Man about town

via CAAI

Friday, 04 March 2011 15:00 Peter Olszewski

Trout helps dogs

SIEM Reap’s dogged defender of all things doggie, Zoe Trout, is leaving town to continue her studies in the UK for at least two years. But with her impending departure she’s taken measures to ensure that Temple Town’s pooches won’t be left without a dog-rights champion, or a vet.

Siem Reap has for quite some time been without the services of a western-qualified vet, and late last month Trout helped bring a vet from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap for the weekend to administer vaccines, and deliver de-worming, flea and tick treatments.

The number of animals the vet could treat was limited due to time constraints.

But the vet, who works for the Wildlife Conservation Centre, will return at the beginning of April and will be able to treat many more dogs. Trout has handed over the coordination duties for this project to 7Days contributor Nicky McGavin. For more details email nickymcgavin@yahoo.co. .

Trout’s indomitable presence will sorely be missed in Siem Reap. Man About fondly recalls being bailed up by Ms Trout one evening in busy Pub Street and given a severe tongue-lashing about an article in The Post that she felt encouraged the eating of dog meat in Korean restaurants in Phnom Penh.

Family fun day

SIEM Reap’s Women’s Resource Center will be hosting a Family Fun Day festival in celebration of the 100th anniversary of International Women’s Day on Tuesday, March 8.

Proceedings kick off at 1pm at Wat Damnak, and there will be information booths representing services provided by Cambodian Community Mental Health Service, Cambodian Women’s Crisis Center, Cambodian Women’s Peace and Development, Dragonfly House, Getset-Go Women’s Learning Center, Grace House Community Center, Legal Aid of Cambodia , Lichadho, Life and Hope Association, Marie Stopes International, Men’s Health Center, Reproductive And Child Health Alliance, Reproductive Health Association of Cambodia, Transcultural Psychosocial Organization, and This Life Cambodia.

Festival highlights include the usual fun and games, plus a photo slideshow featuring women from around the world, in addition to music, dancing, and food vendors.

A highlight will be at 6.30pm when Anjali House stages two contemporary shadow plays directed by Brigitta Gillesan, who has been holding workshops at Anjali. The two plays, The Hungry Liar and The Beautiful Ghost, are based on traditional Cambodian folk tales.

Funky Munky sunk

SIEM Reap’s long running and once-popular Funky Munky restaurant is no more.

The business has been bought by Siem Reap’s meal mogul Alex Sutherland who has already gutted the interior of the place and plans to turn it into an American- style BBQ grill. Chalk up one more restaurant to Sutherland, who told Man About that he will not retain the name.

Funky opened for business four years ago along the riverside café strip, and later moved to its Pub Street locale. Throughout its history it had a bewildering revolving-door array of partners who came and went.

Its main claim to fame was Thursday night charity trivia quizzes, and this local tradition now lives on at the Warehouse on Thursday nights.