Aside from the Royal Palace and Independence Monument, it looks like everywhere else in Phnom Penh may become… residential! Click for the large version of this widely-published advertisement:
Note the depiction of the intersection of Monivong and Sihanouk boulevards, compared to the present day. Wow. 
(The fine print dutifully notes this is just a promotional mockup, but it just shows how entertaining the property speculation bubble is getting here.)
I can’t fault people for wanting a building that is modern and comfortable. This demand will fuel more entertaining advertisements, PP is awash in them.
Postscript March 03: Virak855 webs up the Gold Tower TV commercials.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tV-dYzbYoEA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p4h7xSOECeo
Tags: cambodia,property,gentrification,urbanisation,architecture
Posted in architecture, urbanization | No Comments »
StickyGum has been traveling through Cambodia and has webbed up some slice-of-life cartoons with the aid of a digital camera.
(cheers Damien!) More at http://www.stickygum.com/slownotes/slow-notes
Tags: cambodia,comics,tourism,sihanoukville
Posted in comics, environment, Other Goodies, tourism, visual art, weblogs, Yet More Blogs | 3 Comments »
Happy (Shade of) Valentine’s Day everyone!
Photoshopped street signs are supplanting traditional painted ones in Cambodia. But they are no less surreal. (A boutique in central Phnom Penh.)
Tags: cambodia,sign
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For everyone who needs a little sliming. With special slend herb!
Spotted at a Phnom Penh supermarket. (Past its sell-by date too!)
Tags: cambodia,product,tea
Posted in food, more stuff, Other Goodies | 1 Comment »
Let’s see, is this the place?
Yep. Doughnut shops are a niche market that Cambodians quickly took to upon arrival in the States. And one Khmer-American entrepeneur has brought it full circle, by establishing USA Donuts in Phnom Penh.
Is this where you sign up? Can I get a ballot and a burrito?
Today USA Donuts was also the polling station for the USA Democratic Primary. With passport in hand, the process was made as simple as possible for anyone who showed up.
Ballots were sorted by volunteers inside the shop, which is stacked to the rafters with all kinds of stateside food items. Mmm.
Complete with ‘get out the vote’ hip hop (culled from ITunes) it was a surreal experience. There seemed to be as many reporters as voters in the first half hour. I just had to take a peek.
While cameras are usually kept away from voting and polling areas, this isn’t the States. Nearly everyone wanted their photo taken, many with the Obama Tuk-Tuk. More of a party than partisan sensibility prevailed though, most looked to be having fun.
I’m not completely clear about the arcana of candidate selection, but apparently Republicans Overseas are doing their primary voting a bit differently. After this little exposition of Americana, might they do the same in the next Presidential election?
More information about voting abroad: www.votefromabroad.org , or hit up your local embassy.
Tags: cambodia,vote,khmer,vote abroad,democrats abroad,presidential primary
Posted in food, music, news, signs, stuff | No Comments »
