Life in Cambodia is difficult. It's heaviness is palatable. After driving into town, the feeling is so strong I want to burst into tears. It's not that there is any thing terrible to see. There are luxury hotels sprouting up everywhere, lots of traffic, parents holding their children's hands as they cross the street often carrying a school backpack. There are small businesses.There are no killing fields where I was anymore, it was more likely to be an ice cream stand or food stall. So, wat up? I dunno. It was just incredibly heavy. The kids who sold the scarves, bracelets, straw decorations that were RELENTLESS, saying 'you buy from me, you promise, you come back and buy from me not from them'. Meanwhile you haven't promised anybody anything. Well, in India they just beg, here at least they are attempting to sell you something. And boy do they see me coming; bleeding heart liberal, downtown New Yorker that I am. I buy a little, say no a lot. The adults at food stalls try to wave me in with the least bit of eye contact to get me to buy from their stand, which is like the stand next to them, which is identical to the stand next to it, etc.
People not trying to sell you anything, and they do exist are warm, quick to smile and seem to have a tired kindness you don't see much where I come from. I found the people quite friendly, gentle (if they weren't trying to sell you something and sometimes if they were) very attractive and if you looked a little longer than 3 seconds the dark shadow of incredible sadness. These people have been through hell, and it was recently too. They still are. You see lots of people maimed from landmines, missing, arms, legs, blind. (there are still many many hidden land mines all over the country, 2-3 million still estimated). There are even orchestras playing at wats or in the 'Pub Street' area which kind of is like Vegas. A friend who had visited before used that comparison that mystified me until I got there. After spending all day climbing around wats or traveling into the countryside to see them, it's a brightly lit 21st century day on 'Pub Street' with pizza, bistros, 'authentic' Khmer food, Khmer massage and places to buy fair trade souvenirs, as well as bootleg copies of 'Tomb Raider' and 'The Killing Fields'. I guess a fair comparison would be Berlin 1950, Rwanda in the 90s, Iraq 5 years from now (or less I hope).
The young lady, Sophia (pronounce Soh pe a) was so lovely, delicate, soft spoken and humorous. She sat me down on the couch, had a lemon soda brought to me and said, 'Relax, you have come a long way, you will be comfortable here and you don't have to worry, just enjoy'. Pretty interesting check in to a hotel, huh? And she and the staff did all they could to make me feel welcome. I had a good time. I saw amazing sites, met interesting people, got some great photos. When I left, again I really had to blink back the tears when my tuk tuk driver smiled a huge warm grin, said thank you and good bye. I just wanted to burst into tears, I still do.
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