29th March (2020)

 

29th March

I am tired this morning. It’s yet another day that I wake up not having been turned into a cockroach, or yet having been a cockroach, wake up as being human. 

I usually am tired on a Sunday, after Friday and Saturday ‘project’ meetings. I turn off the hard working air-conditioner. Within minutes I turn it back on again. There is no fan, and no room for a fan, in this room without a fan. 

Once more I eat banana (commonly known as chek here) sandwich and drink Nescafe (Red, whatever that means) instant coffee, for a lazy breakfast, and still not showered at 10am. I sound like a teen student, which I am most assuredly not, well not teen, not by half a century, but student, perhaps, now and forever.

Yesterday, after reading a ‘call for submissions’ for a 6,000 word story, closing date May, I was very excited, even wrote out a beginning sentence. Today it seems like an unnecessary slog. Honestly, to rush to write 6,000 words which may or may not be published, and if they are published bring in no remuneration, seems somewhat of a foolhardy endeavour. I love writing, true. I write this diary for free, true. I continue to write for little financial reward, also true. But do I need to also write the 6,000 short story words as well. That remains to be seen. As I have said. I am tired today. My brain drags today. More water perhaps, or a ‘nice cuppa tea’.

I walk through (mostly) deserted streets to Jungle Burger for lunch, and just to get out of my room. I shall be eternally grateful for the loan of that room at Colors of Cambodia. Being there has helped me write, and learn more about the students and how the charity runs on a daily basis. Sadly, that life saving room, day by day begins to get smaller. This, of course, makes me even more grateful for the room that I have in Malaysia. 

I have been in Siem Reap now for 14 days. Over that time, the streets have been getting increasingly quieter too. Sitting drinking, yes beer again (it’s free) and Jungle Burger is empty except for me, even the music is muted. I saw few people on the walk over, little traffic too. Is this because it is Sunday, or is this because of Covid 19?

I have been lead to understand that many non-essential businesses, like bars, pubs and karaoke places are being closed in Phnom Penh (once called The City of the Brahma's Faces), with workers returning to the villages from which they had come, penniless. Siem Reap too has felt the brunt, not so much of the virus, but how that virus discourages people from mingling, especially eating out, one of the main industries of the fun loving Pub Street and its surrounds. I also learn, from the Phnom Penh Post, that there are two extra cases of the Covid 19 virus in Siem Reap bringing the total now to 98 in Cambodia. I worry when I hear students coughing downstairs. Ah well, Kamma (Kharma).

Today’s spend is $7 at Jungle Burger, and $6.20 for orange juice, water, tonic water, digestive biscuits and soap

 Equals = $13.20