East Eats West

Women explained (by an Asian man)

I recently had a very enlightening chat with a Cambodian friend of mine who has been married with kids for several years. He shortly explained to me the differences between Asian and Western women. Here you go:

According to him Western women want to be sexy, attractive and young. They strive for independence and want to look young into old age. Asian women in contrast want to have white skin and show their material wealth in the form of jewelry and possessions. They want to have a family and look after their husbands. Once they have and they reach their forties, they do not care about looking young anymore and they dress more modestly in order not to compete with their children. And as far as I can tell they like big SUV cars as much as Western women.

Black label gasoline

Cambodian petrol stations come in the most unlikely disguises. And for the brand conscious drivers you can get one or two litres Johnnie Walker Black Label petrol bottles for refuelling. Keep on driving!

Check out my pictures from Siem Reap, Cambodia, here: http://easteatswest.typepad.com/photos/siem_reap_cambodia_2/index.html

Cambodian corruption explained

Picture: This used to be the Siem Reap court and is now a hotel and retail development in the making.

In development aid the support of the government can make a big difference. For example in Vietnam the government supports and funds activities for Agent Orange victims, in Cambodia in contrast NGO are left on their own. The government does not provide any funds. This has to do with how governments work and corrupt they are. Here are two examples:

In Cambodia government employees are lowly paid and rely on bribes. And the more lucrative a government position is the more sought after such jobs are. This leads to the result that one has to give money to his superior in order to get and keep his position. The governor of Siem Reap, according to well-informed sources, recently transformed his house in the heart of Siem Reap into a hotel. The money from the hotel he now “invests” into a big, juicy present to his boss and voila, he is allowed to keep his lucrative job.

Another example of corruption can be seen in cases where the government supports the construction of schools. A budget is allocated to the project and construction companies with the help of officials start to import subsided building materials. But not only materials for the school are imported but far more. The surplus material is then is sold off locally to other projects. This is Cambodian style development aid.

Aid work is a tough business

Picture: The Cambodian Orphanage run by KADO in Siem Reap.

Running an aid organization in very poor

Cambodia

is as much about business as about helping disadvantaged children. My long-standing friend and president of the NGO KADO, Sunsoley Riem, is constantly faced with the challenges of fund-raising and giving his NGO more structure in order to manage the programs more efficiently. His orphanage looks after over 100 children and runs different projects from silk-weaving to traditional Khmer dance performances. With the help of a very experienced NGO worker from Switzerland we tried to device a better marketing strategy to raise funds that consists of two pillars: first use the regular dance performances of the children at luxury hotels to get guests interested in his centre and then entice them to visit the centre, which is half an hour outside Siem Reap (near Angkor). Secondly we came up with a scheme to create a yearly patronage for individual children. As Worldvision, an NGO for children, has very successfully showed with their program, raising funds from private people is all about connecting donor and child as directly as possible. And additionally visitors to the centre shall be able to donate for concrete products that the children need (e.g. bicycles, books). Hopefully this improved marketing strategy will increase the sustainability of the orphanage in the future. Also doing good has to be done professionally.

For more information about the Sangkheum Orphanage in Siem Reap, go here: http://www.sangkheum.org/main.html

Public execution by burning

Picture: Less than  a day to live!

This still smiling gentleman will life less than a day before he will be burned in Zurich in public. Each year the "Bögg"-burning at the "Sechseläuten" celebrates the start of the summer and everyone waits until the Bögg's head explodes. This tradition dates back to Reformation in 1523!

More pictures later...

For more info: http://www.z-z-z.ch/Index.php

Back in heaven, back in Luang Prabang

Picture: An ancient Wat (temple) at sunset in royal Luang Prabang, Laos.

I recently read about an Englishman who was told by monks in Laos that he was born in the “wrong” country, meaning he was actually Laotian. On my fourth visit to the ancient royal town of Luang Prabang I definitely started to wonder if I am not part Laotian somewhere deep inside.As soon as I roam the sleepy streets of the old quarters, listen to the banging of the drums at 4pm (and 4am) and watch the Mekong majestically making its way south, the magic of Luang Prabang is back. This time I had the honor of attending the bi-weekly blessing of two houses, one by offering food to the spirits and one in handing over a small bamboo-raft with food and a candle to the Mekong at night in order to appease the spirit of Naga, the snake god.

I just hope that the Chinese investments at the banks of the Mekong and the new hotels, including a 5-star hotel, will not chase the spirits away.

Check out my new pictures from Luang Prabang here: http://easteatswest.typepad.com/photos/luang_prabang_laos_2/index.html

Picture: School children exercising in school together.

Question: what are those two dogs up to?

What are those two dogs up to? I would like to point out that the smaller dogs rear legs are suspended in mid-air. If you have a guess, drop a comment below...

Ancient royal massages at The Spa Garden in Luang Prabang

Picture: The magical The Spa Garden at night.

Each time my visit to Luang Prabang entails a massage by skilled hands at my sister’s spa called The Spa Garden. Situated in a lovely wooden house in the centre of the UNESCO heritage old town it oozes a calm ambience and the mind relaxes immediately (also because of the modest prices).

Here is her website: http://www.spagardenlpb.com/

Am I Nicolas Cage or a lady-boy?

On my flight from Hanoi to Luang Prabang the flight attendants thought that I looked like Nicolas Cage (hopefully with more hair). I felt flattered, I must confess. A day later a Thai and Laotian friend told me that my face is as smooth as a woman’s and maybe I should consider becoming a lady-boy. I love the frankness of Asians!

Hot pot and where to eat in Hanoi

Picture: healthy, yummy and fun to eat - Vietnamese Hot Pot (or steamboat as the Chinese would call it).

Picture: Hanoi streetfood - never mind the oil...

Among my favorite Vietnamese dishes is the hot pot (or steamboat). The concept is simple and can be found across South-East Asia: a hot pot with bubbling savory soup, lots of vegetable and salad, sea food and beef that all are quickly cooked in the pot. The food is then eating with a salty sauce that reminds me of very strong broil. This dish is tasty, light, healthy and fun and is served in many restaurants around Hanoi and Vietnam.

The most original way of eating in Hanoi is in the streets at the many food stalls selling deep-fried ware and noodle soup. If you do not want to squat on little plastic chairs right next to the road I can recommend the many Westernized restaurants and cafés around the St.Joseph’s church. And if you feel like splurging many upscale restaurants around the opera offer a wide-array of food ranging from Vietnamese to Italian.

PS: An insider-tip is the buffet at the Sofitel Metropole Hotel. Well, it is not a bargain but worth the atmosphere.

Picture: Authentic but not for the health-conscious ones...