[Faidenk]

The Next Few Days Pt 1

..was spent being shown around by a good friend (ED) who runs a IT biz here in PP. And, although it has always been my practice to go local where food is concerned, that ED made the round with us to almost all the Singapore and Malaysian restaurants did not go unappreciated. Khmer food, even from top end restaurants, is usually heavily laced with MSG and sugar, and it never fails to leave my mouth powdery.

We also spent a large part of the time apartments hunting. We searched the local real estate sites initially for leads but found most of them are not current. Frustrated we turned to the local newspapers, The Phnom Penh Daily and Cambodia Times (I think). We made 2 appointments for viewing.

At the first appointment, the guy we talked to turned out to be the son of the owner. The 2nd floor apartment was quite large, larger than the usual 4x20m, unfurnished, dimly lighted, and to cut this short, unsuitable. The price was raised $100 to $350 when we requested for it to be furnished, AC, wardrobes, the bare minimum. We left uncommitted.

The 2nd apartment, at Boeng Keng Kong 3, was on the 3rd floor. It was nicely furnished, in moved-in condition. I am apprehensive because the owner and family lives on the ground floor, and access was shared with them. It would be ‘inconvenient’ when we have ‘guests’. Rent? $250.

I would liken Boeng Keng Kong (BKK) to Singapore’s Holland V. Nice 3 or 4 storied houses lined the 3 streets that made up of BKK, away from the main streets so it was not too dusty from the traffic, and close to several small Western-run restaurants and pubs. The well-stocked Lucky Supermart,a favorite with the NGO-type expats, is 15 minutes walk away.

The second apartment we viewed, led by the same agent, had the same configuration as the first. The entire apartment block was rented out to foreigners. Ground floor - Myanmar, top – French. This apartment had just came into the market. We negotiated for the other bedroom to be AC, a wardrobe each room, a fan in the living room and tried our luck for internet to be included. I like this one. A tiny gripe is the stairway. The steps are short, barely enough for a size 8 foot, and higher than the norm. Coming home dead drunk would be a challenge.

In the evenings, we hit the bars at St 136. First was Okun Cha. Tall glass framed the entire shop front. Everything was tastefully done. The hostesses are obviously handpicked, each of them carry themselves well, speaks English more than adequately. Only problem, no hanky-panky. And the two lady owners looked like models.

Through the grapevine, I heard the previous owner is still under detention, having been made a scapegoat along with a few other bar owners, for having flouted the indecency laws. Under the normal circumstances, the authorities are paid off and its business as usual the next day but on that occasion, the orders came right from the top and would serve as a example. Never mind that all the bars around Okun Cha remained open, although bar top dancing, and ‘other behavior unbecoming’ ceased, to this day.

We had a drink or 2, and decided this was too tame for us.