Culture Shock!

I finally started reading one of the Cambodia books Kat bought me last year! It's called Culture Shock! A Survival Guide to Customs and Etiquette. Here are some random highlights from my reading so far!

Education:
Cambodia has one of the lowest standards of adult literacy in Asia. The Khmer Rouge (led by Pol Pot who was himself a teacher) devastated the ranks of the teaching profession when teachers, learned monks and anyone suspected of having an education were put to death in the interests of furthering the ideology. Today's educational system, gradually re-established after the demise of the Khmer Rouge regime, has barely existed for two decades. As a result, about 10 percent of Cambodia's primary school teachers have never attended secondary school and of the balance, four out of five have only lower secondary education.
Certainly among individual Cambodians, there is a strong culture of self-improvement. One message seems to have been accepted by Cambodian youth: the secret to a good education and getting on in the world is knowledge of the English language. English is seen not only as the dominant language of commerce, but also as the language of tourism- the country's most rapidly growing industry.

Talk About the Past:
Most Cambodians are prepared to talk a little about the Pol Pot days. I have yet to speak with anyone in Cambodia over the age of 20 whose family was spared. People will explain how they lost various brothers, sisters, uncles and aunts, fathers and mothers because these family members were teachers or policemen, wore glasses or had soft hands or whatever the reason was for their execution at the hands of Angkar.
(But I think I would refrain from asking unless they bring up the topic themselves.)

Cambodian Proverb:
If you're shy with your teacher, you'll never be wise. If you're shy with your wife, you'll never have children.

Getting to Know the Cambodians:
Skin colour is also important to Cambodians as it is to many Asians; light colouration is considered superior to dark.
(That's why you see people with lighter skin in Phnom Penh, Cambodia's capital, compared to the people working in rice fields.)

Wearing and Removing Shoes:
Not removing shoes on entering someone's house is considered impolite. Socks are another matter. If you are wearing them, removing socks is optional. If your toenails are in poor shape, it's better to leave your socks on. Any deficiencies in your toenails will be noted. Cambodians are assiduous about maintaining both their fingernails and their toenails in top condition.

How to Sit and Stand:
Extending your legs in front of your body is a definite no-no, as the soles of the feet are considered to be one of the dirtiest parts of the human body. Presenting the soles of the feet to anyone else is considered insulting. Extending the soles of the feet to a monk would be unconscionable. The status of human limbs follows roughly the height rule. The head is afforded the highest respect. The soles of the feet, by contrast, are seen as the least desirable body part. No one wants to see the soles of anyone's feet. The bottom off the foot, which is likely to be soiled as well as ugly, should only be shown to your worst enemy. Pointing with the foot at some object close to the ground, such as an item on the bottom shelf of a supermarket, says to the Cambodian, "I can't be bothered to bend down to point this out to you, so I am using the lowest and dirtiest part of my body to do it." Not a good idea if you are trying to win friends and influence Cambodians.

The Untouchable Head:
The head is seen as the location of one's being and must be treated with the greatest respect. The head of another person should not be touched. Friendly pats to the top of the heads of adults and children older than about ten are not appreciated.
Cambodians are smooth-skinned and males tend not to have strong beards. They may regard body hair and facial hair as somewhat barbarian. I once had a long discussion with a Cambodian on the link between the amount of body hair of various races and Darwin's Theory of Evolution. The theory was that if mankind had descended from hairy apes, then Cambodians have evolved further from the source than Caucasians and are therefore a more advanced life form. I am not claiming this is the general prevailing view, but it was an interesting idea.
(Hahaha, I'm glad Alain got rid of his beard.)

Keep Your Hands to Yourself:
The rules on use of the left hand are similar to those in other countries where toilet paper is not part of the traditional culture. The right hand is used for passing things around and the left hand is kept out of the way. In some situations, such as handling out business cards, it is more polite to use both hands than one.

Keep Cool:
It is worth remembering that after 1979, the young Khmer Rouge cadres merely moved back and blended into the community. You just might be conducting your argument with an ex-Khmer Rouge teenage soldier who spent his formative years suspending his victims by thumbs. In addition, ownership of deadly weapons is far from uncommon. In a country that was in a state of civil war for the best part of 25 years, there is nothing unusual about having a gun or two around. ...In a parallel story of violence, a German acquaintance, who had a forthright and assertive manner and had resided in Cambodia for a number of years, once entered into an argument with a taxi driver about the fare. After an exchange of words, the two parties were unable to establish their respective rights. With little show of emotion, the taxi driver settled the argument with an iron bar he carried in the cab.
(This reminds me of the story Dr. Copeland told us about a taxi driver who stabbed the guy he was driving. I don't remember the details, but I think Chris remembers the story better...)

Forming Relationships:
If you a non-Asian on tour and the locals are observing you from a distance, they may stare at you in a way some societies might consider downright rude. This isn't intended, of course. Cambodians unfamiliar with the ways of foreigners may merely be observing you as an object of curiousity. In remote rural areas, Cambodians may have seen your type on television once or twice, but you could be one of the few real-life specimens that has wandered into their line of vision. From their point of view, staring at such an interesting object as you is socially quite acceptable.

Dealing with Beggars:
If you are a reasonably well-off visitor from an average First World country and someone with no legs and one arm crawls up to your restaurant table and seeks your attention, your sympathies are likely to be aroused. If you do give to a beggar, the word spreads through the network quickly. In short order, you may find yourself surrounded by grasping hands and demanding voices.
(I believe we'll see this a lot in Siem Reap.)

Alternative Lifestyles:
One of the avenues to money for young, unskilled and uneducated Cambodians is the sex industry. Alternatively, unfortunate young boys and girls may be forced into the industry when people sell unwanted children for a few dollars. Children may be put up for sale by their natural parents. Or they may be abducted, then put up for sale. ...But within Cambodia, authorities may turn a blind eye. Regrettably, Cambodia's sex industry is mostly run by criminal elements with the cooperation of corrupt police.

The Culinary Fare:
Among the exotic food items for sale at Cambodian markets are small birds, frogs' legs, eels, grasshoppers and spiders. The spider range is headed by large tarantulas served deep-fried. Those unfamiliar with this delicacy are advised to nibble cautiously, starting from the outside and working inwards. Legs can be broken off and the skinny threads of meat inside pulled out in the manner of crab's legs. But a taste for the bitter soft body at the center may take some generations to acquire.
("pulled out in the manner of crab's legs." @_@ OK, so small birds, frogs' legs, and eels I've eaten before. And to be honest, they're really good and tasty. Grasshoppers and tarantulas, however, are insects.)

Food and Indigestion:
The most dangerous food additive in Cambodia is water. By the time it reaches Cambodia, the citizens, animals, insects and bacteria of five upstream countries have used the waters of the Mekong River for many purposes. You should never drink water out of a tap, or even wash your teeth with it. People from the West are accustomed to using tap water for all sorts of purposes so it's easy to slip up. The key to avoiding tap water is to keep bottled water on hand, whatever you are doing. For example, it's wise to have a bottle of water on your bedside table for those thirsty times in the middle of the night when you might otherwise stumble to the bathroom to refresh yourself from the tap. When buying bottled water in Cambodia, check the cap on the bottle before use. Street kids who pick up discarded bottles can earn a handy piece of small change if they can refill the bottle with tap water and sell it to you as a new product. Be careful too with ice. The act of freezing does not kill bacteria.

Poipet:
Cambodia is a focus of gambling in South-east Asia. To service the needs of gamblers from Thailand- a country in which gambling is illegal- a number of casinos have been built near the Thai border, at Poipet, the closest Cambodian town to Bangkok. Poipet is a hard-edged, ugly, dusty, untidy town of unmade roads, where smiles are dispensed grudgingly and dark fortunes are made from smuggling, gambling and trafficking people across the Thai border. Despite its lack of charm, Poipet is a great success commercially. Gambling is popular with the Thais. Thousands of Thais head across the border each weekend to leave their surplus cash in the Poipet casinos.
(Please pray for healthier entertainment in this province. There are many karaoke places/brothels in this area as well.)