Tasty Dog in the Kingdom: This Cambodian Life #70.  Delilah Marie is back from vacation in the homeland and is in a bit of a contemplative mood.  The big questions being: Is it time to move on?  Or does she really just need a longer, more robust vacation?  After pondering life’s choices, she also catches up on the latest Cambodian news, which of course involves some forced relocations, the not-so-shocking scandal surrounding secondary school exams and the best places to find the news and latest gossips: at the expat networking event, where you too can crash the party for free wine and food. 

www.tastydoginthekingdom.com or questions/comments to tastydog@gmail.com.

Sin Sisamuth is singing Beloved Girlfriend, if you care to find one. 

Tasty Dog in the Kingdom: This Cambodian Life #53.  Delilah Marie gets on a bit of a ramble, talking about what seems to be the favorite drug of choice in the Kingdom, what you don’t want to see when leaving work on a Friday night,  holidays in Cambodia, more singing Christians, and a nice tuk-tuk driver.  Of course it’s raining, so a bit louder than usual, then she dashes off to pick up her parents at the airport in a real metered taxi.  Yet another cause for celebration.

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Yun Theara, Saom Vanna, Soy Sareth, Proeun Pruon, Nou Sarin, Chum Prasoeur, Pumtheara Chenda, Yan Borin, Duong Marey are singing in the pinpeat style a song called Barang Ku and Sathu Ka from Khmer Passages from Cambodia Living Arts.

Tasty Dog in the Kingdom: This Cambodian Life #49.  Thinking she has nothing to talk about, Delilah sets off and covers a bunch of stuff.  She is definitely moving to a new apartment and has already given money to the landlady and eagerly anticipating visitors in November.  A few little cultural tidbits include the P’chum Ben holiday to honor the ancestors, a former school now genocide museum that is a must visit in Phnom Penh and Cambodia’s current ranking in Transparency International’s corruption list.  

www.tastydoginthekingdom.com or questions/comments to tastydog@gmail.com. 

I felt I needed a little bit of Sen Sisamuth today, so here you go, I hope it perks all of you up. 

Tasty Dog in the Kingdom: This Cambodian Life #48.  Delilah waxes on about the weather in this episode. Literally kneedeep in the rainy season, there is more than one reason to live on the second floor.  She also names the three rivers that flow around Phnom Penh, seizes a potential housing opportunity  (hint: there might be an impending move), and then shares the glorious news about the missionary neighbor.  However, you can pick your kingdom of god as you also get a list of some of the evangelical organizations that choose to spread their Word in the Kingdom.  

www.tastydoginthekingdom.com or questions/comments to tastydog@gmail.com.

The song was listed as “bright eyes”  but I  really don’t think that’s the title.  But just enjoy it because Cambodia Rocks. 

Tasty Dog in the Kingdom: This Cambodia Life #43.  Delilah covers a bit of this and a bit of that.  She gives you her latest favorite fruit, though thankfully doesn’t talk and eat at the same time because she is a professional.  She also gives a recommendation for a not to miss Phnom Penh bar, discusses a rally, finds a new organization but didn’t ask if they were hiring, then fills in the missing mode of transportation from last week, and you will even hear why it makes her feel anxious and nervous. Also, here’s a website for Cambodian bloggers, as promised: http://www.cambodiablogger.com/

www.tastydoginthekingdom.com or questions/comments to tastydog@gmail.com.

The opening music is from Preap Sovath because I know that you missed him.  And lucky you, I put the intro at the beginning so you have to wait for the end to even get him singing….   I have to be honest, aside from the cheesy horn and other searing instrumentation, I do like his voice.  Is it just me or is it time to leave Cambodia? 

Tasty Dog in the Kingdom: This Cambodian Life #41.  Delilah Marie introduces a couple of things this week, related but by a thread.  She describes some trials and tribulations she’s experienced in her patient and much-thwarted attempt to learn Khmer, recommends a hotel in Siem Reap (www.theonehotelangkor.com and www.hotelbeangkor.com), then visits a newborn baby.  She holds the baby even and doesn’t drop it.  Finally, she kvetches a bit about the taxi driver who so obsequiously angles for a tip he doesn’t deserve, regardless of the huge gold and gemstone ring he is sporting around.  Who needs banks when you have gold?

www.tastydoginthekingdom.com or questions/comments to tastydog@gmail.com.

The music, with a bit at the beginning AND the end (perhaps a new format!) for your listening pleasure is Ros Sereysothea singing about New Year’s Day from Cambodia Rocks Volume 1. It’s not even near one of the variety of  New Year’s Days but I’m actually happy I found a month without a new year of some sort in it.  

Tasty Dog in the Kingdom: This Cambodian Life #38.  Yet another titillating episode of a day in Cambodia awaits you.  Trying to encourage some interactivity among the audience, Delilah encourages you to send your ideas for the new tourism Cambodia campaign to the communication guy at the Ministry of Tourism (marketing@mot.gov.kh).  In her excitement about having garbage collection in Phnom Penh, she also covers the garbage story, and a new, perhaps temporary, law that has some lasting effect on a strange visitor.   

www.tastydoginthekingdom.com or questions/comments to tastydog@gmail.com.  

Your daily fix of Cambodian music is Ros Sereysothea singing about the Night That We Met.  Apparently, it’s also a bit of a folk song from Battambang, but it does make me want to get some white go-go boots. 

Tasty Dog in the Kingdom: This Cambodian Life #28.  Today, Delilah generously gives of herself which results in yet another ramble.  There is a first short diatribe concerning the forces of the Cold War and how that led to a couple overlapping governors in Siem Reap, followed by some lyrical waxing on royalty and their servants, then to bring back the long lost feral girl from Ratanakiri.  NOT ME.  But thanks for thinking I’m feral. 

www.tastydoginthekingdom.com or questions/comments to tastydog@gmail.com.

 The opening music is Chek Mach performing Sorlyong in the bassac genre from the archives of Cambodia Living Arts (www.cla.org).  You get some at the beginning AND the end.  Don’t say I never gave you nothing. 

Tasty Dog in the Kingdom: This Cambodian Life #26.  Celebrating 6 months of Tasty Dog, Delilah ones again revisits the issue of prostitutes and beer girls (also known as brothel workers and beer promoters) with some up to date statistics about selling sex.  Maybe just a vehicle for being pedantic, but it is interesting nonetheless.  You get a new Cambodian word in honor of Valentine’s Day and then a discussion of road building 101 in honor of the new road near Delilah’s house which she has been using to, believe it or not, actually walk on. 

www.tastydoginthekingdom.com or questions/comments to tastydog@gmail.com. 

The opening music is a very catchy duet with Sen Sisamuth and Rosarai Sothea. I know I played this one already, but it’s good.  I left the bongo drum intro in for you and with my highly technical cutting and pasting skills, I even included the bongo outro.  Enjoy it in good faith.