover! Rolex, Tag Hauer, Timex etc etc

Loads varities of local fruitssssss.......

Okaylah, the wedding is taken place in Kampung Chhnang, just nearby to the Tonle Sap. This Khmer family have been living here for a very long time, tak pernah pindah-pindah, dan build up their own family and economic since generation sikit demi sedikit and as my parent told me, even now they have their own guest house for the tourist; Sok Thai San Guest House *anyone who is interested to have a visit to Cambodia, can contact me and I'll arrange a homestay there, and of cos with a reasonable price, great accommodation and splendid places to visit!

The guest house reception counter

Traditionally, a music will lead a wedding ceremony in every Khmer wedding. Secara ritualnya music they played tu untuk meraikan pengantin dan memanggil roh nenek moyang supaya merestui majlis perkahwinan tersebut.

A Khmer wedding music - Plengkar

The musicians sit in a circle to play around a musician's altar, which consists of a bowl of uncooked rice, fresh fruit, tobacco leaves, money, a bottle of cognac, a bottle of Pepsi, a bottle of orange soda, snacks like cookies, crackers, sticky rice wrapped in banana leaves, and candles and incense.

Dahssyat speaker!

Tadaaaaaa.....
Inilah pengantinya.......

The beautiful bride and the groom, Sophiak and Vanni

One of the traditional ritual of the solemnization

Mommy and Babah with the bride

Mommy and Babah with the bride's parent

Visitors kena pau bagi ang-pow!

Lebih kurang macam adat Melayu, ada juga acara renjis menepung tawar, for blessing.

Instead of buat kek, mereka akan hidangkan fresh fuits, katanya pengantin akan beri kepada para tetamu dan siapa yang dapat paling banyak, akan cepat dapat jodoh. *hurrrmm... patutnya Along ngan Ica kena attend wedding ni!

Aweks-aweks tu berebut nak salam ngan pengatin, nak ambil berkat cepat kahwin!

The best part, money! money! money! Pocket full of money! for the bride!

Itulah serba sedikit mengenai wedding solemnization and wedding party for Khmer people. Memang terkilan sebab tak dapat attend wedding ni. Terkilan sebab tak dapat nak lihat sendiri adat istiadat mereka and share together the happiness. Anyway, Inshaallah, ada rezeki di masa hadapan, saya akan sampai juga ke sana. Kena ada cita-cita, baru boleh capai impian. Doa pada Tuhan banyak-banyak supaya Tuhan beri restu dalam kehidupan, beri kesihatan yang baik dan permudahkan semua urusan. Amin. 

More about Cambodian Wedding click here


P.s.: 
Saya dah nak pengsan kena attend ke bank almost everyday to filled up application forms and the "thing" I found out from hubby's side was a big-surprise.... Nevermind, If plan A tak jadi, that mean I have to switch to Plan B.