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.

Ryan disclosed that had he known Phnom Penh would be this wonderful, he’d have visited it a long time ago. He worked in Bangkok for years but he never took the opportunity to visit its neighbor city. I told him that one of the things I liked with living in Phnom Penh is the relaxed atmosphere of the city and the people. Yet, I also remember thet during my first  months here in 2004, I was unnerved by the slow pace of life in Phnom Penh. Now, whenever I’m in Manila, I am a bit unsettled by the hustle and bustle of the city.

Before I brought Ryan home, I showed him my flat.

The next day, Nill and I had went to 3 meetings in the morning. We picked up Ryan at 12 noon at the National Museum and went to Phnom Penh Orchid for lunch. This restaurant was recommended by Nill because they served soft-shelled crabs, which I absolutely adore. The four of us (Ryan, me, Nill, and Yvonne–a colleague) ordered the soft-shelled crabs, banana blossom salad, and chicken in coconut milk and lemongrass soup. The crabs were delicious, a bit crunchy on the outside and tender inside. The salad was nice as well, although Nill found it too spicy for him. The chicken soup was just okay, sour enough but I found the coconut milk to be too thin for my taste.

After lunch we went back to the Russian Market because Ryan wanted to do some last-minute shopping before he went back to Manila on Wednesday. We took him again to our favorite stores, did a bit more browsing in other shops before Ryan decided that he’s done enough shopping. Ryan said he wanted to sit down and have coffee again at The Shop so we proceeded there. But before that we took him also to the many stores on Street 240 to browse. At The Shop, we chatted some more until it was time to bring Ryan home. I thanked him for bringing the book and magazines that Joyce sent me.

When I got home, I realized how much I miss seeing my friends in Manila. At 13 months, this has been the longest time that I’d been out of the country. I miss my family and friends. But I don’t feel homesick. Phnom Penh has a home to me for the last 4 years. I still love living here. Ryan and I talked about other cities in the region that we’d like to inhabit in the future. I mentioned Saigon and Kuala Lumpur as my top choices, aside from Phnom Penh.

We’ll see. Who knows what the future may bring for travellers like us?