在暹粒街頭,很常看到嘟嘟車司機在大白天的就躺在車上呼呼入睡,賣東西的小販也是,簡單的在兩根柱子上綁了吊床,就可以隨時地進入夢鄉。
這樣的景況在以前去菲律賓旅行的時候也看過,看到這個景象的時候,沒有想太多,只覺得這就是東南亞人的一種生活方式,還有點羨慕他們內心似乎覺得工作並不覺得那麼重要。但隨著在柬埔寨待的時間越長,越是了解當地人的日常生活後,發現自己的結論好像不夠完整,甚至太偏頗了。
在柬埔寨,大多數的人都非常重視「家庭」,所有的生活的動力、目標,都是以「家庭」為重,為了家庭他們真的不怕累。
我的同事們,除了在協會有正職工作以外,每個人都有額外的兼職或身份,他們通常假日也沒有專心在放假,有的假日會接飲用水訂單,四處送水;有的會在網路上賣各種不同的東西,都是想趁著假日多賺點錢;有的也很認真在為了家庭規劃長遠的未來,像是每天下班後去中文補習班上課,為了之後能考上中文導遊,多點不同收入機會,讓家裡經濟更好,或是有的下班後直接去大學上課,想好好完成學士學位!就算難得利用假日回家鄉陪家人,還是得擠出時間複習課業內容、思考未來畢業該做什麼額外的兼職,讓家庭過更舒服的生活。
而且,不只我的同事們過著這種身兼多職的生活,接觸的不少柬埔寨青年都是這樣,在一天當中,身兼不同角色,行程都是非常滿的,隨時都要轉換角色並且全力以赴的去努力。這都不完全為了自己而已,而是為了他們的家庭奮鬥。
有些人常說柬埔寨人們不喜歡加班,但台灣人有個人規劃,柬埔寨人也會有呀!他們不加班,可能是去做長遠的能力培養,或者是假日要兼職上班所以把握下班後的時光,陪伴他們最珍惜也最在乎的家人,有些人也定義東南亞人沒那麼專心工作,比較喜歡享受生活(包含曾經的我),我們很容易看到嘟嘟車司機倒在他們的車上呼呼大睡,或者是停在路邊下棋,沒有在工作,但我們沒有看到的是,司機們可能在外一整天的招攬客人,無論在最熱的正中午,或者是大家都已經在睡覺的夜晚,他們還是很認真的在看有沒有客人可以載,而不是真的躺在嘟嘟車上睡一整天或下棋一整天。
找空檔放鬆,是他們把握時間休息、享受生活的一種方式。這是我們台灣人在長期高壓環境下,能嘗試學習的部分,行程同樣滿檔,但是不用太過在乎外界眼光,在工作的時候就一定要一直在桌子前方專心工作,人真的有可能一直呈現專注的狀態嗎?學習找到享受生活、放鬆的方法,像他們一樣想休息的時候,就別想那麼多,架個吊床,把握空檔好好休息,才有力氣繼續努力。(當然,台灣人也有自己的放鬆的方法,不一定也是架吊床)
所以眼見為憑這句話,不完全正確,眼見的只是表面的畫面,畫面產生的根源是什麼,是沒辦法只從眼睛去了解的。對不同個體或是不同國家的人們,他們的生活模式、做事態度,都與他自身認定的價值觀有很大關係。我們不應該在不了解的狀態下,輕易的貼上任何標籤,定義他們。尤其當我們只是一個進入他們世界的外國人,了解彼此本身的價值觀不同之處,越容易找到與彼此相處的方法,甚至還能從他們身上學習到以前不曾想過的事情。
When walking in the streets of Siem Reap, you can usually see tuk-tuk drivers sleeping in their cars in the daytime. So do the vendors by the streets. They usually just tie a hammock between two pillars and enter into dreamland whenever they wish. I have seen similar sights when I traveling in the Philippines before. I didn’t think too much about it and I just felt that this is just the lifestyle for people living in Southeast Asia. I was even a little envious of them because work does not appear to be their priority. However, the more time I spent in Cambodia, the more I learned about the daily life of the locals, I found my conclusion about these people to be incomplete or even too biased.
In Cambodia, the people care most about "Family". All the motivations and goals of life are towards the " Family ". They are not afraid of tiring themselves out for their family. In addition to having a full-time job in our Organization, my colleagues all have an additional part-time job or profession. They are not good at taking a break or vacation and will work whenever they can. Even on “vacation”, one of my colleagues was still transporting drinking water to different places and another one was still selling different things online. They spend all their time on trying to make money for the family.
Some of them is extremely serious about planning for their families’ future. Everyday without fail, they would attend Chinese classes after their full-time work just for the possibility of becoming a Chinese tour guide which would provide better income for their families. Others will go directly to college after their full-time work in order to earn a bachelor's degree.
Even though they rarely have time to spend with their families, they will still spend their precious time to review their homework and find a part time job in order to improve their families’ lives.
Not only are my colleagues living this kind of life wearing more than one hat, but also many Cambodian youths are as well. In the course of a day, they have different roles and their schedules are very full. They still go all out to do the best all the time.
This is not just for themselves, but for their families.
Some Taiwanese say that “Cambodians don’t like to work overtime.” But, Taiwanese have personal planning and so do the Cambodians. They don’t like to work overtime, but they need to build themselves up for the future. They don’t have vacations so they grasp their time after work to accompany their family whom are the ones they care most about. Some people are just too quick to define Southeast Asians as not too focused on work and just prefer to enjoy life (myself included).
It is easy for us to judge the tuk-tuk drivers who fall asleep in their cars or stop at the roadside to play chess. But what we didn't see is that the drivers may have already soliciting guests all day. No matter the time, at the hottest noon or the night when everyone is already sleeping, they are still working. They do not sleep in their cars or play chess all day.
Knowing how to relax is a way for them to take time to rest and enjoy life. Taiwanese live in a high pressure environment for a long time. This is the part that we Taiwanese can try to learn. Our schedule is also very full, but just learn to don’t care too much about the outside world. When we are working, do we have to always concentrate on the work in front of the table? Are all that we can focus on is work? Learn to find your own ways to enjoy life and relax. Like Cambodians, don't think about it too much. Just tie a hammock and take a break to have a good rest. You will have more power to continue working hard.
(Of course, Taiwanese have our own ways to relax, tying a hammock is not the only way)
So “Seeing is Believing” is not really correct. What you see is just the surface. What is underneath this surface? We can’t understand it by eyes alone.
For different individuals or people in different countries, their lifestyles and attitudes towards work is a lot different because of the values they hold.
We should not be quick to place any labels or judge them without understanding them. Especially when we are just foreigners entering their world.
If we try to understand the differences between each other's values, it is easier to find ways to get along with each other, and even learn from each other that we had never thought of it before.
圖說:同仁們平常工作量也是挺重的,但在每次的職訓中文課堂中,面對課堂一點都不隨便,總是很有精神的享受課堂,他們享受不同挑戰的精神真的值得我們學習。
圖說:近期同仁們在忙碌著規畫園區後院的造景,從設計後院造景到搬運木頭、砍竹子、搭建…全都難不倒他們。
圖說:在進行個案家訪的過程,同仁們就像孩子們最親近的叔叔、阿姨,問候孩子們的生活,了解學習狀況並閒話家常,了解孩子最真實的感受。
圖說:照片中的是協會的柬籍實習生,即使是實習生也是身兼多職,不只是在上班時間擔任協會實習生,回到家裡同時也要負責打理家裡的伙食、家事,以及利用上班前的時間幫忙種一些農作物變賣,為家裡賺取額外的收入。
圖說:即使在外身兼多職個工作,同仁們仍然很用心的面對組織工作上遇到的每位孩子,在拍照之前,總會自己先擺出幾個有趣的姿勢逗孩子們,讓孩子們也能享受在拍照的氣氛當中。
圖說:協會年度員工旅遊,非常享受家庭生活的同仁們一定會記得帶著他們的家人一起參與,他們珍惜且把握每個能夠與家人一起創造回憶的機會。