Dinner and Fun at Heng Lai

This weekend, a couple of A New Day Cambodia's sponsors were in town so the kids had an action-packed weekend of puppet shows at Sovanna Phum (which I have still yet to see but would like to), a day trip to Ompei Phnom and dinner at Heng Lai.

I joined the kids for dinner and it was a riot! Heng Lai is this huge Chinese restaurant "across the Japanese bridge" - a.k.a. on the other side of the river - and home stage to one of the most famous comedians in Cambodia, The Joker. Picture a huge open air room on the side of the river with more than a hundred tables and a stage hosting pop star wannabes. If your ears can handle the swooning and crooning of the Khmer pop ballads and a never-ending chorus of "Happy Birs-day To You," it makes for a fun evening out.

Unfortunately, the Joker was out on vacation, so instead, the kids played superstars for the evening. They hopped on stage with the confidence of born entertainers, belting out tunes with the house band as backup and shaking there hips until there wasn't a rattle left. My favorite performer of the evening a little boy who dances like Michael Jackson. Where he learned the moves, I don't think I want to know.

Check out the kids' blog for pictures and their takes on the weekend. (Coming soon...)