![]() ![]() The stage had several screens taller than most buildings in the city to broadcast every last note. Smart phone spared no expense in hosting the historic concert. Smart held the concert at a large outdoor venue next to a glaringly bright amusement park in town. If you were any where near the city that weekend it was just assumed you were attending. Posters of young Charlie lined the city streets for weeks. For the bargain price of $9, I got a VIP ticket, T-shirt, key chain, tote bag, free beer, and a Smart SIM card I didn’t even need.īeing the event of the century for an impoverished country like Cambodia, it seems the entire city, as well as my entire volunteer house went to this concert. As a result, all Smart phone customers got a free ticket. ![]() In contrast to his concerts in more prosperous countries like Bangkok or Seoul where tickets are over $50 a pop, the concert in Phnom Penh was being sponsored by the mobile carrier Smart phone. Or that it would be put on by the soothing voice and white man baby face of Charlie Puth.Īs it turns out, Charlie was touring Asia during my stint in Cambodia. I certainly didn’t expect that this concert would be the largest in Cambodian’s history. The one thing I did not expect to do while spending seven weeks in Cambodia is to go to a pop concert. This excursion gave me a much needed infusion of nature filled activity, and a lovely surprise in the form of a massive temple yet to be overrun by tourists. One weekend, several other volunteers and I took a day trip out to Kirirom National Park. For those that like live music, you won’t be disappointed. If you ever find yourself in this city, I would recommend making a stop here. I learned that the Hard Rock hotel in Cambodia has a pretty killer house band. This is always an interesting way to experience a city. I explores some interesting street art in Phnom Penh. Just buy a $2 drink, and they’ll let you hang out all day. If we lived in the same city back home, I would gladly give her a call to meet up for dinner or a happy hour.ĭuring my seven week stint, my fellow volunteers and I spent many a relaxing weekend afternoon or Cambodian holiday sitting at one of Phnom Penh’s many rooftop apartment pools. Not to mention I was present for her very first tattoo. My roommate Donna and I have shared many evening conversations in our room about life, culture, family, and relationships. It’s given me the chance to get to know my fellow travelers better than I normally would. While frustrating at times, staying in a slower paced city like Phnom Penh has its positives. It sent me into regular panics about what I’m doing with my life, what’s left of my career when I get home, and why my sweat glands think I’m an obese Siberian man wearing a sweater in a sauna. Neither one of these two states of being is something I handle very well. I never stopped sweating since walking off the jet bridge on arrival. High of 90 degrees Fahrenheit, 90% humidity, torrential downpour every 2-3 days. The weather in Phnom Penh is the same every week. But I only know this because I SPENT HOURS WORKING IN ALL OF THEM. ![]() On the positive side, I can tell you Cambodia has a surprising variety of high quality cafes. It didn’t help that my volunteer assignment at a local microfinance involved a few days a week of me working alone, at the coffee shop of my choosing. By the third weekend I’d been to every museum, walked every riverfront, and shopped at what feels like every market and shopping mall in town. My first few weekends in Phnom Penh, I purposefully stayed in town so I could get to know the city. It’s one thing if you live and work here, but as a visitor, volunteer, and part time tourist, there is simply not a whole lot going on. Seven weeks is also a very long time to spend in a city like Phnom Penh. Take the time to stop and smell the local roses. Volunteering in Phnom Penh for seven weeks gave me the chance to slow down and really get to know a place. I was frequenting a new city and sometimes a new country every few weeks. When I arrived here I had been traveling non-stop for eight months at a thrilling but often dizzying pace. The truth of its sad and often violent history, its resilient but reserved people, and constant, almost forceful push forward to catch up with it’s more economically advanced neighbors. It’s only after staying for awhile that I got a real appreciation for the qualities below the surface. Like meeting a new friend, there is so much more to the country than what meets the eye. It is designed to make its own people comfortable.” – Clifton Fadiman Staying AwhileĬambodia holds a soft spot in my heart. “When you travel, remember that a foreign country is not designed to make you comfortable. ![]()
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