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July 3, 2008
"Don't let a monkey steal your sunglasses, Adam."
I'm getting ready to leave Yuma in the next few hours, and though I'll be meeting my parents in San Francisco before I go, it still has the feeling of wrapping things up.
We watched City of Ghosts (2002), a twisty little Matt Dillon movie filmed almost entirely in Cambodia, on Monday night. The fact that it was a crime/noir sort of film did not assuage my mother's worries that her darling son was going off somewhere weird. It probably didn't help that we also watched "The Last King of Scotland" the other night, as well. Now, she completely approves and supports my decision to do PiA, but this didn't stop her from interjecting 'advice' every couple of minutes through the movie:
"Don't lose your passport, Adam."
"Don't make deals with Russian gangsters, Adam."
"Don't go to crazy brothels, Adam."
"Don't fall for mysterious women, Adam."
"Don't get your foot cut off by ex-Khmer Rouge bandits, Adam."
"Don't go to bars run by Gerard Depardieu, Adam."
and most importantly, "Don't let a monkey steal your sunglasses, Adam."
It was funny, and it was true that the film emphasized the ridiculousness of Cambodia (though I've heard that things have calmed down greatly since about 2003). It's a place where I have to have my wits about me, and not take stupid risks (though I'm not going to let unreasonable fear run my life). It can be a tough city for the unwitting. Also, though I can swim I'm not naturally buoyant and she worries about me taking dodgy ferry rides.
I can understand her anxiety. It's got to be kind of scary when you raise your son to go out into the world and seek adventure, and then he listens to you.
Posted by flynn at July 3, 2008 11:11 AM
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Comments
My first serious comment: you should listen to your mother. Seriously.
(Although if you find a bar run by Gerard you might want to ask him to sign your tummy before you leave...)
Posted by: kunstlerin at July 3, 2008 8:30 PM
OK, now I sound like a head case ... thanks!
Still, I think the advice to watch out for monkeys is solid -- remember the monkey with the poisoned dates in Raiders of the Lost Ark?
Also, my sister was attacked by a monkey in Japan.
So listen to your mother (thanks, Sarah)!
Posted by: yer ma at July 6, 2008 3:15 PM