webbed feet, web log

Change of Address

2007-06-13T20:35:00.001+07:00

Hi folks, After five years of blogging I'm switching my software to Wordpress. I'm also switching weblog's homepage to http://jinja.apsara.org Catch you there. Still rearranging virtual furniture from the move. - J

Photos of Photos

2007-06-10T17:43:00.000+07:00

[From'Rotess Ploeung' Exhibition writeup] Phnom Penh, Saturday morning, six hours, the railway station wakes up. On the quays the salesmen are not numerous. A rice soup saleswoman, a saleswoman of cakes, cigarettes and drinks. The train fills gently, very gently. One is far from the multitude of the Nineties which filled of the trains of more than fifteen coaches. Today it is a train runs made up of three coaches travellers and three goods trucks. At the edge of the quay, Em Sopheap remembers. Today the former workman of the station of Phnom Penh reprocesses some smoothes his small moustache as the memories go up. "In the Sixties, the train was called the Rail-car. It left the morning Phnom Penh to 6h20 and arrived at 10h36 at Battambang after four or five stops only. that went quickly, much more quickly than today. At the same time another train made the way in opposite direction to join Phnom Penh. There was traffic, really. Today, there is nothing any more but one train per week " At six hours fifty two, the engine enters in station. It heavily clings to the goods trucks and travellers. A few minutes later, the station master gives the signal. He is six hours fifty six of the morning, the train puts himself quietly on the way, indolent and shaking, it will take him approximately twelve hours to get to Battambang...

It's nice to see Stefan get his day in the sun, with this exhibit. He is closing down Popil Gallery and there are some great photos to be had. He's moving to the States, but will be back from time to time.

Hello there!

Popil PhotoGallery is launching the final sale before closing in early July. During the next four weeks all artwork in the permanent collection is 20% off on. Come by and see works from John Vink, Mak Remissa, Simon Toffanello, and Stéphane Janin.

I hope to see you here soon. Also if you stop by you can see my latest show of pinhole photographs, "The Substance beneath the Visible". Pop in, it will be a pleasure for me to talk again about it.

Best Regards, Stéphane

Stephane Janin Photographer and Director of the Popil PhotoGallery.

Popil PhotoGallery #126, street 19 Phnom Penh, Cambodia

(855) - 12 992 750 www.lepopil.com www.pbase.com/stephanejanin

Tags:cambodia,photography

BlogSpotting

2007-06-08T19:57:00.000+07:00

Thursday was fun and unexpected; in the course of my workaday life, I ran into some surprise guests.

The morning saw me at a meeting on Serious Issues and Coming2Cambodia was in full work mode. We ended up at the same table at lunch and she recognized me too, despite the baseball cap I'm wearing in my profile photo.

Spent the afternoon checking in on some art related work and who should poke his head out the door? Tharum! It's a small world.

Back to the office. My stomach was growling when Kampuchea Crossings called. She was game for food and I convinced her to check out Stephane's exhibition first.

It was cool, some great moments of Khmer life on the rails. Stephane is not a blogster; he's a photographer. He covers issues and ideas in a purely visual sense, and seems to be approaching multimedia; in his last exhibition he had a slideshow with narration. (Special bonus: got to meet Kompong Som's rock and roll cool cat Bob Passion.) We digested the show and other topics over noodles. Exhibition pix to follow. And looks like we're due to have another blogger meetup some time.

Tags:cambodia,weblog

Income is Welcome

2007-06-04T14:02:00.000+07:00

Establishments adjacent to a palace are usually gentrified - but in Cambodia you'll find noodle shops and a car wash mixed with more pricey establishments like the one pictured here. (Apparently just opening up.) I thought the name summed up the 'get rich quick' desire fueling the property boom and growth issues here. When I returned with my camera a monk was begging for alms. Some things change, some things stay the same. Tags:cambodia,buddhism,gentrification,development

Do Not Adjust Your Set

2007-05-30T12:24:00.000+07:00

I am doing a little weblog maintenance through the weekend. Bear with me folks, and for now, here is a bucket of blogs to read: Khmer IT dude in France. http://www.madethmay.com Khmer student in Singapore. http://www.sokhodom.com Cambodian Homestay blog http://rana-cambodia.blogspot.com Cambodia Kid Story: "Helping the Cambodian Kid in Cambodia by sharing common problems and solutions" http://cambodiakid.blogspot.com Cambodian Prison Visit http://iantaylors.blogspot.com/2007/04/cambodian-womens-prison.html Social Work Student blog. http://coming2cambodia.wordpress.com What_About_Me? Expat Cambodian IT worker in Southern California http://jimmy-b-khmer.blogspot.com A Corner of Cambodia (personal blog) (Kmeng Wat Samay Barang is a famous classic Khmer novel) http://kmengwat.blogspot.com Maggie and Matt In Cambodia (Svay Rieng) http://lifeinseasia.blogspot.com English teacher in Siem Reap http://onlyincambodia.blogspot.com http://cambodianenglish.blogspot.com Siem Reap Pig Project http://siemreappigproject.blogspot.com Khmer Student in Singapore http://www.harryman007.blogspot.com Tags:cambodia,blog

1975 Phnom Penh War Tourism

2007-05-28T11:23:00.000+07:00

1975 Phnom Penh War Tourism Razzbuffnik has some new cautionary stories (and amazing period photos) about being "A Teenage Tourist In a War Zone" - Cambodia, 1975. Hmm, could this qualify as 'Dark Tourism'? http://blog.allthedumbthings.com/2007/05/14/teenage-tourist-in-a-war-zone-phnom-penh-cambodia-1975/ Tags:cambodia,tourism

Career Forum Cambodia

2007-05-27T09:56:00.000+07:00

It seems Cambodia is full of college graduates looking for work. (Heck, it's full of non-college graduates looking for work!) Here's hoping we see more events like this. June 1, 2007 from 9am to 9pm June 2, 2007, from 8am to 6pm Venue: National Cultural Center (Behind BBU & Opposite New National Assembly) For more information: www.careerforumcambodia.com Hotline: 012 345 819 or 016 655 450 (thanks to KH for info). from What's On Tags:cambodia

Word Up: PNH

2007-05-26T13:06:00.000+07:00

Word Up:PNH

poetry + music + performance

invited writers + open mic

wed 30 may * 8pm * free entry

Talkin to a Stranger

No.21 St.294 for more info call plastic b: 012 695 188 from What's On: Tags:cambodia,poetry

Wall Street Runs Amok

2007-05-25T11:22:00.001+07:00

Wall Street Runs Amok Phil of Phnomenon profiles Cambodia's fave curry, in today's The Wall Street Journal (Asia Edition) - pick up a copy today! Tags:cambodia,cuisine

Pol Pot's Beautiful Daughter (Fantasy)

2007-05-24T12:23:00.000+07:00

For this picture we tried to capture the feel of illustrations for classic Khmer newspaper serial fiction. The Hugo-nominated novelette is now available online. [Link] Tags:cambodia,khmer,literature,fantasy

Spidey Sings Opera

2007-05-23T12:35:00.000+07:00

Beats the Ice Capades: Friday night opera singing by Royal University of Art Student 'Spiderman' 7 pm Barista Cafe, Street 215 # 146EO, Phnom Penh, Cambodia More: http://www.expat-advisory.com/forums/opera-friday-vt2471.html From What's On Tags:cambodia

Handz in the Air

2007-05-22T20:06:00.000+07:00

Handz in the Air Hundreds of web pages say 'Khmer Pride'. Here's one academic's take on how young overseas Cambodians assemble their identity. Theresa McGinnis: "Khmer Pride": Being and Becoming Khmer American in an Urban Migrant Education Program (Journal of Southeast Asian Education and Advancement*). "Khmer youth’s multimodal expressions are not only sites of identity work, but also of cultural innovation."[Link] Looking at What's On in LBC and Seattle this week, it's evident that overseas Khmers are not only sharing their culture but appropriating new components into the mix. http://www.myspace.com/imsreypeouv http://www.myspace.com/universalspeakers *Pleased to see bilingual education battler Wayne Wright at the helm of above publication. Tags:cambodia,khmer

Cartoons, the hip new thing

2007-05-19T20:21:00.000+07:00

Cartoons, the hip new thing Controversial editorial Cartoonist Ung Bunhean ('Sacrava') gets a profile in this weekend's Phnom Penh Post. http://sacrava.blogspot.com Tags:cambodia,cartoon

Comics, the hip new thing

2007-05-18T08:29:00.001+07:00

Comics, the hip new thing SE-Globe's latest issue has a feature article on Khmer comic art including interviews with Sera, Sin Yang Pirom, Em Satya, Uth Roeun and more. This Friday: if you have time, check out Reyum's Wat Paintings Book Launch/Exhibition (5pm). http://tinyurl.com/286pro And following that is the Rubbish Project's "trash-to-fashion" show. Apparently it's gotten a good response with over 20 entries so far, and don't be surprised if there's TV coverage. http://therubbishproject.blogspot.com/ Tags:cambodia,comics,exhibition,fashion,recycling,buddhism

I think I'm Gonna Die

2007-05-17T19:52:00.000+07:00

"I think I'm Gonna Die"

There were poems and music to be had yesterday evening (May 16) at Talking to A Stranger in Phnom Penh. The audience seemed appreciative to get more than what might usually be expected of a poetry night.

Our host was the energetic 'Plastic B' (aka Brian), who brandished a book of his poems embellished with an MRI scan of his brain's occipital lobe. His tales / travails of having a stroke at a young age were leavened by humor, insight and the occasional poo joke.

Having shared his work at numerous Australian venues (including Newcastle's National Young Writers' Festival), a stint of several months in Penhville has encouraged him to start a biweekly poetry open mike. In addition to music and song by guest performer Miriam, audience members were welcomed to join in with prepared or impromptu works.

In the future, 'Word Up' plans to network with Khmer poets and encourage new writers and established writers to take to the stage.

More information? 012 695 188

Tags:cambodia,poetry

In Search of Khmer Hip Hop Part 10: Resonance

2007-05-15T16:35:00.000+07:00

In Search of Khmer Hip Hop Part 10: Resonance Geoff Ryman has assembled an hour long show on Khmer Rap. He writes: You can listen in online, though for copyright reasons the station won't have it on the podcast archive. It should feature at least some of my interviews with Prach, Silong, A Ping, Sok Visal, DJ Boomer and Tony Real. RESONANCE FM (UK) will be broadcasting a show on Khmer Rap Monday 21 May 7 pm Greenwich time. (For those in London, it's being broadcast on Resonance FM 104.4 FM) Other countries can listen on the web. Visit http://resonancefm.com/audio.htm and just click on MP3 listen. Time differences East Coast USA : 2.00 PM West Coast USA: 11.00 AM Cambodia SADLY this will be on early the next morning Tuesday 22nd 1.00 AM in the morning!!! --------------------------- Other Hip Hop tidbits: Prach Ly interview http://andybrouwer.blogspot.com/2007/04/exclusive-interview-with-khmer-rap-star.html Tiny Toones on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=unerj5uZ4qc Sok Visal on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/cream391 Tags: cambodia,hiphop

Fashion from Trash

2007-05-15T15:50:00.000+07:00

Fashion from Trash The Rubbish Project presents: Recycled Fashion Show 8pm Friday May 18 Elsewhere Phnom Penh #175 Street 51 http://therubbishproject.blogspot.com From What's On - Tags:cambodia,recycling,trash

Sure to spark some debate...

2007-05-14T10:17:00.000+07:00

Op-Ed "The Lesson from Cambodia that Policymakers Are Ignoring "

By Taylor Owen and Ben Kiernan

http://www.hnn.us/articles/38826.html [This will be sure to spark some debate...more links to be had here.]

Midday Motodop Snooze

2007-05-11T16:00:00.000+07:00

Midday Motodop Snooze Public nap, central Phnom Penh. Tags:cambodia,photography

Wat Painting in Cambodia - Exhibition, Book Launch

2007-05-09T20:10:00.000+07:00

In 2001, Reyum Institute started a research project on paintings in Wats (Buddhist temples). The aim of the project was to photograph the mural paintings found in most Wats in Cambodia as well as collecting data about the temples through interviews. San Phalla, who just graduated from the Department of Archaeology in Phnom Penh, was the first researcher to conduct the field research. Because most of temples tend to replace old paintings by recovering them with new ones, or simply knocking down the buildings themselves, we were faced with the urgency to document as many temples as possible instead of studying each of them in details. Thus we could not study each of them in details. For more than six years, from 2001 to 2006, San Phalla and other fellow young researchers Tho Pisey, Thon Sopheak visited more than 600 Wats in all over Cambodia and took over 20,000 photographs of temple paintings along with brief notes on each temple. Our choice to document prove to be a good one as today several temples we surveyed have been knocked down and replaced with new structures without any documentations. Most paintings found in Wats depict Buddhist themes such as Buddha’s last life before entering the Nirvana, or his previous lives, known as Jataka (ten last previous births). But more specifically, there are also scenes from the Reamker (Khmer version of the Ramayana) as well as popular themes such as local folktales.

In 2004, when we started to review the collected data, we came to realize that not only we should organize it so that it can be accessed and used by scholars and the general public, but also the idea of compiling a book and mounting an exhibition based on the photographs came along. The book and exhibition would raise awareness about the topic among the general public. And it is our hope that the data we collected so far would contribute as a resource for further research and advance our understanding of Cambodian culture. We would like to take this opportunity to express our profound gratitude to all those who have given us supports and encouragement. We wish to thank also the Toyota foundation, the Rockefeller Foundation, the Albert Kunstadter Family Foundation, the Prince Claus Fund for their financial support to this project.

Exhibition:

Curatorial conception: Ly Daravuth, Preap Chanmara Researcher: San Phalla English Translation: Siyonn Sophearith Research and Documentation: “Wat Painting in Cambodia” Conception: Ly Daravuth and Ingrid Muan Researchers: San Phalla (2001-2006), Tho Pisey (2001), Thon Sopheak (2002-2005)

With the support of:

The Toyota Foundation The Rockefeller Foundation The Albert Kunstadter Family Foundation

....................................................................

REYUM Institute of Arts and Culture #47, Street 178 Phnom Penh, Cambodia Tel/Fax: (855) 23 217 149 email: reyum@camnet.com.kh website: www.reyum.org

From What's On Tags:cambodia,buddhism,mural,exhibition

Three contemporary Khmer artists

2007-05-08T18:05:00.000+07:00

Three Contemporary Khmer Artists Dear Friends, The Art House would like to invite you to the opening of a new exhibition on Thursday May 10th 7-8.30pm Three contemporary Khmer artists Svay Ken Tor Vutha Piteak We hope you can join us www.thearthousesiemreap.com From What's On Tags:cambodia

Fusion Fun

2007-05-06T17:03:00.000+07:00

Fusion Fun Paging Phil from Phnomenon, and Hurley's Cantina: From The Columbus Dispatch : Culture clash isn't on menu http://www.dispatch.com/dispatch/content/weekender/stories/2007/05/03/res_row.html [courtesy Colegio de Mexico's resident Cambodianist] Tags:cambodia,cuisine

Turning of Tides Exhibition

2007-05-05T15:47:00.000+07:00

Turning of Tides Exhibition The Art2Healing Project (in cooperation with AFESIP Cambodia and Phoenix Institute of Victoria) opened an exhibition today (May 05) of art and stories of trafficked women in Cambodia, at Boddhi Tree Restaurant. from What's On Tags:cambodia,exhibition

Bassac Blues Snapshots

2007-05-04T17:28:00.000+07:00

Bassac Blues Snapshots by Nana Yuriko, an extract from a larger film in development. Tags:cambodia,eviction

'Stop Evictions' Exhibition May 4, Phnom Penh

2007-05-01T13:05:00.000+07:00

Stop Evictions: a photographic journey from eviction to relocation Built on the efforts of Hallam Goad and photographer Niles Sprague, 'Stop Evictions' combines images, film footage and comparative analysis to explore the truth and consequences behind Phnom Penh's Sambok Chab relocations. At a Glance Stop Evictions: a photographic journey from eviction to relocation, a multi-media exhibit. Opens May 4, 7 p.m. Through June. For more than a year, the forced relocations of Phnom Penh residents to undeveloped, often unlivable, resettlement sites outside the capital has sparked international outrage and political controversy. In few places was the process more visible than the impoverished community of Tonle Bassac's Village 14, or Sambok Chab. In June 2006, Phnom Penh Municipal officials and armed police began evicting more than 1,000 families to make way for a development project financed by a private company. There were standoffs and turmoil before police stormed the village, dismantled homes and trucked reluctant squatters and their belongings to an undeveloped site some 25 kilometers outside city limits. On the new land there were a few public latrines, no drainage, no sanitation, no electricity, no water supply, no shops, markets or schools and no opportunity for employment. Human rights groups blasted the removal as inhumane, and the new residences -- 4-by-12-meter plots with no structures or facilities - as unacceptable compensation. "We ask the viewer to draw their own conclusions about the state of development in Cambodia." According to an NGO survey, within just three months of the eviction only 40 percent of the plots were occupied. Because of the harsh conditions most families returned to Phnom Penh to live with relatives or on the street. Nearly a year later, the debate about Sambok Chab continues to rage, and the plight of those evicted has been echoed in similar incidents throughout the Kingdom. Now, during the months of May and June at the FCC Phnom Penh, the saga of the displaced villagers will be told through heart-wrenching photographs taken throughout the eviction process. "Stop Evictions" opens at 7:00 p.m. on May 4 with a video screening, a presentation by the Housing Rights Task Force, and the unveiling of some 35 images taken by professional photographers, journalists and rights activists. The collection is the brainchild of Hallam Goad, 37, a resident of Cambodia since 1998 who had worked with relocation victims for years before co-founding the NGO Sahmakum Teang Tnaut in 2005. For "Stop" he's brought together images, film footage and comparative analysis that seek to explain the truth and consequences of the situation. "The exhibition is to show how ridiculous and corrupt this process was, and the impact it had on people. The idea is for tourists and the English-speaking community to see a different side of Cambodia," said Goad. "We ask the viewer to draw their own conclusions about the state of development in Cambodia." Goad sees the relocation as an abject failure, but he is quick to point out that the selected images are meant not to preach, but to speak for themselves about the pain, confusion and anger of the evictees. He was last at the relocation site just days ago and calls the situation "just miserable." "We're not saying no one should be moved, that Phnom Penh should stand still. Even the people understand this themselves. They've said to us, 'We're OK to move, just give us a chance to make a new living," said Goad. "Ever since 1998 you could see that sooner or later the city would push these people off because the land is so valuable. We want people to understand it's the way they carried out the relocation, no the relocation itself, that was a crap process." To illustrate this, Goad includes in "Stop Evictions" an example of a successful relocation from almost a decade ago. "In 1998 the municipality was involved in a constructive process,'" he said. "Some 129 families were successfully relocated from near the Olympic Stadium to a site five kilometers outside the city with land chosen by the people, purchased by the municipality and supported by UNCHS and rights NGOs. It shows that while relocation is a difficult undertaking it is possible to do it effectively, humanely and to the benefit of all parties." Goad's collection of evidence and imagery has attracted more than one prestigious sponsor. "Land rights are a hot topic, and we thought they had a good, creative approach to bring the issue to the public," said Anisha Schubert, of German aid organization DED. "They're not trying to be provocative, but they've worked with many different people to focus on good stories." DED is the main sponsor of the FCC show, and it was initial assistance from the Germans that got the project started last year. Goad and US photographer Niles Sprague were funded to document the eviction and resettlement. Along the way, the two teamed with journalists, activists and especially the Cambodian Legal Education Center, to collect an effective record of events. The photographs taken by Sprague and the CLEC team form the foundation of "Stop Evictions." "Another aim of the show is to promote the Housing Rights Task Force, which is a group of NGOs that pulled together as a response to growing issues," said Goad. "The idea is that instead of one or two groups jumping up and down and saying this is bad, and possibly becoming a target, is to put together a conglomeration of groups that can work together." The show is free, but may not be for the faint of heart. Goad said he'd like to get several villagers to give firsthand accounts of their experience and to display samples of the water available at the relocation site after tested by the Pasteur Institute. "This is an awareness raiser, but there are other things bubbling away: we'd like to start a letter-writing campaign ahead of the Boeung Kak eviction and maybe do some sort of fund raising," he said. "But the most important thing is to create dialogue. If people look at what happened at Sambok Chab - it was a complete failure. It's hard to imagine things getting worse." reproduced with kind permission from: The Wires, Newsletter of Cambodia's Foreign Correspondents Club http://www.fcccambodia.com/newsletter/0507/ [from What's On] Tags:cambodia,exhibition