Phnom Penh Pals

Today was a bitterly cold day in Beijing, with temperatures of -17°C and a cruel wind-chill factor of -27°C. In fact, it was so cold today, the condensation on the inside of my windows turned to thick ice. Brrrr!

These plummeting temperatures are the coldest I have ever experienced in Beijing and it has resulted in me swaddling myself in a blanket and thinking back to warmer times.

Last year, towards the end of September, I travelled to Phnom Penh in Cambodia to see Kate and Becky. It was a great holiday because I had missed them so much since they had left Beijing. Plus I was able to spend the holiday with Omar, Lyra and Warner who had also arranged to visit. It felt wonderful to have the gang back together again.

I first visited Cambodia in 2006, so I was lucky enough to have already seen Angkor Wat, Siem Reap and places around the capital city. Cambodia is a friendly and welcoming country with so much history and culture to experience. I would definitely recommend a visit to the Killing Fields and the Tuol Sleng Museum Of Genocidal Crimes. It is a harrowing and disturbing experience, yet extremely educational and worthwhile in understanding the history of the country. Since I had visited both these locations in 2006, I did not feel the need to see them again this time.

I don’t have access to many photographs from my first visit to Cambodia, as most of them are stored at home in Wales. But I do have a photograph taken at Angkor Wat, one of a tuk-tuk driver and another of a child at an orphanage in which my friend Kendell and I visited. 

Angkor Wat 2006

Tuk-Tuk driver near the backpacker area.

I also have a lasting memory of the phrase “powms oi na?” (Excuse my crude anglicised spelling of the Khmer language) which translates to “who farted?” In 2006, I decided that this would be a crucial phrase to add to my arsenal in as many languages as possible; so I asked my Angkor Wat guide to teach it to me in Khmer.

My visit in 2015 was very different to my my trip in 2006. I was no longer a backpacker (now I travel with a suitcase!) and this time focused more on relaxing and catching up with close friends. Not long after we arrived, I decided to give everyone a small gift from China – a plant sprout hair clip. At the time, these were inexplicably popular with both children and adults in Mainland China. The clips came in many varieties and you could frequently see both men and women walking around with flowers and shoots sprouting from their heads. So once I had given everyone their very own sprout, it was only fitting that we took a selfie.

Sporting sprouts - note that Lyra is absent in this photo due to being asleep.

During our stay in Phnom Penh, Becky and Kate booked us places on a cookery course. Cambodian food boasts some delicious dishes, including my favourite – amok. We made this along with some other dishes on the course. It was a fun yet exhausting day (tiring due to the heat and my general laziness).

Cooking up a storm!

While on the course, I was overjoyed that I had correctly remembered the Khmer phrase that I had learned almost ten years ago. Our teacher happily confirmed that it did indeed mean “who farted?” although I think any bad smells were actually coming from my poor attempt at recreating Cambodian food.

Kate and Becky also took us on an evening river cruise. I was super pleased with myself for capturing the moment of a lightning strike by chance on my old phone. During late September/early October there were frequent thunderstorms but this did not hinder our holiday, as they were generally short downpours. The views of the sunset were spectacular and the silhouettes of the temples and buildings were stunning.

Cruisin' and boozin'

Although we were on holiday, Kate and Becky were working during the day, so Warner and I decided to visit Phnom Tamao Wildlife Rescue Centre. After a rather long tuk-tuk drive we arrived at the centre. There were so many animals there and we were happy to see that they appeared to be well cared for and lived in good conditions.

Getting snap-happy at the sanctuary

Monkeying around at the sanctuary

The whole experience was wonderful and it’s so nice to think back to that time last year. Kate and Becky were the best hostesses and I cannot wait to see them again soon. I still miss their presence in Beijing, but it's great to have such good friends in Cambodia as it gives me the excuse to visit them again in such beautiful surroundings.

Memories of the hot climate and fun times are definitely keeping me warm on this chilly January evening!

Incredible Dependable Indispensables : The Beijing Battalion

The long, cold, dry and often polluted Beijing winter is a bit of a beast. But over time, I have constructed a band of warriors; a small army if you will, to help combat the savage brutality that one must endure during the harsh winter months. I may have exaggerated, but only slightly…this winter has been rather mild. It is quite possible I would not have survived to enjoy such comparatively warm temperatures if it wasn't for these loyal comrades. 

Meet: 

Peter The Heater 

Peter was the first addition to my apartment. During the darkest, coldest evenings, Peter offers an almost-friendly orange glow and lukewarm comfort that only a cheap heater from Taobao (Chinese ebay) can provide. 

Rita The Heater 

…Because one heater is just not enough! As temperatures plummeted to -10ºC and below, Rita stepped in and took command. She is the juggernaut of all heaters and truth be told, often intimidates Peter. But when the two heaters work together, they create enough warmth so that I can (at least for short periods of time) remove my thermals. Due to the horrors of combatting draughts and chills (yet mainly due to the amount of electricity she consumes) I have offered Rita some well-earned rest & recuperation. She currently resides in my spare room but remains alert and ready for the next sub-zero emergency. 

Mariah The Air Purifier 

Don’t be fooled by Mariah’s clean and sleek appearance. Filtering out disgusting and health-damaging air particles is a dirty job, but somebody’s got to do it! Beijing’s air quality is no laughing matter and it’s no coincidence that Mariah is the most solemn of the gang. You think your diet is hard? Mariah eats PM2.5 for breakfast, lunch and dinner. She spends most of her days cleaning the air in my apartment but in her free time (on low-pollution days) she enjoys singing sea shanties and having clothes draped on her. 

…and introducing, Mr. McGuire The Humidifier 

Beijing’s climate is absurdly arid. I often wake up with cottonmouth and have to embark on a treacherous journey to the kitchen in search of water. One glass of H2O next to my bed at night is just not enough to quench the dryness that nighttime brings - especially if Rita is in close proximity.

I had growing fears that I was going to end up as a shrivelled, withered, dehydrated husk of my former-self. Oh, these are not laughter lines or wrinkles brought on by the passing of years…these are clearly creases in my ravaged, haggard face that have been formed by lack of moisture. To be honest, Bear Grylls would have resorted to drinking his own urine months ago.

I, on the other hand, decided the best option would be to purchase Mr. McGuire The Humidifier. He is the most recent addition to my apartment and yet already has a great deal of expectations placed upon him. I firmly believe that adding moisture to the air will help combat terrors like: dry mouth, chapped lips, wrinkles (and the general ageing process), hunger pains, flatulence while also preventing other negativity such as having a bad day at work, hearing my neighbour playing the same music every evening and finding there is no more cheese in my fridge.


So there you have it, the Incredible Dependable Indispensables. I will update you on their continuing battle and inform you of any new arrivals to this team of elite equipment.

Bắc Kinh có khí hậu khô ráo. Nhà tôi cực kỳ khô trong mùa đông. Tôi có một máy tạo hơi ẩm cho phòng ngủ. Tôi không thể chịu nổi những tháng mùa đông lạnh giá. Tôi có hai lò sưởi điện. Ở Bắc Kinh, ô nhiễm không khí rất khủng khiếp. Tôi có một máy lọc không khí trong nhà. Làm sao để qua mùa đông? =))

Man-Flu In The PRC

Some things are just more exciting when you are abroad. Being sick is not one of them. I recently got struck down with a cold and have been feeling suitably sorry for myself. Luckily, last summer, Mum left some ‘flu medicine and throat lozenges here for me in preparation for such a terrible event.

Despite my debilitated state, I decided that I should use this opportunity to discover the perfect cure to a Beijing cold, so that I can help others in my snotty situation. In the past, when I have suffered from a cold, Chinese colleagues have recommended that I drink lots of hot water. I feel like this is a perfectly reasonable and easy recommendation to follow. I was also told to try boiling pears with rock sugar to relieve some of the symptoms of a sore throat. However, this time my cold appears to leave me feeling too bone idle to search for said ingredients.

To get rid of my stuffy nose, I used some Tiger Balm, which I had brought back from my most recent trip to Vietnam. Today, I also decided to explore the pharmacy near to my apartment compound in order to find additional remedies. All in the name of science (and curiosity…and wanting to get rid of this cold).

Tiger Balm

Having previously used 风油精 (fēng yóu jīng), I decided to stock up on it at this challenging and harrowing time. Rubbing a little on your temples can relieve headaches and a stuffy nose. I also decided to try 西瓜霜(xīguā shuāng) which is a lozenge (imagine the weak love-child of a Trebor mint and a Fisherman’s Friend). 

After conducting this lengthy experiment and taking many ideas into consideration, I have come to the following conclusion. A Beijing cold is a cruel mistress. Any sufferer should heed this essential advice:

• Get attention and sympathy from family and friends (whether in person or via the internet). 
• Drink plenty of hot water (sometimes adding lemon and honey). 
• Order in food (hot soup is always a welcome treat). 
• Forage for some kind of menthol rub and/or lozenge. 
• Get your grubby, germ-riddled mitts on cold/flu relief medicine. 
• Treat yourself to marathon sleep sessions (with a very comfortable blanket). 
• Slather your red-raw nostrils in a moisturising cream. 

Follow this plan to the last letter and you have yourself a cure for the Beijing cold. As I write this, I must say that I am beginning to feel better! Hurrah!

Tôi bị cảm nên ngạt mũi. Không có phương thuốc nào đáng tin cậy cho bệnh cảm lạnh. Tôi đã uống thuốc và ở trong nhà. Nước chanh nóng với mật ong đúng là thứ rất cần để chữa trị cảm cúm.