Sorya Mall

Sorya Mall and I go way back.

When I first came to Cambodia nearly 8 years ago (I can't believe it's been that long!) I realized I had left something or  other behind and needed to buy a new one (I no longer remember what it was).

I remember the Language Corps' driver, Dara, took me and my co-student Zack to Sorya Mall.

Sorya Mall in those days--as it was throughout my 4 years living in Cambodia--wasn't like a mall in the US.  It had tables set up against the wall and stands...more like a marketplace that happened to be inside an air-conditioned building.  On the top floor, there was a skating rink where you could look down on the city.

When I came here last year, it had mostly been shrouded and shut down.

When I walked in today to escape the midday heat, it had been restored.  And shit.  It actually looked like a Western shopping mall.

This is where I bought all my entertainment needs as an expat

It's now lined with actual glass-fronted shops and counters and stuff.  Nice.

Even better, they've built a mini-Angkor section, with traditional and colonial style buildings and even a small scale Independence Monument.  It's...just like Ibn Batuta Mall in Dubai.  I was very impressed.

Isn't this cute?

Isn't the French colonial-style architecture just charming?

I mean, come ON.  They put a monument inside a shopping mall!

I guess this has been done to keep pace with the Japanese-style AEON Mall near my guesthouse.  Keeping up with the Joneses and all.  Why can't we have some sort of Liberty Mall in America with traditional monuments and historical things, too?  Oh wait, because America's falling into ruin instead of climbing out of it.  My bad.

Silly, but I bought this.  Snow Yogurt is one of my favorite ice cream places in the city, and as near as I can tell, is Cambodian in origin.  It disappeared from my neighbourhood; I'm happy to see it re-sprouted in Sorya Mall.  That's some good yogurt.