It has been a strange and uncertain few months. It feels like my life has been in a state of constant flux. After my contract with IDP ended I decided to stay on in Cambodia and look for some more international work. So for the first time since I was 13, I found myself unemployed. At first it was kind of fun and liberating, but then it got boring and tedious as I spent days searching for jobs, writing applications and waiting, waiting, waiting for people to get back to me. Dull. So I to pack up my bag and hit the road for a while.
My first trip was to India. I had been wanting to visit India for a long time. I had very strong and exotic images of what I thought India would be like in my mind - inspired by the works of great Indian authors such as Salman Rushdie and Arundhati Roy. I imagined great crumbling cities filled with colour, aromas and bustle. And in many ways I was not disappointed – this India certainly existed, but there is so much more. It was so diverse and there was stunning natural beauty I was just not prepared for…
My trip started in Dehli where I met Emma, a good friend of mine from Sydney. We use to work together at the City of Sydney, but now Emma works full time as a Massage Therapist. She has her own business back home, but had been working in India massaging for 20-20 cricket teams.
I arrived late at night in the crumbling Dehli airport terminal with no plan or guide book (I had recently decided that I don’t like guide books any more – it is much more fun/interesting to talk to people and find your own way around AND you don’t get caught up in the whole paranoia that you might be getting ripped off because the guidebook says so – give yourself over to the experience I say – getting ripped off occasionally is part of that) and only a vague sense of how I was going to meet up with Emma. Thankfully India has telephones (that was a safe bet because I have spoken to numerous telemarketers on the subcontinent). So I called her and after a little confusion (mostly from me) I found myself in a van with an Aussie family heading to a swish hotel near the airport where I would rendezvous with Emma and her friend. After a quick hello and my first Indian lime soda (soon to be a staple) we jumped back into the van and headed to a beautiful old Maharaja fort cum hotel overlooking a small town outside of Dehli. Not bad for my first night in India…
Initially, I planned to stay in India for 3 weeks and return to Cambodia to hear about jobs, but while I was traveling it became apparent there was no need to rush back, and so I ended up extending my trip 6 weeks in India.
For the first 3 weeks I traveled with Emma. Our first stop was in Jaipur with it’s pink city and grand fort perched atop a big hill – across Agra to see the perhaps greatest tribute to love and in of the most iconic buildings in the world: the Taj Mahal (And it was an arranged marriage. Go figure.) – back to Dehli for a flight – up over the stunning Himalayas to the sublimely beautiful town of Leh and the surrounding Ladakh area in the far north – back down (past the disputed territory) to Kashmir Jammu which was unremarkable except for the wild hemp plants growing along the side of the road – across to Dharamshala/McLeod Ganj where the Dali Lama lives and hippies thrive in the green green foot hills of the Himalayas – down to Shimla woodlands a former British summer outpost – down the to modern grid-planned city of Chandigah to meet some friends of Emma and back to Dehli.
It was a lot of fun travelling with Emma. I often travel alone, so it was really nice to share the experience with someone. A lot of funny things happened to us. All the Indians assumed we were married and we played on this a lot. On one train ride we told these two young university students that we were in an open relationship. They were in awe - it was funny. Another time we pretended we were on the verge of getting divorced ‘this was a make or break trip and, to be quite frank, it broke’.
Emma had been telling me that she had some problems, as a young woman, with guys (both Indian and foreigners) in India and it was quite strange travelling with her – despite the fact she was dressed conservatively and was clearly travelling with me nearly all the guys would stare at her. Outside of the big cities or tourist areas, young women don’t get out much, they are still kept at home and marriages are still arranged. The women’s movement still has a long way to go in India, there is still a lot of discrimination against women, which I found a bit incongruous given how open minded people were towards religion. It was not uncommon to see people walking around with the Hindu dot on the forehead, the red string of the Buddhists slung around their wrist and a Christian cross dangling around their neck. I guess they were just covering all their bases.
I remember when I was at primary school, it was a big joke that in India people eat with right hand and go to the toilet with the left – so you never touch anyone with your left hand. Even so, it came to me as quite a surprise that this is still largely the case for ordinary Indians. I can’t say I got very good with either. Although I must say - eating with your fingers is fun, except when you are trying to eat rice with curry. Those juicy little buggers are had to scoop up! Having said that – the food in India was fantastic (better than Indian Home Dinner in Newtown!); curries, breads, pickles, fruits, sticky sweets…yuuuuuuummm…I don’t think I had a bad meal, nor did I get sick (I reckon I have had every bug imaginable in Cambodia – my immune system is so strong now). Which is probably a lucky thing because, due to the lack of toilet paper, I would have had to use my left hand to clean it up…
Anyhow, so Emma left after three weeks to return to Australia and I kicked on for a few more weeks solo. From Dehli I flew to Mumbai (aka Bombay) and the meandered down the west coast through Goa, Mangalore and Kerela.
Each state of India was so distinct and diverse. This really surprised me. Although most Indians speak Hindi and many speak English, most also speak a local dialect and maintain local customs. In the far north the people are much more Asiatic in appearance (sharing more in common with their Nepalese neighbours than the mainland of India), they eat lots of stews and noodle dishes (including a new favourite momos; similar to a Chinese dumpling, but maid with a more bread like outside), the landscape is mountainous, every little town has a beautiful old monastery perched above it and the religion is mostly Buddhist. While in the far south of Kerala, the men wear dhotis (like a sarong) instead of pants, the local breakfast is dosa (pancake stuffed with vegetable and meat), there is a lot more seafood, the people are much darker (distinctly Indian) and the landscape is tropical – large fresh water lakes wind around islands and peninsulas clumped with coconut trees. Strangely, despite their differences both of these areas (the far north and the far south) were my favorites in India.
But I had some good times in other places – in Mumbai I went to a 20-20 match where I was the only white guy in the crowd (Sachin Tendalker’s Mumbai team thrashed Warnie’s Rajistan team) and went through the slums which was interesting - much more vibrant and colourful than I thought it would be. Did a little yoga retreat on the beach in Goa and met some locals who took me to eat the best fish I ever ate in my life…
After six weeks though, I was bit over traveling, especially on my own. Although I met some lovely fellow travellers and locals, I also bumped into my fair share of hippies and morons. It’s funny that places like India (and Cambodia) seem to attract really diverse personality types. Personally, I could not imagine how one could be ‘traveling’ for ten years or why you would go all the way to India to learn about Buddhism without every having read about it…but that is what some people do.
So by the time I got back to Phnom Penh I was ready to follow up my job applications and to, hopefully, finalise something. Sadly, I was to be disappointed. Although I had a few prospects, none of them were moving particularly quickly, meanwhile my visa was running out and I was starting to run short of money. I had decided while I was in India that if nothing came up in within two weeks after me returning to Cambodia then I was going to go to Thailand and Laos before flying home (arriving home broke). The prodigal son returns. So, half packing my bags ready to go, I searched and waited for two weeks. And nothing. So I packed my bags, organised my visa’s, organised a bus ticket and then the phone rang…I had an interview for a job in Phnom Penh I hadn’t rated myself on getting – mostly because they advertised extensively on popular international development websites (and would have gotten hundreds of applications by my estimation).
I went to the interview and it went well. But I still had my doubts and continued with my departure plan (all the while sleeping on the floor at my friends houses). Three days before I intended to leave, I got a call back – they wanted me to come back for a second interview the next day. The second interview also went well and was considerably less formal than the first. I was starting to suspect they liked me. So I left that interview thinking that I still had to leave because my visa was due to expire. Later that day they called me back and asked me to come and meet the local staff. So, the day before I was due to leave I went in and met the staff. After which I started to feel more confident. They then told me that I should go to Laos, sort out your visa and come back ‘you can be pretty confident at this stage’. And so it was that I went to Laos (via Battambong and Bangkok) feeling confident that I would have a great new job when I got back. A job which I am happy to say, I will be starting tomorrow!
The new job is with an International NGO called Pact. I will be working as the (inhale deep breath) ‘Strengthening Governance and Accountability – Monitoring, Evaluating, Reporting and Learning Coordinator’ (why do I always get jobs with really, really long titles?!). What that means in layman terms is that I will be measuring the impact of to projects across Cambodia. The first being a project aimed at improving the effectiveness and accountability of local government and the second aimed at reducing corruption (there is a lot of room to move with this in Cambodia – it is consistently rated internationally as a poor performer in this area). I have a strong interest in both and am looking forward to working with Pact on these issues. And I am getting paid to do it! Another great thing is that it ties in directly with my Masters. So, I am happy and relieved at the moment. I was really worried about going back to a boring desk job in Australia.
And so it was that I also went to Thailand and Laos. After months of travelling on a budget, it was nice to let go a little bit. In Bangkok I went a little wild at the markets and bought heaps of new clothes. I also went to the cinema for the first time in at least a year and a half. Something I have really missed here. The cinema was great! But the movie itself was lame – saw ‘the happening’ with Mark Walberg. I am sorry but Marky Mark can not pull off being a science teacher.
After Bangkok I flew up to Luang Prabang in the north of Laos. In many ways Laos is similar to Cambodia, but at the same time there is definitely a stronger Thai and Vietnamese influence. It surprised me how developed and clean it seemed compared to Cambodia. I was under the impression that Laos was the poor cousin in SE Asia. But (the tourist areas at least) are much better maintained than in Cambodia. I guess the corruption in Cambodia really stops things from happening. Someone really should do something about that…
Luang Prabang is a picturesque town set in lush green hills. The fat brown waters of the Mekong sweep around a little town made up of neat wooden houses, restaurants, pagodas. I was there in the ‘off season’ but there were still plenty of tourists around. A lot of people go to Laos for the ‘adventure’ holiday. There are vast tracks of unspoiled forest (the Laos government is the only one in SE Asia to preserve their natural heritage before most of it was felled) containing lots of waterfalls and rivers where your adventure tourist can go swimming, caving, kayaking, abseiling, hiking…whatever turns them on really and there is a massive tourists industry taking advantage of this. I spent a few days in Luang Prabang taking boat rides, swimming and checking out some beautiful waterfalls before heading south to Vang Vieng (keeping on a well worn tourist track).
Vang Vieng is another town set in beautiful location. The Nam Song river cuts quickly through the town and a number of makeshift bamboo bridges perch over the river – offering easy access. Around the town there are several big caves hollowed out of the vast stark grey/green limestone cliff faces. But in the town itself, it is a bit like a big frat party. Along the main road backpackers hang about in small bars watching endless reruns of Friends and Hollywood movies…it’s a surreal place. It is like someone took a bit of Bangkok and whacked into the middle of this sleepy little town.
After Vang Vieng I headed down to the capital ‘city’ of Laos – Vientiane. Perched on the banks on the Mekong Vientiane would have to be the smallest and most relaxed city I have ever been to. The population is only about 300,000 – making it about a tenth the size of Phnom Penh which ain’t saying much…
The food in Laos was surprisingly good as well. They love to BBQ - especially fish and chicken. They have a great snack made from river weed (like sea weed) covered in sesame seed and deep fried. And the national dish Laab (minced meat and herbs served on rice) is also very tasty.
So I am back in Phnom Penh and have spent the week settling back in – looking for a new house, buying some clothes for work, etc, etc…looks like I will be here for another year at least.
So I haven’t updated this in a while. Partly because I have been busy, partly because I have been lazy and partly because I just didn’t have much to say.
I have just finished a 3 month contract with IDP where I organised a massive conference for teachers of English in Cambodia. Held over two days, we had over 1000 participants and 170 sessions. So it was a pretty big deal. As my boss kept saying – it is a major logistical challenge in a resource poor country like Cambodia. To start with there are only two possible venues that could host such a big event and those two venues aren’t exactly the Taj Mahal, or even the outhouse of the Taj Mahal. There is no air-conditioning, a lack of toilets and no good seating. Plastic chairs, oh yeah.
Anyhow that is all over now, and I am looking for some more work. I have until the end of April until my visa runs out and if I don’t have a clear plan by then I plan on leaving Cambodia. Am thinking I might do some travelling before heading back to Sydney…I think India could be calling…
So, life in Phnom Penh is very different to the rest of Cambodia. It took me a long time to adjust and even now I still struggle with it, especially with the arrogance (of both Khmers and Expats). There is a clear pecking order and lots of small minded people happy to put others in their place. But it is not all bad – I have met some intelligent, creative and motivated people. And there are plenty of great eating places and bars.
It is possible to live here a better life than one could live at home on very little money. The international presence and influence here is dominating. In a lot of ways Phnom Penh is like living in bubble, it seems so removed from the rest of Cambodia. There is so much money floating around. There are thousands of 4WD Lexus’s driving about clogging up roads that were built for motorbikes.
In the provinces the poverty and hardship is apparent. In the city the inequality and corruption are most apparent.
Police regularly try to pull me over while I am driving about town on my moto. Not because I have done anything wrong, but just because they are looking to get a little cash from a ‘fine’. Friends of mine have been fined for driving with their lights on during the day. I still get flushed with guilt when I speed up to go past them, half expecting jump on their moto and chase me through traffic. But they don’t. That would require effort. It is quite funny a site seeing a whole row of motos dodging the cops trying to pull people over and speed off.
The traffic here is crazy. But somehow it seems to work. People just ride like there are no rules and if you don’t do the same, you get nowhere fast. I have had a few close calls and seen a few bad accidents. At night they turn the traffic lights out to save power which means everyone forces their way through intersections
The other day I saw a moto with three drunk guys, not wearing helmets, slam into the side of a van. Two were out for the count as the van sped off and crowd descended. Some guys went through their wallets and took out some cash. I thought they were stealing it, but then someone said they were taking the cash to pay for the ambulance when it arrived. Which did turn up, about an hour later.
On another day I was on my way to work and the traffic was heavier than usual. I saw a traffic cop and assumed that he was intently making the traffic go slower for no good reason or just looking for easy money. But then I saw the dead body sprawled at his feet, blood oozing from the head onto the dusty road. Road accidents are a growing market, as the streets improve and people have better cars and motos, they drive faster and take more risks.
The last few weeks I have been going to a lot of farewells. Phnom Penh is also a very transient city, especially for international workers. But of late, it has been all the guys that I came here leaving. It was sad to see them all go; I had grown quite close to many of them. But such is life. We are all off to new adventures and chapters in our lives. And there are a few hangers, so I don’t have to make a completely new set of friends.
A few weeks ago I also did my first modelling gig. A friend asked me to help out with a ‘child safe’ program which was aimed at raising awareness of child trafficking and child sex tourism. I played the role of the sexpat. They hard time finding a guy who would play the role – apparently everyone else was worried about their reputation. I am like – I don’t care. I’m not a sexpat. Anyhow, turns out I am natural – what’s my inspiration!!! They took pictures of me going into a picking up a young Khmer girl, taking her to hotel and then getting arrested and put in jail. It was kind of fun. Although it is going to be a real pain getting a tuk tuk in this town after the flyers are distributed.
I have also kept in contact with my friends in Kampong Thom. A few weeks ago my drinking buddy Mab got married and I went back for the wedding. It was a three day affair and I got to go to all the little ceremonies – the pre party, hair cutting ceremony, the outfit changing, the blessing, the main party and, of course, the after party. There was a lot of sitting around drink and talking, followed by singing and dancing. It was fun, although I think my liver is going to keel over though. Three days of solid drinking. Urgh.
So, as I mentioned, I finished up my contract last week and have been trying to enjoy Phnom Penh a bit. I have been going out and doing the tourist things around town which has also been cool. Tomorrow I am off to Ho Chi Minh City to meet my cousin Liz and her partner Paul. I am looking forward to it. I haven’t been to HCMC for a few years – it will be interesting to see how it has changed.
