pushing out from the floating village

Hours before dawn the tinny speakers started their call. It is my forth day here, and time to head up to Siem Reap , Ankor Wat and see what the #1 tourist destination in Cambodia has to offer.

Realizing now (better late than never) the floating villages are not the structures that my guide Long and his friend motored me out to ,

 but rather all the homes and town that I have been in these last four days.

view from Sunny Beach Homestay

the air wafts with smoldering plastic and other debris. 

They really are this joyous

This is the dry season, soon the roads will be unpassable, but now it just looks like a town on comically tall legs.



But by late summer

 the monsoons will swell the lake and clean water will reach up the steps towards the Standing Buddha.The shacks and cabins will be dismantled and stored until the water recedes.

This entire town will give the appearance of floating , as access is available only by boat or swimming .

I guess I didn't read the fine print before i got here.

and it's cliche but the people I've met here I've been just so friendly and smiley and joyous .Just a wonderful time walking around meeting these people.

Although I post pictures of detritus and plastic pollution and all manner of unsightly there are people working within their own areas keeping them clean and tidy. 

Perhaps I can come with my Western perspective what the ground should look like how things should be also I come with my Western importation or excuse me exploitation of plastic rappers and all manner of convenience.

 I just want to point out that there are people who are keeping the area around themselves very nice and a shout out

There is very little infrastructure or municipal involved, save for an entrance toll fee and a police station that few spoke highly of.

vices bring us together.

Traveling around the fields with Buth, I casually asked if he could procure a bit of the dried and cured tobacco we saw growing.

Upon my departure, he presented me with a kilo bag of cigarette tobacco and papers.

I have been gifting handfuls everywhere I go.

This morning there were a few men on the porch smoking and chatting, one with a similar smoking situation.

Their English is on par with my Khmer, and he graciously accepted my gift.

Wandering the dusty streets, ogling the early morning activities, he approached and with a wide arcing motion of his arm indicated we will walk through the fields behind his house.

Two children soon followed and off we were , fish leaping from their ponds, verdant bean and  rice fields gazed afresh .

Such a wonderful kind joyous people.

Kampong Khleang

Kampong Khleang and the floating villages ,

Dry season , months to go before the seasonal rains.
an ochre dust kicks up behind the myriad light,loud  laboring vehicles. Settling on horizontal surfaces, most pronounced on the long flat roofs of the idle tourist ferries.

 the Author
 in situ

but that is a temporary distraction from the non-organic waste that accumulates, patinas and accumulates some more.

Judge not, lest ye shall be nudged.


a recent phenomenon amongst "developing" nations. For time immemorial, All Matter could be dropped and eventually it would return to the source.  Still holds true, just takes a fuck ton longer.
In the present , that sip of water or snack that couldn't wait , waits here.

yep

Shit is real as fuck here.


smoldering plastic wafts

Coca-Consumption

export culture 

Brian noted that I am in a Shithole country.
Maybe, time will tell, as i question what defines shithole?

this mornings example
where my shithole was rinsed with a sink sprayer and my left hand.

No trees were harmed in the relieving of my bowels.

either way its just a shit in the ocean compared to all detritus that is out there.

which circumvents us back to the original pics of waste and plastic waste in particular.

pics and words PP January 2020

such a trooper

missing my TFBP crowd 

This place Almost puts the disparity of wealth in the USA to shame, almost.

I realize my word count is not up to my preconceived notions of what this blog would be,

Expectations

the root of suffering.

Part of me wants to be content with just being

here

sniffing the air 

eating, drinking and experiencing the Life that is Cambodia .

Yet a large section of cerebral real estate cries out for action and recognition.

"The world must know of my brilliant plans to save humanity from itself".

Its a loop that plays , part of my eyelids greatest hits.

Its the self censorship that impedes me most.

Perfect being the enemy of good, if you have scrolled this far, get ready for a sweet and sour tossed word salad .

Soon , as now I have an appointment with a realtor to show me some apartments near the Russian Market.

layover n Doha

wcgw?

got a mnute before the flght to Ho Chi Minh

that was then

early work modeling a floating structure/sculpture

ready for combat,
secure is as secure does
seek and ye shall find

Brooklyn Bowl 

this is great for people who hate on Mondays,

KISS in hand , is more then home run with 5 on base.

HEEEEEEE's Back

Just in time to say Farewell.

After 22 Years in the Princeton NJ area, (2 months in Brooklyn) Pete is taking his brand of revelry to SE Asia for a minute (til July) .  Still not sure why, but all will be revealed.

Its been a nice run in Mercer County, met some great people, raised a crop of kids, matured myself, had the wonderful opportunity to try to develop low cost modular shelter systems . That didn't pan out quite like I had hoped, but that's what happens with expectations , amirite?

After 3 tumultuous years raising chickens , building a better coop and reinventing the egg. I am outta here.Gunna sit, breathe ,create and manifest Joy .

So grateful to have had the opportunity to live on that beautiful farm in Princeton (technically Montgomery, but hey).

So many incredible sun rises and sunsets, and wonderful times with friends and family.

btw, title decrypted :  Keep it Simple Stupid,go for a single and stop trying to do the impossible.

that said , there is a semi small part of me that is working on processing plastic waste into a functional product.  Probably not the first to try, but first for me.

details to follow , if you do as well.

Peaqce

Pete

panini maker fusing my pant packaging with other detritus to form ,  dunno

never remember

birds of a feather