Category: Daily Life in Cambodia

Changing Times

When I first arrived in Phnom Penh, practically every store had an open front like this one. (They didn’t have the bright lighting and signs, though.) Today this type of store front is fast disappearing as more and more shops are enclosed, with actual doors–and some even with air conditioning.

Birds+Nests=Soup

It’s not uncommon to see buildings like the one above dotting the Cambodian landscape….

They are distinctive for two things: first while they may have some vents, like the one above, they have no windows. And second, they have an opening like the one on the left end of the building (right photo) and birds are flying in and out.

You have heard of birdnest soup. This is where they get the birdnests. The birds nest in these rooms and create nests held together with their saliva, and then later the nests are harvested and soaked and made into soup.

Heaven or Hell?

This man is selling durian, the Asian fruit that famously “tastes like heaven, smells like hell.” Because of its strong odor, it is forbidden to carry durian onboard airplanes, buses, and other conveyances, but many, many people love its taste. The large sign indicates 10,000 riel ($2.50) probably per kilogram. The red paint on some of the durians indicates a better grade of quality.

Staying alive

This is a mother selling some kind of confection outside the Boeung Keng Kang Market. Neighbors with more money rent a stall inside and pile it with clothes or shoes or backpacks or tools or…. This woman, with less money, gets up early, cooks deep-fried goodies, and sits OUTSIDE the market for free and makes a couple dollars a day for the family.