Penhville Rock Update - Decisions, Decisions This New Year we've got not just one but TWO bands rocking The Big Sawmaw. Click for unofficial unauthorized Betty Ford/GT Falcons Web Page. Meanwhile, over at Zeppelin Rock bar:

ONLY band in town playing Original Khmer Rock Material

Live at the Zeppelin Café [Nº49 street 86] For a special New Year's Eve Concert

Sunday, December 31st 2006, 9:00 p.m.

FREE ADMISSION

Also, sometime during the evening the Cambodiana will be detonating a massive heap of fireworks, which may impinge on musical quality. More on Cambodian Rock in general at http://www.khmerang.com/cambodiarocks.php [Cheers to Chlim for tipoff on latter.] Music info from What's On. Tags: Cambodia,rock+and+roll

A ‘Comic Surprise’ greeted us today in the Cambodia Daily. Each issue came with a full color brochure* on copyright from the World Intellectual Property organization. Also in the issue was a full page editorial by the Publisher: ‘Thou Shalt Not Steal’, criticizing the widespread reprinting of Cambodia Daily articles. (Page 10) Among the offenders cited were ‘Khmer Intelligence’ (most prominently), as well as Google, Yahoo, Radio Free Asia, Xinhua, Nexis, and may other organizations. The Cambodia Daily, Cambodge Soir, and the Phnom Penh Post all are routinely cited and quoted (in part, often in full) on the web. There is great demand for Cambodia news, and none of the above foreign language papers have a web site that includes the full text of all their articles. Is The Cambodia Daily the pinnacle of modern English-language Cambodian journalism? A lively debate could take place on its relative merits. But no one can dispute that our local newspapers are often the first on the scene, and often provide essential, exclusive coverage of issues the rest of the world isn’t aware of. I’ve had my own work plagiarized in the past, and seen the same happen to many others, so I can understand the Daily’s frustration. In future, I’ll stop linking to Khmer Intelligence’s news stories (replete with bold red highlights). But others won’t, until the Cambodia Daily sorts a way to satisfy what is a clear commercial demand and sell its stories efficiently online. (The Phnom Penh Post has made a start with a site of their own but I’d prefer they get rid of their ‘subscriber’ section.) I’d recommend the Daily develop its existing site to become an ad-based site like Koh Santepheap has. The more that Cambodia Daily stories are circulated with full credits and a link back to their online source, the more money the paper would make. Here’s a cheeky thought: if the pseudonymous individuals working at Khmer Intelligence are doing such an efficient job of getting the Cambodia Daily online, why not hire them to sort articles for The Daily’s web site? *Looks like the brochure was made in Peru! The first panel is clearly a Robert Crumb riff. (Homage or hack job?) Done in collaboration with the National Institute for the Defense of Competition and the Protection of Intellectual Property (Indecopi) and the World Intellectual Property Organization. Tags: Cambodia

'Ot Pleung' A power outage in central Phnom Penh brought work and traffic to a standstill just before noontime yesterday. As the sign above attests, sometimes our aging infrastructure needs a tweak. But we muddle on. Tags: Cambodia

"Riek Rieyay Tgnai Bon Noel" Design by yours truly, final pencils and inks by Srey Ratanak, computer colors by Sao Channa. Click here for larger version. For the next few days I'll be taking some time out; for holiday fun try the Khmer Christmas album (more below) and the Santanic Mix. (Tired of Christmas? Try www.xmasresistance.org) Tags: Cambodia

If it Was a Horse, I'd Shoot It Six years old and counting... While I fix my motorcycle, go read other blogs: Tharum's writing takes him to India for the Global Voices meetup. Way to go! http://www.tharum.info/2006/12/20/from-india-to-indonesia The Fastest Typing in Khmer Unicode Contest was written up in Cambodge Soir yesterday, but they called the participants 'nerds'. http://www.vuthasurf.com/2006/12/21/prize-for-fastest-typing-contest-in-khmer-unicode/ Phnomenon claims to be a skeptic but is really a softie - check out and contribute to Menu for Peace. He's ponying up some Kampot pepper. http://www.phnomenon.com/index.php/cambodian-food/uncategorized/menu-for-hope-iii/ Cambodian kids who don't believe stories about the Khmer Rouge time see details up close and personal in "Wanting To See The Truth" http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/6186991.stm More at Andy Brouwer's Blog http://andybrouwer.blogspot.com/2006/12/heritage-watch-calendars-more.html and KI-Media. http://ki-media.blogspot.com/2006/12/text-aims-to-raise-young-peoples.html (Tara, trust me, screen the English version as much as you can - you'll get even more money to screen the Khmer version!) Back in the States, the 'Cambodia Town' concept is getting another hearing. http://www.presstelegram.com/search/ci_4864952 As a recent LA Times article pointed out, there are heaps of other ethnic centers that could do with a little marketing. Why stop with Olvera Street? The greater LA area already has Koreatown, Thai Town, Chinatown, Little Tokyo, Little Taipei (San Gabriel Valley), Little India (Artesia), and Little Saigon (Garden Grove). Finally, 'Landmine Cambodian Barbie'. I just don't see a market for this. http://detailsaresketchy.wordpress.com/2006/12/19/landmine-victim-barbie/ Tags: cambodia,weblog

Khmer Christmas Karaoke Let it not be said that the folks at Raksmey Hang Meas are lacking in Christmas cheer. They recorded a Christmas album, and Preap Sovath is now touring the States. In addition to visiting his cover of Wham's "Careless Whisper" on the world, he's now added "Last Christmas" to his repertoire. (Click for download.) My Khmer friends: enthused. Foreign friends: bemused / horrified. As always, it really depends on your kitsch tolerance level. (Test yours at www.lastchristmas.com). Tags: cambodia,music,karaoke

Bophana Center Open to Public Some scenes from the opening of Bophana Center, December 4, 2006. Many guests and some speechifying in French, Khmer and English. Now open to the public every day from 2:00 to 5:00 pm. It looks to be a good resource for film, photos and more in Cambodia, maintained by a local nonprofit linked with many international supporters. (For more details, check out the articles in the current Phnom Penh Post (December 15-28) or Cambodge Soir's extensive writeup (printed just prior to the opening). Online more can be found at www.bophana.org) Opening crowd Dedications. Tags: Cambodia,film,cinema

Rockin' in PenhVille Long overdue to web up this photo from the Zeppelin gig, crammed full of players and punters, including rawk aficionado Mr. Khmerang. Congrats to Matt (far left), back in action after a bout of Dengue. Coming soon: the Unofficial Unauthorized Betty Ford and GT Falcons Web Page. Tags: Cambodia,rock+and+roll

In Search of Khmer Hip Hop Part 8: Tiny Toonz We're climbing up the stairs in a house in Central Phnom Penh when I hear the unmistakable beats of 'Planet Rock'. Right away I'm feeling at home. Young people ranging from about five to twenty-five are giving it their all. 'KK' oversees Cambodia's only established hip-hop dance group. Deported to Phnom Penh, he had little to fall back on, but breakdancing was a unique job skill that put him on the map. Now, nightly, up to 20 kids, male and female, come to practice their routines and get schooled in hip hop culture. I'm visiting with Claire, who's checking out 'social enterprise' organizations, and some filmmakers. But for the first half hour we're just slackjawed at all the moves. KK and some of the others wear protective gear. Just like any variety of sports, there are hip hop related injuries to watch out for - mainly for the back, wrists and head. While the group has performed at a number of prestigious events, they are still running on a shoestring. There isn't a huge demand for breakdancing here, and the kids are a little cocky sometimes because they are the *only* game in town. The majority of the regulars are from lower-income families. KK has a story about each kid and lots of tales of the daily struggle to keep the troupe on track. He works by day for KHANA, an NGO involved in HIV awareness/prevention. Some days he arrives home and there's no time to eat, just dance. They've got a pretty spiffy website that was done for them, but don't let it fool you, it's pretty much run on goodwill and optimism. Bridges Across Borders has pitched in for some help on the admin side, when people want to donate money. The few older people involved in Tiny Toonz seem to be part of the KHANA network. 'People at risk helping people at risk' is how I would sum it up. And there may be changes ahead - with all the evictions underway in Phnom Penh, the troupe is unavoidably being split up. Their biggest need right now? A van to get the kids to and from practice and gigs. Above: KK goes all perpendicular: "If I don't dance, they don't dance." More pix and news in the near future. For now: http://www.tinytoonescambodia.com http://cambodiamorning.blogspot.com/2005/12/break-dancers-of-bassac.html http://exceptional-lives.blogspot.com/2006/12/hip-hop-revisited.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cambodian_American_Repatriation http://del.icio.us/slugdog/HipHop Tags: cambodia,HipHop

Cafe Dantrey Interview 1. How did the idea for the radio show come about? The idea came from Nicolas Lim, the cultural attaché of the French Embassy. 2. What is the main purpose of the show? What is its format? The purpose of Cafe Dantrey is to share French culture by way of music, and we talk about it in Khmer language. First, we discuss about a French group or artist (by Lida and Sarah), then we also introduce a Francophone singer - an artist from any country who sings in French. (With Ta Rethro, from Quebec). We also talk about what's going on at the French Cultural center (exhibitions, cinema, etc.) with Sopoi our technician. It is important for us (the show staff) and for the audience, to have fun, because it is only when we feel good that we can really communicate. 3. Who participates in and produces the show? The participants are cited above, it's produced by the French Embassy. 4. What stations broadcast it? FM 103 in Phnom Penh, 12:10 to 1pm. Also FM 100.5 in Siem Reap and Sihanoukville. 5. What has audience reaction been so far? Rethro: A motodop in front of the CCF told me he really liked it, and that he listened to it on purpose because it was French music, he said he could now understand why some people liked French music. Lida: a Cambodian friend of mine who lived in France told me she likes it because she can listen to the music she used to listen to in France and then she also discovers other artists in the francophone music part. Sarah: A Cambodian friend of mine told me his father who speaks French liked it, he was stunned that his father knew some of the singers we had talked about! Tags: Cambodia,radio

Announcement: Lectures / Talks / Discussion Series Pchum Ben The Fortnight of the Dead in Cambodia by Siyonn Sophearith (in Khmer) Friday, December 15, 2006 5:30 to 6:30 pm followed by Q&A This event is part of a series of Reyum's public education program supported by The Albert Kunstadter Family Foundation and the Rockefeller Foundation. Reyum : #47, st. 178, Phnom Penh, Cambodia (near the National Museum). Tags: Cambodia

Laziness: Vice or Virtue? Walloped by Dengue Fever late Monday December 4th. At first I thought I'd eaten some bad food. Then the headaches and joint pains started. Since then I've been slurping down coconuts and sleeping a lot. Can't say I have a lot of affection for this illness but I'm amused that 'couch potato therapy' is the best answer modern medical science can come up with. Seems to be getting that immune system back on track. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dengue_Fever Shout out to Fatt Mox who is undergoing the same regimen. Persevere. Tags: Cambodia,dengue+fever

Kru Taey Seekers, sayers and skeptics meet at Wat Phnom, where the fortunetellers are. Tags: Cambodia

Google in Khmer is up and running at www.google.com.kh. (The translation of 'I'm Feeling Lucky' is funny but I wonder if people will click on it. ) It's been in development for some time, but a link on the main page to Google Khmer went live about a day ago, if you're checking from Cambodia. I haven't spotted a press release so I think it's in beta. Even several months ago Khmer queries were working, but there wasn't much indexing. A number of internet cafes are defaulting to this when people hit Google search. But for some it just appears as a string of question marks and gobbledygook. Virak and I were checking it out last night; it's in Khmer Unicode! Between this and the Cambodia Yellow Pages using the same standards, it's a strong incentive to install unicode and get up to speed. Postscript: Wanna has been keeping a close eye on this development, check out his blog for the very latest. http://blog.icambo.com/2006/12/khmerized-google-released.html And KI-Media cites an article from the Cambodia Daily. http://ki-media.blogspot.com/2006/12/google-launches-khmer-language-version.html Tags: Cambodia,internet

Wedding Season Last weekend was a busy one; wishing a happy future to Sarin and Ratanak Jed and Theary (And Seng, congratulations as well!) Tags: Cambodia

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