Naw-Ruz 2007

Naw Ruz is the time of the year

When our hearts are filled with cheer
Children from both far and near

Wish each one a Happy New Year!

This song was in my head for the whole week and more. Anyway, we had a great time. I called some friends as well as some students and their family to come for a Naw-Ruz breakfast. We celebrated on the rooftop, hoping it wouldn't be too hot at 7 - 9am, and it turned out that 6 - 7am is a good time to watch the sun rising. About 45 people came throughout the morning. Prepared chicken curry with baguettes and few chapatis (kids had bread with jam/peanut butter), tea and coffee, cookies and cakes and keropok (prawn crackers).

I spent a week 'experimenting' with cookies. First, i tried peanut butter cookies and they were too hard, yet Mona and Payam loved them. Then, I tried butter and coconut cookies...which turned out alright, some hard and some soft...then, tried putting fudge on them and see how it worked...friends loved them and so I made more but it turned out the guests prefer them without the fudge...Anyhow, Prema made cookies this year!!!!

Also made a banana cake and a chocolate cake. Many of the friends prefer the banana cake...recipe from Lani :) So, we made another banana cake that afternoon (rather, Roy, a teacher at Gems, learnt to make it) and we brought it for the celebration by the riverside, organized by the Bahai community of Battambang Town. Enjoy the pictures!

Rooftop breakfast party.
Guests were all very well behaved *wink*.

Trying to keep away from the sun :)
Truly a 'bright' idea to have it at 7am...
Should have had it earlier but would anyone have come?


Playing games by the riverside during the community Naw-Ruz get-together!


All settled for an evening snack.
Few of the kids playing in the park were very happy to join us.

What's happened since...?

I've been putting this off for too long...and so, here's the regurgitation (hehehehe...lack of a better choice of word? Nah!!!) of all that you've been left out of!

Ok, January...there was an Animator Training in Phnom Penh, which i had the wonderful opportunity to be tutor for. There were about 8 participants, enthusiastic and encouraging group. Half of them studied in English, another half in Khmer! That weekend meant a lot to me.


The highlight of January was the wedding of a very good friend of mine...Sopheap, to his beautiful wife, Kim Eang. Here's a picture of a Cambodian Bahai Wedding! It's truly a turning point for the Faith because Sopheap's the National Secretary and he's setting a great example to the rest of the Bahais in Cambodia by not serving any alcohol...which is a big deal.


Oh, and on that very day, two of my classmates at UniED, had their first child. Kuoy and Chanly are the proud and loving parents of Bahiyyih (pronounced Bahiyah). Unfortunately, no picture :(

Then, February came along and I returned to Malaysia for the Chinese New Year celebrations. Oh, it was pure bliss to be among my mother, sisters (all 4), nephews and nieces (all 7 of them), brothers-in-law (and Craig), cousins, aunts, uncles, grandparents, father, friends. Here are more pics.



Now, I'm back in Battambang. I returned just in time for the Feast of Ala. This is another significant day because it's the first time that i have given the LSA report at the Feast entirely in Khmer language!! Then, 2nd March was the start of the Fasting month.

Despite the Fasting, the Cluster Growth Committee planned the reflection meeting and teaching projects right smack in the middle of this wonderful month! 1:) I guess we're all trying to score more points up there!! This picture was taken while crossing the bridge in Kompong Pill Village, where the teaching project was held. Oh, such beautiful smiling faces :D


On that same afternoon, Peace Batch at UniED carried out their community gathering as part of their group project for my class. As part of learning about media and journalism, i gave them a project to reach out to a crowd of people with a meaningful and positive message.