Mr. Lim

Mr. Lim a retrospective by my like minded travel buddy Jessica Heinzelman www.jessicaheinzelman.blogspot.com

Mr. Lim was our "tuk tuk" driver in Phnom Pehn. We found Mr. Lim as we got off the boat from Siem Reap. The other drivers were jumping on board, grabbing at us, yelling, trying desperately to get our business, but inadvertently turning us off. Mr. Lim stood quietly with his topless straw hat holding a sign reading "For persons disliking noisy and boisterous sounds." Immediately I pointed at him and proclaimed, "He's our man!" He immediately approached me to shake my hand saying, "Thank you for giving me a job."

He helped us find a great hotel and scheduled to pick us up the next day for a tour of the Killing Fields and Genocide Museum. He was very knowledgeable and despite not being allowed to guide us through the sights themselves, he answered our questions before and after.

As we grew hungry we asked him to take us to a "real Cambodian restaurant" - one where they used the full allotment of spices and didn't try to copy Thai curries or American pizzas. He took us to this lovely local restaurant and sat with us as we ate, graciously accepting our offer of food, but not indulging (even slightly). He re-told/clarified Cambodian history for us and was very forthcoming when we asked about his life...

Mr. Lim was university educated. He studied accounting. When he graduated, however, he could not find a job. Professional jobs in Cambodia are scarce and one typically needs to buy a job with about one month's wages. Instead, he decided to teach English while his wife worked in a factory.

When Mrs. Lim got pregnant she had to stop working and Mr. Lim's salary of $20 a month as a teacher was not enough to pay the rent ($25 a month) let alone provide food and other necessities. He quit the job to find something more sustainable. He bought a motor bike and started providing transport along with hundreds of other drivers throughout the city. With the help of a micro loan ($500) from a friendly Australian he added a "tuk tuk" to his services that carried 4 passengers hitched to his moto. Now he scrapes by providing for his immediate family and mother (his father, brother and sister had all died in camps under the Khmer Rouge).

Mr. Lim's voice got softer as he spoke about politics. He expressed his distrust of the government pointing to the Lexus SUV's as examples of "our tax dollars." When we asked why the former oppressors were still in charge and the people didn't vote them out, his best answer was that the people are too worried about feeding themselves to worry about politics.

This is current day Cambodia.