Category: Daily Life in Cambodia

Why?

An enduring mystery for me about Cambodia is one of their driving quirks: drivers of three- and four-wheel vehicles don’t drive in the middle of the lane as might be expected. Instead it is normal for the driver to straddle the lane marker–not to center the car or tuk-tuk on the white line but rather to make sure one wheel is over the line. In this photo of a three-wheel tuk-tuk on a definitely not-crowded street, the right wheel straddles the lane marker. Why do they do that?

New Wheels 2

Back on January 1st, I showed some pictures of the small motorized tuk-tuks that have become the new norm for public transportation in Cambodian cities. Four models with LPG-powered engines were featured.

Well, there’s a new kid on the block. The Onion is a new version of the now familiar motorized tuk-tuks but it is different for two reasons. First, it is produced in Cambodia! It was completely designed here and is locally manufactured. And secondly, it is electric. It has a lighter plastic body and a really quiet electric motor to propel it.

Is it safe?

When I opened up a new box of soap (from Thailand) today, I noticed it had an expiry date printed on it. Given that food dealers are super cautious about things like expiration dates because of the risk of getting sued, I’m betting that even a year after 8 November 2024 the soap will still be safe to eat.