Beers, Tears & Broken Veneers: A Frenetic Memoir About Living in Cambodia as an Expat.
Beers, Tears & Broken Veneers: A Frenetic Memoir About Living in Cambodia as an Expat.
by Lewis Friend
Publication date 31th May 2023
Intrigue and adventure collide with hilarity and pandemonium in this insane true story about living and working in the Kingdom of Wonder as a foreigner.
Cambodia is a vibrant and exciting country; teeming with culture and an alluring social scene which makes it a popular destination for many expats. Unfortunately, what people fail to mention, are the dangers of being an alcoholic degenerate in this country—when disaster strikes, it can happen quickly and violently. Scottish author and full-time party animal, Lewis Friend, discovered this fact the hard way.
In 2012, Lewis relocated to Phnom Penh, and his eight-year residency was filled with misfortune and bedlam—fighting with fellow expats, being threatened with an axe, getting shaken down by a corrupt police officer, crashing his motorbike, being violently assaulted by locals, getting robbed countless times, having backyard surgery on an exposed bone, and, of course, breaking his prized porcelain veneers on several occasions.
Miraculously, he was able to source full-time employment as a film producer and attempted to sustain a normal existence. But inevitably, Lewis allowed his chaotic social life to interfere with his employment, which resulted in a slew of ridiculous mistakes while trying to coordinate numerous expensive productions. And then, Lewis embarked on his most diabolical venture yet—buying a hostel and bar in Phnom Penh. For one long year, Lewis dealt with a conveyor belt of carnage: drunk customers, a soiled mattress, disgruntled locals, a multitude of frugal backpackers, staffing issues, his crazy ex-girlfriend, and fighting with his beleaguered business partner. Lewis tackled these problems in the only sensible way he knew how: he increased his alcohol intake, which in turn led to even more problems and chaos.
Beers, Tears & Broken Veneers is Lewis Friends’ incredible journey into the cesspit of his own soul; a collection of hysterical, crazy, and entertaining true stories that culminate in hope and redemption.
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"That was probably Londo...He is always shitty." - Marvin
- Steve Zodiac
- Suspicious
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2012? Lightweight.
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Presume it's not his real name. Which drinking hole/hostel did he have?
Was it the Crazy Banana or whatever it's called by Wat Langka? I once stumbled in there and couldn't work out what everyone was on - really fucked up on something I didn't recognise.
Was it the Crazy Banana or whatever it's called by Wat Langka? I once stumbled in there and couldn't work out what everyone was on - really fucked up on something I didn't recognise.
Nitrous oxide? they used to do the balloons there
Sounds ghastly, but for $2.5, fuck it, I've bought it.
Something much darker. I don't have much experience around ketamine. Maybe that.
Fukssake. When he screws everything up and hits the bottom of the barrel, what does he find?
[Um, can't use the spoiler function as a guest so tough shit]
English Teaching.
[Um, can't use the spoiler function as a guest so tough shit]
English Teaching.
I arrived in 2012 also. Accountants gone wild in Cambodia - I’ll be releasing it in a few months.
"Those who can, do. Those who can't, teach. Those who can't teach, teach English."
Credit Jacked Camry & LTO
Credit Jacked Camry & LTO
The problem with these memoirs [sic] is that only those who really fuck up write them, and it thus gives the impression that all Cambodia expat experiences are like this. It's rather like people thinking 440 is a good reflection of expat life.
The sad - or otherwise - reality is that the vast majority of expat lives are sane, relatively solvent, and relatively short-lived as people move on. They are more akin to Thoreau's description of men living lives of quiet desperation rather than Hobbes' "No arts; no letters; no society; and which is worst of all, continual fear, and danger of violent death; and the life of man, solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short."
There - that's a bit of culture for you.
The sad - or otherwise - reality is that the vast majority of expat lives are sane, relatively solvent, and relatively short-lived as people move on. They are more akin to Thoreau's description of men living lives of quiet desperation rather than Hobbes' "No arts; no letters; no society; and which is worst of all, continual fear, and danger of violent death; and the life of man, solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short."
There - that's a bit of culture for you.
Missed this. I read it - the places are thinly disguised. It appears to be on St 144 near Riverside - Local Riverside Guesthouse is/was its name (or possibly Velkommen next door).
I mean, it was all pretty naff, but for a couple of bucks, what's the harm other than a wasted few hours?
Makes you think though, you'd see all these managers of bars and think, 'What a great life' but then you realise it's a shit job on shit money.
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Who?
====================
Why are the gods such vicious cunts?
Where is the god of tits and wine?
Why are the gods such vicious cunts?
Where is the god of tits and wine?
About living in the tourist district being full of yourself and uneducated lo-class scum thinking you are part of a television reality show about living in Cambodia.
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