Cambodia coffee: grounds for optimism?

Not the opulence of the gold sink - straight from the oil-rich Middle East?

Preface and Update 9 June 2019

Now most in this site is still true but Cambodia and Takhmau being what they are, there are constant changes. So keeping up with them is not easy.  The Coffee Shops seem to be doing OK, with more new shops and kiosks opening than closing. Beer Gardens have fallen from grace. It seems the barbecue/soup more family orientated places are more popular and the beer garden customer is hiding in the karaoke parlours that also seem to be doing well despite problems. Just along the road from there, one of the best fast(ish) restaurants closed a few months ago. This was my usual Sunday Brunch place as it did (does) excellent Asian and Western style food. Today I see it's reopened just off the main arterial road - turn opposite the TOTAL garage by the LHR one and you'll see it on the left.

Inspirations, anniversaries

The humble Salmon - what a remarkable journey it makes with sheer dogged determination to return to where it was hatched, to spawn and die. 
Photographer Mike Smith similarly persisted. It took two years to capture this Northumbrian image at Hexham Bridge.

Inspirations, lasting impressions
Anniversaries

The original blog title included "lasting impressions" but in 2022 I decided to pen a sequel because quite a lot of personal anniversaries are coming up.   Some are most significant - my graduation in 1973 followed by a decade later my departure from UK to live and work abroad. (I talk more about this in a recent blog.) One more is 25 years in Cambodia in January 2023.

Anyway here is the original blog with the sequel added at the end.

.....ooo0oooo.....

Very often people ask me “What keeps you going?”  There is no doubt that work in the “Aid and Development” industry is a struggle and frustrating. Just ask Nate!