AsiaLIFE Cambodia June 2018

062018 ISSUE138

062018 ISSUE138 front

note from the editor

08 Events 10 Openings 11 Trending 12 News 14 AsiaLIFE's Picks 17 Cambodia Profiles 18 Photo Essay 22 Q&A: Thavry Thon

Marissa Carruthers

24 Making A Noise

storyboard

32 Back Street Bites 34 Tuning In 36 Yes We Can

getaway

38 48 Hours In Yangon

food & drinks

40 Iza 41 Kanji 42 Wau Restaurant

style & design

44 Check In

back

60 Appchat

46 Fashion

61 Box Office

AsiaLIFE Media Vol. 123

|JUNE 2018

Music should be placed at the pinnacle of the cultural ladder, according to Australian musician and Krom co-founder, Christopher Mink. Music can help define a country; capture its soul, tell a generation’s story, and immortalise an era’s successes, struggles, hopes and dreams. Music leaves footprints in the history books for years to come.

Music also runs through the veins of Cambodians, with a swathe of untapped talent running in abundance through the country. However, in a country that is still finding its feet in the modern world after decades of conflict, the contemporary music scene is running in parallel as the young generation start to push for their own identity, style and sound.

The mainstream music industry is dogged with complaints of copycats and a lack of originality, with very few options for locals to listen to away from the commercial world. However, the last few years have seen the industry start to move in a new direction, as young artists experiment with different musical genres as a form of expression.

The result is the emergence of a promising alternative wave of music that features original lyrics and music. This month’s cover feature takes a look at how Cambodia’s younger generation are taking ownership and steering the music industry in a fresh direction. Sticking with the music theme, writer Danielle Keeton-Olsen speaks to Australian musician Amanda Bloom ahead of the release of her latest album.

Elsewhere, I speak to Menno de Block as he prepares to round up a three-year project with the launch of his hard-hitting book, Dive Deeply, Go Far, this month.

on the cover

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4 AsiaLIFE Cambodia

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EXPLORING HUE WITH TIM DOLING SAIGON’S GLITTERING DRAG SCENE INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATIONS PUBLISHING HOUSE

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AsiaLIFE Cambodia 5

t h e p l a c e t o e at

OYSTERS

oyster lovers be tempted one dollar each everyday 6 to 8 First Floor, maline apartment building, street 214, between norodom & street 51 tel: 092 776 552

OPenings

TOMOKA COCKTAIL COMPANY

WORKSPACE 1 CRAFTY COCKTAILS

The capital’s swathe of residential rooftops and spacious balconies mean Phnom Penh’s plethora of properties are alive with house parties at weekends. Tomoka Cocktail Company is the city’s first service that concocts high-end cocktails to deliver straight to the door, taking the hard work out of any party or event. Using quality liquors, freshly-squeezed juice and a homemade range of syrups, bitters and infusions made from local ingredients, cocktails span signature, classic and premium, with party and menu-planning options available.

Tomoka can also supply ice, glassware and cocktail shakers, with instructions on how to garnish each drink included. Orders can be pre-booked or made live during delivery times.

9 Street 75, Phnom Penh. Tel. 098 813 018. Delivery available Tuesday to Sunday, from 5pm to midnight.

CO-WORKING COMFORT The capital’s latest co-working space has opened its doors at Factory Phnom Penh in the form of Workspace 1 (WS1), offering a creative space to support Cambodia’s young entrepreneurs and innovators. WS1 has a range of options, ranging from traditional hot desks and fixed desks to, for those whose companies are growing, graduation offices – small private offices within the co-working space. In addition to its modern design and user-friendly layout, WS1 will host events to help its members’ network, learn, foster collaboration and support innovations. It is part of the recently opened Factory Phnom Penh, a former garment factory converted into a creative hub, with offices, a skateboard park, Montessori school, green space and a planned canteen and art studios.

Factory Phnom Penh, 1159 National Road Number 2, Phnom Penh. Tel. 017 999 546.

CHEESE & WINE DECADENCE A delight for All cheese lovers, our new wednesdAy cheese & wine Buffet is A stunning wAy to indulge mid week! every wednesdAy, 6.30pm to 10pm $38++ per person

exclusive of government tAxes & service chArge

Sofitel Phnom Penh Phokeethra 26 OLD AUGUST SITE SOTHEAROS BLVD 12301 PHNOM PENH TEL. +855 (0) 23 999 200 - H6526@SOFITEL.COM www.SOFITEL-PHNOMPENH-PHOkEETHRA.COM

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EVENTS

Until 4 JUN

Uprooted: Farm to Table Dinner @Knai Bang Chatt Enjoy a day filled with farm to table treats while being immersed in the most interesting aspects of Kampot’s agriculture, followed by a seaside dinner in Kep featuring the fresh ingredients guests witnessed making their way from farm to table. Served at the iconic Knai Bang Chatt resort, this degustation is a four-hands collaboration featuring chef Amy Baard, of Farm to Table, and chef Jay Scaife, of Knai Bang Chatt.

Package tickets and dinner-only tickets are available at uprooted-dinner.eventbrite.com.

2 JUN

The History of Things to Come Vintage Pop-Up Fair @ Beyond Design After being delayed by a week because of a fire at its original location at The Bodleian, The History of Things to Come Vintage Pop-Up Fair makes a return. Revamp your wardrobe with a selection of more than 100 imported vintage garments, hand-selected by organiser Amanda Bloom for their timeless designs. With something to suit everyone, browse the rainbow assortment of summer cotton 70s and 80s summer dresses, 60s cocktail dresses, flapper dresses from the 20s, Woodstock-era boho dresses and stacks more.

Daily from 10am to 7.30pm until June 4 at Beyond Design, 21 Street 206, Phnom Penh.

Charity Concert by Musica Felice @Sofitel Phnom Penh Phokeethra

8 JUN

The international choral group is holding its third charity concert, including spine-tingling choral works by Saint-Saëns, Fauré and Karl Jenkin. The programme opens with an original improvisational piece composed by founder and director, Miwako Fujiwara, and includes collaborative pieces, specially arranged by Miwako for Khmer traditional instruments and piano. Musica Felice will showcase their multicultural theme, singing in Latin, Hebrew, Greek and ancient Aramaic to end the performance. The musical programme will be accompanied by a screening of a visual arts creation by Ulla Reimer. All proceeds go to the Tola Say music school and Banteay Preab.

From 6pm to 8pm, $10, $5 (under-12s).

The Network @Department of Performing Arts

3 JUN

The Liger Leadership Academy likes to do things differently.

They are performing The Network to encourage the audience to question the ways in which social media influences their day-to-day interactions. This full-length comedy-drama explores the ways that the virtual world impacts reality, how “information bubbles” shape our perception of the world, and how different sources of information influence people’s behaviour. Do we control the Network, or does the Network control us?

From 7pm to 9pm, $6/$4.

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Belle: Creation @IFC Cinema On the occasion of the performance of the Ballet Preljocaj at the Chenla Theatre of Phnom Penh, Belle (Chumvan Sodhachivy) presented an extract of a new creation. Having finished her work, the famous Khmer choreographer is proud to present her creation in its entirety for a new show at the French Institute of Cambodia.

24 JUN

From 6.30pm, $10 (adults)/ $5 (under-18s and students).

Playful Rachmaninoff @MetaHouse Opening with J.S. Bach's masterpiece Partita No1, the piano recital includes Rachmaninoff's ‘Variations on a Theme of Corelli'’ Op 22. Composed in 1931 at a holiday home in exile in Switzerland, this is a playful piece of lightness combined with virtuosity. Ranchmaninoff himself often used to play his variations in public.

Performed by Prof. Dr. Cicilia Yudha (USA/Indonesia).

9 JUN

From 5pm, $10/ $3 (students/children).

25 JUN 13 JUL Summer Fun Club @Fun Club Phnom Penh This summer programme is designed to make children’s summer a fun and memorable one. It offers a vast variety of activities ranging from sports, water activities, arts, international music and dance, to STEM programmes, language and culture, animal awareness, health and fitness.

From 9am to 3pm, daily. Register on Fb at funclub. phnompenh or funclubpp@gmail.com.

TTP Summer Camp @Phnom Climb & CrossFit Amatak Learning the basic human movements to become faster, stronger and fitter, boosting their confidence and making new friends. Children will learn to support and push, compete and laugh, jump and smile through team work, fun obstacle challenges, and stamina and strength training.

Registration starts on June 1, for more information visit Phnom Climb or CrossFit Amatak CAAS Facebook pages.

25 JUN 3 AUG AsiaLIFE Cambodia 9

OUT & ABOUT This month, AsiaLIFE attends the official opening of the capital’s Exchange Square and looks ahead to an evening of fine dining at Topaz.

EXCHANGE SQUARE OFFICIALLY OPENS ITS DOORS

A GRAND ceremony marked the official opening of Hong Kong Land’s flagship development in Cambodia, Exchange Square.

Located in the heart of the capital’s burgeoning business district, the space is home to more than 60 office and retail units spread across four floors. The venue has already secured 80 percent occupancy, with it predicting all units will be snapped up by the end of the year.

“As a first-of-its-kind office, retail and

lifestyle destination in this emerging business hub in Asia, Exchange Square is well poised to meet the needs of both commercial and retail businesses looking to gain a firm foothold in the region,” said Robert Wong, chief executive of Hongkong Land. “We believe this world-class property will make a game-changing contribution to the dynamic transformation of Phnom Penh.”

Boasting a list of leading international and regional tenants, Exchange Square hosts

businesses including Huawei Technologies, UNICEF and Toyota Tsusho Corporation.

“Our local office building blocks are an indispensable part for Huawei’s sound operations and profitable growth in Cambodia, and we are glad to partner with Hongkong Land to sustain our operations in Phnom Penh,” said David Li Xiongwei, CEO of Huawei Technologies (Cambodia) Co., Ltd. Exchange Square also represents a unique and upscale lifestyle trend in the city, setting a new benchmark for Phnom Penh’s retail experience. The retail mix introduces a range of brands, including BERING, Guardian, Legend Premium Cinema, Levi’s, Lucky Premium Supermarket, Pandora, Samsonite, Swatch and Yves Rocher.

Well-known F&B outlets, such as Hard Rock Cafe, Lucky Burger, Starbucks and Sushi Tei can also be found in the more than 40 retail stores.

“We are delighted to have found such an excellent location in which to showcase the most energetic live music scene in the city at Hard Rock Cafe. This is our group’s second cafe in Cambodia and we are looking forward to strong sales and engagement with our customers here at Exchange Square,” said general manager, Benoit Dufour.

Its grand opening was marked with an official ceremony attended by government officials and the business community. A party with live music was held in the evening at Hard Rock Café.

ENJOY AN EVENING OF DIVINE DINING AND WINE TWO-Michelin Star chef Benoit Vidal is gearing up to present an evening of fantastic food and wine.

Topaz will host the event on June 21 for its next edition of Les Étoiles Michelin du Topaz, which will see guests enjoy a sevencourse menu by Vidal, who has a reputation for his distinctive blend of mountain and Mediterranean instincts and the supreme harmony and elegance of his dishes.

Vidal is the owner and chef of Atelier Edmond, a chalet-style restaurant 1,950 metres up the slopes of Val d’Isère in the French Alps. Here, he won his first Michelin star in 2012, adding his second just three years later.

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He trained with the best of the best, including Michel Trama (two Michelin stars), Michel Guérard, one of the founders of ‘nouvelle cuisine’ and mentor to chefs including Alain Ducasse, Gérald Passédat and Sébastian Bras all of whom hold three Michelin stars.

Originally from Perpignan, Vidal has made himself at home in the mountains of Val d’Isère where he quietly exercises his culinary philosophy of sincerity, humility and sensibility.

Vidal seeks to establish harmonies between the bright, effervescent flavours of his youth and the rich, fuller flavours of the Savoyard mountains.

The resulting dishes are harmonious in both form and flavour, with a near unearthly elegance. His menus are described as serious, sophisticated, solid and true, very much like the man himself.

He will arrive in Phnom Penh several days before the gourmet evening to train the Topaz team in the methods, techniques and skills necessary to create his dishes.

Tickets are $125 for the set menu and $180 net wine pairing. Reservations are essential at 015 821 888, reservation-topaz@ thaliashospitality.com or topaz-restaurant. com/reservation.

inspiring arts SUICIDAL SEX

A story from the arts: Uy Latavan

Cambodian Living Arts (CLA) believes that arts and cultural expression are essential to a thriving future for Cambodia.

This month, we tell the story of Uy Latavan, a yike (traditional musical theatre) artist from Phnom Penh. Recently, Latavan was part of the selection committee allocating CLA’s first ‘Dam Dos’ (‘Plant & Grow’) small grants to artists and arts groups.

Inspired by her uncle telling her that yike theatre was unique to Cambodia, Latavan started to learn this art form in 1972 at Phnom Penh’s School of Fine Arts.

Her dreams were cut short when the Khmer Rouge took over, but after the collapse of the regime she continued to pursue her passion. Working with the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts, she trained thousands of people in art forms, from folk dance to theatre, in the cities and in provinces. Though she is now retired, she is still an advisor to the Ministry.

Latavan has also worked with CLA since 2008 as a yike teacher and leader of the troupe Yike Amatak.

When CLA started a new small grants programme, aiming to increase opportunities for artists to start their own projects, they asked Latavan to join the selection committee.

She says, “I am so proud to be invited. I believe that

grants enable local artists to lead their projects to stregthen our culture and arts, and especially encourage creativity in the sector.”

During the process, she and the other two committee members made a lot of tiring questions and discussions before they reached their final decision. Latavan noted that she was happy to work with artists from all kinds of different fields, and found the diversity of applications for the grants both interesting and encouraging.

She was especially interested in Chhit Chanphireak’s new project to research and write a play from ‘Okhna Chaktorung Yous’ by Kuy Lout, a historical novel narrating a revolution in 1884 to1886, against the French protectorate in Cambodia.

“I can’t wait to see it on stage,” she says. “Many other applications were also good, and I strongly encourage those who didn’t get a grant this year to reapply, and to keep committed to their projects.”

The project grant supports creative artistic projects, community-based projects, and research projects related to Cambodian arts and culture. The mobility grant supports participation in arts and culture-related projects such as workshops, conferences, residencies, trainings and research trips, in Cambodia or internationally.

To learn more about Cambodian Living Arts, find CLA on Facebook, @CamboLivingArts on Twitter, CambodianLivingArts on Instagram, or visit cambodianlivingarts.org.

Two species of marsupials whose males die after marathon sex sessions have been put on Australia's endangered list. Scientists from Queensland University of Technology say biologists are racing against the clock to save the species from extinction. The black-tailed dusky antechinus and the silver-headed antechinus – discovered in 2013 – are known for their suicidal mating habits. Sex sessions lasting up to 14 hours are contributing to the challenges the species face, alongside climate change, habitat loss and feral pests.

POLICE KITTIE

Pawfficer Donut, a rescue kitten, has been sworn in as the newest member of Troy Police Department (TPD), Michigan. The female kitten was asked to raise her right paw as she was officially sworn in after a successful interview, reported Michigan Live. She was given to TPD by the Humane Society in Michigan and will now work in the police department's feline unit. "We are using social media to engage the public that we serve and get the message out that police are human, too, and we want to show we have a side of us that is beyond law enforcement," Chief Gary Mayer reportedly said.

SOPHISTICATED SHARKS Quite unlike the monsters they're portrayed as, sharks are actually sophisticated creatures with an affinity for jazz music, according to new research. Scientists at Australia's Macquarie University Fish Lab have found that the fish are able to associate music with food rewards – and jazz is more their bag than classical. The researchers trained baby Port Jackson sharks to associate music with reward as part of a study published in the Animal Cognition journal. They found the sharks learned to go to a feeding station far better when played jazz music than other kinds of songs.

BIG MAC MANIAC A man who says a Big Mac is his "perfect food" has now eaten 30,000 of the McDonald's burgers. "This one is a biggie for me," retired prison officer Don Gorske said as he reached the culinary milestone in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. It was something he had been "looking forward to", local media reported. According to the Fond du Lac Reporter, the 64-year-old "Big Mac maniac" gave a "half-hour presentation" to a crowd that gathered to watch him consume the milestone meal. He scoffed the all-beef patty with special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles and onions (all on a sesame-seed bun) at the restaurant where he had his first.

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news

JUN BY KATE 2018 BURBIDGE

SOLO EXHIBIT BY NOV CHEANICK AT ROSEWOOD PHNOM PENH

PAINTER Nov Cheanick’s work takes centre stage at Rosewood Phnom Penh when his solo exhibition, Cycle, features at the Art Gallery until September 1.

Cycle surveys one decade of Cheanick’s artistic practice, from early figurative drawing studies to recent abstract paintings, and is themed around both physical and transcendental regeneration.

“I don’t create anything new; I just

transform what exists. What I learn from people and my environment is collected and combined into one painting,” says Nov. Influenced by meditation and the breathing cycle as a tool for greater awareness, Nov is interested in the undefined boundaries of perception. The evolution of his work attests to this.

During his education, he gravitated away from the strict brushwork of realism

and towards abstraction. He sought less control and predictability, abandoning the brush completely in favour of painting with a traditional wooden broom. His process became physical, emotive and responsive.

Over the years, his references and images have become increasingly abstract. From a palette of mostly muted, dark and earthen colours, to his most recent grey zones. Nov’s densely layered surfaces deliberately blur both the subject and the perception of figure and ground.

Nevertheless, no matter how imageless his canvases may seem, they remain representational. There are human and animal figures, bodies of water, and states of being. There are skies, the earth, and maps; there is rain and what follows.

Nov’s dynamic surfaces, accompanied by his poetic words, bring the viewer closer to the ways in which he challenges the limits of perception, merging conscious and unconscious worlds, with his mind and his heart in his paintings.

Nov, born in 1989 at Site 2 refugee camp in Thailand, is one of Cambodia’s foremost emerging artists. His solo exhibitions include A Small Part at Tini, Phnom Penh in 2017; Break the System at Lee Gallery, Paris in 2017 and Sangker Gallery in Battambang; and Rain at Java Creative Café in 2014.

His work has been included in numerous group exhibitions including Shapeshifting: Contemporary Art from Southeast Asia, 10 Chancery Lane Gallery, Hong Kong in 2015; Made in Battambang at the French Institute in 2014; and The Memory Workshop at Maison Français, Columbia University, New York City in 2013.

Nov is also engaged in live-painting performances and participates in Cambodia’s independent film sector, most recently acting in the Cannes award-winning feature Diamond Island, directed by Chou Davy in 2016. He studied visual art at Phare Ponleu Selpak in Battambang, graduating in 2010. He continued to study with artists Séra (Ing Phoussera) and Vann Nath and pursued further training at École Pivaut in Nantes, France in 2011. Today, Nov lives and works in Battambang.

ANGKOR’S SHINTA MANI SHACK PROMISES FUN FOR ALL THE FAMILY AS the summer holidays loom on the horizon families are seeking activities to keep children entertained.

Siem Reap’s Shinta Mani Shack Angkor has developed a special Family Adventure Package that promises to deliver heaps of fun throughout the school holidays.

It includes a day trip to the historic Angkor

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Temples, an oxcart ride, a trip to the circus

by Phare Ponleu Selpak, a market tour and cooking class, and a spiritual meditation experience.

A range of dining options is available to suit all palates, from the gourmet international cuisine at Kroya Restaurant, through the Baitong Restaurant for all-day

dining and three bars, to the peace and quiet of room service.

The onsite Spa by Khmer Tonics offers further relaxation via a range of treatments from highly skilled therapists.

For information, visit shintamani.com.

JAILBREAK TO REACH INTERNATIONAL AUDIENCE ON NETFLIX

AFTER securing success in cinemas in Cambodia, Jailbreak has become the first Cambodian film to be released on Netflix.

The action blockbuster movie was released on the online television network on May 2, 15 months after it was screened at local cinemas.

While Netflix had produced the original feature for Angelina Jolie’s First They Killed My Father – shot entirely in Cambodia – it hadn’t yet acquired any rights for films from local productions.

Directed by Jimmy Henderson and produced by Loy Te of Kongchak Pictures, Jailbreak was invited to more than 20 festivals in 15 countries, and won six awards, including Best Action Film, Most Innovative

Film and a special jury prize for Kongchak Pictures’ innovative use of resources to promote and inspire the local film industry.

“It’s a dream come true,” said Henderson.

“This means a lot for my career personally but also for the film industry in Cambodia in general. I am grateful to the fans that came to watch and supported the film because they are part of the success.”

Shot across 35 days in 2016, the film boasts many famous bokator fighters and celebrities, such as Dy Sonita, Duch Lida, Neay Pek Mi, Neay Kreun, and includes cameos from musicians Kmeng Khmer and Laura Mam. The ancient Khmer martial art of bokator is also benefitting from the international

buzz. Lead actor Dara Our, also a national bokator team coach, said, “This film is really important to promote bokator on the international market. Jailbreak has done great things for Cambodia, and it shows the potential of Khmer films to the international market, while promoting our cultural heritage.”

Lead actress and ONE FC MMA Female Champion, Tharoth Sam, said she has enjoyed touring the globe. “Having the chance to travel to other countries and talk about the film and promote bokator was like a beautiful dream,” she said.

“Women would come to me at the end of the screening to say they loved how kick-ass I was in the movie.”

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In line with this month’s cover feature on the country’s emerging music scene, AsiaLIFE picks some of the top spots in the capital to catch the Kingdom’s growing number of musicians.

Photography by Steve Porte.

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Show Box Since opening in 2012, Show Box has made a name for itself as a chilled-out bar with heaps of alternative attitude,while also doubling up as a community art space. Also serving as a hang-out for many of the capital’s young punk and rock crowd, Show Box’s weekly open mic night has proved a popular platform for established and amateur artists since launching. Every Wednesday, it draws in a huge creative crowd of music-lovers to watch the range of acts that span songwriters, spoken word performers, musicians and bands of all genres, from 8pm to 11pm. Live music is also held every Friday, with a variety of bands taking to the stage. And if that isn’t enough to whet your appetite, then the happy hour, which runs from 6pm to 7pm daily, should entice you.

11 Street 330. Open daily, from 11am to midnight.

Sharky’s Sharky’s has been serving the capital with rocking beats since opening in 1995, making it one of the longest-running bars in Phnom Penh. Its size means a mosh pit can really get going and there’s plenty of space for head-banging to the swathe of live music events it hosts. Every Sunday, it invites musicians to jump on stage and sing, dance or pound the drums at its open mic night, from 8.30pm. Every Thursday, from 10pm, Sharky’s Khmer Band take to the stage to perform their range of classic and modern local music. This month, other music events include Rock Samples Live on June 8 and 22, and Euphoria Live on June 9 and 23.

126 Street 130. Open daily, from 5pm to 1am.

Oscar on the Corner Hardened live music fans can find something every day of the week at Oscar’s. Calling itself Cambodia’s number one live rock ‘n’ roll music bar”, the venue takes its music seriously, with a range of bands and musicians filling the venue with varying sounds of music from home and abroad every night, from 10pm. Five house bands feature, with Oscar himself often taking to the drums.

Guest bands include Kompot Playboys, Joe & the Jumping Jacks and Road to Mandalay, who will be performing their final show at the venue on June 1, from 9pm. Every couple of months, a metal night takes over Oscar, with acts from Cambodia and the region invited.

Corner of Street 13 and Street 104.

Open daily, from 6pm to 3am.

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The Mansion by FCC The grounds of the crumbling colonial mansion make a pretty impressive location for events. The venue, which is operated

by FCC, often hosts live music and other events, with the dilapidated building, which dates back to 1910, providing an atmospheric backdrop. The Mansion most recently held a memorial concert for Kak Channthy, which saw a host of musicians pay tribute to the Cambodian Space Project singer. They included Laura Mam, Jessica Lisha Shrin and Kampot Playboys. Other live performances take in Cambodia Country Band, live jazz, Amanda Bloom – featured as this month’s Profile – and Melbourne’s Phil E Stain Band. Keep an eye on the Facebook page for upcoming events.

32 Sothearos Boulevard.

Duplex Belgian Taverne Duplex’s spacious ground floor makes it the perfect spot for a gig, with its small stage regularly hosting bands to entertain the crowds on the dancefloor. Live beats from across the globe can be caught throughout the week, ranging from hip hop, jazz and folk, to afro Cuban and Latin house. Alternatively, DJs are often found providing the evening’s musical entertainment. Every Wednesday, Duplex hosts a salsa night, with beginners’ classes from 7pm to 9pm and a monthly local DJ. Salsa gigs featuring local bands are also organised. On June 2, Kampot Playboys will be holding their album launch at Duplex, from 9pm.

Street 278. Open daily, from 10am to 2pm.

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MUSICIAN

AMANDA BLOOM

Words by Danielle Keeton-Olsen.

Photo by Enric Català.

T

ravel has always inspired Amanda Bloom to create and perform as a singer, songwriter and pianist, and she spends nearly as much time abroad as she does in her home base of Phnom Penh. But in her upcoming album, Siam, the musician integrates an additional theme: time and pacing.

“There’s a tendency with a lot of [neo-classical] piano music to be sort of minimalistic, but a lot of these songs are very energetic and fast-moving in a sense,” says the musician.

Bloom weaves her deep reverence for discovering new places and cultures into all her music, whether through instrumentation, style or the video behind the piece. In her upcoming release, the musician is seeking to make the most of her time spent on her projects and life.

Like her past albums, Bloom’s Siam pulls inspiration from travel, primarily serving as an ode to Southeast Asia. Bloom set the release date for summer, with a launch in Phnom Penh in June. But Siam has been a new venture for the artist: the album solely

focuses on piano, departing from the vocals and full instrumentations of previous works.

Bloom’s international gigs have continually led to others. As she flew between Phnom Penh and Berlin, where she holds an artist visa, she befriended David Klavins, a master piano builder living in Hungary.

The craftsman and technician is one of a few piano builders innovating the shape and sound of the centuries-old instrument.

Klavins’ latest innovation requires a set of stairs to reach the keys – the M450i is a towering yet elegant vertical piano at 450-centimetres high, producing impressive and resonating tones.

Klavins asked Bloom to record some of her songs on the world’s largest vertical concert grand piano as an ambassador for his instruments and perform alongside contemporary composer Bruno Sanfilippo at the Piano Day concert in Hungary in March.

“It’s the most heroic sounding [instrument] in the world,” Bloom says, describing her incredible experience playing the M450i.

“Klavins has completely revolutionising the piano-building world.”

Headphones, notebooks and a takeaway coffee in hand, Bloom is on the verge of the next step in her career. She is currently planning a European tour in autumn to perform pieces from her forthcoming album.

In addition to expanding her repertoire, Bloom aims to improve her productivity, so she can produce more music and embark on new projects sooner.

Her latest album is a step in that direction, having recorded it in a whirlwind two days.

She spent months on recording in the past but plans to push herself to let go of her “perfectionist” nature.

“I’d labour for years over my craft,” she says. “Perfectionism is often just fear and self-doubt masqueraded as heightened standards, but this time I really challenged myself to capture something spontaneous.”

For details about the launch of Bloom’s new album, Siam, or to explore her compositions, tune into Bloom’s website, amandabloom.net, or her Facebook page, @ amandabloomofficial.

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PHOTO ESSAY

T

his series of photos taken on the streets of Phnom Penh between 2009 and 2018 explores the unintentional interaction between the people caught in their daily activities and modern advertising boards. Behind the humour of some situations, they point at social inequalities.

The photographs emphasise the high contrast between modern and rural life, Western and Asian perspectives, luxury and simplicity, dream and harsh reality, frivolity of the consumer society and the daily struggle of many low class workers, despite the recent emergence of an educated middle-class.

During the last 11 years, Vincent de Wilde has been a privileged witness to the quick and drastic transformations of Phnom Penh. As a street photographer, he tries to capture the details that bring Cambodian society to life.

He aims to show the humanity, beauty and emotions of people met randomly in the city streets through the lens of their daily life. He aims to capture moments of spontaneity, peculiarity and humour. In addition to street photography, he also focuses on the work of fishermen, construction workers, salt workers and brick makers.

Contact him at vincentdewilde07@gmail.com and see more of his work by visiting, vincentdewilde.photodeck. com.

BY VINCENT DE WILDE 18 AsiaLIFE Cambodia

FAMILIARITY

PHNOM PENH AT CROSSROADS

ROPES SHE WILL NEVER JUMP

AsiaLIFE Cambodia 19

QUESTIONING SCARLETT

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THE LONG MARCH

69, DODGY BAR

RELAXATION

AsiaLIFE Cambodia 21

Q&A

AUTHOR & ENTREPRENEUR

22 AsiaLIFE Cambodia

With the successful release of her memoir, A Proper Woman, in English and Khmer, writer and entrepreneur Thavry Thon plans to showcase her brother’s story next.

Words by Danielle KeetonOlsen; photography by Enric Català.

Why do you want to share your brother’s story?

I wanted to share my brother Rithy Thul’s journey of self-discovery and his philosophy that no matter who you are, and where you are from, dreams are possible to achieve. I think his story is unique. I grew up with him and from my personal perspective he would inspire so many people regardless of gender, because we are from a farming family and he didn’t follow others, he’s of the philosophy of pulling himself and seeing what’s possible.

He shows me that you don’t have to follow the norms to succeed.

How are the interviews going?

This is what we’re still struggling with. I gave him homework [writing out his memories], but he didn’t do that. So, I struggled because I didn’t have resources to start with.

Luckily, I’ve started with his childhood, and I grew up with him, so I know a lot about him.

He told me it’s very difficult to tell me stories when I’m also in the story. Sometimes I’ll call my mum to clarify where he went to school, something like this, so I write it up and share with my brother and then the editor.

hope that if this person can do it, then they can do the same.

What biographies inspired you?

I became inspired by Loung Ung in First They Killed My Father and followed it up with Lucky Child. I felt she spoke through her very personal story, and her story was very similar to my mother’s story, so I decided to write my mother’s story too. I also read more imaginative stories, like The Alchemist. I read it overnight. You feel like you are the boy in the story.

Who has read A Proper Woman?

I get constant emails and messages from Cambodian readers who enjoyed the book [which follows Thon’s personal struggle to follow her dreams, becoming an ambassador for female empowerment].

Some of them thank me that I’m brave enough to share my story, and some of them tell me they feel more confident in pursuing their dreams after reading. Some of them ask me what should I do if my parents do not want me to pursue writing? I feel very proud. I’m glad that I have done this, because looking back I see so many people got a benefit from this. The Khmer edition actually sold a lot more.

I didn’t realise I wanted to write like this. But I was a child who always had dreams, so that’s what I focused on

Was it difficult to write about women’s struggle for rights in your own life?

Older people may not agree with the lessons from A Proper Woman yet, because I seem to speak against the norms. But so far, I haven’t been attacked by anyone, or maybe they haven’t read it yet. But for the younger generation, between 16- and 30-years-old, they mostly support the idea and they agree, or they love the book, so it means they accept the message.

As you were growing up, did you ever expect to advocate for women’s rights?

No, I didn’t realise I wanted to write like this.

But I was a child who always had dreams, so that’s what I focused on. I had support from my family, so I had no fear that I would drop out of school or lose my dream.

In my village, I got a lot of criticism, like neighbours told my mum that I should drop out of school to work in the factory. I proved to them that being a girl does not mean I shouldn’t go for higher education. Once I realised I was being challenged by society, I figured there were many young women who were just like me when I was 16 or 17 and they deserve the same opportunities, so I decided to speak up through my writing.

Will you continue that dialogue about equal rights for all genders through your writing?

Why are biographies important?

I think lessons learned are very important, especially when the character comes from a low background family and then manages to show the world who they are to follow their dreams. I feel like this is a story that for those who have the same experience as the main character will collectively have more

everything I wrote had to be approved by a native speaker. It’s a lot more challenging.

When I want to express something, there are barriers between the languages, so it can be a struggle. My editor had to ask me so many questions to get to the point. But when I write in Khmer, I feel more connected because it’s natural for me. But writing in Khmer takes longer because there are so many feet and hands [subscripts and postscripts]. Before writing this book, I didn’t even know how to write Khmer on a keyboard, so I struggled a lot. I had to train myself, because I can’t just ask people to help me all the time.

What’s challenging about writing the same book in two languages?

English is not my first language, so

I still continue writing every day. I blog now.

It takes more time because I have to write in English and Khmer, so sometimes when I have more time I write short blogs because now I have a lot more followers. I think 60 to 70 percent are young women, so I hope to help get them through those issues.

Visit thavry.com for more information.

AsiaLIFE Cambodia 23

24 AsiaLIFE Cambodia

Cambodia’s music scene is headed in an exciting new direction as the independent movement that has been rumbling underground starts to emerge.

Words by Marissa Carruthers; photography by Enric Català.

T

heara Ouch’s eyes light up as he flicks through photos on his smart phone of previous year’s Waken Open Air festivals. Spotlights shine on a crowd of tens of thousands of fans gathered in front of a Glastonbury-style stage at the German punk metal festival, which attracts 80,000 people annually.

“I feel crazy, I can’t believe it,” the 20-year-old says, unable to contain his excitement at being invited to perform at the festival in August with his band, Doch Chkae. “When we were younger, learning to play and watching music videos from abroad, we always said this would be amazing. Now it’s a dream come true.”

Theara is one of a growing number of young musicians who are breaking away from the norm to create space for an alternative music scene and helping shape Cambodia’s future musical landscape.

From hip hop and rock, to pop, punk, blues, traditional music and every genre in between, the appetite for original content relevant to modern Cambodia is increasing, and a creative explosion is bubbling on the horizon.

Standing Out

“When I get old, I don’t want people to look back at my generation and think we were just copycats,” says Hang Sokharo,

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co-founder of non-profit music foundation #IAmOriginal. He is referring to the replica music that he says dominates the industry, with lyrics from popular songs abroad translated into Khmer and the music remastered.

“A few years ago, there was very little original song-writing, or music being produced,” Hang recalls. “It was all very much the same; no creativity. But we’re starting to see more artists creating original content and Cambodians wanting to hear it.”

Recognising that one element contributing to musicians’ reluctance to stray away from the mainstream market of karaoke and commercial songs is the lack of support and promotion, a rise in initiatives aimed at nurturing talent have started in recent years.

In 2015, Dream of Songsters was launched along with The MIC Cambodia – both contests called for original songs and music. #IAmOriginal launched the next year, with the aim of providing a supportive platform for emerging and established artists. Laura Mam also launched a songwriting contest that year. And the fruits of these seeds are starting to shoot and spread as this fledgling movement gathers momentum.

“The music industry is still very young here but there is a new scene emerging, and I’m not talking about the pop generation influenced by KTV,” says Sok Visal, founder of Phnom Penh-based hip hop record label, KlapYaHandz. “There’s a whole generation starting to produce original songs.”

Evidence of this can be seen in the saturation of bedroom musicians, singers and songwriters uploading their work to YouTube and other social media channels.

“There’s so many of them,” he says. “While only about 30 percent are good, and the rest are just ok, at least there is more creativity. It’s a start.”

Christopher Minko, an Australian musician and co-founder of Delta Mekong blues group Krom, has high hopes pinned on the future landscape of Cambodia’s music scene. He adds that a “cultural renaissance” is in the making, with the 26 AsiaLIFE Cambodia

future of Cambodia’s creativity starting to be shaped by today’s generation. However, he cautions, it is vital that Cambodians lead this renaissance.

“There are too many foreigners trying to influence and define Khmer culture, past, present and future,” he says. “There is a lot of cultural colonisation going on but Cambodia’s culture in the future must be defined by Cambodians for Cambodians.

That’s essential.”

And Minko believes the copycat and karaoke generation that often generates complaints is simply part of a post-conflict country grappling to find its identity. “I hear a lot of criticism. I hear a lot of people say the word “copy”. I say, it’s only been 20 years since the end of conflict. There is still a lot of confusion, horizons are still being broadened and this is part of the process.

Young Cambodians are now listening to guys making music, experimenting with music, creating music and forming independent record labels. This is new Cambodian music.”

Doing it Differently

Theara had just entered his teens when he was taken to Show Box in Phnom Penh to watch deathcore band Sliten6ix perform.

Having spent his childhood collecting waste on dumpsites, he was taken in by an NGO, with one of the workers teaching Theara and some friends how to create music.

“I heard it [Sliten6ix] and thought, “What is this music?” I’d never heard music like this in Cambodia before,” he recalls. “I went home and thought about it a lot. I liked the music. It made me feel free, forget everything and got rid of my stress.”

Inspired, Theara recruited the help of Sliten6ix frontman, Vanntin Hoerun, to help him form a band with three friends.

In 2014, Doch Chkae (like a dog) launched and was signed by Yab Moung Records, which was itself only founded in 2012 to help push the nascent rock scene. The band became the first Cambodian outfit to record and release a death metal song in Khmer, garnering global attention. “A lot of music in Cambodia is same same,” says Theara. “There needs to be more diversity

and that is slowly happening.”

The rise in internet access has undoubtedly played its part in shaping the alternative music scene, with the younger generation able to hear a swathe of music online. In fact, it was YouTube that first introduced Hoeurn – known as Tin – to the heavy metal sounds that define Sliten6ix, a band that was at the forefront of Cambodia’s metal revolution when it launched in late 2010.

“Cable TV came in in the early 2000s,” says the 25-year-old. “I was learning English at the time and was quite fond of music in English.” The first rock band he heard was Linkin Park, with their music instantly striking a chord.

It wasn’t long before he teamed up with a group of like-minded young Cambodian metalheads and Sliten6ix’s sounds were unleashed at a house party in late-2010.

Since then, the band has secured a small but firm following, and, along with a handful of other local metal bands, is carving a space in the music scene for punk, metal and rock.

“Music is a form of expression and it’s important there is diversity,” says Hoeurn, who is also a member of blues-rock band, Phnom Skor.

Hip hop is another emerging genre that has been gaining momentum during the last decade, with the genre resonating with many youths.

“I’m very dedicated to developing the

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28 AsiaLIFE Cambodia

Stumbling Blocks

hip hop scene here,” says Sok. “It’s a sub-culture that started in the US and had a huge positive social impact. A lot of the lyrics talk about starting from nothing and creating something and how we can make a better world around us. That’s the real sense of hip hop. It can bring positive change to society and help the youth to grow, which is important.”

Born in Cambodia, Sok was raised in France, where he lived for 18 years growing up in the 1980s when hip hop was starting to rise.

He spent a few years studying in the US, returning to Cambodia in 1993. He secured work with an ad agency, spending his spare time learning to use music software in his bedroom, experimenting with sampling Khmer music from the 1960s with hip hop beats.

He teamed up with some local rappers to release two albums, before launching KlapYaHandz in 2005.

“Hip hop became big worldwide in the 1990s and that’s when Cambodia was coming out to the world,” says Sok. “The UN were here, then we had the first [post-Khmer Rouge] elections. Local people started returning to Cambodia from Australia, the US, France, and we brought hip hop with us to our country and motherland. Since then, hip hop has played a part in Cambodia’s music scene but on an underground level, and that is good to see.”

“When we launched in 2009 there really wasn't a local scene, we had to make it ourselves,” says Julien Poulsen, cofounder of Cambodian Space Project. “We insisted on picking up professional fees and conditions for our work at a time when others were happy to jam in pubs.”

This remains one of the major problems musicians in Cambodia face today, monetising their music – an issue that is endemic across the globe.

“In Cambodian society, people don’t pay for local content,” says Hang. “We want to change perception. If you want good content, then you have to pay for it. Whether its supporting artists by paying to stream their music, buying their merchandise or donating.”

While the entire music industry was hit when free streaming websites, such as Napster, Spotify and SoundCloud, launched, Hang says paying for content remains an alien concept in Cambodia; iTunes is rarely used and concerts, which are often sponsored by private companies, are free.

“When concerts are free, or you can watch musicians on TV seven days a week, then it doesn’t encourage people to pay for music,” he says. “People feel local content shouldn’t be paid for because it’s free everywhere so why should they? Every artist now struggles with this, or artists have to change their music to make it more commercial.”

Financial freedom would enable the independent music scene to further flourish, with artists able to create the content they desire. “At the moment, the majority of artists’ income is from events, which are influenced by the private companies that sponsor them. If the public supports them and uses legal platforms so artists no longer depend on sponsors and can afford a living, the quality of music will rise,” adds Hang.

In February 2017, #IAmOriginal hosted Truck Music Festival at Koh Pich as an experiment to see if Cambodians were ready to pay for tickets. The two-day event presented a swathe of established and emerging artists, with effort placed

on producing a stage show to accompany each performance – adding value to the acts, Hang says. Out of more than 1,500 attendees, about 500 stumped up the $3 to $5 entry fee. “It’s not a huge amount,” says Hang. “But it shows perceptions are starting to change.”

Sok has also been ploughing his own money into making music and keeping KlapYaHandz afloat, with the majority of its artists having side jobs to invest in their work. “I’m not in it for the money,” he says.

“The reality is that until recently, we didn’t make any money and it’s hard.”

However, Sok has upped his game and is determined to transform his “music passion project” into a profitable record label. “I’m trying to find ways to make it sustainable,” he says. “There are now more opportunities to monetise music than there were four years ago. There’s more interest locally and brands are willing to be sponsors.”

Another major hurdle is a lack of support locally, says Poulsen. “There's not much support from Cambodian labels or presenters,” he says. “It's a very conservative culture so no real Cambodian media is picking up on grassroots talent unless it's for commercial release through karaoke-style production houses.”

These companies are few in numbers and often only focus on the local scene, lacking the vision to prep artists to take the international world by storm.

“It’s almost xenophobic but really I find the majority of the music, bland contemporary Asia market stuff that is only made for commercial value, imitation K-pop produced for corporate sponsors,” he says. “The arts NGOs are filling the gap and so are all the DIY artists, this area is much more interesting, but few have the skills or resources to develop their work over the long-term. This is also changing, and a lot of new artists are seeing potential to go further.”

Going International

As the country’s music scene diversifies, and Cambodia continues to be flagged up on the international map, local artists are starting to capture the attention of AsiaLIFAE Cambodia 29

audiences abroad – an element that needs to be pushed further, according to Poulsen.

“It's [the local music scene] very small, robust et al but still mostly the same mix of players as it was when I first launched CSP in 2009,” he says. “I compare the scene or industry to similarly sized places in Africa or South America and wonder why so few of the acts have made it out onto the international circuit when there's such rich source material in Cambodia. The industry really should be stronger, and the talent should be achieving wider recognition.”

One of CSP’s early objectives was to take their psychedelic 1960s Khmer rock ‘n’ roll sounds and made-in-Cambodia act across the globe, planting the country on the international music map, commanding fees along the way. “We not only did this but after touring some 24 different countries, found there's an audience everywhere for our kind of Cambodian music,” he says.

In a bid to garner more global exposure to the wave of young Cambodian musicians, Poulsen received the blessing from iconic American musician Iggy Pop for local talent to reproduce a handful of his tunes. A total of 11 tracks were recorded in a studio, including Doch Chkae’s take on ‘Wanna Be Your Dog’, Phnom Skor’s ‘Ann’ and Prof Kinski featuring MC Lisha and Miss Sarawan’s ‘TV Eye’, with the results soon to be mastered and released on 12-inch vinyl as LP, Angkor Pop! “The acts really show the diversity and strength of talent Cambodia's underground scene has,” says Poulsen, adding Iggy Pop is already spinning the late Kak Channthy and CSP’s version of ‘The Passenger’ on BBC Radio 6. “It is also a CSP production intended to give a step up to all our local artists by compiling and marketing this LP to international audiences.”

Doch Chkae is another group that hopes to secure success with international audiences. The band members are currently arranging visas and passports to attend Waken Open Air in August. “We are very excited and proud to be representing Cambodia at such a big event,” says Theara, who pens lyrics in Khmer about 30 AsiaLIFE Cambodia

life and its struggles. “It is an amazing opportunity for us, and really great promotion for Cambodia.”

Krom, which was born seven years ago as a Phnom Penh-based band creating bilingual, cross-cultural music, has managed to secure a strong overseas following having received two 2017 Grammy nominations for Best World Music Album and Song of the Year. The Australian-Cambodian band, which produces self-coined contemporary Mekong Delta Blues – a beautiful blend of blues and Khmer music, with lyrics that tackle social issues head-on – is also hoping to tour Europe next year.

And Krom’s talented singers Sopheak – who made it to the last four in The Voice Cambodia – and Sopheak Chamroeun, who also have launched Smiley Band, have travelled the globe performing Khmer songs and are currently touring the US. “Cambodia is full of so much talent that is waiting to be discovered,” says Minko. #IAmOriginal has also set its longerterm sights on the regional market, hoping to forge collaborations between local artists and Thai and Vietnamese peers. “In Thailand and Vietnam, they already have a very big and established music industry, so it’s hard for Cambodia to infiltrate that.

However, if we could collaborate then Thai or Vietnamese audiences would get to know Cambodian music and vice versa.”

The Road Ahead

With the foundations in place, industry players are optimistic about the future of music in the Kingdom. Attitudes are starting to change, and more value is being placed on the art form – two factors that are essential to its growth. The industry is also starting to up its game in terms of professionalism.

“The industry is still young and led by people who have learned in schools in Cambodia or taught themselves from the internet,” Sok says. “Everyone is trying to learn the whole business. Whereas people brought up abroad, like Laura Mam, have been exposed to a proper music industry and how it works. We don’t have that here and that’s what artists like her [Mam] bring

and help to make it more professional.”

Having successfully launched its first album, Together, Stronger – a creative collaboration between 10 established and emerging musicians, with 10 accompanying music videos – #IAmOriginal is now working on the arduous task of shifting perceptions.

Teasers for new tracks and videos are released on social media channels, with the full versions available to download through legal platform Smart Music.

It is also creating a Crowdfundingstyle platform where individuals and companies can donate towards helping independent artists craft their tracks and videos free from the pressures of sponsors. Hang hopes the concept will help encourage people to pay for quality content. And the organisation is working to push professional standards by carrying out high-quality marketing and branding campaigns for artists, and producing top quality music videos and stage shows.

“There are two factors that keep artists underground,” Hang says. “Production quality and branding. Often artists don’t learn about marketing or branding, so they don’t know how to sell themselves. They compose a song and publish it on YouTube and that’s it. Even if they have really a good song, without marketing it can fail.”

As musicians and songwriters continue to push boundaries, adding Cambodian creativity that is in abundance across the

country, the road ahead looks set to lead to an exciting place.

“Certain cultures hold music at the pinnacle of their cultural ladder, the Spanish, for example,” says Minko. “Khmer music is stunning and should be put at the pinnacle of the Khmer cultural ladder..”

Hang believes that the future lies with creating original content. “They [the artists] are building a legacy for Cambodian people and for the Cambodian music scene,” he says. “The original artists of today should be proud because they are creating a legacy, they are defining an era of Cambodian music.”

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A new street food tour introduces visitors to hidden corners of the capital. Editor Marissa Carruthers samples the flavours of the morning outing.

32 AsiaLIFE Cambodia

D

espite having lived in the capital for almost six years, Phnom Penh’s swathe of continental cuisine has got in the way of my experimenting too much with the even larger offering of street foods. These days, it’s even rarer that I jump off my wellworn track having fallen into the trap that comfort too often affords, routine.

Comfort and routine can also make it easy to fall into the misguided mindset of thinking there’s nothing left to discover in Phnom Penh. I mean a market’s a market and a back alley’s a back alley, right?

Wrong. This couldn’t be further from the truth, as my morning adventure with Phnom Penh Food Tours taught me.

Meeting outside the Post Office in the capital’s cultural quarter at 7.30am sharp, I was met by my guide, Sokha. He dished out a brief history of the colonial architecture that characterises the area before leading us to a nearby corner overspilling with locals tucking into their first meal of the day.

The smell of barbecued meat wafts through the air as we jostle through the maze of plastic chairs and tables to the only free spot, dodging the nimble staff who dart from diner to diner to deliver fragrant dishes. Within seconds, an array of plates lands on our table in the form of one of Cambodia’s iconic breakfast dishes, pork and rice.

Thin and crispy shreds of barbecued pork and a fluffy fried egg sit atop a generous portion of rice, accompanied by sliced green and red tomato. A side bowl of refreshingly tangy lemon soup and a dish of pickled vegetables completes our breakfast meal.

Refuelled, we jump into our designated tuk tuk and head to Phsar Chas, or Old Market, where we’re led past trays of flapping fish, rogue crabs making their escape from baskets, chickens being plucked, slabs of meat being butchered, and rainbow displays of fruit and vegetables being sold.

While I’m no stranger to a Cambodian market, the next part of the tour is proof there are so many hidden pockets of Phnom Penh that are waiting to be discovered. We stop at Orussey Market, ignoring the market itself and instead heading for the network of back alleys that surround it.

Weaving through the crowds of early morning shoppers clamouring to buy the freshest ingredients of the day, we hit an area that, I’m told, is home to many Chinese immigrants. The result is a

plethora of stalls making fresh food with its roots steeped deep in Chinese tradition.

Stalls sell bottles of soya milk, flour flies in the air as noodles are pulled behind a street kitchen, rails of roast suckling pigs hang in the sun and vats of boiling oil spit and crackle as sellers fling in the Chinese doughnuts they have just rolled.

Next, we head a little further out of town to Phsar Damkor, the capital’s wholesale fruit and vegetable market. A hive of activity, vans overhanging with sugar cane, spring onions, coconuts and other tropical fruit and veg deliver their loads to the hundreds of stallholders that dot the sprawling site. Shouts dart through the air as deals are brokered and money exchanges hands at this spot, where the majority of the capital’s fruit and veg is imported from and exported to neighbouring countries.

With all five senses piqued, we head to our next and final stop, a local tea shop famous citywide for its upside-down tea – green tea served in a glass, you guessed it, placed upside down on a saucer. While I have no idea of the rationale behind this and there’s definitely a knack to transferring the tea from upside down glass to drinking glass without spilling it everywhere, it was an interesting way to round off an interesting morning eating and discovering off-the-beaten-path parts of Phnom Penh.

Having launched mid-May, Phnom Penh Food Tours is the sister adventure of the popular Siem Reap Food Tours. Cofounder Lina Goldberg aims to showcase the diversity of Cambodian food and help it secure the recognition it deserves on the global food map while putting it on a par with neighbouring Thailand and Vietnamese cuisine, which internationally overshadow Cambodia’s dishes.

“Cambodian food is very much a cuisine of terroir and is rooted in the country itself,” says, “Prahok, a type of fermented fish, is an integral part of the cuisine – it’s used where shrimp paste might be used in Thai food – but part of what makes it truly Cambodian is that it’s made with fish from the Tonle Sap. Cambodians say they can tell if it’s not. Cambodian cuisine just hasn’t gotten the attention it deserves.”

There are morning and evening tour options available for both Siem Reap and Phnom Penh. Tours are $65 with a $20 discount running for Phnom Penh adventures through June. Visit: phnompenhfoodtours.com for the coupon code and more information.

AsiaLIFE Cambodia 33

Cambodian foundation #IAmOriginal is aiming to make its mark on the country’s music scene by providing an open platform to push the industry across the country.

Editor Marissa Carruthers speaks to co-founder Hang Sokharo to find out more.

I

t was while studying in Bangkok in 2013 that Hang Sokharo started forming plans to play his part in transforming Cambodia’s music industry and public perception towards the artists involved.

“A Thai friend asked me what kind of modern music Cambodians like and it got me thinking,” he recalls. “Back then, there were very few original artists. The majority of the mainstream music was singers copying songs from abroad, translating the lyrics, re-mastering the music and selling it. I was embarrassed. Why don’t we have original content in our country? This stayed with me.”

After graduating with his degree in media management in 2015, Hang noticed an independent music scene starting to emerge. Wanting to help nurture the

34 AsiaLIFE Cambodia

niche market, he got together with three friends to launch #IAmOriginal, a non-profit music foundation that promotes creative Cambodian music.

It provides training, legal consultation, financial support and marketing services to not only musicians but those working behind the scenes, such as songwriters, producers and engineers. “We felt a lot was missing from the music scene, such as branding, marketing, promotion and management,” says the 26-year-old. “A lot of young artists are also mismanaged and scammed, so we provide legal support to give advice about contracts and other deals, we can link artists with our networks, or help organise events.”

It has also been working hard to push the industry to become more professional by helping its artists produce top-quality

music videos, carry out professional social media and marketing campaigns and up their game during live performances by putting on a show, rather than simply singing on stage.

“We’re trying to break the status quo so everything we do, from the design and content to the video, is always of a high standard,” says Hang. “Sometimes the public doesn’t get it because it’s not like what they’ve seen before on TV, or they think foreigners are behind it. But we are 100 percent Cambodian, and all are young. I don’t actually like the term original because nothing is totally original; everything has its influences. Here, it’s more about innovative content. That’s what original means to me.”

Since launching two years ago, #IAmOriginal has garnered huge public

interest, with it securing an organic digital reach of more than five million. It has also helped organise album launches for SmallWorld SmallBand, hosted music festivals and helped carve space in the market for this new wave of music.

At the end of last year, it held an album launch for Stronger Together – a creative collaboration between 10 musicians, including Nikki Nikki, Adda Angel, Van Chesda, Sia and Psand, who have crafted their own songs.

A further 10 directors have created videos for each of the tracks. Topics tackle domestic violence, young love, travel and the untold story of depression.

“We wanted to encourage artists to work together,” says Hang. “A lot of original artists work independently and don’t collaborate. This is something missing

from the industry and why the album is called Stronger Together. This also isn’t just about the music, we have the videos as well. This was a good place for young directors and crews to experiment with their ideas. All together, these are the people who are working hard to define this generation of music.” #IAmOriginal has been releasing one track and video a week on Smart Music – another move in its attempt to reshape Cambodia’s music landscape.

“Another of our aims is to place more value on musicians,” Hang says. “In Cambodia, people won’t pay for local content. They won’t buy music or concert tickets. They illegally download music or see artists for free at corporate-sponsored events, often beer companies. This is bad for the music industry as a whole. If

people want good content, then they have to be prepared to pay for it and this is a perception we are trying to change.”

With the successful album release marking the end of #IAmOriginal’s first phase, it is gearing up to move onto the next step. As part of this, it plans on sniffing out promising underground stars and teaming them up with established artists for another collaborative project.

And, as discussed in this month’s cover feature, it is creating a Crowdfunding-style platform to help stimulate the growth of the country’s creative content and providing artists with a form of income.

“We want to see it that artists no longer have to depend on sponsors,” says Hang.

“This means they can create the content they want to. That is our goal.”

Follow #IAmOriginal on Facebook.

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36 AsiaLIFE Cambodia

T

A compelling novel of four inspirational Cambodian women who are bucking the traditional trend and paving a path for female empowerment in the Kingdom is released this month. Marissa Carruthers meets with author Menno de Block to find out more.

he title of Menno de Block’s book rightly sets the tone: Diving Deep, Going Far – a play on the Khmer proverb, ‘A woman cannot dive deep, or go far’. “This is used to tell women their duty is with the household, you should never leave your home or family and stay in this close circle,” says de Block. “The women I interviewed are doing the exact opposite.”

Hailing from the Netherlands, de Block landed in Cambodia four years ago and quickly became inspired by young Cambodian women who were steering away from tradition to carve their own futures and that of their fellow females.

Wanting to compile the stories in a book, he teamed up with Chan Kunthea, who works at NGO Just Associate and was also interviewed, and they set about gathering the life stories of 25 women, each with their own inspiring tale about female empowerment. Four composite characters were then crafted from the interviews.

The result is a powerful collection of stories from these characters who have battled adversity to reach their dreams. The emotional rollercoaster ride takes readers on a journey of despair, determination, hope, strength and courage, as each of the headstrong women fights against deeply ingrained discrimination to achieve what they have been told is the impossible.

The book recounts Nary’s lifelong determination to disprove those who told her as a woman she could not succeed, and right the wrongs she witnesses at a young age, from the corruption that trickles down to the classroom to the elite family who are rushed past the lengthy queues of sickly poor at hospital. Even through adulthood, she rises above the discrimination and disappointments life throws her way.

Then there is Nika, who secures success as a singer despite scavenging through waste before school. Soklin staves off pressure from her family and peers to rise through the ranks of the organisation she works for, and Ratana puts her head above the parapet daily, dishing out advice on her radio talk show that deals with traditionally taboo subjects.

Helping to shape the future landscape in a rapidly changing country, each of the moving stories serves to inspire and empower not only the interviewees’ Cambodian sisters, but women across the globe. Excellently executed, this is a compelling read that is full of rich descriptions and strong voices that bring the characters to life, leaving an impact long after the last page has been turned.

“What I want is for this generation of young women to realise what’s possible for them; to create a platform for these women

to inspire,” says de Block. “These are also not Cambodia-specific themes, they are global themes. I think the story can inspire people across the world.”

And de Block doesn’t forget that for his book – or female empowerment in general – to have an impact, society as a whole has a role to play. “Men will read this book and I wanted to give them a role model,” he says, adding he spoke to the partners of two female interviewees.

“They’re really doing things differently than what’s expected of men in Cambodia,” he says, adding males also face discrimination in supporting their partner’s ideals away from tradition. “Men are raised with the idea that they need to be strong and have a woman who follows them while they make all the decisions.

That’s nonsense. It’s not how relationships should work.”

Queue Chan, Ratana’s partner, who constantly faces shame and mockery from his peers and family for supporting his “controversial” girlfriend and being her equal. “I found it important to put that in and make women who are asking this of their partners to realise it’s hard for them too,” says de Block.

The author also wants to tell a story about current Cambodia, away from the Khmer Rouge and politics, which dominate the international market. “You get all of these people coming here and they look at the country through this lens of the Khmer Rouge and while that’s important, it’s no longer the story. This generation is the first generation that is realising they can do things differently than what has been prescribed for them.”

But de Block isn’t without his critics and is the first to admit there are “two major issues” with him writing this book. “I’m a man and I’m a foreigner; more specifically a Western foreigner,” he says. “There will be people who say this is a book that should have been written by a Cambodian woman not a Western man. There’s little I can do about that.”

However, he has worked closely with each of his interviewees on the three-year journey to ensure he captures the voices and portrays the stories sensitively, with Chan guiding him every step of the way.

“I’ve been fortunate having people around me that have helped me stay with my feet on the ground and accept my place.

I’m really grateful to all the women I’ve interviewed for giving me their voice and trusting me to amplify it.”

Diving Deep, Going Far is available to pre-order from Amazon now and will be available in bookshops from mid-June. A Khmer version is being translated and will be released a few weeks later. Follow the Facebook page for details.

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Y

angon is the embodiment of a young Asian city racing towards modernisation. A mish mash of traditional and contemporary, with its charm remaining relatively intact for now; its skyline pierced by the silhouette of cranes and the shells of half-built skyscrapers symbolising a city that is teetering on the brink of drastic change.

For most visitors to Myanmar, Yangon is a quick port of call before heading off to other parts of the country, usually Bagan, Inle Lake or Mandalay. But there is plenty to keep tourists busy in the former capital – the title was handed to Naypyidaw in 2006 – whether it be delving into Myanmar’s history, shopping at the markets, dining on the diversity of cuisine, gazing at contemporary art or exploring temples.

Here’s how to spend 48 hours in Yangon.

Day 1: Morning

Starting the day early at bustling Chinatown in downtown Yangon comes with a bounty of rewards. Covering 18th Street to 24th Street, the area is a chaotic kaleidoscope of activity, packed with heaps of local character. Jostle through the crowds that

cram into the narrow streets past stocky women slicing through meat on wooden butchers’ blocks, cringe at the pungent smell wafting from rows of fish drying on mats in the sun, watch elderly men sell the betel-nuts that leave many a local’s mouth stained deep red and cheroot cigars, and rice dough being vigorously kneaded to make deliciously fresh spring rolls.

Spend the rest of the morning at Helping Hands workshop. The social business sees skilled artisans work alongside former street kids – many were orphans from Cyclone Nargis that hit Myanmar in 2008 – to pass on their craft of furniture restoration.

From chests and cabinets, to desks and tables, as well as an in-house range of teak breadboards and spoons, a range of lovingly restored items are on display.

Watch the craftsmen sitting cross-legged in clouds of sawdust as they chisel chairs or whittle away at wardrobes.

After working up an appetite, head to LinkAge Restaurant for lunch. Sitting on the first floor of a traditional Burmese building, the social enterprise trains and employs marginalised young people and serves a range of affordable Burmese and Chinese

Words by Marissa Carruthers

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food. It also doubles up as an art gallery, showcasing an array of colourful local art.

Day 1: Afternoon

Delve into the country’s recent history with a visit to the former house of General “Bogyoke” Aung San – the father of Aung San Suu Kyi. Preserved as a museum, visitors can step into the hilltop villa where the slain national hero, who was assassinated with eight cabinet members in July 1947, lived with his wife and three children. Stroll through his study, step into the bedrooms and living room, where many important decisions were made, and explore the leafy gardens.

No visit to Yangon is complete without a trip to Shwedagon Pagoda and while it may be the busiest time to go, dusk at the sacred site is when it is at its most vibrant.

No matter how well acquainted you think you may be with temples, there’s a reason why this magical 326ft high pagoda that dominates the city’s skyline is Myanmar’s most revered out of its thousands of competitors.

At sunset, hordes of local worshippers flock there to pray, lay incense, meditate,

watch the sun set or chant in the many religious structures that dot the site.

Day 1: Evening

Kickstart the evening with cocktails at recently renovated The Strand hotel. Enjoy one of Sarkies bar’s iconic cocktails in the knowledge you’re following in the footsteps of inspiring thirsty travellers, including Noël Coward, Rudyard Kipling and Orson Welles.

Appease the hunger at stylish Union Bar & Grill, where East meets West and the menu spans everything from fish and chips, to black Angus burger and kimchi, and chorizo fried rice with soft shell crab.

Day 2: Morning

A great way to see the area surrounding Yangon is a trip on the 50km circular railway. Built by the British in 1954, the country’s extensive rail network is a popular mode of transport. This three-hour loop takes in 39 stations and is a unique way to catch a glimpse into local life that is lived out on the edge of the tracks before slicing through sections of rural Myanmar.

It departs from Yangon Central Railway Station every 30 minutes.

Enjoy lunch at Sharky’s, which embodies the farm-to-table philosophy. The majority of ingredients are sourced from local farms, with a large deli showcasing hundreds of locally-made treats, including cheese and sausages. The menu features a range of salads, platters and steaks.

Day 2: Afternoon

Yangon is home to the largest collection of colonial buildings in Southeast Asia, so spend the afternoon strolling through its colonial quarter. This takes in the vibrant markets of the Indian quarter, turreted mosques, Musmeah Yeshua Synagogue – Myanmar’s only synagogue, Maha Bandula Park, where families, young lovers and students enjoy downtime, with the iconic City Hall and Immanuel Baptist Church providing the backdrop. Round off the afternoon with a walk down Pansodan Street, stopping off at stylish Rangoon Tea House – make sure you check out the gentlemen’s club-style upstairs.

Day 2: Evening

Make the most of your last night with dinner at Pansuriya. As well as serving up a range

of mouth-watering traditional Burmese salads and curries, the eatery doubles up as a creative space, with poetry slams, screenings and art regularly taking over the place. Polish off your evening with atmospheric drinks at Gecko, an intimate Japanese-inspired yakitori grill and whisky bar hidden in the historic Sofaer Building.

Where to Stay

PARKROYAL Yangon 33 Alan Pya Phaya Road Parkroyalhotels.com

How to Get There

Emirates operate direct flights between Phnom Penh and Yangon.

Emirates.com

Tour Options

Responsible tour operator Sampan Travel specialises in curating bespoke experiences and runs a day tour of Yangon for those wanting to be guided through the city by a knowledgeable local.

Sampantravel.com.

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IZA 37th floor, Rosewood Phnom Penh, Vattanac Capital Tower, 60 Street 106, Phnom Penh. Tel. 023 936 866.

Open daily, from noon to 2.30pm and 6pm to 10.30pm.

Editor Marissa Carruthers and photographer Enric Català go sky high to sample the delights of Japan with the Cambodian capital twinkling below.

There are three stages of delight diners go through on entering Iza, an open plan restaurant that occupies a sprawling space on Rosewood Phnom Penh’s 37th floor.

The first is the views of the capital racing to the horizon below. The second is the interior.

Sharp urban style seamlessly blends with Old World designs, all laced with subtle nods to Khmer tradition – a theme that runs throughout the hotel and carries into its stylish izakaya-style dining space.

The third is what a visit to Iza is all about: the food. And there’s plenty of that to choose from, with the menu experimenting with the different styles, tastes and techniques of Japanese.

We started with the hotate mango spicy miso ($22), a 40 AsiaLIFE Cambodia

delightfully-presented dish, with the green, purple and yellow of the ingredients working well together on the plate. Great for sharing, four plump portions of Hokkaido scallops are draped in a chunky sauce of yellow mango marinated in miso topped with cress. The sweetness of the mangos perfectly complements the tang of the miso sauce and the delicate flavour of the scallops, chargrilled to perfection so they remain soft to the bite.

Another dish that is great for passing around the table is the Ika Karikari Isobeage ($9). The dangerously moreish appetiser sees bite-sized pieces of squid lightly fried in a crispy batter flecked with nori. It is served with a wedge of lime and a side of spicy cod roe sauce that adds a mild kick.

The Zensai Moriawase ($28) provides the perfect opportunity to sample the varying tastes of Japan. Comprised of the chef’s selection of appetisers, the dish is served in a large copper bowl filled with ice.

Again, the presentation is on point, with each option served in a unique way. Edamame poached in Kampot sea salt comes in a small ceramic pot and the chicken karaage – popcorn-sized bites of chicken lightly fried in sake, soy sauce, ginger and garlic – is served in a small wooden crate. The salmon Namero – a spicy salmon tatiki with crunchy black sesame crackers – is presented in a glass dish, while the jyaga gyoza – crispy potato and corn dumplings accompanied by a spicy miso mayonnaise – and spinach

topped with a cheesy sauce are both served on ceramic dishes.

Despite the creative plating of our previous dishes, the pièce de résistance came in the form of the Moriawase ($52/ $68).

Delivered in a giant ceramic halfpipe, the colourful spread takes in a range of sushi and sashimi options. Tender slices of tuna and salmon pork belly marinated in citrus and soy sauce almost melt in the mouth, delicate dollops of truffle mayonnaise sit atop plump prawns, and makis of chopped tuna tatiki, sea urchin and salmon roe make this a sushi fan’s ultimate dream.

With 42 varieties of sake and shochu, as well as an adjoining whisky bar, and plenty more packed into the menu, Iza is an exquisite place to sample the true tastes of Japan in style.

KANJI 128F Sothearos Boulevard, Phnom Penh. Tel. 016 312 828. Open daily, from 2pm to 10pm.

One of Chef Luu Meng’s many restaurants in Phnom Penh, Kanji reopened in March with a simplified regular menu, plus a tasting menu that changes weekly. Matt Surrusco and photographer Enric Català tasted a refreshing five-course set dinner, dragon sushi roll and select sake.

When it reopened in March, renowned Cambodian chef Luu Meng’s Kanji restaurant was in the same location and had retained its name.

But the menu at the fine dining eatery, which first opened in 2012 and features dishes inspired by Japanese, Cambodian and French cuisine, was simplified, says Phal Leakhena, general manager of Almond Group, which owns Kanji.

“Sometimes with too many choices it doesn’t work with this cuisine,” Phal says, preferring to describe the offerings as Meng’s “signature cuisine,” which transcends any one national cuisine.

In addition to the regular menu changing from a hardcover book to one oversized page, now, every Tuesday, Luu and Kanji’s head

chef roll out a unique, five-course tasting menu for $28. We sampled a set meal, as well as a signature sushi roll and limited-edition sake.

The set menu kicked off with a refreshing tomato and basil carpaccio, complete with a scoop of strawberry basil sorbet to cleanse the palate. The mix of salad greens surrounded by a circle of tomato slices was topped in a tangy ponzu sauce dressing, which paired well with the fruity sorbet.

Next, the ebi salad was a colourful display of similar mixed greens, with diced tomato and avocado, red onion sauce and three steamed shrimp, which were tender and sprinkled with fish eggs.

The next course, a hotate dobin mushi, was a hearty, but not heavy soup, similar

to miso, but with steamed scallops, tofu, carrot, turnip and seaweed in a slightly salty broth. It’s a soup one would especially enjoy on a rainy day.

The meat on the braised boneless oxtail was nearly tender enough to cut with a fork and the red wine sauce, which had a slightly spicy kick, was excellent for bread dipping.

For dessert, a scoop of vanilla ice cream atop a bed of boiled red beans with thinlycut orange slices on the side was sweet and satisfying.

Outside the set menu, we also sampled a red dragon sushi roll ($15), which is assembled and garnished to resemble the mythical beast, complete with two bulging fish egg eyes. Inside the rice-and-seaweed roll – the dragon’s body – is prawn tempura

and cucumber, while the outside has small slices of eel lightly cooked with a torch before being layered like dragon scales along the length of the roll.

The sushi paired well with a glass of limited edition sake ($20, or $96 per bottle), which was light, crisp and served cold.

With formal, modern decor and a sushi bar against one wall, the restaurant’s ground floor has seating for about 22 people.

Private dining rooms upstairs for up to 10 people, and one that seats 30, are also available.

If you care to indulge in delicious fine dining that excels in its simplicity and lightness, and also highlights Japanese cooking without being limited to one cuisine, Kanji will surely delight one’s palate from starter to dessert.

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WAU RESTAURANT 103A Street 63, Phnom Penh. Tel. 081 887 090. Open daily, from 7am to 9pm.

Miguel Jerónimo tries the Malay delicacies of Wau Restaurant and gets addicted to roti canai.

Photography by Enric Català.

We arrive at the unpretentious restaurant with a craving belly, two rows of simple tables and chairs – a couple of them outdoors – greet us. This place is all about the food.

Anyone who has travelled through Malaysia knows: Malaysians love their food.

From the nasi lemaks in the morning to the rendang beef curries at night, in addition to all the snacks in between.

The special mention goes to the roti canai in combination with teh tarik, which is exactly where we started.

Roti canai is a typical south-Indian flat bread that is ubiquitous in Malaysia and Singapore, served with a delicious vegetable curry to dip in. For $1.25 per piece, it’s a mouth-watering textural 42 AsiaLIFE Cambodia

heaven. Don’t feel shy to get dirty because the best way is to eat this is with your hands. Teh Tarik is the traditional pulled drink made with black tea and milk that historically hails from India but is loved throughout Malaysia. For $1.50 it makes the perfect companion to roti canai.

Next up was nasi lemak, somehow translated to fat or rich rice due to being cooked with creamy coconut milk.

It’s the most common dish for breakfast but it makes a decent lunch or dinner. As well as the rice, the dish includes a piece of chicken, small fried anchovies mixed with roasted peanuts, sambar (spicy Malaysian and Indonesian sauce), a small salad and fried egg.

The mixture is a festival of flavours, with the secret found

in the juxtaposition of textures: the tenderness of the chicken versus the crunchiness of the anchovies and peanuts, the soft dryness of the rice versus the moisture of sambar. A tummyfilling option costing $4 with chicken and $3 without.

Also recommended is the stir-fried turmeric chicken (starting from $4) and a variety of seafood, such as shrimp and squid, cooked with soy sauce, paprika, spicy sauce or fried as tempura. Some Cambodian food is also available, from beef loc lac and oxtail soup, to whole steamed fish with lime or garlic and sweet and sour soups.

One dish that caught our attention was the wrap with eggs ($4), a massive omelette roll filled with chicken, onion, tomato, bell pepper, carrot and

more scrambled eggs. To finish the meal, nothing beats a tongkat ali coffee ($1.50), which is brewed with Malaysian ginseng.

The final verdict is clear: we will come back for the roti canai, which we suspect has high addictive properties. And despite the proximity between the two countries, it’s a shame there aren’t more gastronomy exchanges between both.

As manager Na Fiyan says, “There aren’t many Malaysian restaurants in town, so even when an official delegation comes from Malaysia we are the ones making the catering at the embassy, or they bring them to eat here.”

Operating for more than 10 years, Wau Restaurant is a solid option for those addicted to rotis and curry.

imbibe

The Chardonnay Set Darren Gall

May 24 marked International Chardonnay Day, celebrated in the Kingdom with a magnificent tasting event of a worldly selection of fine wines extracted from the noble variety at Est Bar on the capital’s Street 214.

The Chardonnay grape variety is arguably the most famous white grape variety of them all; as Master of Wine Jancis Robinson recalled, during the last decades of the first millennium, when New World producers began putting grape varieties on the front labels of their wines, it was Chardonnay that made the most friends.

It was at a time when Chardonnay became a name more familiar to the world's wine buyers than any of the geographicallynamed wines this variety had for centuries produced.

However, Chardonnay is indeed a grape variety and not the finished article.

The traditional home of the variety is undoubtedly France where the names of the regions that produce Chardonnay wines have become synonymous with producing very high quality white wines; especially Champagne, Montrachet, Chablis and Meursault.

Whilst in the 1980s, Chardonnay wines from California in the USA, from Australia in regions such as the Yarra Valley, Adelaide Hills and Margaret River and Chile from its many excellent

wine valleys began to not only gather an international reputation for themselves, but along the way make good quality, affordable.

In Champagne, the variety is one of the three main varieties blended to make Champagne, the other two being Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. Blanc de Blanc Champagne is Champagne made with 100 percent Chardonnay and the variety brings a richness to the mousse and that lovely nuttiness and biscotti character to the sparkling wines.

In Chablis where the grapes are grown in Kimmeridgian limestones which contain tiny fossilized oysters called ‘exogyra virgula’, the wines produced are medium-bodied with incredible intensity of fruit (apples and pear) and a tension between their power and the chalky acidity from their soils, these are amazing wines just perfect with shellfish.

Further south in Burgundy the variety reaches its zenith in Montrachet, where a single bottle can sell for thousands of dollars. There is a richness to the wines here, balanced by intense acidity and maturation in oak barrels which give add an intoxicating ‘matchhead’ smoky note, they are incredible, complex wines perfect with all manner of seafood, especially salmon.

Darren Gall has spent a quarter of a century involved in virtually every aspect of the wine industry and the passionate pursuit of the next great bottle continues. gall.darren@yahoo.com.

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CheckIn

SEDONA YANGON Words by Marissa Carruthers.

44 AsiaLIFE Cambodia

I

cursed my packed agenda – three days of backto-back meetings in Myanmar’s mushrooming city of Yangon – as I was shown into my suite at the prestigious Sedona Yangon.

A spacious room was home to a large bed with fluffy, cloud-like pillows, a cosy corner seating area with sofa and table, a working desk, floor-to-ceiling windows affording sweeping views of neighbouring Inya Lake and the sprawling city beyond, and an insanely large bathroom housing a standalone shower and deep bath with a glass window looking out across the bedroom to those outdoor views.

“You have free access to the minibar, which is topped up daily,” I’m informed, before being shown to a bowl of fruit, a tray of mini cakes and tempting complimentary bottle of red wine that is waiting for me on the table. Sadly, it’s 3pm and my first meeting is scheduled an hour later, meaning the wine and minibar will have to wait.

Having checked into the Prestige Suite in Sedona’s Inya Wing, which opened in 2016, I was handed a swathe of extras. On top of the free minibar and welcome bottle of wine, I was given access to the executive lounge. The quiet haven that sits on the 25th floor is the perfect place to unwind, nibble on the snacks available from 10.30am to 6pm, enjoy complementary evening cocktails from 6pm to 8pm, or – if you’re there on business – make use of the intimate meeting room.

Standing as one of Yangon’s most iconic hotels, the five-star Sedona sits on a sprawling eight-acre spot that is home to perfectly manicured gardens.

Comprised of two wings, the Garden Wing is home to 366 rooms, while the 29-story Inya Wing houses 431 rooms and suites.

Sophisticated elegance runs throughout, with a stylish touch of the contemporary added in the attention to detail that shines in the design. The wings are connected by a fancy walkway dotted with high-end boutiques, a 24-hour convenience store and banking facilities.

The seemingly endless facilities take in a spa, impressively-equipped gym, tennis courts and the city’s largest swimming pool. While dining options range from fine Italian fare at Orzo, oriental cuisine at Du Fu or an international buffet at D’Cuisine. The Lobby Lounge serves cocktails and other drinks.

And the hotel is well situated, mid-way between Yangon International Airport and downtown, close to iconic Shwedagon Pagoda and next to the city’s first international shopping centre, Myanmar Plaza.

While I may not have been able to indulge in the swathe of facilities available at Sedona, I certainly made the time each evening to sink into a deep bubble bath, glass of wine in hand, and watch the city twinkling below before slipping into the soft bed and enjoying two of the best night’s sleep I’ve had in a very long time.

1 Kaba Aye Pagoda Road, Yankin Township, Yangon.

Tel. +95 1 860 5377 Web. sedonahotels.com.sg/yangon.

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Photography: Chhim Chanleakhena Model: Ke Chankesey Makeup: Bosiba Styling: Sreyline Vann Assistant: Phan Sokchea

Dress: Cacharel /The Showroom Jacket: Giorgio Armani /The Showroom Pants: Deva Collection Shoes: Miu Miu

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Skirt: Lee & Taylor Top: Deva Collection

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Tshirt: Christian Aujard/The Showroom Shirt: Marni/The Showroom Pants: Le Boudoir Shoes: Jeffrey Campbell/The Showroom

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Jacket: Don Protasio Pants: Lee & Taylor

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HOTELS & RESORTS

Chow Restaurant with WiFi.

Phnom Penh

Raffles Hotel Le Royal Street 92 Tel: 023 981 888 www.raffles.com/phnom-penh/ Emanates the same class as its more famous namesake in Singapore. The Elephant Bar is a popular expat haunt during the 4pm to 8pm happy hour.

Almond Hotel 128f Sothearos Bld. Tel: 023 220 822 Owned by Cambodia’s top chef, Luu Meng, this hotel boasts 70 guest rooms, and is aimed at the visiting business community. Tasty dim sun is served from the ground floor restaurant, YiSang.

The Great Duke 296 Mao Tse Toung Blvd.

Tel: 023 424 888 www.thegreatdukehotels.com.kh Previously the InterContinental, this is one of Phnom Penh’s most luxurious five-star hotels, the 346 air-con rooms have all the expected facilities including in-room safes and king size beds. Also has a large swimming pool, a fitness centre and spa.

The Quay Sisowath Quay Tel: 023 224 894 www.thequayhotel.com Five-storey, 16-room riverside boutique hotel has beautiful contemporary rooms designed by Gary Fell. The stand-out features are the roof-top Jacuzzi and the very contemporary ground-floor bar and

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Rambutan Resort 29 Street 71 Tel: 017 992 240 www.rambutanresort.com Urban modern oasis located in a quiet residential area only 5 minutes from all major sights in Phnom Penh. Deluxe pool view and garden rooms with outdoor bathtubs. Salt water pool and private spa room for some unwinding treatments.

Sofitel Phnom Penh Phokeethra 26 Old August Site, Sothearos Blvd Tel: 023 999 200 www.sofitel.com Set on the riverside amongst landscaped gardens this 12-storey, five-star colonial style hotel is close to key attractions, embassies and the central business district.

TEAV Boutique Hotel

14 Street 310 Tel: 023 981 818 / 017 989 191 Email: stay@teavgroup.com www.teavboutiquehotel.com Located in a quiet, peaceful setting in the prestigious central heart of Phnom Penh near the Independence Monument, the uniquely designed art deco style TEAV Boutique Hotel provides single travellers, couples, families, leisure and business with a relaxing and highly personalised stay.

Siem Reap Belmond La Residence DÁngkor River Road Tel: 0845 0772 222 Having undergone a revamp, the all-suite hotel boasts newly-designed interiors, lush landscaped gardens surrounding a salt water pool, a deluxe poolside suite, 20 poolside junior suites, 12 garden junior suites, eight deluxe studio suites and 18 junior suites.

Lynnaya Urban River Resort & Spa Tel: 063 967 755 www.lynnaya.com A luxury resort equipped with swimming pool, spa and restaurant.

Prince D’Angkor Hotel & Spa Sivatha Blvd.

Tel: 063 763 888 Email: info@princedangkor.com www.princedangkor.com Experience ultimate luxury and bask in the splendour of elegance at the Prince D’ Angkor Hotel & Spa, the perfect base from which to explore the legendary Angkor temples.

Rambutan Hotels & Resorts Phum Wat Damnak, Kum Sala Komreuk, Krom 10 Tel: 012 654 638 Email: bookings@rambutansr.com www.rambutans.info The former Golden Banana resort contains the same deluxe suites and villas in modern Asian style build around a salt-water pool. Private balcony or terrace with outdoor bathtub/splash shower. LBGT-friendly.

Sokkhak Boutique Resort Kok Chork village, Wat Thmey Tel: 063 765 697/ 063 765 698 www.sokkhak-boutiqueresort.com Stay in either one of the two suites, four junior suites or five uniquely deluxe rooms and one classic standard room, decorated in a homely style.

Sofitel Angkor Phokeethra Golf & Spa Resort Vithei Charles de Gaulle

Tel: 063 964 600/ 063 964 610 www.sofitel.com Ultimate in comfort and refinement, combining the traditional architecture of Cambodia with elegant French colonial style. Five-star accommodation, swimming pool, spa and international standard 18-hole 72-par golf course.

Accommodation established by the former manager of Bokor Mountain Lodge set in the French Quarter. Six rooms have AC, hot water, DVD and TV. The large garden has a patio pizzeria and bar.

Rikitikitavi Riverfront Tel: 012 274 820/ 012 235 102 www.rikitikitavi-kampot.com Western food served in large portions in this river-facing restaurant, bar and three-room guesthouse. A more upmarket venue for Kampot, the upstairs seating affords great sunset views.

Restaurant and bar open daily.

Templation Route du Petit Pont Tel: 063 969 345 From the masterminds behind The Plantation and Pavilion in Phnom Penh, Templation offers a slice of serenity from the madding temple crowds. Boasting a secret lake, swimming pool reflecting majestic palm trees, a vast expanse of tropical flora and 33 living spaces, most with their own private pool.

FOOD & DRINKS

Kep

Phnom Penh

Knai Bang Chatt Tel: 078 888 557 www.knaibangchatt.com An exclusive resort offering personal service in private grounds housing a collection of remodelled 1960’s style colonial villas. Offering 18 rooms, infinity pool, spa and media centre. All rooms refurbished to international standards.

Choice of two dining options – upscale The Strand or the adjoining Sailing Club.

Blue Pumpkin 245 Sisowath Quay Tel: 023 998 153 At multiple locations in Phnom Penh, serving breakfast sets, Asian and Western entrées and an array of ice cream flavours in air-conditioned comfort. Open daily from 6am-11pm.

Le Bout du Monde Tel: 011 964 181 www.leboutdumondekep.com Individual and separate bungalows in traditional Khmer architecture located on a hill-top with good views and nice gardens.

Serves French and Khmer cuisine.

Rooms have hot water, mini-bar, fan and safe.

Spring Valley Resort Tel: 036 666 6673 www.springvalley-resort.com Spring Valley Resort, at the base of Kep National Park, is just a short walk to the beach. The rooms are scattered throughout vibrant green gardens, connected by walkways that wind through vines, trees and flowering plants.

Villa S’aat Tel: 017 383 185 www.villa-kep.com Elegant and spacious villa for rent in Kep during holidays and weekends. Located around 2km from the crab market, with spacious rooms, fully equipped kitchen, swimming pool, large terrace, garden and household staff.

Kampot Mea Culpa 44 Sovansokar Tel: 012 504 769 Email: meaculpakampot@gmail.com

endorsed

Brown Coffee & Bakery 17 Street 214 and other locations throughout the city.

Tel: 023 217 262 Stylish, locally owned café with bakery on the premises serves a variety of coffees and pastries, with the green tea latte a house speciality. Open 7.30am8pm.

The Chinese House 45 Sisowath Quay, Phnom Penh.

Tel: 092 553 330 Under new management and having undergone a radical revamp, Chinese House has a fine dining restaurant upstairs serving fusion food, and a bar space downstairs, serving tapas. Still has the uber-cool vibe created by the previous management.

Do Forni Sofitel Phnom Penh Phokeethra 26 Sothearos Blvd.

Tel: 023 999 200 Sophisticated Italian diner set in the grounds of the Sofitel hotel, dishes up much more than your basic pizza and pasta. Excellent range of wines, dimmed lighting and plush surroundings make this an excellent romantic meal for two option. Open daily 6.30pm-10pm.

FCC Phnom Penh 363 Sisowath Quay Tel: 023 724 014 The first stop for newcomers and it’s easy to see why. Set in a beautiful colonial house with sumptuous views across

Houseplants

Kate Burbidge Silent green sentinels, they sit on window sills and balconies, consuming very little, shedding even less (unless something has gone horribly awry), keeping you company, not answering back (unless something has gone horrib…).

Oh, you don’t think plants are company? Just imagine your living or work space would be without them. Seems empty, doesn’t it?

Given as housewarming or first-visit gifts since classical times, houseplants are much more than just a pretty face.

As the city expands ever outwards, upwards, inwards, taking over or just dwarfing green spaces, literally and figuratively throwing shade on parks and tree-lined streets, it becomes more and more necessary to claw back a little verdure, and give it house space.

The symbiosis between people and plants goes beyond mere gaseous exchange (CO2 for O2 and vice versa).

By increasing the oxygen in the air you breathe, absorbing the carbon-dioxide and removing pollutants, plants improve your concentration and memory, heighten your attention and improve your creativity. Incidentally, this exchange of gases promotes better quality sleep, how many room-mates can match that?

Research has shown that the presence of plants leads to reduced stress and anxiety, increased feelings of calm, and a marked improvement in mood and a general sense of well-being. Studies performed in hospitals showed that patients with plants in

their rooms had lower blood pressure and heart rates, and recovered faster than patients whose rooms did not contain plants. Caring for something living is great therapy when you’re depressed or lonely.

Plants are a great alternative to pets for those with allergies or housing restrictions.

Greening up your environment promotes calm and tropical plants add splash of colour, but houseplants needn’t just be decorative.

Most herbs repel mosquitos, although many aren’t suited to life in a tropical climate. Lemongrass and basil are particularly effective and grow here in abundance. They are almost as easy to grow indoors as out – as long as you don’t live in hermetically sealed, air-con splendour – or simply stick them on the balcony or window sill to keep the little bitey blighters at bay.

Neptunus will do just as well if you prefer a trailing skeeter repellent. Basil will also keep flies away and chrysanthemums will keep your home clear of cockroaches and ants, and not much, botanical or otherwise, beat that claim.

Houseplants can even provide you with bounty, herbs, besides keeping the bugs off, will always provide you with something tasty to perk up your meals. If you’re particularly blessed by the horticultural spirits you may even be able to grow a citrus or two and reap actual, tangible fruity benefits from your “green pets”. For best results, start with a lime or pomelo and eschew the AC.

AsiaLIFE Cambodia 51

the river on one side and the National Museum to the other, it’s best to come at sunset when the streets below are most crowded and enjoy the happy hour.

Open daily from 7am-midnight.

Fu Lu Zu Sofitel Phnom Penh Phokeethra 26 Old August Site, Sothearos Blvd Tel: 023 999 200 x 6613 Elegant Chinese restaurant specialising in contemporary Cantonese delicacies and dim sum with private rooms for intimate ambience. Lunch & Dim Sum Buffet: Monday to Friday, from 11.30am to 2.30 pm/ weekends, from 10.30am to 2.30pm.

Hachi Sofitel Phnom Penh Phokeethra 26 Old August Site, Sothearos Blvd Tel: 023 999 200 On the black granite sushi bar, the Japanese chef prepares guests’ favourite selection of sushi and sashimi, with fish imported daily from Japan.

Il Forno Restaurant Phnom Penh 11 Street 302 Tel: 081 660 515 Traditional imported ingredients from Italy to keep all of recipes 100 percent Italian. Wine bar for nice aperitivo, lunch special menus.

Java Café & Gallery 56 Sihanouk Blvd.

Tel: 023 987 420 Great coffees, salads, mix-and-match sandwiches and juices served in an elegant setting. The upstairs terrace, overlooking the Independence Monument, is a good place to watch the chaos below, while the downstairs space is a great place for coffee and catching up on your emails. Has exhibitions both upstairs and down. Open 7am-10pm.

K West 1 Street 154, cnr. Sisowath Quay Tel: 023 214 747

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Stylish aircon bar and restaurant below the Amanjaya with an excellent steak menu and good value happy hour from 6pm-8pm Fridays. Now has a brasserie menu with daily specials. Also has free WiFi. Open 6.30am until midnight. Daily happy hour from 5:30pm to 7:30pm.

Khéma Pasteur 163 Street 51 Khéma La Poste Street 13 with cnr Street 98 Tel: 015 823 888 A sophisticated international boutique restaurant featuring an on-site gourmet café, bakery and delicatessen with a wide range of specially imported and house-made delights, Khéma offers a unique concept on Cambodia’s dining scene scene.

La Coupole Sofitel Phnom Penh Phokeethra 26 Old August Site, Sothearos Blvd.

Tel: 023 999 200 www.sofitel.com Casual and authentic Indochinese and French cuisine with live cooking by chefs in an open kitchen concept. Offers breakfast, lunch, dinner and the Sunday brunch, all set in a stunning restaurant with high ceilings and natural light.

Metro Cnr Sisowath Quay & Street 148 Tel: 023 222 275 Cool east-meets-west decor and a chic menu offering tapas, starters and mains, comprehensive cocktail menu, favourite among which is the Espresso Martini, Metro also offers a range of classic breakfasts and an elegant lunch spot with free wifi in an air-con and smokefree (until 10pm) atmosphere. Open daily 9.30am-1am.

Sher e Punjab 16 Street 130, Phnom Penh.

Tel: 092 992 901 Phnom Penh is blessed with a vast array of Indian kitchens, but many expats put this small place at the top of their list. Top Indian food, with an authentic

Tandoori oven producing fine breads and grilled meats, also excellent for veggies.

Open daily, 10am-10pm.

The Shop 39 Street 240, Tel: 092 955 963023 986 964 Stylish café, with a wide range of fresh bread, tempting patisseries and juices, excellent salads and sandwiches.

Crowded at lunchtime, but the small, cool courtyard at the back creates a perfect haven from the sun. Has a Chocolate Shop three doors along, and a second outlet in Tuol Kork. Open 7am-7pm Topaz 182 Norodom Blvd.

Tel: 012 346 555 / 023 221 622 Sophisticated, air-con restaurant with outside dining, upstairs bar, wine shop, cigar room and private rooms. One of Phnom Penh’s finest restaurants. Has a popular piano bar, night club upstairs.

Open 11am-2pm, 6pm-11pm.

Van’s Restaurant 5 Street 102 Tel: 023 722 067 French fine-dining in a grand setting awaits at Van’s, located on the second floor of a well preserved colonial-era building near the Post Office. Has an excellent value set lunch. Open daily 11.30am-2.30pm, 5pm-10.30pm.

from the provinces to contemporary creative Cambodian cuisine. It is set in a beautiful colonial building featuring wooden carvings, tables, chairs and unique lights all hand-made in Cambodia. Open daily from 11am-10.30pm (kitchen closes at 9.30pm).

Siem Reap Armand’s The Bistro 584-586 Tep Vong, Sangkat Svay Dangkom Tel: 092 305 401 A true bistro experience in a cosy woodpanelled space, despite the informal and relaxed ambience it has the menu to even satisfy high-rollers.

Chanrey Tree Pokombo Ave. Tel: 063 767 997 www.chanreytree.com Traditional Khmer food in a beautiful contemporary setting. Alongside the river, 50m before Preah Phrum Rath Pagoda. Open daily. Lunch 11am-2.30pm, dinner 6pm-10.30pm.

Il Forno Restaurant Siem Reap Paris Alley, off Pub Street Tel: 063 763 380 Come and try our wood fire pizza and our traditional homemade pastas. New air con room to cool off with a nice Italian wine and a charcuterie.

Malis 136 Norodom Bvd Tel: 023 221 022 www.malis-restaurant.com Beautiful modern Khmer restaurant with a courtyard set around narrow water channels and decorated with terracotta floor tiles. Has air-con rooms inside for those who find the midday sun too much. The cuisine is modern Khmer, with no MSG. Open 6am-10pm.

Hot Stone Café Old Market area, next to Angkor trade center Tel: 012 926 562 063 966 966 Email: info@hotstonecafe.asia www.hotstonecafé.asia The hottest culinary concept in town, with two dining options, cook yourself BBQ selection and Khmer dining.

Romdeng 74 Street 174 Tel: 092 219 565 Romdeng serves Cambodian food that ranges from almost forgotten recipes

King’s Road Angkor 7 Makara Road, Achar Sva Street Tel: 093 811 800 www.kingsroadangkor.com A unique dining and shopping village in

Siem Reap, comprising of 15 restaurants and cafés and 12 boutiques.

CULTURE Cinemas The Flicks Movie Theater 39b Street 95 (BKK3) www.theflicks.asia Local expat oriented movie houses with revolving schedule of international films and art house, screened in comfy air conditioned movie rooms. Also offers possibility for movie parties, with option to hire the movie room for a private session (max 30 people). Minimum two screenings per day. Check the website for the weekly schedule. Reservations advised. Cover charge $ 3.50 per day Major Cineplex Aeon Mall Tel: 023 90 1111 Major Cineplex is located on the second floor of the Aeon Mall Phnom Penh and is the biggest cinema complex in Cambodia with multiple screens, 3D and 4D theatres, showing the latest blockbusters from Asia and Hollywood. Open daily, from 9am to midnight.

Meta House 37 Sothearos Blvd (opp. Phnom Penh centre) Tel: 012 607 465 Movie shorts and documentaries from Cambodia and the rest of Asia. Screenings normally start at 7pm. Closed Mondays.

Platinum Cineplex 5th Floor Sorya Shopping Centre Tel: 081 666 210 International-standard three-screen Cineplex featuring the latest Digital 3D technology and the most recent Hollywood and international releases, located in the heart of downtown with ample parking, shopping and eating options.

Open 9am-11pm.

Tarantino Movie Theater & Restaurant 8 Street 258 (Chaktomuk) Formerly The Flicks 3 location. Screening the hit classics from the previous century on the big screen. Includes full restaurant with international kitchen.

Dinner and movie deals available. Cover charge $ 3.50 per day.

The 11 Happy Movie House 89-90 Street 136 Formerly The Flicks 2 location, located inside the 11 Happy Backpacker. Daily screenings of mostly Cambodian orientated movies. Cover charge $ 3.50 per day.

Galleries

Bophana Audiovisual Resource Center 64 Street 200 Tel: 023 992 174 Preserving much of Cambodia’s audiovisual material. Hosts regular exhibitions.

Open Monday to Friday, from 8am to 6pm and Saturday, from 2pmto 6pm.

Din Art Gallery 79 Street 136 Tel: 017 931 900 Located above Feel Good Cafe, Cambodian artist Din Borin showcases his abstract art, with apsara dancers featuring heavily. Browse his work or buy some unique pieces from the collection.

French Institute 218 Street 184 Tel: 023 213 124 Offers cultural activities including exhibitions, festivals, and film screenings to promote French and Khmer culture.

Onsite shop Carnets d’Asie offers a selection of French books.

Java Café & Gallery 56 Sihanouk Blvd Tel: 023 987 420 www.javaarts.org Contemporary art gallery with exhibitions of Cambodian and international artists, as well as performing artists.

Has second gallery on the ground floor.

Website has details about Cambodia’s contemporary art scene.

National Museum of Cambodia Street 13 Tel: 023 211 753 The museum houses one of the largest collections of Khmer artefacts in the world, including sculpture, ceramic and ethnographic objects. Spending a couple of hours here is a good introduction to Cambodia’s long tradition of art and creativity, and a brief insight into the spirit of the Kingdom.

Romeet Contemporary Art Space 34E1 Street 178 Tel: 023 650 9392 Founded by Phare Ponleu Selpak in 2011 as a Phnom Penh platform for emerging and established alumni of the PPS’s Visual Art School in Battambang.

Romeet is a dynamic space for contemporary art exhibitions, talks, workshops, local collaborations and international exchange.

Sa Sa Bassac 18 Sothearos Boulevard An expansion of the Sa Sa Art Gallery and a merger with Bassac Art Projects, Sa Sa Bassac is an artist-run gallery for contemporary art. Includes a library, reading and workshop room, and a 60-metre gallery space. Ongoing visual literacy programmes.

Voted Cambodia’s

Top Cafe 2017 - Sovrin Magazine -

SIEM REAP Cambodia

Performing Arts Amrita Performing Arts 128-G9 Sothearos Blvd.

Tel: 023 220 424 www.amritaperformingarts.org Performance art company that puts on contemporary and classical music and theatre.

Cambodian Living Arts 128-G9 Sothearos Blvd.

Tel: 023 986 032 www.cambodianlivingarts.org A non-profit arts organisation devoted to the revival and transmission of traditional Khmer performing arts that puts on performances and provides tours.

Apsara Arts Association 71 Street 598 Tel: 011 550 302 Organisation that promotes Cambodian arts and culture. Open from 7.30am to 10.30am.

Chaktomuk Conference Hall Sisowath Quay Tel: 023 725 119 Designed by master Cambodian architect Vann Molyvann, this under-utilised building is worth a visit. Open Monday to AsiaLIFE Cambodia 53

54 AsiaLIFE Cambodia

money matters

Love Thy Pensions!

Paul Dodd

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Did you know that there are a lot of unloved pensions out there? One million of them in the UK alone if government estimates are to be believed, with a whopping $4bn sitting dormant and neglected.

Who loses a pension you might ask? Well it’s actually pretty easy to do in this age of job-hopping, with the average 55-year-old having changed jobs five times. It’s not so rare for an individual to have a trail of abandoned pensions with several different providers and often people don’t keep track, or possibly think they have such small amounts saved that they aren’t worth bothering about. This is definitely common amongst expats who, in the chaos of moving abroad, often omit to notify pension providers of their change of address and subsequently forget about old pensions.

If you suspect you might have abandoned a pension, you should really make the effort to trace it. If you are British, the job is made easy for you by the Pensions Tracing Service, which can track down both company and personal pensions using basic information about your former employers or, in the case of a private pension, the bank, building society or insurance company that offered the scheme. Other countries, such as Australia, run similar national pensions registries, although the US makes life a little tougher for its citizens.

Is it worth the hassle? Yes, of course it is. If someone came up to you and offered you $3,000 on a plate, no strings attached, I guarantee you’d take it so why wouldn’t you take a little time to track down a similar amount in savings?

And you could be talking about much more – one in five people who use the Pensions Tracing Service find a lost pension and they can be worth thousands of pounds a year.

Unloved and abandoned pensions are like anything else that is neglected: they don’t thrive.

They are often subject to excessive fees, offering a poor return and low annuity rates.

You could improve your return on lost pensions, and indeed on those that you know about but have not taken an active interest in, by consolidating them with other savings and investments.

By merging pensions, you not only condense your savings into fewer places, reducing management fees and other charges, you get a better oversight of your savings and make planning for retirement earlier.

Consolidation isn’t always the answer, and this is something I would definitely recommend you take professional advice on. However, I have many clients who have boosted their retirement funds significantly by consolidating their savings, so I urge you to love thy pensions and give them the attention that they deserve.

Paul Dodd is Country Director at Infinity Financial Solutions Cambodia, living and working in PP for the past 10 years.

AsiaLIFE Cambodia 55

siem reap

Fast Fashion in Siem Reap Sarah Brown

I have previously written about my very genuine love of having clothes tailored in Siem Reap, and the great satisfaction every step of the journey brings me. I love it all, from burrowing through the stacks of fabric in the market and figuring out what shapes might work with what patterns, to trying on the finished article.

There are, however, definitely times when I have neither the time nor the energy for the whole lengthy process, and really just want to pick something up off-therack and wear it that very day.

In those moments, options – or rather options that suit my size and taste – are somewhat limited; the British high-street Siem Reap is not.

I have, however, been able to dig out some gems, and thought I’d share them with you here.

If you keep your expectations low and your willingness to dig through rails of polyester high, then Brand Collection can really provide the goods.

Here you can find random items from an eclectic mix of brands, including everything from Marks & Spencer and H&M to Nike and Lululemon.

I’ve found some great gym gear here (for the three times of year I actually go to the gym), as well as other bits and pieces. Definitely

Sarah Brown is a Siem Reap stalwart who comes with an abundance of knowledge about Temple Town.

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worth a rummage. What’s more, Brand Collection has numerous locations around Siem Reap, my favourite of which is on the first floor of Lucky Mall.

Similarly, there is a small – somewhat random – clothes outlet inside Thai Hout supermarket, which has provided one or two great items. Not somewhere I’d necessarily make a special effort to go, but worth a look if you’re there doing your grocery shopping anyway.

For more creative items, I love Jipsé Khmer’s striking yukatas (a light cotton kimono-style cover-up for the uninitiated), which are currently available at Saarti in Kandal Village. I am also partial to a browse at Blush’s King’s Road store, which pulls me in every time with fun cuts and interesting fabrics. Sister store Frockaholics is also great if you’re looking for something a little more dressed-up.

My all time favourite place to buy clothes in Cambodia is, however, Dorsu. I might be cheating a little by including Dorsu in this list, as I’m not aware of anywhere in Siem Reap that currently stocks this Kampot-based brand.

However, the timeless classic cuts and commitment to ethical practices have my hooked, and I stock-up every time I’m in Kampot.

Kep & Kampot 033 930 000

Battambang 053 953 855

Mineral Water from France

Asia Life(BB).pdf

Friday, from 7am to 11.30am and 2pm to 5pm.

LEISURE & WELLNESS Amusement Cambodian Country Club Street 2004, Group 6 Toeuk Thla Tel: 012 231 755 A peaceful heaven providing tennis, swimming, badminton, fitness centre and horse riding, 15 minutes away from the city. Open from 6.30am to late.

Phnom Tamao Wildlife Park Phnom Tamao, 44 kilometres out of the capital along Highway 2.

Cambodia’s top wildlife centre. All animals are either rescued from traders or bred at the centre. Many of the animals are critically endangered. Open daily, from 8am to 4pm.

Classes Equestrian Centre CCC, Street 2004, Group 6 Toeuk Thla Tel: 015 231 755 With 31 ponies and horses, an international sized arena and spacious stables.

Open Tuesdays to Sundays, from 9amto 11am and 2pm to 5.30pm.

Music Arts School 14 Street 360 Tel: 023 997 290 www.music-arts-school.org A NGO school providing music training for Cambodians and expats – of all ages and levels – at affordable tuition fees.

Learn guitar, piano, violin, vocals, and traditional Khmer instruments. Also has a scholarship fund to provide music education to the less fortunate.

C Nathan Horton Photography 126 Street 136 M Tel: 092 526 706 www.nathanhortonphotography.com Y Photography tuition and guided toursCMto Kampong Chnang and Udong, covering technical and creative considerationsMYin the context of travel photography.

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Scuba Nation PADI 5* IDC DivingCMY Centre K 18 Sothearos Blvd (near FCC) Tel: 012 715 785 www.divecambodia.com Learn to scuba dive in Phnom Penh. The academic and pool part of the course can be done in Phnom Penh and you finish with two days in Sihanoukville on the boat. Offers refresher courses, try dives and kids’ pool parties as well as the full range of courses. Open Saturday, from 9am to 6pm and Sunday, from 9am to 5pm.

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A unique art deco buidling, serving an eclectic selection of creative sharing plates and main courses.

4:24 PM

This month, we take a look at Apple’s top-rated and best-performing apps of the year.

FREE IOS

FREE IOS ANDROID

PK’S LIST

PETLAS

Founder Philippe Kjellgren spent 800 days travelling the world to seek out the best first-hand recommendations to feature on the hotel app he launched in May. Packed full of more than 1,000 individually-selected, reviewed and visited hotels across the globe, from independent boutique properties to Grande Dame offerings, PK’s List’s ensures users end up at the perfect place to spend their getaway. While the app is free, in-app purchases for tiers of membership offer added extras, such as upgrades, breakfast, VIP amenities and bespoke trip itineraries.

If you really can’t leave home without your precious pet, then get Petlas on download because you’re going to need it. The app features a global database of more than 100,000 pet-friendly locations and services worldwide.

Wherever you are, open up the app and a map will reveal pet-friendly hotels, restaurants, bars and cafes, as well as vets, boarding services, pet supplies, dog-friendly parks and beaches and the locations of doggy bins. A tool that enables users to add to the map means hazards to watch out for while you walk your pet are also flagged up.

FREE IOS ANDROID

FREE IOS ANDROID

CAMFIND

TRIP JOURNAL

This is a great tool to figure out what those impressive buildings or structures you pass by on your travels but have no clue what they are, actually are. All users have to do is open the app, snap a photo and Cam Find uses mobile visual search technology to figure out what it is.

Additional functions include the ability to upload and save images to and from your phone, QR and barcode scanner, language translator and voice search. The app can also be used for price comparisons and online shopping, an address finder and film poster or DVD recognition.

This virtual travel scrapbook allows users to record their travel routes, visited locations, full screen photos, videos, comments and blog entries, and then share them using your favourite social networks. It features GPS route tracking to add favourite locations and geo-tag photos and videos, a notes section to jot down memories, names of new friends and experiences, Google Earth integration so friends and families can trace your travels and leave comments, and statistics to show your distance, time travelled and geography.

60 AsiaLIFE Cambodia

boxoffice

JURASSIC WORLD: FALLEN KINGDOM

OCEAN’S 8

THE INCREDIBLES 2

SICARIO 2: DAY OF THE SOLDADO

As the fifth instalment in the Jurassic Park series, this episode takes place four years after the destruction of the Jurassic World theme park, with the animals allowed to roam freely. Owen Grady (Chris Pratt) and Claire Dearing (Bryce Dallas Howard) form a rescue team and return to the island of Isla Nublar. Their mission is to save the remaining dinosaurs from a deadly volcano that’s about to erupt. They soon encounter a terrifying new breed of dinosaur, the hybrid Indoraptor, who escapes amidst the team uncovering a conspiracy that threatens the entire planet.

Five years, eight months, 12 days and counting – that’s how long Debbie Ocean (Sandra Bullock) has been devising the biggest heist of her life. She knows what it’s going to take, a team of the best people in the field, starting with her partner-in-crime Lou Miller (Cate Blanchett). Together, they recruit a crew of specialists, including jeweller Amita, street con Constance, suburban mom Tammy, hacker Nine Ball, and fashion designer Rose. Their target? a necklace that’s worth more than $150 million. This is a spin-off of Steven Soderbergh’s Ocean’s trilogy.

Incredibles 2 takes off where The Incredibles ends, with the introduction of the villain The Underminder (John Ratzenberger). The Parr family struggles to maintain normal lives while Helen (Holly Hunter), as Elastigirl, continues to fight crime and campaign for the return of “supers”. Meanwhile, Bob (Craig T. Nelson), stays at home caring for their children Violet, Dash and Jack-Jack, discovering the baby’s secret powers in the process. Also, the Parrs and their ally Frozone find they must battle a new villain, who goes by the name of Screenslaver.

FBI agent Matt Graver (Josh Brolin) calls on mysterious operative Alejandro Gillick (Benicio del Toro) when Mexican drug cartels start to smuggle jihadi terrorists across the US border. The war escalates even further when Alejandro kidnaps top kingpin’s daughter Isabela Reyes (Isabella Moner) to deliberately increase the tensions. When the young girl is seen as collateral damage, the two men will determine her fate as they question everything that they are fighting for and the Mexican government discover the plot and Graver orders Reyes’ execution.

COMING SOON MOVIE RELEASES Major Cineplex See majorcineplex.com.kh for screening schedule Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom Jun. 07 Ocean’s 8 Jun. 08 Terminal Jun. 08 The Incredibles 2 Jun. 14 Future World Jun. 21

Legend Cinemas See legend-cinemas.com for screening schedule Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom Jun. 07 Tag Jun. 15 Future World Jun. 21 Sicario 2: Day of the Soldado Jun. 28 Patrick Jun. 29

AsiaLIFE Cambodia 61

1. Which British TV presenter was known for his “Cheap as chips” catchphrase?

2. Will & Grace actor Eric McCormack was originally cast as which Friends character?

3. Which 1987 film contains the famous line: “Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die.”?

4. In 16th century Arabic it was known as ‘qahwa’, the Turkish called it ‘kahveh’ - what is it known as in the UK? 5. Which nation defeated England in the 2018 Women’s Rugby Union World Cup Final to win the trophy for a fifth time?

6. What is the French phrase for ‘If it pleases you’?

7. According to folklore, what kind of animal is ‘Black Shuck’ which is said to roam East Anglia?

AsiaLIFE Group Group Editor-in-Chief / Director Cambodia: Mark Bibby Jackson bibbyjackson@icloud.com

Group Director Sales & Marketing / Director Vietnam: Jonny Edbrooke jonny@asialife.asia

Managing Editor Cambodia: Marissa Carruthers marissa.asialife@gmail.com

Director Thailand: Nattamon Limthanachai (Oh) oh@asialife.asia

Contributing Writers: Matt Surrusco

Art Director Cambodia: Thang Pham L.C. leo@asialifemagazine.com

Siem Reap: Sarah Brown Accountants / Distribution: Seang Seiha 012 887 118 Distribution: Son Veasna 096 222 7231

Advertising Sales: Hannah Morris hannah.asialife@gmail.com 011 955 464

Printing: Sun Heang Printing House

Accountant: Sorn Rathana

Special thanks to: Darren Gall, Paul Dodd, Pet Grooming Cambodia, Ryan Drewe Taylor and Cambodian Living Arts for their contribution.

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Pub Quiz Answers

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Photographers: Enric Català Lim Sokchanlina

On the Cover Design & Art Direction: Thang Pham L.C.

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No content may be reproduced in any form without prior authorisation of the owners. © 360º Media.

WINE & CHEESE Enjoy our famous free-flow Wine & Cheese evenings every Tuesday and Thursday (6pm-8pm) for only 20$++ per person.

Good food, good wine with good friends!

Reservations recommended www.khema.online/booking Khéma La Poste | #41 St. 13 corner St. 98, Phnom Penh Khéma Pasteur | #163 St. 51 Corner St. 228, Phnom Penh Khéma Angkor | Coming soon in Siem Reap!

All prices are stated in US dollars and subject to 7% service charge and 10% government tax.

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