Bump to baby on the beaten expat track
Pronounced plaiii-kwut!, these fruit are hard like rocks on the outside. They’re eaten whether or not they’re ripe. Our nanny Sopheap brought us some and they were so ripe they fragranced the entire house with a pungence the way durian and jackfruit do. It’s the kind of smell where it depends on your mood and health whether the pungence is acceptable! [Read more…] about Plai kvet for the intrepid palate
We always have a ready list of items to look for on our travels, that we can’t find or don’t have a wide selection of in Cambodia. Toys were on that list this year. While home we looked for toys that’ll engage the little boy’s imagination longer than the immediate learning phase. And I’m not a fan of the plastic battery-operated trinkets with obnoxious bright lights and noise. I remember the toys from when I was a kid which had a lot to do with being creative – like blocks, tinker toys or legos. So one of our great finds is this Zany Zoo wooden activity cube. It’s sturdy and bottom-heavy (at 9kg/19lb this little boy can pull himself up on it without tipping it over), thoughtfully designed (rounded corners, bright colors, dense with a variety of activities), and very attractive. And I love the rest of the B. line of toys – great philosophy, great designs, lovely products.
We cabin-checked this toy through all flights from New Orleans to NYC to Phnom Penh. Thankfully all the flight attendants and crew were very accommodating.
That said, there are actually some options in Phnom Penh for quality toys. [Read more…] about Toys for tots
I’m remembering the floods in 2009 when the cause was hush-hush (it wasn’t the rains)… The dam in Kampot begins operations today. From the comment stream, on Chinese-style development:
seems everything China does is bad and should be criticised by the west.lol it is same in my home country(Cameroon), however most of us Africans know this is just geopolitics and the fact that china threatens the west hegemony and power. Anyway I op the U.S will see reason and accommodate the rise of China, since there is nothing much they can do about this( as the bible says: Kingdom rise, kingdom fall) no matter what u do, u cant change this fact. the earlier the U, S understand this the better. I like and respect the U.S its one of my best countries(values culture and musics etc), but in less than 15years China have built and improve my home country unlike the west(mostly France:former coloniser”) hasn’t done in centuries, and for that I have a profound respect and love for the Chinese. since they treat Africans with dignity and equally, not like the whites who think they are superior. enough said, just hope we don’t witness a second cold war.
via VOA
I always wondered about that elevator close button and the walk signal button at the crosswalk…
“The close buttons don’t close the elevator doors in most elevators built in the United States since the Americans with Disabilities Act,” explains McRaney. “The button is there for workers and emergency personnel to use, and it only works with a key.”Sure, they could put a sign on the panel explaining the situation to elevator riders, but as McRaney points out, it’s hard to justify the time and money it would take. And besides, we’d probably keep pressing it anyway, convinced that this time it will work.
via 5 Things You Think Work, But Actually Don’t | Mainstreet
I used to download his podcasts for the intelligent discussions on current events. While his commentary doesn’t introduce a new idea, it certainly hasn’t hit mainstream thinking, and sadly doesn’t factor into electoral issues.
Bill Moyers Essay: Plutocracy and Democracy Don’t Mix from BillMoyers.com on Vimeo.
I’ve tweeted this iced coffee before, and I still love it today. It’s dark, strong and rich, perfect for a Monday morning start to the week after a tiring weekend with a sick little 11 month old :-(
She’s one of the vendors outside on the street, just outside a small food shop, on St 67 south of Russian Blvd / St 110 / Preah Angduong. This area, especially on St 114 / Kramuonsar between St 67 and St 51, is densely packed with food shops serving a gamut of Khmer and Vietnamese foods. Psar Thmei (New Market) is a block away, where buses leave for destinations all over the Kingdom, so it caters to the masses of travelers passing through. See a map of Phnom Penh here.
The coffee grounds are steeped in boiling water using a muslin bag shaped like a filter. Because the coffee is strong, the grounds in the bag can be re-used. Photos above are courtesy of Doualy Xaykaothao.
… and ok, it’s one of my two favorite iced coffee vendors in Phnom Penh. Below is my other favorite place to get an iced coffee, Rising Sun Pub, on St 178 between Sisowath Quay and Sothearos. They use the Vietnamese cold-brew method using a mini drip brewer, pouring the water through the grounds about three times to get that nice strong flavor. mmmm…!
