My mussings....

I am taking a break writing about the ancient places in Siem Reap and Phnom Penh to write about the experiences I felt while I was in these two places. I must say that though the ancient ruins had always been my greatest interest because I just love history and so on but my other passion is about the lifestyle and people. Like I said, I am really just a simple bloke who just enjoys watching people and what they do in their every day life. People and way of life intrigues me. I learned a lot from these real life lessons in life and that makes it an interesting subject indefinitely. 

I remembered being in the ancient ruins and seeing how different facial expressions and reactions changed like the spectrum of colors across the horizon. Not all Europeans are friendly and likewise not all Easterners are friendly either. But I know that I was the craziest Malaysian Chinese at the ancient ruins , running about like a sugar-filled adrenaline pumped kid when I visited the ruins. I was happily playing in the rain and though the rain water trickled down my almost durian-like hair making me all drenched wet right through my undies, I was unperturbed by it all. I like the rain, mind you! I guess, I was happy and there to share this happiness of mine were a couple of brave European ladies ( European men are less expressive, I guess! ) who would strike their poses for the photography lenses and scenes at the ancient ruins under the torrential rain. Yeah, my kinda friends lar....the happy-go-lucky type! I remembered sitting by myself all drenched wet and water trickling down from all directions of my body but yet, I felt so satisfied inside. I couldn't care less if I catch a cold or whatever that comes my way. It was just so nice to re-live your childhood memories, care free and buoyant feelings of the yesteryears. As I sat quietly at one corner reflecting my thoughts, I often wonder how much parents of today would chastised their children for playing in the rain and so on when they themselves were so free to do all that in those early years.  Kinda "tak aci", right? There were many European ladies who did the same like me...sitting at some of the ancient steps and dreaming away....most often than not, I could see grins and smile etched on their faces as though remembering some things from their thoughts.......I wonder....

Like I said, we have evolved to be restrictive and be on prune juice diet nowadays. Everything seemed to be like dangerous, too precious as we hung on to our dear lives that we scare half the wits of our lives with such imaginative terror! Don't do this, don't touch this, don't eat this, don't go here, don't go there........we have become so paranoid of our actions....familiar?  We have indeed evolved to become one paranoid species of parents, grandparents and elderly folks....I am of course, talking of myself lar....and some people down the street somewhere lar.....not you lor, of course....... Some how, we have forgotten how our younger days used to be and how happy we have been just running around and enjoying simpler things in life. I missed all that...believe me, I really do......

As I walked amidst the ancient ruins, I could sensed a feeling of lifted up freedom and a blast to the past. It is as though a huge burden lifted off my shoulders and I felt so good. Yeah, finally, I understood what it meant to take a good rest and a good holiday - it means doing what you like most and enjoying every moment of it even it seemed so silly to others.  Nobody to distract you or even to bug you endlessly about things of life and so on. The little pleasures you get when on holidays.....I guess... that's just my perspective on holidays....you may beg to differ with my views and that's perfectly alright, actually.

As for the people I met along the way, I must say that Cambodians are really nice people. Sure , just like everyone else, they tend to be wary of you at first but they would certainly warmed to you. They are soft spoken and do their work diligently. I remembered my tuk-tuk driver who is a humble and patient man. Even when we treated him to breakfast and told him he could asked for whatever meal he wanted, he did not take advantage of the situation but he chose a humble fried rice meal and a glass of warm water.  Even when we had lunch, he declined to eat further as he told us the earlier meal was enough. That spoke volumes to me on how I perceived him as a tuk-tuk driver. He was always smiling, patient and spoke gently. I felt that it was the best USD 20.00 ( His job starts from 4.30am till 6.30pm for the day )  I have ever spent on a human being. I know that the USD 20 would go a long way in feeding his family. Like I said, along the way, I see a lot of smiley tanned faces - men, women and children.

I remembered one incident that warmed my heart at PP Central Market. I was slurping my young coconut drink when I positively heard this European guy and his daughter asking for two coconuts. However, when the Cambodian lady put out the two coconuts to him, he said that he had ordered only one coconut. The Cambodian lady told the European man that she heard him asked for two but she quickly took back one of the coconuts and told him it is alright. As I was still thirsty and needed another drink, I told the Cambodian lady that I would take the other opened coconut. She seemed so happy and by the way, it was only USD1.00. She thanked me profusely though I thought it was just a small gesture and since I needed another drink why not indulge in another coconut drink anyway, right? So, when Daly wanted a mineral water drink and I wanted to pay for it, the Cambodian lady told me that since I had helped her by buying the opened coconut drink, the mineral water is her way of thanking me for helping her. I did not understand it until Daly explained that for Cambodians, a good deed is always repaid with a good deed and I did good so I am told. Am I good? Hmmmnnnnn.... I wouldn't know...I would like to think so! Hahahahahahaaaaaaa...............but that gesture from the Cambodian lady got me thinking....

I also enjoyed my time at Daly's place near the Mekong river in Phnom Penh. The simple meals prepared by her mom and the time spent eating together was fun. Simple living , no fuss, no looking in to this nutritional facts or that facts but simply filling the stomach is all that matters. The few pieces of fried salted pork pieces plus some fish cuts and kangkong with beef pieces made it all a simple and memorable meal. The very small house ( 15'X10' ) which included a small living hall, kitchen and bathroom was a humbling sight though the bedrooms are located on the higher floors ( 3 storeys in all ). It was really a humbling time for me. They lived in a small space and still have plenty of laughters ring around the house which was frequented by neighbour's children and relatives.  It warms my heart a lot - the close family ties, the easiness and the great family bond. 

It was in Phnom Penh too that I had my heart wrenched with sympathy and sadness as I saw a mother with her two children sleeping on the five foot way. It was a cold and chilly night in Phnom Penh. She wasn't the only one sleeping at the foot way or pavements.  My eyes could not tear away from the sight as I reminiscent how thankful I am to be where I am that I am able to put a roof under the heads of my family. Yeah, they say, some things tears into your soul and this one did, actually. My heart sank with sadness as I saw more and more families making the five foot way their temporary home for the night. I was told by my friend, Daly that there are many orphaned children at the streets and at the park in front of the Royal Palace at night. She told me that there is just too many to help and the NGOs had tried their best to house these people and did what they could. I applaud the efforts made by these NGO's to help these people but ultimately it is the Cambodians who would have to take care of their fellow Cambodians.

That night while sipping my Mojito atop a roof top cafe, I could see a group of children playing football using a very small rubber ball at the park. Kinda reminded me of the happy days playing such games at the park too with my childhood friends. The only difference is that after the game we all get to go back to our homes but to these boys, the park is their home. When all the laughter and excitement had died down, the blowing and chilly winds including the hardened and cold RC walkway, are the reality for these boys. 

The other thing that saddens me was the fact that women, children and grandmothers would beg for money at traffic lights and road junctions. As we were travelling in our tuk tuk to our next destination, we stopped at a traffic light and  I saw a dirty , shabbily dressed old grandma being given a few Cambodian Riels by a woman in a Lexus car. She had tears in her eyes and she held the money in her palms together and thanked the lady in the car. It was such a sad sight for me. This was someone's mother or some child's grandmother begging on the streets. It is cold cold reality for life down here.

I guess, travels makes you learn a lot of things and see things that you would normally not see. During the bus ride to Phnom Penh earlier, we passed through smaller kampungs and I was intrigued by their lifestyle. At the outskirts, paddy fields reign over the land while people go about doing their routine stuff. It was interesting propping one hands over your head as you see the outskirt greenery scene just unfolds in a crazy bus bunker bed rendition. Truly one experience I would not forget at all....Seeing the early morning buzz of activity in these small towns were an eye opener......people scurrying for whatever transport they could hopped on to go to town and even starting out their day for work. These are sights that one would not forget as for a person like me, my mind is like a photography camera recording these images. I wouldn't know if it was a blessing or not as my mind trapped the good, the bad and the ugly too.

I am definitely richer in experience as I continued to do my travels in life whether locally or overseas. Everyday and everything is a learning curve for me. I never shy away from the opportunity to enrich myself with experiences in life or even going through the feelings of it all. I believe that if we stop learning from life, we become arrogant, prudish and swell -headed with uncontrolled pride. Sometimes, being back to basics helped us to realise that humility, goodness and mercy does come from the reverence to the One Above..................