Return To Normalcy (Exile On Karaoke Street)

When we came back from Bamboo Island she asked
'What are you going to do now?’
'Maybe I'll look for a guesthouse somewhere in town'
(silence and then...) 'You can stay at my place for a few days if you’d like’

So I moved in with Daria.
She’s a skilled pool shark and an occasional sports bettor. In her early thirties, life hasn’t been sweet to her but she carries her burden with grace. She’s beautiful, of course. She has a wicked way of brutally honest story-telling. She nonchalantly lits up cigarettes anytime, anyplace. She tricked me in betting on a pre-recorded Thai boxing match once. She thought it was extremely funny. The game ended in a draw and then I finally got the joke too...

I met her on the beach one night. I was nursing a nasty opium comedown with $0.50 Happy Hours beers when she asked for a light. I gave her one and tried to avoid further conversation. Sometimes life doesn't follow the plan...

She lives in a small apartment up on Karaoke Street.
There’s always someone playing Khmer pop music at max volume. I keep losing small change playing cards with the neighbors. The karaoke bar across the street delivers cold, cheap jugs of beer at home. There’s lots of strange, delicious food around all the time. Some local girls spend ages telling me about their love troubles with barang men in broken English. Speaking not much must makes me a good listener. I don’t mind. It’s a cool way of letting time drift by while stoned...

Life’s strangely familiar up here.
Exile on Karaoke Street. It’s not in any guidebook. It certainly wasn’t part of my schedule. Nevertheless, I’m happy to escape the guesthouses, banana pancakes and the shallow, ignorant backpacking scene for a while. The Khmer lifestyle makes me at ease and relaxed. Life’s good up here. Just mingling with the locals, taking it easy. A life I used to live...

This time it’s different. This time I’m not committed. This time everyone’s in the know about it. This time I’m just passing trough on my way out of here...

But just

A few more days of lingering on Karaoke Street,
that’s all I need