Effect of C19 Pandemic on Cambodians
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Effect of C19 Pandemic on Cambodians
Has anyone noticed moodiness or any other special effects of Covid on local people here? I am surrounded by local folk. Most everyone seems as normal, friendly and dignified, but I also sense sometimes, a quiet desperation, a what-the-hell-humor, and even anger... I want to help out, but giving a bag of mangos, which I've done already, doesn't seem enough for a young single mom with 3 kids...
Certainly, the first thing every Cambodian says when he or she sees anyone foreign is: "Barang." Do you think this observational "word" sometimes contains a judgement? Or is it simply a mechanism of categorization that creates a comfort zone for the locals? I ask this question only because of the fact that if you were walking down a street in the UK, France, the States, Canada or Australia or NZ, you just wouldn't be in the habit of categorizing "foreigners as foreigners" when you see strangers...
(Attitudes among Cambodians towards the Chinese vary a lot. I have met all kinds of scenarios, agents and landowners selling to them, and the local young people mostly working for them in casinos or hotels. I get the impression that Cambodians find the Chinese even more baffling than Western foreigners. All Cambodians seem to associate the Chinese with money and little else. The recent outbreak has shutdown a lot of local jobs temporarily, and the locals put the blame on the Chinese.)
How do you feel Cambodians see YOU? Same or different since Covid?
I think all non-Cambodians should be careful, generous and considerate nowadays... Except when negotiating rents, of course...
Certainly, the first thing every Cambodian says when he or she sees anyone foreign is: "Barang." Do you think this observational "word" sometimes contains a judgement? Or is it simply a mechanism of categorization that creates a comfort zone for the locals? I ask this question only because of the fact that if you were walking down a street in the UK, France, the States, Canada or Australia or NZ, you just wouldn't be in the habit of categorizing "foreigners as foreigners" when you see strangers...
(Attitudes among Cambodians towards the Chinese vary a lot. I have met all kinds of scenarios, agents and landowners selling to them, and the local young people mostly working for them in casinos or hotels. I get the impression that Cambodians find the Chinese even more baffling than Western foreigners. All Cambodians seem to associate the Chinese with money and little else. The recent outbreak has shutdown a lot of local jobs temporarily, and the locals put the blame on the Chinese.)
How do you feel Cambodians see YOU? Same or different since Covid?
I think all non-Cambodians should be careful, generous and considerate nowadays... Except when negotiating rents, of course...
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- chkai chgout
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So many businesses closed today and few people on the streets.
Masks are universally worn.
I cannot imagine how the economy will recover at this rate.
Masks are universally worn.
I cannot imagine how the economy will recover at this rate.
Travelling around the city is currently a breeze, but there is definitely "an air"
Big numbers released today seem to have everyone shutting shop and riding it out behind closed doors.
Genuinely worrisome
Big numbers released today seem to have everyone shutting shop and riding it out behind closed doors.
Genuinely worrisome
@ scobienz Looking at his bike I hope it is the start of his working day....
This latest Covid outbreak right before Khmer New Year makes it tricky for many business to stay afloat. Over the past year they had reduced income/profits and bridged that gap with savings or loans to cover the downfall of foreign customers. Now the locals also stay indoors so there is no way to get back into the green. Having a restaurant here for over 15 years we are also struggling and I am currently looking in ITSec job openings vs working online.
This latest Covid outbreak right before Khmer New Year makes it tricky for many business to stay afloat. Over the past year they had reduced income/profits and bridged that gap with savings or loans to cover the downfall of foreign customers. Now the locals also stay indoors so there is no way to get back into the green. Having a restaurant here for over 15 years we are also struggling and I am currently looking in ITSec job openings vs working online.
I get all that greyhat, and I’m not in Cambodia, but reading this forum over the last year has given me the distinct impression that Cambodia has barely been impacted at all by the pandemic. Certainly much less so than most countries.
It’s kind of weird seeing everyone starting to take it seriously now, a year after everyone else. It’s like going through a time warp.
It’s kind of weird seeing everyone starting to take it seriously now, a year after everyone else. It’s like going through a time warp.
Cambodians and generational ptsd is well documented. I’ve lived through harsh Covid lockdowns in the west and everyone showed and is still showing variable signs of anxiety, depending mostly I think on the major variable of socio economic status, which, in terms of lockdown means did you have a decent space to chill at. Something to ponder when you analyse different Khmers and the emergence of serious Covid and looming lockdowns
Everyone showing signs of anxiety MY ARSE. That’s a ridiculous generalisation.Meghan President wrote: ↑Tue Mar 16, 2021 6:37 pmI’ve lived through harsh Covid lockdowns in the west and everyone showed and is still showing variable signs of anxiety
It’s been the best year of my life.
(Sorry Alexandra, quite High horsy. Haven't had a beer yet.)
Yes, Cambodia has had it easy. However, many sectors of the economy in Cambodia were hit very hard. Garment production and tourism perhaps most of all. Much FDI dried up too. This great reduction of $$ coming in has a large general effect. Enough so that the current fear of what COULD** happen, does feel like it has really dragged most Cambodians emotionally down, even if they've been lucky and their income hasn't been hit hard personally.
Garment Factories closed or slowed when 'raw' materials from China got cut off, before New York's first Covid death. Demand fell off a cliff and they are still very down. That is a lot of workers supporting huge ecosystems.
Tourism, while similar worldwide, is a bit less grim when domestic tourism has more people having more $$ to spread it around. Children of the rich going camping in Mondulkiri is great, but not much money actually gets to where it is needed. That's big ecosystems broken too.
The OP can share mangoes, and, if rich, spread around some money around and help some. (Yes, that is worth doing.) but it won't float a small restaurant, or guest house, or, a tour boat.
Tarin Riverboat talked months ago about Khmer resilience. It is there still, and impressive. But for many/most, it is quite strained.
**'Italy in Spring 2020' doesn't now seem at all likely here, but the News cycle in every country does blow up fear, and Public Health, in wanting to encourage more safe behaviour, isn't shy about using that fear. That double edged sword (fear) also gives rise to assorted "anti-... " types. Personally, I'd rather trust the science process, but I can see why various "anti..." folks strongly reject too casual fear mongering.
Yes, Cambodia has had it easy. However, many sectors of the economy in Cambodia were hit very hard. Garment production and tourism perhaps most of all. Much FDI dried up too. This great reduction of $$ coming in has a large general effect. Enough so that the current fear of what COULD** happen, does feel like it has really dragged most Cambodians emotionally down, even if they've been lucky and their income hasn't been hit hard personally.
Garment Factories closed or slowed when 'raw' materials from China got cut off, before New York's first Covid death. Demand fell off a cliff and they are still very down. That is a lot of workers supporting huge ecosystems.
Tourism, while similar worldwide, is a bit less grim when domestic tourism has more people having more $$ to spread it around. Children of the rich going camping in Mondulkiri is great, but not much money actually gets to where it is needed. That's big ecosystems broken too.
The OP can share mangoes, and, if rich, spread around some money around and help some. (Yes, that is worth doing.) but it won't float a small restaurant, or guest house, or, a tour boat.
Tarin Riverboat talked months ago about Khmer resilience. It is there still, and impressive. But for many/most, it is quite strained.
**'Italy in Spring 2020' doesn't now seem at all likely here, but the News cycle in every country does blow up fear, and Public Health, in wanting to encourage more safe behaviour, isn't shy about using that fear. That double edged sword (fear) also gives rise to assorted "anti-... " types. Personally, I'd rather trust the science process, but I can see why various "anti..." folks strongly reject too casual fear mongering.
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Added to the fact that many NGOs who had been helping some of the poorer communities have had to reduce their support significantly as their income has decreased. Some smaller NGOs have shuttered, others have just put a pause on operations.
The recyclers (etjai) folk had nobody to buy their materials for quite a while
It has been incredibly difficult for lots of people...however Khmer people have the remarkable ability to take their weekly financial expenditure down to almost next to nothing, it’s not a particularly healthy or maybe a happy lifestyle - but they can do it for short periods. This period has not been particularly short though.
The recyclers (etjai) folk had nobody to buy their materials for quite a while
It has been incredibly difficult for lots of people...however Khmer people have the remarkable ability to take their weekly financial expenditure down to almost next to nothing, it’s not a particularly healthy or maybe a happy lifestyle - but they can do it for short periods. This period has not been particularly short though.
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