Living Conditions in Cambodia

Communications

Mail

Peace Corps Cambodia’s mailing address during pre-service training (PST) is as follows:

[Your Name]

Peace Corps Cambodia

#7A, St.256, Sangkat Chaktomuk, Khan Doun Penh, Phnom Penh

P.O. Box 2453, Phnom Penh 3, Cambodia

Tel: 023 222 901/012570306

Towards the end of PST, Volunteers will be given information for provincial P.O. Box information for their permanent sites. After PST, mail should be sent directly to the Volunteer’s provincial P.O. Box mailing address.

Please ensure that senders do not write “c/o U.S. Embassy” in the mailing address. Unauthorized mail and packages inadvertently routed to or through the embassy will be rejected and returned to sender.

Telephones

Peace Corps/Cambodia issues basic cellphones to Trainees during pre-service training, to keep for the duration of their two years of service. These phones are essential for communication in emergency situations. Additionally, some Trainees bring smartphones from the U.S. that are unlocked and can function in Cambodia. Volunteers are personally responsible for their phones, and must pay for repairs and/or replacements if they are damaged or lost.

Internet

Internet access during pre-service training is limited and you should not expect daily access. Only half of the training sites have internet cafes and price and speed vary considerably. After pre-service training, a majority of Volunteers have the ability to access the Internet on a daily basis. Some Volunteers find a computer to be a vital organizational tool for creating lesson plans, storing photos, listening to music, or writing letters. Even if electricity is not available in your area, you may be able to power your computer by car battery. Many cellphone providers have internet packages through a USB modem, or Internet packages are available on unlocked smartphones.

Housing and site location

Peace Corps Cambodia Volunteers live with host families throughout their service. A few Volunteers live in provincial towns, however, most live in smaller villages. All homes have electricity (220 volts) and indoor plumbing, including toilets and cold water showers. Electricity is available at every site, but temporary blackouts are common. Drinking water must be boiled, filtered, or purchased. Other basic amenities such as soap, shampoo, hair conditioner, lotion, stationery, sodas, and instant coffee are commonly available in shops.

Living allowance and money management

Volunteers receive a monthly allowance in local currency that is sufficient to live at the level of the local people. The allowance covers food, housing, household supplies, clothing, transportation to and from work, utilities, recreation and entertainment, and incidental expenses. Peace Corps Volunteers are expected to live at a level that is comparable with that of their host country counterparts. The Peace Corps discourages Volunteers from supplementing their living allowance with funds from home. However, Volunteers often wish to bring additional money for vacation travel to other countries. If you choose to bring extra money, bring the amount that will suit your own travel plans and needs.

Food and diet

Rice is extremely important to Khmer culture, and Volunteers may be surprised by the amount of rice they are expected to eat. It is important to remember that the offering of rice is an intrinsic part of Cambodian hospitality. For example, you might have rice with some type of meat for breakfast, fried rice or noodles with or without meat during lunch, and rice with curry or stir-fried vegetables for dinner. Fish and other seafood are also important components of the Cambodian diet. Fish or fish sauce/paste is in most dishes. Vegetarians and vegans can get by in Cambodia but may find it difficult to maintain a strict diet, especially in some social contexts. In some areas, it may also be difficult to get enough protein without eating meat or fish. A gluten free diet can also be difficult to maintain in Cambodia because many commonly used sauces such as soy sauce, fish sauce, and oyster sauce contain gluten. Living and eating with a host family can make it difficult to accommodate dietary restrictions and preferences. Volunteers eat at least one meal a day with their host families—some eat all their meals with the family— and the majority of Volunteers do not cook for themselves. Food stalls offer reasonably priced cooked food and are open from early morning until evening. As with so many aspects of your daily life, in order to thrive as a Volunteer in Cambodia you will need to maintain a flexible attitude about food.

Transportation

During pre-service training (PST) and at your permanent site, your primary mode of transportation will be by bicycle. Peace Corps Cambodia provides a bike and helmet to each Volunteer for travel to work, for errands, and pleasure. You will have a bike during PST and will receive training in bike maintenance and repair. Wearing your helmet while biking is mandatory. The intercity transportation system in Cambodia is generally good. One can travel between provincial towns, major district towns and Phnom Penh via air-conditioned buses on paved roads. Between provincial towns and district towns, Cambodians travel by van, tuk tuk, or pickup truck. These smaller conveyances are less organized and likely to be crowded. Additionally, the roads are smaller in size with two-way traffic, and they can be dangerous, especially after dark and/or when the visibility is poor (for example during the rainy season). As such, after-dark travel between provinces and towns is strictly prohibited. Finding a consistent means of transportation to and from your site may be a challenge, especially in the early months of service. Locals travel predominantly by motorbike in Phnom Penh and throughout Cambodia. However, as a Peace Corps Volunteer, travel by motorbike is strictly forbidden due to the high rate of traffic accidents involving motorbikes. Volunteers’ main mode of travel in urban areas such as Phnom Penh will be by foot, bicycle, or tuk tuk. The central part of Phnom Penh is relatively small, and it’s easy to get to most places by walking.

Social activities

Cambodians spend a lot of time socializing with their families. As most houses in rural areas are built on stilts, you will see many families passing the time under the house during the hottest part of the day.

Cambodian women generally socialize in and around the home.

Cambodian men often socialize outside the home, playing sports, shooting pool, drinking, and playing cards or chess in cafés. Karaoke is a common pastime. Some activities that are popular with men are associated with gambling and or prostitution and are not appropriate activities for Volunteers to participate in.

Volunteers spend much of their free time socializing with their Cambodian colleagues and neighbors, eating, and attending Cambodian festivals, weddings, and other cultural events.

In keeping with its goal of intercultural exchange, the Peace Corps expects Volunteers to establish social networks with Cambodian friends and colleagues at their sites rather than seek out other Volunteers for social activities. The ability to adjust to and enjoy this kind of social life will be an important aspect of success as a Volunteer and will enhance the ability to be effective in Volunteer work.

Professionalism, appearance, dress, and behavior

Professionalism in the Peace Corps requires an awareness of the host community workplace culture, community values, and your self-presentation. To maintain a positive, culturally appropriate professional standing within a host community or workplace, Volunteers may need to adjust their style of dress, hair style, facial hair, make-up, piercings, manner of greeting others, etc. to demonstrate respect for local culture and customs. How you present yourself, in both informal and professional settings, is a reflection of you as an individual and of you as a representative of Peace Corps and the United States. In the U.S., dress (and other elements of personal appearance) may be seen as an expression of personal freedom and identity. In many host countries where Peace Corps Volunteers serve, the way you dress and present yourself may be interpreted as an expression of regard—or disregard—for those host community members around you.

Volunteers are encouraged to spend time in their communities, develop their language skills, and get to know the individual members of their community in order to better understand their traditions, culture, and local norms. As mutual trust is established over time, there may be opportunities for Volunteers to adjust their personal appearance and dress outside of the more rigid local standards. Volunteers are encouraged to discuss these potential adjustments with staff and other cultural mentors.

In Cambodia, Volunteers work alongside teachers in public schools in mostly rural and conservative communities and must abide by the same expectations and rules as their counterparts. These rules are set by the Ministry of Education, Youth, and Sports and address clothing, appearance, and conduct.

There are strict rules regarding piercings and tattoos because they are culturally and professionally inappropriate in Cambodia and are associated with criminals.

Up to two piercings in each lower earlobe are acceptable for women and people who present as women. All other piercings must be removed. This includes those on the lip, tongue, eyebrow, nose, other parts of the ears, and any other visible piercings. Men and individuals who do not present as women may not have visible piercings at all. Hiding piercings by covering them in any way or using clear retainers is not allowed.

No visible tattoos are allowed for both men and women. Tattoos must be covered by conservative clothing at all times. Tattoos are uncommon in Cambodia and can sometimes indicate that a person has been in prison or is a sex worker.

Men must be clean shaven and cannot have long hair or shaved-in patterns.

Short hair is fine for women, but not completely or partially shaved. Dyed hair cannot be in vibrant colors such as blue, green, purple, pink, bright red, etc.

Shaved heads may cause unwanted attention. In Cambodia, a shaved head means you are becoming a monk or that you are mourning the loss of a close family member.

Men, and those who present as men, wear button-down, collared, tucked-in shirts; dress slacks; and neat shoes (no flip-flops, but sandals with a backstrap are acceptable) in a professional environment.

Women, and those who present as women, wear traditional skirts (called sampots), collared and tucked-in blouses or shirts, and closed-toe shoes or sandals with a backstrap in professional environments.

Sleeveless, transparent, tight and/or low-cut tops are inappropriate.

Shorts can be worn around the house and to play sports, but they are not worn in professional settings.

You will participate in an orientation on culturally appropriate behavior and cultural sensitivity during training.