House Blessings

Bert landed late in the afternoon. Checking the time a little too often, eagerly waiting for his arrival. Excited to show him where we live, feeling that quiet excitement build.

While waiting for him, I did something I had been thinking about for a while. I got a new tattoo. A pinecone on my left forearm. The needle buzzing, that sharp, steady scratch on the skin, the smell of disinfectant in the room.

Pine trees have always meant something to me. My grandma had them in her garden, and as a kid, I spent hours playing there. Even now, the smell of pine instantly pulls me back. Cold air, quiet forests, that feeling of being small in something bigger. This tattoo is a testimony to that feeling, carrying a piece of that with me.

By the time Bert arrived, the sky had already started to dim, and the heat of the day was slowly settling into a warm evening. We didn’t waste much time. Straight to dinner at Lost City Pizza Society, for the best pizzas in Siem Reap!

Cold beers, big pizzas, loud conversations. The noise blended into a comfortable buzz on New Year's Eve, in over 30°C heat. Fireworks somewhere in the distance, people laughing, sweating, raising glasses. It still feels strange every year. New Year’s without cold air, without jackets. Just warmth and dust and beer.

After dinner, we headed back home and met up with Grant. All cramped together in our tiny living room. Our house felt cozy in that familiar way, lights low, fan spinning, the outside heat still lingering in the walls. We swapped travel stories, laughed about past adventures, and ended up playing Mario Kart on our slightly broken TV. The screen flickered now and then, but no one really cared, and without audio, we just imagined the iconic Mario Kart beats.

The next day started slower. Lunch at The Source Cafe, partly for the food, partly for the air conditioning.

The place was packed. Tourists everywhere, the low hum of conversations mixing with the clatter of plates. It took a while for the food to arrive, but it didn’t really matter. Sitting there, catching up, watching the world pass by, that was enough.

New Year or not, work didn’t stop. Our boss called in the afternoon. A check-in, some budget talk. Sitting there with a smoothie in hand, switching from relaxed conversation to numbers and responsibilities within seconds.

That evening, we kept things quiet. Early to bed. The next morning was going to be something entirely different.

At 6:30 a.m., the alarm rang. No snoozing. Just silence as we got ready. Still half asleep, moving slowly. Outside, the air was already warm, the sky just beginning to lighten.

We made our way to Namh and Dave’s new house for the blessing ceremony.

There was a bit of confusion at first. People standing around, holding gifts, baskets of fruit, not entirely sure what was expected. Then, suddenly, things started moving. We lined up in two rows, each holding something. Fruit, offerings, anything, and followed the monks.

Three times around the house.

Chanting filled the air, low and rhythmic. The sound of bells, voices blending together, bare feet on warm ground. It felt both structured and slightly chaotic at the same time, like many things here.

After the blessing, we were invited inside. Bright white walls, shiny floors, huge TV screens. Everything polished clean, almost echoing. We sat down for breakfast, which slowly turned into something closer to lunch. Local dishes, shared plates, people talking across the room.

That’s where we met Astrid and Jason, a couple from South Africa. Calm, grounded, speaking softly but leaving an impression. They told us about Reiki, about energy, about slowing down.

Meanwhile, the atmosphere shifted again. Beers appeared. Then stronger drinks. Laughter got louder. That was our cue to leave.

We thanked Namh, said our goodbyes, and headed home to change.

Later that afternoon, I met Bert at Little Red Fox Espresso. A completely different vibe.

We sat there for hours, hiding from the heat, sipping good coffee, letting the day slow down again.

At some point, between conversations and scrolling through maps, we made a plan for the next day:

West Baray.