And Then There Were 5: Sarey's Mother Stops Work

I've not seen Sarey's home.
Brief descriptions lead me to believe it looks something
 like this one-room hut.

Sarey tells me her mother is 'OK' after her accident.

That's difficult to believe as she has burnt her legs to such an extent that she must stop working for an extended period of time.

Instead of working she is, I am told, going to stay home and look after Sarey's grandparents. They don't have any money. And now the breadwinner-Sarey's mother- can't earn a crust, either.

I don't know how Cambodia's poor manage when times are 'good,' let alone when disaster strikes.

Shacks, Mansions, Boats and Sewerage

  

This baby's home is a boat. No room to play. Hot, dangerous and depressing.

 The residents of these shacks live near the sewerage pumping station. Frankly, it usually stinks around here. You can see that the foreground is used as a makeshift dump. Highly unpleasant.

Phnom Penh has thousands of homes just like these. I couldn't live in one for a night.

These homes are plentiful in the Cambodian capital, too. They are lower-middle or middle class homes, I guess, with less well-off folk inhabiting the top floors. All levels will usually house large extended families.

And then there is this monstrosity. And while it's an extreme example - although it's becoming less so- it represents well the disparity of income here. Cambodia's kleptocrats* often live in such places.

* I've got no idea who lives here- it could be a fine and upstanding Cambodian businessmen who has never given into corruption, land-stealing or thuggery.

Carting Cambodian Cane

One sofa, two armchairs, 3 tables, 10 cushions and 18 stools came by motorcycle.

All (driver included) arrived safe, if a little dusty.

Free Delivery

I found the kitchen cabinet we needed but the store owner refused to budge on price. After a lot of to 'n' fro she finally agreed on free delivery.

I walked home; the large cabinet came by motorbike!

A Cambodian Christmas

Huffing and puffing up stairs while carrying furniture is not our idea of the perfect Christmas day. But when someone else is doing the puffing, and it's our furniture, fridge and fans- finally they cleared Cambodian customs- being carried up the stairs, then it makes for a mighty fine Christmas present!

All done in just a few hours, with one deadstill stop by everyone so that our next-door neighbour could make merit.  

So it's cold beer and wine with Christmas dinner; just in the nick of time!

Merry Christmas everyone!

                           

~Philip and Ann

Our Cambodian Home II

It's a little further out from the centre of the city than we would prefer but the price is right. It's brand new so it's clean and everything is in working order and the neighbourhood is quiet.

Best of all it's big -four bedrooms, three bathrooms, and two big living areas- so we can begin teaching downstairs whilst living on the upper floor. And we are sure that the cat will approve; with just a couple of wussy 'toy' dogs across the street and not another feline in sight, he will soon be the ruler of a brand new territory!

Most Cambodian houses, like those in Thailand, look drab and somewhat imposing from the outside (and often the insides are no different) because of their heavy gates and barred windows. There's no way of getting away from that and of course the security does give peace of mind.

We move in on the 14th of this month- providing our household goods have arrived from Thailand by then. In the meantime the search for school furniture, students and good local food begins!

Our Cambodian Home

Found: One Phnom Penh home!

 Thumb prints all round and the deal is Signed...                                                                                                         Sealed...

                                                          and delivered!

Details and house photos to follow...

Stepping Out

It didn't take us long to realise that a flat on the second or third floor was most likely unsuitable as a home. And that unsuitability is for no other reason than the stair climb required to get to the upper levels of a Phnom Penh apartment or house.

Does that sound wimpy?

Not when temperatures reach 40 degrees and then some and the stairs are either the steep cliff-face straight up concrete type or the swirly iron tower take-you life-in-your-hands dangerous kind.


Neither option is much fun, and we never did figure how we would get our furniture in!

House Hunting Hustlers

It's mid-morning, hot and we are on our first day of house-hunting. There is a place to rent nearby. It's not in the area that we want and it's large and therefore probably too expensive but we have to start some where.

Within seconds of peering through the gate and into the vacant house we are accosted by two young men on a motorcycle. They know the exact price of the house; and it is too expensive. But after establishing how much we can afford they assure us that they have several places that could be suitable. And so we jump on a motorcycle taxi and follow the mobile real estate men for a quick tour of possible new homes.

None of the homes we are shown are what we're after. Naturally they are disappointed but in a cheerful sort of way. Later that day, whilst peering through another gate, we meet another man, who knew someone who knew someone that could find us a place. We see him tomorrow.

This is how these men make a living. They gather information on rentals and then cruise the streets looking for prospects willing to trust themselves to someone that they have never met. It's hit and miss work but presumably a lucky strike earns a hefty commission. And at least their overheads are low!

Too small...                                                                            Too big...