Monday, 23rd Nov 2009

Woke up real early & blurry at 3.45am to catch the only Air Asia flight at 7am. Thanks to Shao’s wise advise, I did a web check-in 24 hours before. A little dissapointed that our seats were separated by the aisle but glad that we won’t have to que at LCCT. Once we arrived, we went straight to the luggage check-in counter & verified our boarding passes there. Bumped into Jeng at the Gate waiting area. He certainly was more awake than us. Had our breakkie while Will played his Word Mole on his Blackberry. Will slept throughout the flight as he was emceeing the night before at a wedding. I went on to fill-up 3 different forms to Cambodia for both of us & helped a lovely elderly Korean couple with theirs. Korean unc helped spotted some mistakes “You male?” he was looking at Will’s form & “You born this year?” Yes, I was sleepy too.

Arrived at 8am in Siem Reap Airport & was greeted by our Guesthouse’s Tuk Tuk driver, Boy. We thought that my name would be scribbled on a piece of paper but they had my name written nicely on a paper & clipped onto a board. Impressive! The weather was bright & breezy. Wore our mask to protect us from the dust, caps & jacket from the wind :p we look out of place & were even asked if we’re cold.

Arrived at Bou Savy Guesthouse and was greeted by Bovorn, the manager there. We had a yummy sour sop smoothie welcome drink & only needed to wait less than an hour to check-in to our twin sharing  A/C room with hot shower, daily housekeeping & cable TV at only USD15 per night =)

Our first stop was Roluos Village to board the board to Kampong Phluk at Tonle Sap. Boy took us there on this tuk tuk. Ride took about 45mins on main & dusty roads. Our masks came in were handy. We paid USD8 for the 2 way trip but later found out that it only cost USD5. We were too trusting of our guesthouse. Our USD 15 per person Boat ride took another 45mins & the whole time, Will was wondering if he should ask the unc to go faster. There was only 2 of us, 6 rattan seats, birds & the lake.

Once we arrived at Kampong Phluk – the village with houses & buildings on 6-meter stilts, a 16 year old boy spoke to us in English & said that he’ll be our guide. He spoke well for someone who only learned English for2 years from the monks. We walked around the village and did charity – donated USD10 to a blushing school teacher & bought a pencil from a little girl. The highlight of the trip was the small boat ride to the mangrove area (USD8). Wearing only our life jackets and 2 youths paddling the boat, we move around what they call the forest. It was so serene & peaceful. You could just read your book here on in Will’s case, play Word Mole in peace. By now, I’ve nicknamed him Mole Lee :p

We spent about 1 & 1/2 hours in the village before leaving back to Roluos village by the big boat. Boy who waited for us used his time to gamble with other Tuk Tuk driver. Guess that’s more “productive” than taking a nap for them.

Happy and natured out, we reached our guesthouse at 3pm and went on to have our lunch & checked our emails. The husband continued working while I zonked out. Woke up at 6.15pm and it was pitch dark by then as Cambodia was an hour behind Malaysia. Tuk Tuk to Psar Chas (old market) only cost USD1 (RM3.40) & took less than 10 minutes. We walked around Bar Street and spotted Temple Balcony, highly recommended by Lonely Planet for their free nightly traditional Apsara dance perfomances from 7.30-9.30pm. We ordered a Temple set for 2 person at USD9 & tried a drought beer at USD0.75. Was told that beer is dirt cheap & it’s a must try in Cambodia. Let me just say that this is the only time I drank liquor :p

We left by 8.45pm after the peacock dance & headed back to rest for the next day where we’ll raid the tombs of Angkor from 9am onwards. We decided to catch the sunset instead of the sunrise as the latter would require us to wake up at 3am which we weren’t up for it.

Day 2 tbc…

Sin Mut is a 29-year old fisherman from Chong Khneas village in Siem Reap, Cambodia. He lives with his family of thirteen on the banks of the great Tonle Sap. His father has already retired from fishing and his mother takes care of his eight siblings and grandparents. When not fishing on the lake, Mut reads the English-Cambodia dictionary and learns how to write the Roman alphabet. He dreams of being a famous actor someday, but doesn’t worry about it now. He takes care of the next meal first.

I had to abandon Chapter 1 for today (Somewhere in the middle), because I ran out of activities, but I have plans to rectify the deficit tomorrow. In the mean time, I’ve made it to about the middle of Chapter 2. I am struggling with writing the course materials, since I alternate between text for participants, and text for facilitators. luckily, I have only to look up to be up-lifted!

The view looks much better in real life, my picture skills suck.

I’m taking a little break from the writing to…write some more, what?? Haha. It’s all good though, just thought I’d share some of the process as I’m writing:

I’ve never really designed curriculum before, and was hoping I’d have more time to do research about course and curriculum design before settling down and putting words and activities onto a page. Still, I’m having fun – so I guess as long as the peoples learn what they need to, then everyone’s happy! Hehe. It’s been a struggle to find good activities and practical applications for developing critical and creative thought (well creative not as much), but it’s a good struggle. In fact, I stumbled upon a genius idea to explain the importance of critical thinking…but I wont tell you just yet…but I’m very excited about it.

Besides writing, not too much is going on. My mom brought me a packaged bar of Halvah – exciting! but tasted pretty bad. Thanks anyway moms! I find that listening to certain music frees me up to write at a steady pace. I choose a song with minimal lyrics, and attractive beat, and beauteous melody, and put it on repeat. Sometimes this is ambient music, sometimes harder electronica, sometimes radiohead-ish stuffs, sometimes plain old hip-hop instrumentals. Either way, it’s to the point now where I start to imagine music if I’m writing in silence! Weird, no?

Ok, end of break time. love to you all.

Oh! by the way, if anyone wanted to know, this blog is read by people from many places on the earth – from Cambodia to Malaysia to Hong Kong, all over Canada (and the states), bits and pieces of Europe,  in Iran and Israel, and lots from Brazil! Random.

oh, also, an interactive whiteboard’d be soo good right now. *sigh*

Today, final closing arguments were delivered in the first trial of the Khmer Rouge Tribunals. Kaing Guek Eav, alias Comrade Duch, the 67-year-old former head of the Tuol Sleng prison (also known as S-21) asked the courts to be released, after several public declarations of his acceptance of responsibility for the facility where over 12,000 people were killed.

Below are photographs from my first visit to Tuol Sleng in 2007. The pictures hanging above each bed were taken when the prison was first discovered; the metal boxes acted as the prisoners’ toilets.

Expect my Truthout wrap-up of the trial to be published shortly.

Sometimes there’s no middle ground.

To entertain ourselves in the cafeteria after we finished our corndog and tater tot lunches, my friends and I would have contests to see who could make a quarter spin the longest on the table before it ultimately landed on either heads or tails. Fine amusement for 5th grade boys. But never once did a quarter remain on its side. It always fell on one side or the other. Heads or tails.

Today I spent my lunch break at Border’s. Browsing through the photograph books, I couldn’t help but notice the cover of a book entitled Traffik. It was a simple black-and-white picture of a Southeast Asian woman looking at the camera. She only had one eye.

It saddened me so much I pulled out the book from the shelf and sat down on a stool to read it. The book was a large collection of photographs featuring women trapped in human trafficking (forced prostitution) in Cambodia. They are often lured from the mountains and the countryside by men promising them good work.

Of course this sort of hellishly-inspired activity isn’t only currently happening in Asia. While attending Liberty University, I listened carefully to the reports of guest speaker Kay Warren, the wife of Rick Warren (author of The Purpose Driven Life). She has spent time ministering to AIDS victims in Africa.

She explained (regarding the AIDS epidemic in that continent,) that many men with AIDS commonly believe (as they are instructed by witch doctors) they can be cured if they have sex with someone who is “pure”. That’s one of the reasons many children in Africa have AIDS or HIV.

It is estimated that today there are around 29 million slaves in the world; particularly in Africa, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia. I only learned that a few months ago- I was under the impression that slavery ended 150 years ago.

So many men keep slavery alive today by capturing and selling other people. And so many other men keep slavery alive by buying or renting slaves from these decrepit “businessmen”. And that leaves innocent women and children to suffer.

When some people are given this information, their reaction is, “How could God exist if he lets things like that happen in the world?”

Others react with, “How could God not exist when things like that are happening in the world?” Because they have hope in justice. And hope in a being who is actually qualified to judge the injustice in the history of the world. Not just sit on a cloud.

Yes, we easily agree that human trafficking needs to be stopped and that’s is a horrible thing.  And fortunately, more awareness of the issue is causing groups to form across to help rescue the victims, if nothing else. 

Faith can’t be real if it’s not tested and questioned.  And when it comes to God and a tragedy this horrific, even when we’re not directly affected, it still causes us to either draw closer or further away from God at the simple thought of it.

Heads or tails?

BANGKOK, 27 November 2009 (NNT) – The ASEAN’s Secretary-General suggested that ASEAN member countries should consider the establishment of an ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) more imnportant than cross-border conflicts derived from concepts of nation states.

Dr Surin Pitsuwan, Secretary-General of the ASEAN, said that cross border conflicts between ASEAN member countries has caused regional discord and delayed the establishment of the AEC.

He explained that colonialism brought the concept of a nation state into the region. The concept forced ASEAN countries to consider territorial borders seriously and led to nationalism. He said that this was an origin of cross border conflicts and suggested that the region needed to look back before colonialism.

“Our ancestors would not care about the exact boundary back then. Why do we have to fight for the boundary when we still care and share together?” Dr Surin questioned.

The Secretary-General, 57, stated that the concept was too new to the region where human control was more important than boundary accuracy. ASEAN as a cultural community was not ready to adapt to the concept.

He said that the reason why Thailand had more cross-border problems came from its location in a central position. Thailand has over 5,000 km of borders with 4 countries. This is the longest in the region. Only 56 km has been ratified by the Thai national legislature. The rest has been under control of committees.

Dr Surin emphasized that looking beyond border and colonialism mentality was one way for ASEAN to move forward to being a single community. He said that “there is still a community when boundaries becomes meaningless.” However, Dr Surin mentioned that to move forwards the region should have a similar economic level to the EU.

“It would be easier if each country’s economy is not much different. What is left is to create a mutual feeling of a single community among our people”, Dr Surin said.

Dr Surin hoped that the AC would be a rule-based community as expected. He said that if every country tried to work together it would reduce conflicts in the long run.

“ASEAN now has a dispute mechanism in the charter. For political issues, ASEAN member countries have signed the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation (TAC) with other developed countries to provide all possible assistance to disputing parties”, Dr Surin said.

News ID: 255211270034

There is something distinctly unsettling, albeit fascinating, about reliving the day of my accident through another person’s eyes. Michael’s eyes, I knew, had experienced the episode from a different perspective. He might shed some more light. After searching fruitlessly for the card on which he’d jotted down his email, and suddenly finding it among piles of paper last week, we connected via Skype this afternoon.

The slow ride to Battambang

Michael and I met on a bus. An Israeli youth trip organizer and schoolteacher, he was traveling solo through western Cambodia and Thailand. We compared notes during the long and dusty ride from Siem Reap to Battambang.

Upon arriving in Cambodia’s second-largest city, we lugged our backpacks around for over an hour before finally settling on a guesthouse not far from the market. We headed out to explore parts of the city, after a bite of local fare.

How well they match

We took a leisurely stroll by the river, stopping to watch and play with a group of street kids. There was widespread commotion, people setting up kiosks for the fair marking the start of the Chinese New Year.

Smiling street boys

The next morning, I rose early and headed out to rent a bike. A few hours later, I landed in hospital and a few hours after that, Michael appeared at my bedside. I remembered very little from his visit, my memory tainted by pain and shock.

And so we spoke, I asked many questions and he shared…

Hearing a knock on his door, Michael opened it and someone handed him a message. It was delivered by Mauro (the Emergency Hospital logistician) and briefly stated that I was hospitalized due to an accident. With directions in hand, Michael rented a scooter and came out to see me. Where was the hospital in relation to our guesthouse, I wanted to know. About 10 minutes away, once you crossed the river.

Michael said that what he remembered the most, when he first saw me, was how much pain I was in.

What about the bicycle, I asked. “I showed you pictures of the bike, don’t you remember?” he asked. No, do you still have them? “They got erased…” I wanted to know what it looked like when he found it. The police had picked it up and by the time Michael and Mauro arrived to cart it away, it was mangled up beyond use, the whole front rim and tire utterly crushed. Michael went to Moto Gecko, paid for the bike, picked up my passport and then, together with Mauro, found a second-hand bike shop where he unloaded it for half the price he paid for it. It’s true I suppose, there’s always some use for damaged goods.

Bicycle built for two?

The following day, Mauro lent Michael a truck, which he used to transport my bags from the guesthouse to the hospital. Michael said he was surprised and impressed at the care and attention that the other patients and I received at this hospital. He said he’d heard about the Khmer woman who lived near the bridge, that she had been summoned and ensured that I was transported to Emergency Hospital, where she worked. Yes, I knew about and remember Keo Vich. One of my guardian angels.

And that was that. A few more pieces of the puzzle, but not yet the whole story. Perhaps this is as much as I will ever know. Or just maybe, not.

November 26, 2009
By SIMON MARKS
The New York Times

Changes to property laws that will give non-citizens ownership rights appear imminent.

And while the proposed law is focused on the property market, experts agree it also would be a general boost for the country, which has been struggling through its own version of the global economic downturn.

“The law, in essence, will not help the whole economy recover. But it’s part of a wider picture,” said Daniel Parkes, country manager for the CB Richard Ellis real estate company. “What it is doing is making investment in Cambodia more transparent and easier.”

The law, which is expected to go to the National Assembly for a vote in the coming months, would allow foreigners to own apartments and condominiums on buildings’ upper floors. Now they are limited to 99-year leaseholds on any property.

Ground-level residences, which include ownership of the land that the units stand on, would continue to be reserved for Cambodians.

The assumption seems to be that there is a pent up demand of foreigners out there waiting to buy overpriced boxes of air in regulation-weak third-world countries. And once Cambodia can change her property laws, cashed-up foreigners will come rafting in on river of greenbacks.

That seems a tad optimistic, really. But if you’re sitting on a hundred million dollars worth of property that the locals have shown virtually zero interest in owning, what else are you going to believe?

The truth is, a half-million dollars will buy you a 3-bedroom high-rise condo in the city. But drive 20 minutes in any direction, and that same money will buy you a palace, if not two. Local people know that, of course. Hence the new law.

Ten companies have approached Ministry of Energy to declare interest in building solar plants after axing of tax on materials

Ten companies from eight countries have sought permission to invest in solar energy projects in Cambodia after the August removal of a 15 percent duty on imports of the materials needed to build solar plants, Ministry of Industry, Mines, and Energy Secretary of State Sat Samy said.

“We have received many proposals for our approval, and we are now instructing them to study the domestic electricity market,” he said. “Two companies, from Japan and Malaysia, are close to beginning development on solar investment projects.”

The other companies are from the United States, China, Canada, Australia, Korea and Singapore, he said. They were planning developments capable of generating between 10 and 50 megawatts of electricity.

Dutch duo Peter Wijnans and Frans Marchand, who told the Post Tuesday that they planned to invest US$300 million in one or several large solar arrays, were not listed among the potential projects.

The pair claimed government support for the project, which they said likely would not be started for three to four years.

The Cambodian government plans to supply electricity throughout the entire country by 2020 by developing renewable energy resources, specifically looking at solar, hydro and biomass-fueled power, Sat Samy said.

Energy demand in Cambodia is expected to grow 3.7 percent per year from 2005 to 2030 as manufacturing industries are established and more households connect to the electricity grid, according to a report released this month by the Asian Development Bank.

Just 20 percent of households are currently connected to the national grid, which is fragmented into isolated power systems centred on provincial towns and cities. Sat Samy said the unserviced households present an opportunity for environmentally friendly electricity investment, adding that the solar industry had greater potential than in more-developed countries such as Thailand and Vietnam.

NGO Forum President Chhith Sam Ath welcomed the planned investment but said the government must force the companies to sell electricity generated at prices the country’s rural poor can afford.

Sat Samy said he anticipated electricity generated from solar panels would range from $0.12 to $0.15 a kilowatt-hour, higher than the expected price of the power to be generated from hydroelectric dams under construction along the Kingdom’s rivers.

“At least the price will be better than the approximately 70 cents some rural households are paying at present,” he said.

Source: http://www.phnompenhpost.com/index.php/2009112629788/Business/investment-spotlight-shines-on-solar-power-official-says.html

Thirty years ago, Japan was like Phnom Penh is now. The city will grow, and I want the beauty industry to grow with it.

Owner of Degran says setting up was difficult, but that he is in Phnom Penh for the long haul

Establishing a top hair salon in Cambodia has been a challenging experience fraught with unexpected pitfalls for Jun Kikuchi, director of Phnom Penh’s Degran salon.

Kikuchi has been in the high-end hair salon business for over 30 years, a period during which stylists in his native Japan defied convention to pioneer the use of hairstyle as an often-eccentric art form.

Kikuchi still runs three cutting-edge salons in Tokyo, but these days you can find the man at his Cambodia salon, an experiment that opened its doors last February in Boeung Keng Kang 1.

Kikuchi combines a long-term vision for the Kingdom’s beauty industry with a touch of audacity in entering the market.

“If I opened the business in a place where everything was easy to do, it would not be interesting,” he said, “Here, I find it very interesting.”

The salon is housed in an ultramodern building designed by Kikuchi himself with assistance from a friend, interior designer Suzuki Kuniaki.

Construction cost Kikuchi nearly US$1 million, and cost overruns forced him to double his original budget for establishing the location.

Fitting in with the business realities in Cambodia has been an eye opener for the director.

“It makes operating in Japan look like it’s without problems,” he said, citing the Kingdom’s poor utilities, difficulties with the construction of the building, and the huge cost of importing specialised equipment and designer furnishings from Japan among the stumbling blocks overcome in order to make Degran possible.

Watching the locals
Before breaking ground, Kikuchi spent two years journeying to the Kingdom every month to research the industry, closely observing local salons in operation.

What surprised him most was a tendency among hairdressers not to ask their customers what they wanted, a far cry from Kikuchi’s previous experience where customers drove the choice of styles.

Degran consequently focuses on consulting with its clients, guiding them towards a decisions that fit their image.

“It’s very important to look at customers’ clothes, shapes of their heads, etc before we suggest a haircut that suits them,” he said.

“In Japan, people can get a lot of information from the Internet and magazines. Some Japanese are better informed than beauty professionals these days.”

When the doors finally opened, Kikuchi was very surprised by the makeup of his clientele.

Over 50 percent were foreigners, of whom most were not Asian expatriates, as he had anticipated, but Westerners looking for top-end hairdos.
Attracting Cambodian clients was also difficult during the salon’s first few months of operation.

Initially, pricing was consistent with high-end Japanese locations, but it quickly became apparent that costs were beyond the means of most of the Phnom Penh market. To improve sales, prices have recently been cut in half.

Trend setter
Despite the occasional setback, Kikuchi remains optimistic about the future of his Phnom Penh venture. “Thirty years ago, Japan was like Phnom Penh is now,” he said. “The city will grow, and I want the beauty industry to grow with it.”

Kikuchi expects his expertise to be useful in improving the less-developed Cambodian beauty industry.

He acknowledged that Degran was playing a long-term game, and anticipated that the business would begin realising positive returns in three to five years.

The company has not advertised so far, relying on word-of-mouth interaction to woo customers, but plans to roll out a campaign in the coming months.

After the Phnom Penh business becomes more established, Kikuchi will contemplate expanding both domestically and into Cambodia’s regional neighbours.

He considers Siem Reap a likely contender for another salon, given the cosmopolitan makeup of the tourism-driven city.

However, he said he plans to stick to his tried and tested recipe for expansion and conduct further studies on the local market before taking the plunge.

Source: http://www.phnompenhpost.com/index.php/2009112629782/Business/japanese-hair-salon-takes-no-shortcuts.html

ដោយ លី ម៉េងហួរ

អត្ថបទចុះផ្សាយកាលពីថ្ងៃទី 26/11/2009 កែប្រែលើកចុងក្រោយកាលពីថ្ងៃទី  26/11/2009 12:06 ម៉ោងសកល

រដ្ឋាភិបាល ​កម្ពុជា បាន​កំណត់​ថា នឹង​ដំឡើង​​ការ​យក​ពន្ធ​ផ្លូវ លើ​យាន​យន្ត​យ៉ាង​ខ្ពស់ គួរ​ឲ្យ​ភ្ញាក់ផ្អើល នៅ​ឆ្នាំ​២០១០។ ពោល​គឺ​ឡើង​ពី ២៥ ដុល្លារ ក្នុង​រថយន្ត​មួយ​គ្រឿង ទៅ ៣០០ ដុល្លារ។ ជាមួយ​គ្នា​នោះ រដ្ឋាភិបាល​ក៏​បាន​កំណត់​យក​ពន្ធ​ដី ផ្ទះ អគារ និង សំណង់​នានា​ផង​ដែរ នៅ​ឆ្នាំ​ក្រោយ​នេះ។

ការ​កំណត់​យ៉ាង​ដូច្នេះ ត្រូវ​បាន​រដ្ឋាភិបាល​កម្ពុជា គូស​បញ្ជាក់​យ៉ាង​ច្បាស់​នៅ​ក្នុង​ច្បាប់​ថវិកា​​ជាតិ​ឆ្នាំ​២០១០។ នោះ​គឺ​ការ​កំណត់​ពន្ធ​លើ​មធ្យោបាយ​ដឹក​ជញ្ជូន និង យាន​ជំនិះ គ្រប់​ប្រភេទ នៅ​ឆ្នាំ​២០១០ បាន​ចែង​យ៉ាង​ច្បាស់​អំពី​តម្លៃ​ពន្ធ​ផ្លូវ ដោយ​ចែក​ពី​កម្លាំង​ម៉ាស៊ីន។ ពោលគឺ រថយន្ត​មួយ​គ្រឿង​ធ្លាប់​តែ​បង់​ពន្ធ​ផ្លូវ​តែ ២៥ ដុល្លារ នៅ​ឆ្នាំ​នេះ នឹង​ត្រូវ​បង់​ពន្ធ​ផ្លូវ​រហូត​ដល់ ៣០០ ដុល្លារ​នៅ​ឆ្នាំ​២០១០។ ចំណែក​រថយន្ត​ទំនើបៗ ដូចជា Landcruiser ធ្លាប់​តែ​បង់​ពន្ធ ២៥០ ដុល្លារ នៅ​ឆ្នាំ​ក្រោយ​នឹង​ត្រូវ​បង់​ពន្ធ​ផ្លូវ​ទ្វេ​ដង គឺ ៥០០ ដុល្លារ។

នៅក្នុង ​សេចក្តី​ព្រាង​ច្បាប់​ថវិកា​ជាតិ​ឆ្នាំ​២០១០ ក៏​បាន​កំណត់​ពី​ការ​យក​ពន្ធ ០.១ % លើ​អចលន​ទ្រព្យ រួម​មាន៖ ដី​ធ្លី ផ្ទះ អគារ និង សំណង់​ផ្សេងៗ ដែល​មាន​តម្លៃ​លើស​ពី ១០០ លាន​រៀល ស្មើ​ប្រមាណ ២៤០០០ ដុល្លារ​ឡើង​ទៅ។ ក៏​ប៉ុន្តែ ការ​យក​ពន្ធ​លើ​ដី ផ្ទះ អគារ និង​សំណង់​នៅ​ឆ្នាំ​២០១០ ត្រូវ​បាន​លើក​លែង​ចំពោះ​ដី​កសិកម្ម ដី​អគារ​របស់​រដ្ឋាភិបាល អគារ​បម្រើ​សាសនា ឬ សប្បុរសធម៌ និង​ផ្ទះ​ស្នាក់​នៅ​របស់​ប្រជាជន​សាមញ្ញ និង​ផ្ទះ​អ្នក​ការ​ទូត។

ការតម្លើងពន្ធផ្លូវ និង​ការ​កំណត់​យក​ពន្ធ​លើ​ដី​ធ្លី ផ្ទះ​សម្បែង​នេះ មិន​ទាន់​មាន​អត្ថាធិប្បាយ​ពន្យល់​ពី​រដ្ឋាភិបាល​ទេ ដោយ​អ្នក​នាំ​ពាក្យ​រដ្ឋាភិបាល និង​គណៈកម្មការ​ជំនាញ​រដ្ឋសភា ដែល​កាន់​សេចក្តី​ព្រាង​ច្បាប់​ថវិកា​ឆ្នាំ​២០១០ មិន​អាច​ទាក់​ទង​បាន​ទេ នៅ​មុន​នេះ។

ក៏​ប៉ុន្តែ​លោក​នាយក​រដ្ឋមន្ត្រី ហ៊ុន សែន បាន​ពន្យល់​ក្នុង​លិខិត​ផ្ញើ​ជូន​រដ្ឋសភា​ថា ការ​តាក់​តែង​ច្បាប់​ថវិកា​ជាតិ​ឆ្នាំ ២០១០ ដែល​មាន​ការ​បង្កើន​ពន្ធ​ផ្លូវ និង ការ​យក​ពន្ធ​លើ​ដី​ផ្ទះ​នេះ រៀបចំ​ឡើង​ក្នុង​បរិការណ៍ នៃ​វិបត្តិ​សេដ្ឋកិច្ច ហើយ​កម្ពុជា ក៏​ជួប​នឹង​វិបត្តិ​ដ៏​ធ្ងន់ធ្ងរ​នេះ​ដែរ។ ដូច្នេះ​ច្បាប់​ថវិកា​ជាតិ​នេះ ជា​ឧបករណ៍​គោល​នយោបាយ​ដ៏​សំខាន់ សម្រាប់​បន្ត​អនុវត្ត​ផែនការ​អភិវឌ្ឍន៍​ជាតិ។

ចំណែក​លោក​តំណាង​ រាស្ត្រ សុន ឆៃ បាន​សម្តែង​ការ​ព្រួយ​បារម្ភ​ចំពោះ​ការ​បង្កើន​ចំណាយ​របស់​រដ្ឋាភិបាល តាម​រយៈ​ការ​បន្ថែម​យក​ពន្ធ​លើ​អចលនៈវត្ថុ ដីធ្លី ផ្ទះ និង ពន្ធ​ផ្លូវ នៅ​ឆ្នាំ​ក្រោយ ក្នុង​ពេល​ដែល​ដី​ធ្លី​នៅ​កម្ពុជា ធ្លាក់​តម្លៃ និង​ជីវភាព​ប្រជាជន​ជួប​ការ​លំបាក។

ទោះជាយ៉ាងណា ច្បាប់​ថវិកា​ឆ្នាំ​២០១០ ដែល​មាន​ចំនួន​សរុប​ជាង ២ ពាន់ លាន​ដុល្លារ នឹង​ត្រូវ​រដ្ឋសភា បើក​កិច្ចប្រជុំ អនុម័ត​នៅ​ព្រឹក​ថ្ងៃ​ច័ន្ទ ទី​៣០ វិច្ឆិកា ឆ្នាំ​២០០៩។ រដ្ឋាភិបាល​បាន​បង្កើន​ការ​ចំណាយ​លើ​វិស័យ​ការពារ​ជាតិ និង សន្តិសុខ រហូត​ដល់ ២៧៤ លាន​ដុល្លារ ខណៈ​ដែល​ការ​ចំណាយ​សរុប​លើ​វិស័យ​សង្គមកិច្ច រួមមាន វិស័យ​អប់រំ សុខាភិបាល និង អភិវឌ្ឍន៍​ជនបទ ជាដើម មាន​ចំនួន​ប្រមាណ ៤៤៦ លាន​ដុល្លារ៕

Source: http://www.rfi.fr/actukm/articles/119/article_3760.asp

A few weeks back, I blogged about a lecture given to us by Daniel Meadows where he explained his digital storytelling concept.

Enticed by the carrot of free beer offered by our online lecturer Glynn, I have given it a go myself.

I decided to focus on the trip that my sister and I took last summer on the Trans-Siberian railway. The results are below:

I enjoyed it so much that I am planning to do another digital story which I will post up soon.

Cambodia video footage circa 1960.

UPDATE: Consensus agrees that the video is not of Cambodia.