Wednesday is meant for childish insults and coffee
Alin and I always go to this Khmer place for breakfast. Right across the street, Kesor Restaurant always is warm and welcoming to us. The owner and waitresses welcome me in English all the time and know what the order is. We are treated kindly and with respect I would say until today when some guests started talking about Alin and her skin color. It really irritated her because she is darker than most. From a life in rice fields, working in the sun, living outdoors, Alin is a beautiful brown color to me. To these other people they felt she was something else and it bothered her immensely. I did not really know except she was unhappy at the restaurant and wanted to go for coffee at Moonrise.
Once we got to Moonrise we met this young Khmer woman with a baby and got her story. She lives in New Zealand with her husband but is from this province but in a village closer to Tonle Sap Lake. She speaks perfect English so we could all talk but also Khmer so Alin felt comfortable talking.
Felt like it was the yin and yang of mornings. Some stuff I told my Alin to just ignore and other stuff she loved.
In other news…
My Khmer mum visited here for two days and I got to see her yesterday and get so many hugs and I Love you’s in Khmer. She is the sweetest and most wonderful woman and forever tells Alin to go take care of me, don’t leave me alone, feed me, love me. I shared the photo on the fediverse but here we are.
I also did my walking and have a few little things to share from that endeavor. Yesterday I walked with no real purpose as usual but I found something basic yet wonderful at a park bench. The sweat rolled off me, I felt clean and like all the things that maybe I labored under or felt pained by could just roll off. Like in meditation, I can let things go or keep them. But it is based on me. I decide. Just like yesterday walking.
I love the little scenes that invite more investigation or questions. Yesterday I found a few little alleys I will revisit and explore. Each one offers some new view or nothing. I’m good with either.
There’s always little stores to go find and I love the “all in one” places. This one particularly got me going.
Finally, you probably know the SEA games or whatever are going in Cambodia now. I saw a sign advertising them as I went. The main thing is not really the sign. What I really love capturing are the wonderful walking and biking lanes which make Siem Reap so walkable. In most of the city I can find beautiful sidewalks, no scooters on them parked, and easy access with often bike lanes integrated both on the sidewalk and street.
All this makes this city the best for someone like me that just wants to go. Alin does not worry too much about me walking because we both feel the city is safe. I’ve never felt uncomfortable or competing with tuktuks or scooters for sidewalk space.
Finally today I will get a beard trim down the street for $2 or so. I got slugged in the arm today because I did not do it when I said. Truth be told I love it when she hits me. I also love it when she looks at me and rolls her eyes and calls me her baby barang.
So there’s the essence of yesterday and the things which came about. Also not mentioned really was the wonderful discussion with an English friend in the pool for over an hour. I will miss him when he goes. He has a wonderful view on life but really wants the places far away and remote. It is harder for him to find such things these days so the city here is just a stop gap for him. We do talk the world, politics, life and it is not like talking to some dusty old western expat. Thank god.
So let’s make this post go live. Copy to dropbox and done. Perhaps I will get ready to walk. I’d like to get done this morning so I have the afternoon at the pool or reading or whatever.