Elevator Experience

It is a typical business-day experience to attend a meeting in a building with an elevator. Most of my business meetings are either on the ground floor of the building or if on a higher floor involves taking a set of "Cambodian stairs"*. (* "Cambodian stairs" as used here means stairs that in the same set include varying sizes of "risers" and "treads". Most Cambodian stairs have treads much smaller than the typical American tread of about 12 inches. I am going to guess that the typical Cambodian stair tread is about 6 - 8 inches. And while the typical American stair riser would be about 7 inches Cambodian stairs are about 10 inches until you get close to the bottom or top of the stairs and then there are adjustments made and sometimes the riser is 1 -2 inches - or just enough to trip you.)


But today I went to a meeting in a building with an elevator and my meeting was on floor 18 (near the top of the building). Unfortunately, the meeting ended right at noon. Now, Cambodians are very serious about lunch. Lunches here are not something you have in your office or do quickly; they are not even your typical 1 hour lunch, but are 1 1/2 - 2 hours and most people go home for lunch. So, at noon I was pretty much stranded on the 18th floor and waited for an elevator for about 10 minutes. When it finally arrived and I got in it made stops all the way down and by the last stop we had 18 people crammed into the elevator. Fortunately, the average size of people in Cambodia is much smaller than in America, which made this a little more comfortable. Now, you may be wondering, why wait 10 minutes and not just take the stairs. See paragraph 1.

Khmer New Year/Chaul Chnam Thmey

This is the third and final day of Chaul Chnam Thmey (“Enter New Year”, AKA the Khmer New Year).

Most all the businesses in Phnom Penh have been closed since Monday, April 14 and some will remain closed for the balance of this week. The streets in Phnom Penh, normally bustling with traffic from morning to night have been mostly empty. Most all the Khmer people who live in Phnom Penh have gone to visit their families in the provinces and to spend time together in traditional Khmer New Year celebrations. With Buddhist roots the traditional Khmer New Year celebrations include going to temple, sharing meals with family, giving to people less fortunate, lighting candles and incense, and cleaning Buddha statues with perfumed water. There are also many traditional games that are played during this time. The Khmer New Year always coincides with the end of harvest season - signifying the time with farmers enjoy the fruits of their labor and preceding the coming of the rainy season.  

Cambodian History and Culture

This week Employment Services Cambodia held our first of ongoing free workshops on Cambodian History and Culture. We believe that for expats to make their best contributions to Cambodia's economy and workforce we must have at least a basic understanding of and respect for Cambodia's history and culture. The workshop was led by Ryan Childress of Hard Places Community and Neth Kong of Employment Services Cambodia. They did a phenomenal job.

Cambodia is a country rich in history; dating back to 802 AD, the Angkor period, which flourished in Cambodia from the 9^th – 15^th centuries. The current day Angkor Wat in Siem Reap reminds us that Cambodia once led the world in hydro-engineering and construction; supporting one million people in the largest preindustrial city in the world. But there are perhaps even more signs in Cambodia of its recent history when only 40 years ago Cambodia essentially had to begin rebuilding from ground zero following the slaughter by Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge of 25% of Cambodia’s population, mostly educated people and people living in the cities. 

There are also many signs that Cambodia is emerging from this devastating loss. Many new buildings are being built around Phnom Penh. New restaurants and shops, schools, shopping malls, and even movie theatres are emerging, but the question of how healthy this re-emergence is has led me to believe that Cambodia is not growing, at this time, in the healthiest way.

There is a deepening divide between those who "have" and those who "have not". Nearly half of the working population, 46.4%, makes less than the very meager minimum-wage set for textile, garment, and shoe industry workers of $50 per month or about 29 cents per hour. More than one in every four workers, 26%, earn less than a dollar a day and 20% make less than $.63 per day; and most Cambodians work 10-12 hour days either 6 or 7 days per week. Because of the severe poverty in Cambodia child labor is very common. Children are removed from school to work in rice fields or garment factories so that they can provide some meager contribution to their family's income. But because they are deprived of a decent education these children are virtually assured to be another generation living in poverty – thus continuing the ugly cycle of generational poverty. But such is subsistence living; when survival is paramount and where it can easily appear better to work for one dollar today rather than to be educated to earn ten dollars a year from now. Almost all of the Cambodians whom I have met do not think in a long term way, but only a day at a time or even just to the next meal. 

But there are many things to love about Cambodian culture where most families are strong and fiercely loyal. Where many young married couples live in their parents' home, sometimes also with the third generation grandparents also still in the home; and where, much like is described in the Book of Acts, all things are contributed to the community and shared. It is a culturally common greeting in Cambodia to be asked, “have you eaten yet?” or “have you eaten rice yet?”  There is a beautifully important meaning to this question that is hidden under the surface of this seemingly simple question. This part of culture may very well tie to Cambodia’s history and values: when people are poor it is important to know if someone has eaten, if they can afford to eat, or if you may help them to eat. I have personally experienced that even the poorest of the poor in Cambodia will share their food with others. This reminds me of something that I read from Mother Teresa, who wrote that she visited a very poor family and gave them rice. She noticed that the mother in that family took half of the rice and gave it to her neighbor.     

Whether it be Angkor Wat in Siem Reap, the waterfalls of Modikiri, or the white sand beaches and warm, clean water of the South China Sea at Sihanouk Ville, or perhaps you may prefer the bustling city life of Phnom Penh - there is so much to enjoy in Cambodia. But my favorite is not anyplace in Cambodia, but the Cambodian people who may be counted by most others in this world as being poor, but as I have had the joy to experience Cambodians I see that in spirit and in values they are among the richest people that I have ever had the privilege to meet.