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This sleep deficit impacts everything from a person's ability to pay attention in class to his or her mood. According to the National Sleep Foundation’s 2006 Sleep in America poll, more than one quarter of high school students fall asleep in class, and experts have been able to tie lost sleep to poorer grades. Lack of sleep also damages teens' ability to do their best in athletics.

Slowed responses and concentration from lack of sleep don't just affect school or sports performance, though. More than half of teens surveyed reported that they have driven a car drowsy over the past year and 15% of students in the 10th to 12th grades drive drowsy at least once a week. The National Highway Safety Traffic Administration estimates that more than 100,000 accidents, 40,000 injuries, and 1,500 people are killed in the U.S. every year in crashes caused by drivers who are simply tired. Young people under the age of 25 are far more likely to be involved in drowsy driving crashes.

Lack of sleep has also been linked to emotional troubles, such as feelings of sadness and depression. Sleep helps keep us physically healthy, too, by slowing our body's systems enough to re-energize us after everyday activities.

There were some people spotted this couple at the Multi Storey carpark of Block 34A Marsiling Drive yesterday, sharing an intimate moment in full view of the public. What horrified Nur' Ilham was the audacity of the girl, who removed both her top and bra.

The girl then proceeded to lie down and allowed the guy to grope her.

“My mom spotted the couple at 5pm while she was looking out for my brothers to arrive home.

“The couple was just chatting at that time until they started kissing.

“At that time we couldn’t care less because we thought they would be smart enough to look around and notice that there might be people watching them but no, it turned out to be a very passionate kiss and we were really shocked when the girl removed her top and then even her bra.

“I went to fetch my camera and started snapping openly but they seemed to be really engrossed.

“The girl even laid down on the dirty floor and the guy just went on to touch her all over.

“They stopped a couple of times to look around but the weird thing is they didn’t spot us though it really obvious that we were looking at them.

“They did it on for about an hour.

“Luckily for my mom, she couldn’t see very clearly as it was happening quite a distance away.

“I believe it is becoming a trend among young couples who can’t get their own rooms to engage in such raunchy behaviour in public.

“According to my friends, they have seen these things happen several times in our neighbourhood.

“Maybe it is time for parents to be aware of what their kids might be doing when they are out."

Bareback buffalo racing is a spectacle not to be missed – so why do so few tourists witness this annual event in this small Cambodian village?
It’s hard to understand why this is not one of Cambodia’s premier tourist events.

Whereas Spain has its running of the bulls, the small village of Vihear Suor, just 50 kilometres northeast of Phnom Penh, has its buffalo racing.
That’s right. Buffalo races, the likes of which are held nowhere else in Cambodia.

Horns and heads bedecked and bejewelled, these krobei are quite a sight – and when a loose herd of them get moving amongst the crowd at speed, it is scarcely less chaotic and spectacular than Pamplona.
And, at times, just as terrifying. When these guys race, there is no holding them back. With nothing but a thin rope through their mounts’ nostrils, a pair of bareback racers whip their wilful beasts along at an astounding pace.

Appearing seemingly out of nowhere, a trio of buffaloes pound their way underneath a temple archway and along a narrow, muddied track to the finishing line. That’s around a tonne of unpredictable animal hurtling past a seething throng of wildly cheering spectators.

Then they turn around, line up, and race back. And did I mention the wrestling? And the bareback horse racing? And the sideshows?

Oh. And did I mention the mud?

Though it is utterly amazing to stand back and watch these Khmer buffalo-wranglers pelt through the crowds lining the clay quagmire that serves as a racetrack, it is another thing altogether negotiating a similarly torturous “road” for 20 kilometres or so from the ferry on Highway 6.

The wet clay is so slippery you can barely stand upright on it, let alone ride a bike.

Particularly when you chose a fast and flashy Honda street bike with slick tyres, as opposed to a far more practical dirt bike, for the trip.

Clay is soft, at least – a quality I found most appealing when the bike slipped out from underneath me. And I wasn’t the only one who came unstuck along this treacherous road.

Perhaps it is this perilous journey that explains why the Vihear Suor buffalo races are not so high on the average tourist’s “must-see” list.

To add insult to injury, the races are held at the height of the rainy season. And the 7am start time – meaning a 5:30am departure from the capital – also deters most Westerners.

I counted just six barang amongst the thousands of visiting Khmer villagers.

But why some budding local entrepreneur doesn’t organise a bus tour to this event I have no idea. Because believe it or not, it was worth all the mud and bruises.

There is no betting or prize money for these races. It is just part of the tradition of the Pchum Ben festival in this village, part of the spirituality of the gathering.

The horns of the beasts are wrapped in the same cloth as the monks’ robes. And the decorative pieces on the pointy end aren’t just there for decoration – they also provide protection for the riders.

Apart from the unique spectacle of buffalo racing, I was equally entranced by the wildly entertaining bareback horse racing. Children climbed trees and the temple archway for a better view, while orange-robed monks and beautifully adorned women lined the track to be spattered with mud along with the rest of us.

The buffalo disappeared from the races early, however, and by around nine o’clock the racing was all but over.

People continued to observe Pchum Ben at the pagoda; vendors continued selling their food; people threw darts at a wall of balloons at the sideshow. Hundreds more headed to the ring to watch the Khmer wrestling.

Meanwhile, I tracked down a buffalo for a quick ride. Having negotiated the roads to Vihear Suor on a motorbike, and taken a ferry across the Mekong, the opportunity to add buffalo to the day’s modes of transport was too great to resist.

Not that I rode very far. Or fast. But was it worth the trek?

I’d venture an unequivocal “yes”. And if two-wheeled clay skating is not your thing, there is always the shared taxi, albeit costly over the holiday period.

If you do manage to get there, intact, the colourful chaos that is Vihear Suor buffalo racing is a day at the races you are never likely to forget.

LOY Proteeb (Bonn Bondaet Proteeb) is without doubt the most magical of Cambodia's many wonderful festivals. Rooted far in the past, it has come down over the centuries almost unchanged. Similar festivals are found in the southern part of China, in Laos and in Thailand, and it probably was based on the ancient Hindu concept of the Mother of Waters.
Loy Proteeb is not a religious festival in its origins as such but arose from animistic beliefs. It is a moon festival, coinciding with the full moon at the end of the 11th lunar month, and celebrates the end of the life-giving rains (chenh Vossa). Thanks are given for the abundant harvest of the year just passed and wishes made for bountiful produce in the year to come. It is also highly symbolic, with the floating away of the Proteeb representing a cleansing of sins.The Proteeb themselves are traditionally made from a cut section of bamboo stem or young banana plants, with neatly folded pieces of banana leaf pinned around the upper rim so that the whole has the appearance of a lotus leaf. Each Proteeb has flowers, a candle and a stick of incense at the very least, while some are far more elaborate. There may also be some grains of sand and some good luck charms on the float. Nowadays the simplicity and buoyancy of styrofoam are an unfortunate substitute for banana stems and for weeks afterwards they clutter the banks of canals and rivers, and the shores of lakes and the sea. Another common practice is to place a coin or two on the Proteeb, and small boys, as much at home in the water as on land, make extra pocket money by raiding these floating piggy-banks.

Friday, 22 September 2009 15:02 Ou Mom

WHAT does Pchum Ben Festival mean in Buddhism? In the Khmer language, Pchum or Brochum means “a meeting or gathering”. Ben means “a ball of something”, such as rice or meat. The Pchum Ben festival originated in the Angkorian era when people followed animism, before Brahma or Buddhism.

Both Buddhism and animism reflect Khmer respect and remembrance for their ancestors.
Pchum Ben is also a convenient way for Buddhist monks to receive food during the heaviest part of the rainy season while they stay in the pagodas to follow their moral principles.

Celebrations
The first 14 days of the Khmer month Pheakta Bot are called Kan Ben (“observed celebration”). The 15th day is called Brochum Ben or Pchum Ben Day. During Kan Ben, people give Buddhist monks gifts of food and candles. At night Buddhist monks recite a protective prayer. Cambodian artists play traditional music such as yike and lakhon basac. Pchum Ben Day is the biggest celebration. Villagers come from all around to prepare the pagoda of their village the night before the celebration. Pchum Ben is when the villagers gather to celebrate in their villages.

Scriptures
The scriptures relating to the festival are complex, but the first scripture involves the five Buddhas negotiating with hungry ghosts. In the second scripture, from Pet Vuto (Monks’ Governor), the King’s servants and soldiers were commanded to make war. On the ship at night, they met ghosts who were hungry. The servants and soldiers asked: “How can we get food to you?” The ghosts said: “You can offer the food to the person among you who has the five moral conducts or eight moral conducts, and invoke our names.” The third and fourth scriptures say that in the first 15 days of Pheakta Both, the heaviest rainy period, the devil releases the ghosts to find their relatives to receive food.

Ghosts
There are four kinds of ghosts: those eating pus and blood, burning ghosts who are always hot, hungery ghosts and the Pakrakteaktopak Chivi, who can receive food through the monks. The others cannot receive food from their relatives until their sins are reduced to the level of Pakrakteaktopak Chivi.

What is bay ben?
Bay ben (balls of rice) are offered to ghosts at dawn. People believe ghosts with heavy sins cannot receive food during the day. Bay ben is made from sticky rice and sesame. Sometimes people add coconut cream to make it more delicious. Buddhist Institute consultant Miech Ponn said he thinks bay ben should be put on a plate. “Getting rice to the poor, people also can get more merit than only giving it to ants,” Miech Ponn said.

April

Chaul Chhnam - This Cambodian New Year celebration is the equivalent of Songkran in Thailand and follows the end of the harvest season.

Generally lasting for three days from 14-16 April during which time Cambodians douse each other liberally with water, clean and decorate their houses, and make offerings at the local temple.

City streets are decorated and brightly lit in the evenings. There are cultural shows, entertainment, and competitive games.

October

Pchum Ben or Soul Day - Running for 15 days from the end of September into October, and the exact date determined by the lunar calendar, this festival is dedicated to blessing the spirits of the dead, and is one of the most culturally significant in Cambodia. Each household visits their Buddhist temple and offers food to the monks for their assistance in blessing the souls of late ancestors, relatives and friends. Pagodas are crowded with people taking their turn to make offerings, with many staying behind to listen to Buddhist sermons.

Bonn Kathen - A religious festival when monks come out of retreat, and people all over the country form reverent slow processions to their local temple. Monks change their old saffron robes for the new ones offered by the devotees, an action that brings spiritual merit to all participants. Date decided by lunar calendar.

Paris Peace Agreement - October 23rd
Birthday of His Majesty King Norodom Sihanouk - Held over three days from October 30th, people converge from all corners of Cambodia to enjoy the shows, parades, festivals, and a giant firework display in Phnom Penh.

November

Independence Day - A national holiday on November 9th to celebrate the independence of Cambodia from France in 1953. A gala parade is held in front of the Royal Palace, which includes floats, marching bands and other entertaining festive activities.

The Bonn Om Took Water Festival (7-9 November) - Celebrating the reversed current of the Tonle Sap River that connects the Tonle Sap Lake with the Mekong. For most of the year the river flows out from the lake into the Mekong. However, during the rainy season from about June to October the Mekong rises, causing the Tonle Sap River to flow in reverse, and the lake to swell to more than twice its regular size. At the end of the rainy season, when the water level of the Mekong drops again, the current reverts and flows back into the Mekong. This event is celebrated with three days of boat races, fairs, festivals, shows, parades, fireworks, music and dancing.

December

International Half marathon - Held at the world renowned Angkor Wat an event which attracts competitors from all over the world. With thousands of spectators and the wonder of Angkor Wat, it is a spectacular setting.