Tragic Telly and the Phnom Penh Pirates

With no English speaking cinemas in Phnom Penh and only one bowling alley, watching television and DVDs plays a large part in 99% of expatriate’s lives. It is a great way to unwind and relax and most expats have a DVD library that would put your average Video Ezy to shame. Many people go all the way and buy huge wall-mounted flat screen televisions and one chap I know even has a couple of rows of leather seats set-up and a popcorn machine so his mates can have a true cinema-style experience. I hadn’t been to the cinema in years before moving to Cambodia and now it is a weekly occurrence – albeit in my living room.

“….watching Khmer soap operas is more painful than having a tooth pulled out with a pair of pliers and no anesthesia”

Let’s look at the idiot box first. Variety is not a problem as the content comes from all over the world – Russia, America, Australia, and various European countries all have dedicated channels and then you have Thai, Malaysian,Japanese,Chinese,Indonesian and of course Khmer television. CBN, CNN,ESPN,National Geographic, Animal Kingdom, The Australian Network, Star Movies, Star Sports,Cinemax,HBO,Star World AXN, TV5Monde, Discovery Channel,CCTV Channel News Asia,RAI,Channel V,True Visions…the list goes on and on. All that interesting television from all over the world to keep oneself fully informed of word events…… HOWEVER! Watching television in Cambodia is extremely frustrating and it really is an idiot box here. There are no TV guides to speak of so you end up endlessly and mindlessly cruising channels with the remote in the vain hope you will happen upon a decent programme just as it starts. I have blisters on my thumbs from using my remote and there are times when I have lapsed into a trance like coma from rapid fire channel browsing. More than once I have hurled the remote across the room in utter disgust.

The shows vary from excellent to absolutely atrocious. Let’s just say that watching Khmer soap operas is more painful than having a tooth pulled out with a pair of pliers and no anesthesia. Set up a camera on a tripod in your home village, get some relatives to act (badly) for you and voila, instant soapie.Khmer pop music shows are even worse. Cheesy video clips of couples staring endlessly at each other or the sunset, or live shows with the pop starlets dressed like tarts, boy dancers busting moves so bad it makes my dancing look positively Timberlakeish and musicians finger synching their guitars. Kudos to the youngsters for having a go but Michael Jackson should move here and choreograph and that wonderful chap Carson Kresley could do wardrobe. Then you have the Chinese movies that have such bad subtitles it is entirely possible the translator was on LSD whilst they were working. I recently watched a movie that was so outrageously translated I took photos with my phone because I didn’t think anyone would believe me. With subtitles such as “Still take care of what bean curd”, and “Far from good we tidy up thing at once to work at once”, I could only shake my head in amazement. Throw in crazy Japanese game shows where pain is the aim, all manner of weird wrestling and crap American shows like “The world’s Funniest Animals!” and it really requires a lot of patience to watch TV here. Ever see that internet clip of the guy shooting his television? If only I had a gun….

DVDs are a far better option and at an average price of $2 outright or $1 for a swap, they are a cheap way to spend a couple of hours. Of course, you actually have to get off your bum and go to the market to buy them which is easier said than done when you are feeling particularly slothful or hung-over like hell and it is 4000 degrees outside. I chuckle silently at the thought of everybody in the west paying $15 + to see the Bourne Ultimatum when I paid $1 to see it the day after it came out. In fact, the pirate scene in Cambodia is so professional, I am sure some titles are burnt to DVD before the crew and cast have even finished shooting the movie! Luckily, we do not seem to suffer from the fate that many encounter when buying movies in Indonesia. There, it is not uncommon to buy a movie that has been shot with a handycam in a cinema. Complete with audience laughter and silhouetted heads walking past, these movies frustrate rather than entertain.

In Cambodia, you pretty much get what you pay for although recently I bought the same DVD 4 times before I finally got one that didn’t freeze on me. Obviously a bad batch but to be fair, the vendor was only too happy to keep exchanging at no cost. You can also buy entire seasons of your favourite shows like My Name is Earl, the Sopranos and Sex in the City which then provide you with hours of entertainment. Music videos of live performances and anthologies of bands like KISS and AC/DC are also available and these can really come in handy. Recently I was woken up by my Khmer neighbours playing karaoke at 6AM. My solution? Simple. I wheeled my stereo over to the window and fired up my DVD of Rage Against the Machine’s “Killing in the name of...” LIVE @ Lollapalooza. Played through my Sony tower speakers, it was better than actually being at the concert. When it finished, there was a deathly silence from next door. Problem solved.

Of course the other option is computer / TV games but to be honest, I have never been a gamer. I recently bought my first PC game because I thought it might be fun to have it as an option when bored. I thought it would be a simple matter of inserting the CD and auto-installing. Alas, it had been pirated in a whole bunch of separate files that required you to have the knowledge of Bill Gates to install the bloody thing. Needless to say, my PC gaming career never got started. As an aside, I should also mention that you can buy ANY software programme you require for a few bucks at the market. Windows Vista, Adobe, MacAfee Anti Virus, Web authoring tools etc….it’s all there for the taking.

So with limited entertainment options available here in Phnom Penh, many of us become DViDiots.They pile up under coffee tables and in bookshelves like takeaway food pamphlets and collect dust until we finally swap them for new titles. Sometimes they get sent home for family to enjoy and Cambodia is a great place to compile a great library of DVD classics to revisit again and again. The television is a secondary option and has to be approached with patience and a deep breath. Occasionally you happen upon a great show, movie or documentary, but it is very random. The sooner someone opens an expat cinema the better, but until then, our living rooms serve the purpose well and the sooner I scrape together the money for a big flat screen and a popcorn machine the better!

The Curse of Cheers Cafe

Have you ever heard of the “Superman Curse”? Pretty much every guy that ever played Superman had large misfortune in their life. Apart from the fact that their career was ruined because they could never play another character, there were also suicides and accidental deaths aplenty. So now we have a new curse. The Curse of Cheers Café.

First it was one of the kitchen hands. He smashed his moto and ended up in Calmette Hospital with major head injuries and whilst he was still in there, Yat got shot when some freshie boys tried to jack his moto and Yat also ended up in Calmette. Now…..Srey Touch has fallen prey to the dreaded moto accident. Last week – at 1a.m on her birthday -she got side swiped whilst pillion riding with a friend and it smashed her ankle big time. She is now also in Calmette!! Of course the arsehole who hit her did not stop and she fainted in the street when she saw the mangles mess her ankle now was.

When we arrived to visit her, she was exhausted. She is sharing a room with 4 other people and the room is very small and hot. I was incredulous to find that they had operated on her to fix the boom and had simply stitched her up and put a small, light plaster bandage on the wound. No cast! To make things worse, Srey Touch has been trying to walk on it using just her toes! I demanded to see the doctor and was instead given some time with some orderlies who were watching television in their air-conditioned office (no such luxury for the patients mind you). I was told they were watching the wound and would put a cast on it before she left but I did not feel confident this would happen. I instructed Srey Touch to stay off the foot and told her Leakhena and I would go to the market the next day and get her some crutches. You would think they would supply them or sell them at the hospital wouldn’t you? Wrong.

So the next day we went straight to Psar Olympic and eventually found the medial supplies shop where you could also buy wheelchairs and all manner of surgical supplies like scalpels and sutures and scissors and needles and got knows what else. Hell …I could rent a space and be slicing someone open tomorrow! I am not sure how it works in the west but I am fairly sure Joe Average cannot walk in off the street and buy tools capable of performing major surgery! $14 got us a nice pair of silver crutches for Srey Touch and off we went to Calmette to deliver her belated birthday present. She was very happy to receive them and her mother was extremely grateful. The old chap next to her was very interested in the crutches and asked how much they were and I then realised he had lost his leg to amputation. I really felt quite terrible. I wished I had bought two pairs but I did not know he actually lost his leg until we delivered the crutches.

Now of course I am paranoid Leakhena will be next. I have had two moto accidents already – only minorish – but if anything happened to my girl I would be devastated. So of course I tell her to be careful whenever she goes out and to be honest she is a very good rider but I am praying the Curse of Cheers Café does not claim any more victims!

Our new ride

2007 110cc Honda Airblade

• Automatic



• Watercooled



• ABS



• SWEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEET MATE !!!

Best thing is...when you have one of those, you don't have to worry about these .....

P'Çhum Ben Holiday

P’chum Ben is one of the biggest holidays on the Khmer calendar and it is a time when all Khmer families honour the spirits of their dead ancestors. The word Ben has two meanings in Khmer; one means is the verb to collect and it also means ‘to cup or mould cooked rice into portions’. The word P’chum means “to congregate”. So it is with great excitement that just about all of Phnom Penh heads for the provinces and their “homeland” (where their family lives). The actual holiday is only supposed to be a few days but in true Khmer spirit, things start early and the exodus starts well in advance, leaving businesses to either shut up completely or operate with a skeleton staff. ISPP shut its doors and although I really wanted to work, I was forced to take a five day holiday. Bugger.

The rest of Leakhena’s family took off for Kampot and much to their horror Leakhena and I decided to stay in Phnom Penh. Well…actually I decided I would stay in Phnom Penh as I had been to Kampot only three weeks ago and then there was my birthday ride last weekend so I just wanted to relax at home. My lovely fiancée of course wanted to stay with me so we bade farewell to the family.

Tuesday 9.10.07; After a huge day at work that finally wrapped up at 9p.m after a very long Finance and Facilities Meeting (FFC - during which we planned budgets for the school for next year) I was officially on holiday. We headed over to Kristen’s for some Indian food and some beer and as I laughed and joked with a Canadian, an American, a Czechoslovakian, a Ukrainian, a Khmer and a couple of Aussies, I realised that I live in a truly interesting, multi-cultural city
that is so far removed from the town I had come from that I may as well have moved to the moon! We talked about all manner of interesting things and after we left Kristen’s, Leakhena and I stopped in at Miles’ bar (our new local) where we chatted with a Swede, a Belgian, two Dutchmen, a Frenchman and some Polish aid workers. What a Benetton type of night!

Day 1.Wednesday 10.10.07; After a leisurely bowl of Corn Flakes and apple,Leakhena and I went and looked at a few new apartments and then I dropped her off at Psar Kandal to get her hair and nails done for the holidays. I had a couple of cups of coffee and we then headed home for an early night.

Day 2.Thursday 11.10.07; Feeling somewhat shabby due to a flu brought on by poor air-conditioning management which saw the room fluctuate from freezing cold to warm all night, we went and braved Lucky Lucky supermarket for some basic supplies. I really hate Lucky Lucky. It is so badly designed that shopping carts bank up in the aisles like cars in Los Angeles peak hour and there is neither rhyme nor reason to how products are grouped together. Why would you put toilet paper with dog food? I swore after I would never shop there again after my last experience there and this time would definitely be my last. The ANZ cash card machine did not work so I had to go a way down the street for the nearest ATM and then inside there were not one but TWO groups of Japanese tourists. About 15 to a group, all wearing matching tour shirts and all following each other around like bloody sheep. It was all I could do not to mow them all down with my trolley as they took photos of such interesting things as racks of Soy sauce and trays of donuts.

After finally getting out of the Lucky Lucky nightmare, we dropped everything home and then packed up some gear and headed for Adventure Moto to meet Brady and Lina. The best thing about P’chum Ben (apart from the 5 days off work) is that there is NO traffic at all. Phnom Penh is like a ghost town and driving around its streets is sheer joy. Our plan was to head over to Prek Liep, a lovely stretch of the Mekong River, for lunch and due to the lack of any traffic we were over there in o time at all. We secured a nice little area in a riverside restaurant and after a bit of argy bargy with some next to useless waitresses about how much we would actually be paying for food, we settled in to a nosh of Mekong Catfish, Soup, grilled pork and roast birds. I say birds because we have no idea what they were. My vote was Khmer Sparrow but Brady insisted they were Chicken Hawks. At any rate they weren’t bad. A little boney but otherwise tasty. The fish was superb and the beer was cold and all around us Khmer revelers drank and played cards and slept and fished and generally had a great time. The only blip on the lunch was when we went to pay they tried to overcharge us $5 for food we never had and beer we never drank but luckily the girls picked up on this and we were soon back on the road.

Next stop was the Phnom Penh motocross track for a look but it was a quick look because it was under water. And I do mean under water. You couldn’t
even see the jumps ! So we continued along the dirt road and stumbled across the most marvelous little festival going on in a waterside hamlet that was beautiful. Under a bridge that was still under construction, the equivalent of the Head of The River was being fought out by crews of all ages paddling leaky long boats made of wood. The dance music was blaring courtesy of the band that was situated on a precarious stage built right on the water and the whole village was either on the banks of the little tributary, in a boat or actually swimming in the water. We spent a fantastic hour watching boats collide and sink, crew falling overboard and kids jumping off the bridge and saying hi to many of the kids that approached us with typical Khmer enthusiasm. I was so happy we made this detour because we could easily have missed it.
















Day 3.Friday 12.10.07; We bounced out of bed and I dropped Leakhena off at work before joining my mate Paul for breakfast at the Pickled Parrot. We then headed over to a fine new boutique hotel that has been opened by the Elsewhere Bar crew. An amazing old villa behind the Royal palace, this 10 room mansion has a verdant garden and a sweet pool and we were soon ensconced poolside drinking fruit shakes, listening to music and swimming with friends Leeanne and young Joel who looks like a member of the band Jet with big springy hair and mirrored aviator glasses. The next 7 hours were spent thus and when Leakhena joined us she donned a bikini and leapt into the pool like a little kid. She loves a swim !. We are now “members “of this salubrious establishment and look forward to many more days lolling around in there. That night we hit Miles’bar for some live jazz and a chat with some locals.

Days 4 and 5. Saturday 13.10.07 and Day 5. Sunday 14.10.07; Spent doing very little except watching DVDs and looking for second hand scooters, drinks at Miles’and Snowies Bar etc etc

All in all a great 5 day break!

Beauty and the Beast ; Bokor Hill

Bokor Hill town was built as a resort by the colonial French settlers to offer an escape from the humidity and general insanity of Phnom Penh. The centerpiece of the resort was the grand Bokor Palace Hotel & Casino, complemented by shops, a post office, a church and the Royal Apartments. For those who wish to see something other than the hustle and bustle of Phnom Penh and the breathtaking Angkor Wat, Bokor is an excellent third option for a sightseeing adventure in Cambodia. It is also an important cultural site, showing how the colonial settlers spent their free time.I

“Bokor is truly a two headed Hill. The dry season is a Czech supermodel, whilst the wet season is a head that got smacked with a bat at birth”

most donkies”
Now abandoned, most of the buildings are still standing and the hotel in particular can still be explored. The strategic importance of the location is underlined by the fact that the Cambodian authorities maintain a Ranger Station on the site, and this doubles as a youth hostel with basic dorms and cooking facilities for those intrepid souls who make their way up here. The only other "inhabited" building on the site is a small temple. There is also a waterfall which tends to be dry in high season and in full flow during rainy season - hence few tourists ever see it in full flow, as traveling up the hill to Bokor is highly inadvisable in rainy season. Today the site is beginning to attract significant numbers of tourists. Reaching the top of Bokor Hill requires a 32km grind from sea-level to the top of the 3000ft peak up a broken road that is barely passable under optimum conditions and takes 3 hours to complete in either direction. Most travelers hire a local driver-guide and travel on the back of a motorbike or in a 4x4. It is possible for the more intrepid travelers to hire their own vehicle in Kampot and tackle the road themselves.

During my first trip to Cambodia in 2006, I befriended a fellow Australian who loaned me his Honda AX-1 motorbike to go touring on. My partner and I left for Kampot and Kep and, being a keen dirt biker, of course Bokor Hill beckoned. I looked forward to the challenge and it was a bright sunny, dry-season day when I rode out from Kampot with my partner and two fellow travelers, James and Camille. James was a Channel Islands Lawyer who had been molested by Camille down in Sihanoukville and was now firmly in her grips. An old friend of mine from Australia, Camille is a documentary maker and I felt sorry for James as I watched her climb aboard his crappy rented XR250 with an equipment bag that would break the back of most donkies. Adding to his dilemma, James admitted he had been on scooters but had never ridden a large bike before. Uh Oh.....with bums that were screaming bloody murder, we fell off the bikes in a heap.”
The ride up was a mixed affair. In the lower parts of the “road“ the old bitumen road was still evident but it only offered tiny moments of relief and we very soon find ourselves navigating a track that really is for advanced riders. Wash-outs, creeks, ruts, encroaching jungle, boulders, stone fields and all assortment of random natural obstacles did their best to separate rider and bike. In James’ case this happened at least 3 times. Thankfully we incurred no injuries ( despite the fact I rode up in Birkenstocks and swimming shorts....ahem) but I could tell James was having a tough time. Two hours later we arrived at the top and with bums that were screaming bloody murder, we fell off the bikes in a heap.Once we had recovered from our ascent, the day was spent exploring the derelict casino and outer structures such as the church and summer villas. With blue skies and sunshine overhead and a very pleasant temperature due to the altitude, it was a stunning day to be up there. We ate 2 minute noodles and took photos that showcased the insane views and visited the waterfall where we swam and washed away all the grime. All in all – a great visit and after a safe trip down the Hill we soon found ourselves at The Rusty Keyhole bar in Kampot with cold beer in hand. We felt like conquering heroes and even though every bone ached, we were proud of our achievement.

Fast forward to September 2007, it is now wet season and again we visit Kampot with the intention of taking a friend up Bokor Hill. This time we are on Suzuki DRZ Dual Sport bikes, we are wearing boots, wet weather gear, helmets, gloves and are thoroughly kitted out. On arrival in Kampot, the skies open up with full force and after a night of heavy rain we awake to more of the same. All of a sudden the ride has taken on new dimensions. Bokor Hill is hard enough in the dry let alone after a solid night’s rain and as we sip coffee at The Rusty Keyhole pre-ride, I am less than enthusiastic. Still, it is what we came to do so off we head bravely into the drizzle and we are wet before we even get through the boom gate at the base of the hill. Bugger.ks tuly a two headed Hill. The dry season is a Czech supermodel, whst the wet season is
The trip up this time is bloody awful. Rivers run downwards towards us and disguise all the holes and ruts that one year later are even bigger and nastier than before. All the bitumen has just about disappeared and no-one has “done the garden” so the jungle growth is now well and truly out of control. The bikes have incredibly hard enduro style seats so our bums are raw early. I am damned if I put my goggles on because they mist up and damned if I don’t because the rain is coming down like fine needle points. As we hit the upper reaches of the road, the wind starts howling and the temperature plummets to what seems like sub-zero. The hands are frozen to the handlebar grips and there is water sloshing around in my boots. Are you getting the picture? All I can think about is a hot shower and a coffee and I am wishing that Bokor Hill had hot springs at the top but I know despite packing the swimmers, there will be no frolicking today.

Once on top we have trouble even finding the Casino the mist is that bad. A few wrong turns later and we arrive to a scene out of the Shining (which was in fact actually filmed on Bokor!). The mist is blowing through the Casino and the sound it is making would give a young child nightmares. Is this even the same place I visited last year? Where are the noodle stalls? Where is the view? Why isn’t everyone smiling? After a quick tour of the Casino – and I do mean quick – we find a bunch of soaked travelers eating in the basement and we join them. No-one speaks as they sip coffee and we are shot dirty looks as we enter with our all weather gear on and start unpacking boiled eggs, cold roast pork and fresh baguettes. They are all wearing 2000r rain ponchos, shorts, flip flops and have come up in the back of an open truck. SUCKERS! After a slightly rejuvenating picnic, we head over to the waterfall which is raging and swollen and after a 30 second visit, we have had enough and head for the bottom. There is no visit to The Rusty keyhole this time. We head straight for the showers and whilst the girls have a massage, I pass out in sheer exhaustion.

The two rides could not have been more different. One rewarded us with Bokor Hill in all its sunny glory. The view alone is something that stays with you forever and is well worth the effort it takes to get up there. Being able to swim in the waterfall was a bonus and the photo I have of my soon to be wife and I up on the top is one of my favorites as it was our first ride together. We came down sunburned and victorious and I would highly recommend a dry season assault on Bokor Hill to anyone. The latest ride was a bloody nightmare. Cold, wet, windy, miserable, ugly, painful ...where is my thesaurus damn it! I cannot pick one redeeming feature of this wet season ride other than that we made it down safely. Bokor is truly a two headed Hill. The dry season is a Czech supermodel, whilst the wet season is a head that got smacked with a bat at birth. Still, Bokor Hill is one of Cambodia’s jewels and at the end of the day, it you must do it in the rain......don’t!

Buy a bloody postcard........

Happy Birthday to me !

Yesterday( Sunday 7.10.68 ) I turned 39. Ho-Hum. I don't really get excited about birthdays as a rule. Family sometimes forget to call me and for the last god knows how long I have not had a partner to share it with me. Last year Leakhena and I were together but she was in Cambodia and I was in Australia so that was no fun. This year was to be very different. I realized it would be hard for my family to contact me over here but I decided to try and make a day of it anyway. Friday night turned out to be a massive night at my friend Kristen's house warming. Gold label tequila,red wine and beer do not mix and several of us ended up at Heart of Darkness swinging from the chandeliers with the armed goons. Needless to say Saturday was a complete right off.Did not even make it out of bed.

After a very quite Saturday night I sprung out of bed and announced to Leakhena that I wanted to take the family out to Kien Svey for lunch and I also texted some friends but being Sunday and being 10a.m, response rates were poor. Kristen and her little dog Percy were the only takers but of course Leakhena family were all keen ( excluding Ma who was down in Kampot and Tra who was out in Sihanoukeville). So I rented a DRZ400 as a present to myself and the others loaded up a car and a suggestion was made that we go to a new spot "near the airport where there are nice hills". Being the adventurer that I am I was all for somewhere new and we headed out on a fine Phnom Penh morning. The airport wasn't too far away and the traffic wasn't too bad. Imagine my surprise when we were still on the road and heading out past Kampong Spieu an hour and half later. Jesus H Christ. I just wanted an easy to a restaurant where I could relax and hauling arse along Road 5 to Sihauokeville is anything abut relaxing.

We finally turned odd the main road and headed into the most glorious countryside I have seen in Cambodia yet. The rice fields were an amazing hue of lime green and all around palm tress dotted the landscape. Water Ox worked the fields with their owners and smoke wafted across the road from BBQs and garden burn-offs. As I roared through the villages with the 'Suzuki 400's power pipe sounding like a howitzer, I watched as faces showed surprise and jaws hit the ground. The houses were all immaculate little teak Khmer numbers and the animals were all fat and happy. It actually reminded me allot of Wootton ! Soon a Pagoda on a hill appeared and we made our way through a forest to it's rear where we were greeted by a large group of Phalla's friends having a picnic under a large tin shed. Leakhena and her sisters opened the boot pf the car and they had brought Peking duck and beer and noodles and we were soon chowing down as dogs and children played all around us and monks watched on in curiosity .

After lunch we made our way up the Pagoda where we paid respect to the resident Monk, donated some money for the building of the new Wat and I got a birthday blessing. Little Percy the dog kept running in and out of the Pagoda much to his owner's horror but much of the delight of the Khmer people who love dogs. After the formalities we marched to the top of the hill for a few photos and then returned to the picnic shed. I then took all the little kids for rides around the hill on the bike which they absolutely loved. Many giggles and squeals and bug-eyed looks as I made the bike howl.

As the skies turned black and lightning threatened, we packed up and for Phnom Penh and I was a tad worried about the weather. We made it about half way hone before the drizzle started and it was with us al the way to Phnom Penh and that when the fun really started. After swapping Lekahena for Kristen and Percy about half way home ( Kristen had to get to a party and Leakhena was going to visit friends in the car ), I arrived with Kristen and Percy on the back of the bike to find that Phnom Penh had been bashed by two downpours and was now flooded.I had to drop my passengers off so they could get into a tuk tuk and then I rode the last 3 or so KMs in thigh deep water. All around scooters were broken down and shops were under water and I was praying the bike would not conk out. I got to within 1km of Adventure Moto when it stopped for the first time and amazingly I was able to start it again an make it another 200m before it stopped altogether. Khmers were cheering me as I navigated the bike whilst looking like a barefoot skier but alas, too much water in the engine is not a good thing. I had to push it the last 300m.

With my shoes full of water, my pants and undies wet and my t-shirt soaked, I made it into Bogie and Bacall's for a cottage pie and then had another miserable ride home through more deep water on my own bike. No mishaps though and soon I was waling into our apartment feeling like a drowned rat. Desperately in need of a hot shower and bed, I was spent. As I walked into the living room, I could sense something was afoot. Lekahena and her brothers were all smiling and there was a big box and a bottle of red wine on the table. I was made to shut my eyes and with a "1,2,3 SURPRISE !!!!!!!!!"....I opened my eyes to a wonderful chocolate cake with my name on it and two candles reading 3 and 9 and I was then ceremoniously covered with fake snow by the boys. Poppers were let off and Happy Birthday was sung and I almost cried ! Leakhena had NOT gone to friends place but had come home and organized this little party for me. I had to go upstairs to change and when I entered our room I was amazed to see a roof full of helium balloons floating around all with hearts attached to strings ! I cold not believe it. My first surprise party ! Leakhena was smiling away at me and I was literally speechless. I gave her a hug and a kiss that almost smothered her and we stuffed our faces with cake and had a glass of red wine. Sleep came soon afterwards though as the effects of a huge day took its toll.

So all in all a great birthday. My lovely fiancée made it so special and although I was a long way from home, I really enjoyed myself !

Employed again !

My new office

After a harrowing and financially draining 6 weeks, I have finally sorted out my work situation. Please say hello to the new Facilities Consultant at the International School of Phnom Penh (ISPP). I am finally now a paid “consultant” and have been given a 3 month contract through to January with the potential to go full time if it all works out. I have my own little office/ cabana in the lush grounds of the campus and a brand spanking new Compaq laptop with all the geek trimmings and the great thing is the campus is only about a 1km bike ride from the front door of the apartment! I had to endure 4 interviews and 4 weeks of waiting to get here but the money is good and the people seem nice so for the time being it will keep me afloat. Of course I hope it turns out to be a great gig for me and I can go long term but I have learnt to take one step at a time here in Cambodia.

Funnily enough the day before I showed up for work at the Green Vespa and got fired. My crime? From what I can gather it was for doing too good a job in my first week. The owner said he thought we were to similar and would come to blows and he knew he could not pay me enough money to stay committed. Jesus H Christ. I actually enjoyed working there and the staff loved me. Several of then even asked me to take them with me if I ever started up a bar. I knew most of the customers and was teaching myself how to make cocktails. I even cleaned the toilets one day. I was honest and open with the owner and told him I would more than likely eave at some stage for a career type job and he said this was alright and then he starts on about training me only to lose me !!

So what does my job entail you ask? Well the school has two campuses (Elementary and Secondary), a sports field and 400 students from all over the world paying US$12,000 a year. They rent premises from 6 different landlords and there are many projects that need managing. Bathrooms need renovating, sheds need building, playgrounds need constructing, fields need maintaining, utilities need managing. That’s where I come in. The existing Operations Manager is a Khmer chap who is a bit lazy and incapable and if all goes to plan, I will take his job in a few months and be Lord fix-it! Today I sourced pre-fab sheds in Phnom Penh and Toro ground keeping machinery in Thailand. Tomorrow I am on the horn to Vietnam to sort out some materials up there. It will be an interesting and challenging job and I hope it works out because it ain’t no fun when you ain’t working in Phnom Penh!

I will post photos of my lovely little office tomorrow.

Toodles !