For a quick start, you only need to learn numbers from 0 to 5 and multiples of 10. That’s only 16 Khmer words to be able to count to 1000! Khmer has the particularity of using a bi-quinary counting system (base 5 and 10), which makes it easier for visitors to pick up.
It takes a lot to budge a Singapore taxi driver. They’re quite even tempered. Of course, they’re taxi drivers, so they drive like taxi drivers. Speed up, then slam the brakes a few seconds later. Makes my girlfriend sick each time!
The French eat quite a bit of veal when compared to other countries. Veal can be commonly found in the meat aisles of French supermarkets, at the local butcher’s and relatively regularly on the plates of the average French household.
Bakkwa is a Chinese delicacy consisting of sweet and salty slow roasted meats. It’s a bit like jerky, but nowhere near as chewy. Bakkwa is more moist and not as dry as dried meats. So even if you’re missing a few teeth like Singaporean pioneers, you can still enjoy bakkwa in old age.
You may be spending only a few days in Singapore. But at some stage during your stay, you’ll probably need a supermarket, and convenience , though very convenient, have less than the bare essentials. NTUC Fairprice, a Trades Union coop, is the fairest supermarket in Singapore and a household name.
The easiest way to get around in Cambodia is on a motorbike. You’re travelling with a group of friends. Should you all fit on the same moto dup (Cambodian motorbike taxi) or hail separate rides?
The central pond of the Luxembourg Garden is where budding sailors and pirates meet to race wooden model ships. A few people bring their own toys, but most rent traditional sail boats from the mysterious man. He appears every spring and disappears as the cold weather sets in.
Finding clean food stalls in Singapore is relatively easy. Unlike our friends in neighbouring countries, we’re lucky to be able to drink water straight from the tap without fear of ghastly stomach upsets or worse.
Cambodians don't usually eat meals with their hands. They use a spoon and a fork. Meats and vegetables are usually served cut up in sufficiently small pieces, so you won't need a knife.
Despite widespread backpackers and travel forums' beliefs, we don't traditionally eat maggots, spiders and cockroaches. But it does make for a good story when you go back home to tell people that Cambodians eat spiders.
