Drink!

Now then, I have a confession. Last night I wrote that I was feeling suitably blokey having just scoffed a meat pie. Truth is, that wasn't the case at all. What I originally wrote, and what was true, was that I was feeling suitably blokey as I had a generous whisky to hand. And went on to publish the post without a second thought.

Not long after though, it dawned on me. One of the big problems among men in Cambodia is alcohol abuse. So to equate whisky-drinking with real good blokey-ness is just a bit of a faux pas. And not exactly helping the cause of the Good Real Men project. So said post was quickly retracted and air-brushed over with pies. For which I do apologise ;-)

Anyway, it's got me thinking. And remembering the blokes I saw at the Stung Meanchay place last week (see "Seeing" post). It was only midday and quite a few of them were drunk, on something or just plain out of it. Most in their 20s or 30s. The prime of life. :-(

Drinking culture among young men here is massive. At night, many crowd into beer gardens and drink great jug-loads of beer. And often, at the end of the night, pick up one of the bar girls for sex. Or go to a brothel.



This is common for married men as well as single. And many wives accept it, believing that her husband's sex drive is so much stronger than her's that it would be impossible for her to meet all his needs and be his sole satisfaction. In her mind, to play away helps him stay and hopefully not beat her.

On Monday Mark quoted a statistic that at some point in their lives, 70% of Cambodian men have had a sex with a prostituted woman. And for some, a prostituted man.

So lots there to ponder. And I'll pick up on this again in the next post.

Until next time xx