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Published: November 15th 2009
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Tuk-tuk!
I love these so much! Week One!
Well, it has been a very interesting first week in Cambodia to say the least. After arriving at Phnom Penh airport after a very quick changeover in Singapore (which I very nearly missed), I picked up my heavy suitcase and made my way through the exit to be greeted by a very enthusiastic Auntie of mine! She took a couple of unflattering but necessary pictures of an exhausted me before we drove all the way home where she showed me around her flat which is more like a miniature house! She then took me to Metro restaurant on Sisowath Quay (named after one of the Kings) to meet two very good friends - Chaz and Tony. We travelled there by tuk-tuk - an incredible taxi service which is a moto-drawn carriage. It’s an amazing contraption and I definitely would like to DIY my own one in England and drive it around! On the way we drove past the King’s Palace, which is breathtaking! The lights were on to mark their independence day and we also passed the Independence Memorial which had a flame alight inside as part of the celebration. I had a very nice
The Palace
Oh, I wish I could live there... meal of traditional Cambodian food - served with rice of course - over conversation with Anji, Chaz and Tony before a very jetlagged Anji and I returned home to hit the hay.
The next day a very kind Aunty Gorgeous allowed me to sleep in until one in the afternoon, before I had to wake up and rush around like a maniac to get ready for a meeting at quarter to two with Jo, one of her team members. I now have to be called Joanna or Jem when we are with Jo but it is something which I and Anji both keep forgetting on occasions - whoops. Some of my evening was spent at “The Place” in the restaurant on the top floor to see the fireworks over Singapore Slings and pig’s ears with Anji, Kakada, Anna, Les, Peter and Jill. We then made our way over to K’nyay (Khmer for ginger) for a meal of traditional Cambodian vegetarian delights before we made our way back home via tuk-tuk again.
On Thursday, I had my earliest wake up call yet and despite being jetlagged and having only gotten 5 hours of sleep I managed to drag myself
Mopeds
They really are the way to travel! out of bed, if reluctantly, to make my way with Anji to ‘Veggys’ to pick up some provisions. We then took a drive to Takhmou in Solida’s lexus with Jo and Nic to look at locations for filming. Takhmou is in the countryside just outside of Phnom Penh and the difference is unfathomable! The houses are on stilts to help shelter the house from the rainy season as the village is on the riverside and the families who live there spend most of their time underneath them as the houses get so hot inside. They are honestly some of the most beautiful, albeit unusual, houses I have ever seen in my life and I would definitely have a lot of fun living in one! It was also nice to meet another member of the IDP team and I can’t wait to meet the rest at the introduction party next Monday. That night Anji made a delicious roast lamb with potatoes and carrots in gravy before we watched BBC news to see what’s happening in the world and then I went to bed with one though on my mind - “please let me get over my jetlag”!
The next day
BBC
Special advertisment! I was supposed to get up even earlier than the day before at 6:30am but my alarm didn’t go off like it was supposed to and I ended up sleeping for an extra fifty minutes! Like my second day there I had to rush around to get ready for a meeting at 8am with the clients about the film project. Afterwards, I was given the task of writing a newsletter about a local school in a countryside village which has been sponsored by donors to help keep it running. The newsletter was for the clients to tell them about what their money has helped do so far and also included letters written from the children to thank them for everything they’ve done for them. They were really touching to read and I’ll admit I almost cried - but that’s just between us. In the evening Anji and I ordered Indian takeout: Cambodian style. It was quite different from what I am used to in England, but it was still very nice and we watched a very good film all about food and blogging called ‘Julie & Julia’ (very appropriate I thought) before I headed off to bed for some well-deserved
sleep!
Saturday was a very eventful day as Anji and I went out again to get more provisions, but this time from Bayon Market and then to get French Duck from the Pantry as she plans to cook ‘Duck breast with cherry and port sauce with mashed potato’ by good old Gordon Ramsey. In the evening we took out Anji’s jeep for a drive. There was so much effort involved pushing the car out of the driveway and onto the road and then giving it another push along the road to help it start, but it was totally worth it because of the places she took me to see. We drove across the bridge and onto the riverside and she showed me “Snowy’s bar” where you can see the sunset. She then drove me past a wedding reception which had really loud music - more intense than in nightclubs or gigs. It’s honestly enough to make you go deaf! I was then shown the Muslim area by the riverside which looks very similar to the countryside and I was amazed by how close the community looked and absolutely adored it. Anji also told me that on New Years Day
Rice Fields
So gorgeous and so green many crazy westerners swim across the Mekong River, which is something I’ve promised myself I will do! We then had a lovely dinner at Chaz’s who is a really talented chef and I absolutely adored the food he cooked, especially the chocolate mousse pudding which I had seconds of as well as the main course - I felt so guilty for over-indulging, but it was just so tasty! Anji and I then went to check out the "Drag Night" at a very chic gaybar called Blue Chilli, full of over the top artsy type people (like Gok Wan). It is definitely my new favourite place in town (for now)! The acts were amazing and they really did look like women.
Today Anji, Les, Peter and I went on a scenic 26km bike ride around the countryside. It was one heck of an eventful one where there were two accidents and lucky enough for us there was a doctor in the group! Normally there isn’t one, except in films, but this time there was and he managed to help Les who became dizzy and almost collapsed from low blood sugar - luckily the guides were there to catch him! Then
26km
One word... tough! But we were still smiling by the end of it the doctor’s son crashed into a motorcycle coming down the road and even though I wasn’t there to witness it he said it was pretty spectacular. Luckily the motorbikes go very slowly and so the boy wasn’t hurt - phew! We then drove back to the ‘pick-up-point’ and made our way home by foot before we had a very delicious ‘chilli con carne’ - made by Anji and then chillaxed after a very draining and exhausting morning!
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Carrie
non-member comment
Wow - what a first week!
Hi Jo - I loved reading all about your first week and seeing the photos. Don't forget to use your camera and get photos of all the people you talk about as it would be so interesting to see them, as well as the places you mention, as it is all so fascinating over there. I love the way you have described everything, and I remember similar feelings when I first went there. Lots of love xxxx