Jul 31, 2006
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Jul 30, 2006
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Jul 29, 2006
Bookwatch: Apsara Jet
How did this one slip past my radar? Apsara Jet was published in 2001. Usually Cambodia related novels are bootlegged in photocopy version here, I'm surprised it hasn't popped up at stately Monument Books - or the Psaa Thmei.
I'll probably be able to get a copy next time I'm in Bangkok. Apparently the author garnered technical and regional details from his time flying the 1970s Phnom Penh airlift, when the capitol was increasingly cut off from the countryside.
For more on the airlift, perhaps the most detailed summary is a personal memoir by Charles Heckman, The Phnom Penh Airlift: Confessions of a Pig Pilot in the Early 1970's. It alternates from the dry and technical (logistics) to hilarious (booting livestock off overloaded planes) to tragic (the approaching fall of Phnom Penh).
Sorry to say that 'Pig Pilot' is out of print. It's a strong personal document of a very specific time. Best to check your local library or used bookstore.
More:
Apsara Jet by Nicolas Merriweather http://tinyurl.com/owgdo
The Phnom Penh Airlift: Confessions of a Pig Pilot in the Early 1970's
by Charles W. Heckman http://tinyurl.com/rj8ym
Tags: Cambodia
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Jul 28, 2006
"Masterpieces of the National Museum of Cambodia"
Book launch for the volume developed by Friends of Khmer Culture, in cooperation with, Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts, National Museum of Cambodia, Embassy of the United States of America, National Museum of Cambodia. (I should have worn a tie.)
This book apparently has been seven years in the making, and took a lot of effort to translate into four (count 'em, four) languages. (English-Khmer-French-Japanese.) Way to go!
Tags: Cambodia
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Jul 27, 2006
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Jul 26, 2006
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Jul 25, 2006
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Jul 23, 2006
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Jul 22, 2006
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Jul 21, 2006
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Jul 20, 2006
Buffalo Protecting Child
Antonio Graceffo: In Cambodia, Kickboxing is on TV every friday, saturday, and sunday. "The round house is boring. When people come to the movies, they want to see some style."
Some great stories from a martial arts-trained foreigner employed as a baddie on the local hit movie. Stunts done on the cheap with little to no protection.
http://brooklynmonk.multiply.com/journal/item/3
I missed this one in the theatres, I'll have to see if it's available on DVD.
Want more? Antonio's published a book of his travels, trying to learn the diverse martial arts of different Asian countries.
Tags: Cambodia,cinema
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Jul 19, 2006
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Jul 18, 2006
In Search of Khmer Hip Hop Part 6
A mixed bag today:
01. Nokia sponsors hip hop fun at Casa (click to enlarge)
With convenient afternoon hours, if your parents disapprove, you can just say you went to the mall. http://khmer.cc/community/t.c?b=4&t=2188
02. Khmer Esian - Lux & Naa
Who will I rely on? 1. How do you do
2. Who will I rely on?
3. I go too
4. Meet love in happy birthday
5. Dance happy
6. All rise
7. Why
8. Let me be sorry
9. Bad Love
10. Goodbye
This appears to be about a year old, and mostly in the vein of Puff Daddy 'Hip Hop Karaoke' - Khmer lyrics over existing commercial tracks. Corrections, revisions, updates welcome.
03. Here's the rough transcription (Jinja phonetics) of the Khmer titles from Kim Lekhena and Pich Sohphea that WFMU blogged up... I believe the 'Final Countdown' track actually has a different title, it's a love song.
1. Chang sdap bot pleng noe neaq - (I) want to listen to pop music
- DJ Lux + Kim Leakena 2. Chakralek DJ - Poke the DJ
- DJ Lux + Kim Leakena 3. Proh anjaret - Boy (of poor character)
- Kim Leakena 4. Chuep neak mien vibak snae - Meet person with love problem
(in context of radio call-in show)
- Kim Leakena 5. (Final Countdown Cover) Unknown
- Pich Sophea 04. Tony (formerly SEASIA) has hit the studio for recording in Phnom Penh! Stay tuned.
(previously: http://del.icio.us/slugdog/HipHop)
Tags: Cambodia, hip hop
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Jul 17, 2006
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Jul 16, 2006
Good Clean Fun
Our friends from Reyum Art school and some visiting guests brushed their teeth on Sisowath Quay Friday at 6:00 PM.
I'd been alerted that there were some foreign guests in town via text message a day before so I had a little advance warning, so I came by to take a few pictures.
I soon was handed a toothbrush and paste and joined in. Nearly every foreigner brought a camera, so there were almost as many photographers as there were people brushing teeth, it seemed!
I was a little self conscious at first, but then, if you're a Barang, you always stand out in a crowd.
And I knew many of the people there, which made it more fun.
As ' performance art' goes it beats lots of other events I've seen. We were joined by motos, young people having an evening walk, and plenty of enthusiastic street kids.
Full story should be in newspaper Cambodge Soir, I'll update this post once I've hit the newsstand.
Tags: Cambodia
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Jul 15, 2006
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Jul 14, 2006
"New Life in Kompong Preah"
One of my most memorable summers was spent in Madison, Wisconsin. It's a comfortable college town bordering some beautiful lakes. They had great fermented cider (called a 'woodchuck') some cool local bands, and there was a great local paper called The Onion, that's since gone global.
Over the next few weeks, classes are studying Khmer in Madison at the Southeast Asian Summer Studies Institute (SEASSI). Generally 4 hours of class study and 4 hours of homework. On the weekends? You catch up.
It's kinda like language boot camp. And if you're in the 'Heritage Khmer' class, you get to learn using cultural tidbits like this 80's era government - published comic book about life during the People's Republic of Kampuchea era. (Title above.)
At the beginning of my stint, I went to an army surplus store and bought an armload of t-shirts. With a black marker scribbled a khmer consonant or vowel on the front. I wore one a day, and by the time the course was over, I had my alphabet down cold.
I'm still in touch with most of my SEASSI pals, once you've been through something like that it's hard to forget.
[Many thanks to Tomoko Okada for sharing a copy of this comic!]
Tags: Cambodia,comics
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Jul 13, 2006
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