Category: Daily Life in Cambodia

“Don’t need mirrors…

…combed my hair before I left!”

Following normal (for the rest of the world) traffic rules is not a strong suit for Cambodians who are used to doing what they want and getting away with it.

One example is using rearview mirrors on motorcycles. It was after I arrived in Cambodia that mirrors were even required. When I first arrived new motorcycles didn’t even have mirrors.

Now they are still somewhat option, as seen in these photos, because their proper installation and use is not enforced. Observe how all these mirrors are useless unless the drivers are checking their makeup or combing their hair.

Don’t waste a good crisis

There is a saying “Don’t waste a good crisis” meaning that even in the worst situations there are probably opportunities to take advantage of. There are many signs of that all over Phnom Penh now as offices, schools, and other organizations–closed by COVID-19—are using the time and lack of people and activities to renovate offices, decorate buildings, etc.

A workman at a school hauls out a bag of construction rubble as they modify classrooms inside while the students are home because of the pandemic.
The Church of the Child Jesus uses the time in a similar fashion,
redoing some small offices and toilets.

What on earth….?

It’s scenes like this that make living in another culture so interesting. What on earth is this man doing? At first as I approached I thought he was using a meat cleaver to cut up some sort of food—and I wondered why he would be doing that out on the curb, but then I found that he was wielding a big rock to mash or cut up whatever the brown stuff is. And what is that brown stuff? Some sort of food? A root to be used for medicine? Some kind of nut with a hull to be knocked off? Petrified dog poop? I have no idea what is going on here although it may have been perfectly obvious to a local.

Whom do you trust?

You don’t see many safe companies in most U.S. cities but they are not uncommon here. The main reason is that people don’t trust banks so they keep their money in a box under the bed if they are a family, or in a safe if they are a business. Banks are more stable now but many of them have failed in the years that I have been here.

Making do…

There are literally almost no lawns in Cambodia. They are not part of the culture. This rare expanse of grass is part of the on-going renovations of one of the two major government hospitals in Phnom Penh. It might seem these people are enjoying a picnic and have found a nice spot, but actually they are camping out while a family member undergoes treatment in the hospital. Hospitals in Cambodia do not necessarily provide nursing service, food, water, bedding, etc., so the family must come along to provide what is needed.
The nicer spots under the trees have been taken so these families are camped out behind one of the buildings. They came prepared with their fold-up beds, though.

Different Eras, Different Buildings

In the space of just a few blocks of Monivong Boulevard, a major north-south thoroughfare in Phnom Penh, you can see clear examples of different periods and different cultures in the city.

The corner building above is a very typical mid-twentieth century building with shops on the street on the ground floor and then residential units on the upper floors, with later (and probably illegal) additions as the top floor. Such buildings are the mainstay of Phnom Penh’s urban architecture.

A few blocks up the street is this French colonial building which was built by the French Catholic Church as their Indochina headquarters during the colonial period that ended in 1954. After the Khmer Rouge turmoil, it was taken over by the government and today is the city hall for Phnom Penh.

A few streets farther on Monivong is this very new, uniquely shaped office tower. You can’t see the unique shape in this photo which I framed to show the ground floor. In most cities, a large glassed-in front on a major street would be a terrific selling point and commercial advantage. In the culture here, most of the storefront on the street has been boarded over and painted with an advertisement.

The wheels are moving…

The Phnom Penh Post reported yesterday that bicycles are Cambodia’s third largest export to the European Union, after garments and footwear. In the first quarter this year, even with the disruptions caused by COVID-19, 490,000 bicycles worth $179 million were sent to the EU, an increase of $10 over last year. The article was upbeat about this particular export, noting that the lockdowns and restrictions caused by COVID-19 may bring about changes in lifestyles and transportation in western countries and that could be to the advantage of the bicycle market.

Back to work?

4 1/2 blocks away from the Maryknoll office is this building under construction on Street 360. For several months, every night I could see one fluorescent light (circled) burning in the building after the workers disappeared. I figured it was a light on an empty floor that had been left on and no one noticed it. I couldn’t see it during the day.

Then it disappeared. I figured it either burned out or, more likely, the construction had stopped because of the pandemic and the power to the whole building site had been shut off. No workers were visible either. But then two days ago the same light was back on when I’d look out at 5:00 AM or at 10:00 PM. I’m guessing, for whatever reason, work is resuming.