The desperate and dateless situation for the females in Phnom Penh really hit hard on Valentine's day this year. This single gal assessed her options... I could have gone speed dating at the FCC but the idea of giving a kiss, hug or cross to a man I already know, work with, is married, or will invariably run into at 'The Shop' on Saturday morning didn't really appeal.
I could have put in a bid at the Bachelor Auction but decided that things really were getting desperate if I had to pay for a date...
The smiles on the young Khmer faces were as wide and arching as Phnom Penh's Japanese Bridge. Although initially surprised by the arrival of a busload of Americans, the Cambodian students were now well and truly in their element. They graciously accepted gifts, posed for photographs and played games with their newfound friends.
Know your capabilities. Know your limits. Know the market.
What do you want it for?
If it's around town - swallow your pride and get a small scooter. If it's off roading in the provinces - it's a dirt bike.
If you are going for a popular item like an AX-1 or a small scooter- expect that it will be stolen. Reason is these are closer to the ground than the slightly larger other off road motorbikes.
Okay, with your guide to stupidity ruling the roost, what does the family ride?
Well, like most of Phnom Penh, the Child-bride's first bike was a Daelim Citi 100. But not just any Citi, this was a Chosen Ilbo. Any Korean speakers out there want to tell me what that means? It was bought off a mate so he'd have some cash to return to the UK with and was sold when we needed some cash for the baby's clinic bills (Luckily all of yours truly's bikes were already in varying states of disassembly and therefore unsaleable!) It was a semi-auto 4-speed with a front drum brake and a motodop's oblong seat, like every other Daelim.
EAS talks to Lydia Tan, Australian-based founder of the project.
In a nutshell, what is the Art2Healing Project?
Art2Healing was established in 2005 to assist in empowering and providing individuals at risk, with psychological and emotional support through the healing arts. The project employs tools and resources of the creative process to facilitate transformation, self-awareness, empowerment and healing.
Apologies to all of you who locked onto this piece under false pretences, but this is not a groovy article about ingesting love inducing illicit substances. Rather it is the story of how one man suddenly finds himself to be a walking cornucopia of pharmaceuticals.
Prior to visiting Cambodia for the first time, I was a healthy specimen of a human being -never went to the Doctor, never took pills of any sort and rarely got sick. I ate well, exercised and generally enjoyed a high degree of well being.
The facts of Duch's capture are well documented. He was "discovered" living in north-western Cambodia by photographer Nic Dunlop, he was interviewed by Dunlop and Nate Thayer and shortly after their story was published, he was arrested by the Cambodian military.
While the ECCC examines the legal ramifications of the detention that followed that arrest, Nic Dunlop, who started the whole process, looks at the philosophical questions the trial gives rise to.
After many return visits this year, I have decided this is one of my favourite bars in Phnom Penh. When I started reading website postings about what makes a good bar in Phnom Penh, many people said it was the man behind the bar ( does anyone know a female bar owner in Phnom Penh ? ) and in the Green Vespa's case, this is particularly true. Alan is a consummate professional and I reckon he probably knew he wanted to be a barman at the age of four.
Cambodia hosted two sporting greats for a few days this week. One, Sir Bobby Charlton, captured most of the attention, but skateboard legend Tony Hawk was not just along for the ride.
At 70, Sir Bobby belied his age and taught kids for Phnom Penh to Battambang the finer points of football during his three-day visit. Not only that, but both men risked life and limb (and what brave insurer would put a collective value on that calibre of limb?) touring mined countryside to promote land mine awareness and the scale of Cambodia's problem with the deadly tools of war to the rest of the world.
Crime is on the increase. Whether it's due to the magical disappearance of the amusement park on Sisowath Quay (a former favorite teenage hangout), or the new appearance of a growing middle class, some Khmer teenagers have begun to take to the streets with guns.
This last Saturday two Australian Ex-pats were walking home after dinner in the BKK neighbourhood and were stopped by a young man on an expensive bike with a very large handgun. He spoke one word of English to them "Money", took their cash, wallets, sense of safety and sped off.