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Story
& Picture by : Sok Lyna.
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The fortune teller usually prays
before
he commences his reading.
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Just across
the street from the famous Wat Phnom in Phnom Penh,
there are about some 14 little stalls providing
the services of 'fortune telling'. Engrossed in
deep concentration at his stall under the shade
of a temporary shelter, fortune teller Mr. Tea Kim
was busy preparing a 'Yantra' for a customer. Obviously
pleased with the progress of his magical works on
a piece of red colored cloth before him, the 67
year-old was smiling away as he works on his spell.
He was inscribing some magical drawings to help
a customer ward off ill luck. "This is a Yantra
I am making for a customer."
A Yantra is a drawing that is said to possess magical
power. Usually drawn by a monk or religious person,
Yantras are popularly sought after here in Cambodia
for protection against ill luck and harm. Mr. Tea
had been a monk before and had learned from the
Abbot of the Kampuchea Krom temple the art of fortune
telling and the skills to read cards. When asked
whether his readings can be taken seriously, Mr.
Tea smiled and replied that his customers are often
pleased with his predictions. At his store, he provides
the services of palm reading, foretelling by cards
and astrology as well. On an average day, he is
able to make about |
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20,000riels and
that is enough for him to pay for the rental of his little
store and also take care of his living expenses.
By word of mouth, people come to him from all over the
nation and he is happy to have the respect of his followers.
"I make an honest living by telling people what I
believe to be the truth and I don't lie to people just
to make money," Mr. Tea affirmed.
The temple in Wat Phnom houses a deity that is very much
revered by the locals and especially in the evenings,
on weekends and public holidays, the place is often crowded
with people going there to pay their respect. Following
the visit to the temple, people would usually stroll across
the street to have their fortune told. It is not surprising
to see all the stalls being occupied, especially on weekends.
Although each stall measures less than 1.5 square meters
in size, sometimes as many as ten people would crowd around
one stall to listen in as the fortune teller predicts
the future for one of their mates. |
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The 67 year-old fortune teller
Mr. Tea Kim reading
a deck of cards.
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The smell
of burning incense can be quite overwhelming, yet
people stroll up and down the narrow strip of pavement
in front of the stalls trying to decide which of
the 14 fortune tellers to call upon.
The elderly Mr. Tea's stall never seems to have
a moment free and people actually stand in queue
even though some of the other stalls are free and
between visits. "People come to me for various
reasons; I have seen people concerned about their
examination results, lonely people wanting to know
when they can be married and others wanting to know
if they will travel abroad, etc. I even have the
occasional foreigner coming to me to have their
fortune told," Tea said beamingly.
"My stall is authorized by the Phnom Penh municipal
and this place comes under the charge of Cheng San
Investment Company to whom we pay a monthly charge
to be here." "My customers always leave
my stall happy and I am glad to be able to provide
them at least that."
Indeed, it is ultimately happiness that people seek
and what better place to enjoy a little uplift than
a visit to a friendly neighborhood fortune-teller.
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Suite
B8, Regency Square, InterContinental Hotel, 294 Mao Tse Toung
Boulevard,
Phnom Penh, Kingdom of Cambodia.
Tel: (855) 23 213 133 Fax: (855) 23 213 033
E-mail:
editor@leisurecambodia.com |
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