The whole family has been missing Cambodia for far too long, so this morning I decided to look at some old photos from Cambodia to create some smiles.
I was immediately distracted by many scenes that would likely be very uncommon to see in many parts of the world.
Only In Cambodia
Cambodia is not the wild-west like it was from 2000 to 2010, but the Cambodian spirit is a very independent one full of humor. If you venture off the well-beaten path, you are likely to find truly some funny, incredible and memorable experiences. These are some photos I've taken through the years that exemplify some of the uber-Cambodian things you might see. |
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Want Some Tetanus With Your Safe-Sex?The sign reads "In order for safety your prevent AIDS and STDs." "You are welcome to use condoms," but no mention of the dangers of tetanus. |
Creative Business NamesIt's an open secret that any pizza shop with a business name containing "Emotion Word + Pizza" sells marijuana, and can also put ground weed in your pizza or shake too. "Happy Special Pizza," "Ecstatic Pizza," and "Happy Dreamily Pizza" are just a few. |
Comically Small Chairs & PajamasIt is really hard to take someone serious when they are yelling at you from a comically-sized mini chair. The family in this photo is super-friendly and has never yelled at me if you're wondering. Did I mention you can wear pajamas anywhere, anytime? |
Questionable Tourist SitesI lived in Cambodia for 10 years and never went to any of these Khmer Rouge genocide tourist sites, but have lived in many locations that were the site of terrible tragedies. |
Adjective After The NounKhmers like to say the adjective after the noun when speaking English. It's a common mistake, because in Khmer it typically goes noun + adjective. I never let students smoke hashish in my class. |
Highway Dirt SandwichesThis picture is from a 1½ hour round-trip commute I made 6 days a week for around 8 months. Mad-Max ain't got nothing on ordinary Cambodian commutes. |
Most Creative Homework AnswersI asked the student about "Korean skin," but never received a plausible answer. I still don't know what cannibalism enthusiast website made my student think this was an appropriate answer. |
Bad LSD Orgy TripsShe wanted to buy it but wasn't sure of the English text, and asked for my professional translation. I simply explained it was bad grammar because someone was just copying and pasting English text from the internet. |
Illegal Street Boat TaxisOften an enterprising local with a boat will create an impromptu unlicensed water taxi service. Most of the time it's not necessary, but when you have several heavy bags, a water taxi is a must. |
Economic Breastfeeding Advice From Your Phone CompanyI honestly don't remember because Metfone always sends bizarre text messages. I think it's the best investment for Wall Street, but I'm no financial expert. |
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Life in Cambodia sounds interesting, indeed! 😛
It is still very interesting, just not as wild as it was 10 years ago. Development is taking place so quickly we don't know if we can afford to return or will like what we return to. East Africa, especially Ethiopia, is a place of interest. I have a potential job there teaching Cambodian to Germans if we go, but that is a long story.
I remember going to the Killing Fields. Read that after every rain remains float up, and they have collection points where people can leave them. Don't get me started on 'the tree'. One of those places where you can reflect on the evil that humans are capable, and remember that we are not immune from it.
I have accidentally ended up at S-21 and the Killing Caves in Battambang, and the one that struck me was the amount of white western girls breaking down in tears. My Nigerian friend actually pointed it out, and was quite stricken with laughter. For the most part, 99% of Cambodians within S-21 were very casual, talking on the phone and eating ice cream, laughing, etc.
It was just way too distracting to see a bunch of Australian and Californian girls crying everywhere, and even the Khmers comment on this behavior. I found it way more interesting to watch the Khmers watch the foreigners have cathartic experiences. But to put it into an American perspective, when we go visit historic American sites, whether full of tragedy or not, we Americans generally don't take the visit as seriously as a foreign tourist would.
But yes, back to your point, it is good to have an in-your-face reminder of the evil every single human being is capable of inflicting on others.
This is before, good better now!
The countryside still hasn't changed much, but things are getting better every year.
Give thanks @freedomtowrite and @innerblocks.
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Haha... only in Cambodia indeed! Though the capital is getting pretty civilized and roads are going up, in Kampot and Kep we still find many small chair- and pyjama-lovers.
Times are a changin' indeed, Cambodia may still be a future destination, but it's financially out of reach for the foreseeable future. I miss seeing people in pajamas at the market.