Let’s face it in many ways Cambodia seems disconnected from other parts of South East Asia. While the world marvels at the economic powerhouses of Singapore and Hong Kong and lauds the development leaps of Thailand and Malaysia, it often seems that Cambodia is being left behind.
So most of you have already read 15 Facts About Vietnam and I am sure you still want to know more about this country. Some of the things here have become normal to me. I have already inhaled and exhaled Saigon so much that I have become immune to it. And to be honest with you, it’s not that very different from my country. In fact, I only notice these things when a visitor points things out or when these issues come out during a conversation with other expats.
It is not that we don't have wine in Laos. Compared to Thailand wine is actually cheap here and we have quite a good selection so far. Thanks to the french community, wine is accepted here, thanks to winemakers around the world good wine is available here as well.
Re-entry shock is simply the shock of being home. It's the reverse culture shock you experience in your own country when you visit places that should be familiar to you, but aren't; try to interact with people you should feel comfortable with, but don't; or face situations you should be able to handle, but can't. There can be no simpler way to explain it. Re-entry shock is when you feel like you are wearing contact lenses in the wrong eyes. Everything looks almost right.
Technology, so the truism goes, is always ahead of the law; similarly, it has a way of advancing ahead of language. Consequently, the technologists and marketers have the first go at naming things, and generally make a complete hash of it.
Similarly, there is a long time lag between the arrival of a new technology and words to describe the new experiences that the consumer population encounters.
PHUKET: Friends of Michael Sand Andersen, a long-term Phuket expat who died in a motorcycle accident on August 26, will hold a remembrance gathering for him on Saturday, September 10.
Mr Andersen, 39, died from injuries sustained when he fell off his motorbike on Soi Yodsane while trying to drive down Big Buddha Hill in Chalong during heavy rain.
Two Bali Expatriates Vow to Walk the Archipelago Bare-Foote Until They Raise US$1 million for Homeless Street Children of indonesia.
Robert Epstone and Beat Schmid de Guneck will be joined on the entire Bali walk by another long-term Bali resident,Frenchman Daniel Chieppa his family. Two Bali-based expatriates have resolved to walk bare-footed and keep walking until they managed to raise one million dollars to assist homeless children in indonesia.
Ironically enough, I had avoided coming to Bali for the thirty-three years that I lived in Perth, Western Australia, because all I had heard about was the partying crowd in Kuta.
I preferred to venture off the beaten track to Burma, Cambodia, North Vietnam and other remote locations in South East Asia, so joining a bunch of beer-swilling Aussies (and yes, I was one), didn't really appeal to me as an adventure.
Most readers will be familiar with the overland adventures of Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman (Nat Geo Adventure TV seems to have Long Way Down on a permanent tape loop). They’re epic ‘Boy’s Own’ journeys – achieved with the full weight of a support and production team. Phnom Penh resident Nick Simpson is also preparing to go a long way, travelling from the capital to Siem Reap. A distance of 464 km. Riding a cyclo. In five days. With no support. Is it possible? You decide…
Do you know the joke about the alcoholic who drinks only one bottle of booze a day? Well, I’ve just worked out which bottle he or she is soaking up, and it’s available here in Phnom Penh at The Warehouse, the popular wine and beer merchant on Street 240.
You’ll need to bring a friend or two to help you take it home, as the bottle in question weighs 38 kilos. Better go the ATM first as well – a few times – because it will set you back a cool $1,600. We’re talking about a Nebuchadnezzar of Nicolas Feuillatte NV Champagne.