I've been a tuk-tuk driver for eight
years now. It seems every year more
foreigners come to my country, some to visit and some to live. A few of them are like family to me now. I see them often, we share meals, we visit my
homeland together, I know about their lives and they know about mine.
However, the many others are the ones I want to tell you
about. Yes, I appreciate the income when
they hire me. But sometimes I wonder, do
they have any idea how utterly ridiculous they appear?
What I see:
Scandalous women everywhere, they come in
hordes. They are oblivious to the world
around them. They do not dress
appropriately or act like good women. I
hope my daughters do not get used to seeing women dress like that and think it
is normal. I tell them it is not acceptable
for respectable young ladies to dress in that manner.
People who have time for only
themselves. Why do they all walk around
with their headphones blaring? We are
real people, with stories to tell, lives to live, families to support. Do people intentionally ignore the world that
is around them or do they simply not want to see? Are they afraid someone is going to jump out
and bite them? Do they think we are
snakes, looking for our next victim?
Unkept foreigners with baggy clothes and messy hair, touting their LP or some other guide book. Assuming they know it all because they came armed and "prepared" with the latest, relevant information. They have the craziest clothes, why do people wear those skimpy tank tops and short shorts? Are they trying to get dengue fever? Or are they trying to turn their skin brown? Either way, they do not seem to have much common sense.
People with such a sense of
entitlement. Why are people who have so
much so demanding? Why do they insist on
things a certain way? If you can’t
handle one ant crawling on your arm, take a taxi. If you need to be somewhere at exactly 4
p.m., you may want to leave earlier next time.
Please don’t yell at me because of the condition of the road, the fact
that it’s raining, or the insane traffic.
I have no control over these things.
This is life. What kind of life
do you have that you can afford to become so angry about such mundane issues?
What I hear:
Oh, I hear the funniest things. People think they are so clever or so
knowledgeable because they are from the “developed” world. You cannot imagine the pity and “compassion”
we involuntarily experience. People look
at us with pity in their eyes, while criticizing our government, our history,
our very identities. Do they even know
how ludicrous their words sound? Sure I
smile, offer them a ride, surprise them with my English. But inside, I am constantly rolling my eyes,
thinking “get a clue.”
What I really enjoy is when foreigners
decide to “educate” me about my own country.
Oh yes, they inevitably know more about our history, our
government, our economy, and our language. They get offended if I cannot understand
their rubbish attempt of the Khmer language.
I always smile, thank, and praise them.
I insist their Khmer is the best I have ever heard. Even though I have no idea what they are
saying, shouldn’t I be offended?
These foreigners also attempt to educate
me about social issues in my country.
They tell me I must look out for certain people, in order to protect my
family. They throw all kinds of
information at me about sanitation and pollution. They tell me it’s dirty and unsafe here. They are filled with pride for their own
country, and yet fail to recognize I may have pride as well. They treat us like their own little punching
bags, insult upon insult. My pride
carries me through one day to the next, it enables to put up with one more
foreigner. This pride is what I know
will carry us into the future.
Weekly, I am given the amazing “blessing”
and opportunity of learning a few new words of English. These foreigners are so happy to engage with
a “local” and teach a poor Cambodian some English. The idiots never realize they are teaching me
words I already know. But hey, I have
learned to go along with whatever makes them feel good about themselves. Because then they are more likely to tip me
or use my tuk-tuk again.
What I know:
My people are strong. They are clever. My family works together. We support one another. We do not flit about the world, on vacation,
or pretending to help everyone else. My
country is courageous, it is filled with overcomers. You can read all your guidebooks, you can
watch documentaries, you can visit us with a heart overflowing with pity, but
why are you really here? If you do not
care about learning from us, about improving yourself, about being calm and
mindful, about making friends that you actually spend time with, I wish you
would just send your money and stay home.
I never asked for your pity. It
is not “helping” anyone.
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