Editors:

Karl Marx Quay and Lenin Boulevard: how long will these names remain in Phnom Penh

geography? How long will the itchy fingers of the city governors be kept away from

substituting these exciting names with Hun Sen Avenue or Sihanouk Embankment?

USSR Boulevard is possibly one of the last streets in the world with this name. Now

that the Soviet Union has disintegrated without grace the only thing that hampers

rapid renaming seems to be uncertainty of the outcome of the elections.

The other day a group of locals and international staff met at their favorite hangout

on the "Russian Boulevard" and discussed the matter. Although most of them,

locals as well as expatriates, felt that it is good as it is, everybody felt that

the destiny of the USSR Boulevard is inevitable; it will be rebaptized, sooner rather

than later. A contest was announced and among the 30 different entries the "Boulevard

of Dreams" was selected.

The proposed name was forwarded to the city government for consideration.

Which city in the world has fewer reasons to dream of the future (or back to years

past) than Phnom Penh? The only question is: shouldn't every city have its street

of dreams? It doesn't necessarily have to be the one leading to its airport.

- Hans Hagberg