Game of Chance: What is Foolish?

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Phnom Penh, Cambodia



August 20th



“Vulnerability is the essence of romance. It's the art of being uncalculated, the willingness to look foolish, the courage to say, 'This is me, and I'm interested in you enough to show you my flaws with the hope that you may embrace me for all that I am but, more important, all that I am not.' “

Ashton Kutcher



“If you want to improve, be content to be thought foolish and stupid.”

Epictetus



“The fool who thinks he is a fool is for that very reason a wise man; But the fool who thinks he is a wise man is rightly called a fool”

Siddhartha Gautama



My smartphone weather predictor tells me the chance of rain today is 80%! (MISSING)

Only my second day in Cambodia, and I was aimlessly walking through the Central Market killing time. I had 'foolishly' pre-booked 5 nights in the city and found myself wondering what on earth I was going to do for 4 full days here. At least I had a friend living in town doing a stint as a volunteer in an NGO, but she was only free for dinner at night until the weekend.

A very adept English speaking man around my age started talking to me... asking me where I was from and what I was doing here and so on. He said he was from Thailand and visiting his brother here in Phnom Penh as he did each year. Once established that I was Australian, he tells me that his niece is about to go to Australia to work as a nurse there. Then he asks me if I might have time to come back to his brother's place to meet his niece in order to discuss Australia with her, and that I could then join them for lunch.

This was great... I had all day... and I love these serendipitous meetings and the fantasy at least that they might involve some really meaningful contact with locals.

The man said he had come on his brother's motorcycle and that we would now walk through the market to go to where it was parked. Once we emerged from the market proper, he suggested I wait across the road for him to fetch the bike and that he would come and pick me up.

Five minutes later here comes a man on the motorcycle who stops in front of me and motions with a nod of the head for me to hop on. I do. I then realise that this is not the same man... and in English I ask him about that man... and whether he is his friend. I just get nods..... and I somehow surmise that the man has sent this guy to get me (for whatever reason I now have no idea to suggest).

We slowly make our way east and end up approaching the Mekong river. He asks if I want to go right or left. Hm... something wrong here. Why would he be asking me directions? I tell him to stop... I ask a Tuk Tuk driver beside us “who is this guy?” … and he seems to understand that I have gotten on this guy's bike with no idea what was going on.

In my defence (is there one?): new in Cambodia.... and no understanding that in lieu of no public transport to speak of, guys with personal motorcycles cruise the streets constantly in search of a 'customer' wanting to hire them for a trip. And in the case of tourists, wanting to hire them for a tour of the city.

The Tuk Tuk driver thinks it's all hilarious. The motorcycle driver is not so amused.. specially when I jump off and walk off. (I should have paid him something.. it was not his fault... but... I didn't). I walk back the market which takes me about 15 minutes, just in the hope of finding the original man again. No chance.

I am sorry to have missed a chance at local interaction. Actually I am pissed off and feeling just stupid. Oh well.

Two days later. I am in another market, the 'Russian' market, and just outside a guy on a motorcycle stops next to me … he has his cousin on board. He starts talking to me in impeccable English and asks me where I am from and so on. Once established that I am Australian, he tells me his sister is about to go to Australia to work as an Aged Care Worker, and would I have the time to come back to his house to meet her and talk about Australia. We will have lunch.

I don't think too much about the parallels here with my first experience. I jump on (there are three of us). I have all day, I say... just killing time. We get to a pretty nice place in a back street. I meet the man's uncle Marty... who is about 70, says he worked 2 years in Las Vegas as a dealer in a casino... and now works in a gaming house in Phnom Penh as a dealer. After talking for a while he slips in how it's all rigged … for certain customers. And then how he can rig it himself if he wants.

The sister going to Australia never materialises.. she is apparently off at the local hospital with uncle Marty's wife who has a heart condition and had an episode that morning.

I ask uncle Marty if his family was affected by the years of the Khmer Rouge in power. He rather abruptly says 'no'... Later when I have read up a bit of those years, I see the probable naivete of my question... and assume that uncle Marty might have well been on the 'wrong' side of things. Certainly he had no interest in talking about it. But I might well have been wrong too... maybe it was painful to talk about it? Needless to say uncle Marty seemed a little sleazy for my tastes.

When lunch is ready uncle Marty makes his pitch... would I like to 'do business'? Would I come to his gaming house … seek him out at table 5... and then play... He will let me win and all I need to do is give him 10% of the winnings. I make it very clear that I am not a businessman, and that I am not interested in gambling... and have no interest in his proposition at all. He leaves.

We eat.. the original man and his cousin and me... it's nice food. Then after they organise one of the street motorcycle guys to take be back to my guest house. The driver says it will cost 8,000 riel (about $2 US) … I know it should only be 4,000 riel and he agrees.

Only when I get back do I look at these experiences together and process them a bit. Coincidence? All these relatives going to Australia seemingly having had no big drama getting a work visa? Did I take some risk to life and limb hopping on the back of a stranger's bike (but then again.. that happens all the time here when hiring one of the street guys)?

All good... thankfully... or by chance... or foolishness notwithstanding. It is what it is.

My smartphone anti-predictor was right: 20% chance of no rain.

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Photos

Monks emerging to beg for food
In the SE Asian form of Buddhism (Theravada), monks seek their daily sustenance direct from devotees in the market and streets, carrying pots into which rice and other offerings are placed.

Inside the Wat Phnom
Wat (temple) Phnom is the temple on a hill (called a Phnom) from which the city derives its name....establised by a wealthy widow named Penh.

The case of the statues who eat meat
Outside one of the lesser temples at Wat Phnom... throughout the day meat is offered to these sacred images, removed and replaced with fresh offerings.

Have hammock, will travel
What Tuk Tuk drivers do while waiting for custom.... apart from driving around the streets asking tourists if they want a tour

Comments

[Home and Away]

Playing along with scams can be dangerous!!!
Be careful.

[Lynne Renew]

And you want to travel with him.. but not to travel blind.ll
Think Leonard Cohen would have written a song about the experience, Paul.

[Marguerite]

So glad you are happy to mix with a foolish friend........:)
I love this story Paul and I love this saying “If you want to improve, be content to be thought foolish and stupid".......yeah! well prepared. So glad you came to Cambodia. I did think that five days in Phnom Penh was too many - remember I said Phnom Penh hasn't got a lot to offer - it is actually the experience itself that is the attraction. And I did wonder how you would fill in one month here, but you had already booked your ticket. I only thought that because I know you have such amazing travel experiences and like you, I spend just enough time to appreciate the attractions, sites etc and then move on. But you will still have more stories to tell - and I look forward to you taking us on the journey - even on a moto - as always. More hugs!!! Marguerite

[D MJ Binkley]

Lounging expert
A man willing to wait in comfort

[Kuan Yin]

Very smart or very stupid....
I arrived in Bali on a plane full of Taiwanese pharmaceutical reps. They were headed to Bali for a sales conference; they all knew each other, and were in high spirits. I, on the other hand, had been in transit for over 36 hours at this point. I was hot, dirty, tired, and very thirsty. When you enter the Arrival Hall at Ngurah Rai airport in Denpasar, you are immediately given the opportunity, as one local cynic puts it “…to connect with the rest of humanity and find your inner peace.” Meaning you get to stand in this very long line crowded together with many, many other travelers, and you better find some calm within yourself, because you ain’t gonna get it from anyone else in that crowd. The line is to get a visa, and I had just resigned myself to a wait of several more hours before I could get a warm shower and a cold beer. There were several young men in light blue tunics scattered around the Arrival Hall, I took them to be airport employees of some sort. One of them came over to me and asked if I needed a visa. I said yes, and he said “I can help you.” He asked for US$25, which is the correct amount for a visa. I gave it to him, he said “Wait right here,” and walked away. At this point I figure I may have done something either very smart or very stupid, and may have just said good-bye to US$25. He came back very quickly and asked for my passport and travel documents. It must have been the sleep deprivation, because I handed over my passport and documents without question. As he walked away I felt that stab of anxiety and again felt I had done something either very smart or very, very stupid. I’m thinking to myself “How am I ever going to explain that I lost my passport - not that it was stolen, or that I actually lost it, but that I just gave it to a stranger.” At that moment the nice young man returned with my passport, my documents, AND my visa. He asked for a tip, I gave him US$1, with which he seemed well pleased. And it was well worth it to me to get out of that line and on my way to a warm shower and a cold beer.

[mahadev]

Familiar
Yep...incredible....and sounds very familiar to me actually. We sometimes take what must seem to the 'normal' beings looking on at our wayward existences, amazing risks...based on little else (or nothing) than a gut feeling. Sometimes the inner voice is just saying " well f--k it...whatever". :))

[mahadev]

Familiar
Yep...incredible....and sounds very familiar to me actually. We sometimes take what must seem to the 'normal' beings looking on at our wayward existences, amazing risks...based on little else (or nothing) than a gut feeling. Sometimes the inner voice is just saying " well f--k it...whatever". :))