by Jacked Camry » Sat Jul 01, 2017 12:04 pm
Just wanted to come back briefly to pay my respects to Michael. He was a remarkable guy, full of piss and vinegar and I particularly enjoyed meeting him over a drink or two where his thoughts would inevitably turn to the many women he had caroused with, and the many more he had wanted to tumble but never managed. I would like to imagine him somehow chasing down Ms. Pacific Computer in the afterlife who seemed to haunt his thoughts more than any other. He was an old rogue and revelled in it, couldn't care less if anyone thought the less of him for it. A man's man.
Academically his work stands out for its breadth and depth about Cambodia, and while he no doubt would sometimes try to provoke rather than stay rigidly objective, it made for much more interesting reading and discussion. I would still place his writings on the Khmer Rouge and pre-Angkorian society as the gold standards. He was happy enough to dive into various other controversies and dubious sidetracks, but why not? After all, it's not like maintaining a tiny rigorous group of standoffish professors was going to bring more interest to the subject from the outside. Another aspect of his character was that he would happily engage with any Cambodian in chats about their history and it was always a two-way conversation in my experience. He continued his quest for greater understanding and knowledge right up until the end. He was always up for a fight, or for a collegial discussion if your point of view was much closer to his. Fortunately we saw many things in the same light, so I can't say as I ever really had a battle with him and my enduring memory will be his leering smile as he told another mischievous tale of chasing tail. I learned quite a lot from his research and enjoyed his many stories from the time he arrived as an English teacher in the 1960's through his more recent past.
Rest in peace Michael, you were a hell of a man.
Just wanted to come back briefly to pay my respects to Michael. He was a remarkable guy, full of piss and vinegar and I particularly enjoyed meeting him over a drink or two where his thoughts would inevitably turn to the many women he had caroused with, and the many more he had wanted to tumble but never managed. I would like to imagine him somehow chasing down Ms. Pacific Computer in the afterlife who seemed to haunt his thoughts more than any other. He was an old rogue and revelled in it, couldn't care less if anyone thought the less of him for it. A man's man.
Academically his work stands out for its breadth and depth about Cambodia, and while he no doubt would sometimes try to provoke rather than stay rigidly objective, it made for much more interesting reading and discussion. I would still place his writings on the Khmer Rouge and pre-Angkorian society as the gold standards. He was happy enough to dive into various other controversies and dubious sidetracks, but why not? After all, it's not like maintaining a tiny rigorous group of standoffish professors was going to bring more interest to the subject from the outside. Another aspect of his character was that he would happily engage with any Cambodian in chats about their history and it was always a two-way conversation in my experience. He continued his quest for greater understanding and knowledge right up until the end. He was always up for a fight, or for a collegial discussion if your point of view was much closer to his. Fortunately we saw many things in the same light, so I can't say as I ever really had a battle with him and my enduring memory will be his leering smile as he told another mischievous tale of chasing tail. I learned quite a lot from his research and enjoyed his many stories from the time he arrived as an English teacher in the 1960's through his more recent past.
Rest in peace Michael, you were a hell of a man.