Deja Vu and the Elephant Bar

Last Saturday evening, Jim, Eveline, and I were invited to join the ISPP guidance counselor and her husband for beverages. That was the same night as the ISPP formal dance (a.k.a. the prom). One guess where Jim was. Ev and I began the evening with Jenn, the counselor and her husband, Mike. About an hour before the prom was scheduled to end, Ev and I decided we would stop by.

Brent, Norak, Santiago, and Sopanha

The prom was held at the Royal Hotel, which is aptly named. A sprawling combination of hotel and banquet facility, the Royal Hotel is exactly that--royal. From the doormen to the clerks, the Royal is first-class all the way. After winding our way through a labyrinth of hallways, we found the dance going strong. Everyone seemed to be having a good time; even the principal who was using his time making sure questionable decisions didn't turn into regrettable ones. (Let me tell you, it was like being back in the saddle. I'm guessing that under-age drinking is a universal theme, certainly not one reserved for kids from Overlea High School where I spent the last nine years of my career.) Jim had warned them about drinking for weeks prior to the dance. He thwarted an "alternative" party arranged by several would-be graduates. He even called the parents of no-shows (which I thought was a great idea). The man was everywhere.

Nabilah and Holly

When Ev and I made our way to the Elephant Bar, the renowned watering hole located at the Royal, whom did we find? Our man, Jim, busy talking to a group of his students who were in the bar shooting pool. (Free pool tables are available at most lounges in Phnom Penh.) They weren't drinking, and thanks to Jim, they weren't going to start either.

The Elephant Bar features a gorgeous motif from which it gleans its name. In fact, elephant images abound--from wall hangings to statuary to candle holders. Perhaps best known as one of the stops on Jacqueline Kennedy's 1967 trip to Cambodia, the Elephant Bar still has the glass (replete with lipstick marks) from which she drank. (Mrs. Kennedy was in Cambodia to fulfill her life-long dream to visit Angkor Wat. I strongly recommend that you Google the name "Angkor Wat" if you are unfamiliar with it.) Her beverage that night was the "Rouge Champagne Cocktail," which was made from champagne, creme de fraise, cognac, rum, coconut passion juice, pineapple juice, lime juice, and creme de banana. In her honor, the drink was renamed the Femme Fatale.
Next Saturday the graduation ceremony will be held at the Royal Hotel. Guess where I'll be immediately thereafter.