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