You Might Be Surprised

You might be surprised by all the western influence on every day life in Phnom Penh. I know I was. Before I left home, I worried a little about several things: How would I communicate? How easy is it to exchange US dollars and understand local money? How easily will I travel around town? (I also worried about creature comforts like food and clean clothes, but thanks to Jim and Eveline and their employees, Savi, Srey Neang, and Savon, this creature couldn't be much more comfortable!)

Savon

In terms of communication, there have been plenty of times when I struggled to understand what was being said; and plenty of times when I had to repeat and rephrase what I was saying, but the fact is that most service workers (drivers, restaurant workers, shop owners) speak and understand English. As far as money goes, the preferred currency is the dollar. No coins are used; for amounts less than one dollar change is given in riel (4000 riel=one USD). As far as getting around town, for weekday travel I use Eveline's driver, Savon. On the weekends it's a matter of flagging down a tuk-tuk driver. For a nominal fee (usually one or two dollars) the driver will take you, and if need be, wait for you.

Savi

Except for occasional thousand year old buildings, tropical foliage everywhere, and classic French inspired architecture, Phnom Penh "feels" very western. For example, the vast majority of the signage is in English. From the street signs to the store fronts, English language dominates the landscape. Although the streets have names such as Norodom Blvd and Pasteur Street, each was designated numerically by French designers years ago; and although the streets are not consecutive by number, they are easily followed.

Is Louisiana known for chicken?

Phnom Penh is similar to any large city in the USA in many respects. It has the same problems (overcrowding, trafficking, crime) and it provides the same municipal services (trash removal, police, etc). The differences though are matters of degree. The finest health care in the world is available throughout the USA, not the case here. The police at home "protect and serve;" here the police are feared. I am told they are corrupt, and they often solicit petty bribes from the same citizens they are duty-bound to protect. Even the simple things we take for granted and expect without a second thought (like trash removal and recycling efforts) are very different here. Yes the trash truck runs on a schedule, yet there seems to be little effort to clean up the many piles of trash and debris around the city. (To their credit though, Cambodians are incessant sweepers. Especially in the early morning, many people can be seen sweeping sidewalks and gutters.)

I've been here for parts of three weeks and can honestly say, much to my great relief, my worries were unfounded. Phnom Penh is not the west, I know; but sometimes it sort of feels that way.