Extreme Khmer Episode 22: The Westerner and the Dogs

A little something different this episode, it's a Nek Kruu Sokhary tour-de-force. First she presents with a short tale of cross-cultural interaction, then I have people watch it on an iPod in both Siem Reap and Phnom Penh and give their opinions on it. In the end, Nek Kruu provides us with her final analysis. Illustrations by artist Linda Saphan.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• khmer
• cambodia
• cross-cultural
• barang
• westerner
• expat
• culture
• dog
• guard

[tofoodood]

I tend to agree more with BAISin's chain reaction concept. I've lived in a major city most of my life, here in the US. My neighbors' car alarm wake me up frequently in the middle of the night.

Here's another good example---If your neighbor's wife just had a new baby who cries 24/7...would you ask them to ship the baby out of their house?

Being good neighbors in any society requires much understanding, compromising, and most of all, be tolerant of one another.

[tofoodood]

krashk...have you ever lived in Cambodia??? It is not a Khmer tradition to have disturbing barking dogs, but it is very common to have dogs in the homes of Khmer people, in Cambodia.

This is definitely a clash between 2 different cultures. Because had it been just another Khmer family as neighbors his would not become an issue, since they would also have dogs.

[Joneair]

french must moveout , if they don't like.

[khmer2thebone]

i mean send those dogs to vn. because viet eat dogs. got it?? hahahaha....sorry, it's not fuuny.

[amerasia5189]

Vietnamese cannot solve the problem, because they are simply thift who still cambodian land.

[amerasia5189]

I have a solution for both to be protected and happy.

[khmer2thebone]

send those to vietnam. problem solved!!! hahaha...

[BAISin08]

Every night it goes like this: A perceptible or imperceptible noise is heard. A dog barks. 3 more join in nearby. Then the chain reaction starts across the neighborhood. This goes on for maybe 5 or ten minutes and eventually trickles out.

In the states, a person's alarm system calls back to the security command center or vice versa. This series of checks is necessary to ensure that the alarm systems are functioning. I see no difference here with the dogs. Oh yeah, a little louder though

[usakhru]

We have to learn to respect one another. If the dog is barking too much, that would definitely disturb the neighbors. I certainly would not l like to hear a dog barks all day and night.

[krashk00l]

I don't understand why these Khmer people are saying that the French people suppose to cope with disturbing dogs, and that it is Khmer tradition. It is definetly NOT Khmer tradition. It shocks me how the first lady who suppose to be a teacher thinks this way. She never thought about herself being in the French mens shoes and how she would feel for not getting her sleep. Sheeeshhhh....