Cafe Khmao I was finishing up an iced coffee ('cafe khmao') and looking for change in my wallet when one of the teenage girls waiting tables pointed at something outside. "Khmao" (dark), she said. She and her co-workers were fascinated. The woman walking outside looked to be a tourist from the States, from the dreadlocks to the backpack. There's not a lot of Africans in Cambodia. (There is a tiny subculture/clique of expat Africans in Phnom Penh.) Still digging through my wallet, I talked with the girls in Khmer: -There's not many Africans in Cambodia, but there are plenty in the USA. -Really? -Yes, their families came from Africa long ago. -Are they different? -Well, it's ordinary to see dark skinned people in my country, there are many. I used to share a house with an african-american. -Really? -Sure. And Cambodia has Chams who came years ago and now are part of the country. And with that, my short effort at being an ad-hoc cultural ambassador was at an end. Nothing wrong with a little curiosity. It would be great to let this curiosity lead to friendships, rather than prejudice or fear.
- jinja Link
HOME
about
archive
travels
contact
linkage
Anonymous comments are deleted. Emails related to this blog may be reprinted.
Popular Posts:
Gunplay
Miss-Khmer-ica
Couches and Controversy
Street Kids Shoot Back
Phnomenon Interview
Links:
Arts
What's On - Cambodia Arts News
Sovanna Phum
Java Arts
le Popil
Cambodian Comics
Sporadic Cartoon
Komik Cambodia Exchange
Rajana Society
Reyum
Arijan Jansonius
Lakhorn Kou
Virtual Lotus
Saklapel.org
Nou Hach Literary Journal
Art House, Siem Reap
Nonprofits
Libellus Association
Osmose
Cyclo Centre
Gecko Centre
Heritage Watch
Khmer Operating System
Santapheap
'Our Village'
Profits
KhmerProducts.com
Digital divide Data
Hagar Soya
Schooling
EFEO
Center For Khmer Studies
Bophana Center
SE Asia Archaeology Blog
Youth Infotech Workshops
Center for Advanced Study
Online Khmer Dictionary
Other Cambodia Blogs
Analog Cambodia
Andy Brouwer
Chath
Tharum
Phnomenon
Khmerang.com
Cambochica
Wanna
Cambodia4Kids
That'll Do
Mongkol
Mungkol
Details Are Sketchy
Stefan's Blog
Virak
Jeff's Jungle
Vuthasurf!
Steve Goodman
traactivity
Khmerbird
Earth's Molten Core
Kampuchea Crossings
Vanndeth
Squatter
Parish without Borders
PreahChan
Pepy Ride
Down the Road: Cambodia
Danny's Weblog
Phnom Penh Tagebuch
Reporter at Large
Kalyan Keo
Illuminating Cambodia
'Embassy' Blog
Srei Saat
transit
Khmer Cyberkid
Mistaken for Khmer
Cam-Blog
Cameras 4 Cambodia
Listings
Expat-Advisory.com
'Planet Cambodia' blogs
Technorati's 'Cambodia' blogs
Global Voices
Global Voices Wiki Archived
Blogger's 'Cambodia' list
Topix.net: Cambodia blogs
travel
Hidden Cambodia
Tales of Asia
Canby Publications
AsiaLifeCambodia
Gratuitous Linkage
Manur.org
travel-itch
Sweet Cucumber
anth
jemisa
van-vanity.de
Maytel 2020
Camelfish
Spikor
lorraine crescent
Geminianeyes
Kamigaroshi
Eternal Wanderer
EducateDeviate
Somesaypip
Rambling Spoon
Jemisa's Back!
dev.null.org
KiwiBopha
Gombe Chimpanzee
RSS feed
« Asia Expats Ring » ?
Blogdup