Thinking bout Cambodia

What I learned in Cambodia :

• The capital of Cambodia is Phnom Penh ( pronounced as Peh-nom Pen-h ).
• In Malaysia, we call them 'states', in Cambodia, they're called 'provinces'.
• Cambodia is one hour earlier than Malaysia.
• Basically, you don't really refer to the locals as Cambodian, but rather as Khmer ( pronounced as Keh-mair ).
• Everyone speaks Khmer ( refer to pronounciation above ), and most are trying to learn English. Somehow, they know that English rocks! The older folks know a bit of French. I bet they were more romantic at one point in time. jet'aime.
• The two biggest towns in Cambodia are Phnom Penh and Siem Riep. Siem Riep is where Angkor Wat is. For more information of Angkor Wat, go to www.google.com and key in Angkor Wat. Siem Riep is where all the culture is. The locals told me, " If you've not been to Siem Riep, you've not been to Cambodia". Well, I've not been to Cambodia then.
• The word Kampong does exist in Cambodia. It means 'port'.
• The word 'Chup' means 'stop' in Khmer. Guess Coca-Cola imported the word from Cambodia. Chup, Coca-Cola!
• In Cambodia, you use US dollars to get around. For items less than 1USD, you use Riel, their local currency. 1USD = 4000Riel = RM4. Well, almost:P
• Though they were colonised by the French for awhile, the American influnce is really strong. Anyways, they drive left-hand-drive cars on the right-side of the road, the total opposite of Malaysia.
• The roads in Phnom Penh are primarily dirt roads except for the main road, which are tarred. Each stretch of main road is sponsored by some country. The stretch of road that was sponsored by our Malaysian government had the timer system:P *hehe*
• "You think this is your father's road, ah?" applies very much in Cambodia. The roads are mainly filled with motorbikes and it is so congested. However, the traffic is always flowing. But, if someone feels like stopping on the road to talk to his friend, you can't do anything about it. The saying goes : I bang you, I pay. You bang me, I pay also :(
• It was a joy to see Petronas and Maybank and Telekom Malaysia in Cambodia. Not to forget, there was this Klang Boy Bak Kut Teh shop somewhere. Malaysian influence.
• In Malaysia, if you do not have a job when you're older than 25, and not studying, people think you're a bum. In Cambodia, it's common. Most people are too poor to go to university. It's about 100USD a year in university, but they do not have that kind of money to spend. If you can't speak English, it's hard to find a job. 2 main criteria's for landing a job includes : a degree or certificate and English. If you lack one, you can't find a job. That's how it is over there. A lot of people my age are just lepaking everyday, literally!
• Motorbikes are really usefull over there. You can take almost anything with a motorbike. While I was there, these are some of the items I saw being transported on a bike: fridge, washing machine, half-side of an iron gate ( the one that is used for houses), sewing machine ( the big-old-traditional ones ), and alot of other things, including 4 people!
• You don't need a motorbike license. You don't need to pay road tax. You just need to pay the road cops 'coca-cola' money.
• In the village, the houses are not too different from the ones we have in Malaysia, except, there are lots of pigs roaming around.
• In the village, there is no electricity, and it allows you to see the stars at night. It's really beatiful. Imagine, the sky dotted with stars everywhere....everywhere. So clearly. Makes you wonder how it was like when Abraham looked up in the sky when God told him his descendants would be like the stars in the sky. In KL, the skyline is heavy with bright lights. Makes the sky look red all the time, without the stars:(
• It is so 'nice' to bathe at the well, clad only in your underwear, with 2 other close-to-naked guys, in the darkness, lighted only by the stars and the moon overhead.
• It was so hot in the village! So so so HOT! One packet of ice was all we wanted, and God provided an ice-cream man to come along with some iced-drinks.
• Crickets and cicadas and beetles are delicacies over there. They taste like crap and leave a horrible after-taste in your mouth.
• When you go to the market, you will find loads of DVDs that come from Malaysia. Feels like home.
• Eating meat is rich man's food. Eating vegetables are for poor people.
• You can get alot of books that are sold in Malaysia for a fraction of the price. However, they are not the originals. But, eventhough they are copies, they look as good as the originals. I bought a Lonely Planet Cambodian Guide book for 2USD, slightly less than RM8. In MPH, that same book is selling for RM 92.

There is so much more that I can't really recall right now. But when I remember, I'll add to the list.