Money changers are a fact of life in Cambodia where the U.S. dollar is legal currency along with the Cambodian riel. Many workers, e.g., the Deaf Development Programme staff, are paid in dollars and then will change some or all of that to riel for small transactions. The rates change daily and one must be observant to choose a money changer that gives a good rate. Click here to look at the process.
Category: Daily Life in Cambodia
Neighborhood Watch
It’s mid morning and this granny surveys the street from her front gate.
Pineapple Time
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The fruits sold on the street indicate the season of the year–in the absence of changes in temperature, plants, etc.—and now it’s pineapple time!
One-size-fits-all Insurance
Under the new law–which probably will not be passed and implemented for at least five years–motorcycles would pay a premium of $17 per year, small cars $70, and large cars $80. If there is an accident with injuries, there will be a payout of $580. If there is a death, $3,000. That’s about all that has been proposed so far and leaves many questions, for example, what if there is an accident with no injuries? No payout?
Topics: Morning Rituals
Every culture has its traditions and rituals and so does Cambodia. Cambodia’s morning rituals may be a little more obvious, though, because so much of Cambodian life is lived on the streets, not inside houses or behind closed doors. Click here to see some early morning activities as the sun rises.
Motorcycle Loads #232
Sometimes backwards is best. When you’re carrying something really bulky on the back of a motorcycle sometimes the only way is for the rider to ride backwards with the load in her or his lap. I had to do that once when I was carrying a new monitor in a big box to one of our offices.
These Are Not To Eat
Pets are not really common in Cambodia, at least not in the city, although many Westerners here seem to like cats–probably because expats may be alone here and want some kind of company and cats are relatively easy to keep. At least the cats can generally be left at home all day by themselves and won’t frighten the lady who comes to clean the house.
There are a few shops, though, that sell fish for home aquariums. Probably some of the same reasons apply for keeping fish–they are easy to keep and don’t frighten anyone–but they are also especially valued in Chinese culture and many, many people in Cambodia have Chinese heritage.
What’s He Selling?
There are many mysteries in the Kingdom of Wonder. One of them for me is what kind of street food this guy is selling. You see all sorts of things sold on the street, many of them foods that would not be street food in the U.S., like corn on the cob, but I’m not sure what this man is vending. I can tell there is some shredded lettuce or similar vegetable and some other yellowish vegetable, but is that the main ingredient or just a garnish for something else? And what is the mortar and pestle for? He’s ladling some juice into the mortar but the end product is an unknown for me.
Remaining French Heritage
There isn’t a lot left in Cambodia to reflect the long colonization by the French. French bread–baguettes–is surprisingly plentiful and popular on the streets, and all the doctors write prescriptions in French–which basically people don’t understand, but, hey, this is Cambodia, why should a patient understand what she is taking and why. Around Phnom Penh there are still some beautiful remnants of French colonial architecture but many of them are disappearing fast. This is one old French-era building that has been preserved as a reminder of bygone days.
Not Likely
A shirt with an image of Our Lady of Guadalupe on the back? That’s not a common occurrence in Phnom Penh and it’s not likely that its owner is a Catholic–or even knows who Our Lady of Guadalupe is. Phnom Penh is a T-shirt printing hub and there are all kinds of shirts with all kinds of slogans on them displayed here–some of the slogans just gibberish, some with extremely obscene language, some with political sentiments probably not held by the wearer, etc. Many Phnom Penhers can’t read English so the shirts are chosen because they’re cheap and someone likes the design or the colors.