Farewell Cambodia

Hammocks in a restaurant outside of the city->
It has just hit me that my time in Cambodia has come to an end. I am off to Taipei tomorrow (mid-afternoon). I feel as if I am being tossed back and forth between entirely different cultures, underdeveloped versus consumer-driven, and yes... weather conditions (but no complaints considering the weather I left behind in Minnesota). I spend a couple days visiting the typical tourist attractions, which are worth seeing, but it has been nice to also just see Phnom Penh by various modes of transportation including motorbike (most "freeing" ride ever), tuk tuk and yes on foot. I won't bore you with all the details about each place I ventured into, because yes I understand that firsthand accounts and photographs are more visually pleasing and attention-grabbing. Wat Phnom (place from which Phnom Penh derives its name) and the Royal Palace are two places one should visit while in the city.

Tho, my tuk tuk driver also drove me to Tuol Sleng and Choeung Ek Genocide Museums. Tuol Sleng once was a high school, but under the Khmer regime was turned into Security Prison 21 (S-21). Choeung Ek is one of the killing fields, in which mass graves were discovered. I did not really take photos while visiting these places because doing so just didn't seem right. They are places one should visit, but in my opinion, not record on film. If you do not know about what took place in 1975-1979 under the Khmer Rouge, please do a little research, because this is something that I did not have much prior knowledge about before reading up on Cambodia.

I spent a good amount of time staring at the modes of decor in and surrounding the structures of the palace. Oh yes, and I was chased by a guard for wandering a little outside of the restricted parameters... If you need to know more, find the Australian guy I met on the stairs. While in Wat Phnom, I snapped a photo of the last elephant to survive the rule of Khmer Rouge (not the last elephant in Cambodia though).

By the time I visited the National Museum, I was rather "museum-ed out" (if this makes any sense), so I don't know if my attention span allowed me to give the museum a proper amount of mindful though. I did my best though.

Actually, my favorite part about Cambodia has been visiting with the various people (being overseas travelers and locals). Actually, on Valentine's Day (was reminded by the numerous couples riding around on motorbikes carrying flowers-- it's celebrated in Phnom Penh... western influence perhaps?), I had a long conversation with the lady taking admission tickets for Wat Phnom. She spoke with me about relationships, in particle relationships between Cambodian women and Caucasian men. It was interesting to hear her thoughts about this phenomenon. She herself had been proposed to twice; one time being only 2 weeks after they had met. The man had promised her a nice home and wealth, but being a strong women, she only wished to marry for love and had not known this fellow for a long enough period of time. This being said, she said that many women here do accept such proposals. And today, I spent time with a boy from Phnom Penh who provided me with another insight. He told me how he has not had many girlfriends because Cambodian (and other women) are not attracted to guys of his dark skin color and money situation. It appears that women have an easier time than me at breaking away from a certain lifestyle, but the details I do not know. Some people are just attracted to a certain look (race, eye color, etc), while others may be attracted to the stereotypical connotations that go along with a certain group of people. It was interesting to hear the various opinions of people I met along my way. I have been contemplating the whole notion of what men and women are truly looking for in a partner and what conditions affect their decisions.

I cannot tell you how many people asked me if I am married (not whether I have a boyfriend, but whether I am married). Another popular game has been guessing where I am from. It seems that everyday my country of origin changes. One day, people were speaking random Korean phrases to me (assuming I am Korean) and the next asking whereabouts in Japan I live. And the woman and housekeeper of the family I am currently staying with said believe I look Chinese. All this guessing makes me chuckle, but at the same time question my paperwork. Am I really a full-blood Korean? Personal identity. Maybe this is something best left to explore along the way tweaking the information here and there (no set in stone information/descriptions). But one thing is for certain, I am westernized whether I like it or not. The minute I open my mouth it is obvious that I am from the US. I did try pulling off as being from Canada once, but the person I was trying to fool turned out to be from Canada herself. So she obviously didn't buy into my act, but we did discuss Thunder Bay for a while...

People seem to enjoy practicing English. I walked with three young Buddhist monks today, who were eager to take a photo with me and attempt to use their English. I have been trying to pick up some Cambodian language (Khmer) as well, but I'm just hoping I'll be able to retain it once I start learning more Korean. Languages are fascinating. It truly is crucial to become proficient in as many as possible in order to hear people's stories and to show sincere interest in someone's culture in general. Goodness. I better get started! (but perhaps focus on Korean first...) Next stop Taipei, Taiwan! Pretty sure, I will never forget the busy streets full of motorbikes, tuk tuks and other vehicles which disregarded the street lines (driving into traffic---literally) and the stopsigns (which I did not see in Siem Reap) in which people did not always interpret as "stop"signs. Like I said, the adrenaline rush is exhilarating. And the family I stayed with will definitely be missed. I feel lucky to have gotten to know such amazing people.


to the right--> Cambodian "pancake"