
Originally Posted by
psyche_08
I think this is a good thread to revive seeing that there's an interesting discussion going on here.
Alright, let me share my experience. Last May (of this year), I decided to do a bit of traveling for a month - Singapore, Malaysia, Cambodia, Vietnam, and Thailand, consecutively. At the end of the month, I was supposed come back home but there's something about Cambodia that's pulling me back. Ditched my flight back home and booked one back to Cambodia and here are some of the reasons why I did what I did:
1. The Genocide Museum - The saddest place I've been on earth. No, I didn't take any picture as a sign of respect. This isn't the place to take a selfie; it's a place mourn and understand Cambodia's history - the Khmer Rouge, from 1975 until 1979, when 2 million died which is about a quarter of the entire country's population and only 12 survived. This was what they call the ethnic cleansing where people who were suspected to have mixed blood, Chinese, Vietnamese, or Cham were purged. They were purist. They believed in this slogan "To spare you is no profit, to destroy you is no loss."
2. The Killing Fields - It's just as sad and infuriating as the Genocide Museum but I didn't have the strength to visit this place. Seeing what I saw in the museum, I skipped and even after 5 months (and counting) of living here, I still couldn't go.
There is more to Cambodia than their historical sites. They have a story to tell, one that can give you nightmares and some you can never imagine to be possible. A friend asked me once, "Why Cambodia? Are you learning the ways of the oppressor?" I laughed at the thought because despite our history - the war, the colonization, we're still lucky. The Philippines would never have been called "the Philippines" if not for Magellan. I chose stay because it's like home but not quite - the people are as polite and accommodating as Filipinos. In fact, it was only recently that the crimes here became violent but still rare. Theft is the top crime but non-violent 90% of the time. Cambodia is still a developing country so it's not all rainbows and unicorns here; many people are still suffering more than us and this is why there are more Non Profit Organizations here than the Philippines. I love Cambodia and I'm staying here for a bit.