i see dead people

forgot to add this story... it took longer than i thought to find a place to live, and the hotel was booked for the 5th night. so the owner tells me she has an air-con room available (which was great because i thought i would get tossed out on the street.)

i have 5 giant bags and a dog cage. i moved them out and waited to see my new room. next thing i know she yells something in khmer to the guys working at the hotel and they start hoisting my bags on their shoulders and heading for the door.

i ask the owner where the room was, and she said, "it in my house. the room belong to my parents. it very close."

next thing i know i am dragging my poor dog percy on his leash and following my train of luggage boys across the road in raging traffic like some sort of maharajah. sure enough, there is a house across the street and down a bit, and i am lead to a room in the back past the shiny family altar and the piles of flip flops at the door.

a giant picture of a dead relative looms over the bed. shiny massive wood furniture is crammed into every corner, piled with dusty toys, books, and other crap. looks like its been a while since grandma and grandpa were here. maybe they're dead, who knows.

speaking of dead people, i've seen two funeral processions now and they're fascinating. first you hear the gong of drums and some music which is hard to describe. oriental bagpipes perhaps?

anyway, a large rolling platform decorated with dragons (like in a parade) rolls by with the coffin. there are folding chairs with people dressed in white with white cloth around their heads and orange robed monks. rice is thrown from the back, and sometimes more people dressed in white follow in a procession.