Happy New Year!

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Monday January 26

Today begins the year of the ox. 

Chinese New Year in Phnom Penh.

There is quiet a large community in Phnom Penh, and so Chinese New Year is a three day on going festivity. Before we went to the airport to pick up Ferry, our street was suddenly filled with Chinese lions and drums. We stay in a Chinese hotel and five lions were entering the not so big lobby of the hotel. It was an amazing and color full happening.

A story about the difference of cultures.

When we came into the Amrita building, Sal stopped Annemarie because he had to tell her something. The actresses had told him that they couldn't sit all afternoon on the floor, they were getting pain in the back. And maybe, maybe, he could ask if they were allowed to sit at times on a chair. When Annemarie asked him why the actresses hadn't told her, he said that this is a difference in culture. They consider Annemarie as a teacher and they actually think she wants them to sit on the floor. Which is by no means the case. It's just the habit Cambodian people do sit in the floor. They think they are offending the teacher, when they tell her they would like once and a wile to sit on a chair. This whole culture of traditions is very alien to our West European ideas. 

It was al solved by a talk. By the way, in the talk the actresses said: "It is already indecent for us to sit on the floor with the soles of our feet, directed to Annemarie, which we do". 

Well, all together, an interesting clash of cultures.

This afternoon we worked very thorough on the scene Child Soldiers. 

In this scene there will be a lot of singing and dancing, and it will probably be the last scene of the play.

End of the day.

Friendly greetings Annemarie and Richt.