Random observations- Part 1

The Pyjama craze      

When in Siem Reap you can’t help but notice that many women walk the streets in their... pyjamas. Pyjama clad they are on bicycles, mopeds  walking, dining, shopping , catching up. After my first few sightings I found it great that they are comfortable enough to nip out in night wear. I did not find it that strange. After all students in Cardiff do this all the time when the nip out to the local tesco for fags, eggs and bacon, right? But as the sightings continue, I realise that the pyjama craze is everywhere. At Angor Wat me and the Spanish I hooked up with interrogate tuk tuk drivers. After much research there are three possible answers:

1. Cambodian ladies want to protect their skin from the sun. White skin is idolised here. What better way to do that than wearing long sleeved pyjama tops and long trousers.
2. It is now Cambodian winter and it is cold (?!!). Therefore long sleeve pyjamas are the right clothes to wear.
3. These clothes are not pyjamas in Cambodia! They are just fashionable, colourful clothes. There is a pyjama craze in Siem Ream. 

Perhaps I should get myself a pair. What do you think?

The running man

There are some pedestrian crossings in Siem Reap. There are also some traffic lights. To cross a busy avenue in this city, you are given the green light by a figure of a running man and you better run because you have 40 seconds to  do this. There is an actual countdown next to the animated running figure of the green man. And this is not an easy feat considering that the traffic does not actually stop.

Tuk Tuk  Lady

Since my first day as a walking visitor of Siem Reap I have been wondering:

How many tuk tuk offers can a lady have in an hour?

It is easier to be a bicycle lady than a tuk tuk lady if you find it hard to say no.

The Lord of Siem Reap

I am queing at the bank on the same busy avenue where the running green traffic light man puts my life at risk. I have just walked in and I turn as I hear a familiar voice, to face Koorash. 'Fancy seeing you here Mr Koosh' I think. He is greeted by a few people. I think this man is everywhere, the Lord of Siem Reap.

Who’s the boss

The fact that Koreans frequent Cambodia as tourists became obvious to me on my flight from Seoul, when I was surrounded by a jolly crowd of excursionists. But in my first week I realise that Koreans are just everywhere. The same goes for Russians. Koreans and Russians find it acceptable to travel in groups below ten. But the Japanese ,who are next in abundance, come in groups only. They usually wear matching tourist group hats and are led by some interesting figure of a tourist guide. Aussies are also around and I have met a couple of New Zealanders as well as Spanish and Italians.  Perhaps most of the British and the Americans just stick to Pub Street, the loudest and pedestrianised street of Cambodia perhaps they are in the villages. But at a first glance Korea seems to be the boss here...