Katjan blog

In Kabiki hotel Phnom Penh: French housewives are taking their gymnastic class in the green pool, fifteen women talking to each other and in variable concentration moving their arms and legs up and down under the guarding eyes or the teacher. All of them are slim but their skin is no more young and smooth, weather and sun wearing on surface. Before dipping in the pool they are comparing their new shoes or bracelets, one talking to mobile phone imitated organizing the evening. Life is warm and comfortable, being able to represent and answer right answers to the same questions again and again, being able to arrange new setting on evening table to please eyes and create right atmosphere. Or is it, or was it, or what is what an outsider like me can actually gather? Or am I the outsider? The cook of the poolside restaurant is making omelet with bacon for our girls. After he is coming to the counter and looking at the group of women in the pool. Waitress is brining plate of fruits to our breakfast table glancing the aerobics class. They both, cook and the waitress, Cambodians, watch to the same direction for a moment and think about something. They have seen it many times, same women gathering here on Monday mornings, and they have served many times breakfast on the tables of families like mine. Here in the comfortable oasis in the middle of capital. What is it what they think about success and prosperity, the life of those now swimming the green pool? On the flight from Manila to Bangkok: In the plane there is group of 15 Pilipino women with the clear envelopes containing passports, personal information sheets, brown envelopes with more forms and instructions. Maybe information on their destination, all what they have to guide them for the next years of life in Dubai. They are looking at each other, exchanging some sentences, clutching their clear envelopes, clearly exited, nervous and a bit worried. Some girls are leading the way, those that have done it before, others are relying on them. I am sitting next to a young woman from Manila, she is going to the family with three children (1 year, 3 years and 5 years) and leaving her own (2 years and 6 months) little girl back to Manila to be taken care of her family. The little girl will be 4 years and 6 months when she will see her mother next time.