I have mixed feelings about my imminent trip home to the UK. So in an attempt to make it easier to leave this country, which has crept into my heart & now has a vice like grip, that is causing my current ambivalence, below is a list of things I WON'T miss about this place (in no particular order).
1) The reliably intermittent water & electricity supply
2) Sex pats & seeing countless old, fat, ugly, repulsive western men with khmer girls/boys who look like children
3) The terrible roads & subsequent dust - everywhere
4) Overt & unabashed misogyny & an endemic disrespect towards women
5) Election Rallies & campaigning - noisy, disruptive & pointless in this "democracy"
6) Anything related to the health care system here - corruption, lack of compassion, people dying needlessly, mismanagement, mistreatment, staff ignoring my advice or wilfully doing the opposite.... x-ref any clinical blog
7) Early morning Wat monk chanting & banging of gongs
8) Khmer weddings - noisy, disruptive & also pretty pointless
9) Tony the compound's psychopathic dog's incessant barking at his own shadow - all day & all of the night
10) PTSD - the result of which often leads me to feel like I am living in a land of teenagers
11) Karaoke - both the loud videos on buses & the establishments that exploit & objectify women
12) Only, at best, being able to understand 30% of what people are saying
13) Mosquitoes
14) Mice & their excrement, the new acrobatic display they do around my living room in the evenings would be on the "things I WILL miss" list but generally jumping out of cupboards & bins at me I definitely WON'T miss
15) Wankers driving SUVs/motos/lorries/buses who seem intent on trying to kill me on my bicycle
16) Everything always being about money - no money, no life or មិនមានលុយ, មិនមានជីវិត as they say here
17) An apparent absence of any rationale or common sense applied to problem solving
18) A feeling of low grade frustration & anger - constantly & persistently
19) "Expert" Barangs of which there are many coming here with questionable skills & yet thinking they can single handedly solve the problem
20) Injustice, abuse of human rights & lack of true freedom of speech
The 'will miss' list is significantly longer & therein lies the problem....
1) The reliably intermittent water & electricity supply
2) Sex pats & seeing countless old, fat, ugly, repulsive western men with khmer girls/boys who look like children
3) The terrible roads & subsequent dust - everywhere
4) Overt & unabashed misogyny & an endemic disrespect towards women
5) Election Rallies & campaigning - noisy, disruptive & pointless in this "democracy"
6) Anything related to the health care system here - corruption, lack of compassion, people dying needlessly, mismanagement, mistreatment, staff ignoring my advice or wilfully doing the opposite.... x-ref any clinical blog
7) Early morning Wat monk chanting & banging of gongs
8) Khmer weddings - noisy, disruptive & also pretty pointless
9) Tony the compound's psychopathic dog's incessant barking at his own shadow - all day & all of the night
10) PTSD - the result of which often leads me to feel like I am living in a land of teenagers
11) Karaoke - both the loud videos on buses & the establishments that exploit & objectify women
12) Only, at best, being able to understand 30% of what people are saying
13) Mosquitoes
14) Mice & their excrement, the new acrobatic display they do around my living room in the evenings would be on the "things I WILL miss" list but generally jumping out of cupboards & bins at me I definitely WON'T miss
15) Wankers driving SUVs/motos/lorries/buses who seem intent on trying to kill me on my bicycle
16) Everything always being about money - no money, no life or មិនមានលុយ, មិនមានជីវិត as they say here
17) An apparent absence of any rationale or common sense applied to problem solving
18) A feeling of low grade frustration & anger - constantly & persistently
19) "Expert" Barangs of which there are many coming here with questionable skills & yet thinking they can single handedly solve the problem
20) Injustice, abuse of human rights & lack of true freedom of speech
The 'will miss' list is significantly longer & therein lies the problem....
Did you already post the "will miss" list? What's about KHMER COMEDY on the bus?????
ReplyDeleteEnjoy ...
Hello Anonymous - not sure who I am replying to but the "definitely DO miss" list will be finalised after I have been in the UK & can confirm the "will miss" & add any new unexpected entries....
ReplyDeleteLet me start your WILL NOT MISS list for being back in England...
ReplyDelete1. Selfish, blinded people* absorbed in petty concerns with no concept of how lucky they are.
2. Vacant stares when you reply honestly to "What's it like in Cambodia?" and realise they wanted to hear holiday stories.
3. Televised football.
*I'm speaking metaphorically here; I'm not having a go at blind people.
Rob - Brilliant! but just to clarify 1) same problem here 2) same problem here 3) same problem here ;-)
ReplyDelete