Colours of Cambodia

I knew it wasn't going to be easy coming here. Back in Singapore,
all you had to do was prepare a set of drawings and before
you know it, the fit-out work is complete. What was once on paper
is literally constructed in front of your eyes and built exactly the way you want it.

But that is not always the case here.

I think this country is so interesting, that in a span of 8 months in
Siem Reap, I've had a considerable number of  "colourful" experiences -- challenging,
funny, and unbelievable, to say the least.

First experience... Lost in translation, perhaps?

Don't get me wrong, I am not hating on everybody. I have met
a lot of great human beings who strive hard to achieve their goals.
I shouldn't have been surprised the first time I saw one work done by a local supplier,
but I was, and I certainly want to do something about it.

My wish is to leave Cambodia with a sense of fulfillment in knowing
that my colleagues and suppliers have a heightened level of appreciation for their craft.

My wish is for them to have a good work ethic, where the customers'
needs are met despite trying many times and failing.

Lastly, my wish is that I be given the patience and understanding
so I can impart the skills that I've learned to anyone here willing to receive it,
just as much as I am willing to learn from those who will take the time to teach
me new things.

This prayer below sums it all up.

God grant me the serenity
To accept the things I cannot change.
The courage to change the things I can,
and wisdom to know the difference.

Hello New Chapter

It is officially more than a year since my last post and I just remembered about
this old blog site of mine.

Here we are in an entirely  new town called Siem Reap, in the northern part
of Cambodia. It is an interesting choice because on our first two months here,
there wasn't even a cinema yet. It is indeed a far cry from the concrete jungle that is
Singapore. However, you have to surprise yourself sometimes with decisions such as this and I am not sorry I made the decision to move here.

We arrived here in February this year and spent 2 months training in Phnom
Penh, the capital. I must say, I like Siem Reap a whole lot better than Phnom Penh.
The capital is reminiscent of Manila in the early 90's. I always feel unsafe when I walk
in the streets due to warnings from colleagues and acquaintances. It sure does not have
a very good reputation safety-wise.

We managed to find a newly-built apartment in Siem Reap which had a Western and modern feel to it. Just a few touches here and there we finally felt at home, at least for this year.

Had to purchase two bicycles with baskets that are just way too cute not to post on Instagram.
Having a bicycle helps you save a couple of bucks on tuktuk rides daily.

Our very cute bicycles

So it has been officially 10 months in Cambodia, and so for the time being, we will call this home.

Who knows what will happen next?

Tomorrow marks our 15th anniversary and I think that is the only aspect in our lives that have
remained constant.

I do not mind that we move around so much, as long as we do it together.

Ciao for now.