Man About Town: 28 Jan 2011

via CAAI

Friday, 28 January 2011 15:00 Peter Olszewski

Barangs’ big bikes

Many western expats in Siem Reap are quick to complain about Khmers who drive big SUVs. But many local expats also like to ride big motorbikes, eschewing the smaller 110-125 cc “motos” favoured by Cambodian counterparts.

This has drawn the ire of Khmer readers Ean Chum and Chan Kimleang, who write: “Why do expats have to drive around Siem Reap Town with big motorbikes, make a lot of noise, and drive dangerously fast?

“Is it just in non-respect for the Cambodian people and their culture? Or because they are rich, they are allowed to do what they want?”

Horse named Siem Reap

A RACEHORSE in New Zealand is named Siem Reap but, according to the Hawkes Bay Today newspaper, its form has faltered after a promising start.

The paper reports: “Another big northern hope is Siem Reap, who beat subsequent stakes winner Awesome Planet by four lengths in a debut performance that propelled him to 2000 Guineas favouritism. He never quite lived up to that, but he has won another two races. There always remains the chance that he’ll rediscover the ability he showed on debut.”

Still fun at the fair

THE Angkor Handicraft Fair, which has been running since Tuesday from 10am until 9pm daily in the Royal Palace Garden in front of Raffles Grand Hotel d’Angkor, will finish tomorrow evening.

This is the third annual fair organised by the Artisans Association of Cambodia to prompt people to buy Cambodian products, to increase and improve access to the market for social enterprises and business, and to highlight the abilities of disadvantaged producers.

Who’s in town?

In town: Mrs Catherine Tasca, first vice president of the French Senate and chairwoman of the Senate’s Franco-Cambodian Friendship Group. She leaves Siem Reap Sunday morning. She will visit a French school and, of course, do the temples.

Coming to town: The US-based all-female band The Like Me’s with lead singer Laura Mam will do their pop thing live, in English, Khmer and French, for two nights at the Tribute to the Masters concerts at the Bayon Temple on February 25 and 26. They will also perform at FCC Angkor on February 27.

Not coming to town: Megan Fox. Our beloved Minister of Information Kanharith Khieu informs us on his Facebook page that the Transformers 3 shoot set for Cambodia will take place in Siem Reap as well as Bokor. But he added: “I heard that Magan (sic) Fox won’t star in Transformers 3.”

Just been in town: A dozen of Malaysia’s brightest students, the grand prize team winners of the Mag Inc. 2010 contest. The Star newspaper reported that one winner, Amanda Ng, 16, from the Penang Chinese Girls’ High School who had returned from Stockholm, Sweden said: “In Stockholm, you see the technology of tomorrow. In Siem Reap, you see the poverty levels. It’s disheartening to note what the world is coming to.”