Back in "The Penh"

someone from home called it that and i just loved it. that moniker really suits this city. hilarious.

i've emailed some folks and realized it's easier to just update this thing instead. sorry these updates have been moving at the glacial speed they have, i just haven't been all that inspired to write, as it's either been too busy, i've been too tired, or it's just been too inconvenient to get to a pc with internet.

back in phnom penh after five sometimes excrutiating days in bangkok prepping for, then conducting this workshop. meeting was not only successful (interesting presentations and the delegates present were all too engaged) but socially productive for me, as i made some good work connections there and developed some really good economic project ideas. fun.

let me just take a moment to say how much i love bangkok. it's not a beautiful city; it's actually kind of a mess. with all the construction that began when times were good (economic boom) and then the screeching halt of all that excess when the financial crash of the late 1990's happened, you find it's a city not necessarily easy to navigate or get to know quickly.

but in a short amount of time and in only two visits, it has engraciated itself to me almost by default. i don't compare phnom penh to bangkok, because phnom penh isn't really a city by cosmopolitan standards. still, when i fell onto my featherbed and luxuriated with a facial and manicure and was at least able to contemplate the possibility of seeing a movie in an actual theater, i felt like i was in heaven.

i will dedicate another post to the joy of thai cuisine later. it deserves the pause of appreciation all by itself.

instead, i will say just that it was a rough trip to bangkok and i spent the weekend working, but a luxury resort has no better substitute when it comes to doing these things.

must sleep soon. will post about work back here later.