Second Week in Phnom Penh
My second week in Phnom Penh has flown by in a flash and I’m starting to realize this summer will be over before I know it. Every day I feel like I discover something new and exciting, a potential once-in-a-lifetime experience that simply cannot be missed. I admit, I am beginning to understand why some tourists never leave Cambodia.
While I was a bit stressed by Phnom Penh at first, I have settled into comfortable routines. My morning tuk tuk ride to work, which used to be an exhausting hassle, is now one of the most relaxing parts of my day. I even have a favorite neighborhood restaurant where everyone knows my name, though bridging the Khmer-English gap with them has led to several mutually funny (mis)conversations.
Last Thursday, the office hosted a farewell party for Lennart, doubling as a welcome party for Jean and me. Not to jump to superlatives, but this was one of the most fun office parties I’ve ever attended. We had a private karaoke room with hot pot soup, along with lots of fun juice beverages I had never seen before. One of the juice flavors was grass with jelly, which actually tasted pretty good! At nearly every karaoke party I’ve ever seen, courage to sing is slowly built. My coworkers, however, jumped right to it. I got to hear some great renditions of Khmer pop songs and several of my coworkers have legitimately amazing voices. Since there weren’t too many American songs, the interns got to sing lots of Britney Spears, which we all found endlessly amusing. The evening ended with us learning a few easy line-dances that corresponded to some very catchy Khmer songs. Ultimately, the party really made me realize how lucky I am to be a part of the ODC family, even if for just a summer.
On Friday, I finalized the scope of my work for the summer. For the first part of the summer, I will be writing about the legal aid situation in Cambodia, as well as cataloguing the various NGOs that provide legal aid in Cambodia. Later, I’ll be reviewing ODC’s terms of service and disclaimer pages, as well as looking into the legal implications of NGOs packaging data for sale. So far, I’m doing a lot of reading and writing, as you might expect. Some of my research has taken a bit longer than expected, as many government documents and websites are in Khmer and not easily translated. The work is interesting though and I’ve learned so much about the Cambodian legal system, which is a hybrid common law and civil law system.
On Saturday, Jean and I went on a Phnom Penh market tour, which was such a gem. At first, I was a bit skeptical when Jean suggested it. After all, I just assumed that understanding the hectic Cambodian markets could only be earned through persistence and slow osmosis. However, after googling the tour, I was definitely sold. Starting in the late afternoon, we were picked up from our neighborhood and taken to the top of the Phnom Penh Tour, which overlooks the entire city. It was beautiful to see the skyline of Phnom Penh running along the Mekong River, dotted with boats. I realized, for the first time, how Phnom Penh is simultaneously big and small, modern and rustic. Brightly lit buildings that reminisce of Blade Runner share city blocks with shanties and busy market streets. In a lot of ways, I’m in awe of Phnom Penh, which has grown with tenacity since the 1970’s, when the entire city was literally abandoned for three straight years.
After seeing the skyline, our small tour (five total including our guide) headed to a market. Our guide showed us the best fruits to buy, all of which I had literally never heard of before. My personal favorite was the mangosteen, which has a juicy garlic-shaped center once you peel off the purple rind. I had somewhat… mixed… feelings about the snake fruit, covered in prickly, brown scales, which had a sort of metallic, blue cheese aftertaste for me. After a brief interlude of pork rinds, we then moved on to the sour fruits, which were sold on the opposite side of the market, separate from the “sweet fruits.” I was particularly fond of the sour mango, which was absolutely delicious when dipped in a chili and salt powder.
After a hearty “snack” of pork ribs, our group headed off to dinner. Our tuk tuk driver, while we had been in the market, had gone to another market to get a variety of novelty foods for us. Our adventurous surprise included whole frogs, crickets, water beetles, and grubs. While certainly sold in markets and enjoyed locally, I quickly gathered that these were not necessarily everyday snacks for Cambodians. That said, the novelty was exciting and I am definitely not above being a silly tourist. I’m proud to say I ate every weird food available, even the grub (which was alarmingly juicy). Also, just for the record, the crickets were actually downright tasty.
Sunday was more sedate. After doing a bit of grocery shopping armed with my newfound market knowledge, I headed to the north end of town for an architecture tour. I am not an architecture buff; however, a few of my coworkers were going, so I tagged along. Our first stop was Vann Molyvann’s 100 houses project, a compound of roughly 100 identical houses designed by a French architect in 1965. The houses, some in varying states of decay, some renovated, and some entirely replaced, showcased architecture designed, foremost, to dissipate heat and allow for cool airflow. Today, only a few houses of the 100 remain unchanged from Molyvann’s design, pictured below.
Our second stop was the Royal University of Phnom Penh. I know I was supposed to enjoy the quirky, modernist architecture, but I mostly enjoyed seeing the lives of university students. In a city that sometimes feels very foreign to me, the university felt remarkably like home. Students were reading on benches, or hanging out with friends on green lawns and drinking iced coffee. I cannot say I’m entirely jealous of the students, however. It appears professors post class grades publicly on bulletin boards around campus, which would lead to chaos in American law schools.
Finally, we headed to the Olympic Stadium, where no Olympics have ever been held, ironically enough. Also designed by Vann Molyvann, the stadium was host to a number of casual sporting events the afternoon we visited, offering a glimpse into local life. Crowds of spectators watched as kids played volleyball, soccer, and even a (very heated) boxing match between two girls. Outside, women were enjoying lively jazzercise aerobics along the street. If I was not so exhausted from the tour, I could have stayed much longer into the evening. As it was, however, I felt a little faint and sick, so I headed home.
On Tuesday, Jean and I had been excitedly gearing up for a Mekong boat ride, which costs only five dollars(!) for an hour of cruising along the river. Unfortunately, as evening approached, rain clouds began to gather. With perseverance and enthusiasm, we surged ahead with our plans, ignoring the weather. Joined by ODC’s third American summer intern, Daniel, we boarded our (perhaps sketchy) boat in the absolute pouring rain. Needless to say, we were the only people onboard our “private cruise,” the roof leaking heavily and the water choppy. Despite the circumstances, we had so much glee enjoying something so hilariously odd and memorable. Additionally, Phnom Penh’s nighttime skyline was beautiful in the hazy rain (pictures cannot do it justice). I would not have traded our bizarrely fun evening for anything.
This weekend, a large group from the office is traveling to Mondulkiri, a northeast province in Cambodia that borders Vietnam. There, in the tropical forests, we will be visiting an elephant sanctuary for the day. I’m sure it will be very memorable and I am excited to write about it when I return!