Surreal

I had been walking around thestreets that afternon and noticed most people had set out a table with flowers, food and incense sticks. Cambodian households and offices usually have a Spirit house but this was something extra special and bigger. Just after 6pm I was standing outside my mother-in-laws house. It was starting to get dark and people had turned on coloured fairy lights. It looked like all the houses were decorated for Christmas.


Then I heard some strange music and a voice. It seemed to be coming from everywhere. It was so weird standing in the middle of the road, in the dark, looking at all the tables and lights and hearing all that weird stuff. My in-laws houses was the only one quiet and dark, as they are Christians. Later Soeun told me that at a certain time everyone turns on their radios to listen to the angel arriving. They broadcast some royal processional music and the voice of the outgoing angel updating the incoming angel. There are seven angels that take turns each year to look after Cambodia. I think they are daughters of a king who had his head cut off- I can't remember exactly.


That was last year, when the angel came just before 6.30pm, but this year she came around 1am. We slept through the music bit but woke up when they were setting off firecrackers. It would have been a bit scary if we haden't known what it was, especially as we were in Preah Vihear province, there was some fighting at the border the friday before last.
The angel tables are everywhere this week, can you spot them in the photos below?