(@Psar Kandal)

The times, they are a -changin’. And I’m not complaining.
[If you are confused by this post's title, kindly seek out an Australian. ]

When TEDxPhnom Penh initially launched in Cambodia, I assisted with the organizing committee, and encouraged friends with prior TED experience to participate.

Over a period of several months I came to realize that TED is quite a popular name and event.
TED talks are volunteer-run events, and as such can take considerable time and effort.
My hat’s off to any team that can pull it off smoothly.

For the first talk (2010) I dropped out after several months of meetings. I simply couldn’t commit enough time. I also had some reservations about speakers being selected from members of the organizing committee, as well as internal transparency in the decision-making process. I figured those items would be fixed as the talks became a yearly event.

In 2011, an anonymous email invited me to participate in TedXPhnomPenh by evaulating potential speakers. I replied with two questions:
- Who was involved this time?
- How much time would this require?

I never received an answer.

In March 2012, another anonymous email invited me to be a judge for ‘TedXPP’.
This time my query was simple: Who are you?

This time I got a response. The TEDxPP team would web up a list of their members on their web site. (Hasn’t happened yet.)

Nearly a month later, I find out (via Facebook) that I’m being listed as an attendee at a ‘Tweetup’ for TEDxPP with the US Embassy. I did not solicit nor approve this announcement. And I still don’t know who’s doing what for TEDx.

I think TedXPP is an interesting idea, and am pleased they have invited friends of mine like Kounila Keo and Preetam Rai. I’m also pleased that the US Embassy is reaching out via social media.

I would like to clarify that I will NOT be attending this meeting. I will also be withholding my endorsement of TEDxPP until they publicly list their staff. It’s a great concept, but the team needs to get their act in gear.

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Postscript: The TEDxPP site has just added their volunteer list, sans roles.

A brief response to the frequent assertion that there isn’t much choice in places to go, things to do or people to meet in Phnom Penh.

I began blogging about things Cambodian in 2002, initially from Siem Reap.

I wrote about nearly everything that took my interest because if I didn’t get it on the web, few else would at the time.* I noticed something after a while: my blog was getting clogged with art and event announcements.

In 2005 I started a simple ‘What’s On’ blog* where I could zap the info directly from email-to-blog. I add tidbits to it as I see fit to this day. As of 2012 there are heaps of gig guides competing for your eyeballs and advertising dollars.

So off the top of my head, here is a list of things you can do besides hanging out in dive bars with ‘crispy’ expats.

Arty Things:

Java Gallery
http://javaarts.org/

SaSaBassac Exhibitions
http://sasabassac.com/

Cambodian Living Arts (check out their ‘Children of the Bassac’ performances)
http://www.facebook.com/Cambodianlivingarts

Sovanna Phum
http://shadow-puppets.org/

Romeet Gallery
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Romeet-Gallery/234387659945905

Tiny Toones
http://www.tinytoones.org/

Bophana Center
http://bophana.org

Meta-House
http://www.meta-house.com/

French Cultural Centre
http://www.meta-house.com/

Smarty Things:

Human Sciences Happy Hours in Phnom Penh
http://hshhpp.pbworks.com/w/page/19665521/Home

TedxPhnomPenh
http://tedxphnompenh.com

BarCamp Phnom Penh
http://2011.barcampphnompenh.org

Nerd Night Phnom Penh
http://www.facebook.com/nerdnightphnompenh

Meetups:

Digital Drinks
http://www.facebook.com/DigitalDrinksPP

Drinks by Design
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Drinks-By-Design/256108197769622

Green Drinks
http://www.greendrinks.org/–/Phnom%20Penh

Phnom Penh Swings (Dance, not partner swapping.)
http://www.pppswings.com

Hash House Harriers
http://www.p2h3.com

Gig Guides

AsiaLife
http://www.asialifeguide.com/

Pocket Guide
http://www.cambodiapocketguide.com/

Expat-Advisory
http://Expat-Advisory.com

Lady Penh
http://ladypenh.com

Leng Pleng
http://www.lengpleng.com

What’s On
http://www.sangsalapak.org.kh/whatson

A very old list of Cambodia-centric sites
http://www.delicious.com/slugdog/forum

As said before, this is a very rough list, there’s a gajillion more. Please to explore and enjoy.

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*This ‘web up everything’ role has been largely taken by friend Andy Brouwer. http://blog.andybrouwer.co.uk/ It’s made me feel more free to be less of a generalist. (For example, last year made a commitment to draw one comic a day at QuickDraw.Me. I highly recommend checking out his blog for a much more accurate view of the cultural landscape.

*Quite possibly the first in-Cambodia ‘What’s On’ blog. Glad to see other folks taking on the challenge.

(Num Pow is a cooked bun with meat inside, also seeming to be the name of the monster.)
Very rough translation:
—————————————————
Sentiment, Love, Funny – Fright, Horrific, Gooseflesh
Devil worm is killed by bad smell in NUM POW

Devil worm scares everyone all time!!!
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(Higher resolution picture here.)
Right, anyone up for Saturday Matinee?

Just like there is a ‘War Against Christmas‘, Cambodia has geared up to win the battle for your heart – on Valentine’s Day.

Every year the streets are filled with amateur and pro efforts to cash in on this growing event. It’s an interesting concept for a largely traditional culture, where arranged marriages are still common, but romance is one of the top selling genres for film, literature, and music. In the capitol city Phnom Penh? I’d estimate holiday efforts exceed that of most developed countries, including the USA. How can you not love a country that loves… love?

Meanwhile, the authorities have requested that flower sellers distance themselves from high schools. The Ministry of Women’s Affairs has put together a 30 minute video warning young women about pressure to have premarital sex.

Are counter-measures warranted? Certainly the attitude to the holiday feels a bit more like ‘Prom Night‘ than a simple day of affection. Young Cambodians face peer pressure to have a sweetheart, while parents fear that their family’s morality may be sullied. This year in particular the authorities have pledged to keep a close eye on guest houses.