Just reading the 'White Girl Does Phnom Penh' thread on the other site and it made me wonder. I don't post over there any more but thought it might be an interesting discussion point over here. People generally 'see' whatever they want to see in my experience.

A couple of evenings ago I was sitting along the river bank roughly opposite St 136 with 3 girls aged between 20 and 30. Two of us were drinking a beer. If you accept the notion that 40-60 years of age is middle age, then I'm middle aged. I noticed a lot of foreigners staring at us as they went by. If you'd gone by, what would you have seen?

Secondly, I occasionally sit at GSM and have a beer or several. Almost always I will sit alone, occasionally I'll join a group of people or chat with someone I know. On other occasions a girl will come and sit with me and chat. What do you see?

when i get the stinkeye from this demographic i like to play up to it and reinforce the prejudice.

you can get them steamed.

the blokes are jealous- and the "girls" hate you for giving the blokes ideas.

delicious irony.

I have a very good female Indonesian friend "with benefits". She's forty years of age, very petite, looks younger than thirty, is tattooed and often enjoys wearing short skirts and low necklines. We might meet in Jakarta, Ubud, Bangkok or wherever two times a year or so (she arrives into Ubud tomorrow)for a couple of weeks together. We both drink, smoke and enjoy playing pool. When on occasion we get a little amorous in a bar, the looks can be withering.

It amuses me knowing my friend has a degree, is an award winning Indonesian screen writer, author of two popular novels, has an informed opinion on many subjects, is the owner of a rather splendid central Jakarta apartment,far wealthier than I shall ever be and shares with me a very intimate close friendship that has lasted now over three years.

However, similar to the above, when I'm out drunk with a young hooker I wind it up and give a great big smile and a wink to any who might care to disapprove.

Joker Poker wrote:Just reading the 'White Girl Does Phnom Penh' thread on the other site and it made me wonder. I don't post over there any more but thought it might be an interesting discussion point over here. People generally 'see' whatever they want to see in my experience.

A couple of evenings ago I was sitting along the river bank roughly opposite St 136 with 3 girls aged between 20 and 30. Two of us were drinking a beer. If you accept the notion that 40-60 years of age is middle age, then I'm middle aged. I noticed a lot of foreigners staring at us as they went by. If you'd gone by, what would you have seen?

Secondly, I occasionally sit at GSM and have a beer or several. Almost always I will sit alone, occasionally I'll join a group of people or chat with someone I know. On other occasions a girl will come and sit with me and chat. What do you see?

The blog article in question is written by a young woman who is trying to present her impressions of a quick visit to PP; her personal opinion is that it has become more "seedy" than last time she was here.
I'm not questioning her honesty, but if you rock up to a city and visit the tourist areas/nightlife districts for 2 days it's more or less sure that you will find the sordid side of life. IMO it's the Riverside area that has changed, but Riverside is not PP, and PP is not Cambodia.

Back to your question JP - why would I stare at an adult man with some adult women on Riverside? Probably because I would like to be drinking a beer with them

Thanks for the responses so far, I'll explain what was going on tomorrow - just wanting to see what others think in such a situation.

Anchor Moy wrote:
The blog article in question is written by a young woman who is trying to present her impressions of a quick visit to PP; her personal opinion is that it has become more "seedy" than last time she was here.
I'm not questioning her honesty, but if you rock up to a city and visit the tourist areas/nightlife districts for 2 days it's more or less sure that you will find the sordid side of life. IMO it's the Riverside area that has changed, but Riverside is not PP, and PP is not Cambodia.

Back to your question JP - why would I stare at an adult man with some adult women on Riverside? Probably because I would like to be drinking a beer with them

Good points AM.

It's kinda like a guy coming here and spending two days on St 51 and then thinking he can write in some sort of informative way about life in Phnom Penh.

What this dingbat chick wouldn't realise is that most of the iceberg is hidden and largely inaccessible to Westerners, moreover, away from the girly bars much of what is available to foreigners is veiled, albeit thinly, but sufficiently so that you won't pick up on stuff in two days. Some would be here for years and never catch on too.

One thing I do like about those with similar attitudes to the writer is that once they turn 40 they will no longer travel in SEA - will they, or how will they be any different to the people they despise so much?

Maybe next time she'll hang around the White House and Toul Kork at night and be able to write something insightful about young Khmers!

I'd see a man I was jealous of, LoL.

I would also assume it's very likely that, given the proximity to street 136 as you mentioned, said girls were bar girls.

I'd probably run over and give you a high-five (just kidding)!

I'd then proceed to knockout the 1 or 2 APLE volunteers that were somewhere nearby ing in the shadows undoubtedly snapping pics, LoL.

You guys are all a bunch of creepy old sexpats.

Bitte_Kein_Lexus wrote:You guys are all a bunch of creepy old sexpats.

I'm not that old.

a dirty old man.....

someone having a drink and a chat...