Part II of DETLEV BUCKs diary and his first journey to Cambodia

Today you can read the second part of Detlev Bucks private diary written on his first trip to Cambodia. Impressions of visiting miniature slums, watching movies in a cinema and backpacker live...
Enjoy and stay tuned!

Monday
We drive into La Building where Ben and Sreykeo used to live and I need to say that every European gets totally out of the line here. The women- you could assume it’s Sreykeos mother- earns money by concatenating documents, each for 90 Riel. Per day she earns one dollar, therefore she needs to sublease. They offer me a plastic chair, while they sit on the floor.
While sitting there I’m thinking, oh Ben you really got yourself into a different life. When I told Nick I want to go into La Building he immediately said: but not alone. I don’t think you get a blow on the head, but due to black despair of the people the one or other can get lost sometimes.
After a while of translated conversation, I ask if I am allowed to come back to make some photos. The mother of seven children nods and I try to give her a bill, she refuses, but when I tell her that it’s for her children, she accepts smiling. It wasn’t really necessary, but I think about staying for a night there, once. The shooting permission seems to be difficult. Government wants to pull the building down next year in July. It is a black spot- a miniature slum. With everything: shops, haircutters etc.

Later we drive to the airport and drop Sreykeos sister at a Cambodian restaurant. She has to sing from 8pm to 12am. We eat at this restaurant. In front is a row of small motorbikes. Cheangmy also drives a moto. Here the traffic flows like water in Hanoi, you just drive in. Nobody is aware of traffic lights. Europeans often get scared. There’s going to be more tomorrow.

Tuesday
I’m going to watch a Cambodian horror movie. First half an hour karaoke, I collapse. Then the movie. The sound is ripped-off from other horror movies- very loud. Handheld camera through a dark wood. Suddenly a black old woman comes out of the tree per cross-fade. Loud screams of horror in the cinema. There are many students in the cinema.
After that, back to La Building to take some photos. The people are not camera-shy. Next to La Building is an orphanage for 120 children. Together with the housemaster I go to buy 100kg good rice, 20 tubes of toothpaste and 5kg washing powder, to make a donation. The rice lasts two to three days.

After that we rush down the street with a 250 cross machine, of course faster than all motos. Right up to Lost and Found- a cushion bar for backpacker. Immediately we are welcomed by Paul and Darin and promptly offered a Happy Smile cigarette. Paul is the employee of Pete an Englishman, who has currently problems with his legs. In the bar Sweden: Englishmen, some European women- just backpackers. I ask Darin how long he is in Cambodia and he says the fabulous sentence: I am on the way to china. He is here about 4 months. I tell him that I am German and he raves about a long love story of four days with a woman from Düsseldorf. No doubt, only good sex and talks. I recognize that the Australian woman, who seriously drinks whiskey, somehow has a crush on Paul. After Paul rolls a Happy Smile cigarette for a guest (for which he goes behind the bar) the Australian woman asks me where I come from etc. When I asked her how long she is her, she replies something like 14 days or so! The conversation develops and suddenly she is having a very emotional moment and shows a photo of her dog, which is now all alone sitting in Australia. She is totally distressed. These contrasts of the problems are very important for the movie.