Working in Cambodia: Week 2
Well, I have just completed my second week working and living in Cambodia, and I love it more and more everyday. My first week here consisted of lots of catching up on all the lost sleep of traveling these last few months, and this week I am really feeling myself settling in nicely in Sihanoukville.
I have quickly formed a routine here. On my off days, I head down to Utopia, where I spend most of the day sitting around the bar chatting with the others and eating free food. The perks for working here right now include free food and drinks, which saves a good $7-10 a day. It is now low season in Cambodia, so Utopia no longer offers free accomodation for its employees, but I spoke with my boss Kate and she said that if I help out to bring people to the bar during the day, then they would try to cover my living expenses as well. I am only paying $60 for a month for my bungalow, so even if it is not covered, I am not going to be breaking the bank. I have motivated myself to start a "Boot Camp" class on the beach to offer travelers a chance to work out, not to mention get my lazy butt back in gear!
We have big parties on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday nights, so around 2:00 pm on party days we meet at the bar and walk along the beach, distributing flyers to sunbathers and praising the wonders of Utopia. After a bit of relaxing in my bungalow, Cooper and I head back to Utopia around 8:00 pm for dinner (we usually host a free BBQ, complete with kebobs, rice, and veggies on party nights) and to start work. Even though it is low season, we have been very busy, and with each party things get wilder and crazier...let's just say that my first night at Utopia on the day I arrived, with its handful of people, was not a prediction on what things would be like for the next month.
I absolutely love the people that work at Utopia. Of course, Cooper and I get on like a house on fire, and even though he is an extreme flirt and spends more time talking to the ladies than bartending, we have a good time working together. Kate, our manager, is a fun Canadian chick who has been working here for about four months. Our boss, Mark, is from New Zealand, and the most laid-back guy I have ever met. There's another Canadian, Shawn, who lives in a house he built behind the bar, but he is currently taking a hiatus from work. There's a lovely Kiwi couple, close friends of Mark's, that have been living here for a few months helping out, but they will be leaving for some traveling in a few days. Also, a few days after I started working, Pat from Australia arrived, and he will start working once I leave. Finally, we have the best Khmer (Cambodian) staff, complete with two crazy girls who work in the kitchen, Chamron who works the bar during the day, Supron who cleans the dishes at night, and "Yellow Cap"...no one is really sure what his name is, but he is the guy who watches over the bar at night, sleeping under a mosquito net and making sure things are safe, and never to be seen without his trusty yellow baseball cap.
The biggest excitement from the week came last night as we were all sitting around the bar eating popcorn, enjoying a quiet evening of not working. As we were chatting, a Khmer guy ran up from the shadows of the beach, grabbed something, and ran off. All the boys were off an running, shouting in the dark, and Kate and I stood there, absolutely confused since we were both looking away when it happened. I scanned the bar, trying to figure out what the guy took, and was happy to see that my camera, which I had just had out, was safe and sound. I decided to put my camera away, but then discovered that my bag was not where I left it...just as I took in the sharp breath of realization, Shawn came running into the bar, out of breath, holding my bag. Apparently, the Cambodian thief had the nerve to come into the bar and grab the bag that was hanging on the chair in which I was sitting...fortunately for me, I was surrounded by four very fit guys who tackled the thief in the darkness. I now know that I must keep an eye on my things at all times!
I have quickly formed a routine here. On my off days, I head down to Utopia, where I spend most of the day sitting around the bar chatting with the others and eating free food. The perks for working here right now include free food and drinks, which saves a good $7-10 a day. It is now low season in Cambodia, so Utopia no longer offers free accomodation for its employees, but I spoke with my boss Kate and she said that if I help out to bring people to the bar during the day, then they would try to cover my living expenses as well. I am only paying $60 for a month for my bungalow, so even if it is not covered, I am not going to be breaking the bank. I have motivated myself to start a "Boot Camp" class on the beach to offer travelers a chance to work out, not to mention get my lazy butt back in gear!
We have big parties on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday nights, so around 2:00 pm on party days we meet at the bar and walk along the beach, distributing flyers to sunbathers and praising the wonders of Utopia. After a bit of relaxing in my bungalow, Cooper and I head back to Utopia around 8:00 pm for dinner (we usually host a free BBQ, complete with kebobs, rice, and veggies on party nights) and to start work. Even though it is low season, we have been very busy, and with each party things get wilder and crazier...let's just say that my first night at Utopia on the day I arrived, with its handful of people, was not a prediction on what things would be like for the next month.
I absolutely love the people that work at Utopia. Of course, Cooper and I get on like a house on fire, and even though he is an extreme flirt and spends more time talking to the ladies than bartending, we have a good time working together. Kate, our manager, is a fun Canadian chick who has been working here for about four months. Our boss, Mark, is from New Zealand, and the most laid-back guy I have ever met. There's another Canadian, Shawn, who lives in a house he built behind the bar, but he is currently taking a hiatus from work. There's a lovely Kiwi couple, close friends of Mark's, that have been living here for a few months helping out, but they will be leaving for some traveling in a few days. Also, a few days after I started working, Pat from Australia arrived, and he will start working once I leave. Finally, we have the best Khmer (Cambodian) staff, complete with two crazy girls who work in the kitchen, Chamron who works the bar during the day, Supron who cleans the dishes at night, and "Yellow Cap"...no one is really sure what his name is, but he is the guy who watches over the bar at night, sleeping under a mosquito net and making sure things are safe, and never to be seen without his trusty yellow baseball cap.
The biggest excitement from the week came last night as we were all sitting around the bar eating popcorn, enjoying a quiet evening of not working. As we were chatting, a Khmer guy ran up from the shadows of the beach, grabbed something, and ran off. All the boys were off an running, shouting in the dark, and Kate and I stood there, absolutely confused since we were both looking away when it happened. I scanned the bar, trying to figure out what the guy took, and was happy to see that my camera, which I had just had out, was safe and sound. I decided to put my camera away, but then discovered that my bag was not where I left it...just as I took in the sharp breath of realization, Shawn came running into the bar, out of breath, holding my bag. Apparently, the Cambodian thief had the nerve to come into the bar and grab the bag that was hanging on the chair in which I was sitting...fortunately for me, I was surrounded by four very fit guys who tackled the thief in the darkness. I now know that I must keep an eye on my things at all times!
posted by Tiffany Joiner at 1:56 AM
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