win

[RedHerring2]

I Strange thing is, I wasn't even aware that it was particularly derogatory in that context. I once had a Chinese mate that introduced himself as " Hi, I'm Chi Moi but my friends call me ****". Even stranger, I bet "slant eyes" would be OK.

That's also considered a derogatory term, so why us it?
It seems to me that you're not aware of which terms are derogatory and which are not.
It's a case of education, and if it requires "the PC brigade" to educate you, who's fault is that?

 

[joe-90]

Don't go to Oz - they might call you Pomme - then you'll have to call the police.

 

[RedHerring2]

Don't go to Oz - they might call you Pomme - then you'll have to call the police.

I've been to Oz, only one fellow called me a pomme. It was in a bar near Mt Buller.
Other Aussie's suggested I ignore him. All other Aussie's that I have met, in Oz, on travels, in UK have treated me with respect, and that respect has been reciprocated.

Maybe, it's just you Joe.

A little anecdote, off topic, I know.
We travelled in Cambodia, on the back of an open pick-up, from the Thai border to Seam Reap, with an Aussie and his son.
His son was about 10 years old with blonde hair and a fair skin. Every time we stopped anywhere the local women would rush out to touch him, tussle his hair, stroke his cheeck, hold his hand, etc.
I thought that lad's gonna grow up with a massive ego!

 

[joe-90]

How long did you live there for? How long did you work there for?

Most Brits would say ignore a racist - but that's not good enough for you is it? You want to call the police.

 

[joe-90]

My daughter is going to Cambodia in March (Visa permitting) to do volunteering work amongst the poorest children there, using her own money to teach another race at quite high financial cost to herself. She grew up in a good racist family you see.

 

[RedHerring2]

How long did you live there for? How long did you work there for?

Just visiting friends, for about six weeks. Visited, Melborne, Sydney, Newcastle, Cairns. Was offered a tour by a lorry driver. But when he described the distances by the number of cans of beer consumed, I declined.

Most Brits would say ignore a racist - but that's not good enough for you is it? You want to call the police.

Strangely enough, any racist remarks directed at me I've either taken direct action, and been applauded by people of similar nationality to the perpetrators, or responded with other non-racists comments.
I believe it's easily possible to insult someone, if you want to, without recourse to racist taunts.
But, I suppose, there are some who are not capable of that.

 

[RedHerring2]

My daughter is going to Cambodia in March (Visa permitting) to do volunteering work amongst the poorest children there, using her own money to teach another race at quite high financial cost to herself. She grew up in a good racist family you see.

I wish her all the very best, even congratulating her on her work. I suspect she will come home a much wiser woman.

My advice to her would be to visit Ankor Wat, not to be missed.
Also Sihanoukville for a holiday. We stopped at an Aussie's hotel in Sihanoukville. Brilliant hospitality, even bangers and mash with onion gravy. Superb after weeks/months without potatoes.
Also visit Laos.

As for the comment about growing up in a racist family, perhaps I can draw an analogy:
I grew up in strictly religious family, but I decided at an early age, that religion was not for me.

 

[RedHerring2]

A bit more info', Joe, if it's helpful.
You can get visas at the border, and most probably on arrival at the airport.
But if she is going to London embassy for a visa, she might as well get one for Laos at the same time, the embassies are not far apart.
Vietnam visas are also available at the borders and airports, I believe.
There's a difference between a single visit visa and a multiple visit visa, There's little difference in price, but major differences in practicality.
A businees visa for Vietnam lasts 3 months, whereas a tourist visa last only 1 month. I'm not sure if the same applies to Cambodia.
The business reason is of little concern I had a business visa for Vietnam but put my occupation as retired. There were no questions.

Travel in Cambodia can be problematic. Sometimes it's easy, for example the river boat from Seam Reap to Phnom Penh. But other times it's difficult. The river boat from Phnom Penh to Chau Doc got grounded 'cos the captain took a short cut. The only method of travel from Aranyaprathet, Thailand to Seam Reap, Cambodia was taxi, or on the back of an open pick-up, on top of the local goods delivery. But what an experience.
Another common form of transport is locals waiting at known coach/taxi pick-up points for potential paying travellers to reduce the cost of their own journey.

There are loads of minbus operators doing the journeys between towns, etc. they may be scheduled to leave at a given time. In practice they wait until they're full before departing.

To say thank you in Khmer, it's Ar kun, said with hands together in front of you and accompanied with a slight bow.
It goes a long way.

 

[joe-90]

Well thanks for that. Is that place you mentioned the one that has all the Budhist temples? If it is she intends to go there. The project base is about an hour outside Phnom Penn (or however you spell it). It's a new project so she's likely to be the first over there. Most only stay for a few weeks but she is hoping to stay for up to six months. She's hoping to make some inroads in learning the language whilst she's there, and she's heard about the buses being unreliable and running when full. The visa situation does sound the same as you were saying, and I think she will apply for a business one. What happens if it runs out whilst she's there?


Oh and by the way - you really need to learn to differentiate between immigration and race issues.

 

[hermangoering]

Is it National Unusual User Name Day?

 

[RedHerring2]

What happens if it runs out whilst she's there?

I can only recount my experience of extending a visa in Vietnam, not a pleasant experience, considering I was staying about an eight hour car journey away from Saigon. (only Vietnamese passport holders are allowed to drive, so it meant hiring a minibus, with air con! A hundred dollars round trip.)
I had to get a local policeman to sign a paper to say I was residing in the locality, along with a reason.
I had to take that form, with the exisitng visa, i.e. passport, to Saigon, pay a fee, (more or less for another visa), leave the passport there for a week and return a week later for it. The visa offices are not pleasant places to hang around in.
It cost about two hundred dollars for the car hire and about a hundred dollars for two overnight stays in Saigon.

But Cambodia is openly more corrupt and a few dollars in the passport might go a long way.

Having said that, getting a UK visa for a friend's Mum was horrendous. She had to fly to Hanoi to the UK embassy and answer questions that she had no understanding of, e.g. what did I do for work. And she would have to pay for the interpreter. She was suffering badly from diabetes and could hardly walk, never mind travel that far just for the interview. She did eventually fly to Hanoi, but becasue she was late for the interview it was cancelled and she would have to re-apply. That was a days car journey to Saigon then the flight to Hanoi and back, then the car journey again, accompanied by her daughter.
The visa cost over a hundred quid.
It had taken over a year and multiple visits to various government offices just to get a passport for her. All the time her health was deteriorating.

Eventually, the interview was conducted by phone, on my mobile at her house and because she couldn't speak english and the interviewer couldn't speak Vietnamese, my friend answered all the questions.
It would have been a joke if it hadn't cost many months of wasted time, wasted money and a wasted journey to Hanoi.
We were allowed, eventually, to collect the visa from the Saigon office, but the passport had to go to Hanoi for the visa.

Oh and by the way - you really need to learn to differentiate between immigration and race issues.

You should be on the stage............sweeping it. .

And you need to differentiate between migration and immigration.

 

[joe-90]

I think I'll tell her not to bother. It's their kids she is supposed to be teaching at her expense. If it all goes t*ts up she can have a holiday then make her way to Thailand.

 

[RedHerring2]

If she's intending to travel overland out of Cambodia it's much easier via Vietnam than via Thailand.
There's two overland routes to Bangkok from Phnom Penh, neither are easy, one goes west of Tonle Sap, the large lake by Seam Reap (Angkor Wat) and the other east of the Mekong and the lake, via Seam Reap.
The best bet is straight up the mekong on the river boat to Seam Reap.
But from there it's taxi or back of a pickup to the Thai border. Quite a distance. For a few dollars extra she could try getting to sit in the cab.
There is a railway but no trains!
You don't need a visa for Thailand, just a few dollars at the border.

Whereas there are multiple options going from Phnom Penh to Saigon. It's a well recognised tourist trail and it's shorter.
If you go via minbus the driver collects all the passports and takes them for verification while the passengers wait in the cafe!

If she's intending to fly to Bangkok, tell her to try haggling for the price of the ticket. (at Phnom Penh, that is, not at Heathrow!)

 

[masona]

I'm rushing out to get a wedding hat

 

[Alarm]

I think I'll tell her not to bother. It's their kids she is supposed to be teaching at her expense. If it all goes t*ts up she can have a holiday then make her way to Thailand.

Gap year, to add to her Degree?