Cambodia General Details
After a few visists to Cambodia, and deciding that the country was to become my home, I decided that I would try and find out more and more about it.
There are many information sources out there but they are sometimes written for the university scholar or simply just make things to complex. I thought that I would document my understanding of the simple things that make a trip to Cambodia so much more pleasant and interesting. This will include the language, the culture, some pictures and some simple Do's and Don'ts.
Armed with this a visitor can avoid the faux-pas and make new friends quickly and easily.
Always remember that this is written from my experiences and that things change with time - these thoughts should be considered the starting point to understanding this fantastically unique and diverse culture and do not be afraid to experience things for yourself.
As of September 2007 this is a 'work in progress' but it will expand over the coming weeks to something you will find indispensible
For the first time visitor
Cambodia has a long history but the current position is dominated by the events of the 1970's when Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge were responsible for the deaths of a large proportion of the native population. No family was unaffected by these events and anyone you meet over the age of 30 will probably have lived through those harrowing times.
The Khmer language is not tonal - which makes it easier to attempt than Thai. Unfortunately it does have some some sounds which are difficult for the Western tongue to make. Many Cambodians speak some English and most of the younger population see the speaking of English as a way of obtaining a better job. Remember that English has some sounds which are not usual to Khmer and when Cambodian people attempt to speak English some things will not sound as you would expect unless someone has undergone much practice. (If you should wish to try this, and you know someone who will not take offence, then ask a Khmer speaker to say 'Shrimp'. It is the problem we have in reverse!!).
Cambodia is not a large country but it is not easy to visit a lot of it due to the infrastructure not being fully developed.
The Mekong and Tonle Sap dominate the country.
English Language Teaching.
NGOs provide a large source of money to the country but doubt exists as to the benefits they provide.
International NGOs Conditions.
Do not get angry with someone. This not only makes you look stupid but can be the cause of a loss of face with your counterpart. Losing face is not something that any Cambodian likes to do and the results can be unpredictable. It is always better to smile and talk calmly about a problem, with a smile if you can manage it, and remember that no amount of money is worth your life and that it is much better to build bridges rather than barriers.
When using a toothpick, it is considered polite to hold it in one hand and to cover your open mouth with the other.
It is considered improper to pat children on the head (though from personal experience I have never seen problems occur if this is done).
Be careful how you might beckon someone to come to you. You should motion with the palm of the hand faced down as the palm pointed skyward and motioning with the index finger may be taken as being sexually explicit.
When handing something to someone use either the right hand or both hands together. Using the left hand only is not good due to this generally being reserved for toilet ablutions.
The official currency of Cambodia is the Riel. The exchange rate of the Riel is pegged against the American Dollar and is generally accepted to be 4000 Riel to the Dollar. This keeps the maths easy and means that there is no need to keep checking exchange rates when buying things in the street. You cannot buy Riel outside of the country and are not really allowed to remove it. Any Riel taken from the country cannot be spent and so is only worth removing if you plan on returning or are maybe a collector. Small purchases may be made in Riel but it soon becomes impractical due to the sheer volume of notes needed. Any purchase can be made with the American Dollar and they are, in general, easier to obtain and a more practical option as they can be easily bought outside the country and exchanged back to your own currency on your return home.
ATM's have become more common in Cambodia in recent years and you can now withdraw dollars from your own account at home as long as you do not mind the charges that your bank might apply. Some people look on the ATM as being a source of emergency money while others use only the ATM while in Cambodia. While ATM's have become commonplace in Phnom Penh their presence elsewhere should be checked before relying on them. In Phnom Penh the easyly accesible ATMs can be found at The Flamingo Hotel, Sorya Center (outside and on ground and first floors) and at various places along the riverside.
Wais and respect
Eating with spoon and fork
New Year Celebrations
Eating with spoon and fork
Ihave never been married or engaged in Cambodia but have seen both ceremonies and cannot fail to be impressed by the pomp and ceremony that accompanies the occasion. It seems that it is impossible to get engaged with a very informal process but the normal is to have the full occasion so as to impress the friends and neighbours while showing off the new partner.
Both engagements and weddings share the early morning start and processsion carrying gifts together with the use of 'Party Arrangers' who are paid a fee and then take care of everything.
They
* provide the gifts
* dress the ceremony room entrance
* dress the ceremony room
* provide the costumes for 'bride and groom'
* provide the gifts that the guests carry in the procession
* provide the cameramen and arrange for the video and photos to be created
At the engagement party there are no gifts given by the guests while at the wedding reception it is normal for a gift of money to be made. The invitation is normally given in a red envelope and the money is placed in this envelope so that it can be handed to the 'accountant' who notes the amount down in an official ledger.
The engagement party normally takes place in the morning, beginning at 8AM and finishing by 12 o'lock while weddings may start at 4:30AM and last all day (though outside of Phnom Penh the formalities may last for 3 days!!). Both occasions involve a short walk through the streets carrying gifts of fruit, flowers etc. (as provided by the organisers) before they are ceremoniously handed from person to person.
Both occasions are extremely formalised affairs that are steeped in tradition and you can expect the already rigid occasion to be made even more so as the photographer poses everyone to ensure he gets the shots that he is being paid for. Many changes of clothing can be expected, maybe only two for the engagement, but maybe 8 during the wedding day. All costumes being extremely ornate for the lady and traditional for both man and lady. The colours of the costume can be partly dependent on the day of the week that the event is occurring.
School children in Krachi
School children just past the killing fields
Toul Sleng