#Miss Universe Cambodia

[themakeupbrush]

Miss Universe Cambodia 2022 National Costume:  

It is a contemporary design that combines prehistoric art of Funon and Angkor Era. Based on the Buddhist tales, she is the goddess that educates people to control their anger, to love the lives of humans, animals and nature, to share happiness and to appreciate harmony. "Plants and trees are a part of life on earth; please take care of them!"

[conandaily2022]

Sai Fhon biography: 13 things about Miss Universe Cambodia 2023 finalist from Phnom Penh

Sai Fhon សៃ ហ្វុនោ is a Cambodian beauty queen. Here are 13 more things about her: She is a transwoman. She hails from Phnom Penh. 5 ft 9+1⁄2  She is Miss Queen Cambodia 2020. On June 25, 2022, she represented Cambodia at Miss International Queen 2022 and competed against 22 other candidates in Pattaya, Chonburi, Thailand. She finished in the Top 11. On September 7, 2023, she represented…

[steveirwinsreactionwhenseessnake]

Bahrain. Bolivia, Cambodia, Dominican Republic, India, Jamaica, Malta, Mexico, Venezuela

[mixdgrlproblems]

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check out my #womenshistorymonth guide on the contestants of miss universe. the competition went viral this year and i wanted to point out all the mixed girls that participated besides our winner from usa, r'bonney gabriel!

[normanblogs]

Manita Hang: Will she give a first-ever placement for Cambodia in Miss Universe?

Manita Hang: Will she give a first-ever placement for Cambodia in Miss Universe?

Among our ASEAN neighbors, there are still nations that remain unplaced in Miss Universe – and no, it doesn’t include Malaysia because they already got one back in the 70s. I’m referring to Cambodia and Laos. Cambodia is pinning its hopes on a lovely Cambodian-French to do the honors of at least making it to the first cut in our favorite beauty pageant. And Manita Hang is ready to show her best…

[nonasuch]

The 2022 Miss Universe pageant was last night!

Which means: the National Costumes are here.

Yes, there is video. It’s worth watching if you want to see how some of these look in motion, but I’m warning you in advance that the emcees keep doing these shitty little rhyming couplets, and they will make you want to strangle them with one of the many available voluminous gown trains. So I’m suffering on your behalf, and liveblogging.

First up: Albania.

Sparkly flag-inspired bodysuit with train is the voting “present” of the Miss Universe National Costume Competition.

Angola. She did a fun dance on her way to center stage, which would probably not have been possible in her original costume, which was “tree-inspired” and too big to ship to New Orleans.

Argentina. This is where the video does come in handy, because without it I would not be able to award her First Contestant To Visibly Struggle Under The Weight Of Her Outfit. It’s a waterfall. The rainbow crotch area was certainly a design choice.

Armenia. I would like to see what’s going on with the bodice behind the... shield thing? but she never put it down.

Also, it turns out that when one contestant has a costume dedicated to solemn remembrance of the Armenian genocide, and the contestant immediately after her has a costume that’s about beach parties, there is kind of an uncomfortably abrupt tonal shift that happens onstage.

Aruba. Like I said: weird tonal shift! She did a little shimmy dance at Miss Armenia as they passed each other and it was clearly awkward for both of them. This is made of recycled materials leftover from Carnival, which is cool? I guess?

Australia. This is a prom dress. Boo.

Bahrain. A rare pants look! There’s a lot of detail in the headdress and bodice that’s kind of getting lost, but it looks cool in motion. Also the theme is apparently “Bahrain is rich as fuck,” so congrats I guess?

Belgium. Okay so the theme of this costume, my hand to g-d, is “the window on the International Space Station that Belgium built.” Why does this requires a shit-ton of leftover Christmas tinsel and some very awkward-to-wear angel wings? I do not know.

Belize. This is fun! It’s a good “lesser-known Batman villainess” kind of look. Like if Ivy and Catwoman co-mentored someone. The actual theme is “the world’s only jaguar reserve, which is in Belize,” but I think it’s also kind of implying that she might be a were-jaguar. Which, again, is fun!

Bhutan. This goes in the “just an actual regional/folk costume” category, which is also kind of like voting Present, but it looks like the fabrics are nice.

Bolivia. She has an entire Andean condor on her head so I’m already on board. This photo only shows the cloak, which is covered in silver spangles in honor of Bolivia’s silver mines, and is also why her condor is perched on a miner’s helmet. The dress underneath is entirely made of swags of sparkly gold beads, so the visual effect is actually pretty nice in motion.

Brazil. The construction details on this are actually quite lovely! Lots of intricate beading and rhinestone work. Unfortunately that doesn’t convey well at any distance, and also that white fin peplum thing flaps around really awkwardly when she walks. Oh, wait, she can flip it up to be a clamshell thing behind her head!

That looks much better.

British Virgin Islands. First giant flower of the year!

Bulgaria. Apparently this is made of neoprene? So with that and the rainbow stripes, the effect ends up being kind of “what if Midsommar, but at a rave.”

Cambodia. It feels weird to say “yep, standard Miss Universe warrior goddess costume” but basically that’s what this is. I do like the green-and-gold color palette, though.

Cameroon. “The baskets represent the nation’s agricultural movement.” Okay! I like how it’s giving “Valkyrie, but make it Global South,” though I’m not sure three entire country-shaped cutouts were necessary.

Canada. Another fine Miss Universe tradition: contestant who knows how to dance en pointe so she’s going to goddamn wear a costume that goes with pointe shoes, Or Else. Some nice beadwork! I would let her be the third, secret red swan in Swan Lake if that were a thing.

Cayman Islands. Sexy Blue Iguana is a fun concept! There’s a tail in back of the cape.

Chile. Sexy Atacama Desert is kind of abstract, as these things go, but I respect her choice to wear something she could walk in.

China. Hilariously, the announcer was like “This look... does not match the bio we were given, so I’m gonna wing it!” The fabrics are nice -- the satin drapes and moves well -- but the embellishments are kind of meh compared to some of the Miss China looks I’ve seen.

Colombia. This is a legit great Sexy Phoenix, but I need you all to know that her crown got turned a little sideways while she walked to the stage and she clearly knew it and just as clearly could do nothing about it, and I feel bad for laughing but it was funny.

Costa Rica. Sexy hummingbird! I think I’ve identified a recurring theme for this year. Corset and wings are made of recycled materials, which is nice, and they look well-made -- a lot of wing-based costumes tend to flop around or go crooked in motion, but not these.

Croatia. Oh, honey. This has big “my mom helped me make this the night before it was due” energy, unfortunately.

Curacao. “Meet the Fisherman’s Wife, a woman with a key role in Curacao’s fishing industry.” Okay? Honestly you could have left off the basket and said “this costume represents the beautiful marine life of Curacao” and I would have been like “yep, checks out” but now I have many follow-up questions.

Czech Republic. This is meant to be a Mucha-inspired look but uh. Mostly it’s just. beige. I’m starting to feel like all the other Slavic countries saw advance photos of Miss Ukraine and were like “let’s just phone it in this year, girls, there’s no point.”

Dominican Republic. “This costume recognizes the importance of birds in Dominican culture.” They did make it with silk feathers, which I appreciate, because it would have been very weird to use real ones with that mission statement. Also I like her headdress, and the giant feather fans are a good way to nod in the direction of wings without the hassle of actually wearing wings.

Ecuador. This looks good in motion! She did some dancing onstage that worked well, and there’s a great sculpted Inca head scowling on the back of her headdress. This is still only a few notches above voting Present, though.

El Salvador. “History of Currency,” which is definitely a concept! The Bitcoin wizard staff is sure something.

Equatorial Guinea. A perfectly nice entry in the “actual regional costume” category, but on the video I was like “oh, yikes, her headdress is really wobbly” and then it FELL OFF and I felt so bad for her.

Finland. “Spirit of the Forest”? Fuck off, that’s a prom dress. Boo.

I’m going to pause here so this readmore doesn’t get completely out of control. Shit, there are 50 more of these? Well, I have only myself to blame.

[absolutebl]

54 BLs Announced for 2023 that didn't happen

Here if you list of BLs announced for 2023 that didn't happen and for which I have no word on whether they'll release in 2024 instead.

I've put the ones I really regret didn't get made in bold.

If they actually happened and I just missed it please let me know in a comment with the place you watched it. Thanks!

Organized by country!

Cambodia

My Croissant

trailer - announced 4/2023

China

Couple or Not

From Durian Culture Production this was suposed to be an A/B/O. Gui Ming who swaps consciousness with himself in a parallel universe. In that universe he is married to his rival Shi Youtian.

Desire the series

Another one that was supposed to be A/B/O The story of Bai Lan, a young man who wants Mr. Shen, a proud alpha, to be his omega. According to the casting announcement ‘Desire’ will consist of 24 episodes with 45 minutes runtime per episode.

Japan

Boys Love Omegaverse (Boys Love Sequel)

Announced for 6/9/2023 but never aired. This seems to just be borrowing the branding and have nothing to do with either BL originals since it's about 4 men in an idol group.

Given the series (remake)

Fuji TV announced and episodic series focuses on Ritsuka as he rediscovers his love for music thanks to Mafuyu. Given the Movie focused on their bandmates, Akihiko-Haruki, and their tumultuous relationship. The storyline for this second film involves Ritsuka temporarily joining Hiiragi and Shizusumi’s band, and the tension that brings to his new relationship with Mafuyu. It will also delve into the relationship between Hiiragi and Shizusumi.

Takumi-kun Series 6: Nagai Nagai Monogatari no Hajimari no Asa

remake of the first movie

Korea

Blueming 2 AKA Blueming Season 2

This was one of my favorites from 2022 year (9/10). I’m not thrilled about this. It’s the same director as TMS2, and I didn’t like that one all that much either. Still, I’m always intersted in where Korea goes when it’s given enough rope to hang itself.

Choco Milk Shake 2

Strongberry

First Love's User Manual (TutorYim) Silkwood (Peach Of Time)

Heesu In Class 2

was to air 2023 03.02

Korea's gay version of Sex Education. Heesu’s world revolves around Chanyoung, his best friend and secret crush. He doesn’t mind cheering Chanyoung from the sidelines or listening to all his girl problems. He doesn’t care if people only know him as “Chanyoung’s friend.” Then one day, Heesu starts hearing his name everywhere. On the bus, in the halls, during lunch… Turns out, there’s a rumor going around school (Got a love problem? Find Heesu in Class 2 and he’ll tell you what to do!) and with that, Heesu suddenly finds himself the center of attention. But how could he give anyone advice? He doesn’t even know what to do about his own crush!

Jump the series

From SOL Entertainment (producers of Cherry Blossoms and others) for Gaga. Coming-of-age drama that 'jumps' to the next chapters of life: love, friendship, competition, mistakes, dreams and hopes.

Love Supremacy Zone

Best on a novel and 29 year old man wakes up in a 19 year old's body and has to make his friend happy or die

Wuju Bakery AKA Space Bakery (JeffBarcode)

Silkwood and Be On Cloud partnered for this. ‘Wuju Bakery’ was originally scheduled to be released in 2024, but changes in the production house’ schedule showed that it would air sooner in November 2023, and then it didn't. The drama stars Thai actors Jeff Satur and Barcode Tinnasit and Korean actors Dion and Jun In-Kyu (Q) About a spaceship that crash-lands into and destroys a bakery shop. Of course this means the alien and the baker end up living together. At the same time, other aliens-in-hiding all around the city start hunting for them. One of my most anticipated BLs. It sounds SO WEIRD.

Taiwan

First Note Of Love

Was casting 5/2023. About a singer with stage fright and his timid fan

Pray in Love

From SoulChill (the producers of Innocent) the illegitimate son of a mafia family and his policeman boyfriend who's lives get upended when one has an arranged marriage and the other a promotion.

The Only One

Based on a novel Mou Mou from the Your Name Engraved Herein folks, high school set stepbrothers trope!

Wishing Upon The Shooting Stars

Reunion country set romances from director Ryan Jiang: My Tooth Your Love, and WBL.

Thailand

2 Worlds (MaxNat)

Domundi announced parallel worlds love triangle story with MaxNat as the leads (finally!) PuPa & Kram are in love but PuPa is murdered and Kram is pulled into a parallel world. In that place, 12 years ago, Kram & Tai were in love but Kram was killed by Tai's dad. Now Tai encounters the Kram from another world, what will happen next? Is this a second chance or is Kram sill morning his dead lover, and does Tai need to help him get home or convince him to stay?

4 Minutes (BibleBuild)

Be On Cloud announced original story written by Sammon (Manner of Death/Triage) especially for them… described as a ‘bitter’ drama. When asked if there are many love scenes, Bible said yes! It was planned for the 4th quarter of 2023. Didn't happen.

7 Times 4 Days

Arton A Bangkoks The story of ‘Won’ a 27-year-old Korean teacher who travels to Thailand on an exchange program. Stays with his mother’s friend who has an 18 year old high schoolson.They get closer.

Acadex

Star Hunter announced this may bot be bl? The Eclipse + Destiny Seeker + Harry Potter 4 + The CW.

After Sundown (ZeeNew)

Mandee announced for 7/15/2023 Phra Plerng and Rawee enter into an arranged marriage. The two have to solve mysteries according to the scholars’ prophecy, but the twist is, if 6 months passes and their relationship hasn’t progressed, Rawee will have to break the engagement immediately.

Big Dragon 2 the movie (concludes the series)

Star Hunter announced.

Boy Never Smiles (KimCop)

Follows the story of a young man who travels to the future. To return, he must make that boy smile.

Boyy of God

announced for 11/2023 about the lives and loves of a group of Christian boys that play together on a water polo team.

Chiang Mai Adventures From Wayufilm for subscribers only, a travel romance. Aired as a film on YT here.

Cinderella Boys

From Cloth Lab who brought us Restated (which I never watched and never got EngSub).

Close Friend 3 Soju Bomb

sampler pack VIU ? new cast from seasons 1 & 2 group of friends who traveled to Korea with dreams of becoming idols. Unfortunately, they don’t debut, so they invite each other to get drunk before they return to Thailand. during this night, several events transpire that change the course of their friendships

Deep Night

MCOTHD30 was casting this 4/2023

Flirt Milk

Star Hunter announced this Y-novel adaptation standard pop fodder, but they are cute. One boy accuses another of breaking up his relationship to pursue his gf, but it's not the gf the boy was into.

Friend. Boyfriend

The series depicts Aum and Nack who are best friends and co-workers at a bar. Their personalities are very different, one is quiet and caring, the other is a laid back playboy. Mew is a newly recruited staff member at the bar, he is good looking, talkative and it doesn’t take long for him to grab the attention of Nack. This creates tensions at the workplace as Aum realizes he has more than platonic feelings for Nack, forcing Nack to choose between the two.

Future From Me

Was casting 5/2023 One boy secretly in love with another since middle school.

Heart by Heart

Half Toast Production adaptation of the y-novel of the same name, the trailers are GOOD. I’m more excited for this one then I thought I'd be. Has a bit of Tasty Florida, bad boy/good boy, high drama going on.

Hot Bamee and Yummy Gyogung

9Cats Studio was to brign us this starring Nutt Witsarut (Daisy from SCOY) as Gyogung & Boat Yongyut (Tim from My Secret Love) as Bamee.

Lost in the Woods

Fifa, a high school student preparing to enter university, is given the duty of taking care of his grandma in the province before the school year starts. There he meets Chief Hem, a forest ranger.

Love Puzzle AKA Plengrak AKA Pleng Prai Love Puzzle

From KOB Entertainment set in the same universe as Chains of Heart (SIGH). BUT Noh Phouluang is in this so you know I will watch it but it looks like it'll be a hot MESS. A new exchange student has a one night stand on the night of his arrival, turns out the boy is a senior in his new uni department.

Love Syndrome – The Beginning prequel

Tells how the couples from Love Syndrome met originally.

Mystique in the Mirror

Side couple is PitchBank from Golden Blood, authored by Dr. Dr.Patrick Rangsimat (My Ride) interview here.

Nilundon

Announced for 12.29.2023 didn't air. Postponed from 2021 to recast one of the leads, never a good sign.

Punk Spy

Domundi trying out Tommy (formerly JimmyTommy) to star opposite Thomas Teetut (new talent). OMG are we gona call them TomTom? Please people. Please? Small town romance of two people who keep secrets. And they are searching for the truth. Poppy (everyone’s favorite comedic character actor) is in this one too.

Rule No.1: Don't Be too Emotional

Oxin brings us a Korean novel (by Hwang Seol!) adaptation, freshman realized his senior is hiding dark secrets. Was casting 4/2023

Sunset Vibes

Star Hunter reusing the Big Dragon pair as a one night stand but uh-oh he’s my boss, adapted from a web series! I’m game. Trailer here.

The Chinese Family (working title)

GDH to star Billkin of ITSAY

The D Project (working title)

GDH to star PP Krit of ITSAY

The Internship

This Wayufilm short film was set to premiere in June 2023 on their YouTube Channel. The storyline follows an intern who encounters a ghost at his workplace.

The Outing Series (Max Nattapol & TopTap)

BL sub plot within a story of 3 families that manage a top advertising agency. Anan, Phupha & Taurus take their families & close employees for an annual outing at a resort. There, the dark secrets of 22 people with different views on love and relationships are revealed.

True Moon

Star Hunter to do yet another loosely disguised attempt at the 2 Moon franchise? Trailer here.

Two Worlds (MaxNat)

Lakorn style, Phupha and Khram love each other but later Phupha is murdered. However, something happens and Khram is pulled to a parallel world where, 12 years ago, Khram and Thai were in love. However, Khram was killed by Thai’s dad.

Waterboyy 3 AKA Waterboys (KaownahTurbo)

not a remake. Why do they not cast Est Supha in one of these? That's the real quetion. Ram, a young fisherman from the country after he gets accepted into the most prestigious swimming academy in the country. Ram has a hard time fitting in with the high society students that populate the school because he didn’t grow up in a life of privilege. Luckily he has Q to protect him during these trying times.

Wish Me Luck

Be Brave Entertainment Hub to produce this BL about a boss and his temporary employee in an advertising company, based on Bittersweet's y-novel of the same name สุดที่รักษ์. Starring my boy Fiat (Grean Fictions, SOTUS S, My Gear and Your Gown, Triage) who I’ve been waiting to lead a BL for a decade (it feels like) and Na Naphat (KinnPorsche, UWMA). Trailer here.

Wish You Luck

StudioCommuan Sci Fi dystopian BL about a luck-stealer and an optimistic innocent. Trailer here.

Y-Moment

Mflow consortium piece of some kind.

(source)

Okay that's it. I won't be updating this I don't think, so make sure to comment with any corrections.

[southeastasianists]

Cambodia has a long history of performing arts that share commonalities with what is grouped under the "circus" banner nowadays. And like many of the country's ancient artforms, these traditions of acrobatics found themselves oppressed and vilified by the Khmer Rouge regime of dictator Pol Pot during the late 1970s. Inspired and supported by Maoist China, the Khmer Rouge intended to replace the country's old culture with a completely new one based on communist ideals. As such, traditional craftsmen and artists were routinely executed along with any dissidents, their relatives and even acquaintances. Cultural persecution thus became a part of one of the worst genocides of the 20th century.

Decades after this genocide, Cambodia still grapples with its consequences, not just in psychological terms but also the economic ripples of missing almost entire generations. As such, cities like Battambang, which was close to the border with Thailand and teeming with refugees, found themselves with high rates of poverty and children living on the streets. It was in this context that Phare Ponleu Selpak (PPS) was born in 1994.

A team of now adults, who had spent their childhood in refugee camps in Thailand, found themselves inspired by an art therapy program. This made them see their PPS initiative as a way to give other generations of disadvantaged children and young people the tools necessary to change their lives. While PPS's headquarters continue to be based in Battambang, their international flagship is Phare, the Cambodian Circus.

Most Phare performers may have originally lived in Battambang, but they now perform several shows per week in Siem Reap, the country's main tourist city. Their circus style takes some queues from the world-renowned Cirque du Soleil, highlighting human acrobatics and an artistic approach to their shows. Phare does not shy from references to the country's troubled history along with universal themes of strife. Phare has several shows that rotate on their performances. "Khmer Metal," for example, starts in a tourist pub the morning after a wild night, and features imagery like beer towers and drunk brawls, while "Influence" shows an authoritarian antagonist in a Mao-collared shirt.

Phare's aesthetic is a bit more DIY than Cirque du Soleil's current shows, but it is all part of their social enterprise aspects. Funds from their performances support PPS's other initiatives, which not only train future performers but also assist schools, art programs, and current performers' families. Following the massive negative impact of COVID-19 in tourism-focused Siem Reap, PPS needed an extreme act to raise additional funds for its reestablishment. It was this that led to their March 2021 performance. Including members of their Battambang and Phare crews, the show lasted just over 24 hours, earning them the still-standing (as of mid-2024) Guinness World Record for longest circus performance.

[lboogie1906]

Ambassador Major Charles Aaron Ray (born July 5, 1945) was a former diplomat who acted as the US Ambassador to Zimbabwe (2009-12). He is a former Foreign Service Officer and career member of the Senior Foreign Service who held the position of Ambassador twice and retired with the rank of Minister-Counselor. He is a retired Army officer who was decorated twice for his actions in combat during the Vietnam War and served as the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for POW/Missing Personnel Affairs.

He was born in Center, Texas. He earned his BA from Benedictine College and his MS from USC and a MS in National Security Strategy from the National Defense University.

He joined the Army in 1962 and earned a commission as a second lieutenant in 1965. In 1982, he retired from the military with the rank of major. He received two Bronze Star medals and the Armed Forces Humanitarian Service Award. He did tours of duty in Vietnam, Germany, Okinawa, and South Korea.

In 1983, he joined the US Foreign Service. He was in its Political and Military Affairs Bureau. His first overseas assignment was in the US Consulate General Offices in Guangzhou and Shenyang, China. His overseas assignments included serving as an administrative officer in Thailand and deputy chief of mission at the Embassy in Freetown, Sierra Leone. He became the first US Consul General in Ho Chi Minh City.

President George W. Bush nominated him to his first ambassadorship, in Cambodia (2003-05). He served as diplomat-in-residence at the University of Houston. He was appointed as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for POW/Missing Personnel Affairs.

President Barack Obama nominated him for ambassadorship to Zimbabwe (2009-12).

He began writing as a teenager and he has published several books. He is the author of Things I Learned from My Grandmother about Leadership and Life and Taking Charge: Effective Leadership in the Twenty-First Century. He produced photography and art for publications such as Ebony, the Foreign Service Journal, and Newsweek. Proficient in Vietnamese and Thai, he knows German, Korean, and French. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence

[emily-prentits]

LITERALLY DUDE. BRAZILIPPINES !!!!! that one tweet, when one of us wins, we all win (see image)

the only thing we dont fuck with is miss universe. the philippines take miss universe SUPER seriously, that even i cant help but like. participate in the hype yk???😭 when top 5 has ph, brazil, thailand or fuck even cambodia you just know shit's going down oh my god. there's only one winner in that i'm afraid

carlos yulo winning TWO gold medals in a row has the same energy as hidilyn diaz winning gold for weightlifting, and pia wurtzbach and catriona gray winning miss universe in 2015 (i remember where i was when that shit went down too omg. the whole country was GAGGED) and 2019 omfg. it's so serious bro.

also also, caloy's win is literally all the country's been talking about that his family drama is the country's family drama too😭 we're nothing if not chismosa😭😭😭

this is seriously so funny interesting i love it😭😭

[battyaboutbooksreviews]

🦇 Kween by Vichet Chum Book Review 🦇

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

❝ Step into your legacy. ❞

❓ #QOTD Who is your favorite poet? ❓ 🦇 After Soma's Ba was deported back to Cambodia, her life became a hot mess of emotion. To try to make sense of it all, she puts her thoughts into verse, never expecting her video to go viral. When Soma's bestie pushes her to take those lines and rhymes to the mic for their school's spoken word contest, she has to decide if she's brave enough to put herself out there; to be vulnerable in her discussion of Cambodia's history, the fear that her Ba won't come back, and that her life may never be the same. Debut author Vichet Chum's Kween is a celebration of Khmer identity, queerness, and embracing the complicated histories that shape who we are and want to be.

[ Find my review below or on Insta | Storygraph | Goodreads ]

❝ She drew that connection. She got personal so that she could get universal. Maybe that was the key: get into the icky personal stuff, draw it out in detail, and put it against rhythm to Frankenstein something that could maybe feel like a mirror to a stranger. ❞

💜 What. A. Debut. Vichet Chum CAME TO PLAY with these wicked rhymes and heartfelt truths. Soma's voice is fun, vibrant, and energetic, bounding off the page with a single line. Though I know there are readers who won't feel at home with her quick wit and dynamic, Gen Z ramblings, this story speaks louder because of it. The real hero of the story is the authenticity; the raw depth of exploration into a Cambodian-American teen living with the ache of losing a parent who is still alive. Chum shines a light on the Khmer Rouge genocides (a footnote in American history I don't recall learning) and how that trauma can echo between generations. As a second-generation Palestinian-American, I empathized with Soma, who feels connected to the past as a part of her history, but disconnected and distant from it as well. This emotional, inspiring story is a reminder that immigration and deportation stories are still a present problem that shouldn't be ignored. Most of all, I LOVED Soma's rhymes. I performed in a spoken word trope and still write my own poetry, but I've got nothing on Soma.

🦇 Though the bulk of the story spans over two-ish weeks, the pacing was a little slow for me. The biggest problem is the bulk of the story is internalized as Soma processes her emotions, leaving very little action and imagery for us to focus on. I also wish there was more focus on the relationships—between Soma and her sister, Soma and her parents, and Soma and her potential bae. Soma's interactions with her father are one-sided, over email, but there's so much beauty in his words that I wish we'd gotten a little more. The interactions Soma does have with people (whether her sister, bestie, or teacher) have a major impact on her self-discovery. Those conversations are what lead Soma to grow as a character, but most of those interactions are short compared to her internal dialogue. As much as I loved this story, it feels like there's a missing element that's keeping it from truly wow-worthy.

❝ It’s one thing to write your story, and then it’s another to go public. It becomes no longer just yours. Other people judge it, identify themselves in it, or sometimes, yes, reject it altogether. But hopefully, we tell our stories responsibly, and after that, we hope there are more...So tell your story, and develop hard scales. ❞

🦇 Recommended to anyone who loves a real, raw story about self-identity. For fans of Gabby Rivera, Ibi Zoboi, and Elizabeth Acevedo. I had tears in my eyes by the end of this one.

✨ The Vibes ✨ 🎤 YA Fiction 🎤 Debut Novel 🎤 Poetic Prose 🎤 Queer Cambodian MC 🎤 Lesbian MC / Sapphic Ship

🦇 Major thanks to the author @vichetchum and publisher for providing an ARC of this book via Netgalley. 🥰 This does not affect my opinion regarding the book. #Kween #VichetChum #HarperCollins #QuillTreeBooks #Netgalley

[themakeupbrush]

Miss Universe Cambodia 2023 National Costume

Dedicated to the Mekong River that flows from Tibet, China, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam. Drawing ideas from the ancient and environmental deities, this set highlights jewellery crafted from the Angkorian art style. The set shows and glorifies the rich resources of Cambodia's cultural land by using natural gemstones and silk skirt woven by Khmer hands. This bright and special national costume symbolizes the flow of happiness, representing the flow of peace, friendship and progress of the new era.

[conandaily2022]

Miss Universe Cambodia 2023 results: Hang Manita crowns successor in Phnom Penh

beauty pageant: Miss Universe Cambodia edition: 5th date: September 7, 2023 venue: Bayon TV Steung Meanchey Studio, Phnom Penh, Cambodia international membership: Miss Universe national director: In Sophin (Phalitakam Mohahang Co Ltd) broadcaster: Bayon Television hosts: Anita Leakmony, Sela Vorn, Anna Kim performers: judges: candidates: 35 FINALISTS PLACEMENTNAME (HOMETOWN)Top…

[akocomyk]

Prediction time!

It's Miss Universe season again, so here I am, keeping up with the tradition I started during last year's edition of this prestigious pageant.

Please note that this list is only based on the preliminary swimsuit and evening gown competitions since we don't have access to the interviews.

I had a hard time with this list 'coz I kept on switching names. And that's because... this was quite a boring set of candidates. There were only a handful who really gave a performance that made me smile, and most of the others were pretty much on the same level.

South Africa • Nicaragua • Puerto Rico • Philippines • India

Here's the first five. I'm not saying they're my predicted Top 5, but after watching the preliminaries, I think these women all deserve to be called in the finals.

Puerto Rico and Nicaragua... they wore ordinary and usual gowns but they SLAYED—even during the swimsuit segment. Just look at how beautiful they are.

Philippines. No bias here. She has this edgy, elegant vibe about her that only she can project and it's so beautiful to witness. When everyone is trying to fit themselves into the mold of a Miss Universe winner, MMD just let her own authenticity shine.

India and South Africa. They didn't disappoint me, and knowing how these countries prepare their delegates and choose those who CAN ACTUALLY SPEAK, I would be shocked if they're not in the finals.

Colombia • Canada • Australia • Mexico • Lebanon

This next group also did really well, but not as spectacular as those I've chosen above 'coz the nit-picky side of me found something off about them.

El Salvador • Guatemala • Venezuela • Thailand • USA

These candidates didn't do anything wrong—two or three of them actually gave good performances. Unfortunately, gut feels somehow tell me there's a chance they may not make it through to the finals. Someone here may be this year's El Tocuyo Queen.

Brazil • Namibia • Cameroon • Pakistan • France

This is more of a wishlist rather than a prediction. There's something about these girls that made me smile when they walked on the stage. But... I have huge doubts about them being called into the Top 20.

• • • • •

Finally, other candidates that caught my attention were Spain, Italy, Egypt, Mauritius, Cambodia and Chile.

[titoist]

It was Richard Nixon who got me into politics, and now that he's gone, I feel lonely. He was a giant in his way. As long as Nixon was politically alive -- and he was, all the way to the end -- we could always be sure of finding the enemy on the Low Road. There was no need to look anywhere else for the evil bastard. He had the fighting instincts of a badger trapped by hounds. The badger will roll over on its back and emit a smell of death, which confuses the dogs and lures them in for the traditional ripping and tearing action. But it is usually the badger who does the ripping and tearing. It is a beast that fights best on its back: rolling under the throat of the enemy and seizing it by the head with all four claws. That was Nixon's style -- and if you forgot, he would kill you as a lesson to the others. Badgers don't fight fair, bubba. That's why God made dachshunds.

[…]

If the right people had been in charge of Nixon's funeral, his casket would have been launched into one of those open-sewage canals that empty into the ocean just south of Los Angeles. He was a swine of a man and a jabbering dupe of a president. Nixon was so crooked that he needed servants to help him screw his pants on every morning. Even his funeral was illegal. He was queer in the deepest way. His body should have been burned in a trash bin.

[...]

Kissinger was only one of the many historians who suddenly came to see Nixon as more than the sum of his many squalid parts. He seemed to be saying that History will not have to absolve Nixon, because he has already done it himself in a massive act of will and crazed arrogance that already ranks him supreme, along with other Nietzschean supermen like Hitler, Jesus, Bismarck and the Emperor Hirohito. These revisionists have catapulted Nixon to the status of an American Caesar, claiming that when the definitive history of the 20th century is written, no other president will come close to Nixon in stature. "He will dwarf FDR and Truman," according to one scholar from Duke University. It was all gibberish, of course. Nixon was no more a Saint than he was a Great President. He was more like Sammy Glick than Winston Churchill. He was a cheap crook and a merciless war criminal who bombed more people to death in Laos and Cambodia than the U.S. Army lost in all of World War II, and he denied it to the day of his death. When students at Kent State University, in Ohio, protested the bombing, he connived to have them attacked and slain by troops from the National Guard. Some people will say that words like scum and rotten are wrong for Objective Journalism -- which is true, but they miss the point. It was the built-in blind spots of the Objective rules and dogma that allowed Nixon to slither into the White House in the first place. He looked so good on paper that you could almost vote for him sight unseen. He seemed so all-American, so much like Horatio Alger, that he was able to slip through the cracks of Objective Journalism. You had to get Subjective to see Nixon clearly, and the shock of recognition was often painful.

[...]

He has poisoned our water forever. Nixon will be remembered as a classic case of a smart man shitting in his own nest. But he also shit in our nests, and that was the crime that history will burn on his memory like a brand. By disgracing and degrading the Presidency of the United States, by fleeing the White House like a diseased cur, Richard Nixon broke the heart of the American Dream.

- "THE DEATH OF RICHARD NIXON: NOTES ON THE PASSING OF AN AMERICAN MONSTER…. HE WAS A LIAR AND A QUITTER, AND HE SHOULD HAVE BEEN BURIED AT SEA…. BUT HE WAS, AFTER ALL, THE PRESIDENT." Hunter S. Thompson, May 1, 1994

[twistedsims]

More Miss Sims 3 Universe Contestants: Canada, Cambodia, Nigeria, Peru