Earlier this year, the Phnom Penh government, much to the dismay of many, chopped down a large percentage of the city?s trees. Why? Because the leaves clogged the sewers and besides, they told us, the trees were the ?wrong kind of tree?. Recently, Phnom Penh has begun to replant trees throughout the city restoring streets to the same appearance that residents and visitors had once enjoyed. How similar, you ask? Well, the trees they are planting are the same kind of trees they had removed.
New Homes
Of a more serious nature, the Phnom Penh government, in preparation for hosting the ASEAN conference in November, has begun a controversial campaign to forcibly remove all homeless from Phnom Penh. Editorialising about this outrage is beyond the scope of this column, but it brings to mind an incident that occurred three years ago when Phnom Penh first installed public restrooms across from the National Museum. Upon their completion, several families promptly moved in.
Local Privilege
Seeing a Khmer riding her motorbike the wrong way on a one-way street, we inquired as to whether she knew she was violating a traffic law. ?Oh, it?s no problem,? she said, ?I?m Cambodian.?
Help Wanted,
Hi-Tech Career
Construction continues rapidly on Phnom Penh?s first modern indoor shopping mall (that huge structure just south of the Central Market). As you?d expect, elevators and escalators will shuttle shoppers between floors. But considering that many Cambodians have never seen an elevator or escalator, the mall?s management is hiring personnel to show people how to use them.
Oral History
Back in the mid-90s, when Cambodia was still effectively at war a local was asked why Cambodians ate so fast, especially compared to their leisurely neighbours, the Thais. ?War,? he said, ?You never know, one minute you?re eating supper, then ?boom?, bomb goes off and soldiers run in.? He then added, ?We can eat and run at the same time.?
Dog Pounds? We have the Vietnamese!
Seeing a stray dog walk by, a far less frequent occurrence than one sees in Thailand, our same local was asked as to where all the dogs were. ?Vietnamese,? he said. ?Every time Vietnamese move in, all the dogs disappear.? No word as to whether the Vietnamese or the dogs can run and eat at the same time.
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Strange facts, odd figures
Helpful Quotes From a Siem Reap motodop asked where a particular road goes: Slanguage Word for help: choo-ay Etiquette During Khmer New Year, smearing the face of a girl you?re smitten by with chalky sticky talcum powder is a perfectly acceptable way to show her how much you care. A gallon of cold, dirty water over her head is okay, too ? it could be the start of something beautiful. Safety A recent study determined that four out of five sandwiches sold on the streets of Phnom Penh did not meet basic standards of hygiene. The study didn?t say which four, so it?s a crap shoot, really (and sometimes literally). Urban Legend Roadblocks and extortion are a daily part of Cambodia overland travel. Wrong! There hasn?t been a reported highway shakedown in over two years. Any roadblocks and cash payments you witness are legitimate tolls. They just haven?t built the fancy tollbooths the Western world has. Hun Sen?s Latest Tirade Dissolve the Apsara Authority ? the government agency responsible for overseeing the Angkor Archaeological Park and development in the Siem Reap area. The reason? ?Heavily influenced by foreigners who do not understand the needs of Cambodia?s poor.? Random Statistics Number of restaurants in Anlong Veng with an English-language sign reading ?restaurant?: 3 |