The date and time for the top secret, surprise farewell party for Sue Downie,

who is heading off soon to Monash University to pursue an advanced degree, has been

set. Word on the event is being passed around in a very hush, hush manner.

** One government official says to keep your eyes open for fake riel notes

which may be making their way onto the market place shortly. Apparently, the notes

can be made with some of the new high-tech copier equipment that is being introduced

in the Kingdom. All one needs is the right kind of paper, and the bills come laser-like

out of the machine.

** King Sihanouk's recent statement calling for action to deal with the deplorable

state of the Kingdom's prisons was timely. One recent inmate of T-3 prison said he

woke up one night with a two-inch cockroach in his mouth having a bit of a midnight

feed. Could be a marketable idea: live, organic dental floss. Certainly would cut

down on the dentist bills.

** Some people might think that the stuff in this column is made up. No way,

no way, although here's one item that stretches the imagination. Nate Thayer called

in from the backwoods of Pennsylvania and said that his latest project is to become

an Eagle Scout. No kidding. Buried under three feet of snow in the worst blizzard

to hit the states this century, the veteran camper says that his first merit badge

will be "weather". We are eagerly awaiting a photo of him in uniform.

** There's been much grumbling on the Malaysian side of the RAC venture. Amin

Khan left in a huff and four of his KL colleagues departed with him. There are even

vague mutterings about the Malaysians re-thinking the whole deal.

** Martin Flitman advises tourists in Siem Reap that Phnom Bok is now definitely

off-limits. The small hill that juts out of the plains 15 kms north of the Rolous

Group, which many may have visited during the UNTAC era for an afternoon picnic,

has been beefed up into a key military base. Flitman dashed up the hill on his moto

only to be detained for over an hour with not too many friendly smiles from the boys

in green. After a flurry of radio calls, Flitman was sent packing with the message

not to return.