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There was no pattern to which shops would be open and which would be closed. Certainly the ones open were the ones where their owners felt they could make some money. But probably others who could have turned a profit decided to just celebrate their nation's second biggest holiday and closed their doors. |
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For these women (and a few men) who exercise every morning to music from huge speakers the leader unloads from his car, today might have been a better day than usual to dance to the music because they didn't have to go to work. The exercisers pay the man a few cents each for providing the music and leading the exercise routines. |
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Very, very rarely do the wet markets not operate. Very few Cambodians have refrigerators so produce, meat, and fish are bought fresh every day, even twice a day. Markets like this open well before sunrise and start closing down about 7:30 or 8:00 AM. |
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There are always people on the street and they have to eat so women like this lady grilling meat are out on the sidewalk every morning. These street food shops are especially common in the morning. People will tend to move to more established and permanent rice shops and stalls for lunch and dinner. |
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There's always a need for ice, maybe even more so on a holiday when people are enjoying cold drinks. |
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The poor people don't take a holiday and still want to eat so the monks make their daily begging rounds also, although many of their regular givers are probably gone or closed up today. |
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Construction workers and those in the building trades are one of the most oppressed groups in Cambodia. There is an adequate labor law but it is not enforced. One young man that I help out (I paid for his electrician training) got off the morning of the first of the three holidays and then had to work a regular schedule after that, with none of the legally required extra pay for working on holidays. |
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Drivers continue to run the red lights as usual. Actually they do it even more on holidays. It is the thinking here that from dusk to dawn, on weekends and on holidays, traffic rules don't really apply. |
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Just as on regular days, the motorcycle taxi drivers wait for rides...and probably wait even longer on holidays when there are fewer people who need to get somewhere. |
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And, of course, a holiday is no excuse for not sweeping the street in front of your house, one of the most deeply ingrained cultural norms in Cambodia. |
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And then, when all is said and done, perhaps the best way to enjoy the holiday is just to sit in front of the house and watch the world go by. |