happy chinese new year

we're back in hectic phnom penh for the evening. tomorrow we will travel by bus to ho chi minh city.
happy chinese new year to everyone. our friend etta wanted to have some cornflakes for breakfast yesterday in siem reap but they were all out because it was chinese new year. this explanation perplexed all of us--until we realized that kellogs cornflakes has a rooster on the box, and we are entering the year of the rooster, (which--incidentally is a very auspicious year--except for marriage, it's a bad-luck year to get married in), and it is believed to be very good luck to eat food that bears the likeness of the new year. so chicken is also good luck. i wonder what is eaten for the year of the dragon.
oh--also, i won a phone on the bus-trip from siem reap chinese new year raffle. it's wicked heavy and has a built in answering machine and chinese characters all over it. i really don't know what to do with it. right now emerson and i are trying to sell it to the moto drivers and street vendors who are trying to sell us stuff. they think it's hilarious.
only five dollars--good-luck special price for you.