Daily Life in Cambodia – Page 73 – Welcome to Cambodia, and…..

Lunar New Year

Just a little over a month ago, local shops were displaying red Santa Claus suits. They are one way a culture that knows nothing about Jesus and Christmas can participate in the Christmas merriment through their children.

Now those shops are selling red suits again, but this time in preparation for the Lunar New Year. Most people in North America and Europe speak of the Chinese New Year but Lunar New Year is a more appropriate and inclusive label because all the chopsticks countries (Korea, Japan, Vietnam, etc.) celebrate the Lunar New Year, not just China.

Motorcycle Loads #257

One man on our street has a small business he runs from the ground floor of his house. He seems to supply other small shops with snack foods and every morning he has his motorcycle loaded for delivery. He’s actually quite efficient at loading the moto. Click here to check out his style.

Motorcycle Loads #256

“Maybe I should ask him to go back and get the kitchen sink….”

It’s true in Cambodia also….

A watched pot never boils.

I’m trying to learn how to place images in relation to text in this new WordPress editor. This is a first attempt–and not a very satisfying one.

It’s becoming golden…

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This is the Golden 42 Towers, a building under construction for ten years. Or let’s say construction started ten years ago. The original Korean company ran out of money in the financial crisis and the building just sat there, not golden at all but rather covered with green construction netting. Some people called it the Green 32 for the number of floors finished then. Now a Chinese company has taken over and is moving full speed toward completion, and it’s actually becoming golden as panels of tinted class are installed.

A Happy Monday

A smiling young woman sells chunks of meat and what looks like some kind of sausages from the back of a motorcycle at the Boeung Trabek Market near the deaf office.

Topics: Inflatable Figures

A recent trend in advertising in the kingdom is the use of inflatable figures set out on the street to beckon to customers. Click here for some examples.

So you can’t see it! What’s the problem?

This photo has some remarkable elements. It’s not remarkable that one of the motorcycles waiting at the red light is across the double yellow line. It is remarkable that ONLY one is over the line because the two lanes have a row of motos in front and culturally it is not acceptable to stop behind anyone so the only place to stop is in the opposing lane. It’s not remarkable that the second motorcycle is running the red light. It is remarkable that ONLY one moto is going through the red light.

What is most remarkable is that any of the vehicles have stopped. Notice you can’t see the stop light. It’s hidden by the trees and thick bundle of utility wires. In other countries that would be grounds for moving the light, trimming the trees, or rerouting the wires, but in Cambodia it’s a non problem. Who cares if you can see the light or not? Traffic signals are optional to begin with. If you want to stop, you stop. If you don’t want to stop, you don’t.

Modern Day Tinker

Seasonal Flooding

This is a view of the Cambodian countryside from the air as we approached Phnom Penh two days ago. The Tonle Sap River is on the left; the Mekong River goes across the top of the photo. Under the plane’s wing are large flooded areas. This is normal flooding every year but it’s lasting a little longer this year because the seasonal rains–normally ending in October–are still continuing. It actually rained again today, something relatively unheard of in this “dry” season.