Gatecrashing a Birthday Party

by Max Tan


Su Lyn and I decided to cycle along Road 6. While we embarked on our journey, a garage with bright red and yellow canopies caught our attention. A big brown banner in Khmer was hung across the canopies. Under the main canopy, people were setting the reception booth with flowers. Our curiosity piqued, we stopped and thought we should watch what we thought was a traditional Khmer wedding.

Underneath the other canopies, housewives were cooking and there were about ten tables decorated in Khmer-style table cloths. Cambodian music filtered in through speakers that stood at the four corners of the venue. The whole setting reminded me of Malay festive feasts, or Kenduris.

A few vehicles parked near were decorated with ribbons and flowers. The garage itself seemed to be an attraction piece on its own. There were also a vintage motorbike, an old jeep with retractable windscreen and a Mercedes Benz respectively, which were decorated with the same brightly coloured ribbons. Under one of the canopies, a couple dressed in purple traditional costumes was seen resting.

As we curiously checked the place out, a man approached us and greeted us in English. His name was Kit and he informed us (much to our surprise) that it was not actually a wedding dinner for the couple, but a birthday party for their five-year-old eldest son! The birthday boy was dressed up with white shirt, black vest and pants, and a smart-looking bow tie. However, boys being boys, it only took him a few minutes of running around to dirty his smart-looking attire.

The father, Perk, was decked in purple traditional costume and could not speak English but he nevertheless extended his invitation for us to the dinner, through Kit. Su Lyn and I just could not believe how friendly and sporting Mr. Perk was to invite total strangers to his son's birthday party.

I observed that the wealthy families in Siem Reap seem to be living the good life. We were told that typically, birthday parties have around 100 guests and wedding dinner guests will be ten times more than that amount. In these events, an average of 8 courses of meal will be served. This often included roasted beef and an appetizer composed of preserved meat and pickles.

The roast beef in the party was cooked on the spot. The meat was so juicy that it oozed when one of the chefs was cutting it. The crispy brown skin of the roast beef made it an instant hit. Both the beef and the vegetables go well with a sort of grey-coloured sauce which was rather salty. Festive feasts in Siem Reap will never look complete if there is no roast beef.

Guests who arrived early or on time were served with beer and soft drinks. They were invited to have a short chat with Mr. and Mrs. Perk at a table near the reception, before proceeding to the dinner tables as dinner was yet to be served.

At around 5:45pm, friends, relatives and business partners of Mr. Perk started arriving. Male guests were well-groomed in pressed shirts while the female guests arrived with full make-up and traditional dresses. It certainly was a formal occasion for a five-year-old's birthday party. Appetizers were served once the tables were fully-seated. The preserved meat was rather salty but it complemented well with the taste of pickles. Many of the male guests could be seen enjoying a joint of steak while swigging their beer.

Sadly, Su Lyn and I had to leave after tasting the appetizers as it was getting late. Before leaving, we received an envelope from the reception to insert our cash offerings for the hosts, and put the envelope into the heart-shaped container at the reception. Guests could offer any amount which they think their food was worth. This practice seemed strange to me because the custom is foreign to Malaysian parties, where cash offerings are given personally upon meeting the host. In my opinion, this is a considerate way for Cambodian hosts to respect their guests, so that guests do not have to pay much should the food served not be up to par.

To sum up my experience of attending this birthday party and the conversation I had with the people there, Cambodians in Siem Reap are really down-to-earth and they respect each other very much. I welcome any invitations of this kind during my next few days in Cambodia!