As I prepare to leave Cambodia in the next 3 hours (agh!) I thought I would reflect upon what I will and will not miss about Cambodia after over a year of living in its Capital Phnom Penh! .... BUT (!) I will see you in September/October for a holiday Cambodia!
Things I will missMost of all....the children of
CCH who have made it so difficult to leave
The call of “
Hellowhatisyourname” and waving to children everywhere
Being stared at with no shame by children and adults alike
Being able to go to a tropical, palm fringed beach in under 4 hours
Frozen
Margherita from Friends or Java cafe (the best in town!) Yum!
Spaghetti
Carbonara from
Gasolina and friends who are there – also the best
Carbonara in town!
Fresh Coconut juice
Anchor beer with ice – Beer and ice? You can develop the taste...
Tailor made clothes from threads and handmade shoes from Beautiful shoes – my favourite places to shop here.
Iced coffee made with sweet condensed milk called “my boy”
“Hello Stung Mean......
Chey” – This is the Cat call of the
tuk tuks who hope that I am going to make the journey to the children’s shelter by
tuk tuk rather than motorbike. ..And the fact they like to call it for fun because it’s now become a nickname.
The people calling to sell things on my street – feather dusters, coconuts, ice cream, bread ....
Hot, hot weather
Massive thunderstorms and torrential rain
Cheap transport by motorbike taxi everywhere – Walk?? Why!?
The greeting of “Good Luck to you”
Ecstatic pizza – delicious pizza followed by the owner wishing you “Sweet Dreams”
The friendly faces
Fantastically beautiful sunsets
And of course, .... the washing drying in under half an hour
I will not miss....The so-called expat “scene” – full of the same people and often like a small village
Sweating every minute of every day
The monks chanting via loudspeaker at 5am or a 5am start wedding with Khmer music in the street
The construction workers who live in the “penthouse” about us who chop herbs very finely on their kitchen floor and the general banging due to constant development works
The heckle of “
Moto sir?” [Note to
Moto drivers: I am not a sir]
Cambodian Karaoke
Rubbish everywhere
Not being able to walk in the city as the pavements are so blocked
Lexus either running me over or stationary and parked everywhere including on every spare bit of pavement
Lawlessness and corruption
The common explanation of a mere “sorry – cannot”
Itchy mosquito and ant bites
.....Being stared at with no shame
