You Better Start Lovin' ChiChi!: greatness shines on its own 21

I really don't know how to begin this post cos I've not been blogging for very long. In fact, my previous posts for the past one year has been.. hanging. Nothing much about my life, but more of how I felt at that point of time. And honestly, looking back at them - they seemed quite sad and melancholy. Damn. That doesn't look good. So here's my latest, not to show how awesome I've become(well, I have ALWAYS been), but its just something about my latest trip to another 'world', which is still a mystery to most people - Cambodia.

Why do I consider Cambodia as a mystery to the world? It exists in the world map, it appears in the news, there are travel books on them too, how mysterious can this country be? Prior to this trip, I've asked around, people who have never been to this country and most of them would say it is 'a dangerous, run down third world country' - definitely not a place for a lone female backpacker.

Yes, I was one of those people above who would say such thing. I thought Cambodians are one of the most dangerous people and I was nuts to even thought of going there! My best friends warned me that Cambodia has a high rate of human trafficking and they said, "don't worry, if anything, I'll find you at the child labour section and bail you out." - well. Thanks?

I landed into Phnom Penh on my first day, looked around the area as I was driven to my little crib, called BlueDog Guesthouse, in the city centre, and it reminded me a little of my previous trip to Hanoi. After checking in, I was lucky to have a tuktuk driver with such hospitality to tour me around Phnom Penh during my stay here. He brought me to places in my itinerary first before bringing me to other areas, which I didn't know about! He even told me a lot of histories about Cambodia - especially during the Khmer Rouge era cos he had been through that. I mean, to be honest, a regular guy would just drop you off to places you wanna go, get over and done with. Listening to histories from people who were affected during this era has definitely left an impact in me and with my awesome imagination, I don't know if I can ever be so strong to go through what they had been through.

I spent 3 days in Phnom Penh, half of my day on my way to Siem Reap via Mekong Express, and the last 4 days in Siem Reap. Places I've visited gave me extremely mixed feelings. Choeung Ek Killing Field and Tuol Sleng Museum showed me the dark moments of Cambodia and Angkor showed me a beautiful beginning of a great country. As much as I want to blog about my whole trip, I know it's gonna be a lengthy one.

I've met a few tourists from different continents and most of them are backpackers. For most of them who had been away from home for almost 3 months, they actually spent some of their time, volunteering in charitable homes. I didn't have much time but I managed to visit ACODO, a non profitable organization, in Siem Reap. That place not only opened my eyes but my heart too. I love my few hours spent in that place with the under privileged children and there I also met a nice Australian elder lady, who had been there for the past 9 months. Over dinner on my last day in Siem Reap, hearing her life story, she told me, "I don't know if it's by fate or by coincidence, but this has to be my best choice I've ever made. Some may say I'm avoiding reality. But who are they to say? These kids are happy. I am feeling happy."

Her guts deserve a salutation from me. I don't know what made her decided to stay but I have a strong feeling, it is the people here who touched her life like never before. Cos that is how I felt when I was there. I remembered that I was praying in Wat Dam Nak, one of the temples in Siem Reap and it was P'chum Ben(Festival of the Dead), an old man asked me in Khmer to join him for lunch together with the other devoted Buddhists. It was quite weird in the beginning cos I've never sat on the floor and eat before, but after a while, I realized that this is how it goes. Strangers would come along, have a meal together and enjoy each other's company. It felt warm(half of the time I couldn't understand the old man), and you don't get this in a modern society.

Anyway don't worry there will be a language barrier, most of the locals especially the younger generation are able to speak simple English and don't be shocked that most of the locals are very eager to talk to tourists cos majority have not been out of Cambodia, so they'd like to know how the world outside is like. I showed one of the kids where Malaysia and Singapore are and their reaction was, "So small? Can they fit a lot of people there?"

Another fact to clarify is, yes, it is true that there are a lot of beggar children around and they will approach you for money. To a certain extend, to some people who have low pressure tolerance, they can be quite annoying. However it doesn't mean that you can be rude to them. For instance, I was in Bayon and a child was begging from this lady. She just literarily shooed the poor girl away with her umbrella(bitch) and said to her friend, "so bloody annoying".

What the frock? Really.

Probably due to the hot sun and constantly being bitten by mosquitoes(damn you, useless insect repellent), I gathered my frustrations at her and she thought no one else understood her. Fucking pumpkin with ugly shoes. Money is not the only option, guys. Food can be given to them too and it is surely for their own consumption. But if none can be offered, a smile and gentle rejection will simply do just fine.

Sometimes a period away from routine, can definitely wake you up. A period away from people who know you and your comfort zone and I must say, it has given me a lot of time to think of how to get back in track with my life. Guess my old ways were hopeless! In conclusion, Cambodia is definitely a great getaway for me and it has taught me a lot more than what I've expected.

My colleague asked me before what do I expect out of the trip and even if I have the time to plan everything, I'd still give him the same answer, "Nothing. Expect nothing and you get greatness."

For more pics; CLICK HERE

PS: I was telling my friend about this over Facebook, like how difficult their lives are, how poor and all, this is what he said; "their definition of a happy ending may be very different from yours and mine. they may find bliss in the simple things - running water, a comfy stack of crap to sleep on, sharing a piece of bread with a friend, gazing upon the stars at night. true friendship. true love. things that actually matter to the soul. who's actually happier? i don't know."