There is a part of me that really wants to write a rant-ridden blog. I could go on and on about tourists and the clothes they wear, Cambodians and their seemingly odd montone way of trying to sell you things, the ubiquitous nature of air freshener scent on things like napkins, or the way that children always seem to be in-transit between school and home rather than actually in school. However, I've decided to take a different tack and consider some of the interesting people I've met. Plus, as always an update of my recent activities. I imagine some of those little digs will be in this post and probably some in the future.
Cambodia has been absolutely amazing and interesting. First off, it is gorgeous. Because it is quite flat, you can look out for miles on bright green rice fields, stilt houses, and palm trees. I'm continually amazed by the scenery. In my two short weeks of being in the country I've gotten a very different feel from the people and the way things work than I did in the other South East Asian nations. Of course, if I stayed here a few years I would probably have a much fuller understanding of the culture, but I'm also getting this from expats and locals I've met. Here's my theory: these people have been through so much crap over the years and have just been shat on by their own government time and again, they are all kind of like screw you. For instance, in both Vietnam and Cambodia there is a helmet law for moto drivers. In Vietnam, absolutely everyone wears a helmet. Even moto taxis have an extra one for you, and they really will not drive off until it is buckled under you chin. Here, they only wear helmets when there are cops around. To the point where they signal to each other, cops up ahead, and guys stop and put on their helmets. In a country with so many traffic accidents, why wouldn't you wear your helmet? Because they want to buck the system. No, I'm not following your stupid rules, I'm going to ride without as long as I can. Even if it means having the cops almost yank you off your bike to get you to stop. Yes, cops are extremely corrupt here, so why give them a reason to pull you over? Odd to me. It is just a theory, but Cambodia/Vietnam kind of seems like the New Hampshire/Vermont divide. Neighboring places with similar topography, but Cambodia seems to have the "Live free or Die" vibe to it, while Vietnam is out to develop and become the next Thailand.
So there are many things which I find particularly fascinating about this Country. For instance, when there's an accident, the two parties settle it before moving on. And if you have white skin or are assumed to be rich, you are paying for their bills. According to Simon, a Brit who ran my guest house in Kampot, if you see an accident, make a break for it. If you've caused an accident, make a break for it. Even if you've killed someone. And, get this, if a cow comes into the road and hits you, the cow gets arrested. I'm absolutely not kidding. I guess the idea is that the cow will be sold and that money will be used to pay your medical bills. Kind of a good way of doing things, but hilarious, they take the cow to the station.
The Khmer people are beautiful as a whole, I think they are the most beautiful in south east asia, that I've seen. And actually, many people speak a lot of English, much more than in Vietnam. However, there is a way in which I just don't get the culture. Unlike in Vietnam, the tuk-tuk drivers in Phnom Penh have absolutely no idea where they are going. So I've learned a new trick (this also came from Simon) ask, "are you wearing green socks today?" after each place you tell them that you want to go. If they say yes, find someone else. They just say yes, yes, even if they have no idea what you are saying. If they keep saying yes, move on. I used this trick but actually it didn't totally work when I got a guy to take me to the India Embassy. I asked about his socks, and he registered it was weird question and seemed to know what I was saying. First he tells me that he knows where it is. Then he goes about half a block and turns to look back at me, which way? I tell him, just follow this street, but he doesn't, he turns and gets us so lost he has to stop and ask like 3 other drivers. Then, of course I get there and the Embassy only accepts visa applications from 9-11am and gives back passports from 4-5pm. Of course, it is 3:30 and it is raining, so I wait in the tuk tuk. This guy's got nowhere to be, he's absolutely unfazed. Thankfully, I've got my book (Bryce Courtenay, the Power of One, anyone ever read it? Great book!) Anyhoo, of course I need like copies and all kinds of stuff so I have to go back the next day even if they would have accepted it, which I assure they wouldn't have, the embassy guy was a real intense dude and a rule follower.
I've also had some interesting encounters with kids who are selling me things. By and large this is quite annoying. Especially at the temples, where they scream out in a montone, all one word type of phrase, "hellomadaaaam, colddrinkforyoooouuuu? Pinneapplebananaaaaa? Ifyoubuy, 
youbuyfromme, okaaaaaymadaaaam? Maybelaterrrrrrr?" On and on and on. It doesn't mattter if you say no thank you, ignore them, copy them, etc. Nothing works, they do not let up. However, sometimes the kids are really funny. For instance on my bus trip from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap we stopped at this market. Other tourists get off the bus and I hear the typical, "ifyoubuy, youbuyfromme, okaaaayy?" and I thought I do not want to get off this bus. But, I did and these were the cutest kids ever. So chill, wanted me to buy, but when I didn't, took a different tack. This one little kid asks me, how old are you? I am a bit taken aback, so I say how old are you. "8, how old are you?" So I tell him, 30. You should have seen his face. Shock registers. "Why you look so young if you so very old?" I crack up. "30 is old?" "Yes, very old, but you look very young." I was dying. He had conned me with his cuteness, I had to buy 50 cent pinneapple from him.
youbuyfromme, okaaaaaymadaaaam? Maybelaterrrrrrr?" On and on and on. It doesn't mattter if you say no thank you, ignore them, copy them, etc. Nothing works, they do not let up. However, sometimes the kids are really funny. For instance on my bus trip from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap we stopped at this market. Other tourists get off the bus and I hear the typical, "ifyoubuy, youbuyfromme, okaaaayy?" and I thought I do not want to get off this bus. But, I did and these were the cutest kids ever. So chill, wanted me to buy, but when I didn't, took a different tack. This one little kid asks me, how old are you? I am a bit taken aback, so I say how old are you. "8, how old are you?" So I tell him, 30. You should have seen his face. Shock registers. "Why you look so young if you so very old?" I crack up. "30 is old?" "Yes, very old, but you look very young." I was dying. He had conned me with his cuteness, I had to buy 50 cent pinneapple from him. Then I spent the rest of the time taking photos of these beautiful girls, who also wanted me to buy from them, but weren't whiny about it the way many of the child sellers are. Instead, they try to appeal to your sensibilites. "You can save for later, you will be hungry" etc. This one little girl was like, "banana? pinneapple? spider?" I'm like, spider? She turns and shows me her shoulder with this giant hairy thing crawling on it. I kind of pull back in horror. She thinks this is so funny and all her friends start to gather round. I'm like, "you like that?" "Oh yes, very tasty." Soon after it was time to go and all my little friends bid farewell and wish me good luck and happiness. Adorable. Oh, and all the girls are wearing the classic Asian female outfit of matching pajama sets. Hilarious. I think the thing is to get outfits made of the same material top and bottom, that looks smart, but if you can't have that, then you wear pajamas, bc they match.
Today at the temples I had another funny one. She spoke in the typical monotone, but also tried to move away from the basic script. She's trying to sell us postcards and i'm so tired I take the approach of just looking at her and shaking my head no. So she keeps going, "If I tell you the president, the vice president, the capital and the population of the united states, you buy from me?" I didn't, but we started quizzing her, she knew France's president and population, Vietnam, Korea, the list went on. All in this glassy-eyed monotone, but somehow it was fascinating to me that she knew it. She must have some incredible memory. Yes, she does this all day, but population of Korea? Anyway, probably should have given her something, but I didn't.
Lot's of people warned me about Cambodia, saying it feels really poor, they don't leave you alone. Which is true, but somehow it feels really cool when you find those interesting kids or guides with whom, however fleeting, you kind connect with. And in a way, it is a lot more contact than I had in other countries with locals. That's looking on the bright side, and if I had been writing this yesterday, after a day of humid temple-climbing and people hawking stuff, and my tuk tuk driver not going where I wanted, it would have been a different story. However, after a nap and some food I'm able to think a bit more globally about the whole experience.
In terms of tourist friends, I've spent the past week with Bjorn, the Belgian from the last post, and Justin, a typical agro new yorker. It has been quite a change of pace as Bjorn is quiet and somewhat introspective and Justin is ADD and sorta spazy. Justin and I went to the sunrise at the temples this morning. It was cool, sadly the colors weren't as awesome as I would have liked, but I'm glad I managed to get out of bed for it. Being around Justin is something of reminder of why I live on the West Coast. He's fun and will say pretty much anything to get a reaction, but he also voted for Bush and makes racist comments and is rude to the locals. We had some good times but I was ready to move on and be on my own for a bit.
So, I've moved on from Siem Reap, after two full days of viewing temples. They were pretty amazing, but I was pretty much ready to register with the temple burnout foundation of cambodia by the end of the second day. I know people warned me to get a guide but I didn't so I pretty much just took a lot of photos and climbed around for two days.
While on the bus today, I began to think about the many parts of this culture that I do not understand (I guess here comes the ranty-ness).
-The number systems--simply put, things do not go in order. For instance the streets in Phnom Penh, I was all excited thta they are numbered. You know, like New York or Chicago. Oh no, there is no rhyme or reason to the way they are numbered, you might be at street 187 and the next one is 156 and then after that 195. And they don't all go the same direction either. Same thing with the restaurants near Angkor Wat. They're numbered, but they don't go in order.
-the use of headphones doesn't seem to have caught on. A number of locals have music on their phones, but none of them have headphones, so they just play it out. And not quietly either.
-the way every child's voice sounds exactly the same when they are trying to sell you things.
-karaoke on busses--why oh why is that what they play? I mean, so loud and just the most budget cheesy videos that go with them. Like women in traditional clothes with socks and shoes on (pretty much all asian people are in some sort of a flip flop or heel at all times) dancing in a circle. I couldn't tell if watching the videos was giving me some insight into the culture or not. Like, is that what Cambodian weddings look like? They sometimes even have poor children jumping into streams, a very common occurence here.
-The incessant asking you if you want a tuk-tuk. I literally told a guy today that even if I needed one, I wouldn't go with him bc he was following me and pestering me.
-knowing when I am understood and not understood. As I mentioned above, Simon taught me the green socks trick. However, other times I'll really think we're on the same page and boy am I wrong. So Bjorn had never really had street food. It can be a bit intimidating when you first venture into the world of dirty floors of a restaurant, stalls outside, unidentifiable foods. So, I tell him, I'll show you, its easy. You look for a place where others are eating and you get what they get by pointing. Well, we didn't totally follow those rules. I saw a little restaurant that was really someone''s front of their house, pretty typical. It is breakfast, I figure we'll get some eggs and rice. So through a great deal of pointing and acting out a chicken, I ask for coffee, no sugar, no milk, and eggs. She seems to get it, brings us over the best coffee I've had in Cambodia. I'm feeling pretty good. See, local spots are the best. Then she points to noodles, you want that. I'm like, okay, eggs on noodles, why not? Literally, she had pointed to the eggs at the beginning. She goes away and brings us back this oily reddish meat stew thing on top of noodles. I was stunned. I really thought she and I had connected. We ate a bit of it and then went to pay. She shows me her index fingers both up, okay 11,000, a little under $3 for both of us. I gesutre, for one or for both? She shows 5 for me, 6 for him for the extra coffee. So we give her the money and she kind of looks at me, nods and smiles and points back and forth to me and herself, a gesture which I assume means, wow we really understand each other. Oh yeah, crystal clear lady.
So that's the update for now. I'm headed to Bangkok by bus tomorrow as the flight was too expensive. Then I'll be there for a day or so and take the train down to Krabi, the south of Thailand for some snorkeling, sea kayaking, rock climbing and possibly diving. After a mini-cation from all my hard sightseeing and challenging life, I''ll venture to India in 2 weeks. All bets are off on that one...
xoxo,
Dina
p.s. sorry it took me a couple days to actually publish this post because I need to upload some photos. This one over here just cracked me up. It should say Rabbit Hut Bungalows. For all my Jewish and jew-aware goys out there...
So, I've moved on from Siem Reap, after two full days of viewing temples. They were pretty amazing, but I was pretty much ready to register with the temple burnout foundation of cambodia by the end of the second day. I know people warned me to get a guide but I didn't so I pretty much just took a lot of photos and climbed around for two days.
While on the bus today, I began to think about the many parts of this culture that I do not understand (I guess here comes the ranty-ness).
-The number systems--simply put, things do not go in order. For instance the streets in Phnom Penh, I was all excited thta they are numbered. You know, like New York or Chicago. Oh no, there is no rhyme or reason to the way they are numbered, you might be at street 187 and the next one is 156 and then after that 195. And they don't all go the same direction either. Same thing with the restaurants near Angkor Wat. They're numbered, but they don't go in order.
-the use of headphones doesn't seem to have caught on. A number of locals have music on their phones, but none of them have headphones, so they just play it out. And not quietly either.
-the way every child's voice sounds exactly the same when they are trying to sell you things.
-karaoke on busses--why oh why is that what they play? I mean, so loud and just the most budget cheesy videos that go with them. Like women in traditional clothes with socks and shoes on (pretty much all asian people are in some sort of a flip flop or heel at all times) dancing in a circle. I couldn't tell if watching the videos was giving me some insight into the culture or not. Like, is that what Cambodian weddings look like? They sometimes even have poor children jumping into streams, a very common occurence here.
-The incessant asking you if you want a tuk-tuk. I literally told a guy today that even if I needed one, I wouldn't go with him bc he was following me and pestering me.
-knowing when I am understood and not understood. As I mentioned above, Simon taught me the green socks trick. However, other times I'll really think we're on the same page and boy am I wrong. So Bjorn had never really had street food. It can be a bit intimidating when you first venture into the world of dirty floors of a restaurant, stalls outside, unidentifiable foods. So, I tell him, I'll show you, its easy. You look for a place where others are eating and you get what they get by pointing. Well, we didn't totally follow those rules. I saw a little restaurant that was really someone''s front of their house, pretty typical. It is breakfast, I figure we'll get some eggs and rice. So through a great deal of pointing and acting out a chicken, I ask for coffee, no sugar, no milk, and eggs. She seems to get it, brings us over the best coffee I've had in Cambodia. I'm feeling pretty good. See, local spots are the best. Then she points to noodles, you want that. I'm like, okay, eggs on noodles, why not? Literally, she had pointed to the eggs at the beginning. She goes away and brings us back this oily reddish meat stew thing on top of noodles. I was stunned. I really thought she and I had connected. We ate a bit of it and then went to pay. She shows me her index fingers both up, okay 11,000, a little under $3 for both of us. I gesutre, for one or for both? She shows 5 for me, 6 for him for the extra coffee. So we give her the money and she kind of looks at me, nods and smiles and points back and forth to me and herself, a gesture which I assume means, wow we really understand each other. Oh yeah, crystal clear lady.
So that's the update for now. I'm headed to Bangkok by bus tomorrow as the flight was too expensive. Then I'll be there for a day or so and take the train down to Krabi, the south of Thailand for some snorkeling, sea kayaking, rock climbing and possibly diving. After a mini-cation from all my hard sightseeing and challenging life, I''ll venture to India in 2 weeks. All bets are off on that one...
xoxo,
Dina
p.s. sorry it took me a couple days to actually publish this post because I need to upload some photos. This one over here just cracked me up. It should say Rabbit Hut Bungalows. For all my Jewish and jew-aware goys out there...
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