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Who Can Be Trusted?

Posted: Wed Jul 09, 2014 2:21 pm
by Kung-fu Hillbilly
How easy has it been for you to develop trusted friendships with expats or locals since arriving in Cambodia?

Would you say you have many close friends in the KOW?

Re: Who Can Be Trusted?

Posted: Wed Jul 09, 2014 2:24 pm
by vladimir
I have maybe 3.

Fewer and trustworthy is better than many and wishy-washy.

Re: Who Can Be Trusted?

Posted: Wed Jul 09, 2014 2:42 pm
by Joon
I don't have any friends I would call close. If I ran into big trouble and my family couldn't help at all, I wouldn't know who to call.
Though I have a distant cousin's family who live close to my house. They are the most loyal and helpful people I know. While they wouldn't be able to help for serious troubles (and I wouldn't lay the burden and trouble on them), I know they would assist me for accidents or injuries in a blink of an eye.

Re: Who Can Be Trusted?

Posted: Wed Jul 09, 2014 2:50 pm
by PSD-Kiwi
Trust and respect are both things that need to be earnt, and for me that takes alot of time which is probably why I still don't have many true friends in Cambodia. Those few friends that I do have are all ex military and/or work in the private security industry, same as me, because we all have something in common and posess the same ethos and ethics. Kind of sad to some I suppose, but I see too many people burnt by being too trusting of others.

Re: Who Can Be Trusted?

Posted: Wed Jul 09, 2014 5:19 pm
by nightmare.believer
.

Re: Who Can Be Trusted?

Posted: Thu Jul 10, 2014 8:56 am
by OrangeDragon
I've made a number of them, to varied degrees.

Very close friends, probably 5. Less close, but still people I trust, probably another 3-4. People I know would have my back in a scrap (aside from the ones already mentioned) another 2-3.

Re: Who Can Be Trusted?

Posted: Thu Jul 10, 2014 12:00 pm
by The Add Jay
I think I got 2 or 3 I can count on and another 4 that are wishy washy. I stress the word think cause I havent known them long enough to call them a goodfella. Its tough to say man. I like to know I have someone I can count on like back in the states but when push comes to shove my bet is more cynical.

My first experience at friendship in Cambodia weren't barangs. It was great...it was like family. But then it shifted after asking me to go into business or renting a moto bike or buying from one of them. Pretty much tried to hustle me. Once realizing im not some yuppie pot smoker with a born to lose tattoo on my bicep..they stopped bothering with me. In a sense "I had nothing to offer so why stay friends". Which is sad cause if they were stand up people, I would have had no problem doing some form of partnership with them. I know not to mix friendship and money but what he did was just outright disrespectful.

all my friends are 10 years or 30 years older then me. I got 1 romanian female friend shes awesome and someone I can count on. she married a khmer for 20 years and enjoys everything I do. I got 1 australian friend but he likes lady boys and doesnt have a lot of cash...so kinda awkward. 1 Canadian but he lives on the outskirts of the city and is a recluse which admire but has a daughter that doesnt leave his side. And 2 Indian friends who I been friends with since I got here and are my beloveds...but they have this class system shit culturally that is something Im not used too being an American. :friends:

You dont like him cause hes a mechanic and doesnt know what Calvin Klein is?? how about we like him cause hes a good person and he makes us laugh? No Good? Okkkaayyyyy.....

The rest I tried to bring in close..dinners...meet for lunch.. bar hoping....No call backs or only call me when they want to get in on a bottle I purchased without reaching out during weekdays to say hi or w.e
Fuck them... :beer:

Re: Who Can Be Trusted?

Posted: Thu Jul 10, 2014 12:39 pm
by ali baba
I have many people I could call if I were to be in trouble. Many Khmer and some barang including owners of GHs where I stayed for several months, people I played poker with often and my in-laws.

Sadly Phnom Penh is a very transient place so some friends have moved to the provinces or other countries. I tend to keep an emotional distance from foreigners who aren't committed to the country.

Re: Who Can Be Trusted?

Posted: Thu Jul 10, 2014 12:41 pm
by UKJ
The Add Jay wrote:I think I got 2 or 3 I can count on and another 4 that are wishy washy. I stress the word think cause I havent known them long enough to call them a goodfella. Its tough to say man. I like to know I have someone I can count on like back in the states but when push comes to shove my bet is more cynical.

My first experience at friendship in Cambodia weren't barangs. It was great...it was like family. But then it shifted after asking me to go into business or renting a moto bike or buying from one of them. Pretty much tried tried to hustle me. Once realizing im not some yuppie pot smoker with a born to lose tattoo on my bicep..they stopped bothering with me. In a sense "I had nothing to offer so why stay friends". Which is sad cause if they were stand up people, I would have had no problem doing some form of with them. I know not to mix friendship and money but what he did was just outright disrespectful.

all my friends are 10 years or 30 years older then me which kinda hard. I got 1 romanian female friend shes awesome and someone I can count on. she married a khmer for 20 years enjoys everything I do. I got 1 australian friend but he likes lady boys and doesnt have a lot of cash...so kinda awkward. 1 Canadian but he lives on the outskirts of the city and is a recluse which admire but has a daughter that doesnt leave his side. And 2 Indian friends who I been friends with since I got here and are my beloveds...but they have this class system shit culturally that is something Im not used to being American. :friends:

You dont like him cause hes a mechanic and doesnt know what Calvin Klein is?? how about we like him cause hes a good person and he makes us laugh? No Good? Okkkaayyyyy.....

The rest I tried to bring in close..dinners...meet for lunch bar hoping....No call backs or only call me when they want to get in on a bottle every other week without reaching out during weekdays to say hi or w.e
Fuck them... :beer:
Good honest post.

Re: Who Can Be Trusted?

Posted: Thu Jul 10, 2014 1:18 pm
by phuketrichard
when i went into the gem mining business in Boi Rai in 1987 with a ex thai border general. the first thing he told me was never trust him. He said he was amazed at how easy farangs trust people.
where as thai''s trust NO ONE

I have maybe 6 or so Farang friends i would trust with my & my daughters life here, 2-3 thai's all built up over 20 + years an it works both ways
a couple back in the states of 40+ years

Unlike add above all my friends are my age within 5 years or so

Friendships demands constant attention and give an take