Valentine’s Day is popular in Cambodia too!

Could we have a workday? Please! We started this February with King Norodom Sihanouk’s funeral which wiped out most of the first week’s governmental work days, then Chinese New Year blew out another four or five days. Though it is not an official holiday in Cambodia, Valentine’s Day is a favorite of the young people, and our kids from the Chom Chao Church Home came to wish us well.

How do you make 400 hot dogs disappear in twenty minutes? Have the 100 orphans show up in mid afternoon. After Valentine’s Day, another official holiday, Meak Bochea, takes place one week following the beginning of Chinese new year. The first half of the month was virtually non-functional in attempting to get anything official accomplished.

Prices always rise during Chinese new Year with a good 70% of all shops closed for four to five days, but with this holiday, following the Kings funeral, prices for transportation and food were double to triple normal.