Category: Daily Life in Cambodia

Plastic Buddha

In the US, especially in the past, many cars had a plastic Jesus on the dashboard. Recently, riding in the newer motorized tuk-tuks in Phnom Penh, I encountered a driver with his plastic Buddha–and a few other figures I can’t account for.

Commuting to Work

Last year Cambodia’s garment factories exported more than $13 billion worth of apparel. The clothing, footware, and travel gear industry is a major sector of the kingdom’s economy, along with tourism.

There are more than 1,300 garment factories in Cambodia, employing upwards of 840,000 workers, mostly young women. Most of these workers travel from their villages to the factories in open trucks, standing in the back with no seats, no seat belts, no safety measures.

[Photos from the Khmer Times]

Road accidents involving factory workers are common. More than 70 workers were standing in the back of this truck when it was in an accident with another truck. They may have been lucky there was so much mud to soften the impact when they were thrown from the vehicle as it rolled down an embankment.

Ride OF Die?

This motorcycle helmet has a slogan: “Ride of Die” emblazoned on it. Probably somewhere some Hell’s Angels have “Ride OR Die” on their leather jackets, but, hey, this is Cambodia where knock-offs and undeciferable gibberish on clothing is part of the culture. The figure on the moto also looks like a knock-off image from a Super Mario video game.

Shoes for sale

Everything worn by human beings gets sold on the streets of Phnom Penh, from hair ribbons and hats to used shoes. There is quite a market in used shoes here. This wagon pulled by a motorcycle has quite an impressive assortment. For me the shoe wagon raises two questions: [1] How do you shop for shoes when the wagon comes around? Do you pick a style (boots or sport shoes or hard soles) and then sort through that category looking for the right size?, and, [2] How does a market for used shoes exist? I tend to wear my shoes till they are not good for me or anyone else.