Sitting on our upstairs patio, protected from the rain that is falling in the growing dusk. It’s cool and breezy out here, the air is fresh. I like this little perch. Sitting on the tiles, with my back against the door, the patio is wide enough for me to listen to the sounds of the street without being seen. It’s the evening rush hour. Everyone seems to bustle home just before dark. Then the street is quiet from about 7pm to daybreak – when the morning hustle begins.
Today is Friday. One week since we arrived in Cambodia. And I am sitting on the patio of our house. In Cambodia. We live here. I keep repeating these simple statements to myself, over and over. It doesn’t seem quite real yet. I am on the other side of the world, and I’m going to be here for a long while. Even though I’ve been here before… everything is so new, everyday so full of surprises.
I love where we live. All the barangs (originally a term for the French colonizers, now applies to all expats) say we live really “out there,” and “far away.” What this means is that we live far from where the expats live, and in a mostly Khmer districts. It’s true that it’s hard to explain where we live, and we have farther to travel when coming home from a night out. But I wouldn’t have it any other way. The much cheaper rent is an obvious bonus (we pay almost half what we would have if we were on the other side of town). Here, we can afford a really funky 3 floor “villa, the Pink Palace, with a dance/rock climbing/ work out room, an office, a guest room, and art studio, a patio, and a roof top with a panoramic view. I can walk to work. I can walk to the market. I can shop and eat very locally and cheaply. I have to practice my Khmer. All good things.