A Few of my Favorite Things (10 to be Exact)

There are plenty of challenges living in Cambodia, but for the most part I so enjoy getting to spend this season here. So, here are 10 of my favorite things about Cambodia life!

1. Khmer Iced Coffee: strong brewed coffee + sweetened condensed milk + ice = one of my absolute favorite treats, especially on a hot day!

2. Fruit: it is fun to discover what fruits are in season when, and try all the variety that this country has to offer- mangoes, papaya, jack fruit, rambutan, dragon fruit, just to name a few.

3. Messy traffic: okay, sometimes this can be a frustration, but since I don’t actually have to drive mostly it is a great source of amusement! I love seeing how cars, motos, tuk-tuks and pedestrians manage to weave their way down the street without incident.

4. Rainy season: even after 12 months of living here, I still absolutely love the monsoon rains that come during rainy season! The thunder is incredible, it is fun to watch people scramble for cover or deal with the downpour, and the rain helps cool down the air which is always a relief.

5. Tuk-tuk Rides through the City: we haven’t gotten a moto of our own yet so our main transportation is the cart-type taxi. I love the breeze in my face and feeling like I am a part of the life happening along the way to wherever we are going.

6. People think I am beautiful: this is rather selfish, I realize. But it does do wonders for one’s self-esteem when you hear comments while walking down the street about your lovely height and beautiful long nose.

7. Diversity in nature: you can find just about everything in this country- mountains, the ocean, city, beautiful countryside in rice-growing season when everything is the brightest color of green. It is so fun to see the Father’s creation here!

8. Small town feel: Cambodia is not a huge country and the capital city is only about 2 million people. I love that it doesn’t feel like a major metropolis here.

9. Everyone is family: people don’t go by their names generally, but call each other “sister”, “uncle” or “grandfather”, according to your age in relation to theirs. It is comforting to hear our regular sellers in the market asking me where I’ve been if they haven’t seen me for awhile, and calling me “child”.

10. Willingness to help: people here are normally really wonderful about stepping in to help where they can, even if it means stopping whatever they are doing. The aunt at the vegetable stand always throws in some extra green onions or cilantro for us, and one of our tuk-tuk drivers would give us a lift to the market if he saw us out walking. One time it was pouring down rain and the uncle on the corner was fast asleep in the tuk-tuk so we couldn’t get his attention from across the street (and were getting rather soaked). A passing moto driver noticed our predicament and swung back around to go and wake him up for us.

You can find lots of other fun top-ten lists on a variety of topics this week at www.velvetashes.com.