Takeo

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I had one day in Phnom Penh before taking the bus south to Takeo to volunteer at New Futures Orphanage, where I am now.

And, Phnom Penh was crazy. Completely crazy. I'm fairly familiar with chaotic cities but this was a stretch even for me. Sign? it is the first city in all of my travels where I have been legitimately nervous to cross the street. It is like thousands of people suddenly sprang into the same, tiny space; no rhyme or reason to street layouts, and no one even bothered to name the streets, their numbers go up into the hundreds. (making it easy for moto drivers but missing the character street names that can add to a neighborhood's atmosphere and indiosyncrasies)

I saw all of 5 other white people before arriving at the bus station and was quite pleased to be hopping on the local bus towards Takeo after my 36 hours in Phnom Penh.

Cambodia is the first place that has vaguely reminded me of Indonesia, in that it is seriously struggling, economically speaking. Petrol is sold in bottles at stands alongside the road. Cows and horses drag carts, alongside bicyces, motorbikes, the occasional car, and the infrequent bus. Workers cut the grass with small machetes, hunched over, methodically swiping at scrappy blades of harsh yet limp grass (a funny combination). And grass is not kept short for aesthetic reasons (except at Angkor Wat) but rather is gathered from those plots that do not have animals to feed the numerous cows roaming the roads. Cambodia has a surprising number of cows. Other things that share the roads are goats, ducks, less chickens than I'm accustomed to, and of course, dogs. The main roads are paved, but that's about it - dirt rules beyond that.

I've decided to make a likes/dislikes of Asia, to present a fairly well-rounded impression of my time in SE Asia thus far:

Likes:
-everything is cheap
-fresh, spicy! food
-locals are so friendly and generous and lovely (99% of the time)
-stunning, untouched landscapes
-hammocks everywhere
-luxury products with humble origins
-Eastern religions (monks are included in that)
-lack of safety regulations - or rather, the lack of rules in general really
-tribes have been able to continue their ways of life (some of the time)
-people i've met, wear their heart on their sleeve a bit more - and simply are curious and want to meet and learn about others and their respective cultures
-motorbikes!
-EVERYTHING is new 😊 😊 😊

dislikes:
-siestas and how people "work", but really just sit around, trying to put the work on someone else, or ripping off tourists so they don't have to work much
-tuk tuk drivers, taxi drivers, and most moto drivers (we'll add bus stations to that mix too)
-negative effects of tourism: begging, materialism, misconstrued "needs" i.e. buying motorbikes, cell phones, and TVs before running water
-lack of safety net and support from the government to prevent starvation, illiteracy, and preventable deaths through lack of schools, healthcare, and general infrastructure
-corruption
-mosquitos - they carry diseases

Anyhow, I arrived in Takeo safe and sound an am in the midst of a project to finish painting the orphanage and paint the front exterior walls. The acting directors has multiple plans in the works, one of which is for engineers to come out and build some extra buildings and a dock for the orphanage - more the grunt work so to speak. Since arriving, I have often been reminded of Paul Tankel's class on creating architecture and optimal atmospheres for a desired purpose (learning (educational) vs. living vs. religious etc.) and I've had fun throwing ideas around with Neville, the director. It's really exciting to hear about the opportunities in the works for the children and the orphanage!

i hope you all had a fun, and scary!, halloween!! cheers 😊

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