Ruby & The Kingdom Part One

Cambodia was interesting.

I had never the pleasure of going for an overseas trip until last week. And Phnom Penh was the first place outside Malaysia I’ve ever stepped my foot on [if Golok is not considered foreign :P]. The city was a very busy city and reminds me a lot to Kota Bharu – lots of bikes, cars and small streets located among the crowded shophouses.

Is it a pretty city? 

Yes. It was quite picturesque in an uncommon way. Some of the structures there are quite influenced by French architecture due to its former colonization and mixed along with eastern styles. There presents a wide variety of people ranging from men driving Lexus to little girls begging for money at the Central Market. Some people are rich, some people are poor - facts of life combined in one small surrounding.If I am to be a photographer, Phnom Penh will be the first city I’ll make a picture book of.  

The life is different around here. More calming, I should say, and less hectic. The city is already asleep by 9pm and there were no shops available for us hardcore Malaysian lepakers to hang around. What a depressing experience it was. Cambodians mostly love to eat and drink at night – with alcohol, that is. Thus, there were not many options available for us except to return to the hotel and watch television. 

The best thing I love about Cambodia?

Its artistic features. We went to exercise at the lakeside recreational park on Wednesday morning and I had the chance to see the Royal Palace for the first time. Gold, gold and all so goldy! The doors, the pillars, the roofs. The architecture style of the palace is grand indeed with all the complicated and detailed carving from bottom to top. Imagine the unmarried King living in that residence all by himself. 

While my friends were busy shopping for clothes and scarves, I indulged myself in the pleasure of looking at abundant paintings they sell at the Central Market stores. Paintings of Angkor Wat, Cambodian Kings, Buddha, Apsara [dancing girls] – my impulse had often pushed me to waste all my money buying the paintings but thank God I managed to control my desires. In the end, I only bought five. 

There were lots of paintings of women which I found very beautiful and mesmerizing that I told myself I had to have it. Unfortunately, the paintings contain some uncensored images that I cancelled the purchase to avoid any misconception of me being a lesbian. I guess morality is indeed an ideology embedded based on one’s flexibility. I just find beautiful women to be beautiful. Surely, there’s nothing wrong with that, right? And I know I sound gay but believe me, I’m completely straight. If they have some beautiful paintings on men, I would totally buy them as well but sadly, men are underrepresented in art. Sad case, is it not?

 

a pic of a man on bike with an image of their ancient king. love the black & white brush strokes. gives me a calming effect. simple yet emotive. 

 buddhist monks at the riverside. i had been looking for paintings of monk for days and was finally touched by this one due to its beautiful background sunset scenery.

 

there are hundreds of angkor wat paintings in Phnom Penh and I was bored looking at all those repetitive colors and patters used again and again on different canvases. if i am to by a painting, i'll at least make sure it is different and unique enough to touch me. and this painting of angkor wat, black and white, did indeed touch me due to its hints of mysticism and elegance. 

 

paintings of apsara or dancing girls in cambodia. apasaras only danced in the presence of king and nobility and were not open to any public commoners. i have yet discover another perfect womanly figure to admire beneath my masculine shell. but then to think of it - admiring graceful dancers should make me more masculine rather than the opposite, is it not?  

 

close-up of a more personalized painting of apsara. beautiful, beautiful and BEAUTIFUL. i wanted to take the pic of the whole painting but since i only used my webcam to take pics, the quality is quite blurry. this painting is hhhhhuge and portrayed a single dancer in her best form adorned with her costumes, jewelries, crowns and her feminine yet powerful aura. i could just admire the painting for five hours non stop without food and drinks and still live as a content and satisfed human being... 

that's all from me tonight. i'll continue more on my cambodian trips in my next post when i get the photos taken from my dear friends' camera. see u soon.



Ruby Jusoh is missing the excitement of being on the foreign soil and bargaining price at the Phnom Penh Central Market. but still, never has she been glad as she was when stepping  her foot on the malaysian soil for the first time in five days...