Had to get some change so I stopped at a cigarette stall.

They had these cute laminated good luck yantras. I offered to buy one but they just gave it to me. On one side you can see Earth spirit Neang Khanin wringing out her hair.

Fun folk Buddhism, will have to ask my friends to unpack the symbology.

God is my Palm Pilot

On my Cambodia Blog I noted the outrage that greeted the ‘Baby Buddha Bikini’

Then Cris came up with this:

http://news3.xinhuanet.com/english/2004-05/10/content_1460363.htm

I guess there’s gonna be detournement wherever you go.

Been reading some comics by the Cambodian – French artist SERA. (Thanks, Carole!) He is well known for ‘Impasse et Rouge’, about the final days of Phnom Penh. Khmer themes manifest themselves in his other work, too.

Amazing use of color.

Published works:

Impasse Et Rouge (Edition Albin Michel) 2003

Sortie de Route (avec Polonsky) (Editions Pierre-Marie Jamet) 2000

Antichambre de la Nuit (Editions Pierre-Marie Jamet) 1999

HKO (Casterman) 1997

New to Cambodian Comics? Try http://jinja.apsara.org/cambocomix

Australia, Cambodia

In 1996 and 1997 I taught English at Cambodian Association of Victoria.

I remember it as a pleasant place to work, with some dedicated staff. At the time Jeff Kennett was in power, Pauline Hanson was condemning immigrants, and Springvale, Victoria was touted as ‘Heroin City’ by the Herald-Sun. It seemed pretty tame to me.

Now it seems that the Association is in the news again – this time

relating to politics. I don’t know about the veracity of the allegations,

I think time will tell the truth.

http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/10/19/1066502077090.html http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/10/19/1066502077087.html

http://www.theage.com.au/media/2003/10/19/1066502077632.html

The Cambodian community in Australia is pretty cohesive compared to the USA, but it has many challenges like refugee populations the world over. Here is hoping things will resolve themselves in a way that is conductive to helping transparency and local participation in the political process.

Hallelujiah. A friend has put together a lightbox. Now I can work on my Spirit House drawings.

I may like to draw fast but living in Cambodia means that I am depending more on photo reference.

Doing a bit of consulting in Phnom Penh. Trying to beef up my French for October’s Cambodian Comics Exhibition. So three mornings a week I head over to the Russian Market and drink Ratanakiri Hilltribe Coffee with my tolerant tutor, Jean-Luc. All those damn accent marks. But the French do kickass comics, I refuse to give up.

I’m hanging my hat at Sakapel House, Phnom Penh. A few other visual artists live there. It’s just down the street from

The Association for Helping the Miserable Corpses. You just can’t make up stuff like this.