Roam

Last Friday evening a friend of mine arrived from Manila for a short visit. He didn’t come here to visit me, or the city, which he hasn’t before. His reason for dropping by Phnom Penh was an emotional one. He came here to see a man. Ryan stayed in his friend’s apartment and we saw each other twice during his 5-day stay here.

On Monday morning, Nill and I took him to Phsar Tuol Tum Pong, or the Russian Market, for some shopping. Ryan had gone here the day before, but Nill and I were still able to take him to sections of the market that he didn’t see previously. Ryan was all-praises for the shopping finds he discovered in this market, which is modest by comparison to the markets in Bangkok (Chaktuchak) and in Saigon (Benthan) but still unique in its own way.

For lunch we went to the Olympic Khmer-Thai Restaurant near the Russian Market. This is a branch of the main restaurant, so it is smaller and the atmosphere tends to veer on fine dining rather than the casual dining vibe of the main branch. Ryan admired the look of the restaurant, the service provided by the staff, and of course, the food. We had Som Tam (green papaya salad), Chicken with Cashew Nuts, and Fish Amok (steamed fish and curry). But what got Ryan really raving was the price. He said that these days, you won’t be able to find a similar-looking restaurant in Manila where 3 people can dine on generous servings of food for just about US$10.00.

After eating we headed to Phsar Thmey (literally, New Market), or Central Market. We didn’t come here to shop, though, because in my experience, the Russian Market has a wider selection of goods and better prices. As a long-term resident of Phnom Penh, however, Phsar Thmey is my preferred place to buy fresh sea-food, some local grocery items (coffee and patis), and fruits. We came here so Ryan can enjoy the wonderful art-deco building that houses Phsar Thmey. From the air looks like a cross sitting in the middle of Phnom Penh. From the ground, the dome at the centre of the structure will simply take your breath away, as it did with Ryan. He wasted no time having himself photographed (by moi) with the building behind him. Ryan posted these photos on his multiply page.

When the afternoon heat became a bit unberable, we proceeded to one of my favorite coffee shops, The Shop (on Street 240) to sit down and rest. I had my usual cafe latte and apple & almond muffin while Ryan and Nill had iced coffee, brownies, and another kind of muffin. Nill had to leave us for a few minutes to do something in the office. Ryan and I had some catching up to do. I’ve known Ryan since 2000, when he became a participant in TLF’s workshops, which at that time I was managing. He, along with some 60 other young MSM, sort of became my ‘kids’ because of my role in TLF. Some of them, in fact, continue to call me Mother Mike up to now. Ryan is one of them. When I left TLF in 2001, I remained in touch with him because of a colleague, Marco, who was Ryan’s boyfriend for some time.

(more…)