I am not actually Creole; however, when people outside of Louisiana see me, they generally ask if I am so. I am Afro-Asian (Korean + Black); but upon deeper dissecting, I realized that everything I loved about Cambodia echoed the Cajun, Creole traditions of my home: Louisiana.
What an incredible opportunity I was afforded to travel to Cambodia as part of a study-abroad program with a professor well-seasoned in his lay of the land and the local people. I absolutely adored the architecture, the textile colors, the mass population of people riding mopeds, and the availability of fresh fruit. There was also the added bonus of Phnom Penh being a riverfront town. Throughout my travels, I have found that I connect best with cities on the water as this earth element tends to add a sense of laissez faire to its local residents.
During our two-week stay, we visited local villages with donations of food, shoes and toothbrushes; we dove into dark history at museums; we visited historical buildings and paid respects at numerous killing fields; and we visited a Muslim village to share lunch. One of my favourite memories was when we toured through a floating village while also making a stop to drop off more donations at the Vietnamese floating school.
It was not until after I returned home and upon further research learned more about the origins of one of the floating villages and why they were mostly comprised of Vietnamese citizens. The residents remained as the aftermath of French colonization abandoning Vietnamese non-citizens without papers in a country that does not recognize their right to own land. These stateless families are therefore given the same rights as the Khmer and have built generations of families on the water.
Despite this history, the water tour is what brought me to truly appreciate the richness of Cambodia revealing that is was not unlike my home.
CAMBODIA = SOUTH LOUISIANA once you trade:
* coconut drinks for daiquiris
* crocs for gators
* Khmers for Cajuns
...and you are left with hospitable, resilient people who have incorporated the residual effects of French colonization and spun it into their own unique expressions.
