In Cambodia, superstitions pervade almost every aspect of society. I have yet to meet a Kmai person who does not believe in ghosts and the routine discussions of spirits at my house further solidifies the considerable amount of attention Kmai people pay to superstitions. When I told my host mother that I had visited Koh Pich Bridge, the site of the stampede, her eyes grew very large and she asked me if I was scared of the ghosts that were lingering there. I told her I wasn't and she was shocked that I wasn't quivering with fear. Along with ghosts, there are other beliefs that I have learned about that Kmai people swear by. Here are some of my favorites:
*You know those little white marks you get on your nails when you have vitamin or mineral deficiencies (according to Wikipedia they are called Leukonychia. Go here to read more about them)? Well, if you have them in Cambodia, it means you are soon going to be rich. My host sister had one a few months ago and the whole family was so excited that she was soon going to get some money. We're still waiting.
*If you feel cold during "cold" season and you are single, it means you want to get married. This was told to me by my single co-teacher who gave a creepy grin afterwards. He is desperately trying to move to America...
*When your left eyebrow quivers, you will soon be receiving a gift from someone. But if your right eyebrow shakes, WATCH OUT, trouble is coming your way.
*Geckos are everywhere here. I am never truly alone because there is always a gecko crawling up my wall, in my bathroom, on my mosquito net, etc. They make these little chirping sounds and according to Kmai people, if they chirp more than 7 times in a row, you will soon have a lot of money.
*If a single daughter sings while she is cooking, she is destined to marry a man who is already married. This also applies to sitting on stacked chairs and beginning a meal at one location then switching to finish it somewhere else.
*A pregnant woman must wake up early every day during her pregnancy or she will have a very difficult birth.
*A pregnant woman cannot drink ice while she is pregnant or her child will be hairless.
*If a pregnant woman walks over the legs of her husband when she is getting out of bed in the morning, she will transfer her morning sickness to her husband, thereby inducing vomiting in the man responsible for her nine months of misery.
*A mole on your face means you cry a lot. My sister does cry a fair amount and she does have a mole below her eye...
*If a woman is pregnant and a lunar eclipse occurs, the child will not be very smart.
*If you dream about a lot of fish, you will be very lucky the next day (this is especially true for sellers at the market).
*If you dream someone dies, you will be lucky the next day.
*If you dream about a snake wrapped around your body, you will soon find someone to marry.
*You cannot take a picture with 3 people because it is unlucky for the person in the middle. The more rural you go, the more people who believe in this photo rule, as I learned during training in the boonies of Traing.
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