On Saturday night gone, after spending the day touristing, I went to an artsy place called Meta House, which has various little galleries and so on. Purpose of the visit was not a new-found love of art, but because they show every month a documentary made in 1979, in the days after the Khmer Rouge got kicked out of Phnom Penh by the Vietnamese. The doco (originally in German, but dubbed over in English, and called “Death and Rebirth”) consists of footage of a deserted Phnom Penh as enforced by the Khmer Rouge, and interviews with the first few people returning back to the city. All quite interesting, but also sad / depressing, as you would expect.
Unfortunately, a group of Germans there didn’t understand the concept of shutting up during movies and talked the whole time – mostly comparing the deserted street scenes in the doco to the streets on a Sunday (it is quiet on Sunday mornings in the City, but it doesn’t last long). I was tempted to throw the odd German off the edge (the films are shown on a 4th floor rooftop), but didn’t think the moto drivers below would appreciate a fat German landing on them.
Some much nicer Germans were met the previous Wednesday, on a river cruise with the people in charge of CARE Deutschland & Luxembourg, and the German ambassador. Sadly, the ambassador didn’t get picked up afterwards in a black Mercedes with little flags – reserved for formal occasions apparently – I think they walked back to the embassy.
This Friday is the King’s birthday (and also Tola from HR’s birthday – happy birthday Tola!), and thus a public holiday (for the King, not Tola). Am thus taking the following Monday off too and doing the required pilgrimage to Siem Reap / Angkor. No doubt many photos next Tuesday.
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