A Horse In Cambodia – Bedlam On The Shopping List

By Duncan Horscroft on May 9, 2013 in Other

The Eastern Suburbs can learn a lot from the Cambodian way of life.

There are no worries about RSL developments or supermarkets causing chaos among the community.

The chaos is already there and it’s part of everyday Asian life and nobody lets it worry them. The Khmer people get on with business at their own pace, even though that can be a bit hectic when travelling on the roads.

There is no public transport on these roads and it’s amazing to see the thousands of commuters using the various forms of transport all striving to be at the head of the pack.

And when they eventually get to their destination, what then?

Some have jobs to go to while others just simply want to get somewhere and sit around before heading somewhere else to just sit around.

The good thing about getting around Phnom Penh is that there are no parking problems. When you get to where you are going you just simply park there.

And by parking there you are also giving someone a job.

Motor scooters are a valuable commodity and the locals are reluctant to leave them because they are a popular target for thieves (yes, there are even knuckleheads among this beautiful race of people).

So everywhere around the city there are ‘parking attendants’ who, for a small fee, will sit around keeping an eye on your bike or your car, which is usually parked on the footpath.

But most of the time scooter riders can just ride up to their destination and sometimes even into it, as ‘walk’ seems to be a four-letter expletive.

A trip down to the markets at night gives great insight into what one-stop shopping is all about.
It’s also called drive-through and has been in place long before McDonald’s even thought of it. In fact, there isn’t even a McDonald’s here (yet) and Phnom Penh must be the only city in the world without one (the Colonel is here though and he’s looking a little worse for wear!).

But the drive-through concept at the markets is a ripper. No matter how narrow the street in which the market vendors frequent, riders insist on going up there and just simply stopping at their stall of choice and don’t give a rat’s about the other riders behind them who, in turn, try to overtake and run into scooters coming in the other direction.

This results in a traffic jam of mammoth proportions and even that rare breed of walker is snookered with nowhere to go.

Upon witnessing one of these major gridlocks the other night I simply just stood there and burst out laughing. The locals looked at me like I was an alien (which I am) and then realised the situation and joined in.

The local Harris Footpath Supermarkets do a roaring trade in fruit and vegies. Lucas Butchers also has a few representatives agents here, as do Doyles in both the fresh food and takeaway departments.

So Bronte can learn a lot from this form of shopping. It’s a case of one in, all in, and at the end of the day no harm has been done and everyone has had a good night out.

And you can just pop into the local corner shop and grab a couple of cold long necks to wash away the dust on the way home.

Very civilised.