Dear Reader,
I come to you from a Vietnamese cafe in Phnom Penh.
Yes.
That darn egg coffee was calling me 🥚 ☕
After not feeling so well the past two days, I decided I should do something other than lie down and plonk myself in the pool at the hostel. Yes, hostels in South East Asia have freaking pools... And this one is great 👙
So by "doing something", I mean I sat in the back of a tuktuk, and am now sitting in front of my sexy drink... I will pause writing as I drink it, so I can savor the taste.
The fact that this isn't a world wide phenomenon is baffling to me.
So yes, I accept that I was wrong about my initial feelings toward Vietnam, as I now miss it and appreciate it a lot more as a beautiful country, in hindsight 🇻🇳
I also accept that I am sick, for the second time this year.
I hate being sick.
I can't exercise how I want, I sweat doing basic postures in yoga and I don't enjoy the taste of food. It sucks. Everyone hates it.
But I accept it.
I accept that I am a human, and my body is giving me time to build up a resistance to something, which will protect me in the future 🫶
How incredible, that the human body will just fight off the parasites, all by itself... Or sometimes with the help of drugs and a f*** ton of honey and lemon 😁
Being in Cambodia is such an interesting experience. I feel myself observing people so much more than I have ever done. Secluded in my tuktuk, sitting outside for dinner watching the chaos on the main street... Passing the extreme poverty on the bus when I first arrived... And then being stunned by the number of Teslas in the capital.
Yes, Cambodia has a lot happening. Including some extreme prostitution, right at my door step.
Happily there are initiatives to help women out of these dire circumstances... Such as Daughters of Cambodia, which teach women crafts skills and sell the products... I bought some cute earrings as I was overwhelmed by how much the women are affected here.
I have unexpectedly met a couple of nice people in this strange city 💕 but overall, I have mostly kept to myself, observing and taking time to care for my body. SO MUCH FRUIT.
Of course, something I do need to mention, is Choeng Ek Genocidal Centre.
Those of you who know anything about Cambodia will know that just 40 years ago, there was a horrific civil war and genocidal regime, led by the Khmer Rouge.
And those of you who know me well, know I could talk about historical politics for the rest of my life, but this is not what I want this blog to be. I will let you do your own research and form your own opinions 🪷
What I will say, is that this memorial center is absolutely worth a visit. Its layout, commentary (most people get an audio guide or there's no real point to go), the exceptions and general takeaways are carefully considered and respectful.
At one point the narrator says "we never thought it would happen here, but it did".
The people here have accepted their dark path, but they will never forget. Nor should they.
Maybe this will make you think, Dear Reader... How close we are in some places in the world, and how much closer we are to this in other places, where the news isn't necessarily covering everything, where things seem fine. .. Just like they were here.
It's terrifying. But I accept that this happened and that this could happen anywhere and any point in time.
✨Let us enjoy our lives, full of as much love and freedom as we choose to allow ourselves ✨
If we all live this way, there's not much room for hating each other 🤔
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