Total culture shock

Dudes, let me tell you, I finally had it, the absolute and almost deadly culture shock. My first day at the office was a total disaster since I was as lazy as always and hadn't read up on cultural differences. And let me tell you, there are a lot. First of all, Khmers are very polite people and you should try never to insult them, which is actually pretty hard. A polite Khmer will lower his voice in a conversation to show his/her respect for you. The problem is, that sometimes their English is hard to understand and barely audible in a whisper. Therefore the foreigner has two options: either nod and grin and pretend that the conversation is really interesting and that you agree with all of it, or try to read the other person's lips. Tough luck though, if you come across a very polite Khmer. He will cover his mouth with one hand to protect you from his bad breath while talking. And never ever look a Khmer directly into the eyes for a longer period of time while talking to him, that is just plain rude.
So we had a few frustrating moments, but nevertheless did a lot of good work. My team here is awesome. Compared to the stories I hear from Max we are well ahead of schedule and work is fun too.
Since this morning I am the proud owner of a bike, hazardously roaming the streets of Battambang always trying to avoid motos, cars and donkey carts, it is an exciting life. I also bought a couple of dress shirts today, being well groomed and of nice appearance is very important here. Only tourists wear shorts, flip-flops and tank tops. The good Cambodian girl wears a long sleeve shirt, a skirt or long pants and closed shoes. One should never wear sandals to work since feet are dirty and not to be seen by other staff members. So I'm sweating away, hoping to make a good impression and not to lose my status of an expert, which I acquired upon arriving here.