Accessorizing, Crocodile Style

Nov 13th, 2012 by

Because nothing says ‘I Love You’ like a dead reptile handbag.

051 Nov 04 2012 Khmer_Crocodile

 
More to follow from BlogFest Asia in Siem Reap shortly!

Posted in cambodge, cambodia, Other Goodies, signs | No Comments »

The Book of Faces

Oct 28th, 2012 by

Apologies to Borges. It's his world, we just live in it.

Though it’s banned in neighboring Vietnam, Facebook is ingrained in Cambodian youth culture.

(Especially now that it supports Khmer text.)
For many young Cambodians, the internet IS Facebook.
If it’s not on Facebook, did it really happen?

Sign of the times: two years ago when I was helping high school students create a collaborative comic, they couldn’t wait for us to return the next day with PDF and print versions. They already had smartphones and started posting their contributions on ‘the book of faces’.

It’s a world where everyone is connected in the most intricate, intimate yet banal fashion. Worthy of Borges.

(Thx Khmerbird, Global Voices! Cross-posted from QuickDraw.me)

Posted in cambodge, cambodia, comics | No Comments »

‘Mosquito Dreaming’ – Cambodian Animation from Battambang

Oct 27th, 2012 by

One of the best deals in town is the ‘Cinema Saturday’ regularly held at Bophana Center.

Today’s session also coincided with UNESCO’s  ‘World Day for Audiovisual Heritage’.  Despite some speechifying, a full house enjoyed a diverse session of short films.

The animation (by Panith Norm) itself is six minutes long! That’s pretty amazing given the amount of effort it can take. And it looks like it’s been around for at least two years.

The story itself is reminiscent of video games, a little boy fights his way up a chain of mosquito mooks to grapple with the final boss. Here, see for yourself.

Award – winning animator Puy Chhunly lends his voice to some of the characters. Wonder what else is cooking with animation up north?

(Thanks to Cambopedia for spreading the word!)

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Kingdom of “I Wonder”

Oct 26th, 2012 by

Found in the supermarket – even daily shopping can be surreal in Camboland.
“You shall drink one bag once daily. You shall NOT drink more of it.”

boob_enhancing_coffee_01

(I should note that it’s imported from Thailand.)
In the States, the Food and Drug Administration would jump on a product like this in a heartbeat.

Posted in cambodia, stuff | No Comments »

Open Data: the hip new thing in Cambodia

Oct 12th, 2012 by

ODC Mapping

Open Development Cambodia
Fire up Google Translator!

Today, Le Monde, tomorrow The World.
Open Development Cambodia gets a mention in a French newspaper, http://data.blog.lemonde.fr/2012/09/20/un-hackathon-pour-le-developpement-et-la-cooperation/
and now, in Swedish Development agency SIDA’s web site. http://www.sida.se/Svenska/Lander–regioner/Asien/Kambodja/Program-och-projekt/Open-Data-Cambodia/

It’s been challenging work this last year, and it’s gratifying to see the enthusiastic reaction to what is (so far as I know) Southeast Asia’s only Open Data site. And we’re just getting started. :D

‘Neutrality’ is a challenging concept to explain, and maintain. It’s been interesting to see  how ‘Open Dev Cam’ has had its data used in varied discussions about just exactly how land is being used.
http://blog.mangomap.com/post/18940853275/the-great-land-debate
http://landportal.info/resource/cambodia/cambodia-more-intensive-co-development
What has been particularly interesting of late: VOA has published an Economic Land Concessions map sourced from local advocates.
http://www.voacambodia.com/content/interactive-map-shows-rapid-pace-of-land-concession-grants/1519796.html
Something that hasn’t been seen so often in prior maps: downloadable technical data.

Could it be that Cambodia is not only a notable spot in Southeast Asia for blogging, and Open Source, but also for #OpenData?  

We’ll have to step carefully; transparency is a frequent bone of contention between advocacy groups and the government.

 

More: www.OpenDevCam.net

Posted in cambodge, cambodia, cambodia blog, current events, mapping, maps, news | No Comments »

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