Best of the best

So I have been a bit out of touch in the last few days. I hope I don't have too many disappointed fans. I've just been everywhere doing all kinds of stuff, and had little time to write. But I missed it, and I'm glad things have calmed down again so I can take stock of the situation a bit.

On Valentine's Day my Khmer teacher Kesor invited me to a Khmer concert called "Best of the Best". It's a yearly thing. I went there with Clayre, two of here visiting friends and Amaury. It was huge. The whole Olympic stadium was filled of middle class Cambodians, young and old, screaming like maniacs when there idol arrived on stage. Basically the biggest names in Cambodian pop were there, you know, the world famous Prieb Sowat, Sapoun Midada etc. There were even one or two hip pop singers. You should've seen that. Cambodian rap, with like the baggy clothes, the back to front caps and the gold chains and everything. Just brilliant. I actually enjoy some Cambodian tunes now. My ears have got used to it a bit and when I recognise a tune I sometimes hum along. Unimaginable a few months ago. I would pull my hair out when my neighbours would blast Cambodian music out of their window.

Corinne left Krousar Thmey now. She had a leaving do at her house with Sangva who worked in administration and who also left. It was fun. The whole Krousar Thmey staff was there, even directors of some of the centres. There was a karaoke so they were at ease. I got a hang of it as well. In fact, that's a bit of an understatement, I absolutely loved it. I didn't let go of the microphone and squealed Celine Dion songs all night (I'm not quite there with the Khmer tunes just yet…). But it was fun. It was nice to hang out with my colleagues, especially the Khmer ones, outside of the work context. It's sad that Corinne has left though. I really miss her at work. But the positive thing is that I now have my own desk and… check this out: my own brand new computer. Yes, Krousar Thmey gave in to my and Corinne's complaints about the retarded computer we used to have. The best feature of my new computer, except for the fact that it works, is undoubtedly my mouse: it flashed in 20 different colours really fast like a disco ball. At first I thought that was really cool and bragged about it to my colleagues. After about 10 mins, I started looking for the off button. Here my Khmer colleagues started looking perplex: why would you want to turn this off? It stays like that. Even when you turn off your computer! The first week it made me so dizzy I felt sick. The second week I thought I was becoming epileptic. Now I'm used to it. In fact I think I will get one for my laptop and my motorbike (yeah, Khmers love flashing devices. A flashing horn on your bike, or a flashing exhaust pipe on your car/motorbike is top class over here…)

What else to report. Oh... I've started driving lessons. As many of you know, I've had many, lets say, difficulties with passing my licence in the past. It was supposed to be my 18th birthday present, and the procedure started then when I lived in Switzerland. Six years on and different procedures in the UK, Belgium and France later, I have still not been able to acquire this precious document. Now don't jump to conclusions, I am in fact an excellent driver, just not a lucky one. And I have decided to test my luck again in a completely different setting. If I don't get my licence here, I will officially declare defeat and rely and my feet and public transport for the rest of my life – this is starting to be a ridiculously expensive spell of bad luck… So anyway, I convinced my Khmer colleague Chetra that he should really start to learn driving, as once Krousar Thmey is fully khmerised, he will need to be able to drive himself and donors. He agreed and we went together to a driving school not far from work where they offered a deal where for 60 dollars you get 14 driving lessons, 10 theory lessons, the test and the licence. Sounded pretty decent to me, until of course I realised that this tariff does not apply to my white skin and my blond hair (and maybe perhaps my past driving record…? Have they been informed all the way to here? Impressive.) So I had to pay more than double that. Luckily Chetra haggled with the guys there, who wouldn't budge, haggled some more with the next driving school along the road, who agreed to make it 75 for me and 60 for him. Anyway, so we started to learn to drive Cambodian style on this old Camry. In Cambodia you see, a red light is purely an indication, or lets say a suggestion, never an obligation, and the driving instructor actually gets mad a me when I refuse to go at a red light. What else has he taught me to do… oh, overtaking from the right, overtaking on a continuous line, taking a turn in 3rd gear, starting the car in 2rd gear… The thing that annoys me the most is the way they use the clutch here. Each time there is an obstacle in front of you, which in this country is always (cyclos, motos driving against the flow, unsteady small children on their bikes, cows etc) you have to push the left foot in. Even when you're in 3rd or 4th gear. You let go when the obstacle is past. Letting go of the accelerator or, God forbid, braking, is a big no no. You declutch. I always come out of these classes so worked up… I'm starting to worry I won't pass the test here either. Chetra reassured me though, that if I don't get, I can just buy one. He knows somewhere where you can buy one for 35 dollars.

The other big news is that Amaury has left Cambodia and that I have moved in to his and Clayre's apartment. I was always over there anyway, and I use to sleep over there more than I slept at home. Krousar Thmey doesn't pay me much but they provide me with accommodation just above the office. So I couldn't really afford to pay a rent but Clayre and Amory offered to pay half of my rent so I didn't hesitate too long. It's really really nice over there. It's in a nice area where all the cool people live and close to where all the stuff is happening. Lovely breezy terrace, clean tidy flat with a shower that actually shoots out water (not the tiny dribble I was used to) a nice kitchen, a good sized room with fan and aircon. Top notch. It's also mush quieter and less dusty as the flat has windows (fancy huh?). I also really enjoy having my home and not staying at the same place all day long. Well I didn't anyway; I would always go out after work. But still, I found it quite unhealthy to work and live at the same place and with the same people. I'm glad I can disconnect in the evenings now. It also means I have loads more space to host guests, so come along!!! A word of warning though, if you can't bear bad smells, you might not love my new flat as much as I do, as our lovely terrace overlooks a beautiful black stagnant river, which is the road's sewage. It's like you live in the sewer. But if you don't tolerate bad smells, you should probably consider another destination than Cambodia all together. It would just be a traumatising experience. Apart from the smell, the other slight inconvenience to my new home is that I am now far from work. But Amaury, by some sort of crazy surge of well-intentioned trust, agreed to lend me his motorbike while he is in Belgium (until July) so that I can put my life at risk every morning and every evening on my way to and back from work. So far I haven't had the guts to take it out. I have only driven it for like an hour last week with Amaury behind me and that was my very first time on a motorbike. I could hardly handle a bicycle in Leeds, and that was mainly through quite parks. And these motorbikes are so confusing with all these pedals to change gear and to brake, I was just getting a hang of the ones on the car and now it's all different. I'm hoping the confidence will spring to me soon. For now I am still taking motodops while carefully taking mental notes on how they swerve, avoid imminent collisions and handle big crossings with no red lights.

Last thing, I went to another wedding last Friday. Not as fun as the last one, as this time it was in Phnom Penh is this huge reception hall, not in a village. But the fun part was that I got to wear another fancy dress, red one this time (from Barbie to femme fatale) and that I went to my local hairdressers so they could do me up. I had 4 girls doing my hair in curls, one girl on each hand doing my nails, one girls painting me with layers of makeup and one woman supervising the whole operation. They were loving it, preparing a blond girl. Not as much as I was though. And all that for 3$... The best part is when we arrived at the wedding, really late, and then suddenly the crowd stopped eating and I had 200 pairs of eyes riveted on me. They couldn't believe it. A white girl with Khmer dress and Khmer hair do and everything… I was so uncomfortable. Well actually, that feeling didn't last too long. I actually loved the attention. Poor bride though...