Kampuchea Crossings

and oh the places you'll go :-)

noreply@blogger.com (Kampuchea Crossings) — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 14:25:00 +0000

We've come a long way since my first stint in the sticks.

But after all these years my relationship with blogger.com grinds to a happy halt. This platform's served me well through all the rants and raves at internet cafes-- mostly rants, given the unhappy timing of whatever grid I happen to be writing in to black out whenever I am not saving my work.

So thanks to the web designers at House32 who indulged all my confalutin ideas, just to concede to their original suggestions, my own personal website is up and running. Yey!

All future nuggets of reflection will be posted to http://www.nabejero.net. See you there!

Please sign The Teabagger Socialist-Free Purity Pledge

noreply@blogger.com (Kampuchea Crossings) — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 13:09:00 +0000

I found a great new blog by a godless liberal (from which the below pledge is taken):

Print the pledge and ask all your teabagger/libertarian friends and family to sign it!

The Teabagger Socialist-Free Purity Pledge

I, ________________________________, do solemnly swear to uphold the principles of a socialism-free society and heretofore pledge my word that I shall strictly adhere to the following:

I will complain about the destruction of 1st Amendment Rights in this country, while I am duly being allowed to exercise my 1st Amendment Rights.

I will complain about the destruction of my 2ndAmendment Rights in this country, while I am duly >being allowed to exercise my 2ndAmendment rights by legally but brazenly brandishing unconcealed firearms in public.

I will foreswear the time-honored principles of fairness, decency, and respect by screaming unintelligible platitudes regarding tyranny, Nazi-ism, and socialism at public town halls. Also.

I pledge to eliminate all government intervention in my life. I will abstain from the use of and participation in any socialist goods and services including but not limited to the following:
Social Security
Medicare/Medicaid
State Children's Health Insurance Programs (SCHIP)
Police, Fire, and Emergency Services
US Postal Service
Roads and Highways
Air Travel (regulated by the socialist FAA)
The US Railway System
Public Subways and Metro Systems
Public Bus and Lightrail Systems
Rest Areas on Highways
Sidewalks
All Government-Funded Local/State Projects (e.g., see Iowa 2009federal senate appropriations--http://grassley.senate.gov/issues/upload/Master-Approps-73109.pdf)
Public Water and Sewer Services (goodbye socialist toilet, shower, dishwasher, kitchen sink, outdoor hose!)
Public and State Universities and Colleges
Public Primary and Secondary Schools
Sesame Street
Publicly Funded Anti-Drug Use Education for Children
Public Museums
Libraries
Public Parksand Beaches
State and National Parks
Public Zoos
Unemployment Insurance
Municipal Garbage and Recycling Services
Treatment at Any Hospital or Clinic That Ever Received Funding From Local, Stateor Federal Government (pretty much all of them)
Medical Services and Medications That Were Created or Derived From Any Government Grant or Research Funding (again, pretty much all of them)
Socialist Byproducts of Government Investment Such as Duct Tape and Velcro (Nazi-NASA Inventions)
Use of the Internets, email, and networked computers, as the DoD's ARPANET was the basis for subsequent computer networking
Foodstuffs, Meats, Produce and Crops That Were Grown With, Fed With, Raised With or That Contain Inputs From Crops Grown With Government Subsidies
Clothing Made from Crops (e.g. cotton) That Were Grown With or That Contain Inputs From Government Subsidies
If a veteran of the government-run socialist US military, I will forego my VA benefits and insist on paying for my own medical care

I will not tour socialist government buildings like the Capitol in Washington, D.C.

I pledge to never take myself, my family, or my children on a tour of the following types of socialist

locations, including but not limited to:
Smithsonian Museums such as the Air and Space Museum or Museum of American History
The socialist Washington, Lincoln, and Jefferson Monuments
The government-operated Statue of Liberty
The Grand Canyon
The socialist World War II and Vietnam Veterans Memorials
The government-run socialist-propaganda location known as Arlington National Cemetery
All other public-funded socialist sites, whether it be in my state or in Washington, DC

I will urge my Member of Congress and Senators to forego their government salary and government-provided healthcare.

I will oppose and condemn the government-funded and therefore socialist military of the United States of America.

I will boycott the products of socialist defense contractors such as GE, Lockheed-Martin, Boeing, Northrop Grumman, General Dynamics, Raytheon, Humana, FedEx, General Motors, Honeywell, and hundreds of others that are paid by our socialist government to produce goods for our socialist army.

I will protest socialist security departments such as the Pentagon, FBI, CIA, Department of Homeland Security, TSA, Department of Justice and their socialist employees.

Upon reaching eligible retirement age, I will tear up my socialist Social Security checks.

Upon reaching age 65, I will forego Medicare and pay for my own private health insurance until I die.

SWORN ON A BIBLE AND SIGNED THIS DAY OF ____________ IN THE YEAR ______________.

___________________________ ___________________________

Signed Printed Name/Town and State

slow high-speed internet woes in Cambodia

noreply@blogger.com (Kampuchea Crossings) — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 10:16:00 +0000

One of the important metrics used to define the burden of disease was developed by WHO. DALY, or Disability-Adjusted Life Years, quantifies the difference between the actual health status of a population and an ideal situation where all individuals live long lives free of disease, free of disability. It measures not just mortality but also morbidity, and it's a measurement based on time.

DALY = YLL + YLD

This equation expresses the years of life lost (YLL) to premature death, and concurrently factors in years of healthy life lost because of years lived with a disability (YLD). This allows for the impact of disease or risk factor to be determined in that one DALY is equivalent to one lost year of healthy life.

Given that the previous post took me 20 minutes to write but two hours to upload, I've come up with a unit of measurement to measure the burden of slow internet for an aid worker living in a developing country. Life lost to premature death, eg due to inhaling particulate matter laden with bacteria making Phnom Penh air worse than Bangkok's smog, and healthy life lost because of years surfing and uploading blog posts on slow internet.

SIALY = YLL + YLSI
(Slow internet adjusted life years) = (Years of Life Lost) + (Years living with Slow Internet)

Mind you, my slow high-speed connection in this Kingdom's capital is not as bad as some of the screaming fast Commodore 64 connections that other colleagues have to contend with. So kudos to the best of you who can produce creative pieces of writing amid these uninspiring conditions. I think I just grayed three more hairs. :-(
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Twitter and my #followfriday list

noreply@blogger.com (Kampuchea Crossings) — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 07:47:00 +0000

Graphic courtesy of Ritu

Isolation is wretched dull. I miss the exposure to ideas and interaction that come with living in global cities. While there are certainly boundless gems brewing in the Kingdom, there’s nothing like the left-thinking stimulation from networks which are so totally different than you’re daily engaging with. So the varied perspectives and people who facilitate these mental bridges on twitter ... priceless.

That said, here are my #followfriday recommendations, to be continually updated.

For unique perspectives worth consideration:
@pdenlinger
China, China-US, China-West business and politics

@sagarikaghose @sardesairajdeep @priyaraju @gregorylent
India-Asia life and politics

@yuyudin
Burma and India

@kawdess @elizrael @fustat @jerusalembureau @3arabawy @asteris
Mid-East and North Africa

@AriCostello @kevindoylejones @nelderini @atomiota
Investing

@teresakopec @dukestjournal @yatpundit @davidbadash @tomwatson
US politics (stateside perspectives)

@jayrosen_nyu
journalism, media matters

@rainsua
Latin America

For their expertise / interest areas:
@jranck @fanihiman95376 @acorsin @clasticdetritus @allochthonous @yorrike
the sciences

@viirak @tharum @john_weeks
Cambodia culture and politics

@imrananwar
Pakistan, Afghanistan

@aimeenbarnes
China-US business

@Jess_Huang
East Asia economics

@arizuma
Global and alternative lifestyle / philosophies

@meryl333
Consumer advocacy in the US; grassroots health, safe food and farming initiatives

@fridley
IT and social networks, and news on Japan and Australia

@bill_easterly @ithorpe @theroadto
Foreign aid

@kiwanja @tmsruge @gabgabgabby @whiteafrican
Social enterprising in Africa

@kanter
Social networking for organisational learning

@trenttsd
Personal finance, blogs The Simple Dollar

@zen_habits
Philosophy and productivity, blogs Zen Habits

@skap5 @robert_banghart @skipzilla @tomwatson @tikkun44
US politics and especially the health financing reform

@techsav
IT

Smart streams of consciousness (by location):
UK @UKProgressive @ashantiomkar @debra47

China @davidfeng @dufffader @xiaoyi @kaiserkuo @sioksiok @Damjan_DeNoble @taweili @minimum12

Vietnam @saigonnezumi @kennedypj

Thailand @chuanjeng @bm_ @photo_journ

Malaysia @llamasonic @peterpek

Japan @fatblueman

Saudi Arabia @alethe

Iraq @keemoD

Russia @MarkRPritchard

US @marabg @cwbuddha @maybellinete @olithechet @growinggold @obitod @pinkfest @suzannereed @mhaithaca @memachel @ratpoe @dakster9 @davidoberry @jimnnoke
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Pchum Ben, to remember the ancestors

noreply@blogger.com (Kampuchea Crossings) — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 15:54:00 +0000

This is such a great photo, shared by Metro Cafe.

It is Pchum Ben in Cambodia, one of the biggest Buddhist holidays in which people visit the pagodas and bring offerings in remembrance of their ancestors. Once again there is a mass exodus from the city as the Khmer go to their provinces to visit their families, and foreigners take advantage of the many days off to flee the country.

Pchum Ben is similar to the Christians' All Saints' Day. This ritual used to be an ancient Celtic celebration called Samhain. Attempting to suppress these pagan traditions the Catholic Church created All Saints' Day (All Hallows Day) in the 7th century to christianise the event.

Other cultures have rituals for remembering their dead around this same time of year too:

the Pasola Festival in Sumba, an island east of Bali
Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) in Mexico
Dia de los ñatitas (Day of the Skulls) in Bolivia
Brazil celebrates Finados (Day of the Dead)
Araw ng mga Patay (Day of the Dead) in the Philippines
O-bon (お盆) or only Bon (盆), a Buddhist holiday in Japan
Hankawi (한가위,中秋节) is Korea's traditional day of remembrance of their dead
Ghost month (鬼月) in China

Safe travels on this holiday everyone!

Letter to my congressmen in support of the Public Option

noreply@blogger.com (Kampuchea Crossings) — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 06:15:00 +0000

Dear Representative James Moran:
The US health care system is in deplorable state. Upon repatriation for any number of reasons your ~7 million expatriates are the only citizens of OECD member countries with no social health protection mechanism in place to assist in transitioning back home.

As a voting constituent in the 8th Congressional District of VA, I respectfully urge you to vote for a strong and comprehensive public option that guarantees all Americans with the choice of a public health insurance plan, as proposed by President Barack Obama.

This reform package, which aims to provide all Americans with access to affordable health insurance, must include a strong and comprehensive public option that:

is available to ALL Americans on DAY ONE. Co-ops or triggers weaken the public health insurance option and make it ineffective. I ask you to oppose these proposals.
is national, available everywhere, provides transportability and thus a continuum of benefits.
has government-appointed decision-makers and thus are accountable to Congress.
provides substantial bargaining leverage against providers and pharmaceutical companies.

I also ask you to put a statement on your web site's home page supporting these points. As aptly stated by our fellow American expatriates in Canada: health insurance in a civilized society is a collective moral obligation, not a discretionary consumer good.

We voted for Change in 2008 and I ask that you support what voters have overwhelmingly demanded from our representatives. I look forward to reciprocal support for you on the 2010 ticket.

Sincerely,

----------------------------------------------------------

Look up your representative(s) in the House here.

Look up your US Senators here.
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Sunset on the Mekong

noreply@blogger.com (Kampuchea Crossings) — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 13:30:00 +0000

It's been a while since we've seen a sunset here. After the brief lull in the rains last month, September came storming in with brilliant downpours and the energy-sapping intermittent drizzling all day long. In some provinces south and west of Phnom Penh these downpours made up for the drought. Unfortunately there was so much sudden deluge that up to 2m have been recorded in some villages around the country, and flash floods have taken about a dozen lives.

This photo above of the Phnom Penh skyline was taken from the peninsula before the rainy season started. That is the royal palace and royal viewing stage (for the November boat races during the Water Festival, or Bon Om Touk).

The riverfront is getting a massive makeover. Actually open areas around the city are getting a fantastic makeover. Khmers love it, these parks are filled every morning at the freakin' crack of dawn with groups assembling for exercises. It's the popular hangout for inexpensive dates, loitering, families taking their kids out to fly kites, getting some street food and gaping at the water acrobatics at the fountains. Aren't these colors brilliant?

Dramatic skies in rainy season

noreply@blogger.com (Kampuchea Crossings) — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 13:04:00 +0000

There was a brief lull in the rainy season as usual this past August. But the rains are back in full swing again. The Mekong and Tonlé Sap Rivers are swollen rich from the monsoons up north. The Tonlé Sap River, which meets the Mekong towards the south of Phnom Penh in front of the Royal Palace, reversed directions about three or four times already, but volume and flow reversal has been weak due to dam building in China and Laos, north of Cambodia.

(In dry season flow in the Tonlé Sap River is southeast to the Mekong River. But with high volume on the Mekong during wet season it backs up the Tonlé Sap River, causing it to reverse its flow and fills the Tonlé Sap Lake in the northwest section of the country. This is one of the largest freshwater lakes in Asia and is Cambodia's most prominent geographic feature.)

We have our very first skyscraper, prominent above in the first picture just to the right of Wat Phnom, against the dramatic rain clouds. The first two photos are of the Phnom Penh skyline from Maxine's Bar (or "Snowy's" to some) across the Japanese bridge, on the peninsula. The others are around our neighborhood (all were taken by Keith Kelly). Hard to capture lightning on film eh?

our resident tukei gecko

noreply@blogger.com (Kampuchea Crossings) — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 14:49:00 +0000

Isn't Fred the cutest tukei gecko ever?? Except he's a SHE! LOL! Just saw her little ones yesterday, they're feisty like mommy!

Fred is about 6inches around her tummy, 10inches long to the end of her tail. She's been a regular at our place for years. Or should I say, WE've been regulars at HER place for years LOL!
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Celestial dance of 22 July 2009

noreply@blogger.com (Kampuchea Crossings) — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 20:01:00 +0000

A dismal overcast day spawns in the Kingdom. The mighty Mekong bucks and swells with all the world's rage. Celestial beings roar.

Across the land village radios quiver with the news: the Eye of God cometh. Today a dark day falls. None shall be spared.

Humans and fortune tellers and witches scurry about their paltry rituals and offerings to stave the impending doom. But the cauldron of the heavens boils and bubbles. In just moments the essence of wrath will descend upon earth to end this corrupt age of Kali. Lesser clouds sent by a kindly small (unknown) Hindu god for Cambodia's meager comfort cower as the lunar transit arcs straight into the solar spectrum.

om shanti..... Om Shanti.... OM NAMAHO SHIVA!!

[looks to see if you, reader, are still watching....]

Well. Thunderclouds rage also in my thoughts. There goes my view of the solar eclipse. Would be nice to see the arc of the cosmos hurtling us towards our destruction, at least.

[sulks. chucks a used tissue over the balcony... and the used tissue chucked over the rail blows into my downstairs neighbor's balcony.]

[a small smile escapes.] This day may yet improve. :-)

---- update at 12:05pm, after the eclipse:

Our six and a half minutes of solar eclipse was watched by many of my friends, thanks to my news flashes on Facebook. Here below is a picture taken by Dave Coolio, since for part of those six minutes I was called into someone's office for a minor query. :-(

Also why Dave felt the need to point out the obvious in the photo is beyond me.
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California plates in the Penh

noreply@blogger.com (Kampuchea Crossings) — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 14:00:00 +0000

California DMV yoohoo! Anyone file missing Land Cruisers with plates 2d8514 or 4USN291 lately? They're in Cambodia LOL! (Took this shot two months or so ago and forgot to post them, though I did tweet it!)
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Traffic rules? What traffic rules?

noreply@blogger.com (Kampuchea Crossings) — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 13:09:00 +0000

Only four traffic laws broken in this pic LOL (unless you count all the helmet-less heads on two wheels);
2. going the wrong way, which I suppose is subjective in this country;
3. mobile stuck to the head while driving a moto (although I guess this isn't a law in Cambodia);
4. same guy who doesn't have a helmet while yakking on his mobile is also missing his mirrors.
Did I miss any others?

I love the very specific methods for plowing straight into oncoming traffic: make eye contact and you lose the right of way. LOL!

No helmet, talking on the mobile, and obviously the point of rearview mirrors is lost on this fellow.
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the occasional luxury that's worth the money

noreply@blogger.com (Kampuchea Crossings) — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 04:16:00 +0000

Once in a while you just have to splurge on a multi-sensory dining experience: attentive service, innovative chef, great setting.
I've only had excellent culinary and service experiences at Sirocco (euro- fusion) and Breeze (asian fusion). For sunset drinks splash out at SKY bar and Distil. These are just a few of the establishments at Lebua at the State Tower in Bangkok.

Opposition views not allowed

noreply@blogger.com (Kampuchea Crossings) — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 03:14:00 +0000

In celebration of Cambodia's thorough crackdown on opposition views, I'd love to take up Maggie Lamb's challenge on Facebook for all of us to violate Articles 62 and 63 in the Cambodian criminal code at the same time.

Robert Carmichael in the Asia Media Forum lists some recent actions against opposition officials and members of the press, which does not include the defamation case against the Cambodia Daily:

One editor of a newspaper affiliated with the opposition Sam Rainsy Party (SRP) is now serving a one-year jail term for publishing a story the government objected to. The publisher of another newspaper, ‘Moneaksekar Khmer’, was told this week he would be sued and could go to jail after publishing a series of articles allegedly designed to incite conflict between government ministers.

On the political front, two opposition MPs are being sued by senior officials of the ruling party for defamation after having their immunity stripped by the lower house. Their lawyer recently quit their cases and the SRP and crossed over to the ruling Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) after being told he would be sued.

Two other opposition MPs have been told they could have their immunity taken away too. Two non-government organisations have also received legal threats.

That the government beelines for the courts rather than counter criticisms via more palatable channels such as rebuttal pieces, propaganda speeches and using more of the widely popular comedy skits as they did a few weeks ago, is truly curious. See one of the videos here: Khmer Media Watch.

Oh and WWF joins the ranks of Unfavored NGO Status in Cambodia for releasing scientific data on the state of the Mekong River dolphins (the species is all but functionally extinct). To further add to the comic relief, Global Witness recently urged the UK to revoke PM Hun Sen’s visa ahead of a planned visit to the country to see his son graduate.

Wonder how the crackdown will be managed on the internet, as it will inevitably do. There are a growing number of critical voices across the various social networks...
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how tourists should not treat the natives

noreply@blogger.com (Kampuchea Crossings) — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 02:41:00 +0000

D and I were sitting in a restaurant nowhere near the tourist track when some kids were dropped off by a tuk tuk outside. As they wandered a few feet, gawking about with lonely planets and maps in their hands-- very comically lost-- a rude blog post title popped to mind: "You too can look .....". We stepped out to snag some quick shots, when these guys turned the tables on us. They waved and smiled really big, the kind you save for retarded people, probably thinking we were natives taking photos of foreigners. We took off before they could start talking really loud English at us.

I have never been looked at by a white person like this. My immersion in Cambodia is complete.
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Happy Burfday America!!

noreply@blogger.com (Kampuchea Crossings) — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 06:48:00 +0000

Cheers from this side of this rock's molten core! I was decidedly NOT too enthused about joining an event where Americans by the thousands gather at the American Embassy to celebrate this American holiday. (Seems like putting a bull's eye on ya, eh?)

But it was ok! We were safe! North Korea even kicked the celebrations off with dud scuds all throughout the morning (A for Effort!). And sheesh the number of Americans in Phnom Penh always astounds me :-)

Naturally I was there on task for the Democrats Abroad Cambodia. I was politically unaffected throughout the election season of two years until Sarah Palin grabbed the VP nomination and ended John McCain. Our little Cambodia team kicked butt of all DA groups all over the world with 100x our budget and number of expatriates. We rock, dude! And Americans abroad? You rock, cuz your votes gave the Dems six seats, plus handed the presidency to Obama!
Actually, more accurately: the vote-from-abroad reforms that were put into place in time for POTUS elections 2008 allowed overseas ballots to be counted from the get-go instead of placing them in a pile to be opened ONLY if a tie needed to be broken! We have a great team, and even though I'm not a Democrat I'm happy to work with them to change some things that adversely affect American expatriates.

This is the first time I've ever had a corndog can you believe it? The Embassy special-imported these from the US. I now know why I never bothered to try them in the first place :-)

Keith's basketball buddy here onstage rallying the crowd. That was an awesome crowd (over 1500!). Great event, good to get in touch with Americana. Got my homesickness over with for a little while :-)

Preah Vihear UNESCO World Heritage Site

noreply@blogger.com (Kampuchea Crossings) — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 17:23:00 +0000

Since D was here, we thought we'd take that trip to the border temple that Keith and I have wanted to see. Thailand tends to have dispute with UNESCO over the World Heritage status of the temple and award of the grounds to Cambodia (it's a disputed land area on the border) whenever they are having domestic political turmoil. It is pre-Angkorian, so it predates Angkor Wat. Because it's a conflict area restoration has been on hold and there are very few foreigners who come to this mountaintop ruin. You essentially put yourself between the Cambodian troops and the Thais when you visit this place.
Preah Vihear is 4hrs from Siem Reap (Angkor Wat), which is 5hrs from Phnom Penh. About an hour out of Siem Reap the paved road ends. If it's raining, your driver better be damn good! Even SUVs are useless when you can't maneuver the car. It is almost like driving in deep snow.
Thankfully there wasn't any rain when we arrived at Preah Vihear. It's a steep climb up a now-paved road on this mountain, so you need a four-wheel drive. Needless to say, it isn't smooth. I still have some bruises. At one point there were about nine of us crammed into the bed of the pickup truck. D and I held on for dear life smack in the middle of the bed while seasoned soldiers sat on the edge casually hanging on, laughing at us.
At the top, you're hard-pressed to find signs of conflict. The ruins are overrun by soldiers- surreal. There are Khmer tourists wandering about like the place hadn't been pelted with shells only recently. No foreigners (namely, no busloads of package tourists from Japan, Korea, China, and Europe), so that was VERY nice!
Hmm.. Look at that concentrated gray coming out of the side of my head over the parietal lobe. Maybe I did too much math in grad school [scratches head].
That is Preah Vihear town below. Follow that road right (southeast?) and it leads to Ang Long Veng, a very historic city where Pol Pot also is buried. There's nothing out in these parts, so accommodations are slim and very bare / basic.

Some of the soldiers look like little kids. They aren't allowed off the mountain. When we came back down they searched our vehicle for stowaways.

See this guy's grenade? I pointed at it, was thinking that pin looks could get popped easily off. But it is ok, I was told it is secure. There is a rubber band holding it in, and he handed it to me. Heavy. The rubber band? You know when those things get old and start to dry up brittle? I thought we'd best leave soon..

Long day, but a great time. :-) If you can make it out here while the troops are still around it's a great time. They're awesome hosts. They even let you hold their weapons. Strange to be handling these loaded guns, rockets, grenades etc. At the end you give the soldiers some small cash so they can buy cigarettes.

around the 'hood with a visiting friend

noreply@blogger.com (Kampuchea Crossings) — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 15:54:00 +0000

Here's my street, we live a block off the Royal Palace. It's everyday scenes like this that you never bother to take photos of until a friend comes along and captures everything you don't blink twice over anymore. To the left is a tuk-tuk, riding the line to his left and back is what they call here a cyclo, and practically most people travel by some form of motorbike here.
Every day monks walk around the neighborhood collecting alms (this is one of the stores downstairs). Since the Khmer Rouge decimated the elder ranks, the religion's influence has not gained its previous legitimacy and credibility. Respect for monks and the solidarity they fostered before the conflict era have been largely eroded.
Time for some tours around the city! This is what I get when a journalist friend is visiting. LOTS of photos of me. And yes, I know these huge sunglasses are horrible fashion bombs, but they're great for tuk-tuk riding cuz short of goggles they keep everything out of your eyes!
The Independence Monument Plaza, view from Sothearos Blvd. See the cranes in the background? Phnom Penh is under constant construction. sigh.
D was an inspiration to me long ago with her wanderlust. Everyone back then thought she was a nut (me too, secretly!). Of course now we both envy our friends the stability of life and family and community when our lives are anything but. But connecting in different parts of the globe once in a while brings us back to what matters and what brought us out on these paths in the first place.
In a city growing up so fast, these bicycle vendors selling kids' toys brings memories of olden days. They're still numerous on the city streets, particularly where people like to gather at night in the new plazas.
Those of you who saw City of Ghosts (2002) with Matt Dillon might recognize this guy. Ian 'Snowy' Woodford is an old fixture in the Phnom Penh 'hoods from the UNTAC days. He's now running a bar / gallery across the Tonle River from the city.
The Phnom Penh skyline! Naturally you must have a healthy imagination to see it ;-) D and I rented a boat ($16/2hrs) and cruised the Tonle River. Brought a bottle of wine and some desserts. I always forget to look up at the night sky whenever I'm in cities. PP is sufficiently small that you can get a glimpse of some stars. But out on the river- wow.

BudLite Presents: Real Men of Genius. . . Today we salute YOU Mr. . . . .

noreply@blogger.com (Kampuchea Crossings) — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 08:36:00 +0000

. . . Asian Correspondent Extraordinaire!!!

[♫ in the background] While correspondents coagulate on the beaten path, you strut the high- the low- and parlous track. Remote bird flu hot zones, bullet-ridden conflict areas—- the very bowels of hell itself!!—- You have conquered them all, with stealth by your side and twinkle in your eyes. Because of you, o mad-dog maverick bandit traversing the ruthless Indochine geography, adventures in pandemic scourges and war know no bounds. (You take my breath away) Who is Nirmal? Who cares? Lordy Lordy have mercy, it is imperialism on the nomen nudum scale!! So, crack open an ice cold Bud Light, o Marauder of the Landmasses, and don’t wander too far from your fantasies of Nirmalian imperialism, because your greatness is ever so inspiring!!!!

Today we salute YOU, Mr. ASIAN SUBCONTINENT CORRESPONDENT EXTRAORDINAIRE!!!!

♫ Reeeeal men of geeeeeniouuuus!!!! ♫

Note:
I came across this old email and had to post it for nostalgia's sake. I'd written it in jest to the BudLite ad track many years ago for Nirmal Ghosh. He was my first and only friend here in Asia for a short while when I first landed in Bangkok. I was staying with an old friend Doualy Xaykaothao who's a reporter for NPR, but she promptly traipsed off to chase a story too soon after I landed, and I was alone in her Bangkok pad. She introduced me to her friend and colleague Nirmal, and he smoothed the bumps of transition to SE Asia! Great friends, both of them. And it doesn't hurt that both can spin art out of the written and spoken word. Inspires me silly, these guys!

I completely forgot about it until just now, cleaning out my email boxes. Oh memories... Love you guys.
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THIS just in: We interrupt this regularly scheduled rioting for...

noreply@blogger.com (Kampuchea Crossings) — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 05:04:00 +0000

LOL this last entry in Nirmal Ghosh’s live-blogging on 14 Apr 2009 upon the Red Shirt leader's call for an end to the protests:

The reds are dispersing, to rousing music and dousing each other with water to celebrate Songkran. A potentially disastrous situation has been averted.

The Songkran Festival was extended two days, for “cleanup”. [[Straight face: pelt water not tear gas! Smirk, enter stage right.]]] … Kum.ba.ya.my.lord… kum.BA.YAAA…

Thaksin vs the King?

Ousted PM Thaksin Shinawatra

The Yellow Shirts are advocating for a roll-back of "democracy". From Der Speigel, The King's Silence (09 Dec 2008):

The airport occupiers and their supporters (Yellow Shirts) are revolting against a democratically elected government whose political base consists of the poor rice farmers of northeastern Thailand. They are leading the fight for a middle-class minority with allegiance to the king and pro-military views, which calls itself the "revolution of the middle class." If it comes into power, it will do away with democracy and allow only one-third of the representatives of the people to be elected by the people. This comes as no surprise, given the fact the representatives of this segment of society lost the last four elections....

... More and more Thais wonder what the king's silence means. Could it be a sign of division within the royal family? Queen Sirikit was once spotted at the funeral of a member of the opposition. The Reds, however, hope that the king himself is on their side -- that of the poor.

This time Thaksin outright called for the Red Shirts (pro-Thaksin majority rural poor) to dissolve the country into a revolution, and levied accusations against the Privy Council, advisors to the King, for their part in the 2006 coup. Red Shirts rallied behind this call, rushing the parliament house and by the hundreds of thousands incited violent clashes throughout Bangkok and the country. From The Economist, A Right Royal Mess (08 Dec 2008):

The rage of Bangkok’s traditional elite against Mr Thaksin stems partly from embarrassment at having originally supported him...

... Some of Mr Thaksin’s voters must be contemplating the flip-side of the PAD’s (yellow shirts) argument: if the monarchy is against the leader they keep voting for, maybe it is against them. Such feelings may only be encouraged by the PAD’s condescending arguments that the rural poor (Mr Thaksin’s main support base) are too “uneducated” to have political opinions, so their voting power must be reduced.

King Bhumibol Adulyadej

Thailand is experiencing the deep social and ideological divides of a feudal society’s transformation into a modern democracy. The crown’s role as a stabilizing factor in the country’s politics faces its greatest challenge yet. King Bhumibol is widely worshipped as god-like. He facilitated the country’s transition to democracy and has used his considerable influence to arbitrate during periods of political turmoil.

But the crown’s legitimacy may soon see an end, as the King’s health is quickly deteriorating and the next in line for the throne has no command of the hearts of his people. Heir Prince Vajiralongkorn of the patrilineal monarchy lacks the current King’s compassion and devotion to duty, and his suitability for the throne is consistently questioned. One wonders what is in store for Thailand, long the region’s beacon of stability.

Effects on Cambodia?

Regional proverb: When elephants fight, the grass is trampled.

Where is Khmer culture going?

noreply@blogger.com (Kampuchea Crossings) — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 04:33:00 +0000

Terminalnomad Photography

With such rapid pace of progress, Cambodia eagerly embraces a bright future. That's the upside. What's disheartening is that it's a future that chases inspiration externally-- specifically from the West, while rejecting its own rich legacy and heritage.

Silence about the Khmer Rouge period

With the KR trials commencing, spotlight is on the reaction of the Khmer population. But collective suppression of this period in history is the prevailing practice. Even the international community avoids the issue: aid funding for mental health has been nil, despite numerous requests and rampant indication of need. What little dialogue is had about tribunal activities is mostly aimed at foreigners and international scholars, researchers, interns.

Khmer kids have not an inkling of the import of the Khmer Rouge period. It's not taught in school, barely mentioned in the home, and no discourse is had in the public sphere. To be ignorant of it is one thing, but I was shocked on arrival that my new friends flat-out deny these atrocities ever even occurred. They say it's just old people talking to scare them... Here Seth Mydans reports on how Cambodia's youth know little about the Khmer Rouge atrocities (NYT):

Some older people get so upset at their children for not believing that they say, ‘I wish the Khmer Rouge time would happen again; then you’d believe it,’ Mr. Ty Leap said.

Thought leaders, influencers and the professional cadres were largely eliminated during the KR period, true. But a complete dismantling of the Khmer social infrastructure is reinforced by this large-scale avoidance of the topic. It is a rift, chasm, disconnect that winds and rends through the entire fabric of Khmer society.

Frayed social networks

For thousands of years Buddhism has been the pillar of social cohesion-- a vanguard of Khmer culture and moral authority in matters of social and even political affairs. But the abbots' and monks' relevance has deteriorated, largely from decimation of the top ranks of the Buddhist order. This left a fragmented social system and a void, at a time it is most needed.

We're witnessing the extinction of many art forms, from music to fine arts, with little local advocacy. Such cultural expressions usually boom after conflict periods; it is part of a society's healing process to document memories. But the arts are unsupported, even from the royal family, many of whom including the King are gifted artists. This point is very telling by itself. The royal family does not reside in-country, and the King is (was?) a dance professor in France who spends little of his life here. What better way to convey the message to your people that Khmer culture is sub-par than to abandon the very channels for social expression.

My colleague's father was a renowned painter prior to the Khmer Rouge period, and his works hang in the National Museum in Phnom Penh. Thoroughly impressed, K requested an interview. Her response? His art is so old, why would he be interested in it when she can introduce him to more exciting contemporary artists instead. She was sure to add that good artists have had training in the West or from Westerners-- her father "only" knew Angkorian style.

These are just a few instances of the absence of pride among Khmer for anything Cambodian.

Foreigners' role in advocating Khmer culture

The generations after the KR only ever knew to aspire to the whims of endless armies of westerners bringing our ideas to them, experimenting on a societal scale at will and for the most part unchecked. Khmers are conditioned to worship the power of the dollar. They're exposed to and want the excesses they see on the pirated Hollywood blockbusters: fast cars, fast money, throwaway relationships, soundbyte politics and a consumption lifestyle-- all a complete flip of the essence of Cambodian philosophy towards life. China, India, Thailand, etc, have all chosen to embrace modernity. But their quest for progress is continuously negotiated against the substance of their cultural identity. Khmers seem not to have this.

Instead of coming from within, foreigners (for lack of elder Khmer mentors) are showing the youth what's cool about their own Khmer culture. Through the filters of foreign taste, Khmer are learning to appreciate the finer elements of their own traditions. The context is displaced, disconnected, inorganic.

For me, growing up in the US, I was taught the essence of my Filipino heritage in the home, and learned my new country's cultural nuances through social situations. Most of us have the luxury of this foundation from which to forge our identity, whichever direction that may go. I reject some Filipino and American traditions on the basis that I had grasp of the context. Cambodian kids are given little context from which to move forward.

So what's in store for Cambodian culture?

Mentors from within the country are still few relative to the boomer population post-KR, but this cadre is steadily growing, (thankfully) embracing their Khmer identity and taking the lead to advocate for it. Ever so slowly, foreigner guidance will give way to this new generation of elders. But it'll take entire lifetimes. In the meantime, a cultural schizophrenia guides the direction of progress in Cambodia...

something i came across at the store...

noreply@blogger.com (Kampuchea Crossings) — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 03:11:00 +0000

Check this out. There's no shortage of fascinating things here to keep the western consumer amused. The seeds keep their suspension with the jelly-like juice. It's very strange. (Google it, there are lots of photos.) It's almost like a lava lamp except they aren't moving. Oh and the taste? Not something to write home about (although I guess that's what I'm doing eh). It's syrupy sweet, and no I didn't crunch down on the seeds. After the novelty, it isn't something I'd purchase again. But it does have a great fan base, especially for fresh-made ones.

Spirit houses in Asia

noreply@blogger.com (Kampuchea Crossings) — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 10:00:00 +0000

Spirits-- can't live with them, can't live without appeasing them. In Asia, nature or 'supernatural' forces are very much a part of one's being and not disconnected as it is in the modern west.

When people move into a new home they create a disturbance in the natural world. In a gesture of deference and to re-balance the natural surroundings, it is tradition to appease the displaced spirits. Bribes of various sorts ranging from incense, fruits, vegetables, water and rice etc are regularly placed in these houses, sort of like an eviction compensation. It isn't that the spirits will actually eat them, and in fact some of these houses can be left in such a state as to seem that the spirits are expected to clean their little abodes. They will not. These are symbolic acts of respect towards the earth and to divine beings who live alongside us.

See the bananas and bottles of water in the first photo? On the road down to Koh Kong there are a few spirit houses placed along the sides of the road. Sometimes people will stop, leave a lagniappe and ask the spirits in that area to look over them in their travels and keep mischief and danger away. If many accidents have occurred on a specific road a spirit house will be placed there, to allow travelers to pacify the tormented spirits.

It's interesting to note that I have never seen birds nesting in these houses, nor eating the plentiful fruits left at them. I hadn't had a drop of clue or curiosity yet to ask my Khmer colleagues and friends why this is so. I guess it satisfies my sensibilities that it really does have to do with an otherwordly presence.
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Irrawady dolphins in the Mekong

noreply@blogger.com (Kampuchea Crossings) — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 09:20:00 +0000

Only four (five?) groups of freshwater dolphins are left in the world, mainly due to habitat loss and hunting-- two in S. America and three in Asia. Here in Kratie, Cambodia, there are between 20 to less than 100 of the Irrawady dolphins. With such low numbers they are functionally extinct. They come to the Kratie area of the Mekong during the dry season (practically the only attraction there) and head up to Myanmar for the rest of the year.
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Faces

noreply@blogger.com (Kampuchea Crossings) — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 09:11:00 +0000