Trusting the Police

So we are heading off to Cambodia for Christmas.  An 8 day tour looking around and taking advantage of our new found closeness of Asia (and the tax free leave I get when I holiday outside of Japan thanks to a rather strange and complicated multi-jurisdiction taxation ‘scheme’ arranged for my income).

Part of the getting prepared for the trip I’ve been reading up on what to expect (shock of shock for those that know me I know).

I came across this great website today which had the most hilarious advice for in the event your in a car accident in Cambodia.  Pretty much – don’t call the cops and bribe the whole situation away.  Why don’t you call the cops?!  The key is in the last sentence:

Can I trust the Khmer police?

Depending on the situation, the Khmer police will try to help you out as much as they can, although often that isn’t very much. In cases of theft they’ll quite happily let you file a report, but don’t expect them to go rushing out to catch the culprit. If you are driving yourself around in Cambodia, don’t be surprised if the police stop you and muddle around basically looking for a bribe. Be polite, smile a lot, and pay them — you are allowed to bargain! The one time you do not want the police involved is if you are involved in a car or motorcycle accident. As long nobody is seriously injured, try to sort out – you will inevitably be at fault and must pay – before the police show up. If you wait for them, you’ll have to pay them as well.

Brutally honest if nothing else I guess.  Luckily we’ll be driven around so I’ll leave the bribing to others.

Related articles

• Cambodia: Chinese-made Dam collapsed. (alfredmeier.me)
• Independence Day greetings for Cambodia (independenceunplugged.wordpress.com)
• The Unmissable Afternoon Nap… (thelilacaroundtheworld.wordpress.com)
• Cambodia’s PM eyes Japanese investment (ttrweekly.com)

Life Change – Move to Tokyo

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Well it is time for a life change.  And of course one might wonder what event this might be.  Masters? Getting Married? Well we have decided to add another to the mix. 

Not comfortable resting on any of those items we are packing up and moving off to Japan.  Tokyo to be precise.  I’ll be rejoining the world of private practice law firms after my 15 month sabbatical in-house – for around 2.5 weeks before I’m then seconded by my new private practice employer into an in-house role with one of their clients.

So actually I guess in the end I’m not rejoining the world of private practice law firms just yet.  I’m slowly working my way back there!  Baby steps.

No Baby step in moving over to Tokyo though, given the small fact that neither of us actually speaks any Japanese.  I, if I’m lucky can count to ten, but I can only get to 8 by counting from 1 through to 8.  So it’s not exactly what one might call a killer skill set. 

So with equal parts excitement, trepidation, and general nervousness we will be selling our car, selling our possessions, finishing our apartment renovations, packing for leave, renting out our apartment.  Oh, and having Christmas and I’ll also still be doing my summer course for my Masters.   

So the timing for the plan is the departure will occur around 20 January,  3 weeks or so for us to set ourselves up and then I start work around 16 February and move in-house as a Secondee.

I will admit its been … 7 years since I lived overseas.  So a little longer then that packing and moving.  And that was in a time when electronics and mobiles and technology were in general much simpler.  I moved with my laptop, I didn’t have a mobile with me, my cable TV connected my internet as well.  Now seems I have wireless internet, fibre optic, adsl as things to explore.  Then it depends on your block and building.  Then the mobile phone technology is country unique and I need to figure out if my lovely new Dell Venue Pro will work over there.  We need to replace one mobile, but it would be nice not to have to replace both.  Then I realised its going to be a challenge to get around this place – so mapping software on a phone will be a big help.  So which of the operating systems has the best mapping?  Android or Windows Phone?  Another research issue to manage.  Then how does one ship things to the country in the most efficient manner?  Get a PO Box? rent an apartment? buy furnishings that are needed? Alien registration? Internet? Gas? Electricity?

For an analytical type person this level of unknowns is a serious challenge. 

But, it is time for a life change I guess!