Category: Daily Life in Cambodia

There are about a million different sizes, shapes, and colors for bananas—just not in the United States where Those Who Know have decided that U.S. consumers should be limited mostly to the one type that lives in our supermarkets. One other variation of banana that I had not encountered before establishing domicile outside the U.S. is the twin banana. They probably occur in all varieties all over the world, but probably Those Who Know don’t think they should be allowed to disturb U.S. banana eaters. Twin bananas like the ones above are relatively common here. They taste the same as single bananas but do present a logistical problem because I have to plan to have the second half at the next meal or else have someone with me to eat the twin.

With all the schools closed because of the pandemic, what’s to do except hang around mom’s stall in the market?

This building on Monivong Boulevard, a major thoroughfare in Phnom Penh, shows a varied history. Probably a respectable colonial era building before the Khmer Rouge, it subsequently had a utilitarian top floor added. Now it is being renovated again—or maybe will be replaced. Will any of its colonial beauty be preserved? We’ll have to wait and see.

Just because of her age, this woman’s life has been rough–she is a survivor of the Khmer Rouge. And from this picture life may still be very difficult. But again she’s a survivor, making it day by day. Her story would be compelling, I am sure.

Cambodia has the same problem as the rest of the world with distracted drivers, but the difference here is that people don’t realize (1) that it is illegal–just recently; and (2) that it is dangerous. They do everything dangerously–according to western standards–and driving while using a phone would never occur to them to be a problem.