Mozzeenet

We’ve been here for two days now. Everything is a blur - have been taking in so much.

First impressions as we descended into Phnom Penh were: very dry, flat and small. Saw fields and rice paddies as we flew in, not many houses.

We made it through customs, luggage collection without any hitches and were greeted by Hour, one of the managers of the program. He’s really nice. He lead us outside where Lyne, the person in charge of the AYAD program here greeted us. She is a lovely French-Canadian, great accent and sense of humour. She knew us all by name already as she had been given our photos.

We hopped in a little mini-van. I think Lyne was rather flabbergasted by the amount of luggage we had - much more than previous YAs apparently.

The city is very dusty - there are few sealed roads, mainly reddish dirt tracks teeming with motos (small motorbikes) which make up the public transport here as well as bicycles, cyclos and cars. No traffic rules and no concept of giving way. Just pull out and the oncoming traffic will stop! A moto driver pulls up beside us every few minutes asking if we need a lift. It costs about 25 cents ($US, that is) for a short ride. We have been catching them around, pretty scary. I’ve been holding on for dear life. Women ride side-saddle - there is a small seat at the back.

Have been going through litres of water a day, sweating like nothing else.

Last two days has been house-hunting. We have seen a lot of apartments - mostly they are on the 2nd level with a Khmer family living on the bottom level. The ones we have been shown are tiled throughout - some come complete with air-conditioning and smelly drains. The real estates get a commission from the landlords to show people these places so you don’t necessarily get taken to places which you want - more whether the landlord gets a good cut of the first month rent or who they know. We have been advised to avoid “Shit Creek” - it’s a canal in the city and not hard to guess why it is so called.

We found out about this great wooden house from a Youth Ambassador who is about to leave. She gave us the address and two of us went to see it today. It is fabulous - much better than any we have been shown. Three of us are thinking of moving in there. We want to share with a few people at first and see how it goes. It has a wooden balcony, wooden floors, light and airy, good kitchen (fridge and cooker). No air-conditioning but there are fans in the rooms and it is furnished. It is 300 $US a month so would be $US 100 each/month - it has two bedrooms and an area which could be used as a third bedroom so we’re going to check it out again this week.

The food is nice - not unlike Thai but a little different - fish curries, noodles and soups seem to be the traditional fare. I have had sour Khmer soup with fish and Fish Amok which is a fish curry and the specialty. Very good. It is quite cheap - about $1 for a meal.

Had drinks and dinner last night with some of the YAs from previous intakes which was great. They gave us lots of advice and insight into life here. Afterwards we went to Everest restaurant with Indian food (delicious) and to the Peace Cafe - a very chilled, packed bar in a little house. People got up and recited poems and sang their own songs. It was a great atmosphere. Lots of “smoking” (not me…) Home on motos.

Big day tomorrow - we meet our host organisation and have a welcome dinner tomorrow night.

Ruth e xx
Miss Phnomer in Cambodia