We know where you live

At the corner of many streets, motordops and tuk-tuk drivers await passengers who would use their services.

While they are not busy ferrying commuters around the city, they will sit by their vehicles, chat with each other, and watch.

They know where we live.  When we use their services, then they would also know where we go for work, shopping, etc.  What time we leave home.  What time we get back.  They also probably also know how many people live in our home and when our home is empty.

I think they can be good sources of information to potential thieves.  I think they also double as security guards, or witnesses after a crime.

Trustworthy scales

It seems that people here are suspicious of others, especially with regards to trading.

I don't blame them.  Prices are often to be haggled over. To negotiate before buying something is normal.

Supposedly, this happens more at the markets and on the streets and less in the malls and nicer stores; but this is not always the case.  Even prices at such establishments are subject to discussion; at least to some degree.

However, I was rather appalled to hear a friend advise me to bring my own scales to the markets.  Apparently, the scales there are rigged to not reflect the correct weight, but so that the vendors may cheat the customers.  I remembered Proverbs 20:23 when I heard this.


Another friend told me that the price of some things are cheaper here in Cambodia.  They have the same badges and design as those overseas, but they are not really manufactured by the same company.  They are of imitation parts.  It is possible to find a used model of an "original" one of these products cheaper than the imitation one.

I wonder how it sits with regards to trust and acceptance here, if people are so suspicious of each other and the products and services delivered?  My experience so far has not been too bad (thank God for that), but I tread cautiously having heard what people tell me.

Rubbish

We have since moved to Cambodia.  It seems that the way garbage collection works is that garbage is left out in plastic bags on the side-walk.  The garbage collectors pick up these bags on the designated days.

Residents would put the garbage out when they think the designated days have arrived.  If the garbage is not picked up on these days, then the garbage will stay out for an extra day or two.

Stray dogs will sometimes tear the plastic bags when looking for scraps.  Insects and other pests may get to the rubbish before the rubbish collectors also.

Nevertheless, the rubbish collectors do a good job in cleaning up when they come around.

Eating dogs

An article in the Cambodia Daily on Sunday said that some Cambodians think that eating dogs bring good luck - especially if the dogs are black in colour.  Wow!