Independent

Phnom Penh's Independence Monument is a classic thing to photograph here, yet it's hard to take the time to craft an amazing photo of it as having a camera or phone snatched from your hand is a very real risk.

A packed day of meetings peppered with nice reminders of the PP lifestyle. I hung out with my old mates Mervin and Dave until late and remembered the levelling nature of socialising here. Living here as a foreigner you are often unencumbered by some of the things that make the rat race in the UK a stressful experience. Various factors contribute to this: shorter commutes, having less 'stuff' to maintain, organise and clean, the greater affordability around socialising, the relative simplicity of 'life admin', the fewer personal and family commitments, the ready availability and proximity of most people you know, the general rejection of advance planning and the tendency to rely heavily and actively on friends as your main support network.

You wouldn't want to be here if something went drastically wrong, yet it's a fun and ever-evolving place to live. I have got worse at planning and time-keeping since I lived here, because I got used to a flexible, spontaneous life.