Mr V

Mr V is our tuk-tuk driver who ferried us from place to place daily during the past 3 weeks. It is really so important to have a reliable and trustworthy one which could make or break a long-term stay in a country. Dawn and I were very lucky to have one in him. In fact, we quite quite adore him.

It must be said though that verbal Interactions with Mr V for the past three weeks were limited, as we assume (not sure from where) that he has both limited receptive and expressive abilities in English. Our day typically start with exchanges of smiles in the morning when he picks us up and saying ‘Or Koon’ (thank you) at the end of our working day. Towards the end of our volunteering period when we were equipped with a slightly expanded repertoire of Khmer vocabulary, we added ‘Soos day’ (Hello) and subsequently ‘Sok sebai dai’ (how are you) in our daily interactions with him. He will always have a kindly nod and a zen smile for us, and am always very patient. Not least to say, he often has a bemused look whenever we try our very best to speak long sentences of Khmer to him.  

One of my favourite rituals during my commute is to observe him through his tuk tuk's rear-view mirrors as he navigates calmly through the busy traffic; it fascinates me how he seems to know everyone in the community, exchanging greetings as he swirls around the community which he is so familiar with. He seems to be well-regarded in the community; I reckon he could probably run for the village headman, if there is such a position.

He seems to hold a special place in his heart when it comes to children, which could explain why he opts to be a ‘child-safe’ driver  --  child-safe tuk-tuk drivers in Phnom Penh are trained by NGO Friends-International to protect street children from abusive situations (especially child prostitution) through their ChildSafe Network. These drivers need to go through training and are recognized by the ChildSafe shirt or cap they wear and the ChildSafe logo (a thumbs up sign) on their tuk tuks. Such active citizenry must be given the thumbs-up literally – it shows that everyone can play a part, no matter who you are.

Mr V comes across as a simple man, but definitely not a simplistic man. He has deep, wrinkly lines on his face which possibly belies a lifetime of hard work; it makes me wonder how life for him was during the Pol Pot regime during the late 1970s. Despite the difficult life he must have been through, he appears to be someone who appreciates and finds joy in everyday life. He notices and turns to smile at a young toddler walking by the roadside; he is easily amused too, such as when seeing a playful young couple zooming him by on a motorbike.

In fact, I can not imagine Mr V accosting for passengers – he seems too dignified for that.  I am glad hence that he is attached to Riverkids, meaning to say he transports volunteers around, which I hope means a more stable business for him (as there will be more or less a constant supply of volunteers from time to time). His prices are honestly reasonable, compared to those charged by many a tuk-tuk driver alongside the street who often accosts one with a playful starting line "Lady, tuk-tuk for you?"

I wish Mr V well.