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Phnom
Penh (Ah!)
- PHNOM PENH HAPPENINGS
D. J. Ken - National Radio Text Service
U.S. Pacific Fleet Band to Kick Off 60th Anniversary Celebrations with a concert in Phnom Penh - Don Bosco Vocational Training Center opens a new dormitory and library in Phnom Penh - Top 3 Phnom Penh stories
Phnom Penh, Cambodia Saturday July 17, 2010 DON BOSCO SCHOOL EXPANDS IN PHNOM PENH By Keo Kangha, Phnom Penh, CSC The new Don Bosco Vocational Training Center building A Church-run school's mission to provide quality education for poor Cambodian girls received a boost recently with the opening of a new dormitory and library. About 300 people, including a senior government official, attended the July 2 opening of the Don Bosco Vocational Training Center's new building in Phnom Penh. The facility also houses study rooms and an audio visual room. Pich Sophoan, adviser to Prime Minister Hun Sen, praised the Salesian nuns for their "work of love" in providing vocational training and lodging for young female students. He said the nuns are the government's partners in developing Cambodia's human resource and reducing poverty. Ka Sros, a first-year student, says the dormitory would allow her to save on room rental. "I'll be able to stay in this new building and reduce my expenses," said the 20-year-old. The Salesian nuns aim to promote the values of morality and honesty through education, and to train girls to become leaders, school director Sister Elizabeth Ophriini Lohrii said during the opening ceremony. Not only do the girls benefit from their education, the school also organizes outreach programs to five nearby villagers every Sunday during which students teach children and youths hygiene and literacy, including English. The school was established in 1992. A total of 729 students have since completed two-year courses in home management and secretarial and computer skills. Many are headhunted by employers even before graduation.
U.S. Pacific Fleet Band concert in Phnom Penh The U.S. Pacific Fleet Band will kick off celebrations to mark the 60th anniversary of U.S.-Cambodian relations with a performance of contemporary, big band and military music at Chaktomuk Hall in Phnom Penh on July 18 at 7:00 p.m. The 46-member Pacific Fleet Band will be joined by several Cambodian chapei performers and members of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces band who play classical Cambodian instruments. This is a collaboration that music enthusiasts will not want to miss. The Pacific Fleet Band of today and the musicians who make up this band are a far cry from the first Navy musicians, who can be traced back to 1798. At that time, each ship chose a "shantyman" to sing during seafaring duties, while the crew joined in the refrain. A drummer kept the beat and a fifer piped the tune as sailors hauled in their lines. A select breed of sailor, Navy musicians must now meet strict musical requirements before entering the service. These professionals are all capable of playing any style of music with little preparation and most are required to be proficient at playing more than one instrument. After recruit training, their skills are finely tuned at the U.S. Navy School of Music before being assigned to one of twelve Navy Fleet Bands worldwide. The concert is one of many events being held throughout the week to commemorate the 60th anniversary of U.S.-Cambodian diplomatic relations. The events are designed to highlight the shared history between the United States and Cambodia and the many ways in which the two countries are working together. Tickets for the Pacific Fleet Band concert are free of charge and available at Amrita, the FCC and Java Arts. PEDESTRIAN ALERT As you may have noticed it seems that pedestrians having access to walk on the sidewalk is against the law in Cambodia given the lack of access due to business taking up the pavement leaving nowhere for a person to walk but in the very dangerous streets. While walking east on Sihanouk Blvd. towards Monivong from Olympic Stadium we encountered a major obstacle course of businesses selling motorbikes covering the sidewalk from wall to curb. It started off that there was a very narrow pathway as we persevered forward until we ran into an old lady sitting with her legs up on a stool blocking the way thus as the Doobie Brothers sang we were TAKIN IT TO THE STREETS. Some of the proprietors or employees looked at us in disgust as if we were trespassing on there land. From Monivong continuing east on Sihanouk towards the Independence Monument conditions remain dangerous. After passing the Lucky Market the ABA Bank is the most flagrant violator in using the sidewalks for parking and employees outside have customers park in the first lane on the street so tight to the vehicles parked on the sidewalk that to pass pedestrians have to walk in the streets middle lane. At the same time we have interviewed POOR magazine stand sellers having to reduce the size of their business with the reason given as they had to do so to provide an area for the tourists to walk. So much for fair play. TOP 3 NR PHNOM PENH STORIES For our Top 3 Phnom Penh stories famed journalist author Elizabeth Becker tops the charts with her book signing and introduction of the release of her paperback Bophana. The second spot went to an old column from July 2006 which delves into the Miss Cambodia contest which later mysteriously was disallowed by the government. The reasons why are strange and never fully explained per TIC, TIC, TIC (This Is Cambodia). Someone who is worthy of being a Khmer role model in a country without one is famed Cambodian architect Vann Molyvann who is also noted in the piece. Molyvann's designing credits include Olympic Stadium, Independence Monument, Chaktomuk Theater and the Bassac (National) Theatre. Also noted are Naga Corp and their effort to better human relations as well as Toshu Fukami a long time investor in the development of Cambodia via education and health facilities. Another interesting aspect of that column is it contains one of our first NR Top 10 listings. Given the selections we can only say… MY HOW TIMES HAVE CHANGED. The third spot goes to the mysterious Filipino Concert at Olympic Stadium that never happened. Prior to the proposed concert we had difficulty getting information. Hopefully those who purchased those $50 tickets had their money refunded. Until next month… cheers, over and out.
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