SAME SAME MALAYSIAN, SAME SAME CAMBODIAN?

One of the main reasons for us to visit Cambodia in 1994 (see my other post on Phnom Pehn) was to visit the Angkor Wat, one of the olden Wonders of the World, which is located near Siem Reap. At that time the only means of transport to Siem Reap for tourist was by air (there were train lines but tourists were not allowed to travel on them). Accommodation at Siem Reap (the set-off point for Angkor Wat) then was spartan and basic – half-brick, half-wooden houses with rooms to let. (I understand there are now 5* hotels in Siem Reap, booming with tourists, thanks to Air Asia.) The road leading to Angkor Wat was still laterite and gets muddy when it rains.

We were awed and impressed with all we saw of Angkor Wat – the temple ruins, the intricate carvings on many of the walls as well as the structures and had a most enlightening and enjoyable time. Except for one thing – there were many child beggars around, and they would hound and follow the tourists around, asking for “one dollar, please” with hands outstretched, until they get the money, or gave up and start pestering the next tourist. During the time we were there, there were hardly any other tourists and the kids had taken to following two of my friends around, but surprisingly leaving me alone! (I found out later that they were following the other two friends because they looked like Japanese and the Japanese were known to be very generous with these child beggars!)

Since they left me pretty much alone, it meant I could roam around freely on my own and after a while, I decided to take a rest. Slowly, some of these kids joined me where I sat and asked me where I was from. (They speak very little English.) I mentioned Malaysia but they didn’t seem to know where Malaysia is. I told them that they looked like our Malaysian kids (and they do look like our Malay kampung kids!) but they shook their heads and said, “no, no, you same same Cambodian”. I replied, “no, no, you same same Malaysian”. This went on for quite a while until one of the little girls finally said, louder than the rest, “no, you same same Cambodian” – and she pointed to her nose and said “your nose, same same Cambodian”. I was taken by surprised and took a look at all of them and indeed all of them have snub noses just like mine!! (Which incidentally I always felt was my worst feature!) :-( So, as far as these lovely kids are concerned - case closed. We had a good laugh! And I found out then that they were curious where I came from as I looked like one of them (since I am also quite petite) and that was the reason I was left alone and not pestered for “one dollar, please”!

1st Pic at right: One of the many many intricate carvings on the temple walls.

Pic at left: Me and my friend, who looked like a Japanese, resting at one of the temple ruins.

2nd pic left: Some of the child beggars who roamed the city of Phnom Pehn and tourist areas like Angkor Wat, begging for money. Notice their snub noses! (And they do look like our regular kampung kids!)

VL

May 1994