Does pride come before a fall?

This morning I am compelled to share my own feelings and personal challenges faced each day in this city as we travel from place to place. Those of you who have lived in Phnom Penh will agree, I’m sure, that one of the most diametric contrasts to home is… ‘the traffic’! In every way, our experiences from Oz are confronted as we take that first step from the calm and safety of 115A(home) onto the streets of PP! It’s not just the fact that they drive on the wrong side of the road, which in reality is the right side, but that they also drive on the left side (which is wrong for here) but that doesn’t seem to matter! If you are now feeling confused… welcome to my world! In fact there seems to be no logic at all in the traffic flow here and YET… it all flows amazingly smoothly. My most challenging times have been when Gaye has brightly suggested that we go for a bicycle ride. Gaye is young, fit and has been riding her bicycle around PP for about 2 years. I, on the other hand, have not ridden a bicycle seriously for…mmm…well, too many years. I cannot begin to convey the anxiety I feel when Gaye suggests such an outing. On the one hand I want to move out of my comfort zone, I want to be a companion for Gaye and share some fun…but the thought of weaving my way on a bicycle through unpredictable maniacs on motos, tuk tuks and huge four-wheel drives is not what I call relaxing! I have, however, taken my ‘brave pills’ (not just a couple, mind you, the whole bottle!) and ventured out. The first time I followed Gaye out of the relative quiet of Street 141 into the chaos of Sihanouk Blvd I could not believe my eyes!! This gorgeous young lady rode calmly into a sea of oncoming traffic, seemingly oblivious to all! As she sailed through weaving motos and tooting cars I had to make an instant choice…take a deep breath and follow, or head straight back home. I think it was pride which made me press on but somewhere in the back of my mind I was wondering what they do in Phnom Penh with splattered foreigners who foolishly think they can meld into this seeming madness! I soon discovered that crossing from one side of the road to the other is actually the worst part (this applies to travelling on foot as well). Once I was ‘safely’ riding with the traffic on the ‘right’ side of the road I began to actually think I could enjoy this experience. As I kept my eyes on Gaye, so as not to get lost, I couldn’t believe that her oblivion to all around her continued. This angel on a bicycle seemed to be floating through the intersections as if in a bubble, completely unaware that all around her motos were criss-crossing, tuk tuks were weaving and cars were tooting within centimetres of collecting her on their bull bars. I am sure she only stopped at red lights because I was with her, although most of the time I wasn’t sure if she remembered I was there! Oh, to be so carefree! I didn’t dare take my eyes off the traffic in front, behind, coming crazily from the left and right in no particular pattern at every intersection, yet somehow I also had to make sure I didn’t lose sight of Gaye!
On our third outing, to Central Market, I did manage to get lost. Amongst all the commotion I took my eyes off her for one second…and she was gone! Panic for 3-4 excruciating moments and then I thought to myself “I can do this”. I actually found my own way home that day, only to find a very anxious Gaye waiting for me outside 115A. I’m not sure which worried her most… my being lost – or her having to tell Steve that I was lost!
Being in the midst of the traffic is what I imagine living in an ant’s nest must be like. It actually reminds me of years ago, when I used to go to watch Lauren perform in dance productions. To watch the traffic at the intersections of roads reminds me of those dances where everyone is carefully choreographed to deftly slide past others on the stage at amazing speed so that the overall visual impact is quite spectacular. Of course this analogy only heightens the amazement of such traffic flow when you think of how long dancers practise their moves to combine without mistake. Here, the drivers rely solely on anticipation, constancy of speed and a general respect for fellow travellers. More and more, however, the exception to this ‘code’ puts everyone at risk. Whether it be an impatient moto driver who decides to ignore the red light and fly right through, or the truck driver who assumes his place on the road cannot be challenged.
Either way, I am left with the dilemma of what I say to Gaye next time she invites me to cycle with her…Proverbs 16:18 seems to be telling me I should decline!

Lynne