If I could only use two words to describe Phnom Penh it would be utterly chaotic. Imagine streets flooded with motorbikes racing in every direction and food stands lining nearly every street. Walk anywhere and you will be asked several times if you want to ride in a tuk tuk (essentially a small chariot attached to a motorbike) and if you accept the offer, be prepared to bargain down the price. Shopping at the Russian Market overwhelms you with countless rows of clothing stalls at remarkable prices. However, knowing what you want ahead of time is essential because everyone will try to sell you their clothes.
When I first arrived in Phnom Penh I was filled with nerves. Although I had heard many wonderful things about Cambodia, I had also been warned about pickpockets and the high likelihood of getting sick from food and unclean water. So, naturally, the first week I was very on edge. Everywhere I walked I held my belongings as tightly as possible and I was terrified to eat anything that had even the slightest chance of being contaminated with dirty water. Not to mention the traffic was ten times crazier than anything I have ever seen in Los Angeles. According to an Australian I work with at Samaritan’s Purse named Barry, “Traffic signs here are merely suggestions.” He told me this the first night I arrived and I have found it to be entirely true. Traffic in Phnom Penh never stops… which initially made crossing the street a terrifying experience. Everything I had ever learned about crossing the street in America went completely out the window when I came to Phnom Penh. If you wait until there are no cars on the road, you will never get to the other side. The only way to successfully cross the street is to slowly … but … surely …walk … across. This gives the infinite sea of motorbikes enough time to see you and drive around you.
Thankfully, despite my initial anxieties that came with being in this new city on the other side of the world, I have come to feel at home in Phnom Penh. It has been almost five weeks since I arrived in Cambodia and I have learned that there can be little appreciation for a place of which you are afraid. Adjusting to the cultural norms of an unfamiliar place is essential to making it your home as well as surviving. Accepting the fact that I’ll never be able to walk anywhere unless I conform to the Khmer way of crossing the road has opened up the freedom to get to and from the market to buy groceries and nearby restaurants to eat lunch and dinner. Learning bits and pieces of the language and knowing the average rate for a tuk tuk ride has given me confidence to get a fair price when traveling around the city. Letting go of the misconception that every person on the street is scheming to steal my wallet has helped me to appreciate the rich culture around me and see people as image bearers of God, worthy of dignity and respect, rather than averting eye contact everywhere I go. Trying out the eclectic variety of ethnic restaurants throughout Phnom Penh has helped me figure out what I can safely eat without getting sick and left me pleasantly surprised me at how much amazing food there is available in this city. While it is important to remain cautious while eating, walking, and carrying your things, I have learned not to let my caution turn into a paranoia that robs me of the joy that lies within this new culture.
Amidst all the adventure that has come from living in a Cambodia, the best part has been building relationships with the people who are from here. I have absolutely loved getting to know my fellow Khmer staff members at Samaritan’s Purse. They have been incredibly kind and welcoming to me in so many ways- introducing me to Khmer food, inviting me to play soccer, teaching me their language, sharing their stories, laughing alongside me, and so much more. It has been amazing to see how despite our cultural differences, the love and redemption of Christ has united us together as brothers and sisters in the Lord. We do all-staff devotions three times a week in our Phnom Penh office and it is so beautiful to worship in English while my Khmer co-workers worship in their language. It has also been wonderful to learn the Khmer style of prayer where everyone prays aloud at once. It is powerful to hear a chorus of voices lifting up prayers to God simultaneously.
Needless to say, I have grown to love Cambodia and the beautiful people who inhabit it—a people created by and for the God of all nations.