Is Australia part of Europe?

One day, our Cambodian driver asked us, whether Australia was part of Europe. At first, I thought I’d misunderstood him and answered that Austria was, but Australia wasn’t.
“Oh,” he said, “that’s a shame. Then I got that one wrong on my test.”
It seemed he’d written a geography test at his university, in which he had [...]

Drinking and driving in Phnom Penh

I’m confused. I always thought you weren’t supposed to drink and drive.
But then what’s the message these traffic cops in Phnom Penh are sending out? Their guard house clearly displays an advertisement for beer.
It’s sponsored by Asahi breweries. The company is based in Japan and just trying to get a foot in the [...]

Oktoberfest in Phnom Penh – it’s Munich on the Mekong

I’ve never been to Munich’s Oktoberfest.
Somehow the combination of binge drinking, oom-pah music and big-busted waitresses in dirndl-dresses always failed to intrigue me.
So I was unprepared for what I experienced last night, when I attended the Oktoberfest in Cambodia’s capital Phnom Penh – of all places.
Imagine an authentic Bavarian band playing German beer-drinking music and [...]

Knai Bang Chatt – Pure Luxury in Cambodia

Want to get away from it all? Come to Kep in southern Cambodia and check in to Knai Bang Chatt resort.
Knai Bang Chatt is a name that needs explaining. It means ‘rainbow around the sun’. In Buddhist symbolism, this rainbow is the halo around Buddha’s head.
But even if the name may be difficult to remember, [...]

The North Korean dinner show

I saw the most unusual dinner show the other day.
It was at a North Korean restaurant in Cambodia’s capital Phnom Penh.
Before I make an attempt to put this unique dining and entertainment experience into words, please take a look at a short video I made during the show to get an idea what I’m talking [...]

Christmas in Cambodia

Christmas isn’t exactly a traditional holiday in Cambodia.
95 % of the people here are Buddhists. Only a very small minority are Christians.
But just like the people in many other Asian countries, Cambodians love Christmas lights and decorations, giving gifts and throwing Christmas parties.
Especially young Cambodians seem to enjoy the magic of Christmas (and in Cambodia, [...]

Phnom Penh’s public washroom

One of the most public spaces in Phnom Penh is a large lawn in front of the National Museum.
It’s bordered on its four sides by the museum, the enclosing wall of the royal palace and two rows of shops, offices and restaurants.
And even though this piece of green is smack in the heart of the [...]

Cambodian weddings

The rainy season is over in Cambodia, and that means the wedding season is now beginning. Most weddings here take place in the first two months after the end of the monsoon.
It’s a matter of pride to throw a bombastic wedding party. These parties are often held outdoors on the street. Candy-colored gazeboes are put [...]

Sunday sunset

The sun sets over Phnom Penh’s National Museum on Sunday, December 7, 2008

How Cambodia fights pedophilia

A high-profile pedophilia trial has just ended in Sihanoukville, Cambodia. Russian businessman Alexander Trofimov was sentenced to eight years in prison for sexually abusing a 13-year-old girl.
Trofimov had already been convicted of sexually abusing another underage girl in Cambodia and is currently serving a six-year sentence in this country.
Two things are strange about this trial
For [...]