Thursday, April 9, 2009

Cambodia Day 0 and bleeding $$

The S21 prison, now known as the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, was at the center of Khmer Rouge brutality during that dark period. At least 17,000 people went through there, where they were interrogated and tortured over about 2-3 months in very very horrible ways, to get the answers that they were supposed to give, before they were sent off to be executed. The man in charge of this prison, Comrade Duch, is currently on trial for 'crimes against humanity', which is weird because all Duch did was follow the orders given by his superiors [i.e the people who pay him], and he did a damn fine job about it. 17,000 confessions gotten, and corresponding punishment meted out. How more competent can you get. In addition, during his trial, Duch also mentioned that he came up with alot of the tortures that were used in S-21. Wah, the guy also has initiative. Competent, resourceful and obedient. Everything I am not. What more can an employer ask for?

The guy deserves a glowing testimonial.

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Sarcasm aside, not that I don't like Cambodia or travelling, or am not grateful that I get to make the time to travel, this really is quite an awkward time for me. It's like I'm no longer playing on my own terms in too many ways and I always hate that. So I'm still gonna come back unemployed, and half the time I'm there, I'm constantly conscious of my phone, in case any perspective employers call. Makes it worst that I'm on prepaid [because I don't see postpaid making sense when I don't use my phone much and I'm already paying my telco way too much even for the bits that I do use]. and prepaid really sucks when roaming: $6 per call per minute, even if the call is made by some idiotic people, like the 2 idiots from MDIS who called; one to ask about something about my enrollment application which I had already told him face to face to, and the other some bitch probably trying to do her own survey with her own ulterior agenda.

Took Jetstar to Cambodia. I'm quite sure I haven't put on much weight these past months and I swear that the amount of leg space seems to have shrunk. Not sure if it's also a coincidence, but they are offering front row and emergency door seats at an additonal $20, payable on the spot if you so can't tahan. KM suggests next, they'll charge you $5 per every 10 degrees you want your seat to incline by.

Phnom Penh is so not a tourist-friendly or cheap place. The basic demoninator is the USD dollar, so everything is at least SGD$1.50. There's no taxi there, so we have to take the tuk tuk, and agree on a price beforehand. We spent like 13USD on travelling on the first day, and another 16 today. Food costs at least 2-3 USD a meal, and there's like 2-6 USD of admission fees per place we went to, even the temple.

Tomorrow we head to Siem Reap, where already 36 USD for to and fro bus ride, 45 USD for tour guide and admission tickets to the temples there, is already foregone.

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