Episode 1 ~ Creating Colors of Cambodia

http://www.artmalaysia.com.my/arttalk/detail/10/episode-1-creating-colors-of-cambodia

t’s always a mad rush – managing family, business, being a painter and organising the exhibition Colors of Cambodia.Honey Khor handles these commitments with undoubting flair. She dashes about in her sparkling black SUV, dropping off children eager for tuition, professional photos, and treasured artworks. She loves to teach art at her Child Development Centre – daily, with little in the way of a sustained break. From the slightest crack of dawning in Selangor - to the rising of Puchong’s silver moon, she dashes hither and thither, trying desperately to fit 48 hours into 24 - and somehow succeeding. Honey is Superwoman, Wonder Woman and a latter day Nanny McPhee all rolled into one, as she performs her daily tasks with a patient smile.

This is your chance to follow Honey as she prepares for this year’s gala event – the exhibition Colors of Cambodia, in aid of the under-privileged children of Cambodia, held at Penang Village restaurant, Great Eastern Mall, Ampang, Kuala Lumpur. It’s your opportunity to share in Honey’s out-pouring of energy, observe her endless enthusiasm, her boundless, selfless love, and join Honey in her sheer joy de vivre in the preparations for that big day - October 14, 2012.

Episode 2 ~ Creating Colors of Cambodia

http://www.artmalaysiagroup.com/arttalk/detail/11/episode-2-creating-colors-of-cambodia

Honey is on the phone. She gathers a host of people to her. We are all to fly out to Cambodia in March, for a week. Photographers, Honey, two artists, and I are to descend upon Cambodia to squeeze it dry of images and information about the children’s project run by Colors of Cambodia, project leader Bill Gentry.

A book, to be sold at the Colors of Cambodia exhibition, is being prepared. Bill (Gentry) wants to meet up and talk about the book, see where it fits into the project, and how it will look. Honey and I have to journey down to Singapore to meet a tired Bill, who will just have arrived back from overseas. She is desperately trying to get some pages together to show Bill. Honey has to flush out some thoughts and make them flesh in readiness, as well as coordinate the rest of the show.

The big computer is switched on. In-design is a-buzzing with ideas, shapes, and sizes, will Honey meet her self-imposed deadline, can she impress Bill enough for him to sanction the project – she will have to wait and see. Singapore awaits, tension mounts and the Merlion flashes a fishy tail.
  

Episode 3 ～ Creating Colors of Cambodia

http://www.artmalaysiagroup.com/arttalk/detail/14/episode-3-creating-colors-of-cambodia

The SUV is in for service - in readiness for the Singapore trip. Photographers have been on the phone – do we need visas for Cambodia...what are the sleeping arrangements...can we have single rooms instead of sharing...how far from the project will we be...do we use dollars or local currency. Honey Khor continues to juggle arrangements, as we prepare to meet with Bill and, hopefully, gain his blessings for the latest Colors of Cambodia project (the book) – spearheaded by Honey.

I rifle my small collection of foreign currency, and discover that I have Sing $23 and ten cents, hardly enough for a three day trip. Honey has little more. It’s time to pay a visit to the bank then.

Meanwhile the computer is a-buzzin’ with ideas and illustrations for the book proposal. Will Bill go for it, can we bushwack him into giving his consent for the project. We momentarily hold our joint breaths. It is becoming a slightly tense time. All rests of Bill’s agreement for the book project. Without his agreement we are back to the computer drafting board and yet more proverbial head scratching. There are more black flashes as Honey’s SUV speeds faster than Superman’s speeding bullet.

 

Episode 4 ～ Creating Colors of Cambodia

http://www.artmalaysiagroup.com/arttalk/detail/18/episode-4-creating-colors-of-cambodia

And now read on...

It was fantasy time in a brightening KL. Our heroine Honey pitched on – ‘what if we had a book like this or that, full colour, hard covers/soft covers - 100 pages, and how much would it cost? Oh that much!’ Mental gnashing of teeth/tearing out of hair, ‘ok what if we changed it around, no note paper just all glossy art paper, how would that be. Ok, better, but it is for a charity lah! A slight reduction, how slight? Hmmm, we’re getting there.’

The Colors of Cambodia project was moving slowly forward. Honey was having a meeting with the printer to determine the cost of a book, rather than a catalogue for the exhibition. The printer was a nice guy, all smiles and a little twinkle in his eye as he looked at Honey. He gave us some vital samples to impress American Bill with at the weekend, it was all a little too good to be true, but hey who’s complaining.

It was another stage over. Honey, sample books and paper stuffed into her oversized bag, donned her sleek sunglasses and slipped elegantly back into her Honey-mobile and sped off to her next meet.

Episode 5 ～ Creating Colors of Cambodia

http://www.artmalaysiagroup.com/arttalk/detail/22/episode-5-creating-colors-of-cambodia-

Journeying to Singapore was largely uneventful. At the Forum (Orchard Road), American Bill had given his permission to go ahead with the book. It was a great relief. Shoulders relaxed, sighs were heaved, and inner smiles radiated.

It was a go. Honey Khor smiled her biggest smile ever. Such was Honey’s joy of the book’s approval that her eyes twinkled and she practically shone. Cool, calm, inquisitive Bill was entirely professional.  He brought the best out of us. He made us explain what we were doing and where we were going with the Colors of Cambodia book and exhibition project.

Singapore rained. It was a welcome rain, a cooling rain which brought forth the right kind of intimacy needed for an interview about Bill’s involvement with Colors of Cambodia. By the time frothy, milky, teas and American styled cappuccinos were taken, the rain had stopped, and much relief was felt. Honey, not having access to her black SUV, dashed lady-like in her black high heels, towards the local MRT (LRT), swinging her oversized back containing those paper and book samples which had so wowed Bill. On the bus back to JB, Honey gazed meditatively out the window, relieved, but tired.

Episode 6 ～ Creating Colors of Cambodia

http://www.artmalaysiagroup.com/arttalk/detail/27/episode-6-creating-colors-of-cambodia

Well, we had to be different, didn’t we?

No sooner were we out of Siem Reap airport – Cambodia, than I proposed. I knew Cambodia to be Honey’s most favourite place on earth – she had been going back and forth for Colors of Cambodia since 2007, so that is where I proposed and – she said yes.

Now proposing and getting married are two very different things. So I added – here, in Cambodia and wouldn’t it be nice if we were to do it this trip – in the Colors of Cambodia gallery, again Honey said yes.

We asked American Bill to be the best man. He agreed - we had but one day to sort it all out. This was Sunday, Bill was leaving on the Tuesday, ooops. With a tremendous effort by all concerned, by 6.30 we were sitting in front of a Buddhist priest and getting married. Honey had laid her hand phone down, slipped out of her business mode and consented to be my wife in the Colors of Cambodia gallery, surrounded by bemused staff, students and a bank of photographers brought over to assist with the book. It was all very romantic.

Episode 7 ～ Creating Colors of Cambodia

http://www.artmalaysiagroup.com/arttalk/detail/25/episode-7-creating-colors-of-cambodia

Honey Khor’s journey continues.

In Cambodia Honey has no black SUV. She jets around using tuk tuks (motorcycle autorickshaws) – racing back and forth gathering vital information for the book Colors of Cambodia. One moment we are interviewing past students of the Colors of Cambodia art classes, the very next we are speeding across Siem Reap, barely hanging on to the rickety tuk tuk for our dear lives - all in the name of charity.

We reach one of the many schools that Colors of Cambodia, and Honey, helps to support via art classes and the giving of free art materials.  Hordes of eager young children flock around Honey - she really is Queen B. She steps into the classroom and all smiling eyes are on her. She blossoms. Her smile is as radiant as the children’s. Honey comes alive. The interaction is practically spiritual.

It’s but a respite. Honey has photographers to organise, trips to Angkor Watt to oversee. So far Honey has not let up the pace; she has switched from superwoman to Angelia Jolie’s Laura Croft in the blink of an eye as she prances through temples, ruins and into our hearts. More meetings await her busy schedule.

Episode 8 ～ Creating Colors of Cambodia

http://www.artmalaysiagroup.com/arttalk/detail/40/episode-8-creating-colors-of-cambodia

It was another bright, dry, day - racing against all pressing time, in Siem Reap Cambodia. Honey Khor and I had mini-baguettes (containing something vaguely meaty) under our respective belts, and quickly hailed another battered Cambodian auto-rickshaw.

It was a long dusty road, made longer by the auto-rickshaw driver’s uncertainly of our destination – a school donated by a Japanese business man. Accompanying us on the journey was one large box and two middle sizes bags. The mysterious box and weighty baggage contained yellow school bags, clothes, colouring books, colouring pencils, pencil boxes, and stationary for forty schoolchildren to use. The yellow bags replaced tattered plastic bags, and the clothes replaced the over-washed yet still stained clothes, representing the children’s everyday wear.

The children’s smiles sparkled at Honey as she sparkled back. It was a radiance of sheer joy. Those forty children were the lucky ones - sponsored by the loving kindness of people and families back in Malaysia. Honey would soon have to start all over again – raising awareness and sponsorship, as those things can only last so long. With her enthusiastic wave Honey was off again in a cloud of dust. She headed back for yet another important meeting.

Episode 9 ～ Creating Colors of Cambodia

http://www.artmalaysiagroup.com/arttalk/detail/50/episode-9-creating-colors-of-cambodia

 Honey has little respite in her very busy schedule. Off she goes to teach at yet another school, accompanied by American Bill. Together with Kiri (a Cambodian artist/teacher), the three of them take two day classes of young children at two schools, and teach them art. In turns Honey and Bill draw on the blackboard, encouraging the children in their hand/eye coordination.
  

But it is not Bill Apsaras, nor Honey’s smiling people that the children want to draw – but Angry Birds. Yes, even in Cambodia, the Angry Birds phenomenon has invaded local culture. But never mind, at least the children use the materials given by Colors of Cambodia, American Bill, Kiri and Honey.

Honey still sketches as she goes. In between fraught business meetings, interviewing and teaching at two schools and the Colors of Cambodia art gallery, Honey finds time to wet her brush and, with a flourish or two, knock out some dazzling watercolours.

 

The more advanced students from the Colors of Cambodia gallery follow Honey to Angkor Wat. There they sketch all day, in the shade of those great standing stones - amusing and amazing tourists who had flown from around the world to see those Khmer temples.

Episode 10 ~ Creating Colors of Cambodia

http://www.artmalaysiagroup.com/arttalk/detail/59/episode-10-creating-colors-of-cambodia-

No sooner had the industrious Honey Khor begun her teacher and pupil interviews and nosed about fact finding in the town of Siem reap, Cambodia, the Colors of Cambodia gallery, the needy schools and the orphanages, than it was over. That week seemed to race like a well deserved break from the manic hustle-bustle which had become Honey’s life in suburbia. Though truth to tell she was just as hard working in Cambodia as she ever was in Kuala Lumpur - but her smiles seemed bigger, brighter and more expansive somehow.

The last minute interviews for the impending book were completed. Last minute purchasing of small items to carry home were undertaken and, with a tear or three in her small brown eyes, Honey had to bid farewell to the team and children at the Colors of Cambodia gallery.

Now the work was to begin in earnest. There were thousands of carefully taken photographs to collate, taped interviews to listen to and the momentous task ahead of bringing the physical book to fruition.
Honey waited at the airport. Sadness and diligence chased around her head as she checked her boarding pass, her passport and readjusted her mind set to suburbia.

Episode 11 ~ Creating Colors of Cambodia

http://www.artmalaysiagroup.com/arttalk/detail/63/episode-11-creating-colors-of-cambodia

There was a problem. No sooner had our intrepid Honey Khor arrived from her fact finding mission to Cambodia, and off of her smooth Malaysian Airways flight, than she learned that some of the Cambodian school children’s Malaysian sponsors had dropped out. It was a blow. For a few days the book, the interviews and writing were brushed aside to enable Honey to seek fresh sponsors for those Cambodia school children. Without sponsorship those children would not be able to return to school later in the year.

Then there was an even bigger flurry of Honey activity. Emails were written, facebook messages were passed and word of mouth spread as quickly as a free hi-tea at a five star hotel. One after another, friends volunteered to sponsor children, sometimes three children being sponsored by the same family. It was done. The day, and the children’s education, was saved.

Quickly Honey buried herself back into the frenzied business of getting that book together. There was a meeting with the designer, another meeting with the printer and yet more sponsorship – this time for the book’s printing, to be sorted out. Money was coming in, but drip by Malaysian Ringgit drip – agonisingly slowly.