If every country has a character, then Macau is confused, Singapore is a hustler, and Cambodia is mistreated.
The journey between Cambodian border and Phnom Penh was a quiet one. The view varies from large paddy fields, series of casinos, damaged buildings, and rickety houses. I should have expected this kind of scenery. A truck fully loads with some workers standing up. A school with hundred children on their bicycle. A child swam on a small pond near the paddy fields. A lot of empty lands written For Sell (means For Sale). A motorcycle with 3 passengers. Then, it repeated.
As the day got darker and our bus got out from Svay Rieng, we were greeted by a heavy rain. We still passed over trucks with some workers standing up, which now put up a large tarp to cover themselves from the rain. The other passengers were asleep and the bus officers didn’t talk much with each other. I couldn’t take my eyes off of the street. The scenery which involved dimmed light from few street lamps or small houses and occasional lights from other vehicle was one of the most memorable things I had from the journey itself.
I just turned 28 and maybe that’s one of the reasons I got into this trip in the first place. Every October, I get a habit to reward myself with a new trip. Signifying new chapter of life. Japan, Hong Kong, Bali, then Cambodia. October is considered as low season and for four seasons countries, I always thought Fall is the prettiest.
What I experienced on the journey was bigger than self-awareness. Things bigger than yourself, bigger than 7.3 billion people who walk the earth. About how narrow the perspective I had throughout the year. On October 16th I was sure I want to post something like this on my social media:
Cobain, Winehouse, Joplin, I might be not as rich as you are, not as famous as you are, not as half talented as you are, but I live longer than any of you.
But I didn’t.
I want a proof that I’m capable of controlling unnecessary things in my life and focusing on the important one. Buying too many sugar products or keep changing my Facebook status aren’t one of them.
The street got darker and the light was dimmer. There weren’t many vehicles besides us and the street got bumpier. There was a lot of thought passed towards me that day. I’m sure one of that was watching Back to The Future trilogy once I got home. It was a few days after Back to The Future day and I’ve been watching Marty and Doc crashed on Jimmy Kimmel’s show with Wi-Fi on the bus.
We stopped at a gas station for a 15 minutes rest and I didn’t move an inch from my seat. Maybe I just wanted to watch every interaction happened. The bus wasn’t crowded that day, either the gas station. Seeing people slowly got off and on the bus, I saw many things. A French woman held hand with a British guy, a Philippines mom going on a vacation with her daughter, an old couple traveling with a friend. Many coincidences scramble, creating different chemistry, creating constant excitement.
We continued our trip, it’s been more than 7 hours since we left Ho Chi Minh. When we passed through a large bridge on an enormous river, we knew we’ve reached Phnom Penh. The neon light installations and the Ferris wheel. The street-food stalls lined up and some people were chatted on benches beside the river. Other passengers have woken up after our last stop and now everyone glued to the windows. Feeling excited seeing life outside. Wanted to feel the warmth offered under the moonlight. Our ride stopped there and another adventure awaited us.
Like life itself.
Twenty-eight years is quite a long way. Let’s live a healthier and more meaningful life after this.
