A Day of Firsts…

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Saturday, October 30th, 2010

Yesterday was an interesting day, filled with first time events, 4 to be precise, some to be repeated and others to chalk up to experience and left well alone in the future.

I didn’t intend to fill one day with so many first time experiences, but after 18 months in Phnom Penh, it only seems fitting to intensify the adventure factor at this stage in our journey.

My day began not unlike any other day. I got up, put the coffee on, checked The Age website, switched on the BBC and progressively got myself organised to get stuck into a good days work. As I finished pouring my first coffee for the morning I received a text from my boss with last minute lunch meeting instructions, nothing new there. My first first wouldn’t happen for another couple of hours.

I think I have mentioned previously that I bought a bike, flat tyre included, a couple of weeks ago. Late last week I finally got around to getting a new tube and was starting to feel guilty, much to the help of my landlady who constantly questioned why I was travelling on motos and tuk tuks, about still not having ridden it. So I thought, today is the day to pluck up some much needed courage.

First number 1: Navigating my cheap Chinese 6 speed through the streets of Phnom Penh.

My heart was racing before I even left the house and I began to worry that I would fall off the bike before I even got started. My anxiety was less to do with my ability to remember how to ride a bike and more to do with the fact that although Cambodia has road rules, you would not need to watch the traffic for any more than 10 seconds to realise that absolutely none of these laws are respected, let alone appled by road users. Traffic lights are ignored, pedestrian crossing, just painted lines on the road for show and don’t get me started on how to explain how driving on the wrong side of the road doesn’t result in more frequent and serious accidents. Amazingly, with all of this going on, only 4 people die on Cambodian roads each day, a surprising small number amidst all the pandemonium, yet strickingly large considering the countries small population of 14 million people, most of whom cannot afford a motocycle, let alone a car.

Courage in tow, I jump on my bike and ride like the veteran, I am obviously not, weaving in and out of traffic… I ride with a confidence that I am not convinced I have, I tell myself over and over again that I am going to make it to my destination without incident. Motobikes, tuk tuks and cars pass me precariously too close for comfort. I hold my line and continue to cycle. A mere 30 minutes later I arrive at my lunch meeting, in one piece and feeling on top of the world. As my friends would atest, I am now one step closer to learning to ride a motocycle.

Back to back meetings made the afternoon pass in a blur, before I knew it, it was 5pm and time to down tools for the day, hurry down some dinner before heading off to first time experience number 2.

First number 2: Karaoke

There has been alot of talk over the years about going to Karaoke, but strangely enough it has never eventuated. This time it could not be avoided. I wasn’t convinced that I was going to enjoy myself, but I came to a surprising realisation, I am possibly a closet Karaoke fan. Now let’s not get carried away, I am more comfortable singing along without the microphone in my hand and I was at least 3 more beers away from breaking out into a solo routine. Plus after Fred impromptu bust out on the dance floor, there was no way I was going to follow up with a tone deaf rendition of ‘Sugar Sugar’. The stage had been firmly claimed by Fred and his display of techno moves 101, the crowd was left wanting more.

With one more stop to make before heading home, we sadly left Karaoke at around 9pm, to go and see a friends band play at an open mike night at the Irish Pub on the Riverfront. This is where the final two first happened almost simultaneously.

We arrived not long before our friends set started, just long enough to be introduced to the aging members of the band and still none the wiser to their signature style of music, I figured I would just have to wait and see. The boys excused themselves to get set up and Fred ducked to the bar to order us a drink, arriving back with;

First number 3: Bundaburg Rum and Dry Ginger Ale.

No, this is not a typo, he really ordered Bundaberg Rum and Dry Ginger Ale. With an odd look from me, Fred proceeded to explain the madness. While parousing the drinks menu at the bar his finger slid across the first item he saw, Bundaburg Ginger Ale. He quickly realised he was about to place an order for soft drink and promptly changed the order to Bundaburg Rum and Ginger Ale without a second thought. For all of you out there wondering if we inadvertantly stumbled onto the next big thing, short answer, NO…

I wish I had asked what type of music was going to assault my ears, not that I wouldn’t have been there to support my friend, but at least I could have prepared with a set of ear plugs.

First number 4: Sex Pistols meets Irish folk

Now, we all love a little Sex Pistols style punk rock, but coupled with Cambodia’s love for playing music at a frequency high enough to burst the average ear drum, you could only imagine the hours of ear ringing that proceeded. So loud were the instruments, that I couldn’t hear the vocals over the pounding of drums and strumming of guitars. The boys played there part, performing like classic punk rock stars, long necks in hand, oblivious to the crowd and enthusiatically rocking out their 4 song set.

It didn’t take long for it to hit midnight and I was well overdue for bed…

Here’s to a day of firsts and hopefully more to come…

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