Ragged and dirty
I had Argentine beef last night and either my memories of Argentina are rose tinted or the restaurant was fooling. Thick, rubbery, and overcooked is not how I remember on the side of an unpaved road atop my horse. Even though the fan was on I still had to take great care that I limited my fly consumption - the little buggers were everywhere. I got a mossie bite on the back of my ankle. What sort of self respecting mosquito would bite someone there. I think it was on its last legs.
The poverty here is shocking, and I do have a profound sense of guilt everytime I say no to a child begging or shoe shining. They are missing limbs and do not have prothesics. I saw a boy a little older than my godson, naked, an rooting through rubbish. I saw an old man who couldn't stand up begging on a street that was glittering lights.
Police, teachers, and civil servants earn $20 a month here. It is not possible to survive on $20 in Phnom Penh. Because of this corruption is rife, teachers will not teach without bribes so the children sell newspapers in their school uniforms to distinguish themselves from those selling to buy drugs. They have to earn $7 to go to school. The police have no equipment or resources. You have to bribe them to investigate a crime, even murder. There is a sense of general lawlessness here. Civil servants act as motodops during their lunch breaks and often have three jobs. The country has had the same prime minister for over 20 years.
It is heartbreaking. So I focus on the trivia
The poverty here is shocking, and I do have a profound sense of guilt everytime I say no to a child begging or shoe shining. They are missing limbs and do not have prothesics. I saw a boy a little older than my godson, naked, an rooting through rubbish. I saw an old man who couldn't stand up begging on a street that was glittering lights.
Police, teachers, and civil servants earn $20 a month here. It is not possible to survive on $20 in Phnom Penh. Because of this corruption is rife, teachers will not teach without bribes so the children sell newspapers in their school uniforms to distinguish themselves from those selling to buy drugs. They have to earn $7 to go to school. The police have no equipment or resources. You have to bribe them to investigate a crime, even murder. There is a sense of general lawlessness here. Civil servants act as motodops during their lunch breaks and often have three jobs. The country has had the same prime minister for over 20 years.
It is heartbreaking. So I focus on the trivia
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2 comments:
Saorla, Your description of poverty in Cambodia is vivid and shows how awful it is. Keep writing.
Sa, I remeber Cambodia, you forgot to mention the smells. Funny how the middle-ages just have a new face, huh? I hope you stay well this go round. Terry
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