Cambodian (Khmer) Culture & Language

Language
Khmer is the official language, but especially in larger cities many Cambodians
have at least a basic knowledge of English. French is spoken by some older
Khmers.

Khmer phrases I'm trying to learn
Hello - jum ree-up soo-a
Goodbye - jum ree-up leah[formal] / lee-hai [informal]
Yes - baat
No - a-dtay
Please - soam-un-jern
Thank You - arkun

Sampeah - Cambodian Greeting
The sampah is used as a greeting, show of respect, way to say thank you or
apologize. While performing the sampeah, the person places his palms together in
a prayer-like fashion while bowing slightly and, if it is a greeting, saying
Chum Reap Suor (Hello). One should address Cambodians by Lok (Mr.) or Lok Srey
(Mrs.) along with their name.

It is also important when one sampeahs to elders as a sign of respect and
politeness. The higher the hands and the lower the bow, the more respect is
shown. When praying to the Buddha, the person places his palms together close to
his or her face and brings his or her hands toward the ground three times.

Cash conversion
Cambodia's official currency is reil. However, the US dollars is also widely
used in this country. One can actually buy stuffs, pay for rents and fares using
US currency. Right now the US dollar to riel is a little over 1:4200, but from
my understanding the merchants will use a 1:4000 conversion. Since ATMs are not
very common, and places like hotels can exchange the money, I plan on taking a
the money I think I’ll need in USD and having around 40,000 reil (about $10) at
a time for smaller purchases.

Cell phone use in Cambodia
This is assuming your phone and your plan work in Cambodia:

Dial locally within Cambodia - If you are dialing a place in Cambodia with the
same city code as which you are calling, just dial the number. If the number has
a different city code, dial "0," plus the city code, plus the phone number.

Calling the United States from Cambodia - First dial "001" (this is the
international prefix to dial outside of Cambodia). Then dial "1" (this is the
international code used to dial to the U.S.). Follow that by the city code and
phone number.

Cultural mores
• Showing someone the bottom of your foot expresses the same insult as flipping
them your middle finger.
• Ask Before taking someone's photograph
• Bring a gift when visiting someone's home
• Don't engage in public displays of affection
• Don't touch people on the head. This is considered rude in Buddhist countries
(the head is the crucial and sacred as it where the intelligence and spiritual
substance reside)
• Remove your shoes before entering a home of religious building
• Don't use your left hand for eating or shaking hands. In many Asian countries,
the left hand is used for toilet business.
• One should follow the basic manners in Cambodia wherein a native is supposed
to wake up before sunrise or else he is considered lazy.
• Make sure to sit with your legs straightened down and not crossed else it is
considered impolite.
• One should close their doors gently else one is known for its bad temper.
• Elders are highly respected as per their seniority.

Angelina Jolie Cambodian Tattoo
On her left sholder blade is a Buddhist Pali incantation written in Khmer script
to protect her and her adopted Cambodian son Maddox from bad luck. Here's the
translation:

May your enemies run far away from you.
If you acquire riches, may they remain yours always.
Your beauty will be that of Apsara.
Wherever you may go, many will attend, serve and protect you, surrounding you on
all sides.