Basics - The Rough Guide to Cambodia - page 35

occasions: stalls do a roaring trade in bunches of
flowers that are taken to temples and used to
decorate shrines at home. Lotus buds - the tradi-
tional offering flower to the Buddha - are artistically
folded to expose their pale-pink inner petals, while
jasmine buds are threaded onto sticks and strings
as fragrant tokens.

increasingly be seen in the kind of short skirts and
strappy tops favoured by their Western counter-
parts. Even so, as a general rule it's best to avoid
skimpy clothes and shorts unless you're at the
beach.
When visiting temples it's important to wear
clothes that keep your shoulders and legs covered.
Hats should be removed when passing through the
temple gate and shoes taken off before you go into
any of the buildings (shoes are also removed before
entering a Cambodian home). If you sit down on
the floor inside a shrine, avoid pointing the soles of
your feet towards any Buddha images (in fact, you
should observe the same rule towards people
generally, in any location). Monks are not allowed
to touch women, so women should take care when
walking near monks, and avoid sitting next to them
on public transport.
Cambodians are often intrigued at the
appearance of foreigners , and it is not consid-
ered rude to stare quite intently at visitors. Local
people may also giggle at men with earrings - in
Cambodia boys are given an earring in the belief
it will help an undescended testicle. It's worth
bearing in mind that displaying anger won't get
you far, as the Khmers simply find this
embarrassing.

Culture and
etiquette
These days the handshake has become
quite common in Cambodia, and is used
between Cambodian men or when
Cambodian men greet foreigners;
generally, however, women still greet
foreigners using the traditional
Cambodian form of greeting, the
sompeyar.
The sompeyar is a gesture of politeness and a
sign of respect. Typically, it is performed with hands
placed palms together, fingers pointing up, in front
of the body at chest level, and the head is inclined
slightly forward as if about to bow. When greeting
monks, however, the hands should be placed in
front of the face, and when paying respects to
Buddha (or the king), the hands are put in front of
the forehead. The sompeyar is always used towards
those older than yourself, and is taught to children
at an early age.
Cambodians are reserved people and find
public displays of affection offensive; people in
the provinces are particularly conservative.
Holding hands or linking arms in public,
though quite a common sign of friendship
between two men or two women, is considered
unacceptable if it involves a member of the
opposite sex; even married couples won't touch
each other in public. Traditionally, Cambodian
women would not have gone out drinking or
have been seen with a man who was not her
fiancé or husband. Times are changing, however,
and a more cosmopolitan attitude is gaining
ground in the towns, where you'll see groups of
girls and boys out together.
Everywhere in Cambodia, travellers will gain more
respect if they are well dressed . Cambodians
themselves dress modestly, men usually wearing
long trousers and a shirt. Many women wear
blouses rather than T-shirts, and sampots (sarongs)
or knee-length skirts, but many also wear trousers
or jeans, and younger girls in larger cities can

Shopping
Cambodia has a wide range of souvenirs
- colourful cotton and silk fabrics, wood
and stone carvings, lacquerware,
jewellery and much more. Local handi-
crafts have also been given a boost
thanks to various local and NGO schemes
set up to give Cambodia's large disabled
population and other disadvantaged
members of society a new source of
income by training them in various tradi-
tional crafts.
Local markets are often the best place to hunt
for collectibles. In the capital, Psar Toul Tom Poung
(Russian Market) is the acknowledged place to buy
souvenirs, and there are also several excellent
markets in Siem Reap. In both towns you'll also find
plenty of specialist shops , galleries and hotel
boutiques - usually more expensive, though quality
is generally significantly higher.
As a general rule, when shopping for souvenirs it's
a good idea to buy it when you see it. Something
unusual you chance upon in the provinces may not
be available elsewhere.