I have been frequenting the Angkor Muscle Gym for a couple of weeks now, as I like to stay in shape and going to the gym has helped me deal with the stress of being in a foreign country for the first time, with still 8 months to go. Think for a moment about the sweatiest workout you have ever had. Now multiply that by ten, and then make that every workout. That's what it's like to workout in Siem Reap. Working out at the Angkor Muscle Gym feels like hot yoga but with weights, as the gym offers no salvation from the heat and you're adding vigorous exercise on top of it. It was hard for me to break a sweat at Union's sumptuous, air-conditioned fitness center, but now I break a sweat just walking through the...big opening I guess you would call it. But back to people being nice.
I have begun to recognize the same faces that have the same workout routine as I do, and one of those familiar faces decided to introduce himself to me as he noticed I had been coming to the gym long enough to indicate I was not just some tourist. He had moved to Siem Reap from Phnom Phen just four months ago, so we were in a similar boat. New city. Not that many friends.
At the end of my workout I told him I was going to Tuk Tuk Tacos for dinner, an amazing taco joint with illustrations of different taxi variations from all around the world. The tacos were amazing as usual, and when it was time to head back, I noticed that for a third time, I had a flat tire. This guy I just met, offered to bring me back on his motorbike and tow my bike along for the ride.
Knowing all too well how unpleasant it is to ride a bicycle with a flat tire on the cavernous roads of Cambodia, I accepted his offer and we rode back to the apartment. One hand holding on for dear life, one hand clutching onto my bicycle so it didn't veer off and hit some unsuspecting traveler. There were moments when the bike would lean too far and I thought for sure I was going to lose it, but I was able to keep correcting and keep the bike on course. Sometimes coming within an inch of other motorists and pedestrians. My tire turned out to be completely destroyed, so hopefully the replacement will bring with it a period of smooth riding.
My new friend, Dara, had pals from Phnom Phen that were coming to visit tomorrow, and he invited me to come along for the fun. I told him I would buy him a round as a thank you for the lift home. We parted ways and I received a message from him awhile later expressing his disappointment that his friend came down with a case of food poisoning, but asked if I would still be up for a drink.
Without a doubt I said yes, and his next question is where the story gets interesting. He asked me if I wanted to see a drag show, which I had never heard of. Was it a drag race? Did it involve drag queens? Turns out the answer was the latter, and my new friend revealed to me that he is gay, with a "hope that will be ok for you" attached.
For a moment I thought about how sad it is that people feel the need to include these types of asides, and I mean that in the sense that there are countless people who feel victimized based on their sexual orientation, skin color, religious beliefs, or some other thing that truly shouldn't matter. I told him that while I was not, it wasn't a problem for me. I further expressed that I would be open to seeing a drag show, no matter how far out of my comfort zone it may be. The Minerva Fellowship is all about openness to experience, and I honestly cannot think of a better way to exercise this. Go to a drag show with someone you just met that helped you drag (pun intended) your disabled bicycle home.
At the end of the day, we're just two people who are looking for friends in an unfamiliar place. Rarely do strangers offer to help someone in need that they just met a few moments prior, and I am grateful to have met someone who so perfectly exemplifies The Golden Rule: "Treat others how you want to be treated."
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