Arrival anecdotes 2: Making Changes, learning the ropes

24/7

 

As we slowly explore our new neighbourhood, I’m grateful to be able to see a new perspective of this amazing city. This little troupe of munchkins shout hello at the mere sight of us and yet for their ages they are incredibly independent, resilient and enterprising individuals. Duan Penh has a lot to offer when you open your eyes.

 

25/7

 

Phalla came today and has agreed to do some work for us. It was encouraging to hear he thinks, opening up the floor plan, is Khmer style. Then again every door which is left open, among the nineteen households that share the same entrance, reveals a long stretch of red and white tiles.  That is the very effect we wish to achieve.

 

The thrill of the new challenge, the vibrancy and the energy and the larger than life existence, is restoring me. I am unwinding and feeling calm again. Now I am nowhere near as anxious, which is much healthier.

 

Listening to the sweet voices of giggling girls playing on the stairs, skipping and singing nursery rhymes.

 

26/6

 

So good, we went somewhere new for sundowners a local sky bar.  Even better from our lookout position saw at least a dozen hornbills hovering overhead, flying in flocks and circling back landing on wires, the roof of the nearby temple, private balconies and trees. What a spectacle.

Newbies learning the ropes.

 

 

*Ian got a great shot on his phone 

As always Ian is embracing the challenge of the induction cooktop and persisting. He is so much quicker to adapt and adjust to change than I am. When will I learn?

 

At certain times of the early evening when it has cooled down considerably, it’s noisy from so many sources on the terrace but that is the fascination- kids are throwing a ball and skipping in the street, the bar girls are giving cold cans of coke to the garbage collectors, the tuk tuk drivers are gambling and smoking over warm cans of beer poured into glasses of ice of course, and it’s hard to be able to take it all in. Ah community. We will get to know you.

 

27/6

 

Phalla’s amazing demolition team did a champion effort at removing the offending concrete closets and opening up the kitchen/ living room space this morning. I get the impression that their skills extend well beyond demolition. Four workers and a few basic tools, lots of man power, heavy lifting and team work were the order of the day. It was so nice to see the strategy they adopted and the obvious confidence born of experience that was employed to bring our vision to reality. Our job was keeping everyone hydrated and keeping out of their way of course.

 

Lots more original red and white tiles have been exposed and the space is incredible. There are gaping holes and exposed bricks but minimum damage to walls and rendering, plastering and painting was already required. Now it’s actually essential so that will stop us procrastinating on that front.

 

We even managed to slip out and lodge our visa extension applications while the work was being done. The process of changing addresses and registering in Duan Penh district was simpler than I thought it would be. Yet again a polite, helpful and charming Khmer man with astonishingly good English, provided excellent service. I can’t wait until my oven is here and I can bake some cookies to take him when we collect our passports.

 

28/6

 

High drama when we returned to the apartment tonight. There was a burst water pipe at the top of the first flight of stairs and a gathering of children and adults all shining phone torches and investigating the water scenario. Ian was among those.

 

Luckily one enterprising young man was doing his best to find the right lever to cut the supply and succeeded in stemming the flow enough for the neighbour above us and us to squelch up to the first level! Now I want to be able to give him cookies too!

 

Kids in the lane were super interested and squealing and splashing and of course now the place is teeming with workers and predictably the water supply has been turned off.

 

30/6

Yesterday’s birthday celebration fell into default mode. As it turned out we spent a lot of time indoors either waiting for or consulting and assisting “Bong the Builder”. So pleased with the way he responds to ideas and is amenable to alternatives.

 

We did manage a quick trip to our favourite shop for a birthday gift purchase and a few celebratory beers after closing with the dynamic duo owners, before stumbling across the road to the best noodle place in the city!!

 

It was just about as low key as you could make it but prioritising and thinking about the long term was definitely a better option.

 

Today we were relieved to have no further water issues and a mission to find lighting fixtures for the kitchen area. It seems the painting of at least half the apartment is now going to be possible before the removalists bring the awkward, bulkier items here from Kep.

Yay that’s brilliant.

 

The big social, fun event of the day was meeting Amyssie and returning to our now favourite noodle joint. Where we were greeted as regulars and enjoyed yet another delicious, freshly hand-made noodles and dumplings dinner.

 

1/7

It’s July already how did that happen?

 

Strategies are now in play as we have dates for the removalists, the vacating of the Kep house and our first guest arriving this month from the US!!

 

Today we bought train tickets back to Kep and are super excited about that journey and arriving at the new station, which we have seen only once several years ago when it was an abandoned ruin and the train didn’t stop there.

 

We also managed to see the poignant Khmer film “White Building” which was screening as a part of the 11th Cambodian International Film Festival. We are delighting in having cultural activities at our doorstep.

 

We knew some of the history of the building and actually sighted it just before it was demolished in 2017. The storyline is deeply moving and the cinematography outstanding. The vivid depiction of inner city community life and the circumstances of the displaced residents echos of development sagas we have seen in Shanghai, Hiroshima and even Thimphu.  The building itself is of a similar age to the one we now live in too. We actually had stair envy at one point!

 

It was great.  As was actually being in a cinema and seeing how many young Cambodians were there to see it. I kept wondering how many people in the audience had lived there, visited there, were personally connected to it etc.