As I said earlier, life in a small village in Cambodia is definitely different from what we are used to in Europe. These are just some examples of my day to day life in Thmor Sor.

– All day long, I can see nature and sea.

– Pets aren’t really pets (except for very few of them). It’s mainly animals walking around from one house to the other and more used to eat at some places. So villagers got used to give them a little food to share between them. Usually the leftovers but sometimes juste a plate of rice cooked specially for them.

– Shrimps are put to dry on the side of the road almost every where in town and kids help their parents in day to day life like bringing back the coconuts. When you know the weight of a full coconut, you respect them all the more.

– They recycle to make toys like a plastic kite.

– Women fancy wearing colorful outfits we would take for pyjamas.

– Here, everyone knows how to use a machete to prepare a perfect coconut. I have tried and it’s not so easy, you have to learn the technic !

– Shops can hold on simple motorbikes.

– People spend all their free time in hammocks. You will find them everywhere.

– As in many countries, you will find 4 watchers for one worker on a building site, with every pedestrian stopping to look. And you will admire their sens of balance to work heigh. Buildings here grow up quickly !

– You will cross cows walking on the road and it’s perfectly normal because they have no special pasture.

I could also tell you about the strange shinning eyes in the dark of the night when you just walk on the road (it’s usually the dogs, ready to bark or attack you if you come too close to the house they have decided to guard). I could tell you about those strange tractors they use to go around when they don’t have a motorbike. The tractor is usually their working tool to bring back wood from the nearest forest. I could tell you about boys wearing bright pink outfit because it’s actually an outfit that will protect them from the sun. I could tell you about the kids yelling in front of each monk every morning so villagers can come out in time to donate food. I could tell you about the trees full of kids, to pick up fruits or just to have fun… so you may have to look up to see where the « hello » comes from.

There’s so much more I could tell you about. But maybe you have to live it to understand how it feels.