Life on the Side

Since I’m living in a capitol city, if I had thought about it, I might have expected sidewalks in most places. And they do exist on some major streets near me, but in many places, there’s just a wide road. Other streets have a series of tiled areas in front of their respective homes. They’re kind of a cross between a driveway and a patio, except that they’re not private: strangers sometimes walk on them.

However, no matter the form they take, their functions are diverse. I appreciate this, because it means that even living inside the “Logos Bubble,” I get glimpses into many aspects of everyday life here. Calling these areas a “sidewalk” would not begin to describe the activities that occur along the road, even on my three short blocks to school. (Actually, Khmer people don’t like walking anywhere; you sit still or drive whenever possible.) Instead, more accurate titles might include:

The Sideweld: I often have to veer around the giant torches to weld and split old recycled metal pipes and such.

The Sidebathe: Also at the recycling center, guys in their underwear routinely soap up and scrub off.

The Sidesleep: Especially tuk-tuk drivers waiting for customers, but others as well. (See “sideplay.)

The Sidevend: Bicycles carry stands of sweet sticky rice, Ovaltine drinks, bubble tea and more to the area in front of Logos right after school (talk about strategic!) and all over the city.

The Sidepray: Gold-colored spirit houses are located outside many homes and businesses. While Khmer Buddhists are not that observant, many leave food or herbs inside the spirit houses to honor their ancestors.

The Sideburn: Hehe, I couldn’t resist! Besides, what else would I call the piles of burning trash that are in my way a few times a week?

The Sideplay: Actually not funny at all. I’m glad I only see these kids at 7 AM and 5 PM. That way I can pretend that in the hours in between, they’re going to school and not continuing to kick a broken flip-flop back and forth. Actually, the worst was two toddlers playing in the dark in front of a passed-out adult. Would the adult wake up if someone abducted the kids?

The Sidewed: Want to marry a Khmer? Just set up a colorful tent immediately outside their house. Party for days to loud music, and you’ll be ready for a lifetime of commitment.

The Sideguard: This city is full of people trying to look official and threatening while playing Cell Phone Tetris for eight hours at a stretch. Don’t let them fool you. Having had problems with theft by previous employees, Logos started its own guard company, named Lightning Security after our Logos Lightning sports teams. They took photos of other local guards and asked a tailor to copy the uniforms. Now we have about 5 full-time guards; at all hours, at least one is greeting people by the gate. It’s a great chance for me to practice my Khmer, and they do some yardwork for Logos too.