Kampuchea Crossings

and oh the places you'll go :-)

2009-09-24T21:25:00.005+07:00

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

2009-09-21T20:09:00.003+07:00

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

2009-09-19T17:16:00.004+07:00

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

2009-09-19T14:47:00.009+07:00

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

2009-09-17T22:54:00.005+07:00

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

2009-09-11T13:15:00.001+07:00

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

2009-09-05T20:30:00.006+07:00

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

2009-09-02T20:04:00.013+07:00

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

2009-07-27T21:49:00.008+07:00

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

2009-07-22T03:01:00.007+07:00

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

2009-07-20T21:00:00.006+07:00

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?

2009-07-20T20:09:00.004+07:00

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

2009-07-18T11:16:00.012+07:00

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

2009-07-18T10:14:00.006+07:00

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

2009-07-18T09:41:00.007+07:00

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!!

2009-07-05T13:48:00.003+07:00

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

2009-07-01T00:23:00.016+07:00

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

2009-06-30T22:54:00.014+07:00

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. . . . .

2009-04-23T15:36:00.000+07:00

. . . 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...

2009-04-15T12:04:00.006+07:00

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?

2009-04-11T11:33:00.023+07:00

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...

2009-04-11T10:11:00.004+07:00

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

2009-04-04T17:00:00.000+07:00

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

2009-04-04T16:20:00.005+07:00

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

2009-04-04T16:11:00.007+07:00

Banana leaf books

2009-04-01T22:24:00.004+07:00

Since deciding to leave 'civilisation' I hardly much missed the comforts I was luckily blessed with. Lord knows my parents are confuzzled why I chose to go to a country worse off than the one they took me out of! I guess that choice is a luxury they passed on to us, but that's where we see things differently... So instead there's a daily onslaught of novel situations-- sights, smells, tastes-- not all good! But more often than not it's a memory to put in that bottle.

Here we saw an old man who lives at the temple on Phnom Chisour (2hrs' motorbike ride from Phnom Penh). He writes Buddhist teachings on dried banana leaves cut into uniform 'pages', which are then tied together into a 'book'. The implement is a branch with a sharpened end, and he fills in the strokes by rubbing a crushed leaf across the page. One book takes him a week to complete, and this he sells to tourists for $2. The skeptic in me wonders in which part of the pagoda do they mass-produce copies of these little books, and then age them over a fire or something. But as K and my photographer friend traipsed off to shoot all manner of inanimate curiosities, I stayed behind and watched him at length (like for 2hrs) painstakingly scrawl his messages. I even helped him pick leaves for ink (only the young leaves will do).

Yes, I bought one book from him. I have no idea what to do with it, so it sits with other dust-collecting ethnic baubles I purchase for the sake of stimulating the local economy.

View from shotgun

2009-04-01T22:00:00.008+07:00

I don't like riding in the back of the SUV like I have a chauffeur, but I also really hate traveling shotgun here for many reasons. The probability is high for anyone living here for being in an accident. Here are some photos why:
Roads in developing countries aren't the safest, so you can't sit back and relax in the car. Almost every trip I make I pass an accident. On the national roads it's even worse. Against your better sense of humanity, foreigners are advised never to stop and help, even if you're with a local who can communicate. You can easily take the heat for the accident even if you arrive long after the event. And without an underlying structure of order, mob justice prevails. You're on your own if any danger comes to you from being a good samaritan.

Motorbikes are used to transport anything and everything. These guys are each carrying two beds strapped precariously to their motos, traveling about 35km/hr for about 3 hours to Phnom Penh.
Sights like these are common and, likelier than not, no matter how high a vehicle is packed, there are people sitting (or sleeping) on top of the cargo.

the health insurance debate

2009-03-14T09:49:00.005+07:00

There is so much dialogue on the issue of health insurance coverage, on FB, the blogosphere, tweetscape, news. Everyone has an opinion on the best system (popular option seems to be single-payer) and so much energy is batted around the design of a universal scheme.

What I want to see is a growing dialogue on the root issue, which is the big pharma-medical financial incentives megastructure. From the agriculture policy to who funds continuing medical education to lobbying heft on the Hill, there is NO ONE AREA of lifestyle NOT touched by this monied interest. Look around, do some research, and you will find that even the most innocuous facets of life and decisions made is heavily if not directly influenced by Big Pharma.

Those who insist that there are laudable national health insurance designs in France, Scandinavian countries, and Japan (or elsewhere beyond the top 3 in coverage schemes) must look at the books. Populations in these universal coverage programmes are ageing, expecting more high-tech innovations in care, demanding more options and access. These lead to increased financial liabilities to the health system. They are all to one extent or another unsustainable in their current form in the long run. And that is with regulation in place for big pharma much more stringent and patient-focused than we have in the US.

Dialogue--and legislative action-- has been taken up in these oft-cited "model" countries on how to make access to health and medical care affordable without bankrupting the system. There needs to be a sound legislative and policy framework before we can talk about coverage and financing designs.

Durian: It's that time of year again

2009-03-13T22:43:00.004+07:00

The hot and sticky summers in April, May and June bring the season of the best fruits of the tropics. This naturally includes durian, which of course you must eat with mangosteens (arguably one of the better things about Asia) or else your body temperature rises too much. But then again, this is when mangoes are falling off the trees on the roads and there's just too much for consumption including exports. So I guess I can handle that waft of durian odor once in a while....

Dyed chicks in Jakarta

2009-03-13T22:30:00.006+07:00

Can you believe this?? I think my shock was a little disabling. We rounded the corner on a tuk tuk and came upon this scene only enough to capture a single shot before the traffic converged to block the view and we were whisked off. Inside the cage on the different levels are chicks dipped in various colored dye. I mean, as a child in Manila I think I found this sort of atrocity cute since I myself was party to the doom of several baby animals I made my mom purchase for me at the market. I guess it is a luxury to have this mentality of animal harassment (cruelty?)...

Day Trip from Phnom Penh to Phnom Oudong

2009-03-12T21:37:00.018+07:00

This trip was a 50minute motorbike ride to the outskirts of Phnom Penh on a very hot Sunday. This is a typical panoramic view of Cambodia in the North-South region Siem Reap - Sihanoukville: flat as a pancake dry and dotted with palm and coconut trees, etc. Elevations are revered spots and wats (pagodas) are usually constructed on top of them.

These images of Buddha in various interpretations are not for idolising, such as Christians worship the images of the God. These images aim to inspire the appropriate mode of behaviour towards the personal achievement of enlightenment. It is an admired philosophy, especially during these modern fast-paced times, but its lack of appreciation for personal gains contributes to the detriment of Asian society (values?) in an age of materialism and the pursuit of wealth.

I have no idea what kind of turtles these are, but a lot of them are classified 'threatened' in Cambodia. We were taken once to a restaurant in Kampot Province, where the walls were lined with WWF and conservancy posters. Obviously it's illegal to hunt those animals on the posters, but enforcement capacity is low. They were the menu offerings, but only hush hush. If officials came through the door the establishment is upholding the law.
No shortage of cutesy shots in the third world. Sadly this is exploited and children are sometimes harmed in order to garner more sympathy and thus more money from foreigners.

At wats around the country there are soothsayers who will read palms, feet, sticks, and tea leaves. Philosophies about fate and destiny are major factors why the region has not lived to its full capacity in the past several centuries compared to the West.
This woman makes 3 baskets in one day. Then sells each basket for 1000 Riel (25 cents) for a small one, or 3000 Riel (75 cents) for a big one the size of a cantaloupe. I can never look at the handicrafts in a Pier1 store ever again, since coming out to Asia.
The prize part of a crab is the fat inside the shell. Here they are sold by a vendor at the market. These are river crabs, small enough to fit nicely in a child's hand. The shell / fat is sold for 600 Riel (~24 cents) and the whole crab for 1000 Riel (25 cents).

There were probably five mosques on the way to Oudong from Phnom Penh, which surprised us. Muslims make up 10% of Cambodia's population, the largest group after Buddhists, but they're largely concentrated in Kampot and Kampong Cham (Cham is the Khmer word for Muslim). Saudi Arabia finances the building of mosques here. Their presence has been slowly increasing, since the finding of oil off Cambodia's coasts.

All photos from Keith A Kelly's photostream.

Market scene at Phnom Oudong

2009-03-11T20:21:00.006+07:00

Notice the eggs to this seller's right? These are newly hatched Khmer delicacies (post-Khmer Rouge) sold only on the streets by a man pushing a barbecue cart, blasting a recording: "Eggs, they're good for you and yummy too". A small hole is cut into the shell and the egg is sucked out, mixed with lots of spices, stuffed back in, skewered and barbecued. I've seen it done, it actually works. I don't personally like the taste of these things, though I am a big fan of eggs.
This couple has a barbecue stand, along with all the other barbecue stands selling all manner of meat. She is wrapping up my lunch purchase (chicken) in a lotus leaf. The ones roasting nearest is a stuffed frog-- ground pork or beef mixed with onions and serious spices.
This family sells palm fruit at the market at Phnom Oudong. They're the transluscent square or oval shaped pieces of fruit in the glass fruit cocktail jars at Asian markets in the US. Filipinos love these in their fruit salads. I'll get a close-up next time.

More photos in a later post (I will steal my husband's pro shots and post them here hehehe). I'm getting sleepy.
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Engrish Signs

2009-03-11T20:15:00.003+07:00

I love these signs. And this one's in only three languages. It's at the landing of Sydney Supermarket right next to the Ministry of Health on Kampuchea Krom.

Scene in Phnom Penh

2009-03-10T20:33:00.006+07:00

My view from the treadmill at the gym. Running east towards the Mekong River (which is at the top of this photo) is Sihanouk Blvd. Independence Monument, commemorating the war dead and independence from colonial rule (France) in 1953, is at the intersection with Norodom Blvd. The parks on either side of the monument are hubs of activity.

The street grid under French rule composed of wide main boulevards lined with trees. Fortunately the not-so-often wise leadership decided that this is an asset. The municipality has recently begun a spate of beautification projects around the city, making medians more inviting and family-friendly like this one. It's part of a wider effort at attracting tourism, as most visit the country for just three days-- all three of which is spent in Siem Reap's Angkor Wat archeological zone.

Websites for Khmer Rouge tribunal updates

2009-03-10T14:21:00.002+07:00

A few people have asked for some news feeds of the proceedings, now that the Khmer Rouge tribunal has finally begun. Here are some blogs, news coverage and expert commentaries on the Extraordinary Chamber in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC):

Cambodia Tribunal Monitor, with webcasts of the proceedings and video commentaries, by Western legal and academic experts on the Khmer Rouge or Genocide.

Ka-set is the Khmer-ization of the French word for newsmagazine. This news website aims to promote quality journalism, and is a project started by four journalists (Cambodian, French and Belgian), affiliated with Cambodge Soir (French-language newspaper in Phnom Penh), in 2007.

Documentation Center of Cambodia is a rights group advocating for greater access to information.

From the Phnom Penh Post (the English language newspaper of Phnom Penh) is the Khmer Tribunal Report, a blog on progress at the ECCC.

This is the official site of the Extraordinary Chamber of the Courts in Cambodia (ECCC), in English, Khmer and French. Unfortunately it is down quite often (but that may just be for connections in Cambodia).

And here is the controversial website of Ieng Sary's defense. It fuels debate about confidentiality in the UN-backed court. Ieng Sary was the former Khmer Rouge's Foreign Minister.
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what liberal media bias? ;-)

2009-03-09T12:41:00.000+07:00

And here I thought there'd be no fodder for comedy under an articulate, competent African-American president! Not that I'm a Democrat, but the GOP sure is providing a good stream of material these days!

Rachel Maddow on (what I didn't know was a liberal-leaning) MSNBC about Bush and Cheney being wanted men in the State of Vermont. It's the only state not visited by Bush during his administration... 06 Feb 2009

Jon Stewart eviscerates Rick Santelli and CNBC 05 Mar 2009

(@jayrosen_nyu) Rush as the face of the GOP brand. Good for the Democrats. "No, I am" Steele says. Better! "No, social conservatives are the brand." BEST. LOL!!! 28 Feb 2009

logo redesign

2009-03-09T12:12:00.002+07:00

The new and much improved logo for NIPH (National Institute for Public Health):

It's a vast improvement over the old one, which I cannot find a trace of anywhere now to take a good photo of it (I'd burn all instances of it too if I were the director!):

This is the main building in the NIPH compound. I can't tell you how happy I am not to have to see that silly-looking smiley face logo whenever I walked into the office!

The German-Cambodian Technical Cooperation supported the NIPH since 1996 and now it's aiming for accreditation as a higher learning institution. It's a long process, so for now NIPH is seeking accreditation to national standards (these criteria not yet defined in Cambodia), then down the road (way down the road) is international accreditation.

Dialogue and the Khmer Rouge tribunals

2009-03-09T11:09:00.001+07:00

Photo courtesy of the Far Eastern Economic Review, article cited below.

One of the recurrent topics at a meditation group in Boeng Keng Kang with some teens is the culpability of the Khmer Rouge soldiers. The KR period is not a dialogue that younger generations born after the atrocities actively engage in. It's a concern of many advocates and the international community here that some young adults are ignorant of the fact that it ever even occurred. There are several factors at work.

One is that while a lot of aid is allocated to feel-good causes taxpayers back home like, eg HIV, private sector development, democratisation, conservation etc, there is little committed to other needs, like mental health. It just isn't sexy enough. So despite the high prevalence of PTSD (so soon post-conflict), the advocacy and attention given this problem and opening a greater dialogue or forum has no momentum.

Another complaint, which has been gaining more voice, is the lack of efforts to educate Khmers on the significance and progress of the KR tribunal. The tribunal finally began after years of setbacks and conflicts. But for many, it's almost as if the trials are a matter of course rather than for the benefit of the Khmers. There's no shortage of interns, academics and legal aids pouring into the country from abroad, each coming with high fees and expenditures. But to host townhall meetings, debates or panels?-- the efforts are sparse.

It's truly a wasted opportunity. Khmers emerged from this period with a cultural identity crisis. The country is caught up in a rapid development pace that even this global crisis won't impact as much as other countries of similar development stage. Teens affiliate more with "western" culture than with their own, in the quest to modernise and westernise as quickly as possible, while elements of their heritage and traditions are increasingly lost.

The meditation group (impressively) discussed the culpability factor, when executioners are under orders on threat of a gruesome death themselves. And to see these kids crying after being told (by foreigners) of the facts of their history that their elders won't discuss with them (understandably to a certain level).. it's unsettling.

Recently these articles appeared in the NY Times that addressed this culpability issue. How do you mete out justice to the pee-ons while elements of the Khmer Rouge still sit in the current administration?
Trials in Cambodia Expose the Cogs in a Killing Machine
At Trial, a Plea for Rights of a Khmer Prison Official.

Locally, thanks in part to people like Chea Vanthan and arts communities like at Meta House, there has been increased advocacy to engage young people in this very important dialogue about their history. And since the tribunals have begun, people are now starting to engage.

On the political level, from the Far Eastern Economic Review is a good article on the issues plaguing the legitimacy of the tribunals: Judging the Khmer Rouge Tribunal. Some of author John Hall's recommendations:

1) Limit opportunities for political interference in judicial decision making.
2) Create an independent investigation mechanism for accusations of wrongdoing.
3) Human rights monitors, NGOs and reporters must be allowed to keep their sources confidential.
4) Ensure adequate whistleblower protections for those reporting wrongdoing.

for Intl Women's Day: notable women-owned natural skincare lines

2009-03-09T09:19:00.003+07:00

It's still International Women's Day in Cambodia (holidays falling on weekends are observed on the next working day), and today's topic is natural beauty.

Photo from All Natural Beauty site

About the time I got married 5 years ago, I was on an organic / natural makeup and skincare kick. I don't normally use makeup, but around a year ago people started asking if I were tired, since I've started to develop dark undereye circles. Yikes-- back to those companies I used for my wedding makeup! Here's a list of my favorite women-owned small-business eco-friendly natural makeup and skincare lines:

Markey has a lot of raw materials for the do-it-yourself skincare enthusiast. In recent years she's begun to offer finished formulations, and now she opened a storefront location in Arizona. I've used other 'natural' lines before which are just natural botanical products for the sake of using natural materials. Markey's products are effective and she really knows how to synergise ingredients. The customer raves aren't hype, the products truly do work (in synergy with a good overall skincare routine, that is)!

Camellia Rose is also a natural skincare formulator, and very knowledgeable with years of research into the raw materials going into any product that touches your skin. Based in California, Jen has been working with Markey for years, and their products really do complement each other. Jen specialises in skin conditions like rosacea, acne, eczema etc.

Solarkat's Eco Blog is a graduate student in the environmental sciences and will soon open her own line of natural skincare. She collaborates with the above women and shares her passion for eco-friendly botanical-based skincare products.

Monave is a company based in Baltimore, MD. Debbie, its owner, shares a space with Botanical Skinworks (also a good line). Her line of mineral makeup is great for me and other ethnic skintones. I stopped by while she was there once and she gave me a complete makeover. Was a very nice treat!

This stat is often seen: The average woman applies at least 150 different chemicals to her body through her skincare and cosmetics everyday. "Many of these chemicals are hormone disruptors, carcinogens, and toxic heavy metals", says the Natural Solutions magazine editor Linda Sparrowe. Check out this magazine's 2008 Beauty With a Conscience Award Winners.

There is a noticeable clearing of conditions (eg rosacea, acne, eczema etc) and brightening of skin when non-toxic drugstore or department store brands are removed from the routine. The Essential Day Spa and Garden of Wisdom forum users can provide some info and experiences with going natural. This is also a good place to start with articles on natural beauty products: All Natural Beauty.

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As an aside (since these aren't necessarily women-owned products), yesterday Keith and I explored the outskirts of Phnom Penh by renting a motorbike ($4/day!). I'd have avoided this kind of extended tropical sun exposure if I hadn't had my trusty little tubes of natural sunscreens. Didn't know there were "natural" sunscreens out there? Check these products out, and don't take my word for it, google for reviews:

Lavera, a German-based natural cosmetics company. Their spf20 facial sunscreen doubles as a moisturiser. There is still a whitish cast if you don't blend the cream in well, but it's light, non-greasy and good especially for oily skin types as it can be drying.

Dr Hauschke, a UK-based natural cosmetics company. I don't agree with all of their skincare philosophies but the products are very nice. And I have yet to try their sunscreens, but they now have a spray which I'll get when I go back to 'civilisation' this summer on my annual leave back to the US.

Devita has a GREAT product that I am so happy to find. This is the lightest sunscreen facial formula I have ever tried, and sinks into my skin really well.

For a more thorough review of these and more natural sunscreens as well as shampoos, mineral makeup, and other natural products, see my friend's Solarkat's Eco Blog.

on presentations...

2009-02-21T08:34:00.007+07:00

This graphic on the US trade surplus/deficits at Visual Ephiphanies is quite cool. I love how large a amount of data is captured in a single image.

It reminded me of the bane of our work here-- ineffective presentations (...of which I'm guilty of occasionally as well!). Speakers' points are buried so deep in useless images, graphics and meandering bullet points that oftentimes at the end victi-- err, participants-- spend the precious little time allotted to questions trying to hash out exactly what the point is rather than actually brainstorming solutions. Imagine our conferences with back-to-back powerpoint presentations and simultaneous translations to French and English...

The above statistician is an advocate for effective data visualisation, much like Edward Tufte. I was introduced to the Tufte principles for data visualisation a couple of years ago (by Leslie? Bill?). He's a passionate champion for good information design for practical, actionable presentations. One of his more famous examples is the Shuttle Columbia disaster, where crucial information was presented ineffectually, leading to a disastrous management decision.

Barring needing to graphically depict large amounts of data competently, his tips are useful at any level of data / message complexity, even for tech-unsavvy folks like me! Here are at least some key points I try to stick with for simplifying presentations for effectiveness:
* Frame your presentations: What’s the problem; who cares; and what’s your proposed solution
* When presenting, show up early and finish early
* Don’t use bulletpoints (though I must disagree with this for some of the less-sophisticated audience here)
* 1+1=3... Two elements in close proximity can create a third “ghost image” from the negative space between the two elements
* Put your name on things — it shows you care about the content and take responsibility for its validity
* “It’s better to be approximately right than exactly wrong”
* The resolution of good old paper is higher than the most advanced computer monitors
* Never harm the content — the design should be based on the content, not the other way around
* If a chart, table or object needs a label, do it inline — don’t use legends/keys that require “back-and-forths”
* Don’t use footnotes, use sidenotes — they’ll be closer to the content you’re referencing
* Reduce clutter by clarifying the design and then adding information
* The power of the Smallest Effective Difference — make all visual distinctions as subtle as possible, but still clear and effective
* Good design is clear thinking made visible, bad design is stupidity made visible

Culinary alchemy and Taste science

2009-02-01T10:04:00.024+07:00

Being a former French colony, Cambodia isn't new to the critical taste buds of sophisticated palates. But even though it's produced few consistent culinary winners (even at the posh establishments), the little engine that could that is Phnom Penh is nevertheless exploring global epicurean trends. Excellent wine selection and a streaming influx of gourmands and chefs with star experience indicate it's ready to take on the challenge.

We had a spectacular dessert event last night by one of these chefs, complete with flavour pairings and wine. It's always interesting to look at food beyond the function of sustenance, and it's definitely more fun with fellow foodies (otherwise gastro-physics is just another rocket science uninspiring to the average chowhound like me). Now I ramble around topics so bear with me!

First wine. Consider the Euro-centric language of wine discourse: leather component in a malbec, pine on the nose of a cabernet, pepper at the back end in a syrah, etc etc.. It's greek to the aspiring 'Asian' palate, where socialisation of tastes and aromas differ vastly from Western sensibilities. That lack of communication retards the potentially wider appeal of wine. But take this same science of tasting to gastronomy and somehow, emotively, diverse 'languages' can better communicate. Why the difficulties with wine when the universal language of food is readily understood?

Now food tasting. Molecular gastronomy, enter stage left. The trend is still too experimental for wide appeal, but it boils down to matching the major chemical components of food or wine (or volatile molecules) with others containing the same compounds, so that when put together they achieve a savoury synergy (ever seen the animation Ratatouille?).

For example, try these pairings in recipes: wasabi with maple, soy sauce and malt, strawberry and coriander-- the possibilities are endless (for someone with no talent for creating a tasty meal, consulting the chemistry makes cooking seem almost easy... no?). Network graphs like the one below illustrate how the components of different food products relate to each other, as a tool to inspire the creation of original recipes. (wonder if that'll help me?!)

Get past the rather dull narration and this video explains it well, using chocolate and asparagus as starting points for pairings:

So back to my dinner. One of the other guests was a chef who created a nice treat for dessert. He put together small bites for each of us, strategically placing discordant taste elements on a spoon to hit the palate at a desired sequence: lychee mousse and reduced coconut cream at the front, espresso gelatin at the back, followed by a sip of De Bortoli Black Noble (Botrytised Semillon). We were also instructed to savour a small taste of each alone in the mouth to accompany a sip of wine. So I found that the lychee and coconut paired extremely well with it, while the coffee was overpowered and receded at the first hint of wine.

The next round was a chocolate cake topped with a dollop of rich chocolate mousse, a caramel stripe, pickled beet in balsamic and honey, beet jelly. (The extraneous elements were also incorporated in the cake.) These were paired with a very good Cabernet Sauvignon, and the routine above was repeated.

The point? To hone the taste buds. Do you know the average person can't tell apart the fruit flavours in ice cream until they're prompted? But why bother sharpening your taste buds, you ask and so did I. Purely for the multisensory, sophisticated eating experience (naturally) (or maybe so you can articulate that bite of sweet currant from the merlot)! The proliferation of tasting menus at top restaurants in major cities is testimony to this trend, welcome by both gourmands and foodies alike.

Wine and food are great conversation pieces aren't they, and in that spirit, here's a smattering of the foodie chatter for 2009:

Spice pairings for 2009 courtesy of McCormick, the largest spice company in the world:

Cayenne & Tart Cherry
Chinese Five Spice & Artisan-Cured Pork
Dill & Avocado Oil
Garam Masala & Pepitas
Mint & Quinoa
Peppercorn Mélange & Saké
Rosemary & Fruit Preserves
Smoked Paprika & Agave Nectar
Tarragon & Beetroot
Toasted Sesame & Root Beer

Top trends for home cooks and restaurant-goers in 2009 by Epicurious:

"Value" is the new "Sustainable"
The Compost Pile is the new Flower Garden
Peruvian is the new Thai
Noodle Bars are the new Sushi Joints
Ginger is the new Mint
Smoking is the new Frying
Regional Roasters are the new Starbucks
Portland (Maine) is the new Portland (Oregon)
Rustic Food is the new Molecular Gastronomy
"Top-Rated" is the new "Critic's Pick"

Food: What Not to Miss in 2009 by The Guardian, who sees foodies taking back the day given the present economic climate:

Spending more not less
Reclaiming the steak
Digging the scene
Home, sweet homestead
Re-entering the atmosphere
Pop-ups
The unbearable smugness of foodies

The January issue of Bon Apetit puts peanut butter and Peru on the short list for 2009 food trends... mmmmm...!

And this video sums up the functional, less waste, environmentally-minded, budget-conscious foodie trends the hospitality industry expects in the coming year:

Forced evictions and land grabbing for the Chinese New Year

2009-01-25T10:26:00.020+07:00

From Phnom Penh Post 24Jan 2009, City, developer demolish Dey Krahorm.

Overseen by the military at 2am yesterday, the remaining residents' houses at Dey Krahorm, a community in Phnom Penh's Tonle Bassac neighborhood, were bulldozed by workers hired by 7NG, a private company who won the rights to develop the site. This is the final outcome of their 3 year struggle against the company, after rejecting the cash compensation and relocation offer to a site 16km out of the city because they felt their property values were vastly underestimated. During this time, their peaceful protests as well as efforts by human rights groups and organisations were met with violence and intimidation, with no action to either address their concerns or provide a platform for dialogue by the government.

Cambodia's vast and rapid influx of foreign capital for economic development, especially in the capital, Phnom Penh, sadly has created opportunity for large-scale human rights abuses. The environment of inadequate legal and regulatory frameworks and lack of capacity to enforce them, fragmented development vision that is in discord with reality, the culture of impunity all set the stage for graft. The courts are often manipulated by the powerful and become tools to sanction violence and silence the weak and poor involved in land disputes. Despite instituting property rights in 1989, land grabbing and forced eviction remain the most widespread and systematic human rights violation today, with at least 30,000 in the capital forcibly removed from their land, and approximately 150,000 throughout the country at risk of being dispossessed.

Aid organisations, human rights groups and bi-/multilateral agencies have issued statements denouncing such practices. But the international response has not been coherent or unified, and with China matching dollar for dollar the cumulative aid and development funds across sectors, what little impact rights advocacy may have is severely eroded. 2008 saw an increase of human rights violations by 25% from 2007, according to legal aid and rights group Licadho. It is such a heated topic that my work in patients' rights must necessarily exclude language, reference or affiliation with the greater rights agenda, or we risk political fallout. It's an issue that's hard to imagine will get better before it gets worse.

More info and updates with Webbed Feet Web Log.

Has the entertainment factor gone, post-Bush?

2009-01-24T12:07:00.014+07:00

When the prevailing social constructs are blown to hell and back with the election of a black man to the White house [sic], there are social repercussions of a most disturbing kind, namely, what the heck do we do for entertainment now?? It was totally within the realm of political correctness to poke fun at Palin, who embodied the stupid white bimbo persona to a tee, and of course we had eight years of Bush, the perfect caricature of the cowboy simpleton we've come to love (or not) from decades of Westerns. Ditto with all the other white males (and females) whose daily grind and spiel are immortalised in the reels of Saturday Night Live and the late night cadre of satire and wit.

But what do we do with Obama? Granted, he doesn't provide much fodder for wit in the gaffes and boneheaded blunders department that Bush was so obliging with. But why can't we get a good laugh at the expense of this Commander-in-Chief? As with any unchartered territory, this massive ideological shift presents extremely dangerous grounds for comedians of any color and progressives of all objections. Someone of such historical significance can be brought down for the sake of a simple joke, sure, but it's a colossal gamble just beyond the ability of our prevailing cultural zeitgeist --just yet.

And a telling commentary on progress in race relations...

Unprecendented heights of popularity worldwide and mammoth support for Obama aside, I hope we can move past this social hiccup where comedy runs smack into race, cuz it's only been four days and all the seriousness is gettin' kinda dull...
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... and the Inaugural Madness continues!!

2009-01-24T10:10:00.009+07:00

Because for a moment so long anticipated, celebrating once is not enough... This time a cocktail party, so more mellow and in a stylin' swank joint. I include the menu prices for future gasp factor.

ALL-NIGHT PARTING SHOTS $2
Rejoice y’all! At long last, Bush is disembarkitating!
Burning BUSH (Tequila)
Dead-eye DICK (Vodka Caramel)

CELEBRATE “A NEW BIRTH OF FREEDOM”
Raise a glass to the new President of the United States!
ALE to the Chief $1 (Tiger Draught)

BEVERAGES YOU CAN BELIEVE IN
Coke
Sprite
Ginger Ale
Lime Juice
Lime Soda
Juice Box
Montfleur
BARACK Berry Chill

CENTRIST LIBATIONS $3
Obama-politan
MICHELLE-mojito
BIDEN Margarita
YES WE DID Bubbly Cocktail

ROAD TO THE WINE HOUSE $2.20/glass
(CHOW "Exclusive" Red or White)

RECESSION-PROOF CHOW BITES $3
Fish Cakes
Calamari
Spring Rolls
Choi Mei

BILLION DOLLAR BAILOUT OPTIONS (served with a side of Optimism)
Sirloin Steak $15
Salmon Steak $10
Pad Thai $5
Nasi Goreng $5

Inauguration/Bush era Post-mortem press roundup

2009-01-24T07:33:00.014+07:00

And yes, I know the political and economic machinery was already in place before Bush took the reins. The question is-- on top of the endless list of other sectors and industries (not to mention competitiveness of the United States abroad) left in ruins as a direct result of this administration-- how much did (the thankfully departed) Bush influence the economic collapse? Here, TIME/CNN highlights the not-so-smart calls. Since I hate click-whore web setups, I'll just list them here.

1. The Return to Deficits: Bush’s tax cuts and spending increases — and clear disdain for the pay-as-you-go approach that had brought deficits down in the 1990s — brought a return to permanent deficits.

2. Iraq: Even if you STILL think we had a logical reason to go to Iraq, and that the war brought benefits to the U.S., does the $1-3 trillion dollar (and growing) price tag justify this huge blunder?;

3. Tax Cuts for the Rich: Bush came to Washington facing almost diametrically opposing economic conditions, yet he offered up the same Reaganomics solutions.

4. Financial Regulation: What is true is that most Bush-era financial regulators were less than enthusiastic about the very act of regulating, and that Bush’s “ownership society” push glossed over a lot of potential dangers.

5. Telling Us to Go Shopping: After 9/11, Bush didn’t call for sacrifice. And people blindly heeded the call to go shopping.

6. Energy Policy: What energy policy?

7. A State of Denial: Every Administration spins and sugarcoats the economic truth. But the Bush White House took this disingenuousness to new levels (dissent is apparently non-Christian, against democracy, against the troops and against the US)

8. The Muddled Bailout: The main problem was the flagrant incompetence out of both Paulson and the White House in handling the financial rescue.

And Floyd Norris in the Business Section of NYTimes has this to say:

...the economic record of President George W. Bush was largely a disappointing one. During his administration, the country grew at the slowest overall pace of any recent president, whether measured in gross domestic product or employment. The last president to preside while the stock market did worse was Herbert Hoover.

Economic performance was actually good for much of the middle years of Mr. Bush’s eight-year term, but it began and ended with recessions.

Some of the disappointment with Mr. Bush may stem from the fact that he took office at the end of a huge boom, in both the economy and the stock market.

“No matter who took office in 2001, they were destined to oversee dashed expectations regarding the economy, the markets and the geopolitical outlook,” said Robert Barbera, the chief economist of ITG. “It was all captured in the lunacy of the $5 trillion surplus on the horizon. That vision required no wars, no recessions and a nonstop spectacular bull market for equities.”

“That said,” he added, “it certainly did not have to come to this.”

Barry Ritholts sums it up very well:

The main problem I see in Bush’s economic approach was an odd form of Reagan worship. Despite wildly disparate economies, Bush adopted Reagan’s approach. That the market had just collapsed, rather than was in year 14 of a secular bear market, rates were low and going lower, and the biggest Tech boom known to man were all but ignored.

Imagine a doctor who was once successful prescribing Penicillin to a patient with an infection. The next sick person comes in with diabetes — and he prescribes Penicillin again. The Penicillin supply-side school of medicine is genuinely shocked when the patient dies.

I wrote about this back in 2002-03: The epitome of the Bush approach to the economy was to vigorously apply Reagonomics directly to the forehead, despite a very different set of fiscal and economic conditions.

Surprise! The patient died!

Given all of this, Alan Abelson of Barron's offers a reason why we haven't been attacked since 9/11, in Parade of the Basket Cases.

Thanks to his vigilance, this nation was spared a terrorist attack after 9/11. And so it was, for which we are all profoundly grateful. And only the most vehement Bush-basher would sniff that the real reason for the absence of an attack was that Mr. Bush did such a thorough number on the country all by himself that the terrorists figured, why bother?

No argument that he is leaving an economy in absolutely awful shape. Our budget deficit is ballooning toward the trillion-dollar mark and isn’t likely to stop there. We are mired in the worst recession since the grandaddy of them all in the ’30s; its end is by no means in sight. The stock market after crashing 35% to 40% last year (depending on which bourse you follow) has started off ‘09 on the wrong foot, not an auspicious omen for the year as a whole.

Unemployment is pressing remorselessly higher, housing is a wreck, industrial production is contracting at the wickedest rate in 35 years, the retail business is in the dumps almost across the board. Detroit is about as near to running on empty as you can get without grinding to a halt. There is a whiff of deflation in the air.
Not all of this, obviously, is Mr. Bush’s fault. But it happened on his watch. Not the kind of stuff, we are afraid, that shining legacies are made of.

So it doesn't exactly come as a surprise when the blogosphere starts hopping with this piece of news: moving into the White House is kind of like going from an XBox to an Atari! (I like the part about Bush complaining of the missing keys on the keyboards when he moved in.)

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Top 10 things we'll miss about Bush

2009-01-23T15:49:00.003+07:00

#1 might have to be the entertainment factor ...

..and circulating about cybersphere today is this fun piece about the tech-savvy Obama team descending into the dark ages of the White House IT infrastructure. "Like going from Xbox to Atari", one of his aides said. Have I mentioned lately how much I like our freakin' cool new Techie-in-Chief??
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Watching Obama's Inauguration in Phnom Penh

2009-01-21T21:31:00.010+07:00

That was a pretty nice event.. Lots of energy and a huge crowd at the Gym Sports Bar: we had about 180 people throughout the night and well past 230am-- was not a good idea to have an 8am meeting like some folks did! And check this piece out, a short blurb on the Phnom Penh Post (though you need to subscribe to get the entire article).
And here, our two most favorite things-- ZULU and BARACK-- we just found our theme for the Mardi Gras Madness event!

And on a side note, a hmmm moment... Bush will be the first ex-president not to get a lifetime security detail. [[cocking head to the side]]] ..of all the living POTUSes that'd need it most...!
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...hark the Twelfth Night revelries [sic]

2009-01-17T08:53:00.023+07:00

Christmas is amazing for the fact that everyone-- even strangers-- gets caught up in the goodwill and cheer and carries it forward. But then that atmosphere fizzles after the New Year, and it isn't even a nice segue into calmness-- more like someone pulls the plug and abruptly the party's over so go home.

Not so in New Orleans. The end of the holidays marks the start of another season also tied to the winter solstice, Mardi Gras. The trees and lights don't go down, they just get the green, purple and gold ornaments added in. Adults get to be kids again and it all starts with the Twelfth Night Revelers bal masque!

Avoid the French Quarter frat scene-- where Mardi Gras is reduced to a tacky garish spectacle that metrosexual yupster tourists looking for fast hard fun so they can feel cool lap right up-- and you'll see the magical transformation of N'awlins into a formalised make-believe world of monarchic rule in all its pomp, finery and regalia. Twelfth Night brings to life the Lord of Misrule, the Goddess of Chance, the enchanted courts with its jesters, the aristocratic pompadours and rituals of old.... Any life list should include this Mardi Gras and an invitation from a Krewe to either the Bacchus, Rex or Endymion Ball. These galas are an entire year in the making and are extraordinary sensory events.

I thought about this because K and I went to a dinner party the other night. One of the couples could hardly speak English and we command just a lick and a half of French, so needless to say our conversation with them wasn't hopping. Then “la galette des Rois” came out, and suddenly conversation knew no boundaries, starting with this most token of culinary traditions associated with the run-up to Fat Tuesday across cultures.

The French "King Cake" is a flaky puff pastry with a dense center of frangipani-- totally unlike our King Cake (I sooo want a Gambinos king cake delivery right now!). It's served traditionally to draw the King to the Epiphany, with the youngest person in the group (likely a child) sent under the table to pick at random who gets the next slice of cake. The slice with the trinket in it (a collectible porcelain baby jesus in olden times) designates that person the new "King" (regardless of sex), and it becomes her/his turn to bring a cake to the next party.

(Ours had a glass duck, and I had the treat of finding the first trinket of the season. And we're having dinner again with that couple tomorrow!)

So N'awlin's King Cake (brought over by the French settlers) kicks off the Mardi Gras season, with the Twelfth Night Revelers using it to choose the Queen for their Ball... The Gambinos family is renowned for the past decades for their King Cakes. They will even deliver... So we are in the Carnival spirit, along with all the Tulane alums and Louisianans(sp?) in Phnom Penh. Unfortunately this year won't be the year of the masqued gala (we're too busy celebrating Bush's departure to plan another event!), but the annual festivities must continue-- even if it's just a Pimps and Hoez murder mystery affair ;-)

countdown to a new era

2009-01-17T07:21:00.003+07:00

I have to say that Keith is the most amazing graphic artist ever. He just reaches into his creative depths and pumps them out. How cool is this?? We plan on making the Huffington Post again, as well as the other major news carriers, so keep an eye out for live feed from Cambodia! (and I'm angry with Ben for planning his dinner party on the same night and without me!!)

Bye George!

2009-01-10T19:20:00.006+07:00

Join us in the countdown pandemonium nearly a decade in the making, and share in the merriment of 43's imminent and much anticipated departure! What started with some hanging chads in the Fall of 2000 will finally come to an end! No weapons of mass destruction will be unfound; no Vice Presidential shotgun will be uncocked! Watch the West Wing purge of 8 years of carnage and idiocy and toast the End of an Error at two events!

If you can't catch the Beltway action on the 20th, then join us at the Gym Bar for the LIVE inaugural soul cleansing! In honor of the Accidental President, we celebrate his departure with a nostalgic trip down memory lane with a Pub Quiz before commencing with the ceremonies. So get your game on, test those brain cells, have some fun and win great prizes! And in true Phnom Penh tradition sure to inspire a drinking problem worthy of Bush's past, the evening will end in a special toast to the return of reason and a period that can only head in one direction-- up!!

And no festivities worth the 8 exhausting years of getting beaten up, stolen from, knocked down, lied to and laughed at can end with one event! The going away revelries for our favorite cowboy continue at CHOW on Saturday 24 January with a rebroadcast of the most exciting POTUS torch pass in a generation! We wanted change and we made it happen! So once again, let's GIDDY UP, GET GLAM and PARTY HARD-Y with friends who helped make history!!

Book review: The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen

2009-01-10T17:28:00.000+07:00

Wow. Despicable characters trapped in contrived lives freefalling to hell. No plot. Hackneyed social commentaries. And yet, I loved it!! Don't read it for a good story. If you want technical brilliance and stylistic writing-- cartwheeling between streams of consciousness, juggling fury with humor, in pretentious yet witty ramblings-- you'll enjoy this work.

a list for 2009

2009-01-01T23:01:00.015+07:00

Sitting Shiva... auhmmmm...

... and still time also sits, oblivious to the passage of my benchmark years, the march of progress, the arc of the cosmos.

So in great anticipation of bright months ahead, here is my short-list for the very cheery year of 2009:
1. Learn something new
2. Drink more good wine
3. Run faster
4. Put personal finance in order and invest more
5. Take my career to the next level
6. Get more active with the social life
7. Keep in better touch with people who are important to me
8. Read 26 books this year
9. Discover and own more good music
10. Be able to identify the plants, animals and birds that are in my area
11. Begin concrete plans towards the next country
12. Have toned arms

Disclaimer: as with any pursuit providing opportunity for snobbery, said goals are subject to amendment upon further (sober) reflection or fitful caprice.
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Where apsaras dance....

2009-01-01T21:10:00.016+07:00

Khmer weddings enact Cambodia's greatest legend. The first Khmer prince, Preah Thong, fell in love with the Naga Princess, Neang Neak. As a marriage gift, the father of the Naga Princess swallowed part of the ocean and forms the land of Cambodia.

The wedding can last anywhere from 3-7 days and is a sensory experience-- vibrant colors and sounds, the best foods, community involvement-- rich with symbolism and traditions:

Hai Goan Gomloh - The groom's processional, to the bride's house, accompanied by family and friends, music and gifts
Sien Doan Taa - Call to Ancestors, to include those important to the lives of the couple in their joyous union
Soat Mun - Blessings from the Monks
Gaat Sah - Cleansing Ceremony, where representatives of the deities cleanse the couple spiritually and symbolically to prepare and bless them for their new future together
Bang Chhat Madaiy - Honoring of the Parents, in which the couple perform symbolic gestures indicating their commitment to their parents
Bongvul Pbopul - Passing of Blessings, in which married couples are asked to surround the bride and groom to impart their blessings
Sompeas Ptem - Knot Tying Ceremony, in which guests tie knots around the wrists of the bride and groom, symbolising their wishes for the bride and groom

A more complete description of Khmer weddings can be found at the Khmer Institute.
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Jiminy crickets and arachnid cuisine

2008-12-30T22:47:00.016+07:00

These crunchy crickets the Khmers are so wild about are about 2.5inches long, the females huge with eggs at the end of rainy season. Crickets owe their place in the culinary landscape to the art of survival during the starvation period of the Khmer Rouge era.

Today this delicacy has surged in popularity, creating a robust trade with neighboring countries, the heart of which is in Kampong Thom, a requisite stop between Phnom Penh and Siem Reap where they particularly thrive. At night fields light up with the bug-catching contraptions: a flourescent bulb to attract them is hung about 2m off the ground on a bamboo frame 2m wide, with sheets of plastic to catch them mid-flight, and a trough of water below for them to drop into and drown. A farmer investing in such a trap can net up to 10kg of the bugs.

A colleague particularly enjoys it stuffed with a peanut or cashew, fried in garlic and spices. Another wants me to bring fresh ones back from the province when I next go, so she can try stuffing it with cheese. These were 50/$3.50 but that's quite steep since we were on the tourist track. Trying to describe it is a bit hard, since it isn't like anything I've had before-- crispy-crunchy texture (like a tarantula), nutty, earthy... It's not an unpleasant taste, if you can get past the revulsion...

And remember this post? Today tarantulas are 1000riel each (25cents). Believed to contain medicinal properties for the heart and lungs, they're farmed in a small town called Skun, which is also in Kampong Thom province. The crispy legs aren't so objectionable, it's almost like a potato chip. It's the rump that brings on the cringe-- this has a meatier texture than the cricket's torso, and has a nutty taste seasoned with garlic and lemongrass.

A gastronomic adventure awaits the uncompromising palate!
mmmmm....Bon appetit y'all!! (Don't worry, your chowhounds' holiday fare wasn't so aesthetically or gastronomically objectionable! ;)

Xmas tunes: Trans-Siberian Orchestra with Hellsing!

2008-12-16T22:21:00.007+07:00

the group's an all-star heavy metal cast. who'd've thunk punk metal rockers with their v guitars goes with classical music goes with dracula anime?? music's such a unifier...

fun eh?... i see the cringing... :-)
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Facebook Terminates Relationship, Couple Stumped

2008-12-15T18:30:00.025+07:00

"I just wanted to toggle a few things," marveled NA, a relatively new user of the public relations megatool. Her husband KK, suddenly single, is being treated for Facebook hysteria. "It's gone viral!"

Over the weekend, by simply changing details in their profiles, Facebook remastered the events and issued a statement that the couple ended their relationship, thereby driving traffic through the roof. "I was deleting info that doesn't necessarily need to be public and it somehow got twisted and broadcast," says K, as the couple found themselves in a quandary with Facebook for attempting to withhold personal information. "I mean, our friends and family know we're married. Why bother posting it?"

"What's happening-- who am I married to now?" demanded a baffled N, while K asked more plaintively, "Would I have to move again?"

But Facebook responded that that information is released only on a need-to-know basis. It did, however, retract its request for the couple's dental records.

"I just worry with them being so far away in a country with crocodiles and-- and-- mosquitos!" commented one of the parental units, wringing her hands. "If it says so on Facebook it must be true!"

The dramatic affair left an unnamed relative, whose son's sister-in-law's nephew's dog walker has a facebook account and apprised her of the doomed couple, with a case of "the vapors".

The couple plans to issue a joint smiley-face statement to reassure friends and family... right after N figures out what the poke feature is for.

We love you guys, thanks for calling/emailing to ask if we're ok! We are! :-)

....and thanks to JW , who masterfully exploited the comic potential and principal-authored the article above for the FarEastern Onion Syndicate! ;-)
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Music out of Africa!

2008-12-15T09:13:00.000+07:00

Love the Christmas season! Here are some tunes from African artists that'll be on my cocktail party playlists next week. I was introduced to some of these genres by Nirmal, who has the best music selection, sound system and pad in all Asia (which don't get him brownie points from the neighbors)! Think layered carpets, a soft glow from lamps draped in silk scarves, candlelight dancing behind the apsara figurines and artwork glaring through the wisps of incense smoke. Sigh, when's the next long weekend??

Ismaël Lô Wassaliane
Senegalese singer, guitarist and harmonica player. Very folky peaceful music, and rich textured voice.

Juliana Kanyomozi Kanyimbe
Love her voice! The music is heavily influenced by pop and R&B, and this one is gospel..(?), which sends me wondering what gospel music is. Is it the content or structure..?

Khadja Nin Sambolera
Another incredible vocalist. Born in Burundi but her music career took off in Belgium. Her songs are statements on humanitarian topics and the struggle against inequality of all kinds. She also has particular affinity for environmental issues. This song (in Swahili) was a phenomenal success that put her on the map, a mix of traditional African and Afro-Cuban rhythms with modern pop.

Amadou & Mariam Senegal Fast Food
Guitarist Amadou Bagayoko and singer Mariam Doumbia met at a school for the blind in Mali as teens, where they formed a musical duo. They've been together ever since. This whole album's pretty fun to listen to.

Lura Nha Vida ("My life")
Born in Portugal to parents who'd emigrated from Cape Verde, Lura was a stage dancer when African star Juka asked her to sing backup on his upcoming album. This song propelled her to popularity beyond her country.

Henri Dikonguè Ndol'Asu
This singer and guitarist from Cameroon mixes different elements of makossa, bikutsi, rumba and reggae into this fun number.

And this one from Daara J is just wild. He's got dancehall reggae, hip hop, and tongue twisters all rolled into his rap.

Indonesia: Jogjakarta

2008-12-14T22:33:00.001+07:00

Yogyakarta is the only province in Indonesia still formally governed by a precolonial Sultanate, the Sultanate of Ngayogyakarta Hadiningrat. It's a center of classical Javanese fine arts and culture (batik, ballet, drama, music, poetry and puppet shows). This is a view of Mount Merapi outside our hotel window. It's been active for 10000 years and today is the most active as well as produces more pyroclastic flows than any volcano in the world.

We started climbing the 345 steps to the Royal Tombs of Imogiri at the same time as this lady, and by the time we were done and ready to come back down she was just barely getting to the top with her load of 2 banana bunches and 6 bottles of water to sell. We bought all she had, exchanged sentences neither party could understand, and then she turned around and walked back down the stairs to fetch more fruits and water for selling.
Durian Montong and Durian Petruk from Purworejo (in Sulawesi), apparently much better than the durians from Sumatra when locals weighed in. It's a denser texture and is more bitter than the Kampot, Cambodia, durian.
Around the Kraton (Sultan's Palace) are densely-populated neighborhoods. At various intervals on the streets are these huge hollow 'bells'. When there's a fire or danger, the nearest bell is rung, and those hearing it down the street will ring theirs, and on and on. They're painted in bright colors, much like the whimsical painted fish in Philadelphia and cows in Chicago for public arts.
A musician from Kraton (Sultan's Palace) with a Kris in his belt. Apparently this dagger (which is not symmetrical) is indigenous to Indonesia, Malaysia, southern Philippines. It's both a weapon and a spiritual object, with each bearing either good or evil essence.

Indonesia: Borobudur

2008-12-14T07:48:00.012+07:00

Borobudur is a ninth-century Mahayana Buddhist monument in Central Java. It's got six square platforms topped by three circular levels, decorated with 2,672 relief panels and 504 Buddha statues in various poses. Pilgrims begin their 3/4 mile journey by entering the eastern staircase. This base, or Kamadhatu, symbolizes where human beings are still bound by lust. They then walk clockwise around the galleries and up. Each level progresses towards enlightenment, with lower levels depicting bas reliefs of life on earth, with the range of sins of mankind. A guide is about 50000Rupiah (12300Rupiah/$1 at this time), and it's well worth it.
Elaborate gateways to the next levels are guarded by the fearsome beast Kala. Each level up represents the journey towards enlightenment.
The upper four stories are called Rupadhatu, symbolizing human beings that have set themselves free from lust but still bound to appearance and shape.
The upper three terraces with Buddha effigies inside perforated domes are called Arupadhatu, symbolizing human beings freed from lust and earthly form. The top part is called Arupa, symbolizing nirvana, where Buddha resides.
For lack of an eagle's eye angle we can take ourselves, this is a model of Borobudur, taken at the museum at the base when we returned back to the world of sin and hedonism.

Indonesia: Wayang Kulit

2008-12-14T07:23:00.025+07:00

Wayang Kulit (wayang=show, kulit=skin, as in the leather the puppets are made of) is a type of shadow puppet theatre from the Indo-Malay archipelago. Its Javanese Hindu-Buddhist tradition has its origins in India. Hand-crafted leather puppets depict epic stories of the gods in shadow play.
This artist was prepping the puppet show, at the Museum Sonobudoyo (Javanese archeology museum) on Jalan Trikora 6 at north alun-alun. The puppets are usually made of buffalo or goat hide and mounted on bamboo sticks. The best puppets are made of young female water buffalo parchment with curing time of almost ten years.
A traditional Gamelan orchestra would accompany the story-telling. Their typical repertoire include an overture, travel and battle music, and character pieces.
The next photos are of musicians playing their Gamelan instruments, preparing for the same puppet theatre at Kraton (Sultan's Palace). This first instrument is a Bonang and the one below is a Saron Demung, followed by a better photo of that instrument in red.

This musician was playing the Kenong, the next down is a Bonang, and the third is the setup behind the stage where Sinden singers are practicing.
Most shadow play is based on two epic stories from India - the Mahabarata and its sister work, the Ramayana. The Balinese and Javanese combined the Hindu stories with Buddhist and Muslim elements as well as their own folklore.

Indonesia: Making Batik

2008-12-13T11:44:00.016+07:00

Batik is a resist dye technique with hundreds of years' history in Java. Since I wasn't with K when someone showed him how to batik, here's the general gist as I know it:
A natural light-colored cloth is used to make batiks (synthetics or blends won't work). A rough sketch is made on the cloth as in the first photo. Then you paint wax on top of the areas you do not want to dye. This woman uses a tool sort of like a crude fountain(?) pen to take the dye to the areas she's drawn. When the paint has absorbed into the cloth it is allowed to dry, then a hot water bath is used to melt off the wax.
Here's the finished product. It's a very thin cloth so it's beautiful framed with light shining from behind, such as daylight or if indoors then a frame with an embedded lamp. I love bright designs, but this region (Jogyakarta)'s color palette consists of the varying shades and tones of brown.

...on the auto industry bailouts

2008-12-13T08:14:00.006+07:00

Jeffrey Sachs is for and Joseph Stiglitz is against.
But this poster says it better:

When in dire financial straits, it's.....

2008-12-12T13:00:00.006+07:00

More here.
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... so what's another year of recession?

2008-12-12T07:37:00.000+07:00

from ritholts.com

...since we're on the topic of Development!

2008-12-07T14:42:00.010+07:00

What happens when well meaning aid and development 'experts' find a hungry man?

Bought this gem of illustrations from the author years ago in Cambodia. It's a riot read for anyone in the field (and managers sitting in headquarters). Available online here.
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An old poem on Development

2008-12-07T14:41:00.005+07:00

The Development Set
by Ross Coggins

Excuse me, friends, I must catch my jet
I'm off to join the Development Set;
My bags are packed, and I've had all my shots
I have traveller's checks and pills for the trots!

The Development Set is bright and noble
Our thoughts are deep and our vision global;
Although we move with the better classes
Our thoughts are always with the masses.

In Sheraton Hotels in scattered nations
We damn multi-national corporations;
injustice seems easy to protest
In such seething hotbeds of social rest.

We discuss malnutrition over steaks
And plan hunger talks during coffee breaks.
Whether Asian floods or African drought,
We face each issue with open mouth.

We bring in consultants whose circumlocution
Raises difficulties for every solution –
Thus guaranteeing continued good eating
By showing the need for another meeting.

The language of the Development Set
Stretches the English alphabet;
We use swell words like "epigenetic"
"Micro", "macro", and "logarithmetic"

It pleasures us to be esoteric –
It's so intellectually atmospheric!
And although establishments may be unmoved,
Our vocabularies are much improved.

When the talk gets deep and you're feeling numb,
You can keep your shame to a minimum:
To show that you, too, are intelligent
Smugly ask, "Is it really development?"

Or say, "That's fine in practice, but don't you see:
It doesn't work out in theory!"
A few may find this incomprehensible,
But most will admire you as deep and sensible.

Development set homes are extremely chic,
Full of carvings, curios, and draped with batik.
Eye-level photographs subtly assure
That your host is at home with the great and the poor.

Enough of these verses - on with the mission!
Our task is as broad as the human condition!
Just pray god the biblical promise is true:
The poor ye shall always have with you.
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Foreign aid in economic crises...

2008-12-06T08:01:00.007+07:00

In an interview with CNN's Wolf Blitzer, Bill Gates called for a doubling of foreign aid commitment. Even though historically, economic crises tend to suppress aid packages, I couldn't agree more that maintaining and increasing aid is in the US' strategic interests.

No, I'm not affiliated with USAID. Not surprisingly, Germany increased aid-- knock on wood-- ...

When this administration blundered into war it soon became apparent that our goal isn't finding and killing the enemy. It's about rehabilitating zones of chaos where dangerous ideologies grow and breed. The world’s path to progress and stability is increasingly threatened by alarming headlines of terrorist nature, troubling in the fact that their roots lie in failing or failed states, which are numerous and growing in number.

In the fight against terrorism, it is not about crusading for democracy and regime change in a handful of countries. We need soft diplomacy: nation-building and developing government capacity in the world's poorest economies, difficult when the lines between security and development are no longer so clear-cut. Aid can be an effective way to export value systems (since Hollywood exports no longer work) and elicit goodwill (since we squandered that with our 2003 invasion of Iraq), and equity negotiation is one of the least common denominators to maintaining stability in American suburbia.

An aside: With aid diplomacy so crucial to foreign policy strategy, it's a wonder that aid approaches have little changed since its inception at Bretton Woods....? But I digress, that's another post.

Starting in 2006 Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Defense Secretary Robert Gates both started calling for a transformational diplomacy, delivering speeches that finally resonate with logic: "...the lines separating war, peace, diplomacy and development have become more blurred and no longer fit the neat organizational charts of the 20th century."

Rice and Gates jump-started this dialogue about using federal agencies to empower people to install good governance in troubled spots around the world. And Obama thankfully embraced their language. Both Hillary Clinton and James Jones are advocates of this strategy, suggesting that cooperation is possible between the Pentagon, the National Security Council and the State Department.

If this strategy is put into action, it's a welcome continuity from this administration.

Hong Kong harbor at night

2008-12-05T23:23:00.011+07:00

---------------- and in the daytime, other things memorable about Hong Kong:
We didn't spend too long there to really get a feel for the city. We had consistently dramatic sky/lines at sunset, courtesy of the ever-present smog. It's a great shopping destination, and has a vibrant culture and arts scene. What's visually distinctive about HK is the immense billboards advertising anything and everything--EVERYwhere. Even on the harbor, the skyline's marred by monstrous advertising signs on buildings. Back home it's like something's lost when a stadium was

But I love the food, and the gamut is available here for any price range. We ordered blind usually, having absolutely no idea what anything was and unable to communicate with the super friendly waitstaff beyond hand gesturing about something swimming (meaning fish) or flapping arms (meaning duck or chicken. we think.). Tastes here were a little on the intense side-- not heat so much as strong spices.
The bird park is an early morning curiosity. The tiniest, most fragile little cages with colorful bright birds get walked by their male owners (no women were walking their birds) for a little bit of fresh air. It's an interesting sight --so many people with their cages of small animals, comparing and showing off their creatures.
And this was just a cool photo of a koi(?) in one of the restaurants' ponds.

Kuala Lumpur: Culinary destination!

2008-12-05T23:01:00.002+07:00

KL is one of my favorite places to pass through. As in most Asian countries, legislation aims to protect the dominant native population against immigrant ethnic influence, sometimes to disastrous effects, and constantly keeping its politics on edge. This charged convergence of ethnic and religious mixes (it was my best introduction to the rich history and diversity of Islam) is what--to me, as a tourist--makes Malaysia such a fascinating destination.

And this is where I have always the best food experience! This time we had a true foodie take us around. Malaysia is a premiere culinary destination in SE Asia, and boasts a confluence of truly powerful taste sensations, blending many ethnic influences: Indo-, Malay-, and Chinese. Many thanks to Honey Ahmad, of the acclaimed food network Fried Chillies!

First some bahasa 101 (applies also in Indonesia):
Rice- Nasi
Fried- Goreng
Squid- Sotong
Fish- Ikan
Grilled- Bakar
Chicken- Ayam
Meat- (Daging- we usually use daging for beef as well)
Mutton- Kambing
Bread- Roti
Red- Merah
Black- Hitam

This is Indian cooking, usually places like this are called 'mamak' which
means Indian Muslim because they usually have corner 24-hour eating places that serve the usual curries, rice, roti etc. This particular dish is sotong goreng with some fried cabbage (kobis). Mutton curry is very common.
This is an Indian/ Mamak eatery, where the dishes are set out behind a glass counter. In the Philippines we call it a turo-turo (point-point, because you point at the dishes you want). Fish curry, ayam masak merah (chicken in red sauce/ tomato), and a squid curry and chicken in black sauce (ayam hitam).
Grilled stingray (pari bakar). A usual grilled fish place will be called ikan bakar. That sauce which comes with it is usually chillies, soya sauce and tamarind juice (a variation of these basic ingredients). We call it air assam (sour water is the literal translation).

Another meal that we had was Nasi Kandar (rice and curries and fried stuff). It's usually the domain of Indian Muslims. Kandar means 'to carry' usually with the shoulder. IN the old days Nasi Kandar sellers will carry a long pole with rice and drinks on one side and dishes balancing it on the other side. A noodle dish they have is Mee Rebus.

What I don't have a picture of and wish I did: The small dishes of chili that come with long beans and cucumbers, called sambal belacan (made of pounded chilies, fermented prawn paste-- belacan, and a squeeze of lime). This is a condiment Malays eat with everything and make all sorts of variation from, eg sambal belacan with fermented durians or mangos etc...
If you can get past the requisite brightly-colored plastic tableware, there's a lot to discover about Malaysian cuisine!

Kuala Lumpur: Pulao Langat Seafood Center

2008-12-05T22:31:00.002+07:00

“Where the heck are we going?” We were bumping along on this dirt road in the middle of a palm oil estate trying not to run down goats and the occasional child on a tricycle. Even though there was a huge sign at the start of the road stating restaurant 3km, it’s still kind of ominous. In the back seat we had two travellers from Cambodia wondering what on earth they got themselves into.

And then suddenly the road opens into a clearing where a large boat with hanging tanglongs sits in one corner and the main restaurant at another. The view was wonderful. We are somewhere where the river meets the sea. The scene is languid, relaxing with even a tranquil boat puttering in the distance. I quickly grabbed my camera to go down by the rocks to take a picture, startling a Chinese woman squatting on a rock talking rapidly into her handphone. Ah well… we are not far enough from civilisation it seems.
After a glass of fermented coconut drink (no names shall be mentioned) which is very fresh and very good, we ordered. The waiter was a young, bright eyed bushy tailed guy who enthusiastically tried to explain to us every aspect of the menu. “You must have the snapped fish (red snapper?), very fresh…

We decide to do so after he assures us that the patin fish is not as fresh today. He said he will order it steamed for us with fried garlic, scallions and superior soya sauce. “You want to try the mantis prawn? With mayonnaise and sweetcorn?” “How about some other prawns, we can cook it Mongolian style”. Whoa… steady on boy. It seems that we don’t even need to look at the menu. Leave it all in Mr. Eager-Beaver's hands. Looking around we realise that most of the staff here are young, articulate and enthusiastic. They really go the extra mile. When we ask for fried squid he shook his head and said it’s not really that fresh either and one of the vegetable dishes we want is too wilted for his liking.

I find it quite refreshing, this extra bit attention after years of being ignored in various Chinese restaurants. Seriously in some of these places it seems like the people there are doing you a favour just to serve you nuts. Pulau Langat bends over backwards to ensure you have the freshest thing from the boat. We also ordered chilli crabs with some fried mantou buns. And to cap it all off, some fried meehoon with small clams.

The meehoon is delicious with teensy little clams that add a chewiness and tastiness to the noodles. This is a good option to get if you don’t want to get too full from rice.

The mantis prawns was a little sweet but surprisingly good. The mayonnaise gives it a certain tang and richness. Prawns are fried first in flour so that it’s crunchy. Crabs are also on the sweet side so we recommend next time to have it with kam hiong style (curry leaves) or fried with duck’s eggs. We are rubber-necking looking at what other people are eating, already noting what we will order next time we come. The good thing about ordering crabs with gravy though is that you can mop it up with the fried mantou and this is so sinfully good, you won’t care about the fact that it’s all going straight to your hips.

Best dish of the day is the super fresh snapper. Flesh is firm and melts in the mouth. This is a real treat with bits of garlic and scallions giving it texture and pungency. Yummy… After we are satisfied, it’s time to sit back, order another bottle of that coconut drink and enjoy the sunset. If you come later do get a table on the boat as they light up all the lanterns at night so you feel like you are dining by some riverside in Old China.

Pulau Langat also does cattering and we reckon you can book the whole boat for a sunset chow down with friends. They claim that they can do it for you, whatever the budget.

Pulau Langat Seafood Centre : Chinese
Address: Lot 8620, Kg. Air Hitam,
Batu 6 and a half, Jalan Langat,
41200, Klang, Selangor
Tel : 03- 3122 0089
012- 670 7796

Post is courtesy of Honey Ahmad of Fried Chillies!

Night over Phnom Penh

2008-12-04T17:59:00.002+07:00

Check this out, a very close meeting of Venus, Jupiter and the Moon. Photo courtesy of Bill Tucker, from 01 Dec, 2 days ago.
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Is it ok to tell people I'm an American now???

2008-11-08T08:33:00.027+07:00

That was hands-down the most amazing party I have ever helped organise! The entire wing of the Foreign Correspondents’ Club (FCC-Phnom Penh) was packed with expatriates, with best guesstimates of around 400 by 9am!
Just as they declared a winner my friend hollered into the microphone: "AMERICAAANS!!! RAISE YOUR HANDS!!!"

...and that's when the dam broke. Fists shot up through a rain of confetti and the roar of cheers. Expats from various western backgrounds turned, tears of relief flowing, to hug strangers next to them. All the world had reason to celebrate, not just Americans, and to celebrate on several levels.

The greatest part was the turnout of so many Americans! We don't normally congregate outside of rare embassy events since that's asking for trouble. Those hands signaled change already occurring, since no expatriate could in his right mind volunteer that s/he's American for the hostility it invites, no matter how proud to be an American s/he is and no matter how festive an event in a safe environment. Until now.

Remember when people actually looked to us in friendship, with admiration, in our travels? Instead now we've had to avoid looking conspicuously American. We honed instincts for keeping a low profile and watching our backs: no talking loudly, no sneakers, no baseball caps, handle the blue passport discreetly, dodge the "where are you from" question and thank you lucky stars I can pass for a non-American.

As Americans living abroad far off the tourist tracks, we rely on a rational approach to global relations. We are the frontlines for the wrath caused by our government's ill-informed unilateral activities that have intensified threats to America and its expatriates. In meetings, even when my capacity is to represent not USAID but another bilateral, I am targeted for the ire about my government's policies that I don't even agree with. Even Keith— who rarely raises his voice or argues— has on occasion had to defend himself against a barrage of assaults and needed his friends' physical interventions, for the simple fact that his all-American looks makes him a target. We're reduced to apologists, defending ourselves for being American, alone with no one taking our side, especially in this post-9/11 world where our government squandered the outpouring of goodwill towards us by wanton engagement in war while options still existed, all the while hypocritically preaching "Christian values".

And we aren't all tree-hugging development wonks out to rescind the Gag Rule (Mexico City Policy) on abortion either. Our guests included Americans both based here and passing through from different walks of life-- businessmen, developers and investors, corporate attorneys for Microsoft and entrepreneurs from Silicon Valley, regional officials from WHO and the UN system including the World Bank, foreign diplomats, pastors, even our US Ambassador to Cambodia joined.

And today, when we woke up, that tender of global goodwill was somehow back. America as an ideal, and America as a country, has defeated a campaign and reign built on cultivating hatred, fear and ignorance. Internet blogs, editorials, and opinion pages from all over the world are swelling with positive energy that includes us now. Strangers stopped to congratulate me and Keith on the streets and in the store when they heard our American accents. Khmer colleagues eagerly debated their rudimentary understanding of US democracy with me. Against all odds, they told me, it happened in America and maybe one day it can happen in our country.

No matter your political inclinations, this event was a triumph of the grassroots that is the foundation of a democracy. Amazingly, the complete and utter absence of southern conservative anti-intellectualism in Obama's winning formula is a statement that marginalises the under-educated, impoverished, whiter South and bible belt's centrality to national politics. Even if nothing gets accomplished in the next four years I applaud the hope this outcome has inspired all over the world. And I am glad that now, once again, logic and reason will take its rightful place in governance, even if only for the next four years.

Wow civic participation... Yes America.... YES WE CAN!!!

Frequent Flyer Beauty Tips

2008-09-24T16:23:00.011+07:00

Life is a journey, especially for expatriates! Keep the destinations coming, but traveling takes its toll with dull lifeless hair, skin and nails, after being trapped in a tiny seat with a cabinful of people literally breathing down your neck in recirculated air (especially on our 15++ hours annual leaves, uggh!). Give yourself some TLC in-flight and look glam at the arrivals gate with these quick tips for gals on the go:

DO PRE-FLIGHT
• start / keep a list of must-bring items-- in purse, carry-on and checked luggage. save these lists so you don't leave important things at your destination. it's also a good record that can help with last-minute shopping when luggage got lost
• ask for and save samples of your fave products for travel
• take vit E or cod-liver / fish oil tablets regularly before flight for skin
• take vit C / supplements for boosting your immunity
• do a hot-oil treatment (eg warm olive oil with essential oils for your hair type) and/or use a leave-in conditioner before your flight to prevent dry hair and breakage
• a hydrating facial day before the flight (not a deep cleansing facial);
• intensify your moisturising routine
• buy foldable boxes (like the IKEA Komplement) for storing / transporting your items neatly (eg between bathroom and bed) when you get to your destination
• toiletries packed inside clear ziplocs or see-through cases have less chance of getting rifled through by security screeners (yuck)

DON’T
• wear nail polish, it chips easy then looks bad; get a buff manicure instead
• drink caffeine, alcohol, soda as they’re dehydrating
• pre-board or get on the boarding line-- everyone especially in asia rushes to wait in line. let 'em all on first to minimise both your wait and cabin time.

BRING ONBOARD
For organising your things:
• a hanging toiletries bag for carry-on pampering you tote along and hang in the bathroom, and another for your entertainment (ipod, headset plug converter, notepad, pen, magazine), because there's never enough storage space but you can always hang something-- stow away if not needed

For hydration:
• water, water, water
• your favorite fragrant herbal tea blend; green and black teas are especially high in anti-oxidants and good for fighting those evil free radicals that contribute to ageing and illness!

For pampering / depuffing tired red eyes:
• eye pillows with grains inside for acupressure benefits
• eye gel or pre-moistened eye pads--ask for a glass of ice to cool it before using!
• moisturising eye drops

For keeping nails, skin, scalp and hair moisturised:
• wetwipes for oil-blotting, to moisturise, to clean dirt and make-up, as single-use masks for an in-flight facial
• hydrating mist (water-glycerin mix, hydrosol, aloe juice etc) in a spray bottle with an atomiser top, spray your face often and your hair occasionally
• rich moisturiser such as a chunk of shea or cocoa butter, mild enough for the face but for use on all skin areas prone to dryness
• vitamin E capsules, prick and use on dry lips
• to hydrate nasal passages, line with a bit of vaseline, or a nasal spray also relieves congestion
• ask the flight attendant for plain yogurt (hydrating, natural exfoliant, gentle cleanser) and/or honey (humectant, anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory) and give yourself a facial in the bathroom
• those toilet-seat covers in the bathroom? excellent for blotting oil from face (unused ones)
• essential oils are indispensable (eg lavender, peppermint, rosemary): place a few drops on a tissue and breathe it in to soothe, aid in sleeping, relieve congestion and combat stale air
• aromatherapeutic oil blend gentle enough for the face-- treat yourself to a hand massage after washing hands, a facial acupressure session ( on a clean face!), and afterwards as a leave-in conditioner run hands through your hair and lightly massage the scalp; essential oils of lavender, neroli, frankincense, myrrh in a camellia base oil have the added benefit of anti-ageing
• dry shampoo if you tend to get oily hair and scalp, do a dry cleanse before landing
• a good boar bristle brush to keep oils distributed down the hair shaft

(to be published in AsiaLIFE Phnom Penh in Nov 2008)
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... far from roads in rural Kampot

2008-09-11T20:08:00.014+07:00

This 18 year old mother was taking her baby to the health centre. This facility, built just last year with funds from a German NGO (can you tell it's new?), is relatively far from the primary and secondary roads and can't be accessed by vehicle.
This is the main transport option in rural areas. You can't see the motorbike pulling this remorque (it's basically a wagon that can hold up to 35 Khmer). It's a horrible bumpy ride (I feel this way and I'm healthy, imagine a pregnant mother about to deliver riding this contraption up to 15km to get to a skilled birth attendant!).
Development efforts --ours and a host of others working in MCH (Maternal and Child Health)-- sadly haven't sufficiently implemented a continuum of care to respond to this access barrier.
Cambodia had the highest Maternal Mortality Rate (31st highest in the world) in 2000 at 450 deaths/100,000 live births. There was no progress by the Cambodian Demographic Health Survey 2005, when it peaked at 473/100,000.

Here's another form of transport, but only if there's no rush!

Go to Hanoi for the food and Halong Bay

2008-09-07T21:37:00.019+07:00

I swear everyone is an entrepreneur in Vietnam. There's a palpable sizzle of business-orientation in the air. If you want to get a vibe of the Asian economy in real-time and see what the emerging markets buzz is all about, come spend some weeks in Vietnam!

That said on the individuals level, overall Hanoi wasn't as interesting as I expected (granted, I was there for a workshop, and spent just a few days exploring the city). It's most definitely progressing at a rapid clip, but it remains unapologetically provincial. Old temples and historic sites seem either non-existent or not yet identified, restored and put on the map. It gave the impression of an architecturally simple, culturally uncomplicated and unpretentious city-- despite the high energy-- almost as if it's settling for claim as a Halong Bay stopover, totally disinterested in tourists. The North is completely different from the rest of the country, and is completely ok with that.

Give the food trail a shot, it's worth the effort.

We're big foodies, and we try as much local fare as is possible whenever we visit a new locale. In Hanoi, the cuisine is more simple and isn't as spicy (chili hot or tasty good) as the royal cuisine of Central Vietnam or the fusion-ed fares of South Vietnam, but that doesn't mean it isn't good in its own right! We found a huge variety of offerings, that we just couldn't fit enough meals in a day. Actually we had to settle for sampling numerous meals without finishing any one, both of us sharing just one dish! (thank goodness food was cheap!) In the evenings it was a feast: all sorts of food shops open in the tightest of quarters, squeezing as many customers into every crack of open space on the sidewalk.

This is a very popular seafood grill corner. Stacked to the ceiling in one corner are many small plastic seats (like for children) and tables as is possibly needed. The a la carte dining choices are spread out over a large bed of ice. Customers point at the raw seafood preparations and they're brought to your small plastic table grilled.
This is one of the seafood food shops in the Old Quarter. The food sits on beds of ice all day waiting for customers. One particularly amazing preparation is the oyster. These oysters were at average 8inX6in HUGE. They're brushed with a special hot vinegar sauce, put on the grill, an egg broken over it, and served with hot sauce and dried garlic and onions. It's mouthwateringly, amazingly good. In May 2007 one of these was $1.50. We cleaned her out every time we walked by!
Bun-cha is a must-have for any visitor to Hanoi. This very large spread of a meal has such varied textures (soft noodles, crunchy fried spring rolls, tender meats, chopped vegetables..) and flavors (sweet, hot, herbal, vinegary, bitter) tossed together in a curious combination. One of the major bun-cha food shops is listed in the Lonely Plant. It is a Hanoi staple and only available at lunchtimes due to the labor-intensive preparations.
The Vietnamese like their meats-- anything that moves is game. Civets, field rats, snakes, bats, they all make it onto the famous grills. No one eats alone. If you're sitting by yourself, a group will invariably join you. These guys offered a taste of their meals to Keith, who looked on in curiosity as their orders were brought. They were happy to share, and by the time the various attempts at communications arrived at a semblance of understanding, he found out he'd just eaten dog meat.
It is a healthy eating culture. Everyone eats a lot of raw foods-- fruits and vegetables. There are fresh vendors everywhere you turn. Sellers who rent a space at markets sell at a higher price than sellers who plant themselves on the sidewalk and spread out their items on the ground. And sellers such as this one, who walk around with a pole and baskets of fruits hanging from each end, often sell for even less.
Markets are one of the first places I love to check out when I'm new to an area. The environment and wares and goods are so telling of a people. Here are some grains sold at the market near Old Quarter, and prepared foods just outside a pagoda near the hotel.

See more photos at Keith Kelly's flickr page.
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SHIFT Happens

2008-09-06T02:29:00.004+07:00

Variations of this has been making the email rounds and YouTube for two years now. It's an oldie but goodie, and still a relevant topic. Three short years in SE Asia has been eye-opening as far as the impact of technology on a society's development, including its effect on poverty. Worth a watch..

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Vietnam: Halong Bay and Cat Ba Island in three days

2008-08-30T22:41:00.014+07:00

Halong Bay on the Gulf of Tonkin, as with other popular destinations, isn't without the attendant scams and traps awaiting travelers. Getting the most out of any trip is a matter of arriving with an open mind. Expect to haggle and stay flexible; you'd be surprised how far patience and good humour goes. I normally avoid package tours but it's unavoidable here, unless you have the luxury of time and nettle to dicker your way onto a private boat with the locals (it's legally not allowed).

As of May 2007: 2day-1night boat trips ranged the gamut of $30 for a small junk to $180+ for an Emeraude cruise. Know your traveling style and philosophy, as there are benefits to all options. For example, the bare-bones trips offer a glimpse into local life that luxury cruises do a very good job of sheltering patrons from. Being no-frills, guests are allowed to haggle with vendors who float by, towing anything from Oreos to locally-caught seafood from boat to boat. They even have the equipment necessary to make a very tasty local meal for you. Guests can ask for an informal cooking lesson in the galley, request a special itinerary or stops not advertised by the booking agent. This interaction with locals and flexibility is limited with the higher-end cruises. Because they have more offerings, guests are charged for bringing purchases on-board, and the advertised schedule is strictly adhered to. But they also offer more comfort, have better amenities and an array of entertainment options. It's really quite up to the traveler's comfort needs.

It was the start of the rainy season in May, but the downpours were predictable and short.

That said, words can't capture the beauty of Halong Bay.

Interesting activities at dawn.... dynamite fishing. It's illegal, as it doesn't just kill fish. The sudden underwater shock indiscriminately pulverises the underlying habitat and destroys the surrounding ecosystem.
Typical of a longer itinerary is a stay overnight at Cat Ba Island. No white sand and surf here, and no entertainment-- there's a floating village, some swimming and short hikes. Getting invited to a meal is great and isn't hard to do, as locals are all very friendly and eager to meet visitors--as well as earn some extra cash! Otherwise hit up one of the floating restaurants for a seafood treat that isn't so hard on the wallet.
Birders might find this is a good stop as the fish farms and constant churning of the water from the junks offer easy meals. There were a dozen black kites and red-whiskered bulbuls, some of them in aerial combat over territory. It's always interesting to watch fierce smaller birds chase off birds of prey ten or more times larger than they are.

These amazing boats look like they're barely skimming the top of the water, they're so buoyant. This woman is cutting some bamboo to strips to repair another boat. Doesn't it look like the boats are floating just right on the surface of the water?

To see more Halong Bay photos see Keith Kelly's Flickr page.
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View outside my office window: demolition

2008-08-30T08:22:00.010+07:00

No need for big machinery eh. Here's a team of five Khmer (in flip-flops) pounding away at the building with just a sledgehammer each. It took them about two weeks to take this building down and haul away the debris.

Olympics 2008

2008-08-23T08:24:00.008+07:00

Such a spectacular display of the greatest advances across industries! And I'm glad to see the Bird's Nest architecturally reflect an Asian context.
Photo courtesy of http://en.beijing2008.cn/ Official Beijing 2008 site

Asian culture, its arts and legacy, is beautiful, that it's disappointing to see the westernisation of Asia-- particularly in Bangkok and other major cities. Phnom Penh itself is exemplifying rapid westernisation and eradication of its heritage. Local officials in ill-fitting western suits and ties often arrive at meetings, and villagers trade in their more useful kromas (all-purpose scarves) in favor of mass-produced generic garbs branded by company logos. And then there's Hong Kong with its otherwise pretty harbour skyline so totally marred by the marquees and billboards advertising major corporations on top of nearly every building. How is this allowed to happen, to dismiss Asia's beauty in favor of European notions of class or for capitalistic ideals?

Asians ourselves play a huge part in this. Hordes of students flock to study ballet and master the harps and bass, meanwhile Cambodian artists are hard-pressed to even pay young kids to learn their own elegant classical dances. Ever seen ciseauzs performed in classical ballet pieces by Asian dancers? This music was not created for the shorter bodies and legs, and therefore stretch, of an Asian. While it's beautiful to see nevertheless, it's disappointing that western culture is more valued by Asians than our own rich heritage.

On the one hand I appreciate the vast growth and potential I'm witnessing in Asia/SE Asia. And on the other, the various aspects of its politics and culture make it difficult to be entirely supportive of its (and especially China's) inevitable rise. There's a balance that still hasn't been achieved-- the pace of change is happening too fast. Western ideals of self-actualisation and governance has a place in Asia's growth, and it's possible to adopt other philosophies of progress, without Asians having to drop our cultural heritage and roots.

Anyway, I digrees. Here's a look at the medal counts of participating countries throughout the history of the modern Olympics.
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beyond Phnom Penh.. in Kampong Cham

2008-08-21T21:50:00.015+07:00

Photos courtesy of K Kelly

We just wanted to go for a walk to get some air, after two whole days indoors through several ceremonies. We attended a Buddhist ceremony in Kampong Cham for a friend's grandmother who passed away 10 years ago. This is the province with the beautiful women, according to many Khmer men in Phnom Penh. It might somewhat be validated by the recent legislative crackdown on weddings to foreigners, to prevent trafficking of women. Apparently Korean men looking for a nice obedient wife tend to look for one to buy/marry in this province, until several miraculously escaped abusive relationships in S Korea and reported it upon return.

But I digress. This couple were guests at the event, and we inadvertently followed them home. When we indicated through various gesturing and mimings that we wanted to walk around the village a bit, they wouldn't have that-- "dangerous", they said. "Come with us to our house."

There they served us up some tea and cashew fruits. The lands to and around Kampong Cham are dedicated to farming cashews and rubber plantations. The soil is particularly good for growing very high quality cashews, but they are mostly grown for export to Vietnam and Thailand. The Khmer in turn imports Vietnam's sub-par cashews to sell to its own people. Rubber is exported to China. It fetches high prices, but not high enough to compensate for the damage it renders the soil after a few years of high yield. The agriculture policy is still not effectively implemented, and besides, there's very little regulatory capacity not to mention intense corruption when it comes to land and land use. Small farmers are pretty much left to their own devices and vulnerable to the demands of neighbors and subsequent market imbalances.

They eat the flesh of the cashew fruit here, not just the nut. The older folks especially love it (maybe cuz it's soft?) dipped into a sauce of palm sugar and water.

We walked back to my friend's house in the sunset..

What do you listen to when you're on the road?

2008-08-09T07:43:00.005+07:00

I see a fair bit of the road, which makes an mp3 player such a trusty companion. Since I have a lot of down time anyway, I like to take along podcasts. They're available via online audio/videostreams but my connection speed here is just too slow.

It's amazing to me how, given the political will, the connectivity infrastructure can be easily put in place. The technology is cheap and getting cheaper. What donor would not provide the funding to connect Cambodia's population to the world, if requested? But I guess information is power, and so for now Khmers will have to settle for poor internet access. The 'democratically elected' government isn't ready for an educated populace. Having said that, a major factor for Cambodia's stability is the authoritarian rule, and stability brings in much foreign capital, with the economy seeing robust growth over the recent years.

Anyway, I'm not a serious investor--yet--but keeping up with the global economic indicators seems to be a smart thing to do. I've liked the following so far, all downloaded conveniently from iTunes:

Asia Society's The Weekly Fix
Deutsche Welle's Inside Europe
NPR's Economy
Bloomberg's On the Economy
BBC World News Service

I need a good Asia region News/Economy daily podcast that doesn't focus exclusively on China. Any ideas?

A common sight

2008-08-05T20:23:00.009+07:00

Photos courtesy of H. Prytherch

This is a common sight along the roads of Cambodia-- a patient riding on the back of a moto on the way home, hooked up to an IV. There's large demand for IVs and injections in the country, and people seek it out whether or not it is medically necessary. The problem of overuse of drugs/IVs is more prevalent in rural areas where educational levels are much lower.

We asked some people in the communities when they typically get IVs, and we were told it's good for making the body strong again after many days out fishing or working in the fields. We're told they can be bought at any pharmacy or clinic, and the colored IVs are better because the medicine in it makes it more potent. (Unknown to them, oftentimes it is due to food coloring by unscrupulous drug vendors capitalising on the poor knowledge of drug use.)

...I can almost see the image of this in the bas reliefs of Angkor Wat!

How to vote in Cambodia's national elections

2008-07-26T16:01:00.004+07:00

Tomorrow the country holds its 4th national elections since the 1991 Paris Peace Accords were signed, ending decades of civil war and foreign occupation. In the runup to this weekend our counterparts in the Ministry of Health and all health professionals were required to partake in campaigning for their parties. (This meant that all activities agreed upon were essentially put on hold for two months).

I asked one of them, a hospital director, what it is he does when he goes out to the villages and communities to campaign. "I teach people how to vote", was the response. Really? How do you teach them how to vote? "I show them which box on the ballot to check". Do you like to do that? [[He hesitates, then...]] "It doesn't seem right... But it's good for CPP to win so that we won't have violence again. And I'm a doctor and I have responsibilities so I should vote for CPP."

The dominant CPP party had to settle for a coalition government with FUNCINPEC because they didn't win the required 2/3 majority in the 2003 elections, and the PM has taken steps to ensure that won't happen again. CPP's campaign was largely about threatening violence if CPP does not take a majority.

Needless to say, people in a generally subdued mode...

How to catch sparrows

2008-07-19T16:50:00.011+07:00

A little bit of life in Phnom Penh.... I was sitting at a cafe overlooking Sisowath Quay (riverside), when I watched how they catch what's nicknamed in the birding world as LBJs (Little Brown Jobbies), or the ubiquitous common sparrows. Keith told me how he'd watch them do this but it seemed like such a tediously unrewarding way to catch birds so I didn't believe him.

Small Khmer kids with long thin bamboo sticks patiently waited at some short bushes by the river. When a sparrow came along, they poked it with their stick. On the end of the stick is a blob of glue which, when it gets onto the bird's feathers, effectively renders them incapable of flying. As the bird hops away trying to get the glue off, the kids would poke it again with the glue, and again and again. Eventually the bird's fate is sealed.

Fried, one can eat every single part of this little bird. It looks horrible, but for a country that doesn't have many choices as far as food, especially the poor, anything that moves is fair game. Thus it became part of the culinary repertoire.

Along the river, in between all the fancy restaurants, bars and cafes catering to expatriates, are a smattering of food stalls with plastic chairs and tables. On any given night scores of young Khmers either on dates or just out with friends have this for dinner. A can of Black Panther (stout) was 3000Riel, or $0.75, in 2007. The plate of about 5 fried sparrows was 5000Riel, or $1.25, served with a pepper and lime juice sauce and a salad of green herbs and vegetables. (There is also another bird in there, a quail, cut in half).

Tourists would walk past the tables and the horrified look on their faces as they caught a glimpse of what was frying or served up were really funny to watch. Even funnier is their double-take and attempt to look non-chalant when they saw fellow foreigner Keith at one of the tables with his camera, putting away one of these delicacies.

This contraption is their barbecue grill. It's essentially what we would have back home as a clay planter except ten times thicker, with a hole cut out of the base to stick in the charcoal, and set inside an aluminum casing. Shown here steaming are fertilised duck eggs. They are usually sold 3 for 4000Riel or $1.00.

FDA Globalization Act of 2008

2008-07-19T08:50:00.002+07:00

Many of you know I've recently developed sensitivities and have to be very careful about what goes on my skin and into my body. As a result I've had to either formulate or purchase from crafters any and all hair, cosmetics and beauty products. (Thank GOD for my recent trip back home!)

I firmly believe that the body absorbs (daily) around hundred-or-so harmful compounds from endless fillers in beauty, hair and cosmetic products. Does your product tout the anti-aging benefits of Vitamins C/E, antioxidants, Argilene, Hyaluronic Acid? How far down the list after scores of synthetic or chemical fragrances and preservatives are these? This is hotly contested by the conventional beauty industry, but I can't ignore the vast improvement in skin complaints, allergies, and overall clarity since this lifestyle change of just a few months. Rather than the hundreds$$ in Z.Bigatti, Valmont, La Mer products the active ingredients we all seek are crafted for much much less in concentrated buffered serums by small, family- or women-owned businesses, who will be adversely impacted by this legislation.

I oppose the FDA Globalization Act of 2008 in its current form, as it presently impacts small businesses, and want regulation with fair consideration to small operations who cannot compete in an atmosphere of high regulation fees and surcharges. Diversity, local sourcing, and sustainable lifestyle choices on health, food and beauty products are what I'd like to see as a consumer.

For more information or what you can do, see Indie Beauty’s business blog and forum (the owner of Indie Beauty Network, Donna Maria, is a well known natural cosmetics author and was a D.C. attorney). Sign their petition on the blog and also write to congress (the House, especially to the representatives on the energy and commerce committee) and tell them what you think! Read Indie Beauty’s forum for in depth discussion of the issue, and viewpoints of cosmetic owners and suppliers.

See the House’s Energy and Commerce committee to read the draft of the proposed law

Small-business owner's viewpoint: Li, crafter/formulator and student of homeopathy, herbalism and traditional medicines of Nordic cultures

Book Review: Never Give Up: How I Turned My Biggest Challenges into Success

2008-07-15T10:24:00.002+07:00

I'm fortunate for my background where good enough is simply not enough, and to constantly aim high. Working in foreign aid and development has opened my eyes to poverty and the reasons behind it, perpetuating it, situations that unintentionally(?) encourage it. When most peoples' realities means that the basic aim of survival is aiming high, it's difficult to keep occasional bouts of disillusionment and apathy at bay. To keep upbeat, I seek out the occasional motivational book from the meager selections of used bookstores in Phnom Penh.

While the motivational messages (e.g. productivity, financing/ investing, self-help) tend to be regurgitated and re-packaged by points of view in different books, the nuggets of advice are useful reading for anyone working in developing countries hoping to motivate counterparts to aim high.

Never Give Up: How I Turned My Biggest Challenges into Success
My first review here, ironically enough for being in Cambodia, is by Donald Trump; it's an entertainingly inspiring read.

It’s a useful glimpse into the attitude and willpower it takes to realize big goals. Don’t expect original advice or a detailed how-to guide. To sharpen your game this book offers a package outlook on living life large with extraordinary goals, substantiated by Trump’s experiences in real estate and business.

Message: Success starts with vision and a subsequent smart and aggressive focus on your goals / targets; if grounded with a lot of passion, thirst for knowledge, tenacity and resilience, then the foundations for personal and business success are laid.

Delivery: Arrogant at times yes-- this is someone who enjoys life and its many challenges, honing success factors not inherent to many people. He deliberate places himself front-center where luck can’t help but find him and this is a great life strategy, whether born with a silver spoon or not. The grit and passion comes through in the first-person narration and effectively hammers his points across.

5 Ways to Eat a Mango!

2008-04-15T11:30:00.017+07:00

Typically existing in two races, the mango finds its roots in Burma and South India, and in Southeast Asia particularly the Philippines.

Mango season is one of my favorite things about living in Asia! All the charm and sensuous sweetness that is the essence of the tropics-- in one fruit. Mangoes signal a reprieve from the hot season, heralding the summer monsoons. It kicks off the festive Khmer New Year and launches the summer fruit bounty: rambutan, lychee, mangosteen and durian. Long bamboo sticks with a cage-like trap at the end ensure reach into the highest cluster (these evergreen trees grow to 60 feet tall).

Street vendors now walk their bicycle-loads of mangoes, and market sellers pile them on mats and in baskets. National roads are lined with stands stacked high, selling for as little as 1000Riel or $0.25 per kg. Because techniques to increase mango yields are so successful, and growers don’t have the capacity to export the fruit, its prices are largely insulated from inflation and the depreciating dollar.

So what to do with all those mangoes?

1. Eat it raw, it's packed with nutrients! Khmer taste buds are inclined towards bitter and salty flavors, so a popular way to eat it here is unripe, sliced and dipped into a mixture of salt and chili. But many of us prefer it melt-in-your-mouth golden sweet and custardy!

2. Toss cubes of ripe sweet mango into your favorite curry for a smack of fresh tropical sweetness.

3. Make a Mango Chutney and serve with brie on a cheese platter or with grilled chicken or fish. From the Food Network:

2 1/2 cups diced mangos
1 (1-inch) piece peeled fresh ginger
1 Scotch bonnet pepper, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup raisins
Freshly ground black pepper

Place all ingredients in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer until thick, about 25 minutes, stirring often to keep from sticking. Let cool, and store in an airtight container.

4. For a sumptuous dessert pair it with the decadent richness of coconut by making Sticky Rice and Mango (Recipe by Sophat). This combination of the fresh sweetness of mango with the rich creaminess of coconut milk is really a fabulous treat. Sticky rice is a staple to Laos and Thailand. Sticky Rice and Mango is credited generally to southern Thailand where sticky rice is served with mango as a dessert, with condensed or coconut milk poured over it.

1 1/2 cups sticky rice
1 1/2 cups canned coconut milk
1/2 teaspoon salt, or more to taste
2 to 4 ripe mangoes, depending on size, peeled, pitted, sliced.

(To make your own coconut milk: Take a cup of unsweetened shredded dried coconut and stir in two cups of boiling water. Let sit for a few minutes then strain with a cheesecloth to extract all the liquid. Sweeten to taste ~around 3Tbsp~ with white sugar. This is much better than canned coconut, but the latter can be substituted. Set aside.)

Steam the rice (this needs less water than regular rice) and set aside to cool for half an hour or so.

In a pan, gently warm coconut milk with sugar and salt until they dissolve. Stir in half the coconut milk mixture over the warm sticky rice. Divide sweetened rice to individual serving bowls. Add mango slices. Pour the rest of the coconut milk over the mango. Serve.

5. Whip up a Mango Lassi (Recipe by K Kelly). Lassis are a tasty shake, good as a filling snack on those hot days. It's a traditional North Indian beverage, and it's found in ancient Indian texts. Yogurt sweetened with honey is still used in Hindu rituals.

2 cups milk
1 individual container plain yogurt
2 mangoes, diced
2 tsp honey

Mix all in a blender. Serves 2.

And if you have an event coming up that requires a cake, mango complements chocolate very nicely. It's also excellent paired with coconut, passion fruit or taro in a moist layered cake, with mango incorporated into the icing. I unfortunately am not a good baker and have only had cakes professionaly catered, so can't offer a recipe. If anyone has a good one I'm game to try!

There are over 1000 varieties, ranging from a deep golden yellow to green to red. Svay teethai and svay kailchun in Cambodia are known to be sweet.

One of many fruit sellers at Psar Toul Tumpung (Russian Market), with pre-season harvests.

Is that an IV drip on an Angkor bas relief?

2008-03-22T19:24:00.015+07:00

Photos courtesy of K. Estela

Ha-- no wonder there's such a problem with IV use here LOL!

Without regulatory standards and mechanisms such as licensing or accreditation, quality of care is partly determined by consumer demand. People more often than not believe the more invasive or expensive a treatment, the more effective. This means treating simple fatigue with an intravenous drip instead of coconut juice ($10 vs $0.25)! IV drips are VERY popular; fishermen coming in from a long night out on the water will often seek IV treatment. Some pharmacists even color it (food coloring usually) because people associate the color with increased potency! Patients hooked up to their IV drips while riding on the back of a moto is a common sight on the streets (I just wish I can grab a picture of that!)

Hmm.. that sure looks like an IV drip...

Zen for aid and development

2008-03-08T15:44:00.006+07:00

Cambodia is a tad far from the hubs of Zen interest, but its philosophy is apt because we are not without the onslaught of rabid change in Phnom Penh, given vast sums of development aid and foreign investment. It's interesting to see a newly minted middle class so taken with modernisation and the rush of consumerist culture. Well, interesting but sad at the same time, because embrace of materialistic entertainment culture--or rather, lust for it-- comes at the expense of so many beautiful elements Khmer and Angkorian, that is steadily lost to antiquity.

An interesting development to highlight this was during the Chinese New Year celebrations this year (Chinese and Khmer traditions are embraced in Cambodia). Tradition has it that various gods ascend to the heavens to pay respects and report on human affairs to the Jade Emperor, the Supreme Taoist deity. People burn ritualistic paper money to assist with the gods' travel. This year, paper Lexus, cell phones, TVs and other upmarket goods were added to the paper money that the custom was traditionally limited to... Khmers are also increasingly placing value on goods owned rather than the person, and treating each other accordingly to displayed wealth. I suppose there are parallels to other societies that similarly experienced sudden affluence... It is just rather discomfiting to see it in fast-forward in a third-world country...

Zen is about waking up to the present moment, perceiving a reality that is exactly as it is, rather than via a biased wall of emotions, opinions, judgments. It is a discipline of simplicity, in all manner of action, thought, being. Popular culture attributes it to Japanese development, but it is believed to have evolved from the Chinese interpretation of the Buddhist concept of enlightenment, and then from the stories of Buddha in India. (I'm not an expert in Eastern philosophies, so please correct as necessary!)

It's a fitting philosophy for aid and development workers who work abroad and see these fast-paced changes. What with incongruous goals for "harmonisation" among partners, contradictory practices to policies, conflicting commitments and underlying motives for "aid" from every actor, it's a quagmire difficult to navigate.

To bring it down to a bite-sized personal lifestyle application to start, there is an upshot to moving every few years --being forced to simplify regularly! It's beyond practical to discard junk; minimalism contributes to mental well-being and productivity, especially in places far removed from the physical order and organisation of back home and cycling through processes with a fair share of destructive side effects.

So for the expatriate life, a Zen start to the working and living space: there's a lot of junk out there to process-- Ditch the clutter, physically and mentally!

Where does aid money come from?

2008-03-02T11:20:00.004+07:00

This interactive map with accompanying document shows the source of aid by country, and maps other interesting information such as corruption, natural disasters, security risk areas, etc. (If aid map is not the default, click the scroll-down map to 'aid'.)

Aid began after WWII in the new international economic system. Supporting insufficient capital flows in developing countries became part of the Cold War politics. OECD collects data on Official Development Assistance, which does not include funds from philantrophic sources, private foundations, or NGOs.

To address poverty, in a 1970 UN resolution, industrialised nations committed 0.7% of their GNI towards international aid. Of the 22 OECD Development Assistance Committee (DAC) countries, only five regularly meet this target (Sweden, Norway, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Denmark). On percentage of GNI, the US is one of the lowest contributors (0.18% in 2006), but in absolute amount, it is the highest contributor by almost twice the next country. That of course is now surpassed by the UK, given the devaluation of the dollar against the pound.

Foreign Aid and Development

2008-03-01T23:12:00.004+07:00

It's difficult not to be cynical given the futility and waste of many aid programmes, no matter the intent of individuals. The constraints of procurements, lack of transparency and accountability, coupled with donors' foreign policies, often lead to inefficient and ineffective efforts. All for the sake of creating viable markets out of lagging economies?

The impact of foreign aid and development has received increased visibility and debate among the mainstream media lately. There's a downloadable podcast on NPR's Intelligence Squared, which hosts an Oxford-style debate on many topics. Is Aid to Africa Doing More Harm Than Good?, broadcast on 12 Dec 2007, offers interesting insights from both sides of the issue.

And the following is a foreign aid blog in the New York Times, by Nicholas D Kristof. What Aid Workers Do

Khmer Proverbs

2008-03-01T07:35:00.007+07:00

Another activity for our team retreat aimed at cross-cultural issues is to come up with the most-recalled proverbs from growing up. Though many sayings cross boundaries, the ones best remembered by each group curiously was very telling of their cultural norms and tendencies.

The Germans came up with a list of sayings that depicted a society which valued order, regulation, and punctuality. The Filipino sayings depicted a god-fearing, eternally positive, and family-oriented people. Growing up in the US, adages and mottos which had most to do with taking advantage of opportunity and making money came easily to mind.

Here are some Khmer proverbs, which explain very many things which those of us from the West often frustratingly misunderstand. One which struck me in particular ran along the lines of "the egg cannot fight with or break a rock", which translated into "might is right". This explains the submissive nature of our Khmer colleagues to their superiors. They seem frequently impressed when subordinates argue with the boss.

Physical death is better than the death of your reputation (also "family's reputation"). This explains the collectivist mindset in Asia. Dishonor to your name or your family/group results in being cast off, and that is worse than death.

Dual Translation: (1) Anger begets error; anger begets injury; anger begets waste; and (2) Anger is wrong; anger is wicked; anger is wasteful. This explains the vexing SE Asian trait of never showing emotion, and always smiling even through crises.

The immature rice stock stands erect; the mature stock hangs heavy with seeds.
Those lacking accomplishments (seeds) prop themselves up and boast of themselves (standing erect - a trait of the young). Those heavy with accomplishments have no need for boasting as they have already proven their worth and instead behave with humility (being hunched over - a trait of the elderly). Many sayings show the value of elderly people to society.

Willing to lose is divine; wanting to win is evil. Several beliefs and large-scale tendencies point to the Buddhist belief in accepting fate, so that aiming for achievement is futile.

. . . more proverbs on the Khmer Institute website.

East-West Cultural Differences

2008-02-29T21:36:00.005+07:00

We recently had a team retreat where cross-cultural issues was the popular topic. Misunderstandings happen frequently due to diametrically opposed personalities, working culture, and approach to negotiations by the Khmers, Filipinos, Germans, and American.

Below are pictorials of the cultural differences between East and West, designed by Liu Young who was born in China and lived in Germany.

Blue is Western, Red is Asian