‘Muka Tebal’ is a ‘simpulan bahasa’ an idiom in Bahasa Malaysia that can be literally translated into ‘thick-skinned’ in English and yep, it has exactly the same meaning. In general IMO these phrases give off negative connotation of being insensitive to one’s surrounding (in the way KY or 空気読めない in Japanese) or ‘tidak tahu malu’. But surprisingly I like the definition given in dictionary.reference.com, which translates it as ‘not easily upset or affected’. It is somehow uplifting since after my last solo-trip to Cambodia & Vietnam, I found myself being more & more ‘muka tebal’.
‘Si Muka Tebal’ enjoying her colorful adventure in Cambodia!
My last trip to Cambodia/Vietnam was not my first time traveling solo, well it was never meant to be one until my brother had to cancel it due to work. I have traveled a few times on my own in Australia & Japan. However, that trip made me realized I am ‘Si Muka Tebal’ & got me addicted to solo-backpacking.
Case 1
Boarding on Air Asia flight to Siem Reap, I sat together with a lady & a girl. Catching up my sleep after traveling from Miri to KL, I did not speak to them until it was time to fill up the immigration entry form. As usual, I left my pen in my pack so I had to borrow from my seat neighbours. After completing my form, I turned on my ‘muka tebal’ mode & started to get to know them while introducing myself. They are Singaporeans where the ‘aunty’ Belinda was bringing the ‘niece’ Rachel for a trip as a present for her finishing her exam. How nice! Belinda actually lives in London with her husband. Later, I also explained how I ended up traveling alone & right before we ended our conversation to prepare for landing, I managed to ask them about their plan for today in Siem Reap. They replied ‘No plan’ & I delightfully offered them to join me with my pre-booked ‘tuk tuk’ for the day!
Spending wonderful time in Siem Reap with Belinda & Rachel from Singapore
Thus, we spent the whole day doing the ‘Big Circuit’ of Angkor Archaeological Complex together & i even joined them to watch ‘Cambodian Circus’ that night. Belinda also treated me for Indian food the next day. Lovely!
Case 2
When I was planning for trip, I was cracking my head on how to reduce the expenses especially on ‘tuk tuk’ as I then had to hire the whole bike for myself. Then, I decided to find travel buddy from ‘Couchsurfing’ & gratefully I found Muraly, a fellow Malaysian who was also traveling to Siem Reap at similar dates. Putting my thick-skin on, I suggested to him to join me on the ‘tuk tuk’ to do the ‘Small Circuit’ & also visit the outer temples. Thus, we agreed on the time & place to meet up.
After spending the first day with the Singaporean lady & girl, I woke up early to start my second day for the ‘Small Circuit’. Arriving at the extravagant Angkor Wat with my ‘tuk tuk’, it was already filled with tourists. Ah, it was Cambodian public holiday (for the whole week!). So, it was quite a pain to find Muraly. But I guess being the odd one wearing hijab there, I was easily recognized by him & his buddy, Sam.
For the two-day, I have travel buddies together with our local ‘tuk tuk’ driver, Zakariya San. I learned a lot about Hinduism from Muraly & Sam during our hike up to Kbal Spean. Our driver Zack also shared stories about being Muslim in Cambodia and his dream to own a land for farming. Most importantly, thanks to my two travel buddies, I got great shots at the magnificent Archaeological Park of Angkor (but sadly I lost them). Thanks, Mate!
Case 3
The next day, with heavy heart, I took a long-hour bus to Phnom Penh, my next destination. While searching for my bus, I saw a Japanese lady, also traveling alone. Having an affiliation to Japan & being self-declared ハ-フ (‘hafu’), I was tempted to approach her with my thick skin. Coincidentally she was taking the same bus to PP! So I got to know her (she is called Nishihara Yui) & somehow we agreed to travel together in PP the next day.
V-Pose with Yui on Our Way to the Genocide Museum in Phnom Penh
(Again) V-Pose from Yui while Savoring the Local Flavor at the Night Market in Phnom Penh
That next morning, Yui joined a cycling trip around the city while sadly I was stuck at the hostel trying to submit my work! argggh… Lets not talk about that. Thus, we agreed to meet up in front of the Castle at lunch time. Then, we went to the Genocide Museum with our packed lunch (bad idea, I know) & got so depressed afterward. We returned back to the main area to see the Night Market. While waiting for the stalls to set up, we spent our time watching the local people & getting to know more about each other. I was surprised to learn that she is actually MRS Nishihara. She is married! I was so impressed to find out that her husband allowed her to fulfil her dream traveling around the world before settling down for their family. 感動しました！
Case 4
Well, this is my last case in Cambodia. But, last definitely not the least of example showing my ‘muka tebal’.
When I was waiting for Muraly & Sam at one of the temples in Siem Reap, I was approached by three ladies asking my help to take pictures. Gladly, I took several & got to know them as Atikah, Ella & Rose to find that they are from Brunei. Staying in Miri, I can easily get connected to Bruneians & managed to get Atikah’s number who was staying in Phnom Penh at that time.
As promised, I contacted them when I arrived in Phnom Penh. We set a time & place to meet up and voila, I traveled with them in PP for one day (this was actually a day before Case 3). That day, I was actually a bit worried about my work that needed to be submitted the next day, so I sought Atikah’s help, with my ‘muka tebal’, whether I can borrow her laptop. Hah! So they brought me to their place & Ella even cooked me dinner (since we cannot order delivery as everybody was on holiday). While struggling to complete my work, I learned that Atikah & her friends were actually English teachers, coming to Phnom Penh & volunteering to teach English to the kids in ‘Madrasah’. So cool!
Reflecting on my experience in Cambodia, I can’t even….ever imagine I would be able to be such thick-skinned. But, oh yea…thanks to that, I am so delighted to make many new friends along the way. Thus, I am now itching for the next solo-backpacking trip and getting to know more awesome people around the world.
遅咲きの光 | The Late-Blooming Noor 