Currency Fluency

I love living in a country where the majority of people drive a small moto to get around. I love our Honda Super Cubs. They're cute, reliable, and prove to be workhorses despite their small 50cc engines. 

Amelia (left) and Teddy (right)

Another sweet thing that comes with riding these motos is that I ride Teddy every day and spend an average of $4/month on gas! 

A few weeks ago, while I was gassing up the moto, I was reminded how we operate fluently in two currencies here in Cambodia (Cambodian Riel and US dollars). The price of gas is posted in Riel. The actual gas pump shows the price in USD. The gas attendant (we never pump our own gas here!) quoted me the price in Riel, which meant he quickly converted the price from USD from the gas pump to Riel. Then I gave him the amount in USD. The attendant then did some quick conversion math in his head to give me change in Riel. 

Prices quoted in Riel

Living in Cambodia has forced us to do quick math in our head on a regular basis. Thankfully, the exchange rate remains quite stable, about 4000 Riel for $1 USD. Prices could be quoted in either currency or both. Payment could be made in either currency or both!