Today was our first official day of class! We started the day by eating breakfast at the hotel and walking together to the Wat Damnak grounds where the Center for Khmer Studies (CKS) is located. The CKS staff gave us a tour of their compound. In the first building we visited, an office building which also hosted a small collection of books, we were immediately struck by the very large mural which depicted a Buddhist religious scene. Then, after viewing the small children’s library, we spent quite a while in the main library. It housed a large collection of books, journals, and other sources to assist with social science research relating to Southeast Asia.  

After the tour, we sat in a conference room and were informed about various programs CKS is offering (make sure to check them out on their website!). Then, we had an introductory lecture with Professor Magnus where we discussed topics such as the reasons for why people collect items, the cultural significance of the Angkor Empire in Cambodian identity, and the role of religion in the country. A thought I had about the last point—how did the usage of Angkor change throughout history as it developed from a Hindu to Buddhist cultural site? How have changes in its accessibility to the wider civilian public been influenced by religious ideologies?

Next, Brian gave us a short contextual explanation of the Cambodian dance performance we were going to see later that night at Kanell Dinner Show. Some parts of the show would feature dancers emulating apsara, female celestial beings in Hindu and Buddhist cultures. Their dance, sometimes called Cambodian ballet, is an interesting space where the politics of tourism and foreign attractionism meet a key part of Cambodian culture. Soon after, we breaked for lunch, and many of us visited the market for the first time and bought some souvenirs! I successfully tested my bargaining skills 🙂 

Upon return to Wat Damnak, we entered the main temple and had the opportunity to hear from a monk of over 20 years and partake in a blessing ritual that was performed by him and a partner monk. It was important to keep in mind that it isn’t entirely accurate to say that we “got blessed” by the monks. The monk stressed that one would have to take a long journey to reach a more blessed state through consistently following three guidelines: don’t do evil deeds, do good deeds, and practice clearing your mind. The chantings the monks performed during the blessing felt quite familiar to me, having grown up as a Burmese American who was brought to monasteries and temples as a child. This all took place in front of a massive golden statue of Buddha that was adorned with lights and other decor. 

We then had a break, a much needed one because of the mid-afternoon heat. Several of us students went to a lovely cat cafe across the street from Wat Damnak. We later met up to attend the Kanell Dinner Show. We watched a series of seven performances which included a mix of the apsara dances, traditionally performed by the upper classes, and dances practiced by commoners, such as one depicting fishing practices. Again, many of the movements felt somewhat familiar to me because of my previous exposure to Burmese traditional dancing which also utilizes symbolic hand gestures, but I certainly have never experienced this particular mode of intricate storytelling that is specific to Cambodia. A notable part of the show was that some of the dancers/actors who played the role of monkeys came down to the audience and crawled around between the dinner tables! Some of our classmates certainly had a fright when they were scared by the men in monkey masks. 

Overall, what a first day it has been! We had a good mix of scheduled academic activities and free time to explore the city for ourselves. I look forward to going to Angkor Wat tomorrow.