I once again amazed how I managed to survive the crazy traffic in Phenom Penh. I rode my bike across town on Saturday w/o getting killed/injured. I am quite happy about the fact that I am still living and breathing. And all limps attached. Before I flew to Cambodia, I was told to get medical insurance to cover evacuation in case needed. One of my coworkers said I should really use that because it is once in a life time experience. I may have beat him up for jinxing me. And I am quite glad I am still in one piece.
My first stop on Saturday was to the supermarket. I don't really need to pick up any grocery (since the team centre provide my lunch and dinner most of the time) but I would like to get some snack to munch on. I also need more face cream. My skin has not been happy ever since I arrived in Cambodia. I forgot how dry it would be. My face has been flaking every day. And it is itchy and swelling and red. This supermarket I went has a lot of variety of imported good. They even have Burberry and Bulgari!! (though I wasn't sure they are real or not and I am not going to pay tons of money to find out) Since I am going to be here for one more week, I decided to go cheap. I also ran out of coffee bean in Cambodia. Stupid me just brought a small bag over and thought it was enough. I stood in the supermarket for awhile because I wasn't sure if I should just stick with the instant coffee provided by the team centre next week. But a $4 bag of 'blue mountain coffee' caught my attention and I decided to indulge back into my addiction.
Part of my Saturday afternoon I went for a massage. I have heard a lot about the blind people massageur in Cambodia and I really want to try before I left. After circling around the area twice and careful re-read the address again and again, I just couldn't find the place. To top it off, my bike decided to break on me (again!). The chain just suddenly fell off. I was trying to fix it but the pedal just doesn't work. I was hopelessly swearing and wondering what I should do. I was pretty far from the team centre. Luckily, some Cambodian guys saw my hopeless situation and waved me to the motorbike fixing shop. Well, it is not really a shop. It is a generator on the side of the street with a pan of dirty water and a group of guys hanging around playing chess. But that is what a motorbike shop is in Phenom Penh. So my arrival immediate got everybody's attention. And everybody eager trying to help (at that point I was a bit unsure how competent the people are, they seem to eager to try different thing on the bike) At last, one guy figured out the stoopid chain need some oil. And that cost me 2000 riel which is roughly US$0.50 (I kept having a feeling that I got ripped off. Last time fixing the brake cost me only 1000 riel!)
Anyway, after I circle the round about the third time, I stopped at the area most of the massage stores were and looked at the address again. At that point, one of the motordup driver came and asked if I am looking for the massage place operated by the blind people. I said yes. He then showed me a piece of paper and apparently they moved. He then led me to the new store. The place was a bit different than I expected. I am too used to the idea of people having their privacy during massage. I was a bit surprised when I walked into a room of 6 beds where there are guys and girls (not naked! everyone wear some pajama thingy) So I changed into that blue pajama and a girl came over. However, she doesn't look blind though. I wasn't sure if I once again walk into another tourist trap. Or the girl just have weak eyesight instead of completely blind. Anyway, I don't really enjoy my experience there because I wasn't very comfortable with sharing a room with 6 people. And also, the girl used very light force and I felt my back pain was still there after massaged. The good part was though, it only cost me $6. Guess it is still an experience.
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
My Cambodian Experience Week 1 & 2 & 3
Someone complained that my blog became too stale. And I don't know how many people still read my blog. Anyway, I didn't post anything for last...5 months because Singapore is just a very very boring place. My life goes from home, to work, then home. Whereas Cambodia is a different story.
First, I started with getting a cultural guide that tell what I need to wear and how to behave and so on and so forth. It is quite entertaining.
1. I am not supposed to wear skirt shorter than knee length. Definitely no short nor sleeveless. And no tight tshirt.
2. Pants are for causal. I should wear blouse (!!) and skirt to work. I own never of those items! Good that I found out dress pant is allowed in my work environment.
3. Never touch the opposite sex. Not even riding a bike trying to hold onto your life. Definitely bad when I always beat up the other team lead :(
4. Don't accept gift from opposite sex because you may enter in a serious relationship. I got half a bowl of instant noodle from the guard the other day and a piece of bread from another guy. I wonder how serious our relationship now is :P
Another interesting the piece of bread that the guy gave me, after I had my first bite, I found that it is full of ants. Living ants crawling madly in my bread. I wasn't very sure I should panic or it is a delicacy. Or should I politely finish eating. I decided to calmly ask the guy and he was quite amazed I wasn't screaming. And apparently my reaction entertained the guys on my team.
I inherited the bike from the team lead that I sit in for. That piece of junk broke twice on me now. While not speaking a word of Khmer, I successfully able to find fix his tires as well as his brake. Since I never saw how a tire was fixed before, I was quite amazed the whole process work. I think the kids in the shop was quite amazed to see a Chinese foreigner too. Cause we kept staring at each other :)
Other than that, nothing much happen. I worked a lot even though feel less stress. With Internet and power down every so and often, you basically have to slow down. Or you are forced to anyway. I successfully not getting myself killed over the weekend. Even though the whole time I sat behind a motorbike thinking I am going to die. The girl here sat sidesaddle on the back of motorbike. Before I came, the other team lead had a discussion whether I could follow the traditional way. I said I never try that before. So I am not sure I will be able to hanging on my life and still sit elegantly like a lady. We gave up on that idea =)
Oh, I also went to grocery shopping on my bike the other day. The supermarket was supposed to be 5 min bike ride. Having absolutely no sense of direction and not having a compass and making several wrong turn, I wasn't very sure where I am anymore. The most scary part is my balance skill isn't great and riding in the Phnom Penh traffic is a bit life threatening experience. At one point I have to ride on the "wrong" side of the road (there is not really right or wrong, it is whatever you like) because I am scared to cross 4 lanes of traffic. In the end, I did make my way by making more wrong turns :P At that point, I gave up the idea of grocery shopping and ate my instant noodle instead. :P
First, I started with getting a cultural guide that tell what I need to wear and how to behave and so on and so forth. It is quite entertaining.
1. I am not supposed to wear skirt shorter than knee length. Definitely no short nor sleeveless. And no tight tshirt.
2. Pants are for causal. I should wear blouse (!!) and skirt to work. I own never of those items! Good that I found out dress pant is allowed in my work environment.
3. Never touch the opposite sex. Not even riding a bike trying to hold onto your life. Definitely bad when I always beat up the other team lead :(
4. Don't accept gift from opposite sex because you may enter in a serious relationship. I got half a bowl of instant noodle from the guard the other day and a piece of bread from another guy. I wonder how serious our relationship now is :P
Another interesting the piece of bread that the guy gave me, after I had my first bite, I found that it is full of ants. Living ants crawling madly in my bread. I wasn't very sure I should panic or it is a delicacy. Or should I politely finish eating. I decided to calmly ask the guy and he was quite amazed I wasn't screaming. And apparently my reaction entertained the guys on my team.
I inherited the bike from the team lead that I sit in for. That piece of junk broke twice on me now. While not speaking a word of Khmer, I successfully able to find fix his tires as well as his brake. Since I never saw how a tire was fixed before, I was quite amazed the whole process work. I think the kids in the shop was quite amazed to see a Chinese foreigner too. Cause we kept staring at each other :)
Other than that, nothing much happen. I worked a lot even though feel less stress. With Internet and power down every so and often, you basically have to slow down. Or you are forced to anyway. I successfully not getting myself killed over the weekend. Even though the whole time I sat behind a motorbike thinking I am going to die. The girl here sat sidesaddle on the back of motorbike. Before I came, the other team lead had a discussion whether I could follow the traditional way. I said I never try that before. So I am not sure I will be able to hanging on my life and still sit elegantly like a lady. We gave up on that idea =)
Oh, I also went to grocery shopping on my bike the other day. The supermarket was supposed to be 5 min bike ride. Having absolutely no sense of direction and not having a compass and making several wrong turn, I wasn't very sure where I am anymore. The most scary part is my balance skill isn't great and riding in the Phnom Penh traffic is a bit life threatening experience. At one point I have to ride on the "wrong" side of the road (there is not really right or wrong, it is whatever you like) because I am scared to cross 4 lanes of traffic. In the end, I did make my way by making more wrong turns :P At that point, I gave up the idea of grocery shopping and ate my instant noodle instead. :P
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