And more Cam news ...

Some folks in Long Beach, California are proposing calling a section of their city Cambodia Town in hopes that the designation will "create greater visibility and may even give an area with little political influence more clout at City Hall - without hurting residents of other nationalities."

Such districts reflect the heritage of businesses in an area more so than the types of residents.... more

It's Friday again ... already. sigh

Aside from indicating that yet another week has slipped away, having Friday roll around means a wrap of news from Cambodia. The National Novel Writing Month thing that some bloggers have inspiring them to post daily through November is not only a great creative shot in the arm, it's also a wonderful cause.

Partnered... more

As ever, a week of news from Cambodia has ups and downs. It's certainly been a rough spell for Prince Norodom Ranariddh. First, he's booted out of the leadership position of his very own Funcinpec Party, then he gets replaced by his own brother-in-law. ( Keo Puth Rasmey is married to Norodom Arunrasmy, Ranariddh's half-sister.)

Then,... more

I find myself bombarded this week by news items that have me concerned by the way things seem to be going in Australia, and it's not just the cane toads causing worry. This trend started on Sunday when a lovely story from a Scottish newspaper took on the Madonna mega-muddle. An adoptive mom with a daughter from China wrote about her experiences in a way that was full of compasion and caring and love and commitment to child and the bigger picture. Her... more

Continuing on the topic of antiziganism...

Have you heard of Borat Sadiiyev? If you're aware of the racial prejudice known as antiziganism, or if you have kids from Kaz, or Bulgaria or other Eastern European countries you probably have. Or, if you watch a lot of TV.

Here's how wiki introduces him:

Borat Sagdiyev... more

With many families adopting from Eastern Europe and Asia, it's important to understand not only the positives from the countries of our children's birth, but also the negatives. As children grow and home country visits become possible, parents need to be aware of as many potentials as possible. Although not one of the primary focuses of prejudicial thinking and racial bias in the US, antiziganism,... more

This morning I received a response to my post from last Saturday about an article called, 'Baby Hotel: The Gateway to Guatemalan Adoption'.

The mail is from the author of the piece, Jacob Wheeler, and I'm quoting it in its entirety, as the writer claims to welcome dialog:

First of all, I want to thank you for reading my article on WorldPress.org about Guatemalan adoption and the Baby Hotel. And I also want to thank you for writing me or posting online with your reactions and comments... more

It's been a busy news week in Phnom Penh and environs, starting with a visit by the new Prime Minister of Thailand, Surayud Chulanont.

Cambodian government spokesman Khieu Kanharith described the meeting between Surayud and Cam PM Hun Sen as "completely fruitful ... wide-ranging and cordial, and conducted without a translator as the new Thai premier speaks fluent Khmer."

Topics of discussion ranged from bird flu, to sea border issues, oil revenues and the rebuilding of a railway system to boost trade between Cambodia, Lao and Thailand.

Interestingly, Hun Sen has refused... more

More Info from Kazakhstan, continued from the previous post... AIDS and kids. This tragic combination becomes more prevalent each year. We hear a lot about AIDS orphans and infected children in Africa ... especially these day, but I am NOT using the 'M' word again for a while ... but information from another part of the world is beginning to come in.

This article out of Kazakhstan titled, "Bad... more

From the US State Department to parents of kids adopted from Kazakhstan, this Public Notice:

The Government of Kazakhstan recently reported that as many as 61 children in the Shymkent region (southern Kazakhstan ) tested positive for the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). Kazakhstani government officials stated that the children were infected by contaminated blood transfusions and reusing medical equipment, such as needles for... more