Wednesday 11 Mar
After being away from their home culture for three years, Rob and Deb have a new perspective.
"When we first arrived back, from Cambodia for our Home Assignment, one of our first questions was: Where are all the people? We could drive though a whole suburb in a city and only see people through windows of the car that drove past (presumably the remainder were hidden within the house where they live). In rural Cambodia where we have grown to call home, people spend most of their time outside. Houses are a place you might choose to sleep inside, but that is about it. There is so many more opportunities to build relationships with Khmer people just by the design of their homes. Khmer people in a rural village cook, eat and wash their dishes outdoors; they sit, entertain guests and even bathe outside. We have so many more opportunities to interact with our neighbours living in Cambodia.
Over the past couple of months, we have had a few moments where we wondered where we were or have missed being present in the moment due to many conflicting thoughts and adjustments to being back in Australia. Other times we have seen things with a new clarity that we could only have received by being absent from Australian culture for a while."
- Rob and Deb, intercultural workers back in Australia for Home Assignment
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