How will a mixed American be treated in Cambodia?
Am I going to have problems with rentals and people in Cambodia?
I was coming their to teach basic tech and do small jobs as I'm a retired vet.
SystemsNicaragua.com
If I'm going to be treated rudely, I can keep living in central America.
Please share your thoughts.
- Traveling to Cambodia - Guide
- How to adapt to the expat challenges of everyday life in Cambodia - 2 Replies
- How to bring your car to Cambodia - 29 Replies
- How to get a job and relocate to Cambodia ? - 1 Reply
- how to make money in Cambodia - 230 Replies
- How to deal with stress when moving to Cambodia - 6 Replies
- How to save money in Cambodia - 6 Replies
Thanks again, Niko J.
Throwing my hat into the rink of technology is a bit of a chore yet it will happen.
Once again, thanks.
In your case I don't think your race is much of an issue nowadays as there are so many foreigners of various races and nationalities in Cambodia.聽 I certainly wouldn't worry about it at all if I were you.聽 Your "reddish" skin tone is not going to matter nearly as much as how much "green" you have in your wallet.聽 If you find people staring at you, it's probably more of a curiosity than anything else.
As for the Vietnamese, well, that's a different story.
*I've been treated very well, I'm a businessman and conduct myself as such yet as for dating. That's pretty much a closed door when compared to Nicaragua.
Recently, the Cambodian opposition political party has effectively used anti-Vietnamese demagoguery to gain popular support and political power, in much the same way that Donald Trump has used his anti-Mexican, anti-Muslim, and anti-whatever rhetoric to rile up the Republican base.聽
Personally, as a minority in America who had experienced much racism, I'm not a fan of such divisiveness and demagoguery at all, even if I don't have a drop of Vietnamese blood in my veins.聽 To be fair, however, as bad as the opposition party's anti-Vietnam demagoguery is, the tactics of the ruling party is much, much worse.聽 But that's all Cambodian politics, and it doesn't really concern you or me.
After only being here a month I have yet to see it. It took almost 2 years in C America to grasp a better picture of the gov't / people's relationships with each other and how they viewed foreigners.
Being older I can clearly see that there's always going to be a bit of misery to spread around and it, in most instances, will be for a profit of some sort by some group.
It's a shame.
The one thing that I do like is that I looked up all the religious followings here and "on the surface", they all appear to get along.
That whole Hillary / Trump thing, whew....boy o boy. I liken it to, "Do I want to wear tight boxers or do I want to wear tight shoes"? I really don't wish to wear either for 4 years.
As for the other race topic, I think you'll find racism everywhere you go.聽 It just manifests itself in different ways.聽 The racial dynamics and politics of Cambodia are very different from those of America, so it's best not to view racial incidents we experience in Cambodia the same way as we did back in the states.聽 聽
This is a very different society where people have a very different mindset, and like everywhere else, they often go by stereotypes when dealing with outsiders.聽 Even as a native Cambodian I have experienced many racist incidents in Cambodia.聽 For instance, many years ago I was interested in becoming an English teacher at one of the top international schools in Phnom Penh.聽 Although I had many other, more lucrative options at the time, I wanted to use my bi-cultural and bilingual background not only to teach English but to connect with the young Cambodians and perhaps instill into their young, impressionable minds things like critical thinking, moral and ethical reasoning, civic duties and all the other good stuff I've learned from abroad.聽
After presenting my credentials to my potential employer, he insisted that the position was intended only for a "native English speaker". I showed him that I was the valedictorian of my high school and had to beat out 1,200 native-born Americans in every subject, including English, for the honor.聽 It soon became clear that he wasn't just looking for a native English speaker, but someone who *looked* like one.聽 I interviewed at another school that offered only a teaching assistant position and yet another one whose administrator seemed more interested in figuring out if I was one of the Cambodian American ex-cons deported back home by the U.S. government than evaluating my qualifications. It was a thoroughly humiliating experience to say the least.
Suffice it to say that you'll find racism in every country, depending who you are and what situation you find yourself in.聽 聽Sometimes you get perks and privileges because of your race; sometimes you get mistreated because of it.聽 The Khmer locals, like most Asians, tend to defer to foreigners, especially Caucasians.聽 I'm not sure how they'll treat an Indian (Native American or Asian Indian?), Irish and Black with reddish skin tone, but at 6'5" you tower over like 100% of the locals, so your height might be more of a factor than your race
Anyway, good luck on your stay in Cambodia.聽 I hope you'll find it a very rewarding experience.
I'll be just fine, I to have lived under some pretty questionable characters.
What do we do? We assess, make the needed changes and persevere.
I have 5 more months here to decide if I will make this my home away from home, no hurries, no worries.
I like it here, my place is brand new, nicely furnished and very secure. *I am told Takhmao Town isn't as rough as Phnom Penh.
Born in NY that doesn't scare me yet I have grown tired of taking precautions every time I leave my home.
I talk with my mom in our Florida home and the crime and violence is growing there as well. Cocoa Beach use to be pristine and virtually crime free except for a drunk surfer.
The racism, ethical and moral decay is all around us yet it really comes down to how I respond to it.
It's a little strange here, all I have to do is smile and say, "Hi" and the people light right up.
My conflict is that I'm a thinker and if you were to see me in public, I tend to look a little mean.
What had you mentioned about features being constructive or destructive "depending" on who, what, where and why?
I even use my stern look to my advantage yet I feel that's more for Nicaragua, Costa Rica or possibly when I go to Mexico.
I realize there are criminals everywhere in the world. Being x military and x DoD, I can sense when I'm being watched. Here? I simply turn towards the person, let my sunglasses drop an inch and stare straight back. In every instance so far, their look faded and their eyes dropped.
Enough of that, I came here to help with techy geek stuff and to simply get away from the American rat race and I think Cambodia is great.
Given your background Cambodia is really tame compared to the other places you've been.聽 It's funny that you should mention Cocoa Beach.聽 I visited that place once and really enjoyed it there.聽 In fact, I'm considering Florida the next time I return to America.聽
It is actually an asset to display a "mean" exterior in this part of the world. I am just the opposite and have been burned so many times that it's not even funny.
It only got better or worse depending how you look at it from there.
Aside from my world of computer systems I'm also heavy into psychology.
My original question was only to get a general idea. I was very aware of the fact that each answer would depend upon each individual's perception.
I.e. A travel blog had a guy who claimed Nicaragua was the worst place on earth, I read on. Come to find out he had gone there with his American arrogance and bought some weed to which he laid out on a table at the beach and began rolling his joints.
Daniel Ortega has 0 tolerance for any types of drugs and this young man found out the hard way.
I have a question for you: Would you like a part time job with the possibility of it becoming permanent?
I own SystemsNicaragua.com and all my credentials and accolades are at the bottom of the home page.
When it comes down to the tech geeky applications, I stay on the cutting edge with a NY attitude. *That's a little scary in a good way.
I had wanted to talk with the head of law enforcement and the Ministry of Interior about upgrading existing systems and introducing them to the newest defense, surveillance systems in the US.
Semi autonomous defense systems: sa-defensesystems.blogspot.com/
My personal tech and info blog: sysnica.blogspot.com/
And of course, my website that conveys all the facets of what I do : systemsnicaragua.com/
If I can't reach someone of rank, this is going to turn into a big vacation. Not that I'll waste time. I have a line on a gentleman that works where they refurbish Rolex watches and have purchased 24K gold here.
The limit is $10,000 before they will apply exit taxes so that objective is pretty clear.
Let me know if you have an interest.
@ SystemsNicaragua, can you please drop a job advert in the dedicated section of the website if you have an offer ?
- Jobs in Phnom Penh
Thanks in advance,
Bhavna
In the end, it is not you who are utterly dumb, illiterate, destitute, impossibly poor, poverty-stricken, and endlessly begging for other people's money.
You are not the one who is incessantly plotting on how to steal or embezzle a few lousy dollars from foreigners. If only they had the brain, it might even work, but it is hopeless. They'll never manage to steal or embezzle one, single dollar. That is how bad they are doing.
Someone who's got no money, and then even loses all possible sympathy from other people because of his imbecile views and inanely stupid outlook on life, is nothing short of a born loser. Ignore that kind of idiots. Tell them to keep losing. They could jump into the Mekong river and drown, and what the hell would I care? Why would anybody ever lift a finger to help these dummies. Let them help themselves! But don't hold your breath, because the very little brains that they have, is really not what is going to make a difference. Dumb. Dumber. Dumbest.
Make your relocation easier with the Phnom Penh expat guide

Sports in Phnom Penh
Sports and fitness are generally very popular in Western countries, but they are not as big of a priority in ...

Popular neighbourhoods in Phnom Penh
As a new expat in Phnom Penh, you are going to need to know the best neighbourhoods to live in for your budget, ...

Studying in Phnom Penh
Phnom Penh is not much of a university city, but there are some quality universities in the city that teach in ...

Developing your social circle in Phnom Penh
Moving to a city where you have no friends or family can be daunting. Thankfully, Phnom Penh has a large and very ...

Living in Phnom Penh
Before going to anywhere in the world, people always try to find out about those places first. Likewise, before ...

Accommodation in Phnom Penh
Phnom Penh provides a range of accommodation for foreigners, along with a unique and lively environment. The ...

Getting around Phnom Penh
Phnom Penh is not an easy city to get around. It is a hectic city that, at the best of times, somehow works. This ...

Working in Phnom Penh
When it comes to expat living, Phnom Penh has it all. Thanks to an influx of foreign investment over the past ...
Forum topics on living in Phnom Penh
大咖福利影院 for your expat journey



