| There are many things that Australian expat Justin loves about living in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, where he moved two years ago to be with his wife. Here he describes some of them, as well as his thoughts on the locals, his efforts to learn the language, and his plans for the future. |
 Justin Garnett |
-Where were you born?
-In which country and city are you living now?
-Are you living alone or with your family?
-How long have you been living in Cambodia?
Two years.-What is your age?
40 in October! Wuhhhoooooooooooooo. Party time.
-When did you come up with the idea of living in Cambodia?
I came up with the idea about 5 minutes after meeting my wife - having been in the country with my sister for all of 4 hours on my first visit! Once you come here you either love it and have to come over for an extended time, you like the week's holiday and that is that or you hate it and can't wait to leave. I was besotted from the first minute.
-Was it hard to get a visa or a working permit?
$25 at the airport. Easy as pie.
-Was it difficult for you to get medical insurance before you went there or when you first arrived?
I have medical insurance now as part of my work contract but when I came here I had it with a private Australian provider. You are mad to come to a country like Cambodia without insurance.
-How do you make your living in Cambodia? Do you have any type of income generated?
I came twice in one year for a month at at time and on the second visit I had a job interview within the Private Sector and got the job! I sent an email to one company, we met for beers when I came over for the second visit and I had a contract 2 months later. I got retrenched 6 months after arriving and then landed a consultancy (construction) where I am currently employed. This is not an easy town to get well paid, ongoing work though. The private sector is getting larger but most of the work is NGO related.
-Do you speak Khmer and do you think it's important to speak the local language?Yes, I now speak pretty good Khmer. I started learning the first time I came here and have always made an effort. Now I have a Khmer wife and in-laws ( though she speaks great English) and when I first relocated here I had a teacher for 6 months /4 days a week and I was learning to read and write as well. I still have a long way to go though but I do pretty well.
As an expat you can get away with non-adherance to alot of the Buddhist rituals but there are some things you should bear in mind. You must ALWAYS remove your shoes when you enter a house unless the owner says otherwise and you must NEVER point your feet at a monk when you sit down in a pagoda.
-Do you miss home and family sometimes?I miss my family a lot as I have a lot of nieces and nephews and brothers and sisters. I miss our big coastal farm and its clean air and the surf beaches and I miss good steak and fresh oranges! Here for recreation I drink beer and ride dirtbikes. I also read stacks of books and write a lot on my blog.
-Do you have other plans for the future?Sure! Raise a family, keep learing Khmer, keep travelling SEA and one day maybe even go work in Africa or somewhere else exotic. I don't think i can ever go home full time now - it would seem to boring- though I do want to show my wife Australia - probably next year for my dad's 80th.
-What about housing, have you bought, or are you renting a home? How much do you pay for it?We pay US$600pcm for a brand new 3 bedroom, 3 bathroom, multi level, carparking, backyard, rooftop garden etc., secure compound. That includes all water, power, rubbish, etc. When we moved to the new house I realised that with a baby coming it was time to make a home rather than just rent a space so we have decked it out with big silk lights and huge sofas and custom made teak beds with nets, a big plasma screen, stereo and a custom kitchen with granite benches. We have lots of huge palms and bamboos outside and a big bbq which is always burning with ribs on it. We have really made our home our castle as it is a nice place and Phnom Penh (especially in the hot season) can be lacking in nice spaces. We have friends nearby with a villa and a pool so we swim over there which is a real luxury. We have also bought several blocks of land on the coast at Kep which is a lovely area and will build a nice house down there to go relax in. My wife is from nearby Kampot which is a lovely riverside town.
-What is the cost of living in Cambodia?
Not as cheap as it was 2 years ago but still ok. Beers are US$12 a box. Cigarettes are 25c a pack. It can be as expensive or as cheap as you want to make it. You can go out on Sat night and spend $20 or $100..up to you! You can rent a boat with a bunch of frineds and cruise the Mekong for $10 an hour which is always nice.
-What do you think about the Khmer?The Khmer are wonderful people. If you take the time to learn some Khmer language, the place opens up to you and you are welcomed with open arms. The one thing that used to really irk me though is the way they laugh at you when you are in distress! It's a cultural thing and they don't mean it to be a "ha ha SUCK ****" type of laugh. Your car might be broken down in deep water or your bike might be stuck in mud and whilst you sweat it out and swear your head off, they just laugh away.
-What are the positive and negative aspects of living in Cambodia?
- ; corruption at all levels, heat, litter, heat, sometimes small things take forever, power black outs, flooding in the streets during rainy season, lack of some foods I like, the poverty can be upsetting. Did I mention the heat ?
+ ; My wife! the people, the expat scene is unreal, the bars are great, the parties, the motorcross riding, the sights, the smells, the Mekong River, the personal learning curve it puts you on, trips to the provinces, etc. etc. LIVING!
-Do you have any tips for our readers about living in Cambodia?
PATIENCE PATIENCE PATIENCE-Do you have any favorite Web sites or blogs about Cambodia?
