Phnom Penh; Keeping it simple

Keeping it simple. How can I, when Phnom Penh is nothing but simple?

Life here have definitely not been luxurious, I'd rather say it’s been comfortable and I had to get use to a lot of sweating. Just like working at The Flicks, though it never felt like work. I got to chat with people from all over the world, see a lot of movies and get free beer.

Living in a house(and under a cinema) and not a hostel/hotel, will, instantly, make one feel more at home. Saying thank you in Khmer aw kun(which means thank you) is a part of daily life. So is going to the market to buy fruit or shoes. Knowing which one is the expensive one and how much to pay for a tuk-tuk ride(between 2000 riel or 1 dollar). Knowing the way to work.

Though when it all comes down to it, I’m still a tourist. I still get lost, even though I know the names or numbers of the roads. I still want to go to the museums. Which I did. I saw the unimpressive National Museum, with the beautiful garden and the depressing Toul Sleng Genocide Museum, located just two blocks from my house. 

My favorite thing here is the traffic. The traffic here is something unique for me. Never in my life have I ever been stuck in rush hour on a bicycle! While I try to get to work, riding around in the roundabout I simultaneously try not to get hit or for that matter, hit anyone else. Being out in the traffic here is an adventure in itself! It lets out the inner anarchist in anyone. I don’t miss the civilized lanes back home in Denmark, there has always been a little Asian in me saying” red light, no cars? Go!”

In the beginning my expectations were crashing down all the time. Because I expected the pearl of Asia. Phnom Penh, is just Phnom Penh. It’s not the pearl of Asia and it’s gonna be awhile before it becomes that. But it's a great city and I have enjoyed every minute of my two weeks here, wishing i could have stayed longer. This city CAN be beautiful. It can be exciting. 

The things I enjoyed the most was sitting on the Flicks terrace, chatting with the other volunteers about that kids' party and what a mess the children made. Hearing other peoples stories, about how they came to Phnom Penh. Enjoying Cambodian beer. Delicious lunch at Friends. Unexpectedly falling in love with this crazy city. Thankfully I’m not done with Cambodia just yet, Monday night I will travel by bus to Siem Reap to the famous Angkor temples and there after Battambang.

On a last note on my life here in Phnom Penh, I’d like to say thank you to Paul, Harry and The One Who Shall Not Be Named. The house rats. I ended up, not being entirely grossed out by you, so thank you for that. But honestly, my stay in Phnom Penh wouldn't have been the same if I hadn't volunteered for The Flicks. Not only did it give me the opportunity to experience and live in Phnom Penh, it also gave me a feeling of being part of something with the other volunteers. 

Thinker - Reflecting on my travels - PART 1

Tiergarden, in Berlin.

My mini Europe trip to Berlin and Paris, has both been a learning, healing and magic experience for me. In my last post I was in Berlin and my stay there was coming to an end. How I spent my last days in Berlin where different from day to day - I spent one day reading about the victims of the Berlin wall, another in the Pergamon Museum looking at archaeological treasures and the last in Tiergarden walking around in beautiful green surroundings thinking about my life, friends and death. Why death you might ask? A family member died for about a year ago and one of my closest friend's father just passed away. These two people have something in common besides that fact that they are no longer here, they died way too early and young, both taken by a desease we've all in some way been touched by - Cancer. It was the death of these two was on my mind that day , but also the death of a new friendship. How it feels to no longer to be friends and the confusen that follows. It's not the first time I lose a friend(when I say lose, I don't mean to death), but it doesn't mean I can't feel it, like I felt it years ago when it happened the first time, except dealing with it now is easier then it was back then. Berlin and Paris was both healing places for me, because it gave me the time to think thoughts,

I would not have had the time to think and a quiet peaceful place to do so.

I made this post into two parts, one for this and the other for Paris - so come back to read more!



Tiergarden.

(sorry for the wierd way the pictures are placed, but Blogger just won't collaborate with me when it comes to pictures!)


Some of the old Berlin Wall.

Pergamon Museum

Roman architecture (Pergamon Museum)



Berlin: DAY4

Is almost nonexistent. I got up very late and found my way to Alexanderplatz, by train, which it in self is a wonder, because just like my German language skills(it comforts me that they at least at Starbucks can understand my order), my skills at using their trains are just as bad.

It was the start of my day, but Alexanderplatz the day was more than started, the stalls was up, running and selling. The street performers had long before my arrival started their acts, one particular act caught my eye and sense of humor. There was this character that kept saying “merry Christmas” and getting injured, I kind of felt sorry for her while I laughed my ass of. There was this other person dressed in a sailor costume, who had to catch two balls at the same time and every time he didn’t, he threw off his clothes at someone from the audience, being completely oblivious that he hit someone. First it was the hat that revealed very long hair – he didn’t mind that, but every time he didn’t caught those balls, he got this sad miserable face - and then he took of more clothes. He ended up in his underwear, just as miserable when he didn’t this time around caught the balls. He then looked thoughtfully up into the sky, to distract us from him gathering up the balls, so he didn’t have to throw off his underwear.

Interesting story, I know.

Later in the evening I went to a vegan gourmet restaurant, to enjoy the more fancy food being a vegetarian can offer. 

Berlin: DAY3

(Reichstag)

Discovering berlin by bike is an exhilarating experience that you simply must try! It turned me into a lover of speed and my parents into my own personal circus clowns! It was after I had seen Reichstag and had eaten lunch that I bumped into a place renting bikes. Besides renting out regular bikes, you could also rent a tram. The tandem bicycle was what that turned my parents into circus clowns, the first 15 minutes driving it, was one of the most hilarious moments of my life. The thing about riding a bike in Berlin is that the cycle lane is right out in the middle in between the cars and busses and it’s so exhilarating, the speed, fun and the risk. The two hours on bike went by as if it was just 30 minutes. Later I became the circus clown, when I headed out in my roller-skates, the roads in Prenzlauerberg is really not meant for roller-skating, but a least I put some smiles on the Germans passing by me.

Berlin: DAY2

Day 2 I came to understand how I truly suck at German. I mean, I don't even know how to say yes and no!

But I have been lucky, because if in the right neighborhood the Germans speak and understand English quite well, unless you are wandering around in the Asian/Turkish neighborhood, when I asked a girl about my age if she spoke English she answered "small" and indeed "small" it was.

Something I happily discovered was that Berlin has Starbucks. All over the place. I know nothing better than a caramel macchiato, which I so rarely has the chance to enjoy because Denmark only has two Starbucks, which both are located in Kastrup airport, so whenever travelling I always take the opportunity to go.

Another great thing I discovered today is a vegetarian fast food diner, Yellow Sunshine. The food was so delicious, that I definitely will return another night if I got the time.  I also went to see Checkpoint Charlie and the museum. The museum was sooo boring! Usually I really like museums, but there where so much to read and it would fit better in a book then on several walls in an old building. I hope that I one of these days in Berlin can find a art museum, because that's more my kind of museum, less text more paintings.

Berlin; DAY1

These two next weeks I'm out traveling, first in Berlin with my parents and after I'm going to wander the streets of my favorite city, Paris alone. I will try to write some posts while I'm there, even though I'm usually against using Internet while on vacation but I often feel inspired(like I did on Roskilde Festival) when I experience things and write about them, while I'm in the moment and the memories of the feelings is still fresh.

As we first arrive to Berlin, by car it's raining heavily. The city doesn't look much, but my expectations ain't high, so there is  room for improvement. Me and my family had gotten up early so we could go to a market, only held on Sundays and in the puring rain we walked.

The lady hands me a tray of some exotic looking food with salad. I hope she understood what i said, but by the looking of the food it's very likely she didn't. I'm standing in front of a Turkish food stand in the mauvetpark marked in Berlin. It's still raining, but that doesn't stop the shoppers or the other tourist from enjoying the interesting market, that both sells old beautiful lamps, freshly pressed orange juice, the beloved wurst and fabric.

I have been told that Berlin, is the place to when you are a vegetarian and tomorrow I will find out if that is true.

My Love of Travel

So I'm very passionate about traveling, my big and expensive dream is to see, Egypt, New York, London, New Zealand, Tokyo and Zimbabwe. By my choices of citys you can guess that I love big citys in which the feel the rush of life is so strong that it enchants you. You are probebly wondering where does Zimbabwe fit into the picture?

Well..to be honest, at first it was the name that caught my attention, but after a little research and off course with the help of Google I found out a lot more. There are great and exciting opportunities to volenteer in Zimbabwe and I hope that I one day, I will have the money to go down there and continue to help build the independent country Zimbabwe strives to be.

(Just want to mention that my amateur research was not so thorough)

As much as I love to discover new places there is nothing like revisiting a place you've been before. At the top of my list is Paris, the streets, the old history and art, throw in the incredible atmosphereinto it and you have the place on earth, I could walk around for hours, while drinking café au lait and eating pastries, sit in Les Tuileries or gazing at art in the Louvre.

Greece is yet a place i'd enjoy to revisit. Samos is the holiday resort of my childhood. I have only been to the islands of Greece three times, but I loved it so much that I can't wait to see it again.

Writing this has been like going though the river of my memories and there is nothing like it.

An Introduction That Ended on a Sidetrack

You know, I have never really introdused myself?

Well, it's about time!

Hi! My name is Nellie, I'm a moody, kinda serious, yet funny eighteen year old teenager, that loves food and in the food catagory; mostly cheese, and broccoli is my, go to food(believe it or not!).

Now that we are talking food, I'm a vegetarian for reasons I'm still trying to articulate properly without accusing or offending anyone, so to explain my reasons I have a quote from The Fault In Our Stars(which you can read a little about here). When the maincharacter asked 'why no meat', she answered " I want to minimize the number of dealths I am responsible for" which by my standards, are the best answer to this date and it will also be mine until, I on my own, come up with something better.

I love to travel, actually I love it so much, that I have written a whole post about it! Which I will, post at the end of the month

As you can guess from this blog, I like to write. One day I aspire to become a auther even though, I will be the only one to know. I don't care if I won't be published, it's  the accomplishment that matters to me. The only person standing in the way, are myself and my astounding ability to procrastinate. Writing is not easy and hard stuff are hard.

It seems I got on a sidetrack, but it's okay because I think this is all you need to know, for know at least. If you want to know more about me and my everyday life, maybe you will find something out by reading some of my blog posts or trying to read between the lines.