No Starbucks in Cambodia

I realize that the frequency of my blogging has slowed down in the last couple of weeks. I have become more settled into Cambodia as my home (thus I am having fewer new experiences and adventures). I also have become quite a bit more busy than before. I am now working as the Country Director for an international health care NGO out of Japan. I am also working on developing a new business in Cambodia.

This past Tuesday was a national holiday in Cambodia - to commemorate the one year anniversary of the passing of Cambodia's King Norodom Sihanouk. After church today I went for a bike ride down to a place called "Diamond Island" and on the way back home from there I passed this monument honoring the late King.

One of the things that I have enjoyed doing in Cambodia is trying out the different coffee shops. There are many coffee shops to try and they all have something different to offer. Some are very good and some I have not been able to finish the cup. But one very interesting thing here is how much Starbucks is revered in Cambodia. There are many people who wear Starbucks shirts. I have even seen infants and toddlers wearing Starbucks logoed clothing. I don't think any of this apparel is official Starbucks apparel though because I have passed numerous street-side silk screen shops that are producing Starbucks logoed clothing. Well, there are no Starbucks in Cambodia! So, I gues the popularity is that people tend to want what they can't have. Somebody needs to let Howard Schultz know that he is missing out on a big market here in Phnom Penh. Today I attended the Japanese Festival in Phnom Penh and I found the closest thing to Starbucks that you can get in Cambodia. It was actually pretty good coffee (and only $1.50).

 

Another thing that I saw on my bike ride today was several trucks full of MP's. I do not know why there was a military presence in the area today, but sights like this are something that I have become used to seeing.

 

This picture is of several people fishing along the river side by Diamond Island.

 

 

Here are a couple of pictures from the Japanese Festival.

 

 

 

 

A few nights ago I went out to dinner with a friend from Japan who works for one of the Japanese health care NGO's in Cambodia. We went to a great restaurant on the riverside. It is called the Foreign Correspondent's Club and the river views are terrific!