This will be very easy: It was awesome. Everything was right, great venue, Internet was working well, interesting and informative session, I met nice people and had great talks and a great time as well. As always, I learned a lot in Cambodia.
Visit Barcampphnompenh.org for updates, search on flickr for pictures or just google the tag barcamppp for more reviews.
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Friday, October 2, 2009
Barcamp Phnom Penh 2009 first impressions
Just a short video from the preparations at Panasastra University for the upcoming barcamp 2009 in Phnom Penh.
Sunday, August 16, 2009
No Bluetooth anymore in Cambodia?
THE government and municipal police are ramping up efforts to curtail the distribution of pornographic videos by cracking down on computer-to-phone and phone-to-phone transmission, officials said Thursday.
That actually means that bluetooth isn't allowed anymore? Come on guys, before banning porn just close all the karaoke bars and ban all you government staff from going there (it might be the case that some senior officials children, over 18 of course, are actors in these movies???)
That actually means that bluetooth isn't allowed anymore? Come on guys, before banning porn just close all the karaoke bars and ban all you government staff from going there (it might be the case that some senior officials children, over 18 of course, are actors in these movies???)
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Kambodscha steckt AIDS-Kranke in Kolonie
NGOs protestieren gegen “Aids Kolonien” in Kambodscha
No Comment.
Die kambodschanische Regierung hat seit Juni rund 40 von Aids betroffene Familien aus der Hauptstadt Phnom Penh in einen Vorort umgesiedelt. Rund 100 Menschenrechts- und soziale Hilfsorganisationen protestierten jetzt in einem Brief an die kambodschanische Führung gegen die Einrichtung solcher “Aids-Kolonien”. Die Betroffenen müssen nach einem Bericht von Human Rights Watch in Blechhütten hausen und haben keine angemessene Versorgung mit Wasser und sanitären Anlagen.
No Comment.
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Tickets in Angkor Wat more flexible
From KIMedia:
There’s no longer any need to speed up your visit at Cambodia’s past jewels. The validity length of the visiting tickets has been changed.
At least the economic crisis allows some flexibility to the visit of the unavoidable Angkor temples. At the request made by tourist professionals, and based on a decision made by Hun Sen, the ministry of Tourism asked the Sokimex concession company to bring some changes to the visit tickets.
Although there is no change to the daily visit tickets ($20), the $40 tickets for 3 consecutive days visit can now be used for visiting the site up to 3 (non-consecutive) times, but the three visits must be done during one week. That was what one official from the Apsara authority indicated while assuring that these measures will allow a better planning for tourists visiting the site, as well as flexibility in their visits.
As for the $60 weekly visit tickets, they can now be used to access the temples for 7 days, but over a period of one month.
Nothing has been decided yet for expats, especially those residing in Siem Reap, the location of the temples. They were considered as any other tourist, even for those who are married to local people, and they have children who are half-Cambodians. The idea of a yearly pass, even a paying one, never came to fruition in spite of the demands made by these expats.
These new measures, which are already pleasing tourism professionals, will come into effect as soon as the new tickets are printed.
Also according to the Cambodian ministry of Tourism, the country welcomed 2.1 million tourists in 2008, i.e. an increase of 5.5% over 2007.
There’s no longer any need to speed up your visit at Cambodia’s past jewels. The validity length of the visiting tickets has been changed.
At least the economic crisis allows some flexibility to the visit of the unavoidable Angkor temples. At the request made by tourist professionals, and based on a decision made by Hun Sen, the ministry of Tourism asked the Sokimex concession company to bring some changes to the visit tickets.
Although there is no change to the daily visit tickets ($20), the $40 tickets for 3 consecutive days visit can now be used for visiting the site up to 3 (non-consecutive) times, but the three visits must be done during one week. That was what one official from the Apsara authority indicated while assuring that these measures will allow a better planning for tourists visiting the site, as well as flexibility in their visits.
As for the $60 weekly visit tickets, they can now be used to access the temples for 7 days, but over a period of one month.
Nothing has been decided yet for expats, especially those residing in Siem Reap, the location of the temples. They were considered as any other tourist, even for those who are married to local people, and they have children who are half-Cambodians. The idea of a yearly pass, even a paying one, never came to fruition in spite of the demands made by these expats.
These new measures, which are already pleasing tourism professionals, will come into effect as soon as the new tickets are printed.
Also according to the Cambodian ministry of Tourism, the country welcomed 2.1 million tourists in 2008, i.e. an increase of 5.5% over 2007.
Friday, February 6, 2009
Do we need gatekeppers?
One of the most reasons why journalists are think they are important is their role of a gatekeeper. They kind of filter information, but also analyse and in another sense make complicated things more understandable.
In the western world governments think that we people don't understand complicated topics and that's why we need journalists. That worked, because publishing companies also hat the power of printing machines.
This changed with the internet. Now everyone has access to the original source. That also mean, we need to know how to estimate the source.
That give us a lot of self-responsibility. Are we ready for that?
Look at the new google latitude service. It's great, you can see where your friends are. And they can track you. But do you want to be tracked? Sometimes yes. If a have free time, people can know where I am and join me at the Coffee Shop. But sometimes I don't. Then I have to switch that service off.
When we start to blame the service for being Big Brother and call for government action, then we give up our self responsibility.
Its just a stupid computer, and we decide what to do and what not.
Same for watching TV. It's not the fault of the TV stations if our kids watching to much TV. It's us, who have to switch it off and play with our kids.
Just some thoughts
In the western world governments think that we people don't understand complicated topics and that's why we need journalists. That worked, because publishing companies also hat the power of printing machines.
This changed with the internet. Now everyone has access to the original source. That also mean, we need to know how to estimate the source.
That give us a lot of self-responsibility. Are we ready for that?
Look at the new google latitude service. It's great, you can see where your friends are. And they can track you. But do you want to be tracked? Sometimes yes. If a have free time, people can know where I am and join me at the Coffee Shop. But sometimes I don't. Then I have to switch that service off.
When we start to blame the service for being Big Brother and call for government action, then we give up our self responsibility.
Its just a stupid computer, and we decide what to do and what not.
Same for watching TV. It's not the fault of the TV stations if our kids watching to much TV. It's us, who have to switch it off and play with our kids.
Just some thoughts
Friday, January 23, 2009
How intelligent people still struggle in Cambodia
I said it many times: Cambodia is far away from a free country. Free means not only freedom of speech, but also freedom of choice, freedom of education. The education in Cambodia is as poor as most of the population is, and the corrupt government is more interested to open new golf course than to do a substantial improvement in the school and university system.
One more proof is the story Nearirath, a close friend, told us in her blog. I would say she is the most talented law student in Cambodia, award winning young woman, and in most countries she would receive a lot of support. Not so in Cambodia, where teachers normally far behind the common knowledge, just focusing on that they always right and where techers never update their knowledge.
Yes, thats sounds general, and it is. Of course there are exceptions, but it will not bring the country forward to honor the few people. There must be a change in Cambodia.
One more proof is the story Nearirath, a close friend, told us in her blog. I would say she is the most talented law student in Cambodia, award winning young woman, and in most countries she would receive a lot of support. Not so in Cambodia, where teachers normally far behind the common knowledge, just focusing on that they always right and where techers never update their knowledge.
Yes, thats sounds general, and it is. Of course there are exceptions, but it will not bring the country forward to honor the few people. There must be a change in Cambodia.
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