Read any article about the Cambodia-Thai border fighting. They all say that it’s about the small, disputed territory around some ruined temples. Other than the temples, there is nothing to distinguish this remote, forested region. However, the narrative is that Thailand wants that land, so they invaded, but the valiant Khmers have resisted resolutely. Preserving […]
Category: Cambodia
WHAT DO CAMBODIA AND GREENLAND HAVE IN COMMON?
Disputed territory in northwest Cambodia Cambodia and Thailand are fighting over the border defined by the French in 1907, and confirmed by the International Court of Justice in 1962. Thailand says they don’t care what the French said or what the ICJ says; they just want to take the land. That reminds me of Trump’s […]
THE EVOLUTION OF CAMBODIAN PRIVATE EDUCATION
Enhancing Pedagogy In Cambodia (EPIC) I just participated in an education conference in Siem Reap, Cambodia. I was pleasantly surprised by a genuine desire to improve Cambodian education, by government officials, NGOs, and foreign agencies. Notably absent was any input from private schools, as though they were not interested in enhancing education. Why? When I […]
CAMBODIA’S S.T.E.M. PROBLEM
Let’s face it – STEM education in Cambodia is terrible. First, some statistics: Countries the world are ranked by PISA scores of 15-year-olds in math and science. Of 81 countries measured (Africa excluded), the average score is 472, while Cambodia scores 336 in math and 347 in science – in both cases dead last, far […]
MUST A SYMBOL REPRESENT SOMETHING?
Almost all Cambodian homes have a red cloth talisman, called a yantra (or yo-an in Khmer) hanging in their house. It is covered with all sorts of symbols, the most common of which is a squiggly spiral called an ounalome. Yantra with dozens of ounalome spirals The ubiquitous ounalome is a well-known and revered symbol in […]
TRUMP’S TARIFF FORMULA AND CAMBODIA
Trump slapped Cambodia with one of the highest tariffs, because, he claimed, Cambodia poses 97% tariffs on the US. When you look at a list of Cambodian tariffs on US imports, you see meats and food products at 15%, with other products at 7-15%, nowhere near the 97% calculated by the Trump team. So I […]
A CAMBODIAN PERSPECTIVE ON TRUMPISM
I’m watching the Trump circus from afar here in Cambodia. I am observing a couple of Trump actions in light of my experiences in Cambodia. First, I have witnessed NGOs that purport to help disadvantaged people. Some of them (not all) spend 20-30% on the people, and 70-80% on themselves. The people, who don’t […]
MERRY XMAS CAMBODIA
Cambodia is a thoroughly Buddhist country. I just took my son to school, which is open on Christmas day, as are government offices and most businesses. And yet, I exchanged “Merry Christmas” with the teachers. In front of the school were a Xmas tree, Santas, snowmen, etc. This happens all over Cambodia. No one was […]
USE (OR NOT) OF ENGLISH IN FOR-PROFIT UNIVERSITIES
I have already written about some of the evils of for-profit universities in Cambodia and elsewhere. Today I want to focus on the use (or lack thereof) of English in those universities. First, a little background on Cambodia, and many similar countries. The only requirement for university admission is a pass on the public grade-12 […]
THE CHINESE/ CAMBODIAN CANAL IS A BIG DEAL
The canal will pass through Cambodia and will bypass Vietnam Cambodia declared a national holiday for the start of the new canal, with parades, fireworks, the whole shebang. This canal will allow Cambodian river traffic to avoid passing through the Mekong delta in Vietnam. Phnom Penh will become a major river port, or perhaps some […]