Youpi!! :-)

Some news on the personal front… I am now motorized!! Thanks to my friend Dan, who sold my car for me in Paris, I was able to buy a Suzuki “moto” – not really a motorcycle, not a scooter, but somewhere between the two. I spent as little as possible, and have calculated the cost savings: I spend so much every month on transport (mostly to and from Phnom Penh) that it’s actually less expensive to have bought a bottom-of-the-line moto and resell it later.

It’s last year’s model, and it’s just fine, thank you. For the moment, it’s as clean as a whistle, which makes me a bit uncomfortable… As I sit typing I keep looking nervously out the window to make sure it’s still there… I can’t find anything like a U-lock in this country, but I do have a brake-disc boot that I can use once I figure it out. Never fear, however; once it’s been at home in dusty Takeo province for a few days it will look as tired and dirty as its owner does!

For anyone who might be interested, it’s a 125, which means that it can pick up pretty well when necessary, but the average speed in Cambodia is far lower than in France. Accidents occur mostly because of the stupid, macho attitude of Lexus drivers and oversized vehicles who think they own the road… But if you piddle along like you should, you’re pretty safe. Additionally, as of the 1st of January, helmet-wearing is obligatory (for the driver, not for the passengers…) I bought mine last week, and spent FAR more than the average moto person does – everyone thinks I’m nuts to have spent so much. My helmet cost me 25 dollars…!! I saw some at a roadside stand today in Phnom Penh for 3 dollars… Ah, well, form over function is key… at least in helmets. (Not for much else in Cambodia, come to think of it…)

As soon as I’ve finished the registration process, I’ll do a post telling about it all. For the moment, however, suffice it to say that I feel like a different person. It’s the first glimmer of “myselfness” that I’ve had since I’ve been here. I’m realizing how important it is to me to have control over every little aspect of my existence, including how I get from place to place. And after driving a scooter for 25 years in France, I feel that there’s finally a real link between the person I used to be and the person I’m trying to figure out how to be now.

Even learning to drive here isn’t too stressful. When we were here in January, Deb and I rented a moto from one of the guys who worked at the Manor House Hotel, and I found it surprisingly easy to get around. There are a few rules to follow, and once I feel that I’ve learned the most important ones, again, I’ll write it up.

A new, strange, almost unreasonable exultation.

Fun, fun, fun!!