No escape

Despite the indulgence of the wedding day, I felt bizarrely well. Eager to recoup the cost of the expensive hotel, on his birthday Weh was invited to make use of the second breakfast spot. I used to be an excellent strategist at breakfast buffets (never allow bread products to fill the stomach too quickly) but have lost my mojo and need to find it again for situations like this. After breakfast, four of us went for cheap massages and had an enjoyable 1.5 hours during which 40 kilogram Cambodian women walked up our spines and pinned back various parts of our bodies. Whatever techniques they were employing, we felt more limber afterwards.

Siem Reap has an ESCAPE room believe it or not, and some people are really into doing them. A group of us went along to the hardest one they have, and failed to break out in the time available. For a crucial clue there was some invisible ink faintly written on a patch of wall. It was near impossible to find as even the woman hosting it could barely see it to show us afterwards. We felt vindicated because of its difficulty.

Excitingly, Adam then arrived at the airport and I went in a tuk tuk to collect him. A driver at Arrivals kept enquiring as to whether I was the 'Anastasia' on his pickup sheet. I had to repeatedly say, 'this lady name. Look for lady.'

In the evening Adam and I went to the Phare Ponleu Selpak, the NGO that has established a free performing arts school for underprivileged kids in Battambang, and a performance venue in Siem Reap (there is also a venue in Battambang but the most experienced artists are displayed here in Siem Reap). The words mean 'Brightness of the Arts', and phare is also the French word for lighthouse, recognising the relationship that the NGO has with French creative artists.

It's truly a must-see thing that makes me tearful just writing about in this blog post. Especially for those of us who have lived in Cambodia, where positive news rarely originates, the Phare should be seen as a source of real national pride. Kids from very humble backgrounds can excel in their education and some graduate to become professional artists, like those we saw tonight. Without the helping hand of the NGO, these kids may fail to access even primary education, let alone develop their creative skills. If there is ever a testament to how a leg-up to disadvantaged people in society can lead to great things, then this is it.

I love the ethos of this place so much, and have usually got quite emotional on previous visits. Tonight was no exception. The story was about the conflict between Cambodia's traditional system of rice farming and the influence of foreign (western) values. The performances always contain a great amount of athleticism, fun and joy of the artists, which is simply infectious. Although overwhelmingly positive, a small proportion of online reviews of the Phare fail to understand its ethos, drawing negative comparisons between it and Cirque du Soleil. If blippers are ever in Cambodia, please do attend a show at the Phare.