Cambodia is a country with a dark recent past, with the the brutality of the Khmer Rouge regime leading to millions of deaths and large numbers of refugees.
A large portion of those refugees came to Australia in the late 70s and early 80s, often on boats.
However, in more recent times, Cambodia has enjoyed a sustained period of relative stability and prosperity, and Cambodians are more likely to come to Australia as students than as refugees.
Pul ( aka Pulsokunreangsy ) arrived in Melbourne at 18 years of age to study IT. This was not something he had planned, it was an idea of his mother and cousin, who told him after they had already applied for him that he had better study for the English test ( IELTS) !
As Pul realised from his experiences in Australia, one of the biggest cultural differences is that in Australia, you are expected to be a lot more independent, while in Cambodia, even as an adult, the family is very much part of your decision-making. He has found one of the most positive things he has got from living in Australia is developing independence and life skills. In Cambodia, your successes and failures are very much tied to the family, and this can be stressful at times.
Pul came to Hobart to do post-graduate studies in a quieter and more relaxed environment and he managed to get a graduate position in his field in Hobart after graduating.
