Culture Matters: My experience of Cambodian Culture

I've been asked about my experience with Cambodian culture. It's been two weeks since I arrived and I thought it was finally time set forth some observations, without trying to make grand claims about Cambodia as a whole.

My experience is limited by: the shortness of my stay, geographical location in Phnom Penh and lack of time in the rural "provinces", inability to speak or understand the Khmer (pronounced Khmai by local speakers who aren't French), main experience working at Digital Divide Data (an NGO/company with a somewhat Western-centric business model).

The standard approach to Khmer society and culture is that the "collective" is a, if not the, central organizing principle of social interaction.

My experience has validated this approach, generally. Some examples, with comments:

-When I eat lunch or dinner with my professional colleagues, we order multiple dishes for the table and share, sometimes eating directly from the same plates. I greatly prefer this style, as is reduces boundaries and allows me to sample multiple dishes. Eating is an important social ritual, (as in many cultures), perhaps especially so here. It's not customary to talk about work at meals when with professional colleaugues. In fact, I've been told that Cambodians are often silent during meals. I asked about this, and was told that the silence has roots in Cambodia's agrarian past: eating was a rest period.

-Many Cambodians go home for lunch, to be with their families. Family is clearly very important to Cambodians: people continue to live with their families until marriage, spend a lot of leisure time with their families, and make economic/professional decisions with others in mind more so than in United States.

-H, my closest professional counterpart, told me that Cambodian parents name their children with similar phonetic sounds to other family members, reducing differences and building linguistic unity.

-Social interaction (talking, joking around, etc) is enormously frequent and important. People are constantly talking to me (and to each other), and want to converse, ask me questions, answer my questions, share jokes. Cambodians have a fantastic and constant sense of humor, which is used to build trust, deal with tension, and enjoy existence. As as result, I feel as if I am constantly talking, making jokes, and laughing. This is a good influence.

Principle #2 of the Standard Approach: Cambodian society is hierarchical.

Examples:

-I am afforded a great deal of respect as a foreigner "baaraang = foreign, not Khmai." People assume that I am deeply knowledgeable, professionally experienced, and of serious authority.

-People watch for status. I sometimes sense that I am being carefully examined and sized up when I meet Cambodians, with a verdict about my relative position in the world rendered by the middle or end of the conversation. I tend to play it safe, and downplay my respective worth, as modesty seems to be an important cultural norm interaction.

-People have enormous respect and interest for "the boss." Cambodians who perceive themselves to be of lower status are extremely loyal, complimentary, and deferential when dealing with me. This is a complicated thing to deal with personally and professionally, since it clashes with my egalitarian ideals but can be very easy to slip into and accept.

I'll add other cultural observations in further posts. There is a saying that Khmer culture rests on three central pillars: faith, food, and family. I've seen the latter two at work, and sense that the third maybe more evident once I travel outside Phnom Penh. Small Buddhist shrines are everywhere, and monks quietly roam the city.

I'll post some appropriate pictures shortly.

Sunday Morning "Football"

Played football (soccer) with the DDD team on Sunday morning. It was a warm morning, and the field was slightly outside Phnom Penh, in an "Agricultural Community."

The team waited until the second half to put me in. By then, we were up 3-1, and I was given the position of striker. This seemed like sound strategy, as I haven't played in ten years and couldn't do too much damage on offense.

DDD team in red uniforms


I didn't play too poorly, though it took a while to get used to the flow of the sport. I had some good moments, some bad moments, and scored a (lucky) goal, which my teammates eagerly cheered.

Remarkably, the team passed to me frequently, despite a few missed passes. They were forgiving of my mistakes, helpful at keeping me in compliance with the rules ("Ben-offsides!"), and extremely complimentary after the game.

We won 5-1, and rode back to Phnom Penh, victoriously. It was a good morning.

High-Speed Crime: A Narrow Escape

One spends a lot of time on motorcycles in Phnom Penh, as they are the primary means of transportation for much of the city.

During a ride today, another moto moved in close to us. In a swift motion, the long-haired second rider reached in toward my moto and grabbed at my blackberry. I instinctively tightened my grip, and his hand slipped away.

The assailant shouted to his driver, and they disappeared into the crowd of drivers ahead.

I slowly processed the event, and Toro turned around to ask if I was okay.

Lesson learned. No more text messages or calls when in transit, and I keep all bags in the city, with a tight grip.

There is a change in my experience of riding a moto. I see assailants everywhere, and I carefully monitor the boundaries around the cycle.

Toro, My "Driver"

For the past week, I've had a motorcycle driver whose nickname is "Toro". He's a nice guy who laughs a lot and speaks good English. He helps with translation, makes suggestions about Phnom Penh, and drives me around. We talk about our families, the weather, contemporary Cambodian history (he is a big fan of Prince Sihanouk, but not the Thai or Vietnamese). His previous ward was a UN elections guy, possibly of a high rank.

Quite a career progression, from a UN election commissioner to Ben Magarik from Brooklyn.

Friday Night at the Boathouse

Friday night was dinner at the Boathouse with friends from work. It rained heavily, and the moto ride over vacillated between being grim and magical. At dinner, we talked politics: Pol Pot’s positive reputation in certain rural provinces, the massive bombings of the Cambodian countryside during the Vietnam War, a chance encounter with Henry Kissinger, Cambodia’s tense relationship with Thailand, and even Hitler and the National Socialism.

Fact of the Night: Siem Reap (where Angkor Wat is located) means: Thai Defeated.

On the way out, TS, (a colleague) told me an elaborate multi-part joke, too complicated to repeat.

It involved elephants, refrigerators, and tigers.

After a few liters of Angkor beer, very amusing.

Leaving Del Gusto

After a wonderful week at the Del Gusto Guesthouse, I've moved.

I'm gone from the quiet garden guesthouse of French Colonialism to Skypark, a modern, eight-floor tribute to Cambodia's (and Asia's) recent economic development.

From the past to the future. There will be fewer Europeans and more Vietnamese, Koreans, and other more regional tourists.

Eating Arachnids

Went out to Dinner at Romdeng, a fancy social enterprise/training restaurant for former street youth.

The opening snack: Char-grilled Tarantulas, with a pepper dipping sauce.



They were crunchy and very tasty. This beats the "cinnamon termites" that I ate while living in Belize, although the termites were fresher (alive).

Heath Ledger is Dead

I just heard that Heath Ledger was found dead in New York, from B (my American co-worker).

One thought popped into my head, immediately.

"Do you think we should tell the Cambodian staff?"

We decided not to.

My Life in Cambodia

Now that I've been in Phnom Penh for a few days, I thought I'd mention some details of my life, in list format.

Where am I staying?



-The Del Gusto Guest house, run by the Boddhi Tree company. It's a converted colonial house with vines on the sides and a large garden and restaurant. I have a large room on the first floor. The room has a large, separate, bathroom, a sitting area, a large bed, mosquito netting, and neat-looking air-conditioner. It's really pleasant, and a nice place to start before I get an apartment here. Del Gusto is close to the office, and also near Martini Bar... which seems be an important nightlife fixture. DDD co-workers took me to "Lucky Burger" during a break. I got a bacon burger, and it was tastier than McDonald's.

For lunch today, B and I went to an ex-pat hangout near "the Russian Market." The place was also a social enterprise, in that it's in business for society, not for profit. This was the second time I'd eaten at a social enterprise restaurant in Phnom Penh. I got a nice Belgian ale and Mi Char (stir-fry noodles and beef, very tasty). Social entrepreneurship seem to be common in Phnom Penh, which makes sense since it's a great model for sustainable development. More on this later.

What's my work/office like?

-The office in Phnom Penh is a big building on street 360, between the Genocide Museum and the Military Tribunal Court. I am pretty sure it has five floors, with lots of rooms for different departments. For a day or two, I was the only American/Caucasian person in the building, and I still seem to attract attention (and some giggling) when I walk around and explore.

The culture is complicated and fascinating. More on this later.

My Cambodian colleagues are smart, helpful, funny, and warm. I like working with them, and have been learning a lot. They are eager to teach, and ask and answer questions. H, the man I am working closely with, is very gentle, devoted, and perceptive about human personality. I think he and I will be a good team, since our strengths complement each other.

He told me a joke today: since we work six days a week (or 5 1/2, since Saturday is less of a work day), he said that phrase here is TGIS.

Am I keeping in good physical shape?

-Sort of. I think I am slimming down due to the weight, good diet, and high level of stimulation. I woke up early this morning and went for a run (1-2 miles) between my guest house and the DDD office. The first song on my ipod playlist was the opening theme from the Sopranos (woke up this morning, got myself a gun..." which seemed oddly appropriate.

By the end of the run, I was listening to "Don't Stop thinking about Tomorrow," by Fleetwood Mac. The song was the Clinton campaign theme in 1992... This also seemed appropriate, considering Cambodia's history and current economic development.

Don't stop thinking about tomorrow, indeed.

My slow-down lap was Aux Champs-Elysees, from the credits of The Darjeeling Limited. Less appropriate.

What's the weather like?

-Hot and Muggy. Think of a Vietnam War movie, and then drop the temperature by ten degrees. Today I wore linen pants, a polo shirt, and sandals.

So what's it like in Cambodia?

The poverty is a bit overwhelming. I've seen poverty in Africa and Central America before, but this is much worse, and affects me deeply. There is also trauma (from the genocide, I think). You can feel and see it on the faces of the people on the street.

I have had the most severe culture-shock of any any foreign country. Much worse than my time in Sweden, scarily so. I think it is partially Cambodia-specific as opposed to Asia in general.

There is also something peaceful about the way that life moves. A subtle flow, like water. It reminds me of the opening shot of Ang Lee's Eat Drink Man Woman with the motorcycles.

I have taken "motos" pretty much every day. I even have a helmet, courtesy of DDD. DDD's policy is that all employees must wear helmets, which is similar to President Kigame's decree in Rwanda.

I am slowly adjusting to the flow of the city. I plan to try to run often, and maybe meditate.

The Primary Question: Does length matter?

We interrupt our regularly scheduled broadcast for this brief aside on Presidential Politics:

After 3 (or 4, if you work for the Romney Campaign) primaries, here’s the score:

Huckabee-1
McCain- 1
Romney-1…or 2.

My glorious NY roommate “L.L.” hopes for a Huckabee win in SC followed by a Giuliani win in Florida.

This would be both entertaining and possibly good for the Democrats, if we have our nominee earlier (which may itself not occur).

A tactical question: Is it good or bad for the Democrats for the Republicans to have a long, drawn-out primary? Intuition says good, since the sooner you have a nominee the longer you have to raise funds, build a national campaign, and lock-in (or shift to the center) your national message.

However, there is a good argument to be made for the alternative. A serious primary galvanizes a party's base, increases organizing, attracts national media attention, which makes it seem like something interesting is happening within the Republican party.

The historical example I think of is organizing competition between the AFL and CIO pre-merger. Organizers competed to organize workers, and it was the heyday for Union organizing. Though the analogy is tenuous, and may break down: there was a giant, essentially "unlimited" pool of unorganized workers, compared to a fixed Republican group of Republican voters.

A good indicator might be turnout in SC: Republican turnout has been lower than Democratic turnout so far (more than 2:1 in Iowa). If Republican turnout is high in SC and Florida, then it points to a galvanizing effect.

It's almost like a balance-of-power question in Diplomacy or Risk.

What does Socialism smell like?

From a journalist-friend in Hong Kong:

What does Socialism smell like?

Apparently, a bit like air freshener.




It's a beautiful and warm day here in Phnom Penh. It's my first day at the office for Digital Divide Data, the non-profit company for which I work.

The staff has been wonderful: I had a great tour of the office (which is quite large), and I had lunch with a few of the managers in which covered a number of topic ranging from American politics to the Cambodian fascination with Manchester United.

Jet-lag is starting to hit me hard. It's a bit like having a lead blanket pushing down inside my head.

I resume blogging and arrive in Cambodia

After a giant flight from New York to Phnom Penh, I have arrived in Asia. It is warm and sticky outside. The interior of the airport is modern and sleek, but the arrival area is mobbed and dirty..

The "developing world" is a little scary in the dark, particularly for one's first arrival.

There are scores of motorbike riders in the streets, each with single headlight. Lanterns moving in the darkness. Bicycle riders, too.

I sit in an air-conditioned taxi as we slowly work our way through the street. Little shops sit on the sides of the road, fluorescently lit with sweating attendants. Food carts are drawn around, their owners returning at the end of the work day. Streetwalking women move quietly, but with attention.

I have arrived.

Flying Over The World.

The Thai Airways navigation plan shows us flying over the world, from New York to the North Pole and back down to Southeast Asia.

I dream of sheets of Ice from Above, but initial navigation plan is misleading: we fly over Northern Europe, the Baltic, through Eastern Europe (I sleep) down over Afghanistan.

I am glad to be passing these places. Sweden is freezing this time of year and the Baltic’s waters are uninvitingly dark. Eastern Europe is full of painful history and under-unemployed Russians. Afghanistan? Well…

Kabul passes, Transformers (with brief performances by Jon Turturro and Bernie Mac) begins, and suddenly we over India. Varnasi is the map and I wonder what my old college friend is doing down there. Transformers is caught up in the standard Hollywood Binaries and devices: pernicious and secretive elites (Sector Seven) versus the populist pragmatism of Secretary of Defense Jon Voigt and his strapping Marines. Dorky high school boy versus Jock; nubile but misunderstood Prom Queen with a rough past, and benevolent noble technology (Optimus Prime and the Transformers) vs. the archons of techno-fear (Decepticons).

They serve us three tasty Thai meals. The portions are smaller, and there is plenty of rice. I drink glasses of Scotch and Apple Juice. After the largest meal, they bring around bottle of Courvoisier, which I’ve never had on airplane.

The New York Times tells me Barack Obama is having a hard time attracting Latino votes out West.

It also notes that his support is building in South Carolina among the largely Black primary electorate.

The woman in the seat next to me is pale and decidedly unfriendly, and keeps a heavy coat on during most of the flight. She watches Ratatouille and the Devil reads Pravda. I watch the Simpsons Movie, the Nanny Diaries (glad to getting away from the Upper East Side).

She goes to sleep.

The Bangkok airport is a modern molding of Hangar Bubbles. My blackberry starts working again for some reason and the e-mails flow in. I pass through a second round of airport security. The guards laugh emphatically when I try to take off my belt for the metal scanner…

The giant Korean flat-screens tell me that Mitt Romney has won the Michigan Primary. He looks relieved. Mitt looks like the kind of guy who plays a President on a T.V. special or in another Michael Bay movie.

We board the flight to Cambodia and I’m seated next to a Japanese Investor-Lawyer. He’s courteous, warm, and complimentary, and listens intently. He spends three minutes studying my business card, as the cultural warnings said he might.

We arrive.