Southeast Asia: I really enjoyed it despite all the Swedish people

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Ask/Tell > Tourism & Travel > Southeast Asia: I really enjoyed it despite all the Swedish people

Astian: Jun 16, 2001

Well, I'm in Phnom Penh, just started job searching last week, but no hits yet, and I'm getting a bit antsy.

Does anyone happen to know of a Khmer class in the city? I'll ask over at khmer440 too, but I like you guys more.

Likewise, if anyone knows good places to meet people, I'd love to hear about them.
I've found some decent places by the riverside, but there's pretty much the same formula of a few cool young people passing through, bargirls, and depressing expats.

So far my best experiences in the city have been wandering aimlessly around the slums for hours. The people are generally really friendly, and will often gather me around while the one English speaker in the group practices on me. The children are also wonderful. I've also had fun exploring the peninsular area across the Japanese bridge. It's full of bizarre construction projects, schools, slums, and a little Muslim enclave.

Here are some photos taken around Phnom Penh, if anyone is curious: http://picasaweb.google.com/elindert/Cambodia2010

# ¿ Feb 15, 2010 12:12

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# ¿ Apr 29, 2024 10:29

Astian: Jun 16, 2001

Ringo R posted:

I'm debating whether I should go see the red shirts on Friday and try to take some photos or not. It'd be cool to see a big event like this but I don't want to lose a limb in the process. What do you Bangkok chatters think?

I say go for it, but then I dream of being a war journalist.

Seriously though, I think your chances of being injured are extremely slim. In all likelihood the danger will probably be on the same level as being on a crowded dance floor. You might get an accidental elbow here and there.

# ¿ Mar 11, 2010 19:19

Astian: Jun 16, 2001

In my experience beef in Cambodia is even worse than Thailand. Anything but mince is almost inedible it's so tough. Even the loc lac I've had, which is marinated in lime and supposedly very tender, is stringy and chewy as hell. Luckily the pork is usually delicious.

# ¿ Apr 7, 2010 13:56

Astian: Jun 16, 2001

Does anyone know anything about English teaching opportunities in Myanmar? Word on the street/Internet is that a few options have begun to open up over the last couple of years, and I've found an ad or two online, but nothing regarding English teacher/expat lifestyle in the country.

# ¿ Apr 17, 2010 16:50

Astian: Jun 16, 2001

Pompous Rhombus posted:

I don't have it bookmarked anymore, but there was a blog written by a lady living in Myanmar teaching at an international school that gave a pretty decent picture of life inside the country as an expat. It didn't sound super appealing, the utilities were always going out in Yangon, internet access was kind of intermittent, etc. You could try googling around.

At the relatively prestigious Uni where I work in PP the power goes off almost weekly. Mostly there's just brownouts where the lights work but the aircon doesn't and the classroom becomes a sauna. Dripping sweat all over your lesson plan just adds to the experience, or at least that's what I tell myself.

I'll try searching around more for that blog and any other info I can find. Most sites I've found are pretty useless. Myanmarvisa.com, for instance, has a total of two posts on it.

I'm content in Cambodia right now, but I've been kicking around the possibility of moving on to another country in a year or so if I don't return to academia.

Astian fucked around with this message at 18:07 on Apr 17, 2010

# ¿ Apr 17, 2010 17:51

Astian: Jun 16, 2001

Tolain posted:

whats the average pay look like in cambodia? Vietnam seems to be 19-$35 if you have a TEFL, so I'm considering getting one as soon as I head back to the states and then returning there. But Thailand and Cambodia are also really appealing to me.

Vietnam is easily a better choice from a financial perspective. Cost of living is cheaper and salaries are higher--though your quoted figures do seem a bit much.

In Cambo with a BA+TEFL you should make a minimum of $8/hour, unless you're black or otherwise undesirable. Some schools pay less by the hour, but their schedules include less teaching hours, paid holidays, etc., so it can be hard to judge by the hourly rate. I make $10 per teaching hour. I know women who make more than that without a BA, but it is much easier for women to find teaching work here. The best language school I know of here pays $16 per teaching hour. If you have a PhD, the school I work for will pay you $20 an hour to teach something vaguely related to your specialty.

I highly recommend that you take your TEFL course from a widely accredited provider in the country that you wish to teach in, rather than back home. 1: You will learn specific cultural and linguistic difficulties you're likely to encounter. 2: You have a chance to acclimate before you start work. 3: You will have an instant social group, which can be nice in a new country. This is providing you're lucky enough to have cool classmates.

Ringo R posted:

What is it teaching like in PP? Was it hard to get the jurb? What are the students like?

I'm really enjoying it for the most part so far. My "University" is full of silliness and inefficiency and some of the textbooks are absurdly useless, but the department head is a pretty sane and helpful guy who allows teachers some freedom in developing curriculum, for the non-BA courses at least.

I started applying for jobs in the middle of the term here, and got this job about a week and a half after I dropped off my CV. I have no doubt I would have eventually been able to land something, but I think I was lucky to get a position mid-term.

For the most part, the students are an absolute joy. In general they're much more focused than Thai students, even more respectful, and very smiley. Strangely enough, my high school classes last term were more disciplined and earnest than my Uni-level classes. These 13-16 year olds actually forced themselves to speak English in the classroom--an awesome experience for a TEFL teacher.

Of course there are some bad apples, but they are usually just sullen and silent. The ones who speak out in class and have "attitude" here are just fun, and easy to incorporate into the lesson, and/or get the whole class to make fun of them.

And ReindeerF, re: teaching in Myanmar--Yes I am seriously interested. If it's not too much trouble I'd appreciate any info your friends could provide, or if they have links to other resources, etc.

# ¿ Apr 18, 2010 06:44

Astian: Jun 16, 2001

freebooter posted:

heading to Cambodia as soon as we can.

Where do you plan on going in Cambodia? Sure there are less tourists here, but unless you can appreciate a little grit, scum and villainy, chances are you'll be just as sorely disappointed as you are in Thailand. Nothing is pristine, get used to it.

# ¿ May 6, 2010 17:55

Astian: Jun 16, 2001

Sheep-Goats posted:

1) Angkor Wat is by far the major attraction. After that people go to Phnom Phen to see the killing fields and Touel Sleng. The third attraction is usually an okay beach town in the south called Battambang

I think you mean Sihanoukeville, which is an interesting place. My entire time there felt vaguely apocalyptic, like there was some horrible darkness lurking behind the sunny sky. All of Cambodia's vices are out in extreme force in Sihanoukeville, in more concentrated doses than you'll find in Phnom Penh. The beaches are kind of pretty, but unless you can appreciate a bit of filth and debauchery, steer clear.

The other attractions in the south are pretty cool, if not exactly thrilling. Kampot is a nice sleepy riverside town next to a great national park, full of old French rundown colonial architecture. Kep is also enjoyable, although I wouldn't go there alone again just because it is so quiet. I ate some of the best, cheapest seafood I've ever had there--the crab is especially tasty.

I love Phnom Penh, but I live here. The tourist "attractions" are either ghastly or dull, but the city has a great vibe to it.

Northern and Eastern Cambo are apparently great for adventurous sorts, but I haven't been there yet.

# ¿ May 25, 2010 15:12

Astian: Jun 16, 2001

ReindeerF posted:

Heh, yeah. The Houston one's technically a law office.

The funniest story I heard (I think I've told this) was from a group of guys that used Denver, which is a really *easy* consulate reportedly. The one guy said it's in a real estate office and when you walk in and ask for the Thai consulate the lady pulls out little flag and nameplate and puts it on the desk and says, "How may I help you!"

When I lived in LA and tried to contact the Cambodian consulate there, none of the phone numbers worked so I decided to visit the address in person. There were still a few torn posters of Angkor on the windows, but it looked completely deserted. The receptionist in the office next door said it had been abandoned more than five years before. This, in the city with the largest Khmer population outside of Asia.

# ¿ Jun 17, 2010 16:59

Astian: Jun 16, 2001

Pompous Rhombus posted:

Edit: for those of you who have been to Cambodia recently, do they still have Beer Klang? The one with the elephant raging out on the can, that's like 9% alcohol?

We do, but I'm pretty sure it's only 6 percent. Black Panther is 7.5 (Khmers mix it with sweet milk and Coke). New beers show up and disappear on a monthly basis here. I recently tried a "beer" called simply "Khmer," made from palm sap. It is the only genuinely undrinkable thing I have ever encountered in my life--and I drink Cambodian Mekong every day.

# ¿ Oct 18, 2010 18:25

Astian: Jun 16, 2001

Pompous Rhombus posted:

Hundreds killed in Cambodian festival stampede

Holy poo poo

I was smashed up in this same crowd earlier in the evening, luckily I got back home before it happened.

Double a city's population, put the entirety of it on the streets, and take away all common sense; it's a recipe for a tragedy like this. I went to the bridge today; it's still carpeted in shoes and clothing. Streets are silent now, lined with incense, candles, offerings...

# ¿ Nov 23, 2010 14:20

Astian: Jun 16, 2001

Sheep-Goats posted:

tldr: Buncha people got together for a festival that used to be chill and now is outrageous BS and involves throwing water around. Shoddy wiring for lights plus lots of water = people start getting electrocuted and screaming. The exit to this situation is a narrow bridge. Therefore, crushed Cambodians.

First thought through my head: "It's not loving Songkran yet what are they doing?"

No one was throwing water around, and the festival is so madly packed and has been for years that most native PPers I've talked to either flee the city or stay inside during it.

The fact that this happened on a brand new bridge covered in gaudy lighting leading to a man-made island with an absolutely obscene development plan literally titled "Elite Town" is rich with metaphor regarding Cambodia's development.

# ¿ Nov 24, 2010 18:23

Astian: Jun 16, 2001

Imagine the temperature generated by thousands of people smashed together in the tropical night. It's enough to make you sweat a little.

Authorities also poured bottled water on trapped victims while they worked on digging them out, in attempts to keep them conscious/alive, but most of what you're seeing is pure human sweat.

Edit: Oh yeah, 3 confirmed dead from my university so far :-/

# ¿ Nov 24, 2010 18:33

Astian: Jun 16, 2001

I'm considering moving to Yangon to teach English. Does anyone have any knowledge of Myanmar expat life? I'm familiar with SE Asia at large, and I'm well aware of the power outages and oppression and things of that nature, but there's a dearth of expat info on Myanmar, and I've only been to border areas, so any info would be handy.

# ¿ May 7, 2011 02:57

Astian: Jun 16, 2001

Good god I would jump out a window too if I had to stay in Pattaya for a month. What on earth for?

# ¿ May 8, 2011 22:04

Astian: Jun 16, 2001

Sometimes I wonder if I should feel guilty about wishing I'd lived in Phnom Penh in the late 90s, when it really was the wild west of Asia.

# ¿ Jul 26, 2011 20:29

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# ¿ Apr 29, 2024 10:29

Astian: Jun 16, 2001

Jesus Rocket posted:

I'm going to be going to Thailand, Cambodia, and Java with my girlfriend. We heard from a friend that has travelled SE Asia that it's a good idea to wear wedding rings because some hotels won't rent out rooms to non-married couples. This seems unlikely for, say, Thailand, but it sounds possible for the more conservative Java. Any truth to this?

Unless your girlfriend looks like a Southeast Asian whore you'll be fine everywhere.

# ¿ Jul 28, 2011 06:58

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Ask/Tell > Tourism & Travel > Southeast Asia: I really enjoyed it despite all the Swedish people