Update

Here’s a brief look at some things that have been going on in my life lately. Since they aren’t worth tackling individually, I’ll report on them collectively, and maybe that will give you, blog friends, a chance to know more about my life here in Phnom Penh.

The War at Home. Back in 2004/2005, I spent a long Southern California winter battling one particular problem in my apartment: crickets. The little buggers seemed to come from everywhere and would shock me by simply being in the room when I got home. In the end, I vanquished them with a can of Raid and some well thrown shoes. Cambodia has brought on a new challenge in my war against God’s smallest creatures: the ant. To be fair, these are the smallest and least disgusting of the things that I’ve found in my apartment (2 cockroaches have met a very bad end, thanks to about half a can of bug spray. Gross.). However, the ants are far more insidious than the others, and more numerous by far. Leave a plate on the counter, and there they are. Think your cereal is safe on the shelves? Think again. This is life in the tropics, and believe me, the war is on.

The Helmet. I purchased a motorbike over a month ago. This is both a really fun thing, and a really terrifying thing. Last week, I saw two men riding in front of me wipe out in a busy street, and one had to be carried to the side of the road. Suddenly, I am very aware of my own mortality, and while I really, really like driving fast, I also really, really like having arms and legs. Also, owning and driving the bike have produced some interesting protective behaviors in the staff. They help me park and pull the bike out. They check it for me when I’m at work. They start it for me (which is sometimes difficult). And the landlords at my apartment let me park it inside and always watch to make sure I can get on, off, and away without a problem (I had some trouble at first). Though all the attention is overwhelming, the sentiment is nice, and, I have to admit, helpful (parking is actually kind of a challenge!).

The bike, which is an older model and blue and white (for those who care about the details), allows for one other fun detail: my helmet. Nearly all the expatriates and visitors have commented on this fact. First, it’s pink. Bubble gum pink with a white stripe around the back. And while there are similar helmets in Phnom Penh, I think I’m the only one so far with this particular model, which means that motodope drivers, staff friends, and other people recognize me when I come driving by. Which means I’ve had to learn to wave and drive. Yes, that took some practice.

Water. I have to buy water. This means for drinking, cooking, brushing my teeth and cleaning fruit and vegetables, I have to purchase a natural resource. It’s not a big hassle, but makes for interesting conversations when I try to buy cases of bottled water from the roadside seller. I am working on getting it delivered to my home. That should simplify things a bit. In the meantime, I am single-handedly destroying the environment with the amount of plastic bottles I throw away. Though I think there’s a woman who goes through the trash after it’s been tossed to pull out the bottles. Lately, I’ve been trying to separate it out for her. I’m not sure that makes me feel any better about the method of “recycling” I am employing.

Phone. I was told the phone will be installed on Wednesday. If I had an internet connection at home, I could update as soon as the phone arrives. However, since the phone comes before the internet, you’ll have to wait. I know the suspense is killing you.

Sandals. Someone asked recently if my sandals had turned up. Sadly, they are still making a (very) extended tour of Cambodia. I even looked for them during my trip through the provinces. Wherever they are, I certainly hope they’re happy. I head back to the States in a few weeks, and I’ll be looking for a replacement.

Milk. As mentioned above, I am headed back to the US next month. This is exciting for many reasons, but also because I will get to drink a glass of real milk. We have box milk, or UHT (Ultra High T-something). The box proudly proclaims that the liquid inside is “Made from real, fresh milk!” Which means it tastes only a bit like “real, fresh milk!” and mostly like “watery, imitation milk!” Except for the chocolate variety, though I may have been distracted by the chocolate. They don’t skimp on that part here. In any case, I’m looking forward to “real, fresh milk!” on my trip. Among other tasty, non-dairy treats.

So there you have it… updates big and small. Mostly small. Perhaps now you have a bit of a taste of life in Phnom Penh. (Though hopefully you can’t taste the milk. Believe me, it’s not good.)