I meant to say, thanks qinjingyou --- I might take you up on that beer when I get there!!

Thanks for the book info as well - I will definitely look into that!

regards

Ga

My wife's family did an Ann Frank, apparently, as being Chinese her grandparents weren't flavour of the month. Her Dad was living in a teak house so he stuck out a bit, apparently had a portentous dream and hot-footed it off just before they burnt it down. Don't know how he kept his money and land, as they all seemed to pop back up again after the dust settled. I'm not sure it's really in good taste to ask what people did during the war. Do you really want to know that they spent years bashing people's heads in?

cptrelentless wrote:Do you really want to know that they spent years bashing people's heads in?

Yes.

cptrelentless wrote:
Do you really want to know that they spent years bashing people's heads in?

No, that is not what I was getting at.....

If you were moving to Germany,now, today, would you feel that the only way you could understand it was to understand the Nazi mentality of the the 1930's/40's? I'm sure you wouldn't.
So why do you feel the only way to understand contemporary Cambodia is to understand(?) what happened in the mid to late 70's?

something seriously wrong here,
i agree with Hotdigr

phuketrichard wrote:something seriously wrong here,
i agree with Hotdigr

The history of the kingdom is just interesting , I recommend checking Neil Davis's footage of the fighting with the KR back in the day.

I can understand your point of view.

However I never said that I “feel that the only way to understand contemporary Cambodia is to understand what happened in the mid to late 70’s”. That is just completely wrong and taken out of context Hotdigr.

As for Nazi Germany; that was well before my time, most people of my era (and before) would have been educated about those atrocities at school, or by watching documentaries or whatever.

The situation in the mid 70’s is during my time. I have been trying to learn as much about Cambodia its culture and people as possible. I would not say that I am completely ignorant or have an unhealthy interest. What is wrong with gaining information about people, culture, customs and a particular society if you plan to relocate there – or to any country for that matter? Generating a better understanding of the history of a country is no different in my view. In fact information mining generates cognizance about a particular subject.

I was merely trying to gain a better understand of Cambodian history. Obviously there are still reverberations from that era in today’s society which affects contemporary Cambodia. From reading articles and things in the media, how much faith can I place in those current reports? I have my own opinion on that point and it is beyond the scope of what my question was in any event.

I just thought that by talking to current expats and locals alike I might glean more of an insight. I don’t feel that there is anything wrong with ‘divining’ for information so to speak. No offence was intended.

Thanks for the heads up on Neil Davis - I think I remember him as a child - photographer/film crew or something? - name rings a bell anyway..... will have a look

Regards.

Yes, I do remember Neil Davis BKKTrapper...

I was only a young child then, but I remember my old man flicking on the news after coming home from work and seeing Neil Davis on TV - I was too young to really understand, what was going on, or the complexity of the matters on hand. I was probably more interested in other things, as most kids are at that age.

Funny that Asia is right on our doorstep, but was educated about things that happened in Europe, Ancient Greece, Egypt and such things..... (at least that is from my own personal experience anyway).

..... as you say it is interesting.....

Thanks

read the book's

"One Crowded hour" by Tim Bowden ( about Neil Davis)
"Gecko Trails" by Carol Livingston
"When the war was over" Elizabeth Becker
"Survival in the killing Fields" Haing Ngor
"Dancing Shadows" Benny Widyono

Literature with history thrown in
"highways to War" Christopher Koch
"The KIngs Last Song" Geoff Ryman
"Derailed in Uncle Ho's Victory Garden" Tim Page