A friend wrote to ask about the mood here in Phnom Penh, post-election. An excerpt from my reply:
"the Americans rejoiced on Wednesday, but the feeling of change dissipated quickly. We're far away from America and the ideals that have been realized in the past week, and the government here seems so corrupt and unchangeable, even with an Obama in office. From what I can tell, the Cambodian state lies in a balance of power (China, Vietnam, Korea, Japan, Thailand) that is almost entirely unaffected by direct American intervention. Hopefully this is not true."
Loisaida is a term derived from the Latino (and especially Puerto Rican) pronunciation of "Lower East Side", a neighborhood in Manhattan, New York City. Loisaida Avenue is now an alternate name for Avenue C in the Alphabet City neighborhood of New York City, whose population has largely been Hispanic (mainly Puerto Rican) since the late 1960s.
1 comment:
Ben,
Ask your Cambodian friends and co-workers for their opinions about the futute of their country. Their answers will inform your understanding of where Cambodia is headed. Citizens of every country know more about their own country than foreigners will ever know. Do your own informal, unscientific poll, jot down 10 questions that require thoiught and reflection from those surveyed and then post the results for your readers to see for themselves. You might just be surprised in what you find out....
Love,
Uncle Alan
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