The Best of Cambodia & Laos

Wherever you are, stick only to bottled
water. You can also get cold fizzy drinks in
most places, but they tend to be sickly
sweet. You are also relatively safe with the
fruit shakes sold at stalls and in markets.
They are popular and very refreshing. Beer
both local and imported, and brewed
under license, is available everywhere.
Angkor is the original Cambodian beer
and is not bad, though it will give you a
headache if imbibed in quantity. A good
alternative is the similarly named Anchor.
Pronounce it “Antchor” if you don’t want
them to give you Angkor by mistake.
7 ETIQUETTE IN CAMBODIA
Cambodia is a very conservative country
where modesty is the order of the day. You
can dress skimpily, but it won’t do you any
favors in terms of the Khmers’ perception
of you. Likewise, openly public displays of
affection will embarrass people, so don’t
do it.
The Krama: A Scarf for All Seasons
As with other countries in the region
the concept of “face” governs social interaction
on every level. You will get things
done faster if you go out of your way to
make sure that you don’t cause someone to
lose face. If you get angry, try not to show
it. Another thing to remember is that a
Everywhere you go in the Cambodian countryside, you will see the checkered
pattern of the krama. This ubiquitous cotton scarf performs many functions. It
shades a weary head from the sun. It keeps dust out of the eyes and mouth. It
is a carryall, whether that be fruit, money, or babies. It is a skirt, a sarong, a
tablecloth, a towel, and a hammock. I have even seen them used to temporarily
fix the loose undercarriage of an aging Toyota Camry.
The krama is also, to some extent, the symbol of being Khmer and being a
farmer. When Prime Minister Hun Sen (no privileged kid he, Hun Sun is from
tough peasant stock in Kompong Cham Province) canvasses in the countryside
he dons a krama, puts on the khaki cargo pants, and stands in rice paddies,
reminding his constituents that he is the same as them.
There have also been very sinister uses of the krama in Khmer history. In
1978, Pol Pot ordered the Eastern Zone purged. The people of the east were
transported to the “loyal” Southwestern Zone run by Pol Pot’s brutal one-eyed
henchman, Ta Mok. Each deportee was issued with a brand-new blue krama.
Maybe they thought he was looking out for their physical well-being. In reality,
Ta Mok ordered that anyone seen wearing the blue krama be marked for death.
Kramas do not come only in rough, practical cotton. There are also patterned
silk versions with intricate stripes and patterns. The origins of the krama
most likely lie in ancient Angkorian times when a simple cloth was used to
cover the upper body. Variations of the krama are also worn by rural people in
Laos and Thailand, but only in Cambodia is this simple piece of cloth an affirmation
of identity.
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CAMBODIA IN DEPTH 2
ETIQUETTE IN CAMBODIA