Your annoying westerner ways.
Re: Your annoying westerner ways.
I only get shit when I complain about their smelly food.
Other than that all of us tend to get along fine. I don't expect much conversation, but we can still make each other laugh and feel comfortable.
All the oddities here I tend to enjoy, maybe sometimes I laugh too much at it, that's about it.
Other than that all of us tend to get along fine. I don't expect much conversation, but we can still make each other laugh and feel comfortable.
All the oddities here I tend to enjoy, maybe sometimes I laugh too much at it, that's about it.
Money can't buy happiness but it can buy beer
- Roryborealis
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Re: Your annoying westerner ways.
Wisely said about focusing on what really matters. I'll still show up on time for appointments and other "bad habits," but discerning what to spend limited time and energy on is invaluable.xandreu wrote: ↑Wed Feb 07, 2024 9:35 pm When I first moved here, as is the same for most of us, it was a bit of a culture shock to find that many of the things I was always bought up to think of as important, seemed to just get shrugged off here. Things such as being on time, showing a bit of etiquette on the roads, having a basic knowledge of world affairs, (or even domestic affairs to be fair), intervening in matters which aren't directly related to you but you do so in order to somehow 'put something right', etc...
On the surface, matters such as this can make Khmers seem a bit ignorant, selfish or just uneducated, but, and perhaps I've been here too long, I've slowly found myself coming around to their way of thinking in many aspects. Many of things that I used to think 'mattered', when viewed through the lens of a Khmer, don't actually matter as much as us westerners are raised to think.
You can't deny that in general, Khmers some of the most laid back, relaxed, easy-going people on the planet, and I think it's largely down to the fact that they generally only care about things that really matter, and don't waste a second of their lives to things that don't. Us westerners do have a habit of fretting over things we have no control over anyway. I think Khmers are much better at realising when something isn't worth bothering with.
When I first came here, I was pretty shocked at some of their culture, but now I often find myself wondering if actually, they're the one's with the right mindset - not always, mind you.
Re: Your annoying westerner ways.
My go to was always the need to buy the latest shiny thing, despite it having no discernible use, just because. It’s all over FB therefore it was a “need”. I grew tired of that very quickly.
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- Raven
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Re: Your annoying westerner ways.
This is a story I recall Orange Dragon (remember him) telling many moons ago, it compares western thinking vs local thinking.
They were driving in PP, fast approaching an obvious traffic jam.
All the cars just kept driving straight ahead toward the intersection, making for the usual PP gridlock.
OD thought that he would try to avoid the intersection, and did a quick left (or right turn) down a small side street.
At the next intersection, he turned toward the main road that they had previously been heading toward.
Having arrived at the main road, and avoiding the gridlock, he turned onto the main road to continue the journey.
At this point, Mrs OD looked at him in amazement and asked how he knew that small road was there.
They were driving in PP, fast approaching an obvious traffic jam.
All the cars just kept driving straight ahead toward the intersection, making for the usual PP gridlock.
OD thought that he would try to avoid the intersection, and did a quick left (or right turn) down a small side street.
At the next intersection, he turned toward the main road that they had previously been heading toward.
Having arrived at the main road, and avoiding the gridlock, he turned onto the main road to continue the journey.
At this point, Mrs OD looked at him in amazement and asked how he knew that small road was there.
Re: Your annoying westerner ways.
I do a lot of DIY around the house and fix my own car and bikes. First time I was under the car she said started pulling on my leg.
"WTF are you doing?" I asked
"I thought your were stuck!" she said
"No, I am fixing the car"
"Oh, do barang do those things. Can you?"
"Some yes, and yes I can"
"Oh. Well uncle is coming down soon, I will get him to make sure it's ok"
"Oh right. Is he a mechanic?"
"No"
I fitted my own shower heater, which meant laying about 10 meters of cable, even put a breaker in the fuse box. All done.
We went away that weekend for about a week. When we returned we started taking the stuff into the house from the car. She came out and said "Don't be angry" a bit confused I said "What have you done?" whilst walking into the house I could smell rotting meat.
She had turned the electric off because she was worried I would burn the house down with my DIY skills!
Freezer defrosted, loads of meat and the fridge ruined.
There's more but I have forgotten them all, oh, keeping super glue in the freezer. I think the whole family don't understand that one but it is ok to keep makeup in there!
"WTF are you doing?" I asked
"I thought your were stuck!" she said
"No, I am fixing the car"
"Oh, do barang do those things. Can you?"
"Some yes, and yes I can"
"Oh. Well uncle is coming down soon, I will get him to make sure it's ok"
"Oh right. Is he a mechanic?"
"No"
I fitted my own shower heater, which meant laying about 10 meters of cable, even put a breaker in the fuse box. All done.
We went away that weekend for about a week. When we returned we started taking the stuff into the house from the car. She came out and said "Don't be angry" a bit confused I said "What have you done?" whilst walking into the house I could smell rotting meat.
She had turned the electric off because she was worried I would burn the house down with my DIY skills!
Freezer defrosted, loads of meat and the fridge ruined.
There's more but I have forgotten them all, oh, keeping super glue in the freezer. I think the whole family don't understand that one but it is ok to keep makeup in there!
- Fridaywithmateo
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Re: Your annoying westerner ways.
My Khmer wife's brain literally short circuits when I step into the kitchen and take command.
Re: Your annoying westerner ways.
Odd phrase to use. I would use the word "cook".Fridaywithmateo wrote: ↑Thu Feb 08, 2024 9:02 am My Khmer wife's brain literally short circuits when I step into the kitchen and take command.
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Re: Your annoying westerner ways.
Agreed.IraHayes wrote: ↑Wed Feb 07, 2024 9:27 pmAnd 4 college students in the US couldn't answer a simple maths question. I could see those westerners here that "essentially date farm girls" having the same problems when trying to converse with them.Alex wrote: ↑Wed Feb 07, 2024 9:16 pmIsn't the reason in that case mostly a discrepancy in education levels between those partners? As many Westerners essentially date farm girls, that doesn't really come as a major surprise.Kung-fu Hillbilly wrote: ↑Wed Feb 07, 2024 5:40 pm One guy said he learned to keep conversations with his girl restricted to basic family, local community, and day to day stuff because going beyond these subjects into topics of the larger world would sometimes elicit a response along the lines of “You think you know everything.”
Or being equally compatible.
Re: Your annoying westerner ways.
anything related to food safety, raw meat, sanitation.
it's a losing battle and I'm often flat wrong , and I should stay out of the kitchen
it's a losing battle and I'm often flat wrong , and I should stay out of the kitchen
Last edited by Jlucas on Thu Feb 08, 2024 10:18 am, edited 1 time in total.
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