What price purity?

Have questions or resources regarding Khmer Culture? This forum is all about the Kingdom of Cambodia's culture. Khmer language, Cambodian weddings, French influence, Cambodian architecture, Cambodian politics, Khmer customs, etc? This is the place. Living in Cambodia can cause you to experience a whole new level of culture shock, so feel free to talk about all things related to the Khmer people, and their traditions. And if you want something in Khmer script translated into English, you will probably find what you need.
taabarang
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What price purity?

Post by taabarang »

Cambodian culture has got a hole in its soul. And nature detesting a vacuum fills it with anything at hand. Mostly wars and more wars and recently corruption and more corruption, greed compounded with more greed and bourgeois vanity wearing exotic plumage and trying to pass itself off as aristocratic good taste. And when this reaches the final stages of doom the poor people who have no access to either the cover charge or or the necessary funds to ante up fall back on the pride of the past, maintaining that their traditions are culturally pure and in keeping with the times of (you guessed it) Angkor Wat, that cultural symbol that has been recycled so many times that it has achieved a cleansed state of purity much like the rural brides who have purity inflicted upon them. Yes, if there is anything Cambodians love it is purity; even Pol Pot reincarnated this idea by calling himself the original Cambodian. (Khmer daem).

All of this is expanded from my previous post of the cows that farmers let graze at total liberty(prawleng chaol). It is hard to not pity these poor beasts that graze from one brown patch of dead brown grass to another seeking the satisfaction of finding the one green spot that satisfies the stomach if not the soul.
But perhaps I project too much. Due to a paucity of education, it is impossible to find original ideas in conversation and much that is foreign, like me, is immediately suspect of introducing impurities in an otherwise traditionally pristine culture. So much of the Khmer Rouge mentality lives on today in rural Cambodia, transmuted by time and politics but still very much alive. So, the topics of conversation are quite limited; I really do not want another discussion about plant or animal diseases, or another exploration of various and sundry other "safe topics" that threaten no one. Yes, I like it here, but it does have drawbacks which in fairness need to be mentioned. So when will it get better. Well, here is my chance to sneak in another idiom-deik cham, (when hell freezes over). Oh well ngai muay tiet nau tansua. One more day in heaven. If my brain looked like the Cambodian cow it feels like, you could count the ribs.
Last edited by taabarang on Sat Apr 11, 2015 3:35 pm, edited 5 times in total.
As my old Cajun bait seller used to say, "I opes you luck.
taabarang
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Re: What price purity?

Post by taabarang »

As I stray further and further from my original Cambodian idioms postings, I find that my writing is becoming more and more abstract. I hope the slender threads of logical connection can support the weight of my readership.
As my old Cajun bait seller used to say, "I opes you luck.
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StroppyChops
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Re: What price purity?

Post by StroppyChops »

I enjoy your writings and philosophy - please continue
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taabarang
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Re: What price purity?

Post by taabarang »

Thank you for that Stroppy. Bad feelings and criticisms about the core beliefs of Cambodians will not be warmly accepted. It's one thing to criticize corruption and another to attack Angkor Wat.
As my old Cajun bait seller used to say, "I opes you luck.
Milord
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Re: What price purity?

Post by Milord »

I enjoy your ramblings too. What is the point? Doesn't matter really.

It's like me having a beer in a local Bar with Fox News playing, nobody can think outside the box. Boring.
MekongMouse
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Re: What price purity?

Post by MekongMouse »

I enjoy your posts, taabarang.
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Re: What price purity?

Post by Hotcumslinger »

I get a good feel from Cambodians and I hope that us educated people can what is under the surface.
I've lived in a few places in seasia and travelled the rest and I'm positive that they'll take a better path than many of their neighbours.
Poor buggers have had a tough past, we learn more from our family than we do schools and these generations have lost that.
taabarang
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Re: What price purity?

Post by taabarang »

Please tell me what the English for "I get a good feel from Cambodians and I hope that us educated people can what is under the surface." is. You are under some undefined protection on this forum so I will not explore how stupidly inane your comments are. Join fuckitprick for a sobfest about those of us who dared to live with "them" and don't give a rat's ass about you.
As my old Cajun bait seller used to say, "I opes you luck.
Hotcumslinger
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Re: What price purity?

Post by Hotcumslinger »

Yeah I missed a word
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takeoman
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Re: What price purity?

Post by takeoman »

I've been enjoying these posts of yours. It is always interesting to see what a fellow rural refugee has to say, I don't totally agree with your conclusions. It seems that you are a "the glass is half empty" type, whereas I tend to focus on "the glass is half full" It could also be that unlike me, a watcher and virtual recluse, you are more of a get up and get stuck in type. Location may also play its part,where I am some fields have already been ploughed and the cows are always staked out not allowed to roam free. Looking forward to the next instalment. :hattip:
The most boring man in the World. Ever!
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