We've been here for a little over 3 weeks now and we've had a multitude of different experiences. Forrest and I are generally very positive individuals, but I believe there are a few cultural differences here that don't mesh well with our ideals. Most of the Cambodian locals are poor, it's as simple as that. They do not have much and they see tourists and foreigners as having everything. Because of this, they take advantage of you at any point they can. For example, we love a particular pho stall about a half a mile down the road from us. The first night we ate dinner there we were charged $2.75. The second time we payed our bill at the stall the total was $5. These sorts of odd discrepancies aren't too bad, but I do not like the principle of charging visitors to your country more primarily because they are foreign. That being said, I constantly drive to a bakery and get fresh bread. They charge me the exact same price every time and are more than polite. I think we feel more inclined to be gracious to others when they are fair to us, and I always let the baker keep whatever the change is.
The police here are corrupt--and that's putting it lightly. They will pull over anyone and everyone for no reason at all and the only way out of it is to pay them $1-2. They are generally nice to you but they repeatedly stop far more foreigners than locals, of course. For instance, as a white female alone on a motorbike I was stopped 4 times within the span of 7 hours. Luckily I talked my way out of the second time, claiming I had just been pulled over and paid the other cop. The third and fourth time the same cop tried to pull me over again, so I slowed down both times and told him he had JUST pulled me over (I had changed clothes but he recognized me). At this point I wasn't even mad, I was impressed.
Two days ago our motorbike was stolen from outside of our apartment. I returned home from dropping Forrest off at the dive center, parked and locked the bike, and went inside to eat breakfast. (This was at 9am.) When I went back outside to leave for lunch at noon, I couldn't find the bike. I got the manager of the apartments and explained the situation to him and he said he thought someone may have mistaken my bike for theirs and taken the wrong one. I tried my key in a similar bike and sure enough the engine started right up for me, even though the bike wasn't mine. But that bike's owner was in their apartment, so they couldn't have taken mine, having not left. After this I asked the manager if he could ask the workers across the street if they saw anything, but he didn't. Luckily it was thundering and lightning out so the weather was making it easy to stay positive... I met Forrest at the rental office and they called the cops. The rental manager explained to us that the bike would cost $1200 to replace should they not find it. They may find it, but it is considered highly unlikely.
These types of situations can be more than a little stressful. It is relieving to know there are still truly genuine Cambodian people here, regardless of those incidences. After the motorbike was stolen we went to a bar that we frequent. The wait staff asked us where we had been and we explained it to them. They reacted with so much sympathy and concern for us it was heartwarming. I went to the same bar last night to perform a few songs with a guitar player that works there. Forrest was on an overnight diving trip so I was by myself. A few times some guys tried approaching me and the reaction of the Cambodian wait staff was just incredible. One friend we met, Mao, just kept walking right past and staring at him, and another one of the male waiters kept asking the guy if he needed anything. The Cambodian people are very protective of you once they know your character. Mao came and sat with me afterwards and asked me if Forrest and I wanted to go out with her tomorrow night to a wedding party! I told her yes immediately because who doesn't want a chance to experience something like that. She walked me to my motorbike and waited until I had left safely before going back inside because she says the men outside are "bad men that sell drugs".
You can't get too worked up over the bad instances when there are times when people go out of their way to protect and watch out for you, which is an admirable quality in the Cambodian people. Looking forward to the wedding tonight, and telling Forrest that we're going to a wedding tonight! :)
The police here are corrupt--and that's putting it lightly. They will pull over anyone and everyone for no reason at all and the only way out of it is to pay them $1-2. They are generally nice to you but they repeatedly stop far more foreigners than locals, of course. For instance, as a white female alone on a motorbike I was stopped 4 times within the span of 7 hours. Luckily I talked my way out of the second time, claiming I had just been pulled over and paid the other cop. The third and fourth time the same cop tried to pull me over again, so I slowed down both times and told him he had JUST pulled me over (I had changed clothes but he recognized me). At this point I wasn't even mad, I was impressed.
Two days ago our motorbike was stolen from outside of our apartment. I returned home from dropping Forrest off at the dive center, parked and locked the bike, and went inside to eat breakfast. (This was at 9am.) When I went back outside to leave for lunch at noon, I couldn't find the bike. I got the manager of the apartments and explained the situation to him and he said he thought someone may have mistaken my bike for theirs and taken the wrong one. I tried my key in a similar bike and sure enough the engine started right up for me, even though the bike wasn't mine. But that bike's owner was in their apartment, so they couldn't have taken mine, having not left. After this I asked the manager if he could ask the workers across the street if they saw anything, but he didn't. Luckily it was thundering and lightning out so the weather was making it easy to stay positive... I met Forrest at the rental office and they called the cops. The rental manager explained to us that the bike would cost $1200 to replace should they not find it. They may find it, but it is considered highly unlikely.
These types of situations can be more than a little stressful. It is relieving to know there are still truly genuine Cambodian people here, regardless of those incidences. After the motorbike was stolen we went to a bar that we frequent. The wait staff asked us where we had been and we explained it to them. They reacted with so much sympathy and concern for us it was heartwarming. I went to the same bar last night to perform a few songs with a guitar player that works there. Forrest was on an overnight diving trip so I was by myself. A few times some guys tried approaching me and the reaction of the Cambodian wait staff was just incredible. One friend we met, Mao, just kept walking right past and staring at him, and another one of the male waiters kept asking the guy if he needed anything. The Cambodian people are very protective of you once they know your character. Mao came and sat with me afterwards and asked me if Forrest and I wanted to go out with her tomorrow night to a wedding party! I told her yes immediately because who doesn't want a chance to experience something like that. She walked me to my motorbike and waited until I had left safely before going back inside because she says the men outside are "bad men that sell drugs".
You can't get too worked up over the bad instances when there are times when people go out of their way to protect and watch out for you, which is an admirable quality in the Cambodian people. Looking forward to the wedding tonight, and telling Forrest that we're going to a wedding tonight! :)