Cambodia Right Now
It's no secret that my next book is about Cambodia, and so I spend a significant part of my non-PhD time in a Cambodian kind of vibe, keeping up with the latest news, planning my next trip, and reading up on Cambodian history and culture. No, I haven't started my Khmer classes yet, but calling my Khmer teacher is on my list of "things to do" today, I swear!
Anyway, I thought iut might interest some people if I occasionally put together a collection of links to info and news about Cambodia that I have discovered recently.
Here is my first effort:
- The tradition of performing arts - indeed all kinds of arts - is still strong in Cambodia, something that contributes to that country's significant charm. There is a nice story about a young Khmer man who is a visiting fellow of performing arts at an institution in Washington.
- When you are in Cambodia you soon realise that the main currency in use is the US dollar, but it looks as though an improving Cambodian economy might be changing this. In the past decade the Cambodian capital in particular has experienced extraordinary growth. The Mekong Delta countries are seeking some form of formal co-operation.
- What to do when faced with human misery and suffering? Many young people are choosing to come and work in Cambodia on their gap year, but some people are beginning to criticise this. I have no answer on either side of this argument.
- If you are really sick in Cambodia, there is no place to go. Former King Norodom Sihanouk is now 88 and has gone to China to seek medical care.
- Former King Norodom Sihanouk is 88, and has gone to China for some medical care
- Ever seen an elephant with a wooden leg?
- Some nice tourist travel pics of Phnom Penh. And a view out to the newly renovated Central Market - the renovations were going on when I was there last, and I can't wait to see the finished product.
- Recently the government looks more interested in teaching new generations about the horrors of the Pol Pot years. Certainly the Cambodian diaspora continues to write about the torments of those times. Western tourists are unsettled when they came face to face with the realities of Cambodia's dark history. There are some interesting accounts of those times coming out from the point of view of Western victims of the regime.
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