As part of our cultural orientation to Cambodia we spent 24 hours living with a family in a small village, about 18 km away from Kampong Cham. The overall aim is help us understand more about the way of life for Cambodian villagers and support greater cultural understanding in both our work lives and the communities in which we will live for the next two years.
I stayed with a farmer, his wife, and two children. There was an extension to the family unit with his mother-in-law, sister-in-law’s one year old son and another young girl living in the one household. The house is a traditional wooden one, with day to day living happening under the house and sleeping on the fall in the upstairs area. I was greeted as a long lost friend into the family, and I learned so much about Cambodian life and language. I was guided around the wot (temple), the paddy fields and walked to the market the next morning, much to the amusement of the stall holders. I slept on the floor, sharing the same space as the rest of the family but wasafforded some privacy by some pieces of material hanging from nails and my mosquito net.
I will admit to feeling quite cynical about the home stay before hand, but I gained so much from it. I have attached some photos that might help to share the experience.
I stayed with a farmer, his wife, and two children. There was an extension to the family unit with his mother-in-law, sister-in-law’s one year old son and another young girl living in the one household. The house is a traditional wooden one, with day to day living happening under the house and sleeping on the fall in the upstairs area. I was greeted as a long lost friend into the family, and I learned so much about Cambodian life and language. I was guided around the wot (temple), the paddy fields and walked to the market the next morning, much to the amusement of the stall holders. I slept on the floor, sharing the same space as the rest of the family but wasafforded some privacy by some pieces of material hanging from nails and my mosquito net.
I will admit to feeling quite cynical about the home stay before hand, but I gained so much from it. I have attached some photos that might help to share the experience.
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