Page 1 of 7 1234567 LastLast
Results 1 to 25 of 170
  1. #1
    Thailand Expat KEVIN2008's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2008
    Last Online
    @
    Posts
    1,740

    Expatriates’ Strange Lives in Cambodia

    Expatriates’ Strange Lives in Cambodia


    Though many expats have decided to base themselves in Cambodia, and many have lived here for years or even decades, it remains the case that some of the country’s foreign community have only the faintest understanding of the culture and heritage of the people that surround them. Segregated from the local population, declining to make even the most perfunctory attempts to learn the language, and subsisting on a diet of Western food, in many ways they live a life indistinguishable from their lives back home.




    http://www.phnompenhpost.com/7days/e...lives-cambodia
    Consultation en ligne www.viagrasansordonnancefr.com pharmacie francaise

  2. #2
    Thailand Expat
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Last Online
    @
    Posts
    59,983
    Riveting first paragraph, is the rest of the article as good?

  3. #3
    Thailand Expat
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Last Online
    @
    Posts
    59,983
    Post the whole article or nothing.

    It's not like you have to worry about copyright with the PPPost. They stole one of Bobcocks pictures, digitally altered it for the worse and added a signature claiming it as their own.

    When he emailed them for an explanation they could even be arsed to reply, cvnts!

  4. #4
    I am in Jail

    Join Date
    Feb 2012
    Last Online
    05-01-2016 @ 03:54 PM
    Location
    In a Madhouse
    Posts
    5,749
    No different to expats in Thailand, or any other place in the world.

  5. #5
    Thailand Expat KEVIN2008's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2008
    Last Online
    @
    Posts
    1,740
    Though many expats have decided to base themselves in Cambodia, and many have lived here for years or even decades, it remains the case that some of the country’s foreign community have only the faintest understanding of the culture and heritage of the people that surround them. Segregated from the local population, declining to make even the most perfunctory attempts to learn the language, and subsisting on a diet of Western food, in many ways they live a life indistinguishable from their lives back home.
    {jathumbnail}

    It is this sort of expat experience that has been a constant source of fascination for 44 year-old French journalist Frédéric Amat, who has called Cambodia home since 1995. In his time here, he has seen myriad European and American residents of the country insulate themselves from local people. His new book, Expatriates’ Strange Lives in Cambodia, published last year in French and earlier this month in English, attempts to chronicle the lived experience of expats in the country, and touches on this phenomenon.

    “I came to Cambodia to cover the fighting, especially in 1997,” Amat says. “I became interested in Cambodian culture. But at the same time, I became interested in foreign communities living in Cambodia. This was a poor country at that time. It started with nothing. There were a lot of expats and many expressed a lot of arrogance towards Cambodian people. I felt so much shock by the way these expat families treated the locals. This was the idea for me to write a book.”

    Amat says that many expats first come to Cambodia as tourists with an idealised picture of the country’s people and its natural beauty, leading to unrealistic expectations when they decide to settle here over the long term.

    “When they just visit as a tourist, Cambodia is like what they saw in postcard, a beautiful country. When they decided to live, then they turn to the back of the postcard and they begin to face a lot of culture shock: bad traffic, poverty, beggars.”

    Rather than confront these issues, many instead decided to form their own expat communities and separate themselves away from local people.

    “They don’t really open the window to Cambodia. They don’t try to speak the language. They are not interested in the culture. When they finish their job, they just go to the foreign bars, have beers with friends. They live in Cambodia, but they don’t really live with Cambodians.”

    Frédéric Amat took at least seven years to compile the activities, routines and problems of the expat community into his book. Of particular interest to him were those foreigners who travelled to Cambodia to look for a prospective partner.

    “A lot of single men come here because it’s easier for them to find love in Cambodia than their own country. They go to the bars in Cambodia. Some of them have the Cambodian girls from the bars. I write about the girls in the bars, who do not adhere to the usual traditions of Cambodian girls,” he said.

    In the last chapter, Amat gives his formulation for how expats can enjoy life in Cambodia to the fullest. To him, Cambodia is not a hard place to live and people are not hard to communicate with; the only barrier lies in foreigners refusing to truly open themselves to the society. If they open their mind a bit, they will enjoy their life here.

    Jérôme Moriniére, the publisher of Cambodia’s Tuk Tuk Editions publishing house, has printed 4,000 copies of Amat’s work in English, with distribution planned for Thailand, Laos and Myanmar in the coming weeks.

    “Mostly our writers wrote books about Angkor temples or the Khmer Rouge; this is the first time that we’ve published a work about people’s daily life, their social life and their culture,” Moriniére said.
    - Expatriates’ Strange Lives in Cambodia is available at Monument bookstores and the airports in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap for US$12.

  6. #6
    I don't know barbaro's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2005
    Last Online
    @
    Location
    on pacific ocean, south america
    Posts
    21,406
    Quote Originally Posted by KEVIN2008 View Post
    Expatriates’ Strange Lives in Cambodia


    Though many expats have decided to base themselves in Cambodia, and many have lived here for years or even decades, it remains the case that some of the country’s foreign community have only the faintest understanding of the culture and heritage of the people that surround them. Segregated from the local population, declining to make even the most perfunctory attempts to learn the language, and subsisting on a diet of Western food, in many ways they live a life indistinguishable from their lives back home.
    This is true for many expats in many countries around the world.

    In one country/culture I tried and did immerse myself as much as possible (although I was obviously a foreigner).

    In the last country I was in, I studied the language but did not make local friends, did not date the women (only short time fun) and did not want to be involved with the local people.
    ............

  7. #7
    Thailand Expat
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Last Online
    @
    Posts
    59,983
    So it's not news at all, just a typical book advertisement.

    Well done kevin, is it your book?

  8. #8
    Thailand Expat KEVIN2008's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2008
    Last Online
    @
    Posts
    1,740
    Quote Originally Posted by kingwilly View Post
    So it's not news at all, just a typical book advertisement.

    Well done kevin, is it your book?
    Not mine ...i gather the guy in photo above is the author...i am just a crazy bookworm

  9. #9
    Member

    Join Date
    Jul 2011
    Last Online
    10-04-2014 @ 03:22 AM
    Location
    ENGLAND, QATAR, THE PHILIPPINES.
    Posts
    787
    Thank the Lord for that. For a moment I thought you were an Irish frog!

  10. #10
    Thailand Expat
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Last Online
    @
    Posts
    59,983
    Quote Originally Posted by KEVIN2008 View Post
    Quote Originally Posted by kingwilly View Post
    So it's not news at all, just a typical book advertisement.

    Well done kevin, is it your book?
    Not mine ...i gather the guy in photo above is the author...i am just a crazy bookworm
    Fair enough, some people would be interested. I would pefer to know it was a book review/advertisement from the get go though.

  11. #11
    Thailand Expat
    wasabi's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2012
    Last Online
    28-10-2019 @ 03:54 AM
    Location
    England
    Posts
    10,940
    Frenchie Amat is not alone,there are plenty of self rightouse expats such as him that claim to have integrated into the local culture,and they are above the other ex pats who have never integrated. Africa is full of them,mainly British,"we are not like the other Whities,we love the locals".

  12. #12
    Thailand Expat
    Smug Farang Bore's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2009
    Last Online
    09-12-2022 @ 12:25 PM
    Posts
    3,888
    It's cheaper than Thailand..

    Only problem is that they don't speak the same language..


    Unless you use English.

    One beer please. Works

  13. #13
    Thailand Expat
    The Muffinman's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2009
    Last Online
    @
    Location
    Klongsan
    Posts
    1,526
    Quote Originally Posted by Smug Farang Bore View Post
    It's cheaper than Thailand..

    Only problem is that they don't speak the same language..


    Unless you use English.

    One beer please. Works
    It's not really cheaper, especially in PP.
    Khmer food is crap compared to Thai streetfood and also more dearer.
    Cambo has cheaper women if you are into that kind of thing, and even that has been changing lately.
    Yeah, going out and getting hammered on $2 jugs of Angkor has appeals to some, but after spending a lot of time there in the last couple of years I've come to the conclusion that Cambo is a shithole and will remain so as long as there isn't a shift in power/wealth. And when that eventually happens there will be a bloodbath.

    And by the way : Anchor/Angkor muy will get you a beer even in the most remote prlaces.

  14. #14
    Hangin' Around cyrille's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2006
    Last Online
    @
    Location
    Home
    Posts
    33,533
    Blimey, I see willy is still quite high maintenance.

  15. #15
    Hangin' Around cyrille's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2006
    Last Online
    @
    Location
    Home
    Posts
    33,533
    Quote Originally Posted by The Muffinman View Post
    It's not really cheaper, especially in PP.
    Really?

    Every time I've been there it's seemed significantly cheaper.

    The idea of buying a book dedicated to dull people is a bit odd.
    Last edited by cyrille; 11-09-2013 at 04:30 AM.

  16. #16
    Thailand Expat
    panama hat's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2007
    Last Online
    21-10-2023 @ 08:08 AM
    Location
    Way, Way South of the border now - thank God!
    Posts
    32,680
    Quote Originally Posted by KEVIN2008
    in many ways they live a life indistinguishable from their lives back home.
    . . . except for the warm weather, cheap alcohol and cheap whores

    Same same but different


    Quote Originally Posted by Yasojack
    No different to expats in Thailand, or any other place in the world.
    Define 'expat' and you'll see there is a difference. Cambo and Thailand not so much, probably. The PIs - yup . . . and that's about all in Asia, maybe Laos and in the future Burma.

    Singapore, Malaysia, Korea, Japan expats - very different.

  17. #17
    Excommunicated baldrick's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2006
    Last Online
    Today @ 05:31 PM
    Posts
    24,760
    Quote Originally Posted by KEVIN2008
    to find love
    on par with religion

  18. #18
    Thailand Expat
    Phuketrichard's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Last Online
    01-03-2024 @ 05:38 PM
    Location
    Phuket
    Posts
    1,341
    i traveled for about 10 years through Europe, Africa an Asia
    than wanted to get "involved " so joined the peace corps an i was truly living with locals ( never saw a white person till i took vacations)

    was it worth it? Hell yes

    When i moved to Thailand, i learned the language, had local an expat friends and had a good life ( still do) but everyone of my local friends is no longer cause after awhile realized although we lived in the same country and spoke te same language we had nothing in-common an even meeting up with them every few years was enough to catch up. Now i just live my life.

    I have lived in Cambodia and its not much different EXCEPT for the expat, Many seem to think there doing something adventurous and its not. It can be cheaper, than again it can cost more.

    The article states nothing new and am sure the book does not as well
    "I hate to advocate drugs, alcohol or insanity, but they've always worked for me" HST

    View my pics

  19. #19
    Thailand Expat

    Join Date
    Jun 2006
    Last Online
    @
    Location
    Melbourne
    Posts
    5,696
    Nice post, PR.

  20. #20
    Thailand Expat
    Smug Farang Bore's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2009
    Last Online
    09-12-2022 @ 12:25 PM
    Posts
    3,888
    It's all about enjoying your time.

    ....not pretending to.

  21. #21
    En route
    Cujo's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Last Online
    24-02-2024 @ 04:47 PM
    Location
    Reality.
    Posts
    32,939
    Quote Originally Posted by cyrille View Post

    The idea of buying a book dedicated to dull people is a bit odd.
    No shit. What was the 'author' thinking.

  22. #22
    Thailand Expat
    The Ghost Of The Moog's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
    Last Online
    26-08-2017 @ 09:53 PM
    Posts
    5,626
    Quote Originally Posted by kingwilly View Post
    Post the whole article or nothing.
    The link has been provided. Is it really too much for you to click on the link if you like the standfirst?

    Copying and pasting entire articles is not cricket.

  23. #23
    Thailand Expat harrybarracuda's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Last Online
    @
    Posts
    96,552
    I thought this was a Smeg thread at first....

  24. #24
    Member
    metisdead's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2013
    Last Online
    18-10-2013 @ 11:02 PM
    Posts
    149
    ^ brown noser, mod wannabe.

  25. #25
    Being chased by sloths DJ Pat's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2005
    Last Online
    @
    Posts
    18,765
    Who the hell socialises with Cambodians anyway?

    I'd safely say most 'expats' there are just male sexual predators who got bored of pattaya

Page 1 of 7 1234567 LastLast

Thread Information

Users Browsing this Thread

There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •