#phnom pen

We are proud to receive a honourable mention for our competition entry “The SHADOWMAKER” as a proposal for a temporary pavilion for the International Bamboo Festival in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

Keeping with our tradition of overnight transport we booked the midnight bus from Ho Chi Minh to Phnom Phen. Having learned that they don't like overnight transport two of our group went in search of sleeping tablets. Upon discovering that you can't buy sleeping tablets over the counter in Vietnam they turned to a more, well traditional remedy. Long story short half a bottle of vodka didn't result in either of them being the most graceful travel companions, a fact that we let them know the next morning, but thats all i'll say about that. Despite this little episode the journey did bring with it one bit of excitement, this was to be our first land border crossing. Apart from Mike we had all crossed land borders before however coming from a country "girt by sea" I still find land borders to be an intriguing concept. Fingerprint scanners, photo identification and the satisfaction involved in having your passport stamped provided great pre-breakfast entertainment.

Upon arriving in Pnom Penh we were disappointed to learn that the hotel we had booked was rather removed from the central tourist district, especially since we were offered cheaper accommodation right in the hart upon arrival. Nevertheless the tuk tuk ride through the suburbs was enjoyable as we saw much more of the city than we would have otherwise seen. Having been to Phnom Penh before Chippy, Ben and myself were able to foresee that there is not actually that much to do in the city and my time there largely consisted of eating and reminiscing. On our second and final night we visited the weekend night market where despite already having had dinner I felt the need to order something. Lyeing on our backs on the mats provided in the middle of the market was the only position that my loaded stomach felt comfortable and had it not been for the others leaving I could quite happily have lay there until the market closed, or at least until I had digested enough to allow room for more food.

Cambodia's population of around 15 million is comparatively smaller than Thailand's 67 million or Vietnam's 91.5 million and after traveling through these countries this difference was noticeable. While Bangkok, Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh are constantly bustling Phnom Penh is quieter with the irregular high-rise, wide footpaths and less traffic. It's common to see groups of monks walking the streets and at certain times of day they seem to outnumber the other residents. The other major difference is the notorious and evident Cambodian drug culture. Although illicit drugs can be found in both Thailand and Vietnam the exceptionally tight drug laws in these countries pushes the drug trade underground and forces tourists to be wary of involving themselves. In Cambodia however this is not the case, every Tuk Tuk driver is a dealer and if they don't have anything on them then they certainly know someone who does. The word 'Happy' is added as a prefix to any type of food that you might fancy and refers to the addition of marajuana, the most common food type is 'Happy Pizza'.

Stillness and Motion

in Southeast Asia

I was late, dare I say resistant, to the whole Facebook thing. As I have come to embrace my tendency towards voyeurism, learned to navigate through the mundane ramblings and cat memes, I have found that there can be true value in many of the connections I have made. One of those connections is a former college friend and fellow filmmaker, Todd.  

Todd currently lives in Phnom Pen Cambodia where he runs The Asia Media Lab producing powerful and compelling videos for international and national non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in the Southeast Asian region.  Todd also happens to be an acclaimed photographer and in his spare time uses his ex-patriot backdrop to create some phenomenal imagery. He recently posted, to Facebook, a series of long exposures taken in Myanmar and Thailand that are nothing short of stunning. I could wax poetic about the juxtaposition of stillness and motion, but I will let the images speak for themselves.

Here is a little insight into the concept behind the series and his process:

"For me, one of the most exciting things about living in this part of the world is the life on the streets, there is so much action and movement.  Thus, when I decided to do a photography series I wanted to employ a technique that captured the pace of the city.  Most of these images are form Yangon, Myanmar, one is from Bangkok.  In order to capture the movement, I put the camera on a tripod, when necessary, I used a neutral density filter to stop the light down enough to open the shutter for periods long enough to show movement. I found that by switching between .3 of a second and 2 seconds, I was both able to capture the blur I desired but also keep open the possibility to catch a person standing still allowing them to be sharp and in focus in the photo."