![My Free Silk-Weaving Workshop Tour: Artisans d’Angkor - Take 2July 16 - Siem Reap, Cambodia
Some say the best things in life are free, while cynics say there’s no such thing as a free lunch. As cynical as I am, I am also one of the world’s greatest cheapskates, which is why I try to seize as many free (and interesting) opportunities as I can.
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I found out about this tour when I dropped by Artisans d’Angkor on my first day in Siem Reap, and promised myself that I would schedule a trip as soon as I got back from the Hariharalaya Retreat Centre.
Let me break it down in a simple formula as to why this is so appealing to me:
Weaving / textiles + Free of charge = My kind of thing
Joining the tour
A free shuttle bus takes you at 9:30am (or 1:00pm) from the Artisans d’Angkor main showroom to their silk-weaving workshop maybe 20-30 minutes from the old market (I didn’t keep track of the time).
At the silk-weaving workshop, a friendly tour guide will walk you through their process of silk production to weaving to showcasing.
Learning the process
First, the guide shows us the silk worms (picture not included), and their cocoons, which make up the raw (outer layer) and fine (inner layer) silk threads.
The guide also shared that it takes 3,000 cocoons (or 3,000 silk worms - you need to kill the worm inside the cocoon to use the cocoon) to make 1 silk scarf.
Now, I’m if that new knowledge makes me averse to silk now because of my vegan tendencies (note, not state), or because this makes it so much clearer, so much real-er that that luxurious fabric is, well, worms. I’ve known that silk is derived from worms, but it’s different when you see the process.
Anyway, next, after the cocoons have been harvested and “cooked”, the thread is dyed and wound into spools.
Thread is then taken from the spools and wound around the sticks for the loom “boats” according to a specific order and color (to achieve the fabric patterns).
From there, the sticks of thread are masterfully glided across the loom, to create rolls of beautifully patterned textiles. I forgot how long it takes to do this, but I remember thinking it was a veeeery long time, and realizing why silk can be so expensive.
[With Hanne outside the weaving room, with a big grin for the free tour]
We weren’t allowed to take photos of the real showroom (which showcases a lot classier and more wearable silk garments than the first Lady Gaga-esque photo in this post), so you’ll have to visit it yourself.
I appreciate that they showed us the entire process, which was probably really meant to make us realize the value of the work and the high price it warranted. But again, being a cheapskate (and now a bit grossed out by all the worminess), I didn’t purchase anything, but it did make me think of the process and working conditions in places that produce the significantly cheaper silk scarves available in the old market.
Fair trade is not just for hipsters,Jen
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Artisans d’AngkorChantiers-Ecoles (main branch)Stung Thmey StreetSiem Reap, Cambodiainfos@artisansdangkor.comwww.artisansdangkor.com](http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m80s9yJQlr1r0u81eo1_1280.jpg)
My Free Silk-Weaving Workshop Tour: Artisans d’Angkor - Take 2
July 16 - Siem Reap, Cambodia
Some say the best things in life are free, while cynics say there’s no such thing as a free lunch. As cynical as I am, I am also one of the world’s greatest cheapskates, which is why I try to seize as many free (and interesting) opportunities as I can.
![Deconstructing The Lotus Seed: My Cheap Cambodian Thrill
I find joy in the simple things, and I hope my boyfriend agrees with me when I say I’m a cheap date. And while eating a lotus seed might not seem exciting to most people (particularly to Cambodians), I feel it is deserving of its own blog post.
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July 18
After my first encounter of lotus flowers / pods with seeds being sold on the street while on my arts and crafts walk, I hadn’t seen them again. It didn’t help that I left town for Hariharalaya for close to 2 weeks. But when Hanne and I went back into Siem Reap, I finally got my chance. :)
Hanne purchased 4 flowers / pods for 2000 riel, I think. Or half a dollar. Super cheap thrill! :P
After running an errand, we then picked a spot by the river to rest and partake of the much anticipated lotus seed, but not before camwhoring with the flower / pod for a bit.
Those are just cement elephants behind Hanne, by the way, just in case you were wondering. :)
[Posing Koreana-style]
Step #1: Rip the lotus pod open and take the seeds out.
Step #2: Peel the seed. Hanne ate her first one with the skin on. Not advisable. Hehe.
You might notice that there’s a rather bitter taste to the seeds. If you are bothered by this, which I was, you may deconstruct the seed even further and proceed to the next step in my process.
Step #3: Half the seed (with your teeth), and take out the green shoot in the middle. In my scientific study, I have found that that is what makes it bitter.
Ta-dah! And that concludes Lotus Seed-Eating 101. Bow.
I’ll have a more substantial next post, but humor me on this one. :P
La-la-la-lotus-loving,Jen
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Deconstructing The Lotus Seed: My Cheap Cambodian Thrill
I find joy in the simple things, and I hope my boyfriend agrees with me when I say I’m a cheap date. And while eating a lotus seed might not seem exciting to most people (particularly to Cambodians), I feel it is deserving of its own blog post.
How NOT To See Cambodia’s Preah Ko Temple
The Dalai Lama said that ignorance is the cause of all suffering.
And in this case, ignorance may cause thee loss of $100.
Hariharalaya Retreat Centre: Getting Comfortable Outside My Comfort Zone
It’s not my proudest moment when I say that I’m a city girl.
I don’t like dirt, but it’s something you can’t avoid forever (something you can’t avoid ever, actually) at Hariharalaya. Dirt is omnipresent, on the soles of my feet - people walk barefoot indoors and outdoors, underneath my fingernails, and the constant film of soil or sand or clay on my skin.
I’m not exactly the biggest fan of bugs either. Let me rephrase. I hate bugs, and the mere thought of some of them is enough to give me goose bumps.
Although I’ve explored yoga more in the Philippines 3 months before I left for my trip, and had 1 meditation session at White Space, I wasn’t sure how I’d feel about being surrounded by what in my head would be hardcore hippie yogis, compounded by being away from home, and not knowing anyone, and not really having internet access.
Hariharalaya Retreat Centre - Siem Reap, Cambodia
Though words, pictures or videos cannot describe how at home, and at peace I found myself at Hariharalaya where I spent most of my first two weeks of travel, I try to capture a bit of that in this inspired video. And I can only hope that when I do visit them again (as I’m sure I will be back), that I will feel just as at home then. :)
View my blog post on Hariharalaya here.
Love and cosmic connections,
Jen
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Death & Despedidas: Pre-departure Week in Manila
The other morning, over my scrumptious vegan breakfast here at Hariharalaya, my “housemates” Joel & Nick briefly conversed about death, and how for some people, speaking about it is taboo, when in fact it is an idea we should embrace. Personally, I believe that the acknowledgment of death around the corner just helps us live our lives more fully.
Ready to Fly or Die
This may sound a bit melodramatic to more seasoned solo and/or long-term travelers, but in the last week prior to my departure for my 2.5-month solo trip around Asia, I really felt like I was preparing for my demise.
My “Epic Adventure”: Turtle Travel
Everyone’s been wishing me well on this “epic adventure” I’m embarking on, and I’m sure it will be, but we all have subjective definitions of what an “epic adventure” is, but believe it or not, prior to my arrival here at Siem Reap, I only really had in my head that I would spend my first day here watching Season 4 of Breaking Bad. And followers of the series will know just what an epic adventure THAT is. Haha.
I actually wound up doing a DIY Nomad Manager Cambodian Arts & Crafts Walking Tour though, but that’s not my point here.
This is just me wanting to manage the expectations of people following this blog and people saying I should do this or that. I plan to discover things about Cambodia (and Thailand, Myanmar/Laos, and Sri Lanka later in this trip), meet new people, but all at my own pace (which is akin to turtle-paced travel), and not in some frenzy as if my life depended on stepping foot on each and every tourist attraction.
Day 1 (Part 3 of 3): A Surprise Cambodian Arts & Crafts Reprise
After my walk to Siem Reap’s Old Market for beautiful textile products galore, I decided to continue walking on to Artisans d’Angkor, which I spotted on my map and was naturally intrigued by. Again, I don’t really remember how long I was walking, but it was probably around 15 minutes away from the Old Market.
I didn’t realize it was one of the very same places I visited some 5 years ago on a very touristy trip to Siem Reap with my parents and their badminton friends. I was still glad to be there to admire yet again and be able to share it with you, my lovely readers.
