I spent the Cambodian New Year in Kompot, a small town in the south of Cambodia. Pretty much everything is closed during the holiday so you have to make your own fun. My fun involved lots of water and a mid-afternoon impromptu dance party at someone's house.

The day began when I borrowed a bicycle from my guest house and went off exploring. Kompot has a lot of decrepit French colonial architecture and has as quaint as a feeling as one can get in a dirty place.

I road around town out to a fishing village. I felt like a celebrity as absolutely every child I passed waved at me and yelled hello as I went by.

Next I decided to head off to the outskirts of Kompot. There were a lot of cars and motorbikes going in my direction. Everyone was in a festive mood. It was really nice to see people in SE Asia relaxing and having a good time and not working (although, I think Cambodians are probably better at this on other days as well.)

Along the way, I thrilled some kids by letting them pour water on me or throw clear water balloons with flowers inside at me. I was surprised that they so politely waited for you to indicate that it was OK because I had though that I would just get wet.

The water was welcome refreshment in the hot mid-day sun.

Eventually, I passed a large group of people sitting around watching as one of them used a bucket and a scoop to throw water at people in passing trucks (with lots of people in the back), bikes and motorbikes.

After I was doused in water, I asked if I could join the fun. They didn't speak much English but what I was asking was obvious and I was welcome with the presentation of my very own water scoop.

My hosts were some young women who stayed in the background, some kids and two very drunk young guys. They quickly offered me a version of the vile rice wine I have been offered throughout SE Asia and which I have always politely drunk.

My host certainly had a delinquent quality to him. If I had passed him on the street at home I would've guessed that he was in a gang by the looks of him. As it turns out, he is just a very young looking police officer which, from what I understand from those who have had to deal with the Cambodian police, is quite similar to a gang.

But I digress. My host enjoyed pouring water all over me and I think there was certainly a bit of let's get the western girl in a wet T-shirt going on, but I was already wearing a fitted shirt and it was a hot day so I don't really think they got much of a show.

I followed my hosts lead of who to throw water and who not to. Although, he did try to get me to throw water at some monks which I declined to do. I got them to teach me how to say, "Happy New Year Cambodia!" and proceeded to yell it whenever I threw water at anyone.

I think my victims appreciated my enthusiasm.

After a while the talcum powder came out so we were wet and covered in talcum powder. I was a bit disenchanted when my hosts tried to get me to give him a dollar for the talcum powder. I do understand that they had to invest in the fun and that I have more money then them, but I had thought that I was just being welcomed for the fun and was disappointed when I discovered that that was not the case.

I declined and to some degree pretended I didn't know what he wanted or that I just didn't have any money on me. They accepted that and before long I was being invited to Karaoke.

While I was having a good time and appreciated my hosts, I didn't trust him enough to go off with him somewhere and so I explained that I couldn't read Khmer and certainly could not Karaoke in it.

When I realized that they place he wanted to go was two doors down, I agreed. We basically ended up in his neighbors house who had a big entertainment system and an enormous collection of Karaoke videos.

However, we did not Karaoke. We danced. At first I thought he was trying to teach me Khmer dancing, which is actually much harder then it looks, but then we switched to Khmer pop music and regular dancing was in order.

It was me and my host and another guy we had been throwing water with and then about 30 people- mostly boys and some little girls- watching. It made me happy when someone's mom showed up.

I felt safer with a chaperon.

Once again, my host asked me for money and I decided that it was probably time to leave. I was convinced to stay for one more song and then I headed off.

I did want to make a contribution to the fun, so I picked up some talcum powder and brought it back.

And that was how I spent Cambodian New Year!