Last Day

Sunday, December 4, 2005
The Final Day
After finishing Jam Strip yesterday which was attended by more people than previous times, this morning was the meeting with Mr. [Lim Vanchan] Chan, Director of Reyum Art School, for the next year’s cooperation plan. Then I went shopping; it made me regretful that I could not buy more good souvenirs. Therefore, after my program in Phnom Penh, I just made documentation. I had to copy photos CD and burn mini DV into CD until the late afternoon. From 5:00pm till night, John and students were preparing a party of “Farewell Boat Trip for Beng” along the river.




Oh! I felt very excited. When do I have such an occasion again? Although I may have some mistakes or shortages in my work, I wish the person who can continues this program to do better than I did.

I would like to deeply thank Arts Network Asia for supporting everything, and John Weeks for his effort in comics and his house I disturbed. Thanks Samphos, Jane and Vuth for tour guiding. Also gratitude to Linda for exhibition place and gift, and to The Book Foundation for presentation occasion at Java Café. Moreover, I would like to express my acknowledgment to Rattana and Try Samphors for helping teach me Khmer literature and food at Lire En Fete, and to other Khmer artists and friends, the Indonesian ambassador Sasha Stephen, Miss Novi, Mr Wahyu, Mr Vannak, Mr Dimas Hary and Mr Maher. As well to Lulu Ratna, my boss, Aie for big support, my friend Zarki for translation, all film and comics producers for allowing to be shown and exhibited, Ministries of Culture and Tourism for recommendation, both direct and indirect attendees to this project. See you next time with Comic Traveling continually.

Capek

Saturday, December 3, 2005

It is really not regretful at all to come to Siem Reap; how wonderful it is! Especially the Angkor Wat temple with the mixture of religions—Hinduism and Buddhism. But we could visit just only 3 temples because the Angkor area is too large and there are a lot of temples so we just chose special temples, which are easy for us to visit.

At night we went seeing Khol drama similar to Indonesian drama (Wayang Kulit), which has screen and leather figures. The difference is in no color and no joint performance with human dancing.



[Cambodian Living Arts]

During the return, I called at the house of Sasha, English artist living in Cambodia for 5 years. I arrived in Phnom Penh at 2:00pm and went to my accommodation, had a meal and took a rest. I can not write much due to exhaustion. In the late afternoon there is the final Jam Strip meeting at Book Federation. Tired now; any time left for tourism? Hee hee...

Foto Siem Reap

Srah Srong



Ta Phrom




Angkor Wat


Bayon


Tags: Cambodia,
Indonesia,comics,komik

Siem Reap

Thursday, December 1, 2005
Siem Reap province
Just arrived in Siem Reap province, the largest Angkor area but not had an opportunity to go there. We took 6 hours by bus to arrive but we were a little tired because we had taken rest on the way. There are beautiful landscape and high houses; hence they reminded me of the time when crossing from Sumatra island of Indonesia to Johor of Malaysia, it is almost the same in tropical forests and high houses. The difference is that in Sumatra we cross hills and lakes but here there are not mountains and hills because they are plain areas; and there are a lot of Buddhist monasteries.

Now we get ready for dinner. During lunch break on the way, we hardly ate because John felt uncomfortable with pork we requested fried rice with beef. Using Khmer language, John asked a waiter whether it was pork or not; the waiter replied yes. John let him take it back but someone nearby (at the same table), who can speak English a little, said that was really beef. Maybe John asked by using Khmer language with California accent so the waiter listened wrongly. Finally we decided to eat there. There was a kind of funny food, i.e. fried cricket; but it is fairly delicious despite eating with fear. Did perhaps I had no choice but to eat fried cricket? However, it was better for me than pork. Thanks a lot, John! (Sorry for two weeks with no pork.)

Cambodian youth Potential Artists

Wednesday, November 30, 2005
Cambodian Youth Potential Artists
Today, after breakfast at Java Café, we went to Reyum Art School where people are taught drawing art.

The invitation to Reyum was too fast because I was told one day before; and it was not in my plan. Initially, it was difficult to find an interpreter because Mr. Neng Vannak was busy and planned to help interpret at Sovanna Phum at night for final discussion. Nevertheless, Mr. Lim Vanchan, Reyum Director, is friendly and able to understand clearly what we discussed with his students. What appealed to me was the gathering of 12-20-year-old curious students. I hope we can conduct such a program continually. Now it is the time for lunch and then for a tour till night; there were the show of film “Beth” from Aria Kusumadewa and a big discussion of independent art.

Indie is Rolling

Tuesday, November 29, 2005

I looked forward to this because I have much free time to go shopping as planned for this second morning of tourism. So after breakfast, Cambodians helped me with this tour. First I visited to Wat Lanka, one of historic monasteries in Phnom Penh, where is not far from the Royal Palace and Independence Monument. Wat Lanka is also an accommodation for monks.





Then Vuth took me to a place where I did not want to enter; that is the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum with horrible sights. That building is the place where Pol Pot killed thousands of people. I thought it’s just a place for displaying antiques; on the contrary, Pol Pot took photos of victims before killing. Some people such as photographers and painters survived from Pol Pot’s killing. As a result, those photos and paintings relate directly to the regime’s events, killing places and methods. May such a genocide tragedy not happen again at all! Similarly, if documents were collected, Indonesia would have such a museum like DOM in Aceh, East Timor and other conflict areas. There are many histories written by our world’s blood.
Tuol Sleng 01 /
Tuol Sleng 02 /
Tuol Sleng 03

Now I write the history with drawings and comics; and I hope to get success. To relieve my horror with Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, I went for change to Phsar Tuol Tum Poung (Russian Market) where people buy things for keeping as souvenirs.

And at night it is animation film show at Sovanna Phum day, fortunately the rain stopped at 7:30pm so they could show the first film - I was proud.



'Bus Kota' (Lulu Ratna)


That is the truth of Indonesia, which differs from advertising.




The second film is an animated cartoon “Stop Human Cloning” that is an achievement of Wahyu Adiya (Hellomotion), a video from the band 'Padi', ''Gathot Kaca" and children films at Kasatmata Studio which make people laugh and praise.


After the show, there were a lot of discussions and questions from audiences about scenes of the animated cartoon film that Indonesia can produce by itself and make them satisfied and show their opinions; we will study jointly.

Dari Jawa Ke Bali

After doing work for 7 days in Phnom Penh, I began an exhibition of my comics yesterday. My place is not big but it showed “Sun Dew.” If you come here, don’t forget to call at my exhibition; on average, models on sale are achievements of Linda, Khmer artist who grew in Quebec, the French speaking part of Canada.



After the exhibition, we had dinner and did not make a report. This morning is my want because it is the time for a tour I had never made since I came here; Vuth took me to Wat Phnom, a good Buddhism monastery and then toured to Cham village, a living place for Islamic people in Cambodia. Finally, I heard a voice to call me for worship (Adzan). Vuth was waiting for me outside, and I prayed Dzuhur and we took a photograph there.






After the mosque, we went to Central market, French building, and had coffee.





Then we visited to a good national museum where has a great deal of antiques and sculptures, which I know some names of them from Khol drama (Wayang) such as Shiva, Vishnu, Dwarawati zone. I think Khol drama has existed for a very long time.





Regretfully, I felt tired so we returned my place and took an afternoon rest. After sleep for a while, I took a bath and was ready to go presenting Indonesian comics at Java Café.



The presentation of comics is successful because it gathered Cambodian senior comic makers and students with hobbies of making comics.



After that we went to Bali Café; just only a few minutes from Java to Bali, we could eat Indonesian food which Mr. Wahyu, Indonesian embassy staff, paid for us.

Photo Fun

Tags: Cambodia,
Indonesia,comics,komik