The 1961 & The Spoolartist

So finally VP launched the new 1961 website. The website is designed in such away that it's easy to navigate, easy to load in any internet connection, easy on mobile browsing and can be updated easily!

VP a.k.a. The Spoolartist has a new entry in his blog as well! 

Living under the stone...

Been incredibly busy lately and I can’t even say I was “facebooking” or “twitting” because there was hardly any updates from me in the social world. Being a hermit is good especially when I had ticked a lot of boxes in my to-do-list. Well, the list is not getting any shorter but at least I’ve ticked update personal blog!!!

Friends from the homeland (a word often used here in Cambodia, when referring to one's province or hometown)  visited & stayed at The 1961 making it an absolutely fun filled May.  


So, I am updating this blog just for the sake of updating it with what I have been up to, today: 

-          Bag: A thrift find orginal Burberry Blue label from Sakura

-          Nyquil & Dayquil: My new best cold medicines

-          Aesop Lotion: Love the smell of Lemon, Orange & Pink Grapefruit!

-          Green Cross Hand Sanitizer: Comes in handy in this dusty chic town…

-          The Altoids box is really my other medicine kit filled with Paracetamol, Immodium, bandage etc.

-          Mentos: my mints

-          Tissue: yep, allergy season once again

So here’s the thing, it’s monsoon time once again and just like every season my colds came right on time. So if ever you had stumbled upon this post & you are heading to the ‘bodge, please take precaution and have lot’s of vitamin C.

This is it for now; have to go back to my outlook. Weekend here I come! 

A red vintage car

Today we have a special visitor in the hotel. A vintage Red Oldsmobile.

I don't know much about cars & can't drive either but I do like vintage automobiles. Since I do not have a clue about this car brand as well, I searched Wiki and found this info. As for this particular model, I am of course again clueless. I should have asked it's owner but I was too busy taking these photos.

Here's the car entering the very 60's Hotel.







The car looks like a red version of the bat mobile.






On another angle, it can be mistaken as a transformer. Megatron's red buddy. 






and up close it looks like one of Tony Stark's inventions. :)






Apparently this is the only Oldsmobile in Cambodia. I have a feeling that some parts were added during the restoration because I can't find anything similar to this model in Google! Anyways, it's great to see this kind of car once in a while. Strangely beautiful.

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Jetstar feature on 1961!

Delighted to receive an email the other day from Lester Ledesma (a fellow Negrense), Photo Editor of Ink Global , publisher for Jetstar Asia's inflight magazine that 1961 has been featured in this month's issue:

You can also read the magazine's online version here: The Jetstar Mag

Jetstar Asia flies to Siem Reap from Singapore every Tuesdays, Thursdays & Sundays.

Old Shanghai...

Last Saturday, VP & I were invited in a super chic old shanghai themed birthday party of the "Queen of Queensland". =) Bong CB is the dear dear friend of SB and we were honored to be part of this sunset to sunrise shindig!

The party was held in a 130 year old Sino-Khmer House that was originally constructed in Kampong Cham. The house was saved by historian DC who relocated it to Siem Reap.

The interior of the house was designed reflecting its era.. very chic Indochine!

 

Moi with fellow Siem Reap Expats

 DP & the Aman ladies

Moi with the Queen & VG

A fabulous + beautiful party thanks to SB & DW.  What a night to remember indeed! =)

Big Cartel & Etsy

So happy today that I had helped VP accomplished setting up 2 online shops to showcase his designs!

The Big Cartel shop: http://artdeli.bigcartel.com/

& The ETSY shop: http://www.etsy.com/shop/ARTdeliARTillery

Since the online shops are new opened, he had only chosen minimal works to be on display. I am sure soon he will include new & classic designs in the art shopping sites!

Interview with the artist

Last week, VP was invited to be interviewed by the Presidential Broadcast Team. They were here for the ASEAN conference of Pres. Benigno Aquino III. VP was selected to be featured as an artist living here in Cambodia. Here are the behind the scenes photos:



















While VP was being interviewed i took the chance to browse around Artillery! VP's new shop in Phnom Penh. This was the project he was busy putting up together in the capital.

I love these posters!






The "Journey" T shirt...





Cafe stuff from the Fontaine siblings..





The cute postcards..





And my fave:






Later that afternoon we had coffee with Betty & Mr. C @ the Blue Pumpkin in Monument Bookshop... There we found the book "Enchanting Cambodia"  featuring Art Deli!






& here it is the video:

Stage wife is very happy indeed..

Cambodian Countryside

Last night VP, LB & I had a very interesting conversation about literature & poetry... one of the stories mentioned was "How my brother Leon brought home a wife".  The rural setting of the story reminds me of these photos I took a long time ago of the Cambodian countryside...

.

During that conversation, I also learned about the history of our island long ago before the Spaniards came.. It was a different time, different culture, different beliefs... the time of the ati, datu, babaylan, binukot and other people who now only lives in the rhymes of poetry, pages of history books & characters of epic stories.

The stories we discussed reminded me of the stories my grandparents used tell. The folklore stories that I have to reread and retell my 6 years old. I am certain these stories are far more exciting that Thomas & Diesel's day out at the quarry! :) So there I go back again to the memory of playing in the rice fields, chasing ducks & chicken, getting dirty & muddy and waiting by the fish pond to see the sun sets over the horizon..

My countryside memory.

Colorful Women of Rajasthan...

(Incredible India part 3)


This post is long overdue... :) I had been incredibly busy with a lot of things that I forgot about my "India" series... so here's my attempt in capturing the colorful women of Rajasthan.. I love the vibrancy of the colors and how they remind of happy thoughts...

PS: yes, I seriously need to think about having a photography class with VP and learn some photo editing!

Toul Thom Phoung Shopping

Popularly known as the Russian Market, Toul Thom Phoung is the best place to go shopping when you are in Phnom Penh.

From Children's clothes...





Hats, luggage & souvenirs...





Shoes





To Women & Men's wear.






I am not sure the authenticity of the shoes & sandals but they range from Nike, Addidas, Berkinstocks to crocs.. The clothes on the other hand are from the garment factories that supplies the real brands; Marks & Spencers, Uniqlo, Zara, Mango, Gap, Abercrombie & Fitch, Polo by Ralph Lauren & H&M to name a few.

Prices range from $2 to 25 depending on what item you would like to purchase.
I got my son's PJs 3 for $5 and his pants $5. Real bargain when these items normally retails 70% higher!

I dont haggle much knowing that vendors need profit also but since I speak Khmer good enough for shopping, I would get the best price =) Remember they will not give discount if you are the first customer..

Happy for my loot this trip.


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Best Breakfast in Phnom Penh

VP's client took us out this morning to the best place to have breakfast:




VP had the seafood noodle soup:




And moi had the best roasted pork with rice:




We will definitely be back here next time we are in the capital city!

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Song Saa...

As i am typing this, i am lounging in the day bed of our one over the water one bedroom villa...




We are here to celebrate our 7th wedding anniversary...




Saying "i do" to my bestfriend was the best 2 words i ever said in my life..

Its perfect that we are here in the islands of Song Saa... Meaning "lovers"
Ahhhh loving the sun, sea & sweethearts moments together.

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