Its all in the smile; Atu and her sister; there's a story there!!
The Cambodian smile distinguishes them from all other groups of people. This has been noted by many authors, such as Henry Kamm;
" The insouciant Khmer smile continued to beam when there was nothing to smile about. The Khmer habit of smiling innocently even at casual passersby whose eyes have met theirs has beguiled Western visitors and writers since France's colonization in the nineteenth century "
When a Cambodian flashes that winning smile, your heart melts. That trait alone makes them the loveliest people in the world. Along with that smile goes the Cambodian politeness. This is a very non confrontational culture. How then, does this smiling, polite, considerate, peaceful Khmer personality square up to the horrors of the Khmer Rouge? Maybe the answer lies in the Cambodian tendency to accept insults, frustrations and humiliation by burying it deep within their psyche. They go on smiling and accepting, but they can only stand so much before something snaps and they go ballistic.
It's amazing how Cambodians do not seem to be affected by what they went through with the Khmer Rouge. On many occasions something will remind them of their family, and they will nonchalently and matter-of-factly mention that they watched six members of their family being clubbed to death. It is so matter of fact that they seem not to care.
But these incidents must remain deep within their subconscious, so that one day a small event will provoke the most outrageous behaviour, indicating that deep down there is something very wrong.
" Still waters run deep "
Just a thought.
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