One more time, with feeling.
Off the rails in Phnom Penh
- Lucky Lucan
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I don't have a wife so that fell rather flat.
Romantic Cambodia is dead and gone. It's with McKinley in the grave.
- chkai chgout
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Another clueless tourist who believes they can see things that somehow long term residents can't. His description of the city shows he has never ventured more than a couple of blocks from the riverside.
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When you dish out insults you need to take a good look at yourself. Often we see problems in others that we have in ourselves.
For me I live in a foreign country for 6 years. Have a family there. Residency visa. Pay taxes. No way I am a tourist. Not a local either obv. Guess ex pat it is. Do I consider all the non uk nationals living in UK for many years tourists? Of course not that ridiculous. Do you consider them tourists?
Orichá, sorry to hear you lost a job. You generally seem like a good person. Things may not improve quickly, but they will improve. If you believe in Karma, it works. Keep the faith!
I think the only thing that really invokes a feeling of nostalgia is the girls. The guns and ganja, I mean, who really cares about that? If it weren't for lots of cheaply available girls who would "go with you," what would the draw of those times be about? It never really had much to do with Cambodia itself. Cambodia's poverty at the time was just a delivery mechanism to get to the girls. The presence of that many readily available females screws with the male brain to signal that something very important is happening here. I mean, most of Africa still has that kind of poverty, but there's no "Off the Rails" written about Africa, as far as I know. Most foreigners just aren't that interested in the girls there.
I was in PP for a month in 2006 as a tourist. I read "Off the Rails" then. I bought it off one of the kids by the river back when they followed you and begged you. Sadly, I thought I was reading about present times, but there was a girl in my room at least as I was reading it, who generally resembled what the book was about. It had already been 8 years since it was published, and those times were melting away fast, what with roads starting to get paved and all of that. When I came back in 2016, I thought it would be like it was in 2006 (or like I *thought* it was in 2006). It's just a lot harder to have a good time these days. Foreigners are not nearly as impressive as they were. There are large financial sector skyscrapers up. My $20 just doesn't impress anybody. Back in 2006, I gave my tuk-tuk driver, who waited for me for hours outside bars just to take me a home, a $20 tip, and it was an amazing amount back then. This guy had wanted me to remember his hat for the privilege of driving me back from Heart of Darkness of Sharky's for $2. The road by the river had so little traffic. It was so quiet. Being a foreigner was so amazing.
I would say I don't care, but to be honest, it has bothered me a lot. I have moved on in life. I have my own things going on. But I will say, very few people have had the experience like I have, of a whole place changing that fast.
To be fair, Amit Gilboa does not once even consider the idea that Cambodia would no longer be like that soon. In those times, it really did seem like we were learning all about what Cambodia was like, as in, what it would always be like there, at least for a long long time. If you'd counted on Cambodia to be like it was for any sizable part of your life, you'd be sorely disappointed. It's hard to imagine most foreigners being pleased with how Cambodia has changed. I know how horrible that sounds, given that it's of course better for the Cambodian people. But to be fair to the typical foreigner, he really is less impressive in PP than he used to be. I mean there still are impressive foreigners, it just takes more to be one. Yeah mostly I just mean more money.
I was in PP for a month in 2006 as a tourist. I read "Off the Rails" then. I bought it off one of the kids by the river back when they followed you and begged you. Sadly, I thought I was reading about present times, but there was a girl in my room at least as I was reading it, who generally resembled what the book was about. It had already been 8 years since it was published, and those times were melting away fast, what with roads starting to get paved and all of that. When I came back in 2016, I thought it would be like it was in 2006 (or like I *thought* it was in 2006). It's just a lot harder to have a good time these days. Foreigners are not nearly as impressive as they were. There are large financial sector skyscrapers up. My $20 just doesn't impress anybody. Back in 2006, I gave my tuk-tuk driver, who waited for me for hours outside bars just to take me a home, a $20 tip, and it was an amazing amount back then. This guy had wanted me to remember his hat for the privilege of driving me back from Heart of Darkness of Sharky's for $2. The road by the river had so little traffic. It was so quiet. Being a foreigner was so amazing.
I would say I don't care, but to be honest, it has bothered me a lot. I have moved on in life. I have my own things going on. But I will say, very few people have had the experience like I have, of a whole place changing that fast.
To be fair, Amit Gilboa does not once even consider the idea that Cambodia would no longer be like that soon. In those times, it really did seem like we were learning all about what Cambodia was like, as in, what it would always be like there, at least for a long long time. If you'd counted on Cambodia to be like it was for any sizable part of your life, you'd be sorely disappointed. It's hard to imagine most foreigners being pleased with how Cambodia has changed. I know how horrible that sounds, given that it's of course better for the Cambodian people. But to be fair to the typical foreigner, he really is less impressive in PP than he used to be. I mean there still are impressive foreigners, it just takes more to be one. Yeah mostly I just mean more money.
- chilliwilli
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Most of the old school "impressive foreigners" are either dead or have fucked off.Paul Cradle wrote: ↑Wed Sep 01, 2021 8:38 pmI mean there still are impressive foreigners, it just takes more to be one. Yeah mostly I just mean more money.
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- ផោមក្លិនស្អុយ
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What constitutes an 'impressive foreigner'?
You (Paul Cradle) use that phrase a lot - I have no idea what it means.
You (Paul Cradle) use that phrase a lot - I have no idea what it means.
Beat Richner, quite an impressive Foreigner. the Manhattan club guy with the girl bodyguards, well he sure strove to be impressive, Bob, from the camps, who helped with the Peace Marches and still mostly walks everywhere, impressive in his way too. I've known a small handful of impressive foreign nuns, in Cambodia. Angelina, well, some good stuff there. These must be the types Paul was referring to.
I mean sure, in the old days, with a small population it was easier to impress people and be remembered. Napoleon for example,. Today he probably would have less global impact than the Kardashians
I mean sure, in the old days, with a small population it was easier to impress people and be remembered. Napoleon for example,. Today he probably would have less global impact than the Kardashians
I'm not sure, but I do believe that 'impressive foreigner' is one rung higher on the barang hierarchy than 'top bloke'.
- Lucky Lucan
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Maybe he means guys who hung out in brothel villages all day and took a lot of smack while waving guns around?ផោមក្លិនស្អុយ wrote: ↑Thu Sep 02, 2021 11:10 amWhat constitutes an 'impressive foreigner'?
You (Paul Cradle) use that phrase a lot - I have no idea what it means.
Romantic Cambodia is dead and gone. It's with McKinley in the grave.
- spitthedog
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I know what you mean man. Phnom Penh is like living on a rundown council estate.spitthedog wrote: ↑Thu Sep 02, 2021 4:57 pmBongs,
I was in Cobh, Cork yesterday.
What a lovely town. Could live there.
The waters edge is like Riverside, Phnom Penh, but without the rubbish, hookers, scammers, and edgyness.
- Lucky Lucan
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Guest5 wrote: ↑Thu Sep 02, 2021 8:28 pmI know what you mean man. Phnom Penh is like living on a rundown council estate.spitthedog wrote: ↑Thu Sep 02, 2021 4:57 pmBongs,
I was in Cobh, Cork yesterday.
What a lovely town. Could live there.
The waters edge is like Riverside, Phnom Penh, but without the rubbish, hookers, scammers, and edgyness.
Maybe you could move to the glamorous Glen Housing Estate in Cork?
Romantic Cambodia is dead and gone. It's with McKinley in the grave.
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