Global Community: Personal Mess

After a hefty work day I went to the local bar to debrief to the one lady that would simply understand why I was about to bust. I boot up my computer and let it fly. My frustrations of juggling window tabs, emailing like a mad woman merely to reach new hights of mis-communication, and once again having to rack through the web for potential funders that despite all efforts and sexy writing, will eventuate to nothing anyhow.

Where I would normally share this ‘Happy Hour Blurt’ with Kyle over a white sangria, I have resorted to merely describing the bar tender to her over g-chat. She would have been more impressed if she was in Cambodia to see him. My ‘Happy Hour’ lady and previous roommate, has now become yet another online relationship to complete my cyber filled day. Global Communities suck.

Cambodia is all about the global community. With such a high rate of dependence on foreign aid and development, this place is reaping with expats. With such little in the way of cinemas, salsa classes, and to be honest, men, few of these expats stay over two years, the diehards making it to the four year mark. And with this we have a group of people with far too great an emotional investment in the internet, and too little investment in building a community where they are. Thinking global acting local is put on the back-burn.

For a country with no footpaths and security systems that consist of bolt locks and barb wire, this country has the highest rate of Wi-Fi I have experienced. I’m not talking library’s, heaven forbid the government subsidize such services for the public, I’m talking café’s, gyms, and even a substantial number of bars, that have now put up ‘No Skype’ signs to stop the server from being overloaded by over eager foreigners.

Happy hour and the internet- nothing will keep us away. Its where we are understood, its where we have left the friends we grew up with, an engaging conversation from another time and place, and the passing through fling that continues to sizzle away over virtual updates. Brunch with four of my girlfriends goes for hours as young sophisticated ladies, socially ept may I add, spend long Sundays browsing the net.

My bank, my job, my current affairs and now my heart, how healthy can that be? It sure is mobility baby, but it’s also scattered. San Fran, Kyle who exclaims that she has never met more sparky people than in Taipai, Toronto, Melissa who just wishes she could get all the spunks she has online in one place that could be called home, and me, whose tired out by the updating & reporting. Is it worth meeting these amazing people, and having them in our lives in whatever cruddy virtual format it may be?

Whilst I burrow my head in the computer with another glass of wine, I realize my decreasing chance of me ever finding the possie that Hugh Grant had in Notting Hill. Eh, but atleast its better than my past emotional investment in television- so I’m a one up.


Moments of Yumminess: Menu Degustation


For the super greedy of us- wanting to sample the yummiest of all samples- we have Degustation. 8 to 16 courses, 8 to 16 wines, 'menu de degustation' is a "tasting menu". Quality not quantity- special flavours one by one, special friends wherever you are.

Slamming all you have into one may be quick and convinient, but taking the time (money) to seek out a like minded lady 100's of miles away will make you smile even if only for one mouthful.