A journalist who visited Banteay Srei last week was a bit put out when his hired

taxi got stuck in a mud hole on the way back to town. His consternation multiplied

when a stream of fancy four-wheel-drive vehicles driving past pointedly ignored his

waves and calls for help.

Undaunted, the hack stood boldly in front of the next 4x4 to come along, forcing

it to stop.

A senior official of some sort and his aides got out of their vehicle and then set

about helping get the stuck car dislodged.

With the taxi free from the muck, an aide to the Big Guy said with a chuckle: "Well,

as Minister of Water Resources, its partly his responsibility."

** A young foreign lad developed a fancy for an Apsara-esque Khmer gal who

was working in a local watering hole that he frequented. Regular chit-chat over a

period of months evolved into infatuation.

When the subject finally turned serious with a perhaps hesitant "Do you think

we could develop a relationship?" the lady had already thought the whole matter

through and had a response at the ready.

"Yes, we can get engaged, but it will cost you $20,000!"

It wasn't her idea, she insisted, but her parents who wanted the dough up front.

In the face of five figures, the budding love quickly faded.

** The First Overseas Bank has a progressive account application form. After

the category "Sex" the applicant can check "M" or "F"

or ... there are two boxes under the category "Other".

** Wannabe multi-linguists should check out a new software program at the

Russian Market. Called "Authentic Khmer" and developed by a guy named Kenneth

White, the program has 1500 of the most common everyday phrases one might need to

know in Khmer.

It also has a voice function so if your computer has speaking capabilities you can

just sit there and push "repeat after me" again and again and again...

** Thai gamblers are up in arms. Up until recently, anyone who wanted to visit

the casino in Poipet was let into Cambodia visa-free. No more. You want to lose money

at the roulette table, you gotta pay for a visa to do it.

** An expat restaurateur on Quay Sisowath has been having a bit of a tussle

with the taxmen. They've told him that if he wants to post prices in English he has

to pay $100 for the privilege. He bargained the fee down to $85 but wonders why he

can't pay the real price of 50,000 riels.