RE: 👋 "How Are You" = "Did You Eat Rice Yet?" 🍚 Cultural Insight Through Cambodian Slang 🙋‍♂️

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(Edited)

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I hear a strong Dutch accent there on top of your American accent.
Is that because of your time in Suriname hanging out with @jeanlucsr? 😃



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@chocolatescorpi, Justin and I see each other way too little 🙁.
But.. this tag is a good reason to do something about it.

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OH Good. GREAT!
So happy to see I made you guys a play date all the way from here! 🤣😃😅

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Yeah, shame we couldn't get to know each other while we are here. We're leaving in a few weeks, Pov and the kids back to Cambodia, and me to the USA. Our youngest daughter's passport is expiring soon, and honestly we'd rather separate than stay here, we just haven't enjoyed Suriname in the least bit, I hope you don't take that personal.

However, it would be cool to hang out once before we go. We managed to hang out with @rarej and @tanjakolader once, but that' it outside of @faustofraser and Rafael.

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Haha, oh no!! In the three years we've been here, we've only made one Dutch-speaking friend that we see occasionally. In my days it's much more common to use Spanish, French, and English, as my non-family social interactions comes from the Guyanese, Cubans, Haitians, and Nigerians next door. I only got to see @jeanlucsr for less than two minutes more than a year ago.

Creating and maintaining friendships is something we haven't been able to do here yet, and that's one of the reasons we long for a return to Cambodia. Everything here is far apart and travel is super-expensive here, and unfortunately there are no motodups or tuk-tuks to provide affordable and speedy transport. Without affordable transportation, we lack the ability to go visit friends, so it's totally up to Surinamers to come see us, as they are the ones with cars.

We've some catering jobs here, and we make 5 times less money than we would doing the same work in Cambodia where the cost of living is 1/10th of what it is here. At this point Suriname is more expensive than where I'm from in the USA, and I struggle to understand the minimum wage here is around $100 USD, less than half of what it is in Cambodia.

In my few experiences trying to hang out like locals, I realized how much money must be spent to stay entertained like a Surinamer. I don't think we'll ever crack the Suriname code, and it's crazy to think we have more social engagement with locals in Cambodia during two days versus three years in Suriname with locals here.

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(Edited)

Oh wow, cause at first I was thinking Danish or something like that, then I thought no...it's sounds like...OH your in a Dutch colonised nation, ofcourse...der... so it must be Dutch (plus it reminded me of an old dutch friend I've got..)

But it's every other language..lol.. that's awesome actually to have so much verbal influence from around the world!

1/10th of what it is here. At this point Suriname is more expensive than where I'm from in the USA, and I struggle to understand the minimum wage here is around $100 USD, less than half of what it is in Cambodia. Do you think that that is because of the European-dutch influence???

Alos, I've accidentally set you and @jeanlucsr up a play date...🤣😂😅

Have fun kids! 🤣😂😅

And this kid here has to go to bed cause she's been really naughty staying up wayyyy too late (5ams) binging on Netflix the last few nights...and it's now 4am...🙄...I would ground her, but since we're still in lockdown, we're already grounded still...🙄

Good night- possibly day to you there now...😄

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Funny you say that though, I feel Dutch speakers from the Netherlands have a very neutral and international sounding English voice, especially the younger generation. I think all my years abroad with mostly non-native English speakers, and also working as an ESL teacher, has dramatically changed my accent.

When I visit my farmtown in the USA, most cashiers ask me what country I'm from when I pay for my gas or groceries. Apparently 10 words is enough for locals to start wondering where I'm from. When I try to turn on my "hillbilly" accent from the past, it sounds fake and manufactured, almost like I am trying to be a character in a movie.

I don't know why minimum wage here is abysmal, but every hustle we've tried here to earn money has also landed us 1/10th of what we'd make in Cambodia providing the same service to people with much less financial means.

I still have yet to understand this country because we never made more than one close friend during our time here, and I think we already bombard him with enough questions.

Sidenote - I've been going down some late-night Netflix rabbit holes lately.

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I love the Dutch accent and can always pick it out of a crowd.
Obviously compared to an American or Canadian, British or even a kiwi accent, it is quite plain, but there is something slight that happens at the end of every word which gives it this particular sound, but I can't describe what or how...Aussies didn't really have an accent of any kind up until a couple of decades ago and now when I hear it, even here...I cringe...I always said when I was living in the US that the Aussie was the base sound of English and then every other native English speaking country took that base and gave it their own sound. Unfortunately now though, Aussie has developed and enhanced this nasally, 'ocker' twang sound to the extreme and I can't stand it, it sounds freaking terrible...and you can hear it, look at the older generation of Aussie actors to the younger generation of Aussie actors/tv personalities and the accents are very different. And I do know what it is and where it comes from too, but would get tarred and feathered if I said it here..Anyhoooo..🙄

So if the minimal wage there is so bad, how do the Surinamese people cope? There must be a pretty big percentage of poverty everywhere then too yeah?

Where does their money come from, as in who prints, who governs their money? Is it all controlled by the Surinamese or by their Dutch 'motherland'?

I thought that it would be pretty easy to make friends there as I thought that it would be a pretty laid back place with a lot of cool people....

So what have been the Netflix Rabbitholes? Anything I should watch...Except we have a pretty poor and small list of content on the Aust Netflix, so I might not be able to get it...

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I taught a group of 12 Aussies Cambodian language classes once, it was the worst and also most hilarious and hopeless group of students I ever had, dare I say more hopeless with Cambodian pronunciation than my American students.

I still haven't broken the code of Suriname, really don't know how people pay their bills, but most households have a car and air conditioner, a sign of wealth for us coming from Cambodia, where I lived happily 10 years without either.

I think the economy here is driven by gold, cocaine, and mercury, so asking people questions about their work and income is something we never felt comfortable with. I think the Caribbean presents a false exterior to the world for tourism purposes, because the most stressed out countries I have ever visited are Jamaica and Suriname.

Suriname's independent many decades now, so the Dutch have little influence here, and the money is controlled by the President and a few friends, which explains the hyperinflation here, much like Venezuela, but not yet as extreme.

Netflix Rabbit Holes: anything to do with American prisons is good, makes me feel grateful for not being locked up 15+ years for a small joint. Not sure if on Netflix or not, but "Adam Curtis" docs can be found on YouTube, and that is mother of all rabbit holes, hands-down my favorite documentary filmmaker.

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Yes I know what you mean. I dis 3 semesters of French, 2 of Mandarin and 2 of Japanese here at Tafe, and although not to bad with the French and Japanese, we were all so hopeless with the Mandarin and our teacher used to tell us if we ever went to China, we would have to go as a group- for as a group we could get by- just, but as individuals we had no chance....

One of my Best Friend Paul lived in Cambodia twice teaching esl- English to Cambodians a few years ago...I think around 5 or so years ago...

I think the economy here is driven by gold, cocaine, and mercury, so asking people questions about their work and income is something we never felt comfortable with. I think the Caribbean presents a false exterior to the world for tourism purposes, because the most stressed out countries I have ever visited are Jamaica and Suriname.

Wow that is no good. I have read that there is a LOT of mining happening in Suriname- which is a bit of an oxymoron since it's also meant the be the greenest part of the world too...

I always knew that there was a dark underside to Jamaica, but such a shame that Suriname has also got that same vibe...

the money is controlled by the President and a few friends, which explains the hyperinflation here, much like Venezuela, but not yet as extreme.

Yes that does explain with which the ease of corruption can influence the entire system and affect those that are not involved it it- the people...

Not into prison or war anything, but I'm always up to check out good doco makers-as a try hard doco maker myself...but if you like a good laugh and a truly unique storyline, I can highly recommend "HAPPY'.

IN fact it is by far one of the best series I have even watched. In every way, the production is absolutely brilliant. It is NSFW and certainly NSF kids...It's on netflix here so you should be able to get it there....Me personally My FAVE shows EVER- Orphan Black, Sense8 and Happy.

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A good ole' hot mess as I would say

I will check these films/docs out, thanks for the info.

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