Cambodian forgetfulness /problems with short-term memory

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JerryCan
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Re: Cambodian forgetfulness /problems with short-term memory

Post by JerryCan »

pczz wrote: Tue Apr 09, 2019 2:25 am Almost right. I did hear a rumour it was related to dietary deficiency as a child hindering brain development. protein and or certain essential minerals not common locally.
is there a doctor in the house who can shed some light on this perhaps?
Not a doctor, but from personal anecdotal experience I doubt this is true (although nutrition deficiencies are probably present, not saying they aren't).

Half of my Cambodian family is Chinese and the other half is Khmer or Kampuchea Krom. All sides have grown up wealthy (some in other countries) and have had no shortage of food, vitamins, etc, some of the girls even are almost 6 ft tall. It's VERY CLEAR who is Khmer and who is Chinese, not by looks, but by their "frontal cortex abilities".

Example. One of my Chinese nephews was going to buy a car. He hired a mechanic and looked around at cars and after a while settled on a generic Toyota. The other Khmer nephew wanted a car, bought a BMW 3 series, tore the whole body off and wanted to make it boy racer style, then realised he didn't know how to fix cars. So he drove the car around with no lights, front end or rear bumper because he also didn't have enough money to get it fixed.

Chinese niece wants to study in Australia, so she's been keeping her grades up and practicing her English. She's gotten quite good and is probably leaving this fall. Khmer niece wants to study in Australia. She hasn't gone passed the 9th grade yet and she's 17. She hasn't made the connection that she's so far behind that uni is not even a consideration for her now. She also doesn't speak any English.

I don't know, it's not that the Khmer side is stupid (because I love them to bits), but it's almost as if they have a complete lack of seeing anything passed a few hours into the future.
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violet
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Re: Cambodian forgetfulness /problems with short-term memory

Post by violet »

SternAAlbifrons wrote: Tue Apr 09, 2019 6:17 am "is there a doctor in the house who can shed some light on this perhaps?"

I am not a doctor but I know the answer.
However no way I am going to talk about it here - 'cos I just know it will give some people another reason to be bar-room experts and start spouting crap like - "All Cambodians are stupid because they have a ****-deficient diet."

(Not that my opinion is worth anything - but I reckon there is a far higher average of mentally mucked-up people on this forum than in the general Cambodian population)

Another answer to V's question could be; Maybe they just don't give two hoots about the same things that are important to V.
Nothing I wrote referred to my preferences about anything or what I think is important
Despite what angsta states, it’s clear from reading through his posts that angsta supports the free FreePalestine movement.
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SternAAlbifrons
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Re: Cambodian forgetfulness /problems with short-term memory

Post by SternAAlbifrons »

violet wrote: Tue Apr 09, 2019 9:07 am
SternAAlbifrons wrote: Tue Apr 09, 2019 6:17 am

Another answer to V's question could be; Maybe they just don't give two hoots about the same things that are important to V.
Nothing I wrote referred to my preferences about anything or what I think is important
Quite right V, you didn't.
I guess I was just jumping the gun a bit, expecting a rush of (some-) other posters taking great glee in talking about how and why Cambodians are so "stupid", or brain damaged, or whatever.
I think you have a very valid question, just as many of the responses have also been.

The important thing is that we are trying to understand this very different Khmer mindset, not just calling it stupid, dishonest, crazy etc, - as do a few vocal expats who cannot get their own head around anything different from their own head.
Best...
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Re: Cambodian forgetfulness /problems with short-term memory

Post by Sidewalker »

These kinds of stories, without scientific substantiation, are usually written by losers who want to act in an interesting way. :beer3:
There are people who cannot imagine that there are other ways of life than their own life. :facepalm:
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violet
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Re: Cambodian forgetfulness /problems with short-term memory

Post by violet »

SternAAlbifrons wrote: Tue Apr 09, 2019 11:17 am
violet wrote: Tue Apr 09, 2019 9:07 am
SternAAlbifrons wrote: Tue Apr 09, 2019 6:17 am

Another answer to V's question could be; Maybe they just don't give two hoots about the same things that are important to V.
Nothing I wrote referred to my preferences about anything or what I think is important
Quite right V, you didn't.
I guess I was just jumping the gun a bit, expecting a rush of (some-) other posters taking great glee in talking about how and why Cambodians are so "stupid", or brain damaged, or whatever.
I think you have a very valid question, just as many of the responses have also been.

The important thing is that we are trying to understand this very different Khmer mindset, not just calling it stupid, dishonest, crazy etc, - as do a few vocal expats who cannot get their own head around anything different from their own head.
Best...
Got it. Not many share my notions of what is important. It is good to at least try to understand the differences but not many can be bothered.
Despite what angsta states, it’s clear from reading through his posts that angsta supports the free FreePalestine movement.
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Kammekor
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Re: Cambodian forgetfulness /problems with short-term memory

Post by Kammekor »

curiosity wrote: Mon Apr 08, 2019 8:39 pm Hi folks,

I noticed that Cambodia has some of the most forgetful people I have ever met. As in repeatedly forgetting to buy at least one item on the shopping list (even though the shopping list is in Khmer). Or as in cleaning up and then not remembering where they put stuff. Recently I observed a Khmer person tidying up the office. I saw her put something I needed in the top drawer. A few hours later I asked her where said thing was (because I was curious whether she would remember). Alas she couldn't remember where she put it. Do you have similar experiences with Cambodian forgetfulness?
Me, being a Westerner, would handle stuff totally different. While on a 150 USD / month cleaning job I would be on the tips of my toes all the time,
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Re: Cambodian forgetfulness /problems with short-term memory

Post by explorer »

People ask questions like this genuinely wanting to understand. If people actually explain it, there will be some crying racist.

Most Cambodians have little education compared to people in countries where they are well educated. Even people who spend a lot of years going to school learn much less.

Most adults in Cambodia think like children in countries where people are well educated. You see people happy and smiling most of the time, just like children. When they get upset, they can get very upset, but forget about it in 5 minutes. If you think about what they like doing, and how they react in various situations, it is the same as children.

When it comes to forgetting or caring, again it is like children. Children dont care about many things that are important to adults.

When you meet Cambodians who have been to school for several years where there are teachers from countries where people are well educated, you notice a big difference.

This is only one aspect. There is more to it. But it is a good starting point for those wanting to understand.
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Re: Cambodian forgetfulness /problems with short-term memory

Post by The Whisperer »

Cambodian forgetfulness /problems with short-term memory
Post by curiosity » Mon Apr 08, 2019 8:39 pm

I used to have a Cambodian girlfriend who would occasionally forget to come home on a nighttime. Needless to say the relationship didn't last very long.


Everyone seems normal until you get to know them.
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Re: Cambodian forgetfulness /problems with short-term memory

Post by Duncan »

The Whisperer wrote: Tue Apr 09, 2019 2:51 pm Cambodian forgetfulness /problems with short-term memory
Post by curiosity » Mon Apr 08, 2019 8:39 pm

I used to have a Cambodian girlfriend who would occasionally forget to come home on a nighttime. Needless to say the relationship didn't last very long.


Everyone seems normal until you get to know them.

I can see what the problem was there. You forgot that she told you she had other boyfriends too,, that had to be entertained.
Cambodia,,,, Don't fall in love with her.
Like the spoilt child she is, she will not be happy till she destroys herself from within and breaks your heart.
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SternAAlbifrons
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Re: Cambodian forgetfulness /problems with short-term memory

Post by SternAAlbifrons »

The link below is mainly concerned with another kind of forgetfulness. However the PTSD is probably a factor in ordinary everyday forgetfulness as well.

"Learning to Forget in Cambodia
A land where nearly half the population suffers from PTSD."
https://nationalinterest.org/commentary ... bodia-9886
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