Grace Lewis - AsiaLIFE Magazine

dispatches
Travel news from around the region and beyond
Phnom Penh Events & Openings
Download the latest issue of AsiaLIFE Cambodia at www.asialifeguide.com.
Eat, Pray, Love
Do as Elizabeth Gilbert does in her popular book-turned-film
Eat, Pray, Love and take to Bali for a spiritual adventure.
The package includes a visit with Ketut Liyer, the medicine
man Elizabeth befriended as well as accommodation in
a four-star hotel in mystical Ubud. And instead of travelling
to an Indian ashram, yoga and meditation practice will be offered
each morning. Likewise, there will be a dinner at a local
Italian restaurant, to satisfy the “Eat” section of the book.
The tour runs June 20 to 27 and costs just under US $2000
based on double occupancy. Visit spiritquesttours.com/balispirit2/
for details.
Boppin’ in Borneo
Borneo Jazz is set to take place May 12 to 15 from 6 pm till
midnight at Miri Resort City, Sarawak. The annual event, until
this year known as Miri International Jazz Festival, attracts
performers from across the world, including France, the US,
Brazil and China.
The organisers say the outdoor event will go on rain, hail
or shine so bring a blanket to sit on and a raincoat in case of
unpleasant weather.
A one-night pass costs 60 RM (US $20) for adults and 30 RM
for kids ($10) and can be purchased at ticketcharge.com.my.
A Charitable Trail
Gather a group of four and head to Japan from May 13 to 15
to compete in the annual Oxfam Trailwalker. The 100 km trek
between Odawara City and Lake Yamanaka must be completed
within 48 hours and requires an extremely high level
of fitness. To qualify, teammates must start together, stick
together and finish the grueling course together.
To register, teams must raise at least 120,000 JPY (about US
$1,500) to support Oxfam’s work in overcoming poverty and
injustice. In previous years the donations have been used to
implement projects in the world’s poorest regions and provide
vital relief following natural disasters and conflict.
For details visit trailwalker.jp/en/.
Tribute to the Cambodian
Masters
One of Cambodia’s most
spectacular music events to
date, the BosbaPANH Tribute
to the Masters Concert took
place in Siem Reap on February
25 and 26. With Bayon Temple
illuminated in the background,
local and international musicians
paid tribute to the great masters
of Cambodian music, spanning
the past 900 years. Centred on
13-year old soprano sensation,
BosbaPANH, the musical
extravaganza featured a broad
range of songs from composers
such as Sin Sisamouth, Ung Chinary
and King Father Norodom
Sihanouk. Classical and modern
dances were also part of the
three-hour programme. Guests
included Khuon Sethisak, a
Cambodian tenor, Sarah O’Brien,
a leading Hollywood studio
composer and cellist, and Em
Theay, a master of Cambodian
classical dance, the last surviving
dancer of the pre-war Royal
Court. Cambodian-American
Laura Mam and her band, the
Like Me’s, joined BosbaPANH for
“Refugee”, a moving song about
the rift between Cambodians in
exile and those living in the country.
The show closer presented
BosbaPANH performing “Nine
Million Bicycles”, singing while
simultaneously riding a bicycle
through the audience. The splendour
of Bayon and the talents
of the performers left a lasting
impression for all who attended.
Rainforest Under Threat
Illegal logging is threatening
Cambodia’s Cardamom Mountains,
home of one of Southeast
Asia’s most well preserved
rainforests. According to Wildlife
Alliance, a DC-based non-profit
focused on rainforest and wildlife
protection, loggers are ravaging
the Southern Cardamom Mountains
for Thailand Rosewood, a
timber coveted for luxury furniture
which can sell for US $7,000 per
cubic metre in Cambodia and
around $25,000 per cubic metre
in China. Using portable saws
and working at night, loggers are
part of a powerful, international
network able to source
and smuggle across borders. In
2010, rangers seized 302 cubic
metres of illegally logged timber,
of which 85 percent was Thailand
Rosewood. For more information
about Wildlife Alliance and efforts
to combat illegal logging in Cambodia,
visit wildlifealliance.org.
Fly with Greater Ease
Remembering to bring enough
cash to pay the departure fee
has been an annoyance to many
a flier in Cambodia. As of the first
of April, the Passenger Service
Charge will be included in international
air tickets for passengers
departing from Phnom Penh,
Siem Reap and Sihanoukville,
announced the Société Concessionnaire
des Aéroports. The
rates will remain the same, at
US $25 for adults and $13 for
children under age 12. The
inclusive charge is effective for
tickets purchased after January
21 for travel starting in April. The
travelling process just became
one step easier.
Turn Up the Toones
On March 5, Tiny Toones released
their premier album with a
launch party at Meta House. The
event celebrated the release of
Generation Z, a collection of 17
songs from students and staff in
Tiny Toones’ music department.
A local NGO, Tiny Toones is a
drop-in centre for disadvantaged
youth in Phnom Penh. In addition
to free education in Khmer,
English, computer studies, and
hygiene, sex and drug awareness,
the centre also offers free
hip hop music, dancing and art
classes. The music department
focus includes DJing, lyric writing,
rapping, singing and music
production. Learning how to tell
stories through music is seen as
a positive form of expression for
students who have been traumatised
from a difficult upbringing,
spurring a process of healing.
The new album is entirely composed,
performed and produced
by Tiny Toones, with all proceeds
benefiting the running of Tiny
Toones and those involved in the
album.
10 asialife HCMC