That clever poor young man (1)

Jean arrives in the last flight to the Siem Reap International Airport coming from Bangkok. At his 64 he is alone and free to travel everywhere in this planet thanks to his pension and globalization. ‘Cambodia is a place to see’, said that Australian lady in the bar of a Thai bar. He remembers how she described Cambodia, as a wonder that combines colorful views with cute people. Chloe, yes, it was her name, blond 70 years old grand mother of a seven distributed around the world. Jean asked her to come with him to Cambodia and to show such wonders. She laughed. Certainly no way. 

My Asian conical hat

Wearing my Asian conical hat in a Bangkok street.

Walking a tropical country under a sun can be tiresome for any kind of persons, even those coming from other tropical countries. It can make you to reduce attention to a very interesting tour in a great site as the Angkorian temples in Siem Reap. Prepare, thus yourself to protect from the sun. I bought an inexpensive Asian conical hat in Bangkok last week – it is called in Cambodia ដួន do’un. As I came back to the hotel, the lady laughed very much as soon as she noticed my hat. She said I was resembling a Vietnamese farmer. ‘Actually I don’t mind to resemblance a Vietnamese farmer,’ I replied, ‘I find it very practical to walk under the sun and even if it is raining is like having a small umbrella attached to your head.’

Cambodian Christmas boom

One of my friends wrote to me an email from Phnom Penh:

‘This is great stuff BUT it’s strange to me why so much emphasis is placed on a Christian holiday in a supposedly Buddhist country.  When did this surge of celebrating Christmas (the birth of Christ) become popular in Sihanoukville? Was there an effort from the tourism ministry to promote the westerners holiday in Sihanoukville and Siem Reap? In the past there was no interest.’

It is true that this year the preparations for Christmas has been especially published in Siem Reap and Sihanoukville. Christmas concerts and festivals, Christmas gatherings in hotels and Christmas neon lights everywhere as it were the most Western country. The reply to this question is: all those stuff are not Christmas as the birth of Christ of course. All those stuff are far from the real Christmas Spirit. The goal is, evidently, to attract Western tourism and it means dollars and euros… It is therefore a business. By sure, most of those Cambodians preparing Christmas parties, do not have the most single idea of what they are celebrating or saying when they say ‘Merry Christmas’ or, as some students of mine write ‘Happy Merry Christmas.’

Court of Siem Reap suspended case against Ms Linde

Siem Reap (Updated 12.11.2011). The President and Creator of Together for Cambodia, Lidia Linde, announced today in her Facebook that the court of Siem Reap suspended the case against her for misappropriation that was forwarded by a group of persons who claim the defense of the previous COF Organization. The Criminal Case will not proceed, she announced, although the group can appeal the sentence. ‘For me is a breath of fresh air and peace after 14 months fighting’, said the Spaniard citizen that protects 40 minors in her center where they receive education and professional attention.

The worst flood… Who is to blame

I remember very well the 2000 flood. In that time, the country was starting its recovery after years of a stagnant economy. People suffered, but they were more near to endure it easily after years of total poverty. It cannot be compared with this present flood, the worst in 10 years. Near 170 persons have died already and more than 215 thousand families affected. It is calculated that 290 thousand hectares of land are under the water, while Mr. Phou Phuy, president of the Rice National Federation, said to Xinhua that Cambodia will fall short in rice due to the floods this year.

Dance in Cultural Village in Siem Reap

The Mother Teresa Film Festival in Cambodia

Phnom Penh. To close my Saturday evening I went to the Sorya Shopping Mall, that smart modern building just few meters at the south of the Central Market. The idea was to watch a movie. There was outside a music promotional concert and inside the mall plenty of fashion youth going up and down the escalators. I confess that there were not much attractive movies for me this time, but there was something out of common: the film of Mother Teresa.

A trip proposal plan to Cambodia

If you come from any country of Europe, I would recommend you to take a flight to Bangkok. Then do not take the flight directly to Phnom Penh, but to Siem Reap Airport. Traveling back to your country, book your flight not from Siem Reap, but from Phnom Penh Airport. In this way, after visiting Siem Reap and the Angkor Wat sites, you go to Phnom Penh and visit the south of the country.

Raining comes and tourists go

Foreign tourism got down this month in the main tourist spots of Cambodia like Siem Reap, Phnom Penh and Sihanoukville. It is already the low season, while hotels and restaurants look for local clients to continue their business.

Angkor National Museum

A quick tour through the Khmer Civilization

According to Mr.Wichai Poolprasert, Sales and Marketing Manager, you can do the tour through the Museum in minimum one hour. However, I consider that one hour will be just the appetizer.

There is a Black Cat around Cambodia

Abstract photography for an Abstract country…

He has a white Bolognese doggy living in a black studio of a central street of Siem Riep City. His presentation card – his own design with a Liam Mackenzie stylish form at the side of a colorful flower-stamp, – says that he is photographer, teacher, friendly, it consultant, graphic designer, liam@underexposed.asia, funny, polite, intelligent, dependable, determined, organized, tall, awesome, patient, logical, lethargic, rider, loyal. www.underexposed.asia, modest, determined, proud, large, stubborn, quixotic and 093 780 386.