Would you like some more Christmas pudding?
Yes please, with a HUGE SLICE OF GLOBAL DISASTER.
I ran across this doozy shopping for Christmas presents in Phnom Penh’s Soryia Centre. Now I can’t get the title out of my head.
These DVD bootleg multiple-movie collections are coming out of mainland China with no end in sight, usually with highly arbitrary themes. For a collection of disaster movies, it looks as if it’s primarily about eco-disasters. It isn’t, though The Day After Tomorrow makes an appearance. (They even left out films that have a weather component, such as Titanic and The Perfect Storm! Al Gore was nowhere to be seen.)
The idea that disaster can be a gigantic wave probably harks back to the Asian Tsunami of 2004. And possibly also a sign that ecological issues are now a staple and standard in our culture, as Pope-Emperor Bruce Sterling has triumphantly noted. Hmm, I’m wondering where the original cover picture came from.
Meanwhile, back in Realityland, upstream dams planned on the Mekong could also have a dramatic effect on the ebb and flow of the Tonle Sap, the ‘liver of Asia‘ – handing Cambodia a whoppingly HUGE SLICE OF GLOBAL DISASTER.
Another challenge on the horizon here is upcoming oil exploration: is it a blessing, a curse, or a HUGE SLICE OF GLOBAL DISASTER?
Me? I’ll wait it out and see what happens. For now, please don’t disturb my post-Christmas movie marathon or I’m thumping your plate with a
HUGE SLICE OF GLOBAL DISASTER.
[Front Cover] [Back Cover]
Tags: cambodia,cinema,environment,film,intellectualproperty
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spectacle (below) at Pyongyang Cold Noodle Restaurant, Phnom Penh.
Many expatriates bail out of Phnom Penh for the holidays, but I had some publishing essentials to keep tabs on which kept me local.
Wasn’t in the mood for a proposed ‘booze cruise’, especially after recovering from the mysterious ‘blogger bug’ which hit me, Andy and Anne all in roughly the same week. I’m wondering if there’s more than synchronicity involved.
So Anne and I ended up taking in food and the floor show at Pyonyang: a surreal kitsch synchronized dance revue with Christmas theme to boot. The majority of guests were Korean tourists who seemed just as bemused as us.
Great to chew over dumplings and media musings with Anne, who is having a blast with her change of scene and role. A lot of what she’s written about in her latest book sounds quite relevant with my long term interests in cultivating Southeast Asian comics culture, so I think I’m going to have to find a way to get my mitts on ‘Unmarketable‘. Alas, I don’t think it’ll be stocked at Monument Books anytime soon. (Hint hint.)
With luck I may be able to web up a little video of the show, but no promises until I can muck around with the format. Happy holidays to everyone – and I do mean everyone, inclusive of atheists and capitalist running dogs.
http://delicious.com/slugdog/pyongyang
Tags: Cambodia,northkorea,cuisine,korea,christmas
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wishes you Happy Holidays.
Idea/rough sketch yrs truly, pencil & inks Moeu Diyadaravuth, color Sao Channa.
(Rudolph backgrounder: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rudolph_the_Red-Nosed_Reindeer . Folklore or fakelore?)
Tags: Cambodia,khmer,folklore,fakelore,christmas
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What’s that going on in the park opposite Wat Botum?
Hey, it’s a guy making funny noises – with his mouth! It’s a hip hop band, sponsored by your pals at the USA State Department! http://www.alternet.org/story/71401/
Live instruments? Check.
Beatboxing? Check.
Breakdancing? Check.
The Dana Leong Band had previously played to an audience of 3000 in Battambang as a part of their ‘Rhythm Road’ tour. The Phnom Penh show attracted no more than 200 or 300 at most.
Wonder why the Embassy went for the low key approach in PP? Publicity was minimal. I couldn’t spot any local hip hop musicians coming by to check them out – though it was cool to see Tiny Toones were a key part of the show. As a part of the “American Music Abroad” program they’ve made an effort to check in with local artists while touring Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia.
I’ve gotten used to seeing the French Embassy take the lead in doing cultural outreach projects – like Lire en Fete and their yearly Fete de la Musique.
It’s good to see the States give it a go; money spent on beatboxing is a far better investment than armaments any day of the week. There were no complaints from the audience, many of whom I’ll bet were seeing a new variety of hip hop for the first time.
Viva cultural exchange; next stop Iraq? Let’s not forget, all it took was a ping-pong tournament to thaw China’s icy exterior. More music and acrobatics [here], [here], and [here].
Tags: cambodia,HipHop,beatboxing,
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Sorting some publishing plans, I was at the office of a local print shop waiting for a friend.
After looking around I found he’d stepped outside for a quick deep fried frog. (With hot sauce.)
Can’t say I’ve seen this too frequently, but then there is always some new munchable to be discovered.
Tags: cambodia,khmer,food
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