Man-o-gram #3

Men from the west, Phnom Penh western men – there seem to be a few of them here, often solitary types – I’m guessing on some kind of cheap lengthy pleasure sabbatical, mostly middle aged plus or minus a few (my god I fit right in 🫣 ) some that live here permanently, a retirement of sorts in the colour, energy and bang for buck of urban Asia. Anywhere but home I’m guessing. Running men sitting still on stools drinking beer.

I’m not shy on striking up a conversation in the name of research and the ‘man-o-gram’ name I’ve given this blog, intended in no way to dishonour the battles women have with cancer, could not be more apt. Guys with their balls between the glass plates, checking for lumps, or maybe they’ve come here because thats what they had back home. Interesting.

It’s exotic being away from your homeland, your whanau. It’s an absolving of some responsibility, waving it about a bit while keeping it in your pants, allaboutme.com

I’m such a nosey prick, I want to know all these mens backstories, how they came to be here. For the permanents, why, or, what events led them to choose here over their homelands ? For the temp’s, the frequent flyers, the yo-yo’s, whats the buzz, what do they go back to, how do they balance the worlds.

Back in 1994, Barry from Rotorua, a school teacher in Japan, said to me “take your pick”, as he motioned to all the girls in their finery, most in their early 20’s, gathered at the end of the english language semester finishing school in Tokyo. It wasn’t really my thing though I got the impression Barry had taken his pick on more than one occasion. Go Barry.

And sitting at the bars here lining the busy streets in this district I have been staying a few days in, especially as the sun drops, there’s Barry’s everywhere. Happy chummy Barry’s, lonely Barry’s, Barry’s a sausage short of a barbie, Barry’s with missing teeth and prison tats round their neck, mannerless Barry’s outing the bolshy weaknesses they can get away with here, buffed up Barry’s, strutting Barry’s playing pool while eyeing sky sport, past their use-by date Barry’s, ogling Barry’s, alcoholic Barry’s necking one dollar beers. Barry’s with their aviators on punching their passwords into the ATM.

A sea of Barry’s on the banks of the Mekong. Welcome to Barryville.

Till next time :)