These Guys Never Showed Up

Last time I posted about Obama's upcoming visit. Well, he was here as far as photos prove. I had no connection to his visit whatsoever except that a) we hibernated at home as planned in order to avoid traffic jams and police, b) our nanny got stuck in traffic jams caused by police and Obama's convoy. 

Considering that even the international press was 'gently escorted' in and out of ASEAN meetings, I can't complain of feeling left out. I mean even Obama's speech here was given behind closed doors since the media was escorted out of the conference room at that stage... Talk about an anticlimax. 

But, like I said, I can't complain. Especially since I'm not Mike and he's got a reason to complain. Mike's the guy behind Mike's Burger House, a good old burger joint here in Phnom Penh. Today's Cambodia Daily had an interesting article about how Mike, a Khmer-American, had been visited by the secret service a couple of weeks back because, it turned out, Obama would have wanted to drop by for a meal. How cool is that! You have to take into account that this joint that definitely makes a juicy burger is just one of many gastronomically pleasing locations in town. On the downside it's right next to a big gas station. On the upside maybe it makes it more authentic for car-enthused Americans. And on the very realistic side, it's a Khmer-American enterprise, a successful business, AND on route from the airport to the Peace Palace where ASEAN meetings took place. 

Unfortunately this story takes a sad(-ish) turn here since president Obama didn't have time to stop at Mike's after all. All that fuss, all for nothing! Secret service visits and all! Imagine the excitement in the kitchen in the past weeks! And the letdown. Well, with US presidents I'd take few detours for granted so honestly you can't be too shocked, Mike, by this outcome. And apparently duty calls, there's the Middle Eastern crisis to solve. But that's another story.

ps. At least Obama was here. Can't say the same for Putin or Hu Jintao who were, by some reports, expected to join the meetings. Since it appears neither showed up I had to correct an article I had submitted to a Finnish newspaper only yesterday. I'd gambled by writing down those two names as having come, thinking the odds were surely in my favor. But no, the party's over, and 'only' Wen Jiabao came. Good old Wen. 

Like I said, the party's over. Back to hectic PP traffic. Back to Mike's. Back to street kids, hopefully soon released from the centers they were swept into.