Comparisons

My trip to the UK has given me the opportunity to reflect on some differences between England and Cambodia. In many ways, life in England is so easy and convenient:
- Supermarkets are a joy, crammed with everything people could possibly want to buy – see photo of the Cambodian equivalent!
- Car driving gives fast, dry and easy access wherever people want to go
- People have enough money for all the necessities of life and are baled out by the government if they don’t
- Homes are secure, comfortable and full of technologies not available in Cambodia – washing machines, cookers, microwaves, dishwashers, hot water, computers, entertainment systems
- The weather is pleasant (especially at the time I visited!) and does not really hamper daily living
- Offices are efficient and productive and use advanced technologies
- Jobs are available and terms and conditions are good (usually!)
- Education and health services are good (yes, really!) and are for everyone
- Information is immediate and available to all
- People can and do openly complain about government (even though there is far less to complain about than in Cambodia)
- Some television programmes are well worth watching (although there’s lots of dross)
- Incidences of corruption (e.g. in football) are rare and scandalous, while in Cambodia there is an acceptance of widespread corruption at every level

However, in some respects England does not compare so favourably:
- England is over-regulated to a ridiculous level. (Car seats for 12 year olds? Tell that to Cambodian kids who drive motorbikes as soon as they can cycle, sit on bonnets of taxis, travel in crowded open trucks, share up to 7 people on a motorbike and carry their baby siblings in bike baskets or in scarves slung between the handlebars.) English workers spend more time complying with regulations than getting on with their work.
- People work long hours, get stressed and often don’t enjoy their jobs (except PCT staff of course!)
- People spend far too much of their lives travelling, commuting and sitting in traffic jams
- The media whips up public opinion so that everyone seems to be thinking the same
- Childhood is not so free, and children don’t have the benefit of living with large extended families
- People don’t have time to stand and stare and are not so relaxed
- English people make unhealthy lifestyle choices in spite of having the information and opportunity not to do so – overeating, smoking, binge drinking, not doing physical activity, driving gas guzzlers, .... (why???)
- Bringing up children is a major palaver - expensive, time consuming and prevents parents doing other things with their lives

In general, I think that England has become over-developed and needs to ‘get back to basics’. Cambodian people seem to be happier than English people.