goal for September

It is my not-so-secret desire to become really popular in Poipet. I haven't yet clarified what I want to become popular for... so right now I will settle for knowing a lot of people a little bit and for them to know me at some superficial level.

The first time I crossed the border into "no man's land"/ "the casino strip", I was stopped on the way back and asked to show my passport. I introduced myself, told the guards I was living in Poipet for the next few years and said that if they forget my name they should at least try to remember my face because they will see it at lot! Now when I cross the border I just give them a wave or press my hands together in a more formal greeting.

Yesterday I finished my workout at the gym and was spotted in the lobby by one of the cleaners. She turned to the guy she was working with and said, "Check it out- that's the one who comes here and exercises for... over and hour!" Love it!

A few days ago I met a group of kids playing on the street. They had one bike with a handmade sidecart attached and this was entertainment for about 10 children. They looked like they were having so much fun! I had to stop, chat and ask for a photo. As I walked away, the eldest girl in the group said to her friend, "Maybe she speaks English too...?"

I have been meeting with some NGO & church leaders too. This is good for random meetings down the main street. I walk. They drive 4x4 trucks. They wind down the window, wave and call out, "Hey Pip!" Half a dozen heads turn to see what is going on.

Slowly, slowly, I want to become really popular!!!

Hello Sir!

This was one of the many greetings I received while walking from home to this internet shop. Khmer people are certainly friendly.... and polite!

olympic dreams

I'm thinking tonight that if I were on the IOC I'd make a few changes to the Olympic events. For example:

Out with doubles ping pong, in with cross-country unicycling.
No more women's 20K walk. How about a 5000m track skipping event instead?
The men's 50K walk should be replaced with a 5m catwalk.
I say no to endless weight divisions in weight lifting but YES to height divisions for basketball.
Fencing? Why not pillowfighting?
Wrestling could be replaced by a simple International gathering of men who aren't afraid to hug. Easy.

DJ at my local

I admit that I’ve had a radical conversion to Pop. When I’m on the treadmill I like to motivate myself with some tunes. Although I hate the fuss and tangle of earphones- don’t fear.... my gym has a sound system and I’m not afraid to use it.

Today was a typical scenario. I walked in at lunch time to find half a dozen people exercising with nothing to listen to but the sound of their own sweat falling on the carpet. So I approached a couple of ladies and asked them in polite Khmer whether they would mind if I put some music on? They stared blankly so I tried again in English and they understood. (I’m pretty sure they were Korean.) I did the rounds to check with the others. Khmer for the Cambodians. English for the rest. Press play. Hello Pussy Cat Dolls and a 10K run on a machine that takes me nowhere....

Later a Cambodian staff member entered the gym and turned the music down. I didn’t mind. But the Korean ladies did! They talked a little in what I assume was a mini-conference, then one of the women called out, “Music- more! Music- more! Music- more!” until the young Khmer guy got the idea and turned it up! (Sweet!) When I left I took my CD, replaced it with some Madonna and increased the volume another notch. Big smiles again from the Koreans. Music- more? I agree.

Sunday Secret

On a lighter note... yesterday's Post Secret made me laugh.

Seriously Wrong

Coming back to Cambodia I’ve noticed the new billboards, brochures, magazine ads and signs on the back of tuk-tuks that declare:

Cambodia Welcomes Responsible Tourists. Protecting Our Children.

Is is the latest in a series....

I’m all for the billboards....But I’m still pissed off when I read about the pathetic sentences received by convinced pedophiles who have come to Cambodia to sexually abuse kids. (And we are talking here about the eight or so foreigners per year who get caught.)

This past week The Mekong Times reported that a Russian pedophile who was released from jail after serving just six months. Nikita Belov, 26, was convicted of subjecting three girls between the ages of seven and thirteen to “indecent acts” and originally sentenced to three years in prison. He was released after serving six months and 15 days. Belov was asked to pay US$250 in compensation to the three victims.

The Cambodia Daily also ran this article:

A court in the state of Kiel of Friday convicted 49-year-old repeat German sex offender Mattias Ohms of sexually abusing four Cambodian boys and sentenced him to six years in prison, the Associated Press reported. The Cambodian victims testifying at the trial had been the first foreign children ever to give evidence of sex abuse in a German court. After his Feb 7 arrest...authorities said Ohms, who is HIV positive, had been determined to infect his victims with the HIV virus.

What kinds of messages does this send to tourists?

Four Cambodian boys’ life sentence of HIV + trauma = One tourists’ six years in jail.

Get caught engaging in “indecent acts” with girls and you’ll have to pay 250 bucks?