Feb saw Chinese New Year with lots of fire crackers going off and mounds of burning incense and fake money outside people's homes whilst Mark and I decided to join with our church back home in fasting. For us it it's been just fruit and vege - I've been well and truly challenged on how to cook a range of vegetarian dishes, particularly since not all the vege are the same or taste the same as back home! Ironically the time of when we started the fast was also when Mark and I both got a bad bout of gastro - unfortunately I got it slightly worse with it affecting me both ends! (I'll spare details!) Fortunately we were both better by Valentine's Day, although we have joked about how we may be allergic to having too many fruits and veges!! Interestingly, Valentine's Day here is amazing. Come Christmas and Easter, you wouldn't even know it existed here but Valentine's Day there's roses sold everywhere and it's the one time you will publically see males and females showing physical signs of affection!
There's construction going on constantly here - even in the time we were in Oz, it's been noticeable - a 'Gold Tower' comprising of a 42-storey building in the making (there's nothing really above 10-storeys here), several new restaurants and art/craft shops and even a KFC is being built (who would have thought they've beaten Maccas to it but then again we do already have 'Lucky Burger')!
Re. some current affairs in Cambodia:
- Mia Farrow (actress) was here on a quiet protest with some local NGOs as part of her travels to other countries where genocides have occured, to protest against what has been happening in Dafur. However, the police and army on behalf of the government blocked their way both at 'The Killing Fields' and at Toul Sleng museum. One of the newspapers here wrote along the lines of that 'the government didn't think Cambodia had anything to do with this'.
- Khmer Rouge Tribunal - there have been 5 people charged as to date. It is uncertain how many others will be put on trial as money to run the tribunal is running out!
- The elections are coming up in July this year - the prime minister, Hun Sen has been in power since after the civil war and Khmer Rouge period and has been quoted as saying that he wants to stay in power for another 30 or so years.
Anyways, I hope my essay here has made up in part for the time we haven't written! We would love to hear from you so, please drop us a line when you have time!
Take care till next time,
love Jo
Some recent pics of Phnom Penh city - a city in transition with the property boom fueling development:
One of the many new high end housing developments - this one on Sihanouk Blvd near the Independence Monument
...a bit of the old and a bit of the new....these old slum apartments are now few and far between around the city
New commercial development at the Naga casino site near the Riverside
The monument celebrating good Vietnamese relationship - a newly established park area
A new commercial shopping outlet on the rise on Sihanouk Blvd on the way to Goldiana Hotel
A sign of a rising middle class for sure - Hummers on sale !!
At the corner of Monivong and Sihanouk Blvd - this proposed 50 storey Korean development is slow to sell its luxury aparments
Near Toul Kauk (over the railway line near Boeung Kak Lake) yet another multi storey development sign posted
Some young people enjoying a game of volleyball amidst the sprawl of urban development
...a novel small business outlet - unlikely to secure long term tenancy I'd say !!
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