A Day Away

I'm in Bangkok just for a day. Be back Wednesday evening.

3G for Me?

I haven't yet made the move but I'm probably going to do what I've always advised not to do here, which is buy a nice phone. Not crazy nice, but a midline Sony-Ericsson 3G phone, like the K810i (pictured). The cons are pretty easy, cost of entry and the fact that I'm likely to lose it or have to stolen at some point. Here are the attractions though:

• Portable, unlimited internet through Mobitel at $40/month, maximum speed 384kps (in the K810)
  
• High quality 3.2 megapixel Sony Cybershot camera, autofocus, xenon flash
• Integration with Winamp, enabling streaming of my music to a remote location using Winamp Remote.
• Integration with Winamp enabling remote control (direct, not streaming) of the program on the laptop.

I'm in Bangkok on Thursday and will be checking prices (it's a $300 phone here).

Postscript: Went shopping today, and I have to say I think I will go with the older K800i, pctured below. It's a bit bulkier but gives nothing away in terms of performance and its buttons are workable whereas the 810i's really do suck. Should be around $180. The new K850i (3.5G/5 megapixel camera) did just hit the stores here but it's $500. Also nice is the T650i, but it's 3.2 MP camera lacks the xenon flash of the 850/810/800.



Ok, I'm through with the Nate stuff. Best of luck Natetron.

A Blood Sucking Parasite

"So how'd that guy Nate work out?" You remember Nate who was going to take my place in the evenings so I could get home to the family...Well let's see, he drank his way through his monthly allowance in about 10 days, ran up another $300 tab over another two weeks and disappeared tab unpaid. I even gave the guy a month to sort himself out. Nada. As far as I know he's still in town, at the Red Fox and elsewhere, borrowing money for whatever wretched hookers may tolerate him out of what can only represent absolute desperation on their part. If you see him around, please do give him my best. Perhaps introduce him to the concept of karma.

Nathan Hoag
(pictured above)
Blood Sucking Parasite
711 Post St Apt. 115 San Francisco, CA USA 94109
415-724-4129
djnatetron@hotmail.com

Actually, Guy reminds me that leeches have useful functions. Here's Nate's idea of a good time (ripping off Thai hookers). Great guy. Guess I should have read Stickman a few months ago.

Dear Leader Comes to Jungle Bar

North Korean PM to visit Cambodia in November

PHNOM PENH (Reuters) - Cambodia said on Tuesday that North Korean Prime Minister Kim Jong Il would pay an official visit at the start of next month, cementing Pyongyang’s relationship with a rare friend in southeast Asia.

During his November 1 to November 4 trip, Kim will meet Prime Minister Hun Sen and former king Norodom Sihanouk, who formed a close personal relationship with North Korean founding father Kim Il-sung at the height of the Cold War.

Sihanouk, whose playboy reputation and royal credentials did not appear to clash with Kim’s austere and rigidly communist outlook, still has a palace in Pyongyang and his personal bodyguards are all North Korean agents.

A Cambodian government statement gave few other details of Kim Yong Il’s visit.

Vietnam said earlier this month he would visit Hanoi, but did not say when or why. In March, Hanoi hosted talks aimed at normalizing relations between communist North Korea and Japan.

Source: Reuters

Of course the visit of Dear Leader can only mean one thing: Team America, screening at the Jungle Bar. 7pm Thursday, November 1.

Roads Traveled

I realize I didn't report at all on my trip to Kampot and Vietnam over P'çhum Ben, so here you are. The bus from Phnom Penh to Kampot is a good four hours, in large part because the route goes via Kep rather than straight through. It's a pleasant enough ride but way too long given Kampot's proximity (it should be a two hour ride). Kampot was delightful. We stayed at Blissful Guesthouse (fine, cheap), dined twice at Jasmine which was excellent and once at Rusty Keyhole for their terrific ribs. We caught up with Sarina at her bar Honey, the only late night bar in town it seems, and Mr. Heng, the ubiquitous Phnom Penh bar contractor, just finishing up a beautiful restoration of an old colonial building on a nice corner. Hearing what the building cost a year ago, I had that "wish I had gotten here yesterday" feeling in the pit of my stomach.

The road from Kampot to Ha Tien is still rough beyond Kep, but it wanders through beautiful countryside. Still I was glad we had opted for a taxi rather than the moto option I had thought possible. The border crossing is, shall we say, relaxed. Locals push there bikes across without any interest from the officials, and given that we didn't see a single western face in Ha Tien, I don't imagine their assignment is a demanding one. As expected the Vietnamese officials are more numerous and have a lot of paperwork to do. There was a 2000 dong fee to be paid to them for I don't know what before we hopped on our two motos for the trip into Ha Tien.

Ha Tien is a picturesque river town -- decimated by the Khmer Rouge in the 70's -- but it is just beginning to boom and still has a very laid back feel to it. Lots of new construction is seen around town, especially hotels and apartment blocks. We stayed at the first hotel we came upon offering an internet connection and that worked out fine. About $17 I think. Not much to do but wander around, drink coffee ($.30) and eat local food (also cheeeeep), but the wandering, the coffee, the local food and the lack of hassle made for a nice change from Phnom Penh. Next trip with Vatey I'd like to go to Phu Quoc island from there, but this time Ken and I got on a minibus for Chau Doc. This was a pretty local affair with way too many stops (including one to wash the van), so it's a 4 hour trip.

Chau Doc's architecture isn't as quaint or interesting as Ha Tien, but it's got a beautiful riverfront, lots of nice public spaces and is chock full of great places to eat and relax. Beat from our trip we stopoped first at the swanky Victoria Hotel on the river for a $3 beer ($.60 elsewhere) before moving on to find a hotel. Beyond the Victoria we saw a few western faces here, but still not many, and like Ha Tien, there is no western oriented nightlife of any kind to be found. Since that's not what we were looking for we enjoyed our brief stay immensely. Though right on the border and with a sizeable Khmer population it's a different world. Mirrors on the bikes, orderly traffic (well relatively speaking) and very very clean. And we found, as we did also in Ha Tien, people very friendly. Around the corner from our hotel there is a Chinese-Vietnamese cafe that had an amazing array of fine looking dishes (I'll find the name). I'm going back to Chau Doc. Next time though it will be on the fast boat.

A 50's Indochina Extravaganza

Two rarely seen films come to the Jungle big screen this week, both 1950's American films dealing with the French war in Indochina.

The original Quiet American (1958), directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz, was disowned by Graham Greene, the film being more favorably disposed to the American viewpoint than was his original novel (pulished just three years earlier). The movie stars Michael Redgrave in the role 44 years later played by Michael Caine, and war hero Audie Murphy as the American. Film exteriors were shot in Cholon, Saigon and Tay Ninh (interiors in Italy), and it is in its atmospherics that the film shines. Only recently available on DVD.

Made one year earlier, Sam Fuller's China Gate (1957) stars Gene Barry and Nat King Cole (yep) as French Foreign Legion mercenaries in Viet Nam, and in one of the most bizarre roles of her career a very young Angie Dickinson as Lucky Legs. Lucky Legs is recruited by the French high command to use her knowledge to guide a demolition squad of Legionnaires led by Barry to blow up a hidden Viet Minh ammuniton dump on the border with Red China. In return for her services, Lucky Legs is promised by the French that they will arrange for her son's evacuation to America.

Though neither film was popular with audiences -- and thus the limited releases -- both films are fascinating period pieces and worth the viewing.

Quiet American will screen Thursday, China Gate Friday, both at 7pm.

Dengue Fever: Venus on Earth

As reported in Spin Magazine:

Dengue Fever Unveil 'Venus' LP, Tour

As fans at Brooklyn's McCarren Park Pool Parties discovered this summer, Dengue Fever pack a punch of Cambodian-tinged indie rock eclecticism not to be missed. And thankfully, the Los Angeles-based outfit have now revealed their forthcoming third LP, and unveiled a supporting West Coast jaunt and documentary. Penned and recorded in the band's hometown, the fresh album, Venus On Earth, will hit store shelves Jan. 22 of next year via M80 Music, and will deliver tunes with titles like "Tiger Phone Card," "Oceans Of Venus," and "Clipped Wings."

In addition, Dengue Fever will unveil Sleepwalking Through the Mekong, a documentary chronicling the band's first shows in frontwoman Ch'hom Nimol's homeland of Cambodia. The landmark performances marked the first time a Western-based act performed Khmer Rock in Cambodia since Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge's reign began in 1975. The documentary, directed by John Pirozzi, will screen at the opening night of New York City's Margaret Mead Film Festival Nov. 9 at the Museum of Natural History. The band's outing, an 11-date affair kicking off Sept. 30 in Venice, CA, will hit cities like Los Angeles, Seattle, and Portland.

Venus On Earth tracklisting:

1. "Seeing Hands"
2. "Clipped Wings"
3. "Tiger Phone Card"
4. "Woman in the Shoes"
5. "Sober Drive"
6. "Monsoon of Perfume"
7. "Integration"
8. "Oceans of Venus"
9. "Laugh Track"
10. "Tooth And Nail"
11. "Mr. Orange"

Dengue Fever tour dates:

9/30, Venice, CA (Abbot Kinney Street Festival)
10/6, Los Angeles, CA (Eagle Rock Music Festival)
10/14, Pasadena, CA (Pasadena Art Weekend)
11/3, San Diego, CA (The Casbah)
11/6, Bellingham, WA (Nightlight Lounge)
11/7, Seattle, WA (The Nectar Lounge)
11/8, Portland, OR (Holocene)
11/9, San Francisco, CA (The Independent)
11/10, Santa Cruz, CA (Kuumbwa Jazz Center)
12/7, Los Angeles, CA (The Getty Museum)
3/12, Los Angeles, CA (Royce Hall/UCLA Live)

Although the album release is later than I expected, I'll have the album soon as it's released since I'll be in L.A. to pick it up. I'll keep you posted on the DVD release.

Saturday Postscript: I've posted Dengue Fever's show broadcast last December on KEXP, on the Jungle Podcast, here.

Ha Tien calls

I'm off to Ha Tien tomorrow with my buddy Ken. Should be back in the Jungle saddle come Thursday or Friday with a full report on the new Viet Nam border crossing.

Harold, Kumar, Out There?

Mariam traveled all the way to the states to stock up on White Castle burgers, sheparding them packed in ice through ruthless Cambodian customs. We have a couple boxes at Jungle, yours for the asking, first come first serve!!

Pchum Ben

Things are starting to get mighty mighty quiet around town with everyone heading out to the provinces for the Pchum Ben holiday. We're staying open at Jungle but will be lightly staffed some days. I'll be away on holiday next week for a few days, hoping to test out the new border crossing to Ha Tien in Viet Nam.

What's Pchum Ben? Here you go:

Prachum Benda
"Ancestors' Day"


Cambodians believe that although most living creatures are reincarnated at death, due to bad karma, some souls are not reincarnated but rather remain trapped in the spirit world. Each year, for fifteen days, these souls are released from the spirit world to search for their living relatives, meditate and repent. The fifteen-day observance of Prachum Benda, or Ancestors' Day, is a time for living relatives to remember their ancestors and offer food to those unfortunate enough to have become trapped in the spirit world. Furthermore, it is an important opportunity for living relatives to meditate and pray to help reduce the bad karma of their ancestors, thus enabling the ancestors to become reincarnated and leave the torment and misery of the spirit world.

Prachum Benda, better known colloquially as Pchum Ben, may be translated as "gathering together to make offerings" (prachum meaning "gathering together" and benda meaning "offering"). The observance usually begins in mid-September and lasts an entire lunar cycle, constituting the fifteen days that ancestral spirits are given to visit their living relatives. In the year 2003, the specific dates for its commencement and conclusion are September 11th and September 25th, respectively.

Pchum Ben is the fifteenth and final day of the observance and consists of a large gathering of laity for festivities at the local Buddhist temple. Each day leading up to the fifteenth, however, is also important and special. Different families host services at the temple on each of the fourteen days prior to the final celebration. The days leading up to Pchum Ben are known as Kann Ben (kann meaning "hosting or holding") and are numbered one through fourteen accordingly.

Prior to the day a family or families are scheduled to host a Kann Ben, relatives and close family friends will go to the temple to make preparations. During the preparations, urns of ancestors, traditionally kept on temple grounds, are polished and brought to the viheara (the main chanting room). Also, the names of ancestors are recorded onto an invitation list. This is important because spirits cannot receive offerings unless they are first invited to do so by living relatives. In the evening, the host family and other participants will join the monks in the viheara for meditation and chanting. The monks will then pass on the Buddha's teachings, as well as offer blessings and guidance to those present.

Before sunrise on the morning of the Kann Ben, special food is prepared for the ancestral spirits to enjoy. Favorite dishes of various flavors and colors are offered. They range from the simple and traditional nom ansom (sticky rice wrapped in banana leaves with assorted fillings) to the more elaborate and rich amok (steamed fish fillet marinated in a complex mix of spices and herbs). As a gesture of kindness, the hosts also prepare bai ben (steamed sticky rice mixed with sesame seeds and then formed into balls) to be thrown into shaded areas about the temple grounds. This mixture is an offering to the hungry souls who have been forgotten or no longer have living relatives to make them offerings.

Before noon on Kann Ben, candles and incense are lit and the various dishes are offered to the monks. The prepared list of names is then recited and burned. The reading and burning of the list is a ritual performed to alert and direct the wandering souls to the location of their families. It is an invitation for the ancestral spirits to join their living relatives as they commemorate life. After consuming the proffered meal, the monks continue to chant blessings, sprinkling (or showering) holy water onto the families and their visiting ancestral spirits. The Kann Ben is a time of remembrance and an opportunity to accumulate good karma on behalf of one's ancestors.

The rituals of Kann Ben continue for fourteen days. On the fifteenth day, the traditionally observed Pchum Ben, families in the local area gather to perform the same ritual of ancestral remembrance and offer an immense communal feast. This day is especially important because if any ancestors are unfortunate enough to have become Priad spirits, it is the only day that they may receive offerings of food and benefit from the good karma earned by their relatives. Priads are the most miserable of all souls due to their exceptional bad karma. Unlike other spirits, Priads fear light and can only receive prayers, food and be reunited with their living relatives during the darkest day of this lunar cycle, the day of Pchum Ben.

Participating in the Pchum Ben, whether as a host or participant, is a very important aspect of Cambodian culture. It is a time of reunion and commemoration. It is a time to express love and appreciation for one's ancestors. By offering food and good karma to those possibly trapped in the spirit world, living relatives help assuage their misery and guide them back into the cycle of reincarnation. After the ancestors are reincarnated, they have the opportunity to accumulate good karma on their own and look forward to attaining a peaceful inner spirit, which is the best blessing a living relative can wish for their ancestors.

From the Khmer Institute website