Phnom Penh's triumphant reemergence

Andy Hill

Far from its tragic past and seedy stereotypes, Phnom Penh is an amazing place to bask in progressive, artistic, and inspiring things happening amongst a people keen to grasp a bright future. 

Phnom Penh is one of those places which, having undergone a horrific mass-tragedy, the stigma of that historical wound may threaten to overwhelm anything else it may have to offer. The shadow of the Khmer Rouge’s terrorizing campaign colors the perception many have of Cambodia. 

Also, many might picture a city riddled with slobbering, red-faced, neanderthalic perverts trying pathetically to arouse the attention of the bar girls who are paid paid to act interested in them, or washed-up, drug-addled freaks stumbling along the alleys looking for someone to rob.

The fact of the matter is that Phnom Penh is a very different place than all that. The collective suffering this gentle country experienced from 1975-1979 seems to have been altogether moved on from. That is the feel one gets when strolling through its charming streets and making casual conversation with complete strangers. 

And, although it would be quite easy to find a prostitute to spend an hour with, the city contains far less sex tourism than one would find in many parts of Thailand, or countless other places in the world.

Actually, there are many inspiring, fresh, and progressive things happening in Phnom Penh, which when you’re there, seems completely natural.

At the Meta House (http://www.meta-house.com/), there are documentary films and other fantastic educational and artistic events happening throughout the week, many of which are free. They feature many of the young Cambodian filmmakers, musicians, and painters coming up in the local art scene, and organize many other community-oriented events.

Every month at the Beeline Arena, the remarkable Battambang-based theatre and circus troupe Phare Ponleu Selpak (http://www.phareps.org/) deliver their trademark, Khmer-inspired feats of acrobatic, juggling, dance, contortion, and storytelling prowess. The troupe is comprised mainly of former street kids who are able to find training and a way to apply themselves creatively within the exciting atmosphere of a circus which combines traditional Cambodian folklore with avant-garde theatre.

These are only two of a laundry list of examples of why this is such an inspiring place.

Finally, it’s just a really friendly city. My girlfriend and I lived there for nine months, and there are few cities that I have more enjoyed strolling about in side streets, haggling in markets, and spending an afternoon drinking beer in front of convenience stores.

Having spent hundreds of hours in classrooms with teenaged and adult citizens of that fair city, I was blown away by how many of them were forward-looking, impassioned people who want nothing more than to make theirs a more green, just, and all-around better country.

This sense of reaching into its resplendent ancient past while simultaneously being certain of a brighter, more novel, more exciting future characterizes Phnom Penh to a higher degree than any tragedy from the past ever could.