THE STARS OF SIEM REAP

He was loud, the Chinese man at Starbucks along Mao Tse Tung Boulvevard, so the office at the third floor had him bundled to the new airport in Siem Reap to be displayed among the glittering stars of Pub Street where the accidental panelist dined on grilled pork from the riverbank and grilled beef sausage at the Night Market for the price of an "Angkor What?" t-shirt. 

In the universe of the 4th ACWC Partnership Conference, his star shined bright in Session 3 despite interruptions from Kathmandu and Vientiane, the glitter caught in a pool of dark and draft beer where a dried giant fish was baited with sweet beef jerky and wrapped in a Laotian souvenir bag. 

The Red Piano under a tall Christmas tree played holiday carols, about two Grab car cancellations and superstars announcing their pledges of support as bets were placed on how long can the bladder hold four pints without peeing, the first two paired with a spicy salmon salad and grilled octupos tentacles, the last two with grilled pork ribs and belly before the clock at the tattoo parlor chimed 26.

Time was lost but pee was ably absorbed by 10 plies of Robinsons natural interfolded bamboo paper towels and a pack of keopok udang from Brunei, the megastar of the conference as reported in the bi-monthly  I-JET team meeting, that is the two hours lost by Flight K6106 to Phnom Penh as the World Social Forum talked, the time regained by an early check in for Flight PR522 to Manila, an early breakfast of Lawson egg sandwich at McDonald's Panay and the ensuing 5-hour wait for a dollar reimbursement, four sets of boarding passes to the EJ impact evaluation, the 4-hour bus ride to Bakal 2 for a birthday bottle of Johnny Walker in Pantok, and finally the star of the show --- a petite Ballantine to celebrate 26 starred years with real friends...