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Open letter to newbies (especially Cannabistourist)
Posted: Sun May 06, 2018 8:10 am
by chkwoot
Cannabistourist (and all newbies to Cambodia),
You are at least 10 years too late to do most of the things that you seem to believe are now possible. Long gone are the days when you could get a 1 year "business visa" extension of your "ordinary visa" within a few days after arriving, without any extra documents; work without a work permit and without worry of being deported or fined; buy a $160 used Citi without any papers and a fake license plate without any worries whatsoever; smoke weed (or even meth) in the patio area (or "bathroom") of Walkabout 24/7 without anyone batting an eye (Glenn would get pissed off if he saw someone smoking meth, but he never went into that shitty bathroom); buy absolutely any kind of pharmaceuticals at pharmacies; drive your moto without a helmet or mirrors or valid license of any kind; out run/out maneuver cops when they tried to shake you down for just a buck or two of beer money; get a bj at Sophie's for $1 while drinking $1 cans of Asahi Super Dry(350ml!) that come with a free condom; or enjoy a quiet, relaxing evening, chatting and drinking with others, while listening to jazz in an almost empty, floating Pontoon. I know because I've done, or have personally witnessed, everything I mentioned. (I hope others will add to the list.)
I think maybe the new generation of "extreme tourists" are looking at extremely dated information regarding Cambodia. Some things haven't changed, but many things have. You will (hopefully) see the truth when you are able to experience this reality IN REAL LIFE, not vicariously through someone else's eyes. Your experience will not be the same as anyone else's, so put down your mobile device, MacBook, or Lonely Planet, and go experience life. Learn about your own reality from your own real life observations and interactions.
I found this long forgotten (I'm old) quote in 2012, on the inside back cover of some now defunct shitty Sihanoukville fake Pocket Guide. They even stupidly edited the quote. But here it is unedited:
"Aryans" are not Hitler's wunderkinder. "Christians" are just westerners. "Hustle" does not mean to scam. Just Google
Rudyard Kipling The Naulahka if you need someone else to help you understand. It was written 125 years ago, and is probably not taught in most elementary, middle, or even high schools anymore (at least not in the US).
Good luck to you! You might learn to absolutely hate everything about Cambodia, and us who live here. You might not. You'll know when you've spent enough time here to know, and only you will know when that is.
Re: Open letter to newbies (especially Cannabistourist)
Posted: Sun May 06, 2018 8:57 am
by phuketrichard
chkwoot wrote: ↑Sun May 06, 2018 8:10 am
Cannabistourist (and all newbies to Cambodia),
You are at least 10 years too late to do most of the things that you seem to believe are now possible. Long gone are the days when you could get a 1 year "business visa" extension of your "ordinary visa" within a few days after arriving, without any extra documents; work without a work permit and without worry of being deported or fined; buy a $160 used Citi without any papers and a fake license plate without any worries whatsoever; smoke weed (or even meth) in the patio area (or "bathroom") of Walkabout 24/7 without anyone batting an eye (Glenn would get pissed off if he saw someone smoking meth, but he never went into that shitty bathroom); buy absolutely any kind of pharmaceuticals at pharmacies; drive your moto without a helmet or mirrors or valid license of any kind; out run/out maneuver cops when they tried to shake you down for just a buck or two of beer money; get a bj at Sophie's for $1 while drinking $1 cans of Asahi Super Dry(350ml!) that come with a free condom; or enjoy a quiet, relaxing evening, chatting and drinking with others, while listening to jazz in an almost empty, floating Pontoon. I know because I've done, or have personally witnessed, everything I mentioned. (I hope others will add to the list.)
I think maybe the new generation of "extreme tourists" are looking at extremely dated information regarding Cambodia. Some things haven't changed, but many things have. You will (hopefully) see the truth when you are able to experience this reality IN REAL LIFE, not vicariously through someone else's eyes. Your experience will not be the same as anyone else's, so put down your mobile device, MacBook, or Lonely Planet, and go experience life. Learn about your own reality from your own real life observations and interactions.
I found this long forgotten (I'm old) quote in 2012, on the inside back cover of some now defunct shitty Sihanoukville fake Pocket Guide. They even stupidly edited the quote. But here it is unedited:
"Aryans" are not Hitler's wunderkinder. "Christians" are just westerners. "Hustle" does not mean to scam. Just Google
Rudyard Kipling The Naulahka if you need someone else to help you understand. It was written 125 years ago, and is probably not taught in most elementary, middle, or even high schools anymore (at least not in the US).
Good luck to you! You might learn to absolutely hate everything about Cambodia, and us who live here. You might not. You'll know when you've spent enough time here to know, and only you will know when that is.
this should be sticky posted and required reading for all newbies
Re: Open letter to newbies (especially Cannabistourist)
Posted: Sun May 06, 2018 9:04 am
by chkwoot
More things keep popping up in my head, but
Re: Open letter to newbies (especially Cannabistourist)
Posted: Sun May 06, 2018 9:17 am
by bolueeleh
nice post, im gonna bump this up once a week, when will people realise that things will not stay the same for their own convenience or budget sake?
Re: Open letter to newbies (especially Cannabistourist)
Posted: Sun May 06, 2018 11:45 am
by cannabistourist
Funny ridiculous post yes !
Don't worry, I will tell you as soon as I get the driving license that I want.
It seems that people living somewhere long term really do not know nothing anymore about the real life and life of people who have nothing to lose.
Even in Thailand it's so easy to cheat the system, so imagine how difficult it will be for me to do it in Cambodia !
Re: Open letter to newbies (especially Cannabistourist)
Posted: Sun May 06, 2018 12:08 pm
by chkwoot
cannabistourist wrote: ↑Sun May 06, 2018 11:45 am
Funny ridiculous post yes !
Don't worry, I will tell you as soon as I get the driving license that I want.
It seems that people living somewhere long term really do not know nothing anymore about the real life and life of people who have nothing to lose.
Even in Thailand it's so easy to cheat the system, so imagine how difficult it will be for me to do it in Cambodia !
Who are the people who you think have nothing to lose? Every living being has something to lose.
It used to be very easy to "cheat the system" in many ways, in Cambodia, Vietnam, and Thailand (visa run, anyone?), but not anymore.
Good luck and be safe! When do you arrive?
Re: Open letter to newbies (especially Cannabistourist)
Posted: Sun May 06, 2018 12:19 pm
by taabarang
You have missed the point entirely Cb.seeker. Previously, there wasn't much of a system except for graft over which there was little control. Those vestiges you count on are rapidlly disappearing.
In my case I have lived here for 20/years and live rurally with my Khmer wife and kids and yes I speak fluent, but not native Cambodian. Just don't come back whining when your bubble of delusion breaks.
I and other foreigners who have lived here for the long haul do indeed know what we are talking about. I don't know you so it is nothing personal
Pride, spurred on by ignorance precedes a fall and in Cambodia that fall can be bone breaking
Re: Open letter to newbies (especially Cannabistourist)
Posted: Sun May 06, 2018 12:36 pm
by Kuroneko
cannabistourist wrote: ↑Sun May 06, 2018 11:45 am
Funny ridiculous post yes !
It seems that people living somewhere long term really
do not know nothing anymore about the real life and life of people who have nothing to lose.
So you are effectively saying that people living somewhere long time do know something about real life and life of people who have nothing to lose.
Just so English speakers are not confused
In standard English however, this format is termed as a ‘double negative’. Double negative is when two ‘NOTs’ are lined up back-to-back in a sentence in such a way that it ends up meaning the reverse of the acutal implication. Here the first ‘not’ is the actual ‘not’ in the sentence (from don’t) and the second is provided by ‘nothing’.
So in standard English, the expression
“I don't know nothing” effectively comes to “I know something” (if you know nothing, that’s when you don't know anything. But when you don't know nothing, it means that you do know something at least).
But I repeat, when used in the modern context, the speaker does imply it in the same capacity as “I don't know anything”. The two sentences may not agree semantically but they exist as cultural variations.
It’s common to hear “I don’t know nothing” on American TV and songs (especially rap).
It’s a format popularised by the street slang emerging from the African-American culture. The black population in the US is more given to such usage. So when they use it, they do actually wish to imply “I don’t know anything.”
Long story short, both are grammatically valid but to use “I don’t know nothing”, the listener needs to be aware of the cultural aspect or the slang element behind the double negative. Only that can ensure that they too interpret it as “I don’t know anything”, despite the misleading nature of the expression.
https://www.quora.com/Which-is-more-cor ... ow-nothing
Disclaimer, I am not an English teacher, and have nothing whatsoever to do with teaching English.
Re: Open letter to newbies (especially Cannabistourist)
Posted: Sun May 06, 2018 12:41 pm
by bolueeleh
come snooky i will teach u how to work the system not cheat the system, course starting next monday, registration 1000$ per person, includes delicious pastries for tea time, but unconsumed pastries will be reheated for the next day
Re: Open letter to newbies (especially Cannabistourist)
Posted: Sun May 06, 2018 12:46 pm
by taabarang
Well Kuroneko, maybe you avoided the shameful occupation of teaching, but at least you(or your cat)kept their ears open!