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#436
20-06-2013, 05:23 PM
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Re: Khmer Diary
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Lina has left the industry, I think it must have been 2 years ago. The girls at Sisslers told me she got pregnant, her husband didn't allowed her to work any more in the bars, or it could a combination of the 2. Hmm.. Nov 2010, about the time I was frequenting Sisslers. I was in 'butterfly' mode then but did enjoy her company. She come across to me as quite level-headed, unlike most of the other girls working in bars. Excellent English for a Cambo, quite witty and quick to retort. Maybe that's what I like about her. Made quite an impression on me, she did. However, she was a master teaser and I always thought I have time on my hands and will have my evil ways with her one day. Also there were so much other easily available 'distractions' I didn't put to much urgency to it. Then one day she just didn't come back. I got a call from her still with the old number about a year later but by then all the fires had gone out. You could try calling her at that number again. In the land where the people change their mobile number every time there's a promotion by another mobile provider, I won't put too much hope on it.
__________________
Be nice to every woman you know Eventually they will all owe you sex 
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#437
23-06-2013, 02:07 AM
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Re: Khmer Diary
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I will be heading to PP maybe in september. Hope we could catch up? Cheers bro
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#438
20-07-2013, 12:53 PM
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An Evening in PP
I looked out the window. The guy laid there, face down, blood gushing out with every pulse of his heart from about right of the back of his head. Motorists were now stopping around us and his beat-up Daelim motorcycle, blocking the North-bound side of Norodom Boulevard and Street 110. My eyes were fixed on the wound. He was unconscious, body jerking every now and then as if from a bad dream. Some of the onlookers turned him over. One side of his face was red with blood, his unseeing eyes half closed, body still twitching. I hoped this wasn’t his death throe. Sitting there in the car looking down at him, I felt uncharacteristically detached.
The evening started out with the 4 of us going to dinner at a North Korean restaurant just off Mornivong Boulevard. Unfortunately, being a Sunday, we didn’t get to see the performance put up daily by the waitresses. I heard good things about it. First thing we did was order the drinks, a bottle of ginseng syoju and another of syoju infused with an unmentionable part of a bull’s anatomy. We mixed both of them into a teapot much to the amusement of the 2 NK waitresses. Obviously none of their clientele mixed a cocktail such s this. We toasted each other with 2 waitresses hovering over us. We were the only customers in the longish hall. AC, generous to a fault, had asked earlier if we have ever eaten at a NK restaurant, and when the 3 of us answered negatively, made a detour from the originally planned Szechuan hotpot place. The 2 NK greeters at the door greeted him by name but they somehow managed to make it sound flirtatious. I have so far failed to see him enter a restaurant unrecognized by the proprietor or staff, and in this I feel adequately qualified to say so. Has he not in the past 10 months brought me to at least 30 of the best restaurants in Phnom Penh? And surely can I not attribute the 8 kilos I put on since directly to him? AC is best recognized as the gentleman who is always, always, impeccably dressed in his 3 piece suit, hair slicked back like Chow Yun Fat in Siong Hoi Tan. At 1.8m, with a belly worthy of the title 吃伸, accorded him by some Chinese restaurateurs. The title is not without justification, he eats with little regards to the price, and his huge appetite puts him in a class of his own. Imagine if you can, downing 10 eggs, 5 sausages, a kilo of ham and bacon, with toast, a liter of black coffee (without sugar) for breakfast. Lunch is mostly skipped, but dinner most times involved a kilo of cote du boeuf, sometimes with another side order of 500g, with starters, all the trimmings. $300 to 500 a meal is par for the course. I suspect he is trying to make a disciple out of me. Him plying me with Cubans, excellent reds, at every meal. In the beginning of the friendship, I didn’t protest at the amount I had to eat but after 3 months, a very visible paunch had made buying new clothes necessary, worse, clipping my own toe nails became a tricky affair and I had to put my foot down. But we’re as different night and day, other than the fact we converse in Cantonese. He’s old money, stands to inherit a fortune, although he’s earned and lost hundreds of millions on his own by the time he’s 40 and is now down to his last tens. Likes to muse what a pitiful state he’s in now, and I always retort I like to be as poor as he is now. The North Korean food is courser than their Southern brethrens’ although the pickles, especially their kimchi is excellent. The spread of pickles seemed to me a little somewhat sparse, compared to the S Korean restaurants I’ve been to. The sliced boiled pork belly is garnished with a few pieces of lettuce, the SK version comes with a huge basket of raw veggies, various sauces for you to wrap the pork with. However after a few glasses of the fiery mix of syoju, and the flawless complexioned waitresses and their ‘manjaness’ all is forgiven. More forgettable dishes followed. Mediocre dinner over, cigars were brought out (yes, smoking is not disallowed in most eateries), and the flirting began in earnest. The youngest among us, RC, asked one of the waitress whether she’s married, how old she is, and how would she feel about marrying a foreigner *wink* *wink*. Not married, she replied, 23. None of the others are married, and marriages are arranged by the state, she volunteered. My naive young friend is oblivious that these waitresses do not get selected to work overseas if their parents are without ‘çonnections’ and influence. A couple of months ago, a waitress, assisted by a S Korean, ran away and managed to get to Thailand. Her fate is still unknown, presumingly safely in SK; and the S Korean man responsible was hauled up by the local police and jailed on trumped up charges I can assume to be kidnapping. The relations between Cambodia and N Korea is obviously amicable, bonded by Cambodia’s red past and present (many members still in parliament today), evidenced by a road named after Kim Il Sung. Lights were switched off at the far end of the hall, near the stage decked with a drum set, electronic organ and guitars, a signal time’s up. AC called for the bill. I took a look, $155. Tips are not accepted. Hmm.. a meal at Jaru, my fav Korean joint, would have cost less for more, and better. We decided to hit the bars, me designated the VP, VICE President. AC as a habit doesn't go to bars but the one time he did, a Cambodian-Viet girl, with her demure demeanor and youthful çute caught his lecherous eyes, and tonight is as good a time to see her again. RC is a newcomer from HK and in the last 3 months worked his ass off in charge of a garage. MW (a Malaysian) is the head chef at a leading Japanese restaurant we frequent and AC thought him a promising young man and ought to be more exposed to other restaurants in PP. AC told me he was touched that MW spends his entire pay packet on the medical bills of his cancer-stricken mother, that in these day and time, such filialty exists. That heart-bearing session, I was told, had the 2 of them bawling in tears. Before I go further, I would like to state this entry is not about name dropping, which seems to be a national past time in PP. I would not have been able to afford these prices, nor am I expected to, although I have been ‘allowed’ to pay infrequently for way smaller bills. So that’s how far down the food chain I am, nothing to be ashamed or proud of. I hope this will give readers an insight into the places, people and incidents in PP.
__________________
Be nice to every woman you know Eventually they will all owe you sex
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#439
21-07-2013, 10:54 AM
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An Evening in PP
I looked out the window. The guy laid there, face down, blood gushing out with every pulse of his heart from about right of the back of his head. Motorists were now stopping around us and his beat-up Daelim motorcycle, blocking the North-bound side of Norodom Boulevard. My eyes were fixed on the wound. He was unconscious, body jerking every now and then as if from a bad dream. Some of the onlookers turned him over. One side of his face was red with blood, his unseeing eyes half closed, body still twitching, I hoped this wasn’t his death throe. Sitting there in the car looking down at him, I felt uncharacteristically detached.
The evening started out with the 4 of us going to dinner at a North Korean restaurant just off Mornivong Boulevard. Unfortunately, being a Sunday, we didn’t get to see the performance put up daily by the waitresses. I heard good things about it. First thing we did was order the drinks, a bottle of ginseng syoju and another of syoju infused with an unmentionable part of a bull’s anatomy. We mixed both of them into a teapot much to the amusement of the 2 NK waitresses. Obviously none of their clientele mixed a cocktail such s this. We toasted each other with 2 waitresses hovering over us. We were the only customers in the longish hall. AC, generous to a fault, had asked earlier if we have ever eaten at a NK restaurant, and when the 3 of us answered negatively, made a detour from the originally planned Szechuan hotpot place. The 2 NK greeters at the door greeted him by name but they somehow managed to make it sound flirtatious. I have so far failed to see him enter a restaurant unrecognized by the proprietor or staff, and in this I feel adequately qualified to say so. Has he not in the past 10 months brought me to at least 30 of the best restaurants in Phnom Penh? And surely can I not attribute the 8 kilos I put on since directly to him? AC is best recognized as the gentleman who is always, always, impeccably dressed in his 3 piece suit, hair slicked back like Chow Yun Fat in Siong Hoi Tan. At 1.8m, with a belly worthy of the title 吃伸, accorded him by some Chinese restaurateurs. The title is not without justification, he eats with little regards to the price, and his huge appetite puts him in a class of his own. Imagine if you can, downing 10 eggs, 5 sausages, a kilo of ham and bacon, with toast, a liter of black coffee (without sugar) for breakfast. Lunch is skipped, but dinner most times involved a kilo of cote du boeuf, sometimes with another side order of 500g, with starters, all the trimmings. $300 to 500 a meal is par for the course. I suspect he is trying to make a disciple out of me. Him plying me with Cubans, excellent reds, at every meal. In the beginning of the friendship, I didn’t protest at the amount I had to eat but after 3 months, a very visible paunch had made buying new clothes necessary, worse, clipping my own toe nails became a tricky affair and I had to put my foot down. But we’re as different night and day, other than we converse in Cantonese. He’s old money, stands to inherit a fortune, although he’s earned and lost hundreds of millions on his own by the time he’s 40 and is now down to his last tens. Likes to muse what a pitiful state he’s in now, and I always retort I like to be as poor as he is now. The North Korean food is courser than their Southern brethrens’ although the pickles, especially their kimchi is excellent. The spread of pickles seemed to me a little somewhat sparse, compared to the S Korean restaurants I’ve been to. The sliced boiled pork belly is garnished with a few pieces of lettuce, the SK version comes with a huge basket of raw veggies, various sauces for you to wrap the pork with. However after a few glasses of the fiery mix of syoju, and the flawless complexioned waitresses and their ‘manjaness’ all is forgiven. Mediocre dinner over, cigars were brought out (yes, smoking is not disallowed in most eateries), and the flirting began in earnest. The youngest among us, RC, asked one of the waitress whether she’s married, how old she is, and how would she feel about marrying a foreigner *wink* *wink*. Not married, she replied, 23. None of the others are married, and marriages are arranged by the state, she volunteered. My young friend is obviously quite naive to ask that. These waitresses do not get selected to work overseas if their parents are without ‘çonnections’ and influence. A couple of months ago, a waitress, assisted by a S Korean, ran away and managed to get to Thailand. Her fate is still unknown, presumingly safely in SK; and the S Korean man was hauled up by the local police and jailed on trumped up charges I can assume to be kidnapping. The relations between Cambodia and N Korea is obviously amicable, bonded by Cambodia’s red past and present (many members still in parliament today), evidenced by a road named after Kim Il Sung. Lights were switched off at the far end of the hall, near the stage decked with a drum set, electronic organ and guitars, a signal time’s up. AC called for the bill. I took a look, $155. Tips are not accepted. Hmm.. a meal at Jaru, my fav Korean joint, would have cost less for more, and better. We decided to hit the bars, me designated the VP, VICE President. AC as a habit doesn’t go to bars but the one time he did, a Cambodian-Viet girl, with her demure demeanor and prettiness caught his lecherous eyes, and tonight is as good a time to see her again. RC is a newcomer from HK and in the last 3 months worked his ass off in charge of a garage. MW (a Malaysian) is the head chef at a leading Japanese restaurant we frequent and AC thought he is a promising young man and ought to be more exposed to other restaurants in PP. AC told me he was touched that MW spends his entire pay packet on the medical bills of his cancer-stricken mother, that in these day and time, such filialty exists. That heart-bearing session, I was told, had the 2 of them bawling in tears. Before I go further, I would like to state this entry is not about name dropping, which seems to be a national past time in PP. I would not have been able to afford these prices, nor am I expected to, although I have been ‘allowed’ to pay infrequently, for a few bowls of the excellent pho at our pho haunt. So that’s how far down the food chain I am, nothing to be ashamed or proud of. Hopefully this will give readers an insight into the places, people and incidents in PP. We left the car parked near the GPO, a grand French building and walked a short distance to Street 104, a street barely 100m long. The other end of the street goes out to Sisowath Quay, or commonly known as the Riverside. 104 is on the extreme Northern end of the tourist zone. There are a couple more bars if you turn left on Sisowath but that’s about it. Further up, along the river is a stretch of park is the boarding point for tour boats. These boats ferry tourists for a couple of hours to laze on the Tonle Sap (River Sap) where it joins the few the Tonle Sekong before converging with the Mekong. Used to cost $8 per hour when I first arrived but now it close to $20. After dark, this stretch is dimly lit and some tens of freelancers, all tarted up, can be seen along the road. Prices are in the region of $10 for a quickie. I am not yet inspired find out where the evil deeds are done. There are a few brothels further up opposite the Phnom Penh Port which are mainly frequented by locals, although on occasions they host some adventurous barangs, as evidenced by online postings on Khmer440.com. There are probably about 10 bars on 104. From the Riverside end, the Pickled Parrot, and my usual haunt, is run by Ozzie Graham, a friendly chap who runs a tight ship, as is the guest house (Tonle Sap GH) he has upstairs. Prices goes from $35/night up and is very popular with budget tourists. A mix of Cambodian, Oz, French food is served at the Parrot so guests don’t need to go far for their chow. It is the only bar/restaurant along this street that is not a hostess bar although occasionally guests bring their newly befriended girlfriends in to brighten up the atmosphere. A pool comp is held every Tuesday with the winner getting a $50 bar tab, and runner up $20. Great competitive atmosphere, one doesn’t remain a stranger for long. There has in recent times a number of change of ownerships along 104 with Vortex Bar taking over Velkommen Inn, Air Force Bar expanding into the space previously housed by Milky Way. I met the Japanese who ran MW a week ago and he’s now into karaoke sound systems. He told me he has another bar for sale, near St 136, for $15,000. Mathilda is still Mathilda and in the 3 years I’m here, has gone through 4 owners, first the Korean who also owns 1 of the 2 taxi fleets in PP. He sold it to a Japanese, the same mentioned above, who in turn sold it to an retired Ozzie who found running a bar is too tedious and time consuming and not to mentioned too much bother for too little money. The current owner is a local. Another short lived one was the Crossroad Bar, I think it’s now the Vixens Bar. The Singaporean boss bought it since, he told me, he’s hitting the bars every night and might as well spend the money in his own. Wrong strategy. Having all the girlfriend’s relatives behind the bar didn’t help either. Prior to this, it’s known as the Pure Bar. The Malaysian owner of the Pure, after the sale, took over the Chicago Grill Bar at the Jockey Hotel where it became a rallying point for a group of bikers. I think the hotel has some other plans for the space and the CG is now no more.
__________________
Be nice to every woman you know Eventually they will all owe you sex
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#440
21-07-2013, 10:55 AM
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Re: Khmer Diary
The Cavern Restaurant is now also a hostess bar but to me their curry on Wednesday is still their main attraction. They import as well as make their sausages, excellent stuff. The proprietor, Jim I think, is helluva cook and always experiments with new dishes.
Oscar’s Pub deserved a mentioned here. It is the only hostess bar on 104 with its own band. Come to think of it, it could be the only one in PP. The owner plays the drums. Sings too. Rock mainly, CCR, Eagles, if you like those. And they do a good job with it too. T-Pub opened for a few months then packed and gosh, I can’t remember what it is now. Smile Girl is relatively new, 6 months? Nice friendly girls that deserves a few more visits. Next to Parrot is the Rose Bar. What can I say about Rose Bar. It is the first bar on this street, it has something for everyone, from stunners to cows just ran over by a truck. Love it or hate it. Top Ten, one of my favorite, but then I am a little prejudice. Very friendly lady boss, husband a Scot. Very cute inhabitants in there. Bar 104 seems to be a favorite with many but since the cutie I had the hots for left I have not been back. A couple of vids of 104 – I hope to come back to the main story and that is about the idiot who sped out to a main road, at speed, without looking, not wearing a helmet, dead drunk, on a slightly wet road. He’s still in a coma, last I heard.
__________________
Be nice to every woman you know Eventually they will all owe you sex
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#441
22-07-2013, 12:54 AM
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Re: Khmer Diary
Bro Faidenk, how r u ? Still doing the routine, hoping along 104 , all the way to 136 ??
Bro Faidenk still going stronger by the days.
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#442
22-07-2013, 04:45 PM
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Re: Khmer Diary
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Not much of this on my own, bars has lost its magic on me, but I do get called upon when visitors come. Other occasions are keeping in touch with friends here. PP doesn't have much of attractions other than the bars.
__________________
Be nice to every woman you know Eventually they will all owe you sex
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#443
22-07-2013, 06:33 PM
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Re: Khmer Diary
Bro, next time if I visit Cambodia PP, u happen to b ard, pls show me ard. Thanks.
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#444
23-07-2013, 12:43 PM
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Re: Khmer Diary
Hi Bro Faidenk,
I have not been returning to your hospitality since moons back. Anyhow, your stories help to mitigate my yearning for a piece of PP somewhat... thanks bro, for your sharing. cheers, boy
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#445
23-07-2013, 09:31 PM
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Re: An Evening in PP
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#446
24-07-2013, 07:28 PM
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Re: An Evening in PP
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If I have understood right NK girls stay 3 years and live inside of NK embassy. They get place in top NK universities for award when they return back to motherland.
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#447
25-07-2013, 12:05 PM
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Re: An Evening in PP
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The only thing going for it, IMHO, is the song and dance routine and the novelty of having been to a North Korean restaurant, for those of us who has the fortune of not having been borne there. The food is passable, but probably 'luxurized' a few notches up. Not trying to put it down but to me it was pretty mediocre as restaurants go. For that price there are many Korean in PP that hits the spot. Jaru comes to mind. Excellent food. Typical Korean homefare, food I can go eat like 4 times a month and easy on the pocket as well. It is located between Russian Blvd and Kampuchea Krom, it is just up the street where Chun Hsin and Tonle Sekong hotels are. BTW, there's an good although sparse Taiwanese restaurant along that street offering Taiwanese spicy beef noodles. Lots of other Taiwanese street fares on offer, all reasonably priced. Cheap and good. Like $3.50 for a humongous bowl of noodle. Try it. Both of them. Bon apetit.
__________________
Be nice to every woman you know Eventually they will all owe you sex
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#448
25-07-2013, 10:05 PM
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Re: An Evening in PP
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#449
26-07-2013, 10:41 AM
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An Evening in PP
We were intent on enjoying ourselves, the girls in the bar intent on extracting their dues with various devious means. Among their arsenal, youth, beauty and charm although any single attribute will suffice. Those not in possessions of these attributes have other tricks to put a foot firmly between the door, like massaging the uninterested customer, or, depending on the state of inebriatness of the customer, just hang around and hope to get tipped at the end of the day.
These girls receive a monthly stipend from the proprietor, averaging $70. The girls complement their income by pushing lady drinks at $3 each. The LD could come in the form of a beer, a gin tonic, or a bourbon coke or whatever she desires. The girl gets $1 of it and the rest to the bar owner. In recent times, many bars have upped the LD price to $3.50 and I have no idea if the girls’ share has been increased. There are bonuses for achieving monthly LD targets set by the proprietor, as well as penalties. The girls are expected to be tipped, anything from a dollar up, depending on her physical attributes, the length of time she spends with you, the quality of service and the amount of saliva you drool. The biggest contribution to their income comes from customers booking the girls out of the bars, anywhere from $25 to $50 for a ST, from $50 to $100 for a LT, all depending on several factors – beauty, or lack of; time of booking; state of drunkenness, and so on. To compensate the bar for the absence of a staff, a ‘bar fine’ is imposed, from $7 to $10, depending on the bar. Some bars stepladder the bar fine, $7 before 11 and $10 after, other charge a flat fee. The bar fine goes entirely to the proprietor and the ST and LTs’ for the girls, unless she has a minder to pay. Some, in lieu of a barfine, stipulates the purchase of 3 LDs, as in the case of Shanghai Bar, a foreign-owned bar/restaurant. No unions or specific laws govern this group of workers. Usually $5 is deducted from their pay for a day off. This applies to a wide spectrum of workers in Cambodia. Unions are reserved for the foreign-owned factories. Most bars are owned by locals although a number are only ‘fronted’ by locals but owned by foreigners. Officials ‘smell’ these bars out for ‘special’ attention. Foreign-owned bars are easy targets for the NGOs, what better ways of raising funds to help the local female populace exploited by the evil foreigners. Most of the girls come to PP from the provinces, although there are a few PP inhabitants. Quite rare but these girls know the bars are generally patronized by foreigners and little chance of bumping into a cousin, 3 times removed. These girls come for a variety of reasons – poverty, joblessness, abandonment by husbands, kids. Same reasons as in anywhere. I won’t go into the specifics of our evening, we did what we went to do, we contributed to the local economy, we made several people happy, we were happy and we left at 11pm, tomorrow being a Sunday.
__________________
Be nice to every woman you know Eventually they will all owe you sex
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#450
04-08-2013, 01:54 AM
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Re: An Evening in PP
Hi bro,
I am looking to visit PP and SR mid August. Would you be able to recommendation for driver and hotel that is close to the action?
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