Hey from Cambodia

So we've arrived in Cambodia, well two days ago, and let me tell you the heat here is insane!

At the airport we had a little hairy canary excursion. Mum, don't worry we're alright. Its all a learning experience, isn't it?

I guess you could say we had a little lesson into the way things actually work in this country. I recall Dad telling me about similar thing happening to him when one he was on one of his business trips to Indonesia; he had slip a little cheese to some important looking officials who were happy to oblige. This isn't Indonesia though, and guess what I should've done was more research, and listen to Sandy.

In Thailand she said, 'We should get some money changed into US currency before we go.(everything in Cambodia is in US, strange, but true).
I said, 'It'll be cool, we'll just get it changed at the airport.' (The ATM machines in Cambodia even give out US bucks)

So we just landed and we were going to get our visas on arrival. Visa cost $25 US. Sandy eyeballs me. There's no ATM machines. 'It'll be cool.' I say, pretending to be tranquil lake, inside I'm panic mountain.
We've got no US cash, no Cambodian cash, just under a thousand in Thai and a little Aussie cash.
'Do you take credit?' i ask the guy at the visa desk, as i hand him our forms.
'No cash only. Pay the cashier.' He points at another man in uniform.

As i step away I say to Sandy, 'I'll just go see if i can get some money upstairs where transfer passengers are going.'
I run fast, too fast for someone who's meant to be a tranquil lake.

Of course the transfer area is blocked and when i come back, Sandy is looking worried. I'm looking worried, But you know things are really going badly when you've made your lovely wife worried. It's something I do, but never intentionally and i always hate it when i do.

'Mr Norton.' The cashier is calling. 'your visa is ready.'
'It'll be cool.' I smile at Sandy. We go up to the counter, and it's like we've been caught by our primary school teacher as we're smoking and Mr Robinson is saying 'come here.' What i mean is the walk to the cashier is killer.
'We don't have any US cash.' I say in almost a whisper.
'Thai Baht?' He asks.
'Um....' I show him our Thai money.
'You need two thousand.'
'Do you take Australian money?'
He looks at me like I've farted.
'We've got $40 Aussie bucks and some Thai money.' Sandy and quickly make a small pile of notes on the counter. I think the size of it got him. 'Okay.' He says, slides the visas to us with a wink and takes the cash, we didn't look back until we were safely away. Then we giggled like idiots. I'd happily place a bet that the Cambodian government didn't get those $40 Aussie bucks. Even if it did, I'm sure he got a nice tip.

So yeah we made if only a few hitches. Outside the airport we meet Mook. What good man to meet us there, after all we didn't have any cash.

But It's amazing to meet up with friends in another country it blows your mind away. Not for the reasons you'd think it would though, like you're both in a strange country together and that weird, no it's so great because suddenly everything seems so natural and easy like you're with each other at home but now you're in a strange country. Everything is cool but you might as well be on another planet together. That blows your mind away.

I took the advice from Marie and got in contact with the people she recommended who run a water filter programme and we've started shooting a short doco about their charity.

Anyway, all is good we're gonna hit the $2.50 bottles of Khemer whiskey tonight.

Brant Bjork Interview

I talk to Rock stoner legend, Brant Bjork from Fu-Man-Chu and Kyuss talks for In The RAW TV.

What the hell is wrong with our legal system?

Powder Finger’s new song ‘Black Tears,’ which is due to be released next month, is due to go up in a legal battle. The 2^nd verse of the song supposedly refers to a racial incident which occurred between a member or members Palm Island Police and the local Aboriginal residents. Particularly, it supposedly refers one copper, one Officer Chris Hurley, who going up in court for the assault and manslaughter of Mulrunji Doomadgee who died while in his custody.

This death started a riot on the island.

The cop being charged is also the one making the complaint.


Photo ABC TV

What the hell is wrong with our legal system? Why shouldn’t an artist be allowed to comment on society? The police in this country (and loads of others countries) have a long history of abusing their power while musicians should have a right to comment on it and have done so in the past. Isn’t Waltzing Matilda commenting on a “class” incident that “supposedly” occurred between three coppers and a swagman?

If you can now be censored or worse sued for singing about something that is messed up then the world has gone crazy.

What do you think? What songs do you know that comment on the police and society?

Read more about it here (SMH)