Etiquette - The Definitive Guide to Moving to Southeast Asia: Cambodia - page 88

The traditional Cambodian “sampeah” (two hands held together as if in prayer) is done as
a sign of respect upon meeting someone for the first time, as well as to more senior people
(along with the words “ chumreap sua” meaning hello), and also upon saying goodbye
(“ chumreap lia ” meaning goodbye). When entering someone's house (and sometimes of-
fice),itiscustomarytotakeoffyourshoes,andit'srespectfultowearconservativeclothing
when visiting a pagoda or religious place.
There's a hierarchy and way of greeting for different age groups which is confusing to fig-
ureout.Anolderman,forexample,isreferredtoas“pu”(uncle),whileamanaroundyour
ownageoralittleolderiscalled“bong”(brotherorsister)or“lok”(mister),andayounger
male would be called “own.” And everyone, whether related or not, is a “sister,” “brother,”
“uncle,” or “aunty.”
However, unlike most other cultures, most Khmers do not celebrate birthdays and many
older people may not even know the date of their birth - so you may be on your own to
figure out their age.
Names are written in reverse of how they are written in the west. So, a person with the
name Kim Ngounteang has a first name of Ngounteang (usually abbreviated to Teang) and
hislast name isKim. It'sconsidered rudetocall him Mr.Kim since that'shisfamily name,
andtherightwaytoaddresshimisMr.Teang(or“bongTeang”or“puTeang”—depending
on his age). Or just Teang.
Expressions of anger are rarely (if ever) shown, as Cambodians tend to laugh off uncom-
fortable or confrontational situations. Showing emotion is considered a negative behaviour
and should be hidden, as it would lead to a loss of face. It's not uncommon to see people
laugh when dealing with traffic accidents, workplace conflicts, and personal frustrations.
There aren't many boundaries in Cambodian culture and it's quite normal to be asked how
old you are, how much you weigh, or how much you pay for your rent. It's also common
tofindaworkcolleaguestaringoveryourshoulderintoyourcomputerscreenasyouemail